Luminous Matte: Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in 31 Ivory Review

I have a soft spot for Bourjois foundations, there's no denying it. A long discontinued mattifying foundation from Bourjois was the first base I ever bought with my own money, and I still can't resist browsing their new releases when I visit Poland every year.

I've heard some good things here and there about the new-ish Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream ($18.50 for 1 oz/ 30 ml on ASOS, cheaper on Amazon or eBay), so I didn't hesitate long when I spotted it on sale - I obviously grabbed the lightest shade in the range of four, 31 Ivory. The foundation comes in a sleek squishy tube with a small spout; not particularly unique, but functional and lightweight for travel. The packaging promises luminous and smooth skin with the help of three corrective pigments: apricot to cancel out fatigue, green to eliminate redness, white to help with hyperpigmentation. It also contains SPF 15.

The foundation itself is a rather liquidy consistency (I've had some spill out on the inside of the cap when I was traveling, unfortunately) and a sweet perfumey scent - I believe all of Bourjois bases are rather heavily fragranced. Thanks to the thin, slightly siliconey texture, it spreads out and blends into the skin very easily, be it with fingers, brush or a sponge.

I'd say the coverage is a perfect medium: it can be both sheered out, especially with a damp Beautyblender, or built up in layers to be more opaque. The finish is very skin like, a luminous matte/ satin that so many brands are favoring these days, which is my preference as well. It's not as lightweight and undiscernible as my favorite Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation, but doesn't sit on top of the skin either. It doesn't pool in pores or settle into fine lines, and it's quite forgiving on dry flakes too; however, if you have a dry skin type, I think it may have a tendency to look a bit flat.

On my combination skin, it lasts reasonably well; I still get shiny on my forehead and nose after about 4 hours, but the foundation doesn't completely break down and melt off the face, even in extreme weather conditions (I've tested it while skiing and snowboarding). My dry areas also don't look dehydrated or cakey by the end of the day, a big plus.

L-R: Bourjois CC Cream in 31 Ivory, Estee Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity 1, Revlon Colorstay in Ivory, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly

My biggest issue with this CC Cream, which I kinda expected from my previous experiences with Bourjois bases, is the color match. At the moment, it's at least a shade too dark for my fair skin, and it does have a bit of an orange undertone (is that the apricot pigment at work?), unlike the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 for example, which pulled very yellow. Once I sheer the CC Cream out and blend onto my neck carefully, I can just about get away with it, but 31 Ivory will be much better suited to summer months for me.

Bourjois CC Cream in Ivory applied to a freshly moisturized bare face, no concealer, no powder. It looks quite glowy but not greasy, cancels out redness well, but some of my freckles, marks and blemishes are still showing through.

Overall, I think that Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream is a solid foundation for everyday wear, especially if you can find a good shade match in the very limited shade range. However, it's not absolutely miraculous or anything, so if you can't get hold of Bourjois products easily (like us here in the US), I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase it. I've been enjoying it, but once my tube runs out, I most likely won't repurchase. Have you tried this? Or are you completely over the BB, CC and DD marketing trend?