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…
I’m pleased to say – and offer the photographic evidence above, that it has! The foundation looks the same now as it did on the day it arrived, there has been no change in consistency, and I haven’t had to shake it up for hours on end before I use it. In fact I don’t have to shake it full stop.
The foundation offers a fairly light coverage – its great if you have fairly decent skin that just needs a little bit of evening out, although I do use this when I have breakouts, and just supplement with concealer – I don’t really like the feel of a full coverage on my skin when I have blemishes – I sometimes just feel like heavy foundations look fine on but feel like they are clogging my skin up even more when it is already upset… does that make sense to anyone else apart from me?
So how does this look on the skin? I think as with most foundations, this will vary according to your skin type – on oilier skins, this will look dewier, and on drier skins it will look more satin or matte. I personally have dry-combination skin at the moment (it seems to change at different times of year!), and this gives a satin effect on my skin, ie neither matte nor dewy, but very natural looking…
Above – skin before. I’ve even bravely showed a little blemish here too so you can see how much blemish coverage this offers…
Above – the skin after application.
For some reason, my skin looks a different colour in the t
wo pictures. I think the light might have changed in between taking the first and second pics, because the foundation did not change the colour of my skin! Crazy ass camera – nothing to do with my skills, or lack of on the photography front I’m sure *looks embarassed*.
The important thing to look at though, is the coverage and look of the foundation – its a foundation you can still “see the skin” through, so looks very natural, but it also does a good job of unifying the skintone. As I have already mentioned, It has given me a satin finish.
This foundation lasts well on my skin too – I do set with powder in the centre of the face, as I do with all foundations, and this lasts throughout the working day for me. This has actually become a foundation I reach for pretty regularly, for everyday use – I don’t like to look too heavily made up for work, but there are days when my skin looks dog rough, and this gives me a bit of pep, without looking like I have a full face of makeup on… But basically if you are looking for a full coverage look, this may not be for you!
Because the foundation is SPF free, it photographs well, but obviously you’d need to apply your SPF separately to protect the skin from the sun…
Verdict – great if you don’t need a lot of coverage, evens out the skin tone and offers light coverage. May work better for less oily skin types.
Disclaimer – this product was sent by Illamasqua for review purposes. I am not paid for my review, and neither am I obliged to say positive or negative things about products sent to me for this purpose. My reviews are always honest, and based on my own experiences with a product. Please consider your own needs and skin type before purchasing. As always I would always encourage you to read as many reviews of this product on other sites as possible.
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