When Illamasqua first launched, their foundations were one of the first things I purchased, being the total foundation junkie that I am. I actually purchased the cream version first of all, and I love that, so I went back for more. The rich liquid foundation is a real stand by for nights out, and for days when I don’t want my makeup to budge an inch. I also love it for bad skin days – The rich liquid gives absolutely the fullest coverage I have ever seen from a liquid foundation, and I have even used it in place of a concealer when needed. It’s a versatile product too, and can be mixed with a moisturiser or a lighter foundation for a lighter look. 

Their light foundation on the other hand has always left me feeling a little undecided. I loved the look it gave, however I hated the fact that it separated like a demon. I could have shaken the bottle til kingdom come, and sometimes separation would still occur. It was like an unreliable boyfriend, always leaving me wanting more, but also feeling like there was so much more potential there…

So Illamasqua were also obviously aware of this problem, and they decided to reformulate the product. I’ve had this for a good couple of months now, and I have been using it regularly.

So as well as a reformulation, the colours in the range have also been reviewed, and this now comes in various shades, with neutral, pink and golden undertones. This is no bad thing – some of the older shades had a slight grey tinge to them, and in my opinion the new shades are a little bit easier to choose from. The online swatches are very good too, obviously I would always recommend going to a counter for a foundation match if you can, but the website has images of people wearing the foundation so you can select the skintone most similar to yours.

I was sent the shade 135, which is designed for light skin with golden undertones.

As you can see, the design of the bottle has not changed. Its handy to be able to see the colour through the bottle as well, especially if you are using these in a makeup kit, and need to mix shades. Product is dispensed through a nozzle, so it’s hygienic too.

The shade range itself seems pretty comprehensive to me – darker shades are covered as well as lighter shades, which is always good to see – there are not many ranges that do this. The shade I was sent for reviewing suits my skintone very well, but I’m pretty sure that there are a couple of others in the range too that I could use to good effect – I’d describe my skintone as neutral but the golden tone in 135 works well on me, and I’d expect 133 (light neutral), or even 140 (medium golden) to work on my skin if I was tanned.

The real acid test though, is whether the old separation issue has been resolved…