My Thoughts...Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

I'm always cautious about trying out new foundations having suffered from a breakout almost every time I have decided to change face products. When I say I have tried them all, I really have. From MAC to Chanel to Giorgio Armani I have yet to find a foundation that I can really call my holy grail.  For the better part of a year, I was using Makeup Forever HD Foundation and I must say if there is a foundation that has come close to being a holy grail it has to be this one. It photographs perfectly and the coverage is great because you can wear it light when you want and build it up for full coverage. However, after months of wearing the same thing I wanted to venture out hence my new purchase from Illamasqua. Illamasqua describe their Skin Base Foundation as 'inspired by the cult Asian market. Asian market Beauty Balm creams. Skin Base Foundation is a brand new, refined formula unlike anything on the UK market.'  When speaking to the beauty assistant on the shopfloor I found out that this product is filled with vitamins that are meant to help the skin look rejuvenated and young. Now I'm a sucker for any form of makeup that claims to help your skin, so this for me was a major selling point. Suffice to say I was very eager to try this product having read mad reviews about how great it looks.  Lets start with the good stuff. I like how simple the packaging is. It is a small travel friendly plastic bottle that is squeezable allowing for a hygienic and waste free use. This product looks amazing on the skin, and was actually a perfect shade match for me. I quite liked the consistency of the formula, it glided on to the skin well, was buildable and sat on my skin quite nicely. I also really liked the finish of this foundation, it made my skin look really natural. The coverage was amazing, after one layer of foundation my skin looked flawless. I'm sure you can tell by now that I was initially quite impressed with this stuff!

Here is a picture of me wearing the foundation on a night out, and this is without flash  (mind the messy room!)

Here a picture with flash on the same night

A more natural makeup look when I was out on dinner. I love how undetectable it looks. 

And now for the negatives. This foundation as amazing as it looks initially, does not last long at all. Without powdering this foundation lasts about 2 hours and with powdering lasts at max 4 but even then it starts to oxidise and look uneven. I found this a huge disappointment, because I fell in love with how it looked on my skin after application. I also feel for the £32 I spent, I did not really get all that much more than others I have tried. Illamasqua claim that this foundation is HD ready, however I did struggle slightly with photography. Initially using this product I did suffer from some white flashback on my face, but I played around with MAC studio fix plus and bronzers to fix this. However the biggest con of this foundation is that it broke me out. Bare in mind my skin is extremely sensitive to foundations so i'm not entirely surprised, I was disappointed though. After about three weeks of using this foundation I started to get small bumps around the centre of my face. I have to say, had I not broken out from this product I would be a lot more optimistic and inviting about it. There are many positives for this foundation,  it does look amazing on the skin and I do like the idea of how it incorporate vitamins and minerals into its formula. Suffice to say I will be returning back to my handy Makeup Forever HD Foundation, but I do recommend to anyone looking for something light and natural for summer to give this one a go. I would love to hear your thoughts on this product so comment below and let me know! Illamasqua Skin Base is available in 25 shades and is priced at £32 available at most department stores and online.  Disclaimer - My skin is prone to breakouts and highly sensitive, what does not work for me may work brilliantly for you, so please read this review with an open mind!