Illamasqua Cream Foundation in 210

Recently illamsqua had a super sale on. With free delivery. You know what that means....

After a lot of research and a fingers crossed moment hoping this would match my skin tone, the Illamasqua Cream Foundation was added to my basket and I was £4.50 lighter (Yes, £4.50. A fraction more than a Starbucks and way better than the £23 price tag it wears in Selfridges).

The foundation itself is very thick. I've tried blending it with my fingers, a sponge and a stippling brush and found the stippling brush to be best. Top tip was to moisturise the face then rather sharpish add the foundation to allow blending a lot easier as at first it felt like I was pushing cement around my face. Classy.

Aside from the application issues the foundation itself offers a very high coverage, disguising unsightly redness and freckles however visibly and clingy on patches of dry skin and around the corners of the nose. Once applied (properly) it leaves a lovely matte finish that looks natural, ridiculously smooth and leaves a flawless base for you to start building your colour upon.

On my skin this lasted only a few hours and this is because I kept rubbing at it because of the aforementioned issues. So a bit of a mixed bag really. For what I paid for it.. a bargain. If I'd of paid full price I would be grumpier than Grumpy Cat.

I'm sorry for the lack of swatches but without making my skin look vile- ain't nobody got time for that.

So keep an eye on the website as if you see it cheap, worth it, even if you use as a concealer, if not stay clear! 

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No7 Stay Perfect Foundation

A foundation match made in heaven? With the launch of No7s Match Made service, offering the perfect match, the allure of the perfect colour was too much to resist. Off I went to my local boots, had the lady brandish the funky looking machine at my naked skin and five minutes later I walked out with this. Stay Perfect is medium to high coverage with a natural finish also offering SPF 15 which is always  important in skincare. It promotes a long wearing formula that is moisturising, a claim I would personally agree with. The boots website says 16 hours, but I can't say I have tested this claim. It is a hardwearing formula though, covers dark circles and evens out my skin tone. (See me wearing it here) Lovely!
The colour spectrum is wide in this range, but the very pale or the very dark skinned may struggle to find their perfect match. But what do I think? Its my day to day, go to foundation. It lasts as long as I need it too and makes me feel confident. The price? Is it worth it? For £14 pounds, it is mid range, and compared to Rimmel and Revlons new offerings it could be seen as a little less value for money than those however the quality speaks for itself. Theres never a bad skin day when I'm rocking this.

Get it here.
Tah dah!

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The Starting Off Project: Foundation

Foundation. The base. The saviour. The thing that can turn you from bright red cheeked, freckly, grey faced (that's just me) to fooling people into thinking you have the skin of a goddess. Well you've got to find the right one first. It's okay, no need to call 999, #theSOproject has you covered... 

What do you want your foundation for?

What are you trying to hide or gain? Not all foundation will be right. There's different coverages and finishes so you need to know what to target. Thicker foundations with higher coverage can hide a multitude of sins but in summer months won't last too long if you get too hot and sweaty. Also they are harder to blend. Trying to look fresh faced and natural? A tinted moisturiser may be the way forward. So write a few bullet points of what you want from your foundation. done?

What type of foundation should I get?

As I assume you've done step one this should be a lot easier. This is a quick and brief list of what you should mainly look for depending on what you want to gain.

Tinted moisturiser - for less coverage but to even out skin tone. Great for drier skin and younger faces where you don't need to be wearing a full face of makeup. Skips a step in a routine as its two in one! Winner.

CC/BB Cream - Claims to be the Pippa Middletons bum of the foundation world, these offer a combination of SPF, moisturiser, foundation, anti ageing, brightening and concealing properties.. The list goes on! If you are looking for a multi purpose product for your routine these are great and everyone from Superdrug to Dior have their own.

Mousse Foundation - Has a very light texture and can be layered for your desired effect. These are more weightless so better for those of you that like a fresher feel to your skin.

Liquid foundation - The most common, the one I find easiest to apply. Buildable, offering all different types of coverage.  Some are thicker, others thinner, it's simply down to finding your cup o' tea.

Powder/Mineral Foundations - Not something I have great experience with using, these are good for ladies with oily skin, great for summer when sweaty face could appear and it leaves your pores well alone.

Obviously I may have missed a few here but you get my drift, eh?

Which foundation should I get?

Well, the ultimate question and not a simple answer. Many factors to consider: what's your skin tone? Higher end brands tend to have a better colour selection than high street but doesn't necessarily mean they are better. You want to be illuminated or want a matte finish? Matte everything is a la mode this days but when you are ashen you want something that will brighten the face. Money is a big one, I favour YSL Touché Éclat foundation but also have a Rimmel one on hand which I use equally as much and there's a good 15 quid difference in price. Obviously, as you wear foundation for a long time, this is somewhere where spending serious moolar isn't wasted but just make sure it's in your budget, so when you run out you aren't left hight and dry sobbing in a corner as you either choose food or new foundation. Obviously I'm not speaking from experience here... At all.

Other advice?

Have a range of colours and types. In the summer you want a darker colour than in winter (unless you are a pasty ghost all year) and may favour a lighter coverage whereas in winter you'll want something with kick ass coverage.

Remember that how you apply foundation will affect the finish. Not going too much into tools here as there will be a post on it later in the series but finger application vs brush vs sponge all provide different finishes.

Go outside and test your foundation.

Shop lights make your foundation choice hard and deceiving. Get a mate to come along and ask if you look like you've been smacked with the makeup stick or look au naturale. Even if you are in a rush go outside... Just a quick glance and you'll know.

Less is more. You don't need to apply it all over your face, normally around the centre of the face. Also, more foundation will look less polished and less natural.

Hopefully this has been helpful for you. I have decided not to go into reviews of what I use as this post should guide you to choose your own. If you've any comments or questions, drop me a line here or on Twitter (I'm @chizzasaur).

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Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

I've wanted a new foundation for a while now so when I saw this on offer I thought why not? The Rimmel Match Perfection foundation, as stated, offers 'traceless coverage foundation' which seems a rather mighty claim, and that it 'lasts all day'. The foundation does have a scent as well, rather sweet, however once on the skin it disappears.

The coverage is medium and the colour is a perfect match for my skin so on that note it works. It covers the redness of my skin and evens the skin tone out. The added bonus of this foundation is that it has SPF 18, something which is very important.
Regarding the claim that is 'lasts all day'... I'm going to say no (suprisingly). It does last about 8 hours on my normal skin (that is with powder).

I would recommend this foundation for those on a budget, it does live up to the claim of matching the skin and looking traceless. And for it's price.. well it is cheaper than a few drinks at the pub and it's a lot better for you! Buy it here for £6.99 (currently on offer for £4.99).

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