Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla

As you might know, I'm in search of a new foundation. I was planning on picking up a more high end product to even out my face, contemplating the Lancôme Teint Idole and Teint Miracle. But neither of those really had a perfect match for my skin tone so my quest continued. I really needed something asap so to set me up in the mean time, I picked up the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in shade 51 light vanilla, which is the lightest available. Several people had recommended it to me and the shade blended into the skin on my neck nicely (the best way to test a winter foundation on post-summer skin). At about 14€, I could justify the purchase as an in between solution.

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla

The Bourjois Healthy Mix contains all kinds of fruit extracts that are supposed to nourish the skin: 
"Bourjois' 1st radiance-boosting fruit therapy foundation for a flawless complexion for up to 16hrs!

  • Apricot > radiance
  • Melon > hydration
  • Apple > antioxidant
  • Ginger > energy
Its exquisite glide-on formula blends onto the skin for a flawless, yet natural finish.


And.. it's good for my skin:
· 8 hrs moisture
· Lets skin breathe
· Dermatologically tested"
Well smack my ass and call me Johnny, all of that sounds a bit obvious and slightly silly in a hippie kind of way, but I can't deny my love for fruits yo. No SPF, which is a bummer, but my moisturizer contains SPF20 so it's not that necessary, especially during fall and winter. Bring it on I say!

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla
Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanillabourjois healthy mix review and swatches

I'm comparing the Boirjous Healthy Mix foundation with my old tube of Max Factor Smooth Effect (bought on a recommendation by Katrin) because the Max Factor foundation is the best skin tone match I have found yet among drugstore brands. I'm not even THAT pale, but it is near impossible to find a good foundation match among budget products which really sucks. Anyway, as you can see the two are very similar. I'd say the Healthy Mix foundation in 51 Light Vanilla is the tiniest bit darker than Smooth Effect's Creamy Ivory, and I think both are neutral rather than pink (cool) or yellow (warm) in undertone. I lean slightly to the pink side of neutral, but these really do work well for me with minimal blending.

First thing you notice when using the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation is the smell: fresh and fruity but most of all very present. However, the scent disappears instantly on applying it to your face, so don't let that scare you off.

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Light Vanilla
left: naked skin // right: one coat of Bourjois Healthy Mix

I especially need coverage on my cheeks because I've got some redness there. I'd say the coverage is light to medium, especially when finished off with a layer of mineral powder. I tend to get oily around my nose which makes my foundation slide off, however, a drier foundation makes my forehead and chin look flaky, so I stick to powder in some problem areas. But the coverage is pretty much perfect for me: no mask effect but a better version of my own skin.

bourjois healthy mix review and swatches
 left: naked skin // right: one coat of Bourjois Healthy Mix

And here is the classic before/after shot. As you can see, my own skin is the tiniest bit darker than the foundation right now, but that's a bit of residual tan from summer which will disappear completely soon. I like the fact that the finish isn't too dewy but not completely matte either. I like the natural skin effect of dewy foundations, but they soon look too oily on me, so this is my preferred finish.

bourjois healthy mix review and swatches

And here I am with a full face of make up. I definitely like the finished result, I think this will be a very good foundation for winter since it claims to be super hydrating which is something I need during the colder months. For some reason, my skin gets both oily and dry and super sensitive, so finding the right mix of products isn't the easiest thing. I find that this foundation lasts quite well through the day on me if I top off with some powder after about 5 hours.

To round up, positives and negatives:

THE GOOD

- a good light shade foundation for fair skinned people
- moisturizing yet not too dewy in finish
- but not too matte either!
- satisfying coverage
- easily blendable
- the pump, which is the most germ-proof option.
- a glass bottle which allows you to see how much product is left
- doesn't turn another shade after oxidizing

THE BAD

- a distinctive smell
- probably won't last as long as it says it will (16 hours? I think not.)
- no SPF. Everything should have SPF!
- yellow-ish undertone that doesn't match my skin perfectly


I hope this review was helpful! If you have any questions or feedback, do ask. And I'm still welcoming good advice on high end foundations so keep em coming.

