No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation

If Boots gave you the option to try a new little gadget out for free you would give it a go wouldn't you? Well, being a sucker for a gadget and on a very long quest to find the perfect foundation, I thought I would pop along to the No7 counter.

 

The No7 gadget sets out to help women find their perfect colour match in their range of foundations. It's incredibly simple to do. They zap the gadget on both sides of your face to match the colour of your skin to the nearest colour within their foundation. You then discuss your skin type with the advisor until you have decided on a foundation suitable for your skin type.

 

The No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation seemed the most suitable for my oily skin.

 

 

Boots No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation has been created with fine, oil-absorbing powders. The moisturising complex helps to balance oily and dry areas and the mattifying formula promises to make pores less visible. It also has salicylic acid to help prevent blemishes whilst keeping pores clear and contains SPF 15 to protect against the aging effects of the sun.

 

Sounds perfect doesn't it?

I expected to be disappointed with the coverage of this foundation as I usually find liquid foundations to thin, but, not this one. It has a medium coverage that is very buildable, without leaving you looking like it has been caked on. This covered my dark circles, blemishes and spots, although some areas need concealer but this is to be expected with the majority of foundations. I would go out without concealer because it only shows the odd flaw which I think is actually quite natural looking. The finish of this product is not dewy but not completely matte either, it's more of a satin finish. The natural finish stays looking natural all day and biggest joy of them all is that it doesn't oxidise!

This has quite a thick formulation, so I'd recommend priming or moisturising before using it, then it applies flawlessly. This blends well with a stippling brush, but I did find it blended even better when using my fingers and you can build up certain areas very easily. For as long as I can remember I've applied foundation with a brush, but I am quite liking applying the product with my fingers as it means product isn't wasted my absorbing into the brush.

(Lighest Shade: Calico - 43)

The packaging isn't anything special, but is decent especially for the price. This fits well into my make-up bag because it is tall and thin. The bottle has a pump dispenser which makes it hygienic and very practical. Although the packaging is simple, however, I do like the fact that it is clear so you can see when you are running out of product. Plus, the pump dispenser means every last drop out product will be used - very economical.

As for the oil control, I cannot fault it. This has to be the best foundation I've used on my oily skin; I lasted 8 hours before I reached for the powder. Admittedly, I probably could have lasted longer without powder as my skin didn't feel greasy or dirty. It's not the 12 hours that No7 claim, but it pretty damn close!

I've yet to find a foundation that works so well on my skin for such a reasonable price. You get the usual 30ml of product for just £12.50

Would you recommend any of the No7 products?

xox



Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation

If there is one woman who seems to outdo herself every time she releases a new product, then it is that of Bobbi Brown.

 

Bobbi Brown has proven that she is the queen of foundation with her highly anticipated, newly released Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation with SPF15.

 

 

Never someone who likes to use my foundation right up until the end before repurchasing, I decided to move away from the comfort blanket (my current Max Factor foundation) and decided to try another product from the Bobbi Brown range, as they usually never fail to disappoint. This product had only been released the day before I took a visit to the Bobbi Brown counter, so I was very excited to try such a new product!

 

Although I may not be sophisticated or elegant I always see myself reaching for products with that type of packaging. I think its wishful thinking that I will one day ooze elegance - I can dream on. The frosted bottle did it for. Not only is it simple yet chic looking, it is also very sturdy. As someone who likes to put all my products through a challenge, the  glass bottle does withstand being chucked onto the floor without breaking. If you do a fair bit of travelling then you may want to decant some of the product into a smaller container as obviously this glass bottle is fairly heavy.

 

 

Never one to compromise of practicality, Bobbi Brown has ensured that the product is not wasted by using a pump dispenser on the bottle. This makes it hygienic as well. If you fancy reusing the cute bottle then you can as the pump dispenser is not attached.

