Battle of the Brands: Lightweight Foundations (High End)

I'M BACK!

I'm finally done with all of my exams and couldn't wait to update my blog, especially since this particular post was highly requested :)

Like I've announced in some previous posts, I'm going to compare and swatch all of my high end foundations, starting with my natural/lightweight foundations. 

However, since I've already done a proper review on most of them, I will not go into too much detail but I will put the links to the respective posts below in case you would like to know more about the different formulas :)

Chanel Vitalumière Aqua in BR10

It was love at first sight!

If you're looking for a really lightweight foundation that will let your skin show through, I would definitely recommend checking out the Chanel Vitalumière range. 

Whereas the traditional Vitalumière formula has a more dewy finish and is therefore perfect for dry and dull skin, the Vitalumière Aqua formula has a more satin/semi-matte finish and is thus more appropriate for combination to oily skin.

Since Vitalumière Aqua is a water based foundation, it is rather liquidy, which makes it super easy to blend seamlessly into the skin. It truly provides the presumed second skin effect. In fact, you'll be left with a flawless finish that doesn't look cakey or heavy but natural and radiant. 

However, as the title of the post suggests, this is not a heavy coverage foundation so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you're looking for a foundation that covers specific skin conditions, like Acne (this goes for all the foundations in this post).

But if you have a rather good complexion and you're just looking for a foundation that will even out your skin tone, than this is definitely worth investing in!

If you would like to know more, please check out my entire review HERE.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc (Light 2)

Holy crap on a cracker, I can't even express how extraordinary this foundation is! It might even kick my Vitalumière Aqua foundation from it's throne...YES that's how much I love it!

Admittedly, the color range is not the best. In fact, most of their shades are fairly yellow toned and not really suited for us fair skinned ladies BUT I find that Mont Blanc (which I believe is the only pink toned shade of the range) matches me pretty well. 

Whereas the Chanel foundation provides a really light coverage, this one provides a light to medium coverage that is definitely buildable. However, even if you choose to apply a few layers, it doesn't look or feel as if you have a ton of foundation on. In fact, it perfects your complexion, gives a fairly good coverage and leaves a beautiful, natural, radiant semi-matte finish on the skin.

In the end, it's not that sheer and glowy as one would expect it to be. 

Consequently, if you're looking for a lightweight foundation that provides a decent coverage while still looking natural, I would definitely recommend checking out Nars Sheer Glow.

Dior Diorskin Nude Foundation in 010 Ivory

This used to be my go-to foundation for months until I discovered Nars Sheer Glow. Even though I don't gravitate towards it as often as I used to, I still think it's a amazing foundation that gives a beautiful "barely there" finish. 

The coverage it gives is comparable to the one provided by Nars Sheer Glow but unlike the latter (and also unlike Vitalumière Aqua) the formula appears a little drier, which means that you will have to work it in rather quickly to get a flawlessly blended finish. 

This might sound boring and redundant, but just like the previous foundations, Diorskin Nude is neither completely matte, nor glowy so I think it would actually suit various skin types. 

If you would like to know more, please click HERE.

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat in BR10

This is probably the most disappointing High End foundation I've ever bought...

I was actually really pleased with it in the beginning but then I started noticing that whenever I wore it for a longer period of time (say approximately 7-9 hours), it oxidized pretty badly and literally melted off my face, which looked, of course, really attractive. I tried using primer and setting spray but none of them were efficient...

I'm not so keen on the gel texture either. I find it really hard to blend since it has the tendency to get streaky. 

In addition, I find the color transition of the foundation rather puzzling. It looks really light when I dot it on but when I start blending it in, it turns 2-3 shades darker...weird!

Maybe it's just me but after using it for a fair amount of time I can say that I'm not a fan and probably never will be...

If you're still interested in reading my premature review, please click HERE.

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All in all, these mini reviews clearly show that there is no definite winner. I love the three of them for different reasons but the one I've been using the most for the last couple of months is clearly my Nars Sheer Glow. 

However I have a feeling that this might change in near future because just recently, I bought the new Dior BB Cream, which looks pretty good to me ;) 

I'll keep you posted on this potential new love story!!

I hope this was helpful and stay tuned for the next Battle of the Brands, which will be exclusively on matte foundations including Chanel, Burberry and Make Up For Ever.

P.S. Don't forget to follow my Instagram to get the latest news on what I buy, what I love and loads of other stuff :)

Thanks for reading <3

Sorry for my grammar mistakes, I'm exhausted from all the studying but I really wanted to draft and upload this post asap :) Please bare with me.