Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation review

Damage: £10.99 from Boots.com
Bourjois sez: "Tested and approved by 97% of women, the “new generation” foundation for a rested yet radiant complexion and a flawless, even result for up to 16hrs.

Its formula:

3 colour correcting pigments:

1. Yellow pigments – conceals dark circles for a rested look

2. Mauve pigments – corrects dullness for radiance

3. Green pigments – neutralises redness for an even out the complexion

Soft and smooth formula for an undetectable, second skin finish. Available in 9 natural shades to suit all skin

- 24hr hydration

- SPF 10

- Cotton Flower – hydration & anti-shine"
Nunu sez: I politely requested *ahem* made *ahem* Jian pick this up for me in the UK, and then I made her mail it to me before she left for her sojourn in the East. I am a very demanding and manipulative friend, fanks tall judgy!
There are apparently 9 shades available in the line but I only see 5 shades on both the Boots and Bourjois website. I got shade 52 which is my normal Bourjois foundation shade and it is a pretty good match for my NC15-20 skin tone.
This foundation is quite thick, not quite as thick as Chanel's Mat Lumiere which it reminds me a lot of, but it's definitely a lot thicker than the Bourjois Healthy Mix. 
Application was very easy with a stippling brush, I didn't experience any patchiness but I have combination skin, people with drier skin might want to try out a sample first. 
Coverage is medium and buildable, it covers redness nicely but more severe blemishes will require extra concealer. My complexion is definitely brighter so maybe the colour correction mumbo jumbo actually works?
Finish is matte and the oil control is freaking amazing. I can wear it for 12 hours straight without any blotting and that is unheard of for this greasy pirate! This might be a disadvantage for those with dry skin. It remains mostly intact for 12 hours but does oxidise a bit. 
Its become my most reached for foundation this Summer, if you have oily or combination skin and found Mat Lumiere too thick and too matte you should definitely give this foundation a try.

Before and After:

Close up of coverage:

12 hours later with no blotting:

In other news I've been wasting my time watching this:

I go between confusion and annoyed when I watch this but I just can't stop watching. I can't get over how big her mouth is.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation review

Another day, another foundation review.

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation has a bit of a cult following in the UK where it has been available for quite a while. It never quite reached American shores but is available on ASOS for around $14 with free international shipping. The serum version came out in the UK sometime late last year and finally landed on the shelves of Shoppers Drug Mart about 2 months ago.

Damage:
CAN$27 from Shoppers Drug Mart
Promises:
Give your skin a radiance boost with Bourjois’ Healthy Mix Serum Gel foundation – made from a vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula for an even complexion and an instant anti-fatigue result!
Its fresh and instant blending gel texture blends and glides onto the skin for an even, natural finish with no mask effect. Imperfections are erased, signs of fatigue are smoothed and the skin’s radiance is boosted for up to 16 hours*. Made from an instant anti-fatigue vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula with litchi, goji berries and pomegranates. Available in 6 radiance-boosting shades. Tested for you:
69% more radiance after 4 weeks of use!** And…it’s good for my skin!

· Hypoallergenic, lets skin breathe

· Dermatologically tested

Tested for you** :

• Complexion is perfectly even => 97% agreed

• Skin looks rested => 94% agreed

• The complexion is radiant => 89% agreed

• The product feels light feel on the skin => 91% agreed

*Scientifically tested on 10 panellists.

