Claims to be long-wear (15 hours), oil-free, medium to full coverage and give a semi-matte finish.
My Shade: Cool Bone
Buy: Boots - £29.50 for 30ml
I've heard so many people talking about this foundation and how decent they have found it so I thought it essential I gave it a go to see what the fuss was about. This is definitely one of the thickest foundations I've ever tried and a little bit does seem to go a long way. I felt the coverage was medium on my skin however it is buildable and although I was colour matched, I couldn't help but find the shade a tad on the orange side. This foundation felt quite heavy on my skin and I think I'd struggle to wear it on a daily basis however for occasions and nights out this would be a top choice. It lasts for ages so you don't have to keep topping up all evening and in case you have work early the next morning, it will help make you look half human as you struggle to cope with life with a raging hangover. Overall rating: 8/10
Dior Star Foundation
Claims to have a bare-skin feel, give a natural healthy glow and be long-lasting.
My Shade: Dune
Buy: Allbeauty.com - £28.80 for 30ml (Limited time only)
From fashion to fragrance, accesories to make-up, we all love a bit of Dior so when I heard of the star foundation I wanted to try it out and see if it would live up to expectations. The first thing I noticed was its amazing smell - granted it doesn't reflect on its performance as a foundation - but when things smell nice, I automatically feel 100% better about putting it all over my face. I found it easy to put on as its spreads really well on the skin (trying to avoid it sounding like a condiment) and the coverage was med/full. It was all going so well until I scared myself in the mirror and thought I'd woken up in the cast of Willy Wonka. The colour match was not good which is a massive issue to me being so naturally pale so I felt this let it down massively - boo! It's such a shame because its so light on your face it hardly feels like you're wearing anything - maybe I need to get matched again - hopefully by someone who doesn't attempt to then stick lumionous pink blusher and lipstick on me afterwards *cringe*. Overall rating: 6/10
Bourjois Paris 123 perfect foundation
Claims to be the new generation foundation for rested but radiant complexion, flawless and even for up to 16 hours.
My Shade: Vanilla
Buy: Boots - £10.99 for 30ml
The first thing I was happy with was the price. Granted you can't expect the same results from foundations with such different price tags, however for £10.99, I was impressed with how it performed. Again, it has a nice distinctive smell which as I said I'm always pleased about and it has good med/full coverage and goes onto the skin really well. I would prefer it to be a little thicker and it is slightly darker than my natural skintone but not horrifically and I could live with it. I felt this foundation dried quite quickly so didn't leave a sticky wet feeling on my face. For the price, this is worth a try and is a perfect day foundation when you don't fancy chucking a full face on. Overall rating: 8/10
No7 Instant Radiance foundation
Claims to give a natural/semi luminous finish, suits tired skin (Cheers!) and gives medium coverage.
My Shade: Calico
Buy: Boots - £12.50 for 30ml (Currently buy one and get one half price)
After seeing the adverts on tv where No7 used the handy little device to match your skintone perfectly I felt it was my best chance at getting a foundation that genuinely matched my skintone and didn't give me the dreaded orange glow and I was not disapointed. After finding the Instant Radiance foundation would best suit my skin type, the machine found my perfect shade and the bottle only cost £12.50. It gave me the medium coverage I was promised and feels so light on my skin that I forget I've put any on. The only downside I found was that it took quite a while to dry and to start with feels a little wet to touch but when it costs half the price of other foundations that I don't feel perform as well, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make! Overall rating: 9/10
Bare Minerals Original
Claims to give impeccable coverage with the look of beautiful bare skin. A unique, weightless foundation.
My Shade: Fairly Medium C20
Buy: Bare Minerals - £26.00 for 8g
Every foundation I've ever used was liquid and I was intrigued to try Bare Minerals because I was unsure of how a powder could give you the same, if not better, coverage. The best-selling original foundation best suited my skin type and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is. The powder is buffed into the skin allowing you to build it up gradually to as much coverage as you prefer. The colour matched my skin as well as the No7 liquid did even the smallest amount was more than enough to achieve the results I struggled to get with other foundations. My favourite thing about it is how soft it leaves my skin the morning after and it never feels as if I was wearing a full face of make up the night before. The only downside if I had to choose one would be the application takes longer than other foundations so make sure you give yourself enough time to apply but I believe the results are so worth it! Overall rating: 9/10.
So there we have it, after lots of research, matching, painting, buffing, wiping and analysing I have managed to review a range of foundations on the market. All ranging in price and quality, there is something to suit everybody and of course it's all based on personal prefernce but if you're looking to buy a new foundation soon and don't know where to start, I hope you find this post helpful!
Let me know if you have any tips or could recommend any others!
Love M I C H A E L A x
