Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (new formula / reformulated) is launched in France Jan 2017. The older version was my drugstore favourite. It’s the closest MAC NC25 drugstore colour dupe that I can find in EU drugstore. Here comes the test. Is the “new formula” for the better or worse?

Coverage & Finish

Satin finish. Medium to full coverage. Buildable.

Looks natural, but not no makeup.

To be exact, MAC face & body = skin-like and undetectable. This one is detectable in real life. Cannot do the “wake up like this” sort of look.

Skin type

Worked well on my dehydrated combination skin.

Not suitable for oily skin. According to Rachael, it was horrible and melt off.

My skin type? click here

Fragrance

I love the fruity smell. It is quite strong when it is freshly out of the bottle. Can’t smell anything once it is once my face though.

Packaging

Solid plastic translucent red lid with satisfying click sound when closed. Natural pump. Glass bottle. What’s not to like? They put seriously sticky security tape and it leaves residue 🙁

Size: 30ml

Weight: 125g (bottle + product)

Bourjois healthy mix foundation — From left to right: Healthy Mix foundation (2017) in shade 53, Healthy Mix foundation (2016) in shade 52

Country of Origin

Made in France

Bourjois is from Paris, France since 1863. Currently owned by Coty Inc.

Application method

My preferred method: buffing brush (e.g. real technique expert face) / any medium density round top synthetic brush. I find application via this method looks more radiant and natural.

This foundation does not give me the “I have no make up look”. At its most natural form, my face look me but better. The coverage is high enough that I can detect makeup if that makes sense?

Colour

All shades leans yellow / golden tone.

Best match for MAC NC25 = shade 53 light beige

There’s a lot of blog that says 52 is perfect, but I do not agree. Shade 52 on its own is a lot lighter than NC25. 52 is too white. 52 tone is also too yellow compare to NC25.

Shade 52 is closer to NC20 or between C1/C2?

NC25 drugstore colour dupe challenge.jpg — Please ignore my madness, it was a ‘dare’ that I took up to find the colour dupe for NC25. Please note that all swatches are based on EU versions. USA has different colour for the same shade # for L’oreal.

When freshly pumped out, it is very yellow but not Bobbi Brown foundation stick yellow. Oxidises after 5-10min of wear. A slight tint of peach appears to last for about 15min and then dies down again closer to the original colour with tiny peach tint (grey scale 4.5). So I am not sure if I should say this thing oxidise or not really? Below is my attempt to show you the oxidated colour at its most obvious stage.

bourjois-healthy-mix-foundation-52-swatch-3085 — Left = Waited for 15min / when the oxidatied colour shows up at its most obvious stage. Right = freshly applied. Lighting = daylight, outdoor. *my hands are dry as sahara and I’m VERY tanned in this photo. My hand/arm colour is between MAC face/body C3 & C4

Longevity

No primer and no powder. My face had same mosturiser + sunscreen SPF50 on all test.

The “16 Hours” claim printed on the bottle is clearly written by marketing who is high on all that fruity antioxidant in the foundation. No ways that it’d last 16 hours on me.

Test 1 Tropical condition – 3 days

25-30 degree Celcius, 70% humidity, Guadeloupe

Stay put on me for 7hrs before oil came through.

Test 2 Continental condition – 1 month

-2-18 degree Celcius, 60% humidity, Paris

Stay put on me for 8-9hours before oil came through

Surprise found… It survived snorkeling. Well, lost 30% coverage after 20min snorkel and broke at places where the goggle was. Some freckles and redness peeped through. Not bad for a non waterproof number.

Sensation

Whatever emollient they’re using, it feels great on the skin. It could be the combination of the silica and glycerin? No idea. It feels fab. This foundation has a high end sensation to it. It is something quite unique to Bourjois that I cannot find in other drugstore brands. My skins feels instantly more radiant if that makes sense? I’m referring to the sensation, not just the colour.

Price

Boots.com (UK) GBP9.99
Bourjois.fr (FR) EUR14.99 !?!?!?!?!
Monoprix (FR) EUR11.95
Feelunique.com USD12.79
The price in Hong Kong is just ridiculous. It’s HKD200+ from major retail stores

SALE ALERT

My friend scored it for EUR6.99 from Monoprix on Monday!!!! The sale ends on 28 March 2017

Formula

bourjois-healthy-mix-foundation-2017-review-2826 — Bourjois healthy mix foundation. Ingredient list was not printed on the bottle.

Ingredient list (found on their website – http://www.bourjois.fr/maquillage/teint/fonds-de-teint/fond-de-teint-healthymix-halefonce.html?teinte_bjs=2318)

AQUA/WATER/EAU, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, PEG-10 DIMETHICONE, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, DISODIUM STEAROYL GLUTAMATE, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, ALCOHOL DENAT., ASCORBYL PALMITATE, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) OIL, TOCOPHEROL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, PANTHENOL, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, SILICA, GLYCERIN, PYRUS MALUS (APPLE) FRUIT EXTRACT, SODIUM HYALURONATE, CUCUMIS MELO (MELON) FRUIT EXTRACT, PRUNUS ARMENIACA (APRICOT) FRUIT EXTRACT, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SODIUM BENZOATE, BENZOIC ACID, PANTOLACTONE, SORBIC ACID, BHT,
[May Contain/Peut Contenir/+/-:
TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891),
IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499),
MICA].

Sodium chloride – I don’t really understand why there’s salt in this formula. It is literately salt. I guess at the very least it can’t be bad for the skin? It is probably used as a thickening agent.

Notably, “tocopheryl acetate” (synthetic vitamin E) is no longer part of the ingredient list. It’s probably a good thing as it is a known skin sensitiser. It has been replaced by Tocopherol (natural vitamin E). YEY!!

Parfum – skin irritate etc.

Alcohol Denat – ethanol sort of alcohol. It can dry out the skin.

BHT, not in the previous formula, slows down oxidation rate / or prevent change of colour. Not sure if this is a yey or nay, because there’s contradicting results from various studies (also used in food, so some reports are food test based). Some say that it causes cancer (and/or accumulate in body tissue), other says that it helps to retard development of cancel due to its anti-oxidation property Either way, it is FDA approved at the moment.