I have wanted to own a Bourjois foundation for the longest time ever! Back when I first started watching YouTube and Lisa Eldridge wouldn't stop praising the Healthy Mix and Healthy Mix Serum. I actually did pick up a bottle a couple of times only to be disappointed at the shade match and thus left it at that. Drugstore foundations were just not made for olive complexions.
It didn't stop me though, eventually the greed and curiosity crept back in and I couldn't resist but to pick up a tube of their newest launch City Radiance, described as a radiant and hydrating foundation and boasting of an SPF of 30. I mean, how could I not? It was aimed directly at me! I also adore the simplicity of the packaging, easy controllable squeeze tube with very little mess and it's pretty.
Description from website:
CITY RADIANCE
BOURJOIS INNOVATES WITH THE SKIN PROTECTING FOUNDATION FOR A BRIGHTENED, ANTI-DULL COMPLEXION
A fresh & luminous complexion
It anti-dullness, formula with radiance-boosting pigments evens out complexion for a natural, fresh-looking, radiant complexion.
Anti-pollution formula:
Its anti-pollution screen prevents the adherence of carbon particles and lets skin breathe
Contains SPF 30 UV screen to protect skin from UVA & UVB, all year round
24hr hydration for all day comfort, a must-have of all urbanites!
Tested for you*:
“Skin looks more even”: 91% of women agree
“Complexion looks less dull and more luminous”: - 88% of women agree
*User test on 33 volunteers
Dermatologically tested. Non-comedogenic
Shade
Considering I'm very weary of drugstore foundations I still wanted to swatch this and see if any of the shades were suitable for me, shade 05 seemed to look quite golden olive instore (under artificial lighting) and was also aptly named "Golden Beige". So I bought it only to realise in normal lighting it wasn't as golden olive as I'd like. Haha! My luck with shades.... Seriously I bet you're all sick of hearing my constant mismatches and dislike for certain shades.
I would describe shade 05 as a warm toned beige, so it has some peach/orange with a hint of olive and lots of beige. It's not an ideal shade for me obviously but I can wear it, as the description states, it does have a brightening quality to it which is why I don't mind this shade too much. I've recently been quite flexible with foundation shades that I wear, usually I'm insistent that it match my yellow undertones perfectly and blend into my neck but I've been a bit more relaxed and making sure it's close enough and haven't been too bothered about my neck being a different colour, I mean the hijab hides the difference doesn't it, so long as it looks good right?
I also sometimes mix in a teeny drop of yellow food colouring into the blob of foundation that I'm about to use and it does look very good. I actually got a compliment once when I done this, apparently my foundation looked really nice and made me look wide eyed and awake. So I suppose that's proof enough that it worked haha. Little did they know I done something as wacky as put food colouring into my makeup!
Texture
I love the texture of this foundation, my skin has been going through an extremely dehydrated phase recently so I'm reaching for more hydrating bases. This is slightly thick in texture, it won't run down your hand, it's creamy and emollient and also quite light and kinda gel like. I am super impressed with the formula. Many people have mentioned correlations between this and a certain Chanel foundation and I seriously wouldn't be surprised if they took inspiration and some of the formula of that one to create this, it's superb quality! I would definitely recommend this for dry skin types. It's almost like a tinted moisturiser with very decent coverage and longevity.
Finish
Along with the lovely texture this also has a lovely radiant finish. It's so pretty on the skin, it's skin like, it's dewy (not overly), it's glowy, not oily (depending on your skin type), it really perks up the skin and is definitely ideal for the summer time. As I mentioned earlier I think this is ideal for those who want a radiant finish, so anyone with perhaps dull or dry skin particularly will benefit from this. I find this isn't too harsh on flakies, obviously I recommend exfoliating and starting with a smooth base but if there is texture it doesn't pick up on it horrendously and does give a somewhat smooth finish to the skin.
Feel
This feels really comfortable on the skin, the formula is lightweight, it's hydrating, it's moisturising, it's emollient, not at all heavy and not greasy either. I love how modern formulas these days are so lightweight now, you can barely feel makeup on your skin and that's absolutely fantastic, you could almost forget you have anything on! Nobody wants to be weighed down by the cake!
Coverage
You can get upto a medium coverage with this, it's sheer to buildable medium. It covers minor imperfections, evens skintone nicely and naturally, blurs pores and lines just enough, it's a great everyday foundation. This also blends beautifully and effortlessly into the skin. I've used with both sponge and brush and get wonderful results with either. This also builds really nicely, it's not patchy and just sinks into the skin without looking a bit cakey.
Oxidation
The City Radiance does oxidise, I've found this with a few Bourjois foundations actually. It definitely deepens a lot so bare that in mind if you want to consider shade matching. I'll include a before and after swatch to show the difference. It quite literally oxidises as soon as it comes out of the tube and within a minute it'll have oxidised by 2 shades and then it carries on to get a little more deeper. Does this bother me you may ask, yes and no... like I mentioned earlier I'm trying to be more open minded about shades now, I hate missing out on great formulas just because the shades aren't 100% on me, I won't go any further than 2 shades up or down of my skintone so anything within that range is fine and I can make it work or try at the least. But of course I would have preferred for it not to.
Longevity
Considering it's a radiant hydrating foundation, I find this formula holds up really well on its own, the formula obviously does play a part in this. It's not like for example the original YSL Touché Eclat foundation (review here) where it can literally slide and melt off of your face because of its high emollience. The City Radiance certainly works well for my combination dehydrated skin type. The moisture level in this foundation allows me to set it in place with some powder without compromising on the radiance/glow, I usually set just the tzone where the dew can look a bit unsightly. If you have oily skin, mattefying primer or powder will help keep it intact or you many want to skip this one entirely and if you are very dry you may even skip the powder and leave it as is. I wouldn't say this has all day lasting abilities but I think it can last your average work hours, especially if necessary steps were taken for your skins specific needs.
Overall I really like the formula of this foundation, it's an excellent comfortable hydrating foundation and looks beautiful on the skin. Again my only qualm is the shade, also 6 shades isn't enough, especially if it's suitable for only light - medium beige complexions. Come on Bourjois, expand your colour range, please acknowledge the other end of the spectrum! I almost forgot to mention the smell, this smells ah-mazing! It's fresh and pretty just like the packaging and formula, it's not a strong fragrance so don't worry it doesn't linger. Also I can't comment on the anti-pollution screen that this claims to have, I mean, how do you monitor pollution on the skin?? Breakouts? Skin health.....? Anyway I hope you enjoyed this review, if you have any questions do let me know and I shall get back to you as soon as! Toodles!
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