**Tested on 100 consumers for 4 weeks

Review:
I got this foundation in shade 52 Vanille and it is a perfect match for my NC15-20 (Justine did an awesome job guessing my shade! <3). Ladies who are lighter than me will be happy to hear there is shade 51.
It is billed as a "gel foundation" but I don't find the formula very gel-like, instead I find it very similar to Diorskin Nude - light and slightly runnier than normal foundations. It blends beautifully and leaves a slightly dewy, natural looking finish. I do feel that my skin looks brighter when I have the foundation on.
Coverage is medium at best, it won't cover up dark scars but will cover up redness and uneven skin texture nicely.
Perhaps due to the runnier formula, the oil control and lasting abilities of this foundation are rather weak sauce. At around the 5th to 6th hour of wear I begin to notice shiny patches where the foundation has disappeared. Setting with a powder helps but that also takes away the lovely glow this foundation imparts.
As doggedly against fragranced products as I am, I find the light floral scent of this foundation rather pleasant and soothing. Yeah, soon I'm gonna like roses.
At $30 after tax for 30mls of product, I feel the price is a bit steep and definitely not drugstore budget friendly.
Has anyone else noticed that more and more foundations are now coming out in that size? I still remember days when foundations came in 50ml bottles...
I love this foundation, it gives a beautiful finish and my skin looks healthy and glowing when I wear it. I do wish it had better staying power and oil control. I would recommend this foundation to people with dry skin or those who live in regions with dry winters.

Swatchey swatch:

Without foundation:

With foundation:

Close up of finish:

 

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation review

Promises:
"Our most advanced foundation uses light-diffusing ingredients that render skin smooth, poreless and flawless—even under most high-definition technology. HD Studio Photogenic Foundation is also infused with tri-peptides that promote collagen production, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and help rejuvenate skin. Ideal makeup for everyday use, professional shoots or anytime you’re in the spotlight."
Damage:
$15 on nyxcosmetics.com and cherryculture.com. For Canadians, NYX is also available at Save-on-Foods, Rexalls and Pharmasave.
Ingredients:
Deionized Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Diethylhexyl Maleate, Butylene Glycol, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane/Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone, Kaolin, Sodium Chloride, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil , Sorbitan Olivate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone crosspolymer, Cyclomethicone/Dimethiconol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Propylene carbonate, Chlorphenesin, Fragrance, Hydrogenated Vegatable Oil, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Alumina, VP/VA Copolymer, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, C12-14 Pareth-7 , Amodimethicone, Adipic acid/ Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer , Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Copper Peptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8,and  Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4. MAY CONTAIN: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Mica (CI 77019), Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Yellow Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Red Iron Oxides (CI 77491), or Black Iron Oxides (CI 77499).
Review:
I picked up this foundation at IMATS purely based on Temptalia's review. It was around $11 ($15 regularly) and she compared it favourably to the MUFE HD Foundation. I seem to have a chronic allergy to everything that MUFE makes, I'm not sure why, but everything I've tried from MUFE either breaks me out, gives me the itchies or burns T.T. Total sadness.
The foundations come packaged in a plastic pump bottle. The pump is top notch and doesn't clog up or have dispensing issues. I'm kinda meh over the plastic bottle but I guess it's good for travelling.

There are a total of 8 shades available and I picked up shade 01 and 02. I had to get both because neither one on its own would match my NC15 going on to NC20 skin tone. The shades in the range vary schizophrenically between being pink and yellow based. Shades 01, 03, 06 and 07 are pink based and shades 02, 04, 05 and 08 are yellow based. This wouldn't be such a big problem if only there wasn't such a huge difference between the shades of the same base. In addition there are also no colours suitable for darker ladies.

Swatches from top: 01 Nude and 02 Soft Beige

01 Nude and 02 Soft Beige blended out:

As you can see from the swatches, shade 01 is a very light pink based ivory that is much too light for my Summer skin but would probably be perfect for me in the Winter. Shade 02 is a much darker yellow based beige, it's around the NC20 zone and is currently a match for me.

Without foundation:

With NYX HD Studio foundation on:

Coverage is medium and buildable. As you can see it evened out my skin and covered most of the redness and blemishes. The foundation is a bit runny so you need to pay a bit more attention to application or risk streakiness. The finish is a bit dewy, not overly so that you look greasy, but just dewy in a very natural way.

I have no idea if it's really HD quality but the formula is SPF free so at least you won't get a funny white cast if you take flash photographes.

On me the foundation lasts around 6-8hrs before fading around my T-zone.

With flash:

With powder on top (I swear I am not really this disgustingly pale, it's just the lighting T.T):

After approximately 10 hours of wear blotting once:

Overall, a very good foundation for $15 if you can find your shade!