L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint in 100 Porcelain

The idea behind makeup is that it's supposed to be like a second skin. To blend in so well that it enhances what you already have, not mask it. That's why when I saw an advertisement for a foundation that claims to be lighter than water, I couldn't wait to test out its 'Zero make up feel".

The airy texture comes from the addition of volatile oils that evaporate as you apply to the skin - to be honest, I don't quite know what that means or achieves, but it sure sounds fancy!

Along with a new formula comes a new application process. Not only does it look like a bottle of a perfume with its frosted glass packaging, but it's supposed to apply like one too.

Like my lovely green carpet?

As it is made with water, its advised to shake rigorously then tip onto the finger to apply. 

I quite like this new application process as it allows you to apply just enough which minimises wastage. I found that it applies just as while with your fingers than it does with a stippling brush, and provides a gorgeously even coverage.

 Excuse my evil smirk, i'm not much of a smiler in photos!

My skin feels moisturised as opposed to having actual foundation on, which ties in with the 'perfectly invisible, invisibly perfect' description. 

When you hear the words 'water based' your immediate reaction is that it would be runny, greasy and slide off of your face within the first ten minutes. However, that simply wasn't the case. I'll admit it distributed quite watery, but it stiffened slightly whilst blending. As you can see from the photo, you can still see my blemishes slightly, so it isn't something I would recommend for someone who isn't prepared to go basically bare-faced. I found that the lightest shade (100 Porcelain) was a perfect match for my skin tone, but it does only come in 6 shades which isn't ideal for people with darker skin tones.

This is now my go-to foundation when I want that 'no make up' look. It's originally £9.99, which may seem quite steep for 20ml, but its thin consistency means only a few drops are needed. I love the idea behind this, and now feel like i'm hiding my face whenever I apply anything slightly thicker.

You can purchase a bottle of L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint for £9.99 at your local Boots, Superdrug or drug store.

My Foundation Collection

It's been a while since i've done a collections post, so I thought there is no time like the present to write a post containing one of my favourite beauty staples - foundation. I go through lots of different phases with my skin so i've catagorised them to make it slightly easier to navigate.. enjoy!

 Natural/Low Coverage Foundations

Bourjois Paris BB Bronzing 8 In 1 Cream - Full review here. - £9.99
I've never really jumped on the BB Cream bandwagon, so I bought this through sheer curiosity. As much as it is a terrible bronzer, this has just enough coverage to cover up any unnecessary blemishes - but nothing more. I must admit I don't use this often because my skin has never been great enough to get away with it, but its ideal if you're blessed with perfect skin.

Benefit You Rebel Lite Tinted Moisturiser - £24.50
The packaging looks pretty shabby because this is the foundation I used throughout summer. I always like to switch to a tinted moisturiser in the warmer months so my skin doesn't feel so heavy. Packed with SPF 15, its perfect for those who don't like going completely bare-faced in the sun. I would say the lighter version of the two (This product is designed to adapt to your skin-tone) has a yellow tinge to it, so if you're pale skinned try not to be too liberal with the application.

Revlon Nearly Naked in 180 Shell - £8.99
This is a beautifully designed product that gives an airbrush feel with added SPF20. However, as much as I enjoy using it its not something i'd pick up when I need to be up and out in a hurry. It doesn't come with a pump, almost as if its designed to be put onto the hand and mixed with another shade. It's light in consistency and blends well, but I did find I needed to touch up around areas prone to redness.

Matte Foundations

Rimmel Stay Matte in Ivory - £5.99
This has to be the worst foundation out of the collection. It has a strange perfume smell and it makes me look orange however sparingly I apply it. It has a runny consistency, and I found it didn't provide any coverage unless I built it up, making my face shiny as opposed to matte. The shine control element is practically non-existent, but the inclusion of cotton, chamomile and cucumber did make my skin feel slightly softer.
 
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in Ivory - £7.69
This is the newest addition to my collection, as I was searching for a mattifying foundation that provided great coverage without feeling cakey. Using a mousse makes application a breeze - i'm not usually a fan of applying with my fingers but i've found its the best way with this product. It's inexpensive and I don't need to reapply throughout the day.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid with SPF15 in NC15 - £21.50
As many of you will probably already know,  MAC provide heavy coverage. I use this foundation for nights out because it provides little shine that will come from that dreaded flash photography (Although any foundation with SPF in it will provide shine to a certain extent!) . However, it is quite orange (I have the lightest shade too!) so I need to mix it with my lightest foundation to create a suitable blend.

Brightening Foundations

No 7 Instant Radiance in Calico - £12.50
This inexpensive foundation is great when my skin needs a little pick-me-up. It's still reasonably lightweight so I like to use it when i've had a late night and my skin looks tired in the morning. Overall i'm a massive fan of No7 due to their unique foundation matching service and their wide selection of foundations.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup - £25.50
What first drew me to this foundation was its added SPF25, along with its oil-free formula and hydrating benefits. Although I love the overall look of this foundation (It doesn't really cover blemishes but gives your skin a great glow!), i've found that even the lightest shade makes my skin look bright yellow! I've had to mix it with a bit of my No7 foundation, which sort of defeats the object.

