And it’s a new week! Now I normally start the week with a fresh face, having indulged in masks and pampering DIY home facial treats galore during the weekend, but this week is an exception. The haze has unfortunately enveloped our tiny little country as well as my not-so-tiny face with dust and dirt particles galore, resulting in a slight outbreak. Meh! Can this new Blurring Foundation Balm from Givenchy help me in the least bit?
Givenchy Blurring Foundation Balm
Givenchy Blurring Foundation Balm
I say…
The Packaging: It comes in a rather chic tube-bottle with a bezelled twist-on cap. Because of the not-so-viscous consistency of the Foundation Balm, it thankfully doesn’t come gushing out the moment you remove the cap.
The Scent: It smells wonderful! It’s not an overpowering scent, but something that’s noticeable enough to perk up your morning whilst you’re applying this over your face.
The Texture: Now this is said to be a balm, so you have to go into it with the mindset that this will not be as fluid and liquid as other foundations. Its texture is somewhat similar to that of the Dior Diorskin Star Foundation that some say “drags” on the skin – it’s slightly thicker in consistency and so doesn’t “travel” as far on your skin as the normal bb cream or foundations would. That aside, it blends in rather easily into a matte finish. For those who don’t like a matte finish, this doesn’t have much oil control, so your skin’s natural shine (well, mine at least), will show up pretty soon enough.
The Coverage Level: In terms of coverage, I’d say it’s a medium-level one – it covers about 65% of the skin’s surface blemishes, but doesn’t quite cover up the dark eye circles.
The Oil Control: Unfortunately, as this is a medium-texture product, it doesn’t have much oil control – I saw le sebum poking its way out of the pores after only an approximate 2 hours of wear time. On the bright side, it doesn’t not oxidise much (perhaps a very negligible 5%), so I didn’t have to worry about patchy skin.
The Verdict: Considering that I haven’t had much good experience with balm-type products, this works pretty alright for me. I wouldn’t say there’s much blurring effect, but it does a pretty decent job of covering up the blemishes and evening out the skin tone. Its medium coverage level makes this a foundation to wear on days that you won’t be out for a long time. Overall, not a bad base product item to try if you’ve got some moolah to spare – at US$43, it’s on the pricier side.
