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!

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Smokey Eyes & Pink Lips

Smokey eye makeup is one of those looks that suit pretty much any skin tone. In my opinion the only thing that you need to change would be the lip colour to suit your skin tone. I am in love with dark smokey eyes this summer. Taking inspiration from this picture of Kim Kardashian I've created my version of a smokey eye, hope you like it! 

Face:

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - B50 (cheekbones, temples and chin)

Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Foundation

Sleek Highlight and Contour Kit

MAC Studio Careblend Powder - Medium/Dark

Eyes:

Urban Decay Naked Palette 2 - Pistol, Suspect, Busted, Blackout, Tease

Soap and Glory - Liner Pen

L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes -  Black

Eyelure Lashes - 115

Lips:

MAC Lustering & Cosmo (Mixed)

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Dramatic Red Carpet Makeup

Taking inspiration from Sonam Kapoor's makeup for the Cannes premiere of The Great Gatsby (above)  I created a makeup look thats quite dramatic. 

Face:

Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Foundation  - Shade 7

MAC Select Coverup Concealer - NC40

MAC Archie's Girls - Veronica's Blush

Sleek Luminous Powder - 03 (bronzer)

MAC Studio Careblend Powder - Medium/Dark

Eyes:

MAC Tempting

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette - Dark Plum Colour & Pink Highlight Colour

Soap And Glory Liner Pen - Black

L'oreal Voluminous Millions Mascara - Black

Sleek Storm Palette (black eyeshadow on the waterline over pencil)

Rimmer Khol Pencil Liner  - Black

Lips:

MAC Rebel Lipstick

Revlon Orchid Lipstick (centre of lips)

I opted for a plum tone for the lip to make it more wearable for me, I also kept the liner thicker and slightly shorter along the eye mostly because Sonam's look was very dramatic. Overall I think this look is definitely not for everyone but with an outfit as extravagant as Sonam's I wouldn't mind pushing the boat out either!

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April's Love, Lust Loathe...

Being a makeup addict, I'm always looking for new products to try which means I come across products i end up loving, products I really want to buy and some that totally disappoint me! I thought it would be a great idea to create an ongoing series of posts documenting my loves, lusts and loathes of each month. I know we're quite into May but I just couldn't wait till the end of the month to post about this so here goes last months view!

LOVE

Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Foundation:
Although this foundation cost me a steep £39 I have to say its a miracle worker. I have quite a few scars from previous blemishes and I literally only needed a pump and a half to cover most of my imperfections. The best part of this foundation is its natural looking finish, when I wore this foundation most of my friends complemented me and said it didn't even look like I was wearing foundation which is always the best complement! I understand that a lot of people wouldn't be prepared to pay £39 pounds for a foundation but if you're looking for something to invest in I highly recommend!

L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes:

I have been using this mascara for a few years now, but it has never been in my everyday makeup routine. However, it's ability to make my lashes full and defined has drawn me to using it a lot more regularly recently. I've really been into mascara and bold lips recently, so this mascara is perfect for achieving this look. It's perfectly affordable at £10.99 and in my opinion meets expectations for many luxury brands! There are quite a few variations to this range most of which I have tried, but I always recommend the original version. 

LUST

Chanel Bronze Universal:

Growing up watching youtube gurus constantly praise this product, it has always drawn me to one day owning this beauty. It claims to be able to be suited to all skin tones, however I have seen a few make up artists use this for other purposes than a bronzer on darker skin tones. Chanel is known for it's luxury and extravagance so I can be reassured that spending £30 on a bronzer is somewhat justifiable. One day..

LOATHE

Clinique Even Better Foundation:

Having read almost 5/5 reviews for this product on every blog I could find on the internet I was convinced that this foundation would be perfect for covering my blemish scars whilst improving them. However a series of unfortunate events made this product a definite loath for me. Starting from my shade, unfortunately for me the sales artist that tested my colour was a very convincing and managed to convince me that this orangey looking shade was intact my colour. Now in my defence the lighting in the store did in fact make my skin look like it was my shade (I know rookie mistake). Then, to my dismay when I tried it out the next day with my usual primer and finishing powder I found nothing would stop my face looking an orange greasy mess! Finally, the cherry on top of what seems like a disastrous trial was that instead of improving my skin, I actually suffered a small breakout from this foundation. Suffice to say, I have steered strongly away from this foundation since then and there a loathe it is.

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FOTD: Everyday Glamour

I decided to go for a natural look with a touch of glamour today hence the red lip!

Face:

Garnier Perfect Blur Primer

Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Foundation - 7

MAC Archie's Girls - Veronica's Blush

Sleek Luminous Pressed Powder (used as a bronzer)

Eyes:

MAC Temptation & Patina 

Sleek Brow Kit

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes - Extra Black

Lips:

MAC Ruby Woo Lipstick

I'm in love with natural eyes and bright lips right now, what do you guys think!?

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