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Home » Face » Foundation » The Burberry Velvet Foundation is very promising on paper but falls short on delivery

The Burberry Velvet Foundation is very promising on paper but falls short on delivery

March 4, 2013 Paris B 29 Comments

The Burberry Beauty Longwearing Velvet Foundation was released some time last year together with their Autumn/Winter 2012 collection. Burberry, having started out with a relatively small selection of products, doesn’t do many limited edition items. The only one I know of so far is their Summer Glow palette from 2012. Every other “new release” has been made permanent to build up their colour selection.

burberry beauty velvet foundation 201
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I had sampled the original Sheer Luminous Foundation back when they first launched but I was far from impressed. I found it too oily and too “luminous” for my skin and that’s saying a lot you know. I generally have drier skin (thanks, aging skin!) so you would think something like that would work on me. But it didn’t, slipping and sliding everywhere and I recall that it oxidised too.

However, the Velvet Foundation is supposed to be longwearing, adhere better to skin and give a radiant matte look. Burberry says that this one is targeted at those with oily-combination skintypes who need something that won’t slide off at the first sign of oil. Ah, but does it live up to its claims? This combination-dry skinned gal will tell you 😉

Um… no, it doesn’t. That’s my answer in a nutshell.

The Burberry Velvet Foundation comes in a matte packaging which I can tell you is a billion times better than their fingerprint magnet that is the shiny Sheer Luminous Foundation. The tall metal cap embossed with the signature Burberry checks gives off an elegant, chic vibe.

burberry velvet foundation
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It clicks in place, you might be pleased to know, so there’s no risk of it falling off. The body is a frosted plastic which feels sturdy but for the asking price, I personally prefer the use of glass for foundation bottles. I like the heft and luxury associated with glass.

The nozzle is also well thought out. Twist it one way and it locks shut so there’s no danger of accidentally spilling it, and turn it the other way to dispense the foundation. I can’t really fault the packaging. Thought has gone into it to make it aesthetically pleasing and practical and for that I will give them full points.

There are 8 shades available, all rather confusingly named Trench. Trench isn’t the name of the shade, if you are wondering. The number that follows is what distinguishes one shade from the other. The Sheer Luminous Foundation starts with 1 and the Velvet Foundation starts with 2 so the shades available are Trench 201 – 208. I take Trench No. 201.

burberry velvet foundation trench 201 swatch
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Burberry Velvet Foundation Trench no. 201 Left: Swatched heavily, Right: Blended into skin

Trench No. 201 is a pale shade with more pink than yellow tones in it. As the colours get darker, there is more yellow in there, but if you are fair skinned with significant yellow tones, you will have a problem finding a good colour match. Part of the reason too lies in its texture.

I don’t have a problem with colour matching because my skintone pulls more pink/neutral than yellow so No. 201 is fairly accurate. The reason I say that people may have problems finding a colour match is because the Velvet Foundation isn’t a sheer foundation. Like many longwearing formula, I find that it has quite high coverage and if you can’t find an accurate colour match, the difference in tone will look too stark.

Here’s the before/after face shot with the Burberry Velvet Foundation.

burberry velvet foundation before after
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You may notice that the coverage is quite high in the Velvet Foundation. It does cover up redness, and marks and evens out the skintone significantly. In fact, I sometimes can just wear this foundation without adding concealer over blemishes. Its pretty good in that regard. However, you may also notice that it does draw a bit of a veil over the skin. If I wear the Burberry Velvet Foundation, I MUST wear blush or my skin loses its definition. That said, it makes a very good canvas for colour. I do experience a tiny bit of oxidisation over the day which isn’t very significant.

But the other significant “problem” is something quite unexpected. This one turns oily as the day wears on. As I said above, I have skin that tends to being dry so a problem I usually face with matte or longwearing foundations (like the Diorskin Forever) is that I can find it drying. With the Velvet Foundation, I don’t experience any feeling of dryness, but I do oil up after a few hours. Its quite mind boggling, especially when this one’s tailored to those with oily-combination skin to start.

I also find that it does not “dry” so even after an hour or so after putting on this foundation, if I touch my face, it still feels “sticky”. I suppose I could set it with loose powder but when I do, it looks too fake and cakey so I tend not to. A dusting of Guerlain Meteorites powder does help but it isn’t quite ideal. Also, after a while, I find that it settles in to the area around my nose or into lines. Not quite ideal on what is already aging skin 😛

So, if I know I have to be out and about in the heat and sun, I don’t wear this or I’d be a mess. It will still stick to my skin without sliding, but I’d look shiny. Blotting or just laying a piece of tissue over skin to blot it will take care of that, and at least the foundation doesn’t disappear along with the tissue. But I have to admit that it bugs me. It even oils up when I’m sitting in an air-conditioned room all day. Despite the alluring name of Velvet, I’m not experiencing any velvety feeling on my skin with this foundation.

So, while the Velvet Foundation is a pretty good colour match for me, sticks and hangs onto my skin for pretty much all day and saves me time applying concealer thanks to its high coverage, it oils me up and for that, I’m docking points off this one. I’ll use it, but I just don’t reach for it as often as I could.

