Foundation Files #1 Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

Hello! Now, I've heard some very mixed reviews on this, some people seem to love it, and some haven't got on with it so well, so I'm here to add my two cents!

So I should start my laying down some ground, I have combination skin, with mostly normal skin, but some slightly oily areas, and some drier areas in winter too, and my foundation preference is a dewy finish with not too heavy coverage, I like to look as natural as possible!

 So the Bourjois healthy mix serum is described as a semi-matte finish, which initially I thought would be a bit weird, how exactly is something semi-matte? Well I'll tell you how! It mattifies your face, but maintains a certain amount of luminosity and glow, which I actually think is perfect, because you get the glow without the shine or stickiness! It's also quite a light coverage, which is great for keeping your look as natural as possible, which I really like, but it definitely doesn't cover up any blemishes, it doesn't even cover up my freckles, it just has more of a blurring effect. So this foundation tends to be great when you haven't got any spots or anything in particular that needs covering up, but your complexion just needs a little pick me up, if it's looking sallow or dull this is absolutely great! To be honest I wear it even when I do have blemishes, it's nothing a little concealer can't sort out! I have the lightest shade of this (51) and it would probably be a little too dark for me if it was a heavier coverage, but I can get away with it as it's so light. The shades in the range are also definitely on the more yellow-toned side, but again, as it has such a light coverage, I haven't found that it makes too much of a difference.

I've found that this has worked best for me when I prep my face with moisturiser, skip on the primer and apply the foundation straight to my face with my fingers. I've tried it out with a multitude of different primers and brushes, but I really feel that you get the best finish with this when you apply with your fingers, and it wears longer and nicer with no primer underneath (just for reference I have been prepping my face with my Oriflame energising day cream and it works really nicely with this foundation without a primer). I found it to go a little patchy with primer, but without it lasts and wears really nicely, it doesn't oxidise and get darker throughout the day, which is a definite plus for me (I hate foundations that do that! They make me feel so self-conscious, what if my face has turned orange?!) I also found that this was better left unpowdered on my skin, as when I tried it with powder, again it went patchy and highlighted my pores after a while. But when I use it without any of that I actually find with this foundation that it looks better throughout the day to when I put it on, which can't be a bad thing! I think it's because it gets less matte as the day goes on, but by no means shiny, just really natural and dewy, and it definitely does last all day! So if you've been having problems with this one, try using it in the way I have done and you might get some better results, do let me know if you do this, I'd be interested to see if it's the same for other people!

I really like the packaging of this, the glass bottle is a plus for me, as I think it has a more expensive feel, and the pump is a massive YES because it's so much easier and far less wasteful when you're getting product out. I also really like the gel consistency of the foundation, to me it's what every liquid foundation should feel like, not too thick, but not too runny, and it's so easy to distribute and blend into your skin. It smells a little bit like suncream, I think, and I don't mind that at all, as it isn't unpleasant but doesn't last either, so you don't need to be worried about other people being able to smell it. I think it's a really nice touch that the ingredients include "vitamin-rich fruits: lychees, goji berries and pomegranate" and that it's also hypoallergenic!

So does it live up to the claims on the front of the bottle? It says that it lasts 16hrs, which I think it a bit of an overstatement, I've had it lasting reasonably well for 12 hours, although it was definitely on its last legs at that point, but I would say that in using it the way I talked about earlier it definitely maximised the amount of time that this lasted and it was quite long lasting when I used it in this way. It also promises a radiance-boosted eve, revived complexion which I would completely agree with, so that's a thumbs up from me!

I hope this is proof that it lives up to the promises of radiance, this was after I had got in from a full day of uni, wearing it all day, for at least 7 or 8 hours.

I really like this foundation and I'll definitely be repurchasing once I get through the rest of my stash (I really should use them up before I buy more!) I'd recommend this foundation if you like a glowy finish, not if you like overly matte, heavy coverage foundations. I also think it's best suited to normal/combination skin types, if you have oily skin I don't think this is enough to keep it matte all day, and I did find that I clung to my dry patches a little which highlights them, so I wouldn't recommend it to overly dry skin types either, but for anything in between it's a good'un!

Sorry that this has been quite a long one, but I feel like the more detailed these reviews are, the more helpful they are for people who are thinking of buying the product, which is my aim in writing these!
Have you tried the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, or any other Bourjois foundations? What did you think of them?
Eleanor x