Illamasqua Skin Base

Hi everyone,

I hope that you are well?  Yes?  Good!

I promised that I would write down my thoughts on the Illamasqua Skin Base after my rambles about it featured so heavily in my first post of 2012.
Since I bought the skin base in October I have found that I reach for it more often than not these days, I have not moved on from it nor have I shoved it in a draw, which is a good sign.
The skin base is Illamasqua's version of the BB cream that saturated the market last year. All with promises of the perfect complexion.
I had bought a BB cream before, one that came out in just 2 shades. I was sceptical about this straight off, as most people who have bought a foundation of any kind know that only with only 2 camps to fall into the likelihood is that you will turn out Tango'd or a cast off from The Only Way Is Essex.  Need I say more as to where I'm going with this?

Illamasqua has got 18 shades of the Skin Base and I got SB02. I was surprised as I am normally the palest shade of base products but no other company has a true pale white  lol
The texture of the SB is more of a cream/gel to me. This makes it easy to apply and blend and you also cannot feel it sitting on the skin, which I love! I will definitely trust this foundation enough to use it come summer.
The amount of compliments I have gotten whilst wearing the foundation is amazing. They all ranged from...You look healthy to...I didn't know you had been away!

About here was where I was going to pop a photo of me in the SB but Sheffield has seemed to of been under a constant rain/storm cloud so I was not able to get any pictures where I didn't look like I was hiding in the shadows. I will pop one here as soon as the sun shines for two minutes.

The lasting power of the SB is good, it actually lasts on me for a good 12 hours. I have to powder my T-zone every now and then but that's the same with anything. The coverage is buildable too so if you need more help one day just buff a little more on, it's not going to cake. I prefer to use my Sigma F80 brush but I am sure it would work just as well with a regular foundation brush or indeed plan old fingers. I also blend it over and under my eyes to give my concealer a little help. Blushers or Bronzers, creams or powders they all blend brilliantly on top of the Skin Base. So you can wear any look you like and you will look perfectly polished.

All in all for me it's the best foundation I have tried so far from either end of the cost scale.

Skin Base is £25 for 30ml  a little goes a long way.

You can get yours from Debenhams or Illamasqua stand alone stores.

If you are a online girl or guy
Illamasqua is where you want to be

Take Care

Sam x


Illamasqua Alter Ego image credited to Illamasqua.com

Was it worth the wait?

Hi everyone,

I know that the blogging world has been bombarded with reviews about Liz Earle's Skin tint over the past month or so. Personally I don't mind reading loads of reviews because they help me decide whether a product will suit me and is worth the money, the reviews of course need to be honest!
I was lucky enough to be sent the Skin tint in Bare 01. The other shades are Beige 02 and beach 03.
As a lot of other bloggers have found the Skin Tint seems to of created a whole new category for it's self. It's not a foundation or a tinted moisturiser it is just as it says a Sheer Skin Tint.

You get shade samples when you buy from Liz Earle web site

For quite a long time I have stuck to mineral foundations and still use them now. I had trouble finding a liquid foundation that I couldn't feel on the skin and to be honest I can feel Skin tint, I do not know if this is because I chose to test it out when we were having the Indian summer at the end of September ( What was that about?). However that is the only downside and one that I am happy to over look. The match is perfect, no tide marks eurgh! It leaves a amazing healthy glow on the skin that does not make you look sweaty like some can do. And most of all the coverage can be tailored to what you are looking for. I have stuck to one application because I want it to be what it is, Sheer.
It is a perfect base for that no make up look.

A description from Liz Earle

The perfect way to enhance your skin. Our rich and creamy, yet lightweight formula leaves all skin types looking naturally dewy, even and radiant. With mineral UV SPF15, it’s enriched with our own blend of natural source vitamin E, borage and avocado, specially selected to work in harmony with our skincare range.

Apply a little Sheer Skin Tint onto forehead, nose, cheeks and chin, then blend with fingertips over your face.

Overall It will stay in my make up bag and when it runs out I would purchase it for myself because lets face it you can't go wrong with Liz Earle. I am hoping that there is going to be more additions to the make up side now.

£ 21 for 40 ml

Link to Liz

Holy Grail foundation, I'm not switching!!

For years I have been searching for a foundation that I don't want to part with.  The thing that I find most important is the colour match, I don't want to look like an Orange but yet I am pale enough without going for that Casper look.
When I first started to wear make up I had to skip foundation because no company had a shade pale enough for my skin and I wasn't in to the tide mark look. Luckily times and shades have moved on.
I still have to go to the higher end of the market though to find my HG foundation. A few posts ago I wrote about my love for Bare mineral foundation and this still stands but sometimes I want to wear a liquid  for the moisturising and luminescent veil of colour you get.

