Illamasqua Skin Base

I am ready to review.

So here it is along with some scary face close-ups where I am wearing the foundation in question...

I got this foundation recently and honestly, had medium-low expectations. I was curious about it but didn't expect to really appreciate or shout loudly about it's virtues. It was the stop-gap.

My beloved/ridiculously overpriced Chantecaille Just Skin had run out and with no stockists in Dubai, I was 1-2 weeks away from a UK order reaching me. I needed a decent performing foundation to tide me over. Quite why I needed to give you this background information, I do not know, but that's the justification. Well that, and the fact that the sales assistant in Harvey Nichols looked happy.

I got it in the shade 10 and as soon as I applied it (with the help of MAC's 181 kabuki) I liked it. It covered, it matched my skintone and it left a soft, satin finish. Then, at the end of the work day, I noticed that my blusher/bronzer, along with my foundation, looked perfect. At that point I loved it.

It lasts well during the day (with just a minimal amount of fading along my T-zone), seems to help products adhere well to your skin, all whilst looking relatively natural.

The most helpful way to describe this foundation would be to comparatively assess it:

* It has more of a gel-like consistency when compared with NARS Sheer Glow - and seems to last a little longer.
* It settles into the skin better than Chanel Mat Lumiere or YSL Teint Radiance.
* It's not as hard work as MAC's Face and Body - and packs a lot more punch coverage wise.
* It smells a lot better than MAC Studio Fix Fluid and doesn't look as heavy - apply a bit under the eyes and it's not going to cake on you.
* It doesn't provide the glow of Chantecaille but does last a lot longer.
* It is easier to blend and somehow doesn't make your face look at flat as MUFE HD.

It's good and I would recommend it. The only bitchy asides would be that:

* The promotional copy describes it as being "inspired" by the BB cream genre and if by inspired they mean nothing like it at all, then yep, it's "inspired".
* I have heard that some people's skin couldn't tolerate it - I got one spot (travesty!) but that didn't have anything to do with this.
* It's meant to be BAD on dry skin.
* The packaging is a bit....meh. I really have to commit to squeeze a drop out and I cannot always measure how much I am going to get. If we get too much well, then it's a heavy makeup day with layers of slap! Wa-hey!


What I would applaud though is the Illamasqua shade chart which references other brands' shades. This is such a useful resource if you are picking out the foundation online. Really good stuff and reflective of an organization that has really tried to understand it's customers.

It costs £25 for 30ml which puts it in the higher end category but still half the price of Chantecaille's Just Skin.

The latter remains my holy grail but Skin Base rates high on my scale - and I am a picky little madam.

I would give it 7 out of 10. It's not perfect (few things are!) - I like a more dewy finish - but it's a good performer. Medium coverage, long-lasting and almost undetectable, particularly on camera.

So tell us, what has your experience been of Skin Base?



For reference: I am normal/combination skin. I normally wear NC35 in MAC, Barcelona/Pubjab in Sheer Glow and Wheat in Chantecaille Just Skin.