Once upon a time, in a not-so-long-ago past....my first true luxury foundation was By Terry Lumiere Veloutee. Looking back at this review, I never really expressed how much I loved this foundation. It was go-to for weddings, special occasions, and any event / reason where I would be photographed.
It was a medium to full coverage foundation, it glided on like a dream, blurred all imperfections and it was far from a chalky or flat matte foundation. It was $106 at the time. It was (and still is) a beautiful foundation. The downsides to it ... it would begin to separate on my forehead area after many hours, not to mention it was a heavier formula. It wasn't heavy where it was uncomfortable. You could definitely feel that you had a foundation on. I couldn't complain, it would last so well and oil wouldn't break through, plus it was a medium to full coverage. Not to mention it was lightweight compared to many full coverage foundations at the time.
Then two years ago, it was discontinued. I was heartbroken. That was around the time when I had met Terry de Gunzburg for the first time. Cover Expert was released and I purchased it. It was basically a foundation that was stripped from skincare benefits (aside from hydration). To be honest, it was no replacement for Lumiere Veloutee. It's gorgeous, has a nice finish, but it simply was not the same. I never reviewed Cover Expert because all that would come to mind is that "it's nice and pretty, but it's not Lumiere Veloutee". It's definitely worth the $65, but it's still no Lumiere Veloutee.
Little did I know, Terry herself was revamping the formulation of Lumiere Veloutee. What prompted her to do so, I have no idea as to the exact reason. What I can say is that Terry herself takes pride in always reformulating her items for it to be better, more efficient, and more effortless. Some people may hate her for constantly changing her lineup, but I can't be mad, she's always on the search for something better. Two years later...it's finally here. I know die-hard fans who used to use Lumiere Veloutee are asking the question, "Is it Lumiere Veloutee's (LV) replacement"?
In some ways it's Lumiere Veloutee, but it's definitely not in other ways. It's better.
Coverage: Densiliss is definitely a medium coverage finish. It's matte, but imagine that radiance that Lumiere Veloutee had, but on steroids. Your skin has a serious halo. It blurs imperfections and lines like LV does, but your skin still shows through. There's some aspect of transparency where it highlights your skins best features, all the while covering the imperfections. LV in comparison just covered everything.
Color selection: Terry has definitely made strides in this department. LV I used to be shade 3, but it wasn't an exact match, it was a bit too peach for most people. It worked for me since I used to have a lot of redness in my face, and the peach would help blur out the redness. In Cover Expert I am shade 8, but in Densiliss I am shade 7. There's 3 darker shades...I can say shade 8 is somewhere in the NC35 range. I was initially matched in shade 8, because at first it looked like a good match. Less than a minute later, the color did some adjusting, and it was definitely too dark. Shade 7 at first looked off, but same thing happened, in a matter of 30 seconds it became a match and stayed that way. Terry's biggest area of development when it came to base products was that she didn't make dark shades. Three extra shades is a start. The lighter shades are not necessarily numbered from light-dark, there's also different undertones in all shades, so you should get matched at a counter first.
Lasting Power: Last night was my first night using Densiliss, and I was lucky enough to test it with Hourglass No. 28 primer. Let's discuss why the Terry primer wasn't used -- it pills off on a lot of sections of my face. It's a beautiful hydrating primer, but on me it pills off. It could be the change in skincare or just the nature of the primer itself. Either way it's interesting to see if Densiliss plays nice with other primers. I was testing it out at first with no primer in the morning and it lasted about 5 hours and no drying feeling / separating like most matte foundations. Then my face got re-done and I went out to have drinks. In a span of approximately 12 hours while I was out with the primer, no fading/separating on my t-zone (forehead). I'm SO THRILLED with this foundation.
here are some comparison photos:
Price and Size: $115 for 1 fluid oz.
Verdict?: Goodbye Cover Expert and Lumiere Veloutee, you have been replaced.
It was a medium to full coverage foundation, it glided on like a dream, blurred all imperfections and it was far from a chalky or flat matte foundation. It was $106 at the time. It was (and still is) a beautiful foundation. The downsides to it ... it would begin to separate on my forehead area after many hours, not to mention it was a heavier formula. It wasn't heavy where it was uncomfortable. You could definitely feel that you had a foundation on. I couldn't complain, it would last so well and oil wouldn't break through, plus it was a medium to full coverage. Not to mention it was lightweight compared to many full coverage foundations at the time.
Then two years ago, it was discontinued. I was heartbroken. That was around the time when I had met Terry de Gunzburg for the first time. Cover Expert was released and I purchased it. It was basically a foundation that was stripped from skincare benefits (aside from hydration). To be honest, it was no replacement for Lumiere Veloutee. It's gorgeous, has a nice finish, but it simply was not the same. I never reviewed Cover Expert because all that would come to mind is that "it's nice and pretty, but it's not Lumiere Veloutee". It's definitely worth the $65, but it's still no Lumiere Veloutee.
