Sadly I can’t get down to London for many events these days. Usually I take this in my stride, but having to pass up the opportunity to try a new product from my favourite brand – Illamasqua – was a pretty bitter pill to swallow recently, especially as it was for the launch of their new Skin Base…

BB creams seem to be the newest craze sweeping the blogosphere, (although they have been well known on the Asian market for a good couple of years), and so its nice to see Illamasqua have used elements of that idea in the new foundation…

As I couldn’t attend the event I’m eagerly awaiting all the reviews, and if anyone has any tips or hints as to which shade I might be (in MAC I’m NC 20-25 although I’d prefer a little more of a neutral base rather than yellow if possible) in the new skin base then please let me know!

Also feel free to leave links (no spam though – I delete them before they see the light of day!) to your reviews below, I want to read as much as I can about this!

The My Face range, formulated by Charlotte Tilbury (whose MU style is synonymous with perfect dewy skin), has been available for some time now in Boots. It’s one I’ve skirted around for a while because of a combination of disliking the iPod-esque packaging, and the overuse of the word “Bling”. Also I do find some of the range to be quite overpriced, given that it’s marketed as a high street range.

However this review by Ruth Crilly at “A Model Recommends” made me hanker after the foundation. My foundation addicts anonymous group was on a break, and so it seemed like the perfect time for a relapse… I picked this up in Boots for around £12-13… which as I said is a lot I feel for a high street brand, but hey ho, you pay’s your money, you takes your chance.

 The foundation is actually one of the few items in this range that really initially appealed to me – the whole range being split into fair, medium and light skin tones made picking the right shade easy, and I was also fortunate in that the Boots I picked this up from had a good stock of samples to swatch. I ended up going for Fair 2, which is a pale shade with a neutral/yellow undertone, and is a great match for my skin.

A cursory glance at the other shades on offer suggests that most skin tones would be covered however very pale and very dark skin may struggle as always seems to be the case…I’m also pleased to notice that the range offers corresponding concealers which perfectly match the foundations, although I have yet to test these myself.

 The foundation itself gives a light to medium coverage, and gives a lovely dewy glowy look to the skin. If you like a full on matte look I’d say to steer clear of this, but if you are into a more fresh-faced look then this may work for you. To me this has a feel on the skin similar to a tinted moisturiser, but carries a higher level of pigmentation. It is buildable to a point as well. 

Bare Skin

Skin with My Face Foundation Applied

I also like the way this foundation settles in to the skin over time, and seems to look better in a way as the day wears on. It does require a light powdering after a few hours wear to stave off any t-zone shine on me, and for that reason I’d say this wouldn’t work too well on oilier skintypes. The photo’s above really don’t show the full effect of this foundation, which when seen on the face as a whole, really does even out the skintone, in a natural way – however what the pics do show is the natural skin like finish, as well as the good colour match.

 This has become a firm favourite for everyday/work makeup – I apply this with fingers, and find it gives my skin just enough pep to look like I’ve had a decent nights sleep, and has just enough coverage to get rid of any blotchiness.

Overall I’d say this would be a good one to try iof you have normal to dry skin, and are looking for a dewy finish. Those with oilier skintypes who want a fuller or more matte coverage might be disappointed.

Would I repurchase? Yes – It works well as an everyday foundation for me, but I’d want something with higher coverage for night time or more dramatic looks… Would recommend for drier skin types with not too many blemishes, but if you need a higher coverage or like a matte look, I’d say this might disappoint.

I’ve been eyeing this foundation up for a while, and THIS Lisa Eldridge video was the final push I needed to try it.

The Vichy Dermablend range includes this foundation (£14), an Ultra-Corrective Cream Stick foundation(£18) and a tinted moisturiser (£11), as well as a setting powder (£14). The range markets itself along the corrective makeup lines – high coverage and long-wearing. The Corrective Foundation boasts 12 hour wear, and manufaturers state that this is increased to 16 if the setting powder is also used.

The packaging of the line is pretty simple and clinical looking, with this foundation being housed in a squeeze tube – nothing fancy but it does the job, and is hygienic. One major bugbear is the small shade range available – I believe there are around five shades in each foundation, one universal shade of powder and three or four shades of tinted moisturiser… I basically had to take a leap of faith with shade choice, and plumped for the lightest (Opal), which is usually a safe bet – I would imagine that people with mid-darker toned skins would struggle to choose the right shade though. 