 

 

My shade is Porcelain (0), the lightest shade available in this foundation. This is a very pale foundation, so suits my ghostly skins tone perfectly. It's worth noting that foundations which include SPF, like this one, do tend to be a lighter than those that do not. With this foundation you do not need to compromise by having the SPF15, you leave your skin protected without having a white cast on the face, even when being photographed. Although there is a yellow tone to this product you needn't be scared, the yellow neutralises any redness in the skin and illuminates without leaving you looking like to appear in The Simpsons. This disappears onto my skin flawlessly and naturally, I look like I am not wearing any foundation!

 

 

 

The foundation is gel based, which is perfect for us oily skinned consumers. It has a whipped consistency that helps the product to glide on leaving a smooth appearance on the skin. The creamy texture means that little blending it required of the foundation, it leaves the skin even in an instance.

The coverage is impressive of a liquid foundation, as it yields a full coverage, something that is hard to find in liquid foundations. This foundation covered blemishes, scars and dark circles without the help of a concealer. Although it has a full coverage it doesn't leave you looking made-up, it's very natural. It leaves a semi-matte appearance on the skin, perfect for those who have oily skin but still want to look dewy without being oily.

 

The Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Even Finish Foundation is described as "a natural looking and long-wearing foundation. Ultra comfortable and hydrating, this medium to full coverage formula leaves skin looking poreless, perfected, and fresh up to 12 hours even in the most humid conditions. Includes broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF15 for daily protection against future damage". And, it pretty much lives up to its claims. Unfortunately it did not last twelve hours on my skin but rather six, nevertheless this is very good for a foundation on my oily skin.

 

While the full coverage aspect sounds scary to many people, especially those with oily skin, I did not suffer with breakouts or blocked pores. Even when I had worn this for hours and touched up, the product still felt fresh and not like it had been pasted on.

 

If there is one thing that I am going to criticise about this product then it is the scent. Lavender is not one of my favourite scents and usually leaves my eyes watering, however, this doesn't. Initially you can smell it, but once I had applied it to my skin I did not smell it again.

 

Bobbi Brown just seems to better and better herself every time she releases a new product. And, topping my chart of best foundations is this one, despite the £30 price tag!

 

Anyone found a long-lasting foundation?

 

xox

Bobbi Brown Oil Free Even Finish Compact

Bobbi Brown is renowned for her extensive range of foundations, which cover a vast amount of skin tones. Therefore, I thought it was only right that on my quest to finding the perfect foundation I should try the award winning Bobbi Brown range.

Having wasted hundreds of pounds on money purchasing foundations which have not suited my oily skin, I checked out the website to find a foundation guide. The foundation guide showed a range of foundations and which skin type they were best suited for, this reassured me that I wasn't wasting my money!

It is claimed that this foundation is a "Portable oil-free compact foundation is great for normal to oily and oily skin types on the go. Easily blendable for long lasting true colour with full coverage. Comes with a compact sponge for easy application".

This seemed like my ideal foundation and to a certain extent it is, however there are some drawbacks to the product.

An attraction to the entire Bobbi Brown range is the many shades available, ranging from incredibly pale (Alabaster, which is me) to the darkest dark. This means there should be a foundation shade to suit your skin tone. The range is primarily for women with yellow skin tones; however, I found that even with the red tone present in my skin it still looked very natural.

Alabaster, the shade which I am was unavailable so I decided to go up a shade to Porcelain which makes my skin look warmer. Although this is not my natural shade, it still looked natural on my skin and did not leave me looking orange.

Designed with ease this compact is perfect for putting in your handbag and taking with you wherever you go. However, some of you may dislike how large the compact is, it wasn't a problem for me as it signified the large amount of product I was getting. The clever design means you have the foundation and applicator all in one place, as well as the handy large mirror. The sponge applicator is hidden underneath the foundation pallet; you just lift the pallet up to access the sponge.