Little did I know, Terry herself was revamping the formulation of Lumiere Veloutee. What prompted her to do so, I have no idea as to the exact reason. What I can say is that Terry herself takes pride in always reformulating her items for it to be better, more efficient, and more effortless. Some people may hate her for constantly changing her lineup, but I can't be mad, she's always on the search for something better. Two years later...it's finally here. I know die-hard fans who used to use Lumiere Veloutee are asking the question, "Is it Lumiere Veloutee's (LV) replacement"?
In some ways it's Lumiere Veloutee, but it's definitely not in other ways. It's better.
Coverage: Densiliss is definitely a medium coverage finish. It's matte, but imagine that radiance that Lumiere Veloutee had, but on steroids. Your skin has a serious halo. It blurs imperfections and lines like LV does, but your skin still shows through. There's some aspect of transparency where it highlights your skins best features, all the while covering the imperfections. LV in comparison just covered everything.
Color selection: Terry has definitely made strides in this department. LV I used to be shade 3, but it wasn't an exact match, it was a bit too peach for most people. It worked for me since I used to have a lot of redness in my face, and the peach would help blur out the redness. In Cover Expert I am shade 8, but in Densiliss I am shade 7. There's 3 darker shades...I can say shade 8 is somewhere in the NC35 range. I was initially matched in shade 8, because at first it looked like a good match. Less than a minute later, the color did some adjusting, and it was definitely too dark. Shade 7 at first looked off, but same thing happened, in a matter of 30 seconds it became a match and stayed that way. Terry's biggest area of development when it came to base products was that she didn't make dark shades. Three extra shades is a start. The lighter shades are not necessarily numbered from light-dark, there's also different undertones in all shades, so you should get matched at a counter first.
Lasting Power: Last night was my first night using Densiliss, and I was lucky enough to test it with Hourglass No. 28 primer. Let's discuss why the Terry primer wasn't used -- it pills off on a lot of sections of my face. It's a beautiful hydrating primer, but on me it pills off. It could be the change in skincare or just the nature of the primer itself. Either way it's interesting to see if Densiliss plays nice with other primers. I was testing it out at first with no primer in the morning and it lasted about 5 hours and no drying feeling / separating like most matte foundations. Then my face got re-done and I went out to have drinks. In a span of approximately 12 hours while I was out with the primer, no fading/separating on my t-zone (forehead). I'm SO THRILLED with this foundation.
here are some comparison photos:
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| Left to Right: Lumiere Veloutee, Cover Expert in #8, Densiliss #7. Natural lighting, no flash |
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Price and Size: $115 for 1 fluid oz.
Verdict?: Goodbye Cover Expert and Lumiere Veloutee, you have been replaced.
I need this!! Do you know by chane if it's better than YSL, Givenchy and Dolce Gabbana latest foundations? By the way we have the same foundation match :D
ReplyDeleteI prefer by Terry's over D&G because the matte finish is much more refined, less flat. BTerry's is longer lasting and doesn't separate. D&Gs I did have a bit of separation.
DeleteI prefer Terry's over YSL teint resist since I have a better match and the finish is much better. Teint Resist was a flat matte.
As for Givenchy, that's the one I have the least experience with, and that was a sample of the Mat Radiance, and its a bit drying since it has oil controlling properties. I don't have oil issues, which explains why I found it a bit drying, whereas the Terry one isn't drying. I recall it separating a bit on my forehead area. Plus the Terry one has a more refined/complex transparency property, where your skin peeks through.
You mean Perfect Matte Foundation from Dolce Gabbana? Yeah I think I wont repeat Teint Resist, makes skin look a bit flat however it's great in oil controling. I'd like to try the new from YSL too. By the way do you have any post with favorite compact powder foundation? Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI had that same problem with the By Terry primer! My skin is really prone to dryness so I usually don't gravitate towards matte foundations but this one looks so gorgeous I might have to break down and try it. I love how it doesn't just sit on top of your skin like the other two seemed to.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is so interesting to read. I just bought Cover-Expert a couple of weeks ago and literally just posted a review about it today with a rave review. Now I just want to try this one!
ReplyDeleteShani x
She Dreams in Perfect French
Hello! I love your blog and your reviews, especially the ones focused on By Terry, as they're usually missing in the beauty community.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to know if you think this foundation will work with combo, oily, acne prone skin (you have dry skin, don't you?)? And, do you find the Densiliss foundation lasts longer than the cover expert? Foundations usually wear of on the bridge of my nose, do you have some recommendations? Thank you very much!