There were no testers out in the branch of Boots I picked this up in, although I am not sure if the same would be true of larger branches. On the plus side, all of the tubes were sealed hygienically, so you could be certain that your purchase hadn’t been tampered with…


The foundation is a pretty thick liquid, and has a clean scent – I woudn’t describe it as medicated, but it almost has a powdery, lightly floral scent. 

Coverage is full – this completely evens out the skin tone, covers blemishes, and tones down any redness or uneven skin tone. If this is the sort of look you are after, then you will love it, however on the other hand if you prefer a natural look, and don’t like to look like you are wearing makeup then avoid this. I have applied the foundation using my trustY Number 7 foundation brush, starting centrally and blending out, as well as with fingers – you get a slightly more natural look with a finger application, as the heat from your fingers aids a finer coverage, however this foundation is never exactly going to look completely natural.

Of course alternatively, this foundation can be used as a concealer on small areas of blemishes (for extensive cover of acne or scarring I’d say you might want an even higher coverage – in which case go for the cream stick). It works great for this, and given that I have found that it lives up to it’s claims to give 12 hours wear (I pushed this to the max by wearing it in London for a day, and it stayed put, although did need a couple of powder fix ups).

The finish is matte, but not too flat and is quite flattering.

Overall I like this foundation, especially for bad skin days, and can see this as a versatile product for either high coverage on days you feel you need that, or for a concealer. Don’t bother if you have decent skin, prefer a natural look, or struggle with shade matching.

Repurchase – Personally, I would repurchase this, but can see that it’s definitely not for everyone.

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…

One of the most eagerly anticipated drugstore foundations ever (exaggerate much?), has finally arrived in the UK… There are so so many reviews out there of this product, but what the heck, I thought I’d add mine to the mix. 

The packaging is fab, for one reason and one reason alone – the pump! Not only is the fact that there is a pump a great thing, but its also a very well designed one, which allows you to dispense a little or a lot of the foundation. Please Revlon, add one to the Colourstay range now? Those bottles are so messy without a pump…

Shade range wise, here in the UK, we seem to start at shade #02 “Vanilla” for some reason – I’m not sure if shade #1 missed the plane over or they just aren’t bothering with that one over here… 

I was actually sent shade #4 “Nude” to review, but there was no way that shade was ever going to work on me. I was desperate to give it a go anyway, being the foundation junkie I am, so I picked up shade #2 “Vanilla”. I was shocked (in a good way) when I realised it was actually a little bit too pale for me… I usually have trouble finding shades pale enough. Luckily Revlon was on 3 for 2 at the time so I picked up the next shade up “Shell”. On most days Shell works fine, somethimes I have to mix in a little of the Vanilla shade too… The point is though, if you are pale, then this is a great foundation colour wise. The same unfortunately can’t be said about the darker shades. This is surprising really because Revlon do so well shade wise in the Colourstay formula…

In the image above, all three shades look very similar in the bottles, and they are in fact very close, but have subtle differences in undertone and darkness;

Above from L-R – Vanilla, Shell and Nude. Vanilla and Shell are both light, however vanilla has a more yellow undertone, while Shell has more of a neutral/pink tone to it. Nude is slightly darker with a yellow undertone.

I’ve also heard a lot said about the shimmer/glitter in this product. Yes it is there, for sure – the particles are very very fine, but are there non-the less. I’d describe the particles as a finely milled shimmer rather than a full on sparkly glitter. So if you like matte, or completely detest shimmer, give this one a miss. Also if you have large pores then I have heard and read a lot of reviewsstating that the shimmer can draw attention to them, so definitely consider this too. Once applied and buffed in, I don’t notice shimmer when I’m out and about in the sunlight, but my skin looks radiant and dewy. I do have a few open pores either side of my nose, however I don’t personally find that this foundation makes them appear any larger.

 Given that this is called “PhotoReady” foundation, I was surprised to find that this carries an SPF of 20. I’m no makeup artist, but I know that SPF and photography do not make a good match. Indeed, it’s an issue I have fallen victim to myself in the past (I actually look like casper in the photo’s from one uni ball…). 

Below are pictures of the product blended onto the skin with and without flash…

One issue I did have with this foundation is that it can be difficult to blend… Fingers can produce a streaky finish, a traditional foundation brush produces a streaky finish… I was at a bit of a loss really… Then I tried stippling brushes, which work reasonably well (MAC 187, ELF powder brush and Sonia Kashun flat topped face brush)… I think any decent kabuki or flat topped brush would work well. At times though, even these brushes need a little bit of extra work with fingrs etc to blend… If you can manage to find a brush that works well for you, then this looks lovely and dewy when applied, but you have to be extra vigilant for streaks with it in my experience.

