Best. Foundation. Ever. Chanel Vitalumiere
November 13th, 2009
Author: The Makeup Mole
This is a big call. I mean, how do you choose the best of something that is so specific, and so personal? After all, it is supposed to replicate the skin you’re in. And whilst this is my Number 1, (and 2, and 3) foundation in my kit because of how it meets the demands of my work, it may not be right for you.
But I do want to tell you why I love it so. For a start, it’s nice and dewy, just like gorgeous healthy skin should be. It blends like a dream and doesn’t get dry or cakey. I use this on everyone – models on shoots, real people, for the red carpet, for the shows, straight beauty, advertising – I can hardly think of a job I DON’T use it on. You can sheer it out or beef up the coverage, go all over or just where needed, use it with a brush or a sponge or your fingers. Sigh. Can you tell I’m still enamoured after all these years?
Oh sure I’ve toyed with many other foundations – in fact I have a drawer full at home! Even other Chanel foundations don’t rock my socks off like Vitalumiere. I flirted with Teint Innocence and had a brief decamp to Pro Lumiere (too heavy for winter, doable for those who like a more matte finish), but always, always I go back to my trusty VL (I’m Australian so we abbreviate everything, even things that shouldn’t be abbreviated, like Chanel products). Anyways…
It does have its drawbacks however – if you have very oily skin it might be too glowy for you. For me it doesn’t matter because I’m always there to top up with powder to keep the shine at the right level, but equally if you live in a hot or sunny climate (Australia and the American South, I’m talking to YOU!) it’s probably going to move around too much and be a bit heavy. In which case can I recommend something lighter like MAC Face and Body, or Chantecaille’s Oil Free Future Skin?
Chanel Vitalumiere only comes in 7 shades in Europe, so it’s great for lighter skintones, not so ace for black or mixed race people – this is the only downside of this foundation for me. So I keep Bobbi Brown and Becca foundations also in my kit to cover all the bases – so to speak!
Vitalumiere gives your skin the glow it wishes it had, and every makeup artist I know has this in their kit. For me as a makeup artist, it’s the Best. Foundation. Ever.
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I wish this came in darker shades. I’ve read so many reviews that it just makes me mad that I can’t get my hands on it now!
I love the way it looks but the overpowering perfume irritates my eyes!
please help me!!i have a foundation dilemma!!i tried mac face and body foundation as i heard alot of celebrities wear this lol.it said it was a sheer foundation and i thought this would be great as i have good skin but just need to even out my skin tone and cover a bit of redness..but it only worked if i put concealer underneath the foundation..and i found it to be very disappointing when i took pictures…it was sooo shiny (and i have dry skin) and it was very whitey (colour C3).
Then i brought mac satinfinish in nc30 because i like a glowy look but this too was a bit disappointing as it looked too yellow and shiney and only looked good when i put alot of powder!!
so was wondering why isnt mac working for me?lol…maybe im not getting the right shades.
i usually wear lancome photogenic make up which i love but it also needs alot of powder to set it in!so im going to buy this chanel one soon and see how this turns out!wish me luck!
thanks
xxxxx
Hold off on getting the Chanel for the moment, as I think the foundations you’ve been buying are too glowy for your skin type. Don’t feel bad that the MAC foundations aren’t right on you – you aren’t the only one! Their colour range isn’t great on everyone, so I’d try another range if I were you. Foundation is such a personal thing and you have to get the colour AND the finish right for your skin, so it’s tricky without me seeing you in person, but I’m going to suggest a few to try, and then if I were you, I’d go to the counter and either ask for a sample to try at home, or at the minimum get the counter staff to put it on you so you can see it in natural daylight. It’s almost impossible to buy a foundation without trying it on, and it’s such a waste of money if it lives in a drawer instead of your makeup bag!