Well I have found it! Yes it is expensive BUT it's the perfect match, you can create the coverage you need and it's just so luxurious.

£33 at House of Fraser

The shade is Soft Ivory

The foundation is available in 9 shades and I think for the first time I was not the palest shade that they do. The Make up Artist recommended this and she could not of done better.

The foundation has light defusing properties that have been added to almost air brush your skin.

I take this round my eyes as a brightener and base.

It feels light as a feather and lasts all day with out slippage or shine.

This was my first Laura Mercier purchase but it won't be my last. I am building a wedding make up box and this is going in it. I am never going to be without this! 

If you are looking for

Buildable coverage

A light feel on the skin

staying power and a luminous finish

I would recommend this without a second thought. Yes it's at the higher end but you need so little it will last ages. Amazing!!!

Laura Mercier available at

House of Fraser
Space NK

The Laura Mercier.com site is a US site and this is why I have not linked it
Silk Crème foundation was purchased by myself  

Beautiful skin the Bare Minerals way

When a make up company makes a claim such as 'A make up so pure that you can sleep in it' They have to live up to the hype.
All of us know that if you wear a full face of make up to bed  you're gonna wake up with your face on your pillow. Not only that it will cause a break out!
I can tell you that the company that made this claim is Bare Escentuals, and they are not fibbing!

I was given the BE get started kit to try out.

@ £48 I think that it is fantastic value. You can pay up to £30 for a liquid foundation when in this little box of tricks you get two shades of the BE foundation a pot of Mineral veil, warmth, a concealer and 3 yes 3! high quality brushes along with a instructions DVD and a sample of primer.

MY nightmare with a liquid foundation is that demarcation line down the side of your face. Lets be real here no matter how expensive your foundation is that line is not pretty and ruins all your hard work.
You don't have to worry with BE as it is seamless no matter how much you buff on.The trick of this foundation is Swirl, Tap and buff. You shake a little in to the lid swirl and tap off the excess and buff all over, it's fun! . If you want a natural covering this should be enough but the great thing is you can build up the coverage to cover problem areas(we all have them) and it never looks chalky it just gives your skin a bloom.
The mineral veil is great if you get oily but it is also like a soft focus lens, it just smooths everything out, I am never going to be with out this and I am certainly going to keep it in my bag for my wedding.

The concealer is great for covering blemishes, as you know I need hard core covering for my eye circles but if you just look a bit tired this would be perfect and you get the brush too.
The pot of warmth can be used just to add a tiny bit of non shimmery tan to your face but I have also found it useful on my shoulders, chest and legs to take the paleness away, a great bit of kit in the summer...if it ever gets here.
All these powders don't come off, I have put a white top on after using them and nothing.

To test it out to the max I did the sleep test and I did not break out and there was nothing on my white pillow, this does not mean you can be a lazy bones and not take your make up off at night but once in a while won't give you spots.

This kit comes in 4 shades and has a SPF 15
BE make up is 100% minerals unlike other makes out there


I can wait to see the next BE innovation


*press sample

Get yours @http://www.bareescentuals.co.uk

Mineralize make up, a new love?

I have always had a odd relationship with liquid foundation as I have never been able to find a shade that did not leave that orange line on my jaw. I finally gave up on liquid foundation and went to a mineral powder foundation that was all over the news as being light and something that would cover all your flaws.

Then a friend suggested M.A.C, I gave it a go but honestly thought it was going to be the same old problem. Then I discovered that they had released a liquid mineral foundation, the best of both worlds.

I got the Mineralize liquid foundation in the lightest shade of NC15.......hurray, finally the perfect match!!!!

This was a foundation with a difference it feels weightless on the skin and hallelujah! It has light reflecting particles so it covers up a multitude of sins and leaves you looking refreshed without being caked in make up. They have shades to suit everyone's skin tone whether it be warm, cool, light or dark.

This plus a finishing powder makes a fabulous base.

M.A.C is a one stop shop for foundation

!!!Full stars

I do have a little secret though, whilst looking for this I also fell for another M.A.C mineral product.

The eye shadow duo's all have the most fab colours and I wish that I could change my skin tone so I could wear all of them, but I did get Earthly Riches which is the perfect combination of a plum colour made warm with a bit of gold and a steel grey shot through with purple veins

This became my favourite colour fand it does more than one job as you can sweep a sheer veil of it over the lids build up the coverage and makes the perfect smokey eye. I also wet a liner brush and you then get two eye liners.

The bad news is I dropped the pan so now it is more of a loose powder and the shade is discontinued. I will however use every last bit of it and I will definitely jump in the scary end and try other shades because the are amazing!!

I will be a M.A.C collector going forward and If I get to go on holiday I will be raiding the M.A.C counters at the airports ready for a new holiday look.

I heart M.A.C