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat- £29.00
This is my dream foundation. Coming in 16 different shades, it eliminates blemishes and brightens shadowy areas. This is my second bottle of this, but i've chosen to use it more sparingly as it is the priciest product I own. My skin looks flawless when teamed with the YSL Touche Eclat Touch Highlighting Pen. It has a light consistency, allow my skin to breathe and giving just enough coverage to even out your skin tone. Love this!

Aswell as this, i've also started using my tester pot of Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (£28.50) - which is certainly the most heavy coverage foundation i've used. So far I haven't found it very breathable, but a tiny amount lasts all day so is ideal for a special occasion when there isn't much time to touch-up.

I'm always on the look-out for the 'perfect' foundation, so let me know what your favourite foundation is below! :)

The Body Shop's 'Honey & Oat 3-In-1 Scrub Mask'

I must say, i've been really excited about writing this review. Anything with honey as a key ingredient in it gets an immediate thumbs up from me, as it's so relaxing and really works wonders on my skin.
I received The Body Shop's Honey & Oat 3-In-1 Scrub Mask as part of a gift set from my friends mother to say thank-you for house-sitting whilst they were away (Very generous!) - so here it is!

I've never really trusted multi-use products, as i've always felt that being a 'jack of all trades' has never been as effective as being an expert in one area, so I will admit I was slightly hesitant as to whether this scrub would deliver results in cleansing, polishing and moisturising as it promises. It uses Fair Trade honey, along with soft oats that enable the scrub to gently buff away dead skin cells, making it suitable for sensitive skin.

On first application, I was shocked at just how soft the scrub was. Usually large grains put me off of scrubs because I don't find the application enjoyable, but even the application of this product soothed me! It's very thick and luxurious, however its very easy to distribute and you only need a small amount of product to cover your entire face and neck. It is advised to leave on for 5-10 minutes, but I always feel you should leave it on for the maximum amount of time in order to achieve maximum results. When having a browse on other reviews for this product, it came to no surprise to find that this was infact a Body Shop best seller! It's amazingly gentle, smells gorgeous and if you apply whilst relaxing in the bath it almost feels like your receiving a luxurious spa treatment!

Overall, this has got to me my favourite scrub mask and most definitely my favourite Body Shop product, and all for a reasonable £10. I would definitely recommend this for someone who wants the perks of a scrub without the harshness of rough grains. It's a no-brainer for beauty lovers with sensitive skin!

You can purchase The Body Shop's 'Honey & Oat 3-in-1 Scrub Mask' from your local Body Shop or online here.

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation

I don't want to speak too soon, but I think i've found my holy grail foundation. Most of my reviews on here tend to be quite positive because i'm really selective with what I buy, but this will probably be the most positive yet.
After 20 years after the launch of the iconic Touche Eclat highlighter pen (Review will be coming very soon!) YSL have released a foundation that encapsulates all that's great about the legendary beauty staple - with added extras!

Every time I look for a foundation, i'm always hestitant due to the lack of choices - 'light', 'medium' etc. - every one's skintone is slightly different and YSL have taken this on board and released Le Teint Touche Eclat in a staggering 22 different shades, making it impossible for you to find a colour that won't suit you! Before the purchase I was colour matched to two different shades that had slightly different undertones which has never happened before! After coming to the conclusion that my skin more of a pink undertone instead of yellow (How precise!) I settled for BR10 - Beige Rouge 10.

The foundation comes in a generous 30ml, with a removable lid and a simple push-pump that distributes the perfect amount of product for application.

You can definitely see that the foundation has a slight pink 'tinge' to it, which I find odd that my skin is that colour! But once blended, you can hardly tell that i've applied anything at all! I hate when people swatch foundation and you can clearly see where it is 'blended', but with this foundation it is designed to enhance, not create a mask. It's unique formula targets shadow areas, evening out the skin and giving you a natural glow. Touche Eclat foundation has been used on shoots and catwalks by countless professionals, and it's easy to see why! The foundation allows my skin to breathe, it's light and non-greasy so it's great for oily skin sufferers like myself. I'm not going to go on and list everything I like about it as we'll be here forever, but this is by far the best i've had and refuse to be without it now. I love that it has good coverage but doesn't come across like a 'mask' as many do, as it's easy to blend so you aren't left with dreaded lines along your cheekbones where it hasn't blended in properly with your neck.

It retails for £28 which is quite reasonable for a high-end foundation, but generally is quite pricey. However, it is definitely worth it. It's a product that you can tell has been worked on profusely for so long, ensuring that is perfect. It's completely unique, and can only be enhanced further when accompanied by the Touche Eclat highlighter! If you're not convinced yet, I urge you to go and at least get matched at your local YSL counter - you'll fall in love with it, I promise.

You can purchase YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat for £28 at your local YSL counter or on the official YSL website here.

*Click here to enter my giveaway to win a MAC lipstick in a shade of your choice!*

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