March 7, 2011

In my never ending quest for finding the best canvas, I stumbled upon Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation last month. This product has created quite bit of buzz in the beauty community and Chanel promises perfectly natural yet flawless finish with this latest creation. Since I'm an avid Chanel fan and an even bigger foundation addict, I took the plunge and purchased a full bottle after trying samples. In a nutshell, move over MUFE HD, Nars Sheer Glow and Lancome Teint Miracle, there's a new holly grail of foundations in town! Here's a summary of my thought:



1. Formula - Vitalumiere Aqua is a very light water-based foundation. It feels like you have tinted moisturizer on when you apply except for the fact that it covers very well. I would call the coverage medium and very buildable. The foundation literally MELTS into my skin. I've never tried a foundation so smooth and so light. There's a slight perfume-y kind of scent there that I find very pleasant - not over powering at all. Once set, Vitalumiere Aqua lasts all day on me and looks just like my skin (but better), like I have no makeup on.

2. Application - The key to applying Vitalumiere Aqua is to shake the bottle VERY well before squeezing the amount you need out. I like to apply this foundation with my fingers for the best results. Application with fingers was recommended to me by my Chanel SA and I do find that it gives the most natural finish. The dispenser is perfectly shaped to get out the exact amount you need:



3. Colour Match - that's the one category I find Vitalumiere Aqua (and all Chanel foundations) don't excel in. In Canada, Vitalumiere Aqua is available in only 7 shades: BR10, B20, B30, BR30, BA30, BA40 and B40. The B shades are their beige shades (and beige, def not yellow), the BA is amber beige and BR is rose beige. I was matched to B20 - Beige Tendre which is a match for NC/NW20-25. It's a very decent match though I would prob be better off with BR20 (not available in Canada). The darkest shade, B40, is a MAC NC35-37 match. So here it is: Chanel does not make shades for darker skinned or even medium skinned beauties. If you're darker, tanned or olive toned, this foundation will simply not work. I really don't understand why the range is so limited.



Here's B20 on my inner arm (which is quite pale now, prob NW20). As you see it's more beige than my skin. But it blends well on my face and doesn't compete with my cool undertones:


4. Packaging and Price: Vitalumiere Aqua comes in a plastic square shaped bottle that is light and very travel friendly. Obviously as with all Chanel products, you will be spending some money. I paid about $55CAD for Vitalumiere Aqua which is about the same price as my Lancome Teint Miracle (both contain 1 oz). I will be repurchasing though as I am just in love with the formula.

Here's a picture of me wearing Vitalumiere Aqua in shade B20 in natural light:


Hope this review was helpful to you guys. Have you tried Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua? What are your thoughts?