Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

The majority of the time I like to try a product before I buy, however, this isn't always achievable. So, if I am unable to get my hands on a sample of a product I will do a fair bit of research, to get honest opinions of the product.

The Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation has been blogged about many times before, by people with a variety of skin types and skin problems.

I purchased this foundation after hearing about the excellent range of shades available, as I'm sure you're well aware of from my whinging in previous posts, I am very pale.

So, did it live up to my expectations?

This latest foundation from Illamasqua is marketed as being inspired by the Asian BB Cream market, promising to 'smooth, soften and condition your skin whilst providing natural, buildable coverage'. Unfortunately, this product failed to do that for me.

The formula is a lot thicker than many foundations on the market, but it still remains blendable. Skin base foundation works well when you warm the product up with your fingertips before spreading over your face. As you would expect with a BB Cream, this foundation is good for lazy day make-up, as there is no need for tools or brushes.

While this foundation promises to be natural looking, this was still a little too heavy for me. However, it will hide imperfections perfectly. The foundation alone, without any concealer, hid my dark circles.

The main reason that drew me to this product was the amount of shades available, there are 18 available. I was shade #02; this is the second lightest shade as was a perfect match from me. The first shade is pretty much white. For the first time ever, I can say I found my perfect shade in foundation! It's an achievement in itself.

Shade 02 in natural light

Shade 02 blended

While I wanted this foundation to be the perfect one for me, unfortunately it isn't. My skin is unbalanced; it is dry in some places while oily in others. Despite moisturising beforehand, this foundation stuck to my dry patches and left my skin flaky, dull and dry looking, it also highlighted my open pores despite using a primer. Although these flakes weren’t apparent before foundation, it did accentuate my dryness.

This foundation also didn't take too well to my oily T-zone either! The centre strip down the bridge of my nose was shiny within a couple of hours and the foundation had slipped from my t-zone by lunchtime. I had only applied this foundation about three hours earlier.

Another disappointment is the lack of SPF, while it means the foundation will photograph well, I have become a bit obsessed with protecting my skin against the sun and so this is a necessary factor to have in any foundation now.

 I would highly recommend trying this foundation before buying, if you can. This product is one that you are either going to love or hate. It's garnered some rave reviews across the internet, and I trust their opinions. I believe that you need a balanced, normal skin type to get the best and natural look from this product.

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation is priced at £25 and available in store at many Debenhams stores and online.

Anyone else had the same experience?

xox