On my normal-dry skin I find this foundation has a reasonable staying power – it does need setting with powder (I use ELF HD powder) and a touch up with pressed powder about half way through the day. If you have oily skin I would expect wear time to be reduced though, so consider your skin type before purchasing!

I have such mixed feelings about this foundation – I really really wanted to love it. I like it, and would probably repurchase it (look out for special offers as this retails at £12.99 which is a lot for a drugstore foundation). On days when I have the right brush to hand and the time to blend it out properly to check that there are no streaks, I love the way it looks… however if I’m in a rush I have to reach for something a little bit more reliable…

Have you tried this? What did you think?

This is a bit of a random post, but its basically a bit of a fishing one to find out if other people do this, and what their favourite combos are… What am I on about? Mixing foundations!

I have a bit of a “thing” for foundation – the concept of the HG foundation is a bit lost on me – there is always something else coming onto the market that I want to try, and also, I’m one of those people who likes to be able to creat different looks on my skin, depending on the weather, the rest of the makeup/clothes I am wearing etc etc… 

BUT – I am on something of a spending ban at the moment – I am saving up as much money as I can, for various reasons I won’t bore you with, so I’m having to get a bit creative. And I like it!

One of the foundations I have had for ages is Chanel Pro-Lumiere. I really love this foundation – I love the dewy finish and the long lasting effect it has without me having to powder it… The problem is that the shade I have is too dark for me (I have number 20, should have insisted on shade 10, but I made the mistake of listening to an MUA who was clearly into “adding warmth” with foundation. Her skin was orange basically)

S

So… I was faced with a problem, and I’d kind of relegated this foundation to a “summer only” shade, or a foundation I could only use when I’d fake tanned etc… I was even (reluctantly) thinking of selling it…

Another foundation in my collection that I love for different reasons in Bourjois ten hour sleep effect… I love the way it feels on the skin, very light and moist (great for dry skin, not sure oily types would like it!). Love the scent (apricotty), and it makes me look well rested (as the name promises). However… I picked up the lightest shade in the range (51), and shockingly, its too light for me – not a problem I ever encounter with many foundations, and also I find it doesn’t last too well on my skin.

M

My cunning solution (as if you couldn’t guess)? I mix one pump of each, and I get a great foundation – I get the benefits of both foundations, and (it seems) little of the bad points I associate with them… 

Bourjois ten hour sleep effect is now my standby for when I need to lighten a foundation, or take down the thick texture of any liquid foundation…Eeee, its like I’m getting a new foundation every day (Jeez, I seriously have the attention spam of a goldfish!)

So – do any of you lovely peeps do this? What combo’s do you like, and why? 

I purchased this foundation with my own sweet dollar (or to be more precise, UK sterling) recently at Boots… I’ve been intrigued by the Revlon colourstay line, since I first started to hear raves about the colourstay liquid foundation.

 

The latest drugstore foundation on the block is this offering from Max Factor. As a foundation junkie, I often purchase these new drugstore foundies, and then one use later I’ve remembered why I like high end foundation – the drugstore versions don’t usually last well, and I can rarely get a decent colour match. I’d all but given up on drugstore foundation, but seeing raves on BritishBeautyBlogger, as well as HollyYMBB’s you tube video made me want to try a slice of the action.

I hot-footed it down to Superdrug where this is on offer at the moment for £9.99 – similar offers are on in Boots and Tesco’s at the moment, it normally costs about £14 I believe, and you get 30mls in a bottle

Max Factor claim this is “virtually undetectable even to the professionals. Now Second Skin uses clever multi-tonal pigment technology to smooth over and blend flawlessly into your own natural complexion in seconds. No lines, no traces and perfect in any light; so no-one will ever know it’s not all you…”

Packaging wise, this comes in a glass bottle with a hygenic pump (Question – if Drugstore brands can do this, why can’t NARS et al?), and looks like this – sorry for the google images, I forgot to take a shot of the product and my batteies are flat now…

So far so good, but the problem is that the foundation only comes in five shades – and definitely won’t work, colour wise, on dark or black skin. I was lucky enough to find a decent match – lightest shade (surprise surprise), shade 40, Creamy Ivory, is a really good match for me, it adds a very slight touch of warmth, but this is good – stops me looking corpse like.

I’ve been applying it with my fingers which is my current favourite method of applying liquid foundation (mainly because washing foundation brushes is a pain, but also because it usually gives streak-free results). I use about two or three pumps for the whole face. which works well for me. It results in a very natural looking low to medium coverage…