Vichy Dermablend Foundation* is, without a doubt, a fantastic foundation. It covers all sorts of skin woes, and although it's definitely a full coverage foundation I really like to apply it semi-sheerly to give more of a medium-coverage finish. I gave the foundation a full review back in June - which you can read here - so today's post isn't really about "reviewing" Dermablend, it's more to talk through my experience of the shade range. Everyone knows that colour matching can be difficult, but I've had a particulalry tough time working out which shade of Dermablend works best for me! If you're interested in seeing what all three shades pictured above (05 Porcelain, 15 Opal, and 25 Nude) look like - on my face and in swatches - then continue scrolling. I apologise in advance for not jumping to the point quicker in this blog post, but this is a really honest walk through of my experience with the foundation.
In the photos above I used a small amount of foundation and applied it using a Real Techniques Beauty Sponge, which I find gives a natural-looking finish even when using a full coverage foundation. In my photos I think it's a bit hard to tell the difference between the three shades, which I think is really interesting. Before we jump in any further, let me just say that I think that this foundation photographs really, really well - it looks better in photos than it does in person. In person it has a tendency to look a tiny bit thick and heavy, but in photos it just leaves my skin looking much closer to "perfect" than it really is.
In person, I thought that Shade 05 was a good colour match for my skintone. However, in all of my photos I can see that Porcelain might be a good match for my skin but only when it's at its palest. It feels like a comfortable colour match but it actually washes me out and gives my skin a slightly unnatural-looking translucency - which I think really emphasises the redness in my cheeks. In contrast, Shade 15 is slightly darker and more yellow-toned than 05, and it's the colour that I went on to wear out of the house after taking these photos. Finally, Shade 25 looks like a nice colour match in photographs as it emphasizes my slight summer tan and does the best job at covering the redness in my cheeks. However, in "real life" it's definitely too dark and I just didn't feel comfortable wearing it. Weirdly, this is the only shade that I was colour-matched to in person, and by a makeup artist no less. It's probably the product I'd reach for if I was recording a video but I'd feel silly wearing it out of the house unless I was fully committed to blending it all the way down my neck!
I'm convinced that the more shades I try of Vichy's Dermablend Foundation* the more confused I become about which shade is the best one for me. What I've learnt from putting this post together is that Vichy's newly released 05 Porcelain shade has definitely opened up the range to those with fair skin, as the colour is noticeably lighter with a cooler undertone. But I don't think that I would be comfortable guessing my shade from the colour indicators on the box alone. I'd really want samples to be available in my local Boots store so that I could do my best to colour match myself.
The whole thing can be made a little bit simpler by adding in another element to the equation - how thick do you want/need your foundation to be? I've applied with a light hand because I wanted a thin and even coverage. However, if you're buying Vichy's Dermablend Foundation to cover acne or other skin imperfections then you'd need to consider the shade even more carefully. If I was going to apply these foundations more heavily then I'd definitely rule out Shade 25, it would become too obviously dark for my skin, and Shade 05 would become too light. So this would again leave me with Shade 15 being the closest match to my skin, out of the shades I own anyway. Thinking about it this way helped to reassure me that Shade 15 is probably the best choice for me as it's the most versatile.
I love this foundation and am so glad they released Porcelain as Opal was just a tad too dark for me, but ok with careful blending. I find the finish looks less heavy and more natural when I apply with a damp sponge xx
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I'm actually right between 15 Opal 25 and Nude most of the year. I've bought both and mix them, since I use the foundation onyl in areas where I need more coverage, and therefore need a perfect match.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit of work, but I love the coverage and thinks it's worth every extra minute I spend on it.