Here are some comparison swatches with other liquid foundations I use.

burberry velvet foundation comparison swatches trench 201
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(1) Estee Lauder Double Wear liquid foundation in Sand 36 (2) Burberry Beauty Velvet Foundation Trench No. 201 (3) Diorskin Nude Ivory 010 (4) Guerlain Lingerie de Peau Beige Pale 01 (5) Bourjois Healthy Mix #51 Light Vanilla

You can probably tell that the Burberry Velvet Foundation is quite close in tone to Diorskin Nude with Diorskin Nude having more pink tones and a touch lighter texture and coverage. I included the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation in Sand to show just how pink the Velvet Foundation is. (Sand is too dark for me and pulls too yellow on my skin)

In a nutshell

The Burberry Beauty Velvet Foundation is a longwearing liquid foundation with medium to high coverage. It is supposed to have a matte finish and is not drying. I find that the longwearing claims are quite true. The foundation does adhere well to skin and feels comfortable on. A thin layer is quite sufficient and the coverage is quite high so if you have very good skin, I wouldn’t recommend this one as it may look “fake”. It would have been a good foundation except for the fact that it turns oily as the day wears on. I have relatively dry skin so I do not know how oily skinned ladies will cope. I suggest that you eschew this one especially if you aren’t a fan of the “shine bright like a diamond” look.

Pros: High coverage, Longlasting on skin, Comfortable and non drying even on dry skin

Cons: Small colour selection may not suit everyone, Turns oily as the day wears on even on dry skin, Fragranced, Takes a long time to set on skin, Settles into lines

Who will like this: Anyone who wants a longwearing foundation and does not mind blotting oil as the day wears on

burberry velvet foundation
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I personally find that this one applies best using a brush (or sponge) as I found it a bit hard to work with fingers and because it takes a while to set, it can look uneven if you swipe on with fingers and try to blend. The texture is quite creamy and you don’t need very much so if you like the formula, then a very little can go a very long way. But if you have oily skin, I’ll tell you to look elsewhere. Maybe try Diorskin Forever which is also longlasting and matte but without the oily problem.

Have you tried the Burberry Velvet Foundation? Do you like any of the Burberry foundations so far?

Of the two available so far, I’d choose this one over the Sheer Luminous only because that one slides off me at the first opportunity and oxidises on my skin. With this one, despite it turning oily, I can deal with it by blotting. Oh and there’s quite a strong fragrance too that does not last, but can bug sensitive noses.

Paris B

Burberry Beauty Velvet Foundation comes in 8 shades Price: RM175/30ml Availability: Burberry Beauty at Isetan KLCC

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Disclosure: Featured product was a press sample from product launch. For posting guidelines please read my disclaimer.

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About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

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29 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. LeGeeque says

    March 4, 2013 at 8:41 am

    Now I’m curious. I’ll end the day with a bang by checking this out after work 🙂 I probably won’t buy it because I’ve enough of foundations to last me till the cows come home. Funny how it’s marketed as longwearing but it turns oily, eh?

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 4:53 pm

      It could be the weather you know. You know how it is here. Sometimes the humidity is so high, its like we’re breathing underwater 😛

      Reply
  2. Sunny says

    March 4, 2013 at 8:46 am

    Oh wow, so sorry to hear this one fails you in almost every aspect! Sounds like a very frustrating experience! I tend not to want to try too many base products because there are just so many ways for them to go wrong! I love Burberry eyeshadows and lipsticks, but haven’t ventured into their foundations so far. By the looks of it I’ll definitely need to try a sample before I commit to a full-size bottle!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:01 pm

      LOL yes, it was quite frustrating because I was hoping to like it. Then again, the previous version did not wow me so I did not have too high hopes for this one. Definitely do get a sample before you buy 🙂

      Reply
  3. Sukie says

    March 4, 2013 at 11:13 am

    Thanks for reviewing this! I wasn’t sure if I should get this but reading your review has stopped me from wanting this :p skin’s been getting oily lately and I’m guessing this will slither down my face 😉

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:09 pm

      It might be our weather that isn’t so good for this particular foundation but I can say I’ve been using Diorksin Forever just to retest after this one and it remains pretty much shine and slide free for the whole day. Very impressive if you’re looking for a more long lasting, “matte” foundation.

      Reply
  4. Teri says

    March 4, 2013 at 11:31 am

    Oh gosh, I can’t handle sticky foundations. This is so sad to hear because I’ve been loving Burberry so far. I actually really like the coverage it gives, it’s impressive. But the oily part is no good!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:09 pm

      Yep, this is rather unfortunate but I must say their blushes are nice!

