I was given the chance recently to try out a tester of the new Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation and given the buzz around this product, I was interested to see how it would compare to my usual foundation.
It is described on the Illamasqua site as being "Inspired by the cult Asian market Beauty Balm creams, Skin Base Foundation is a brand new, refined formula unlike anything on the UK market. Easily blendable, it effortlessly creates a perfect complexion, and like the entire Illamasqua foundation range, is undetectable in a professional HD environment. Suitable for all skin types, it smoothes, softens and conditions your skin whilst providing natural, buildable coverage".
I was sent a 5ml tester of shade SB10 which has a yellow undertone to it. As usual, Illamasqua have developed a wide range of shades to suit every skin tone. The consistency of the foundation could probably be described as medium because it's not as thick as Estee Lauder Double Wear but it's certainly more substantial in texture than say, Korres Wild Rose Foundation.
It's texture makes it easy to blend into the skin effortlessly and I found that you don't need a lot of product to achieve a medium coverage. On blending into the skin, you start to notice how it sinks in and leaves your skin looking, well, extremely natural in colour and texture. My skin looked even, smooth and natural.
SB10 was a good match for my skin and it seemed to brighten my complexion, leaving my skin glowing. Even at close range, this foundation is undetectable on your skin and I think you could easily fool people into thinking you weren't wearing anything at all. Here's how it looked once applied with the rest of my makeup...
This foundation is certainly buildable and can be played around with to suit your preference of coverage. I just have one problem with this product though. It made my skin look VERY shiny later in the day and my usual foundation doesn't do that. I wouldn't mind this so much in the daytime or on holiday but I don't think I could rely on this foundation for a special occasion or a night out on the town. I like my skin to look radiant but not overly shiny. I had to re-apply powder to my T-Zone 3 times during the day which is unheard of for me (I have combination skin). If you have oily skin, this foundation may possibly exacerbate the problem. So, my take on this foundation is that it's fantastic for a 'no-makeup' look, a relaxed day or for holidays but I will definitely be sticking to my Estee Lauder Double Wear for everything else.
Illamasqua Skin Base is £25.00 for a 30ml bottle.
Now, I don't know why it took so long for me to find out about this and I'm not sure how many people are aware of it but you can now use your Boots Advantage card to build up points when purchasing products on other retailer's websites!
It's called 'Treat Street' and basically you can collect Boots Advantage points when you buy products online from retailers like Apple, ASOS, Coast, Ebay, iTunes and New Look. For a full list of the retailers taking part, click here. You can only collect the points from purchasing items online and you MUST be logged into the Treat Street website in another window whilst buying the product for it to work. I don't know about you guys, but I think this is blimmin amazing! I shop online at a lot of the retailers included in the list so this means loads of Boots Advantage Points for me!
If you already have a Boots account, you can just log into the Treat Street site here with your existing Boots username and password. If you are not registered with Boots Advantage Card, then you can join up via that link too. You will receive at least 1 point per £1 spent and there may be upcoming offers to receive double points or extra points for every £25 spent.
Just remember that you have to be logged into Treat Street when you click through to a retailer to shop. Within 5 days of your purchase, you will receive an email to let you know that your purchase has been tracked and recognised. Within 35 days of your purchase, you will receive a second email, letting you know that your points are ready to be collected. You can do this by going to your local Boots and using an Advantage Card Kiosk, choosing the 'Extra Offers' option.
Hope this was of some help to you guys!
I will be heading off to Ireland for a week tomorrow night so I won't be blogging again until next Monday or Tuesday. I hope you guys have a great week!