The MAC face and Body is super sheer and sounds like insufficient coverage, and too me sounds like you have dry but shiny skin (sounds weird but I have the same thing, so I know it’s possible!) You want a foundation that covers redness, looks like skin but is not going to look too shiny on, so I wouldn’t recommend Chanel Vitalumiere for you – it’s going to be look greasy. I would actually try the Chantecaille Future Skin foundation (that’s what I use myself) as it doesn’t add more oil to the skin. The Armani Luminous Silk is also a nice option with a good colour range, but it may be too greasy for you as well (but worth a try if you have an Armani counter near you). You could also try the Bobbi Brown Smooth Skin foundation – I haven’t tried this one myself but it sounds good on the website for skin like yours and her colour range is fantastic. For powder I am currently loving the La Metiere de Beaute one, or as always, Laura Mercier Translucent powder. My top pick for you to try would the be Chantecaille Future Skin which you can get at Space NK. Let me know how you get on, and good luck!
hmmm didnt think my skin was shiny..but maybe thats the case…i prob dont use the best powders so should change that first!!
ooooooooooh really like the sound of chantecaille future skin and armani but i live two hours away from a armani counter!!damn
i dont know why but im itching to try the chanel foundation ..i have a problem lol
will def update you on my progess
thanks for this
xxxxxxx
Sorry, I must have misunderstood your question – I thought if all the glowy foundations were too shiny then perhaps your skin was already quite sheeny! But if not then the Chanel Vitalumiere would probably be OK. Do get them to test it on you at the counter first though, and go and have a coffee or something while it settles and you can decide if you like it. The Armani counter does sound like a bit of a trek! Good luck with it.
Hey, would you recommend the Vitalumière for dry skin and what is your preferred method of applying it? Also, is it necessary to set with powder if I have dry skin anyway? Does it photograph well? Thanks!
Yes, Vitalumiere is a great foundation for dry skin as it gives a lovely glow. I use a sponge (or sometimes a brush), to dab it on only where needed, ie patches of redness, around the nose etc. You only need to set with powder if your skin appears more shiny that you would like, and you don’t need to use the powder all over – just through the t-zone is fine. It is a good idea however to set your under-eye concealer with a powder, which I like to do with a small, fluffy brush and a nice loose translucent powder (currently either Laura Mercier Translucent or La Metier de Beaute loose powder). I love the way Vitalumiere photographs – in Europe it’s my principal foundation for photographic work. I hope that helps!
Thank you very much, that was helpful! I will definitely check it out.
how about the best powder foundation with dewy or luminous finish?
To be honest I’m not big on powder foundations as I don’t particularly like their finish on the skin, so I haven’t tried that many (and the ones I have tried I haven’t liked!) However Chanel have just released the Vitalumiere in a powder version, and although I haven’t tried it I imagine it has the same glowy properties as the liquid. It might be worth a look?
I just got this foundation in 20! It is lovely!! I have the weirdest thing though, I’m not sure if it’s the result of sun or what (because I NEVER sun tan). But my face is fair and pink toned, but my neck and shoulders are more yellow toned. It’s quite annoying, and I find myself leaning towards foundations with more of a yellow base to even up my neck and face. It doesn’t look unnatural because I find that there isn’t much of a tone difference but more of an undertone difference, so my body isn’t much darker than my face, just a different undertone.
This foundation is great though, I feel like it covers and neutralises a bit of the pink in my cheeks and face, and makes me skin flawless.
Thanks for the review! I’ll probably write a review soon too, with my own experiences!
Strangely enough, bodies do tend to be more yellow than faces (I don’t know why). The Chanel Vitalumiere as a range does tend to be on the pinker side – Bobbi Brown has great foundations for yellow-er toned skin. I look forward to reading your Chanel review!
Yeah what with Bobbi Browns philosophy about yellow undertones. We have the most gorgeous department store here in South Africa and the Chanel counter is right by a massive window, well the whole place is glass, so it was great to be able to see exactly how the colour looks in daylight. I think the fact that the Chanel’s aren’t too yellow is a good thing, I don’t want to completely change my undertone, but rather match it up.
The 20 really is perfect, although they were out of stock because they said women come in there and buy it buy the crap loads, they said it’s by far their best seller.
So I managed to get it from another department store a while later. That break was good because it allowed me to wear the foundation that they applied for a day and see if I still liked it.
It’s always a good idea to wear the foundation for awhile to see if you like it (especially checking it in the light outside!) I’m glad you like the Chanel, it’s still my Number 1 foundation.