      Reply
  5. Becca says

    March 4, 2013 at 11:58 am

    Hm…that’s too bad about this foundation–I was so excited when they released it, too. But I have very oily skin and if it turned oily on your drier skin, I can’t imagine how bad it would be on me :/ I am curious about the Diorskin Forever now though!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:11 pm

      Diorskin Forever works very well for me even with my dry skin, staying pretty much shine free all day. If you plan to try the Burberry one, try to get a sample first. You’ll be able to tell then if it’d work for you in your weather (since its tailored for oily skins) or if it is just not working for oily skins 🙂

      Reply
  6. Evan says

    March 4, 2013 at 12:17 pm

    Lovely review as always!
    Personally I never trusted luxury brands that are not so into the cosmetics industry. I feel that they don’t have enough experience and data. However some of them do make nice products.
    I wonder how this fares on my oily skin..

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:13 pm

      Thanks Evan 🙂 To be fair to Burberry, their powder makeup (albeit boring) are of pretty good quality. In many ways I guess they can afford to pay for the R&D that goes into the colour makeup. But foundation is really tricky, I feel. You can try checking at the counter if they will let you have a sample of the foundation. Or maybe try it on your skin and then you can go take a walk and see how it fares 🙂

      Reply
  7. Larie says

    March 4, 2013 at 12:55 pm

    This makes me feel better about not being able to wear Burberry foundations, haha. I’m sorry it didn’t work out – it sounds promising! It does look a bit heavy, though.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:14 pm

      Oh you too, Larie? Thank goodness I’m not alone! It does look heavy, I agree and the coverage is pretty full. But shining bright like a diamond after a couple of hours just isn’t my thing 😉

      Reply
  8. Lily says

    March 4, 2013 at 1:47 pm

    I sampled the Luminous one, and I loved the texture. It did oxidize very badly on me though. Too bad about this one too. I love their eye shadows though 🙂

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:20 pm

      Their eye shadows are nice and so are the blushes (super pricey though, ouch!) but I think the foundations need to be reworked LOL

      Reply
  9. Sylvia says

    March 4, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    The packaging smite me! too bad it is oily. I suggest to put on make up base prior to foundation to combat the oxidization and finish off with loose powder. It works on me every time.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:23 pm

      I tried using a primer, Sylvia. It was still no go for me 🙁

      Reply
  10. Catherine says

    March 4, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    Ive never seen any Burberry makeup counter despite being many time in their shops. I simply forget about it 😛 Im disappointed the bottle is in plastic- it looks so beautiful, it def should be in glass! Sorry it didnt work out for you!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:25 pm

      The packaging is divine but formula could be reworked I think 🙂 I don’t even know if they sell the makeup in the Burberry boutiques. Not here that’s for certain. Funny isn’t it how the fashion and beauty arms of these fashion houses don’t merge?

      Reply
  11. shusheshe says

    March 4, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    Too bad it didn’t work out for you, it was one of the ones I want to check out eventually! Though I wonder if it’d perform better in a cooler and dryer environment than Malaysia! The Nars tinted moisturizer and foundations are like that for me; I couldn’t get them to work in Taiwan’s hot and humid summers, but once I got the colder and dryer air in Toronto they performed beautifully.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:28 pm

      You could be right, you know! Maybe its just not working because of our weather. That said, I do like the Nars Tinted Moisturiser a lot and it works well for me without slipping or sliding at all. Really nice stuff 😀

      Reply
  12. Beth Maiorana says

    March 5, 2013 at 5:48 am

    Hi Paris!!
    Thanks for this post. Why oh why in this modern technologically advanced day and age do we have soooo much problem finding foundation that suits our complexions? You are so fair and your skin is perfectly lovely- perhaps it really is the climate. That would be understandable. I like it on you, however in the photo. It looks beautiful. Too bad about all the other faults you experienced from it. Hope you’re well. Thanks for this, again. Lovely photos … xoxo Beth in Pgh 😉

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 7, 2013 at 5:33 pm

      Hi Beth, you are absolutely right you know. You’d think most brands would have managed to get their heads around formulating foundation already! Or at least stop tweaking formula too much before they break them 😛 Someone mentioned it could be due to my weather here that’s why its not performing well and it could well be that. Its a bit of a pity because I do think it showed promise 🙂

      Reply
  13. Tracy says

    March 7, 2013 at 10:39 am

    Awwww, that’s too bad it didn’t work for you! I wanted to try this one, but now not so sure!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 10, 2013 at 11:25 pm

      As someone had suggested, maybe its my weather here. Remember the Guerlain that didn’t work for me but worked well for you? Maybe its just to do with weather 🙂

      Reply
  14. Wojis says

    March 13, 2013 at 2:02 am

    I actually do like this color on you, it’s perfect to shape and blush the face, it will make it easy to make an evening look. I wouldn’t wear it during the day, I like a little bit more life to shine through the product, that said the finish is quite pretty.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      March 14, 2013 at 5:07 pm

      Hiya Wojis, yes I do think it makes a nice “base” for putting on colour because the coverage is quite full but as you say, maybe use it in the evenings or for shorter wear not for the whole day when I just know it’ll melt right off 😀

      Reply
  15. Mona912 says

    April 17, 2013 at 10:16 am

    This is the best foundation I’ve ever used. I bought many high end foundations but this works well on my normal oily combination skin. I’m pleased and I think this is my HG. Came upon your site trying to seek reviews on this foundation. Too bad it didn’t work for you.

    Reply

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Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

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