Dior Capture Totale Foundation Review
I may have found my holy grail foundation in Dior Capture Totale Foundation. I kind of wish I hadn’t because of the price though!
Capture Totale is a line by Dior aimed towards “aging” skin. The line features quite a range of products including a range of serums, day creme, night creme, eye creme, powder, foundation, etc.
This is my first venture with any Dior foundation and boy did I luck out! The only reason I bought this was because I was wanting to try a really high-end foundation and I had a 20% off discount at Sephora that was burning a hole in my in-box. 
I also totally lucked out with choosing the exact color for my skin tone (Light Beige 020).
So what is all the hype about Capture Totale Foundation you ask? Well it contains a blend of anti-aging ingredients which include Alpha-Longoza and Centuline, optical correctors, and HD liquid crystal pigments.
They claim “This revolutionary formula works, in part, thanks to a broad band of multi-toned pigments that create a more subtle, real, and natural effect than the four-part pigment palette (red/yellow/white/black) usually used in foundation.”
It’s ideal for aging, dull or dry skin because it helps to boost collagen and plumps up the skin. It also contains an SPF of 15, which is great.
Light Beige (020)
Light Beige (020) blended
So what do I like about this foundation? Well just about everything.
Over the last 20 years (yes I said 20) I have tried a bajillion different foundations in all forms. Some have been awful, some have been ok, some have been really good, but this is the best and here’s why.
The texture is really nice and thick, but not greasy or too heavy feeling. The coverage is really great (medium and buildable). Even without using a primer underneath it immediately helps to conceal my pores and fine lines and make them less noticeable. But over a primer it’s even better! I have tried this both over my beloved Hard Candy Primer and Tarte Clean Slate and it’s like smoothing soft, velvety butter onto warm bread. Hmm am I hungry?
It blends in SO nicely and has a velvet (not cakey or too matte) finish. The product doesn’t settle into fine lines at all either.
The stuff LASTS really nicely also. I rarely have a need to touch up my t-zone halfway through the day like I normally would (I don’t really have dry or oily skin, but sometimes my t-zone gets a little shiny). It stays put, and looks good even after 10+ hours. It has a really nice, slightly perfumed scent, but it’s subtle.
The only other HD foundation I have ever used was the Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation, which I was not impressed with at all. This really does give me that “soft focus” effect that Make Up For Ever’s claims to, but didn’t on my skin.
Hmmm ok we have gone over the good now let’s see if I can find something bad to say.
The price for one. It’s tres expensive ($76 for 1 oz) so it’s not something a lot of people will want or be able to spend the money on. I would most likely buy it again because I love it that much but only on sale.
The only other negative I can think of is perhaps it’s hard to find your right color online. I noticed that Sephora doesn’t have the color I originally purchased anymore, but Nordstrom has a wider range.
What is your holy grail foundation?
-VV
Welcome! My name is Kelly and Vampy Varnish is a animal friendly beauty blog.
Wow, it sounds like its worth the 76 dollars!!! I would LOVE to buy it, but I have decided that my 2011 resolution will be budgeting my money. Therefore, I will pass for now; but I least Iknow this Beauty is out there!!!
Hi Arlyn,
That is a great resolution, I need to do that also
I have been eyeballing this foundation for a long time, the price is what has put me off. I am lucky to have a Dior counter near by though, so the colour match will probably be easy (as long as they go light enough and not too yellow)..
I would not even consider getting this online due to the price.
I might go and swatch it, it does sound fantastic! I have owned Dior products in the past; skin care – and I really loved them. Pricey though.. hehe..
My current fav foundation is the Boots no.7 Lifting and Firming foundation. Yeah. I love that stuff! It is my current HG!
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Wow, foundation is such a personal choice, isn’t it? I love MUFE’s HD foundation, but at $40 an ounce even that is too expensive for my college student budget! I might try MAC next, or Revlon’s Color Stay, as that seems to be a popular drug store choice. This Dior foundation sounds pretty wonderful, though!
Haven’t found THE FOUNDATION yet
… still on the search, but haven’t tried anything from Dior other than nail polish and eye shadow.. so hmmm I might give it a go… maybe it’s the ONE 
Oh man! It blends in so beautifully and the bottle is very luxurious looking. It does give me sticker shock though… Maybe if I win the lottery
Wow! That’s great covearage. This gives me something to think about now. I’ve always shied away from the liquid or cream ones. I’ve only used the powder ones and have a love-hate relationship with those, so I don’t use it often.
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Ok, it looks great! I’m still looking for “that perfect” foundation and my skin has some slight aging going on as well now! I’m currently using a La Mer foundation, which was also quite expensive. I like it, but do I LOVE it? Nah, not enough to purchase it again. I will definitely be giving this one a look at the Nordstrom counter! Thanks for the review!
Holy cow, that’s pricey! And since I’m prone to breakouts, I think I’ll stick with my trusty $25 Bare Minerals. But it definitely looks nice!
That’s a mighty big price for this. I loved Dior Nude Skin but my pump stopped working and 1/3 of the bottle was totally wasted. I know that this has a different system but I’m so upset with Dior for that.
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My jaw dropped a little seeing the price.
I thought the $40 of my Estee Lauder Double Wear is already an ouchie. 
But it’s a great feeling to have found a foundation you really love.
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Expensive but seems to really blend in well with your skin. As long as you get wonderful results it’s worth it.
FYI, the Capture Totale foundation is being reformulated – that’s why shades are getting harder to find these days. I haven’t tried the new one yet so I don’t know if it will be just as lovable as the old one or not, but if you’re the kind of person who hates change in all forms – you might want to stock up now! The new one is supposed to hit the shelves sometime in January, and all old stock will be sent back at that time (at least that’s what my counter has been instructed to do – not sure about other stores like Sephora, but I would assume the requirement is the same for them).
Hi Kristina,
Ohhh thanks for the info about that!
Heh, allow me to further emphasize that point – we just had to ship ours back TODAY!
I think you should give Dior Forever a shot….it may give you the same results as this one and the price tag isn’t soooo bad…it’s $45
In your photos, it totally looks like the foundation is worth it. It looks like you’re not wearing any foundation in the “After” photo, but the results are incredible. But $76 for a foundation is a little in the YIKES! territory for me. Those 20% off Sephora discounts can come back to bite you in the back-end!
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Wow, sounds really great! I’m happy with my current foundation, though
And $76 is a little too much for me.
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have you tried the new Amazing Face by Too Faced? Im wondering how itll compare to this…since its more in my price range
I juuust realized its a new product, so you can disregard!! Sorry!!
I’ve been usin Revlon new Complexion One Step Make-Up(I’d have to go get it to be sure) for about 7 yrs and I’m happy with it. I don’t think I’ll ever buy one @ the department store. Sorry to brust your bubble!
Hi Rachell,
Why would it burst my bubble if you wear Revlon?
I really, really, really had a hard time for years (since I was a teen) to find the perfect foundation. Seriously, I had tried every brand you could think of and spared no expense either. I’m pale, but have warm/yellow undertones. Most foundations that were light enough were waaaaaaay too pink or neutral toned to suit my complexion. Just recently I discovered Almay’s TLC foundation in Buff and it is literally the perfect shade for me. In the bottle it looks a little too yellow, but once it’s on the skin it blends away all the redness in my cheeks and evens everything out. Not to mention that it lasts for ages with it’s long wearing formula. What makes it even more perfect is the price, it’s about $11 at walmart or target
Ha..i don’t know..glad i didn’t though!