Gelling with Healthy Mix

It's been a little over a year since I first started using Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum but I've never dedicated an entire post to it until now. It's coming up to winter in Australia and my skin is drier than usual, which means I can get away with more dewy/glowy foundations that tend to be problematic during summer. Mirroring my steep descent into blush mania, I've moved from a state of relative indifference (possibly even bordering on disinterest) towards foundation, to having about 10 foundations and BB creams open at once. But no matter what foundations I try or have on rotation, Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum is the one I always come back to.

l-r: 53 Beige clair (Light beige), 52 Vanille (Vanilla)

l-r: 53 Beige clair (Light beige), 52 Vanille (Vanilla)

I feel like Healthy Mix Serum is a lighter, sheerer version of NARS Sheer Glow, which is heavier coverage, longer lasting and more powerfully illuminating, but can be a bit cakey on certain parts of the skin (for me, usually the chin area and around the edges of my nose). The Bourjois is an excellent choice as an everyday foundation, particularly for those with already good skin slightly on the dry side. On oily skin, the foundation slips off before the end of the day, which is why I don't love it during the height of summer. Even with my skin a bit drier than normal right now, I still find that my nose gets shiny after a couple of hours. I usually blot, but powdering over the T-zone in the morning could work as well.

What I love about Healthy Mix Serum is that it's a breeze to apply. The lightweight formulation is one of the most forgiving and cooperative I've encountered. I've never experienced any application issues with it, which isn't something I can say for the majority of foundations I've tried. It just goes on smoothly and evenly each time, sinking into the skin effortlessly and working its magic. It doesn't accentuate or cling to dry patches, nor does it require a whole lot of blending for a streak-free, seamless finish.

And let's talk about the finish. When this is slapped on, the skin looks instantly brightened, imperfections are smoothed away, and there's a soft glowiness that is never greasy or unnatural-looking. Coverage is light-to-medium, and in the words of Lisa Eldridge, it's "dewy without being too shiny, it looks really real, it doesn't highlight pores, it looks good in daylight, it's not shiny and glittery in any way." I use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply it and can't imagine anything working better.

The shade selection is limited (6 in total, but only 5 available in Australia). For reference, I wear NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji, Make Up For Ever HD foundation in 118, Neutrogena Healthy Skin in Nude, and I'm in between 52 and 53. At first, I was solely using 53 but I didn't like how dark it looked on me at the end of the day, perhaps due to slight oxidisation or just bad lighting. I eventually bought 52 and now I mix both (usually 50/50) to get my shade. It's not ideal, but when you find a foundation as good as this one, it's not a waste either.

I've yet to try the original Healthy Mix, said to be more suited for normal to combination skin. I'm afraid of being disappointed with it and regretting not just buying another bottle of the Healthy Mix Serum. If only it were tailored more for my skin type year-round, it would be a near faultless everyday foundation.