Dermalogica Treatment Foundation :: Review

I don’t know about you, but I find the thought of looking for a new base makeup totally overwhelming. Talk about choice anxiety – there’s the ones you’ve seen on TV – the ones that make you look airbrushed, the ones that last while you take your jumper on and off, the ones that cover your wrinkles or cover your spots. And that’s even before you’ve set foot in Boots. Banks of shiny displays give you hundreds of brands and even within the brands you have yet more options.

It makes my head spin.

The worst thing is that you usually have to buy a whole (expensive) tube before trying it out properly on your face, only to find that it’s too light / dark / heavy / thin / powdery / greasy* (*delete as applicable), at which stage it’s a case of throwing the whole thing out and going through the same rigmarole again… I can’t count how many expensive and needless mistakes I have made with foundation.

And, with my skin, I really need something that works. I am very pale, so it’s rare that I go for anything other than the lightest shade. I want something that won’t clog my already horrible pores; I want something that will cover my spots and blemishes well and give me an even tone, but without being too heavy or cloying. I also want something that represents good value. A half decent foundation will be an investment for me, but I don’t want to take out a bank loan!

No wonder when I find something I like, I usually stick to it like glue and then go on hunger strike when they have the audacity to replace it with a new model!

For over 5 years now I have been using a Colour Me Beautiful foundation called Morning light, which promises a flawless and natural finish. I love the smooth and even tone it gives my skin and although the finish is natural it still gives good coverage where I have blemishes.

But when I noticed that Dermalogica have a foundation in their range of products I decided that since I knew I could get hold of some samples (brilliant idea Dermalogica!) I would give this a try once my Morning Light was on its way out.

I chose the colour “1” as this was the lightest. You have the option of five colours, but with 1,2 & 3 coming in a matt and shimmer version. (1 is the matt version, but 1G contains a slight hint of shimmer, same for 2G and 3G)

When I got my samples I thought the colour looked a little dark for me, so I was sure to try it when I wasn’t planning to go anywhere!!!! The texture of the foundation is kind of “whipped” – almost mousse-like, so as with many of Dermalogicas products, a little goes a long way. I like to use my fingers to spread on my foundation as I am paranoid about germs being harboured in a sponge (! Ok, Ok, maybe I am a little bit OCD!) – so I dotted the product on my face then smoothed it over.

As I had been worried that the colour looked a little dark I was very surprised that it magically blended into my skin without leaving any tell tale tide-mark. Dermalogica use natural Iron Oxide colour pigments in order that the colour is all natural. It felt smooth and fresh on my skin, not at all heavy or ‘cakey’. I was pleased with the coverage, which made an ideal base for other makeup. In areas where I needed more it provided that coverage without becoming claggy, but where my skin is clear, the makeup went on sheer.

An other thing I particularly liked was the way that my skin felt moisturized and hydrated by the product and even at the end of the day, there was no flaking or peeling, or pooling of the product in fine lines or creases. The treatment foundation stayed on well all day (but can’t say I took many jumpers on and off !) and I was genuinely pleased with the way my skin felt like it could breathe through the makeup.

Dermalogica’s treatment foundation contains natural moisturisers and vitamins that work to give you healthy skin, rather than simply working to cover up a lack of skin health!

At £20.78 (from Jersey beauty)(RRP: £26.70) it’s about a fiver more than my usual foundation, but I do like the way Dermalogica is all natural and has these ingredients that feel like you’re using another skin care product rather than simply using a makeup.