23 comments

  1. Ik gebruik zelf nr 52
    Ik ben er zelf heel content van, maar mijn eisen voor foundation liggen dan ook niet zooo hoog :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ik gebruik deze ook, mijne favoriet! Ge ziet mijn sproeten nog en toch voel ik mij geschminkt. Zalig.

    ReplyDelete
  3. vast omdat je prachtige huid hebt :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ha bedankt voor deze review! Ik stond er laatst mee in mijn handen in de winkel, maar ben dan toch maar weer voor mijn oude trouwe van Vichy gegaan. Volgende keer mss toch eens deze proberen, vooral voor de fruitjes die er in zitten, al vind ik geen SPF idd ook een minpunt!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gebruik hem ook voor als ik een " naturelle" dagje wil, maar ik zweer al jaar en dag bij Estee Lauders Double Wear Stay -in-Place foundation, waanzinnig goed maar wel een zeeeer full coverage, blijft ook heeeel de dag goed op zijn plaats ( en mijn T-zone is vettiger dan nen Bicky :). Als je hem met je handen aanbrengt of gemengd met dagcreme heb je een lichtere, naturellere dekking ! I love this stuff !! X

    ReplyDelete
  6. oooh thanks voor de tip, ik wil misschien ook wel eens een "serieuzere" :D

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have the gel serum foundation and that is definitely more on the yellow side of the spectrum! But they do seem to have a similar finish :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. In de Ici Paris,de INNO en in de Parfuma, de ene winkel heeft wel meer kleuren dan de andere...x

    ReplyDelete
  9. haha, idd I feel like a million bucks wearing that shit !

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah, you are pretty, and that LIPSTICK. Dang.
    I've always had an issue finding good matches for my skin, too. I'm not super pale, yet somehow I always have to buy the palest (or next-to-palest) foundation in the store, which I think is odd. And I tend to have flaky skin on the cheeks and forehead, and relatively normal nose skin. I just bought new foundation as well per a lot of reviews online, and so far I love it! It's Revlon Colorstay 24hr foundation; it's not high-end, but it has such a nice finish, and the color matched my skin tone pretty much perfectly. Plus, it covers quite well and stays all day.
    Good luck finding something you love! I hate foundation shopping...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Pretty!

    Do you know about this website? I am not trying to sell anything, btw. This lady has reviews of most cosmetics and creams based on research. She is based in the US, but you might find it useful any way: http://www.paulaschoice.com/beautypedia-skin-care-reviews/brands/


    I think she has a european version of the site too, but I can't access it from here :P


    Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your cheeks are red like mine! I wonder if you've ever gotten the "you're so lucky you'll never need blush" thing as I always have.


    Also, that purple lipstick looks great on you. And you apply it so well! Dark lipsticks always looks wonky on me because I'm so bad at applying.

    ReplyDelete
  13. thanks! ugh I've always disliked my red cheeks and nose, it just looks like I've been in a rush to get somewhere :D I prefer fake rosy cheeks as in foundation -> blush over my blotchy cheeks any day. Stupid thing is, blush looks nothing like REAL flushed cheeks. Artifice 4 life.

    About the lipstick: I use a small brush which is kind of a must with super dark lipstick as you just can't get it right applying it straight from the tube!

    ReplyDelete
  14. you are pretty pale though, snow white! :-D and i've been looking for that foundation as I've heard major good things about it, but I'm not sure I can find it in Belgium... Will keep an eye out!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hehe, well, I suppose it's more... I'm not as pale as I look in a lot of pictures. People who know me are surprised I use a very light foundation! :D I hope you can find it; I really love it!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ah yes the small brush. That's...probably the only and best way to apply dark lipstick. I apply straight from the tube and it's a national disaster.



    <3

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great review, I used to use the same one and now more http://kissmyfashionistasbutt.blogspot.be/2013/04/real-bbcream.html#more this one
    I have the feeling it adapt more to your skintone while with the healthy mix I sometimes see some yellow-ish shine, depending on my own skintone (winter vs. summer).
    so maybe it could work for you to! :)

    grts!

    ReplyDelete
  18. yeah that would be the result with me as well, do get one! you can get them for mega cheap and they make it so much easier to get a sharp lipstick look.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ik ben er ook tevreden over, helaas ben ik er weer in geslaagd om het te misplaatsen -_-
    Naomi, x

    ReplyDelete