This foundation has a very unique texture to it, but one which I prefer over any foundation that I have tried before. It's creamy, highly pigmented and leaves a matte flawless finish. This covered my dark circles, red cheeks, spots and blemished skin with ease. No trace of any imperfections at all!

Although the sponge is provided, I prefer to put this product on with a foundation brush as it creates a more flawless look. Plus, you can create your desired coverage by simply applying thin layers on to the skin.

I've yet to experience a foundation that is as long lasting as this one. I wore this for 14 hours the other day, usually my skin would have turned into an oily mess, but there was only a small amount of shine which looked more dewy than oily. Plus, I've not had any breakouts whilst using this foundation, which is brilliant seeing as I wear full coverage. The only problem I have with this foundation is that I need to wear a good primer otherwise the foundation sits in my open pores.

Admittedly, this isn't cheap as it retails at £31.00, but you do get a lot of product for your money as it goes such a long way and you need very little to get a full coverage.

I've now converted to the Bobbi Brown range and will definitely be trying some more products out.

What's the best foundation you've ever tried?

xox



Foundation As Light As Air

I am on a quest to find the perfect foundation for my skin. It's a challenge, as I'm quite fussy about foundations. I want good coverage, longevity and the one that I struggle with the most, a shade pale enough to match my skin tone.

I decided to give the much raved about Jemma Kidd Light As Air Foundation a try.

Let's start with the facts! This foundation retails around the £25 mark, admittedly this is an investment but it's not as expensive as many of the foundations on the market. The Jemma Kidd brand is being expanded throughout the UK; however there are still problems with availability. Obviously people like to try out foundations before they buy them, however with this product you need to make a guess and take the plunge. If you want to see a list of stockists then check the Jemma Kidd website, hopefully you'll find somewhere close to you. However if not, there are many online retailers - I purchased mine from FeelUnique.

Many will love the packaging, however many of you will hate it. Personally, I like its simplicity. It's not very stylish but is instead very practical. The squeezy tube allows you to control the amount of product you wish to disperse, that said, you do need to be careful incase it decides to overflow!

The foundation is described as being “highly blendable and lightweight in texture, with silicone coated pigments for a velvet feel and soft-focus finish, it also has balancing properties to keep the skin matte for a shine-free, even complexion and contains long-wear technology for all day staying power.” I mostly agree with everything they say!

I found this product was best applied with my fingers, as it allows you to build the coverage easily. With a brush I found I couldn't get the coverage. For reference, my skin type is Oily/Combination, on my skin this foundation left a silky finish, not quite matte but not dewy either - which I liked. It isn't obvious your wearing foundation as it has a natural, skin like finish. When I saw how runny this liquid foundation was, I was a little sceptical about the coverage that it promised to give. Much to my surprise it has a very good coverage, it managed to cover my spots and scars and even my dark circles! I would put it in the medium to full coverage category.

Now, when it comes to longevity I am happy with it but perhaps would prefer a little longer. This product lasts around 6 hours before I start getting a shiny T-Zone. Therefore, if you have dry skin this product would probably last a lot longer, vice versa, if you have oily skin this product will probably not last more than a few hours. When I do start to get shinier I simply pat some powder on, the foundation doesn't go all cakey looking.

Even though I am young I do like to look after my skin and prevent it from ageing. The thought of wrinkly skin horrifies me. If like me you believe prevention is better than cure, you will love the fact that this foundation contains an SPF 18. Perfect now were actually seeing a bit of sunshine! Also, there is no fragrance at all.

However, nothing is quite perfect in the beauty world and the one fault that I do have with this product is the fairly limited colour range. There are only 7 shades! I bought the shade Ultra Light (01), which is the palest shade. However for me this was still too dark, however did blend in very well so was able to disguise it a little. That said my skin tone resembles that of Casper the Ghost!

This is one of the best foundations I have ever tried, I'm just hoping Jemma Kidd expands her shade range, especially for us pale one's!

So, have you tried this impressive product?

xox