 Lush Colour Supplement – Light Pink Multi-purpose base colour 20g RRP £7.95
Did you know that Lush did makeup products? No, me neither! This product is the company’s first foray into the realm and I must say that I found it quite intriguing. Designed to be blended in with your daily moisturiser (I used Lush’s Celestial Heavenly Moisturiser – 45g RRP £11.50 – a lovely light but nourishing cream for sensitive skin), the Lush Colour Supplement provides a very natural-looking coverage, but does it take some getting used to.
To begin with, like most foundations really, you will need to experiment. I found that a little – around half a pea of the supplement, mixed with an equal amount of moisturiser – was enough to do the job for everyday use, but this could be built upon for a more made-up look, or to cover blemishes.
Akin with all Lush products, this supplement is made from a blend of largely natural ingredients, in this case “a gentle cream base containing rose petal infusion, soya and rice bran oils - making it comfortable enough to wear all day without feeling heavy.” Lush have also opted to shun the recent foundation trend for minerals because they “worry about putting them on the face, especially on people with sensitive skin,” something I find rather refreshing.
With only four main colours to choose from, this may not be the foundation solution for everyone –I’m not sure that I could be bothered to faff around blending two Supplements and a moisturiser every morning – but it does offer a good portion of flexibility and I found it very easy to get to get a lighter, more natural look this way – I’m not much of a one for trowel application!
Overall, I really liked this product; with its versatility, vegan credence and light feel I found it to be a great option within this price bracket.
Lush also offer an alternative base colour range, the Jackie Oates Colour Supplement, available in four base tones at £7.95 for 20g.
 Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation 30ml RRP £24
As a general rule, I like Clarins; they’re something of a no-nonsense company; no pretty packaging or elaborate marketing campaigns, they’re all about simple style and quality products and really, what more do you really need from a cosmetic?
Skin Illusion Foundation is a perfect example of Clarins’ craft, described as ‘a sheer, super-supple, fluid foundation containing a brand new cocktail of minerals and plant extracts that really do give the illusion of natural, flawless, radiant skin.’ This cocktail comprises some really interesting ingredients, including Pink Opal Powder and a Brazilian mineral silicon to fill and smooth fine lines and ‘boost radiance,’ Pink Algae Extract to hydrate, plump and tone the skin and a ‘plant-based micro-patch (brown algae extract and acacia gum)to prevent moisture loss. Add in an ‘Illuminating Light-Optimising Pigment Complex’ and Anti-Pollution, Antioxidant and UV protection, and you’ve got yourself a pretty damn fine foundation!
Skin Illusion comes in a perfectly practical, but simply stylish pump bottle, which makes application an incredibly simple affair. Preferring more of a light coverage, one pump is ideal for me, but an extra half may be necessary for those who favour a more made-up look. Once on, this foundation has a soft, almost glowy finish, hydrating without being oily and free from patching or flaking. I’d say that this is more of a grown up product, not one for blemish-prone skin, but ideal for anyone looking for a smooth, glowing complexion.
 Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus All Smooth Makeup SPF 15 30ml RRP £27.00
It’s safe to say that pretty much anything under the Clinique label is worth a second look; not everything they do will suit everyone, but with many years of cosmeticaholism behind me, I’m more than confident that Clinique is a brand worth knowing.
The new Repairwear Laser Focus All-Smooth Makeup is something of a two-in-one jobbie, partnering up a lovely light makeup base with the active ingredients (protecting Murumuru seed butter, vitamin E for anti-oxidative protection, skin plumping palimitoyl oligopeptide and siegesbeckia orientalis extract, and whey proteins to firm and refine) used in its companion treatment product, Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector, which is designed to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles instantly, creating a “younger-looking and glowing complexion” while and boosting natural collagen production.
Very quick and easy to apply, this is a great little in-a-hurry product, perfect for relaxed ‘natural’ days and buildable for those more manicured special occasions, drying to a flawlessly smooth, velvety finish. As with all good foundation, it lasts the full day without fading, smudging or emitting that oft-found lovely orange hue, and does a wonderful job at masking any fine wrinkles (not that I have any such thing, obviously..!) or blemishes. It’s also nicely moisturising without any recourse to greasiness.
 Lola Masquerade Foundation 50g RRP £33
If ever a brand held vintage-appeal, it has to be Lola – this beautiful glass jar of Masquerade would be perfectly at home on the dressing table of any 1950’s femme fatale and even seeing it sat on the shelf in my Noughties bathroom makes me a feel just a little bit chic! Sometimes, regardless of the results, if a product makes you feel good, then the battle is already half-won.
The people at Lola compare Masquerade with a ‘trip to the “fountain of youth,”’ rejuvenating your skin and helping you to ‘capture your own luminous, radiant look’ with a formula comprising Chinese medicinal ingredients to restore a youthful appearance, Mica to hide imperfections, antioxidants to prevent the breakdown of collagen and an ‘anti-aging treatment’ to help firm and improve the skins elasticity.
Application of a jar-based foundation always has its issues – particularly if you’ve decent nails – but in this case my need for prettiness overcomes my need for practicality and I can forgive Lola for this. Besides which, the use of a brush or sponge can solve this problem and once out of the pot the foundation has a wonderfully creamy texture, perfect for blending, which leaves the skin beautifully soft and evens out skin tone. Coverage is very light – perhaps a little too light for some tastes, but perfect for me – and buildable, lasting the day without flaking.
 Guerlain Lingerie De Peau Foundation and Concealer 9g & 2.3g RRP £46
This autumn, Guerlain have launched a new compact powder foundation/cream concealer duo in their exclusive Lingerie de Peau range. At £46 it is a wee bit on the expensive side, but if you can afford it, it is certainly worth the investment.
Available in six shades, this fantastic new product encapsulates everything that the brand name stands for – stylish design, top quality ingredients and state-of-the-art technology, all bound up in a foundation that feels like a second skin. A mix of natural silk and linen fibres and synthetic polymers ensure long-lasting coverage, while light-reflecting pigments and SPF 20/PA+ help keep the skin looking younger and brighter and an infusion of hyaluronic acid works to moisturise and plump the skin, smoothing out wrinkles and encouraging collagen synthesis. All of this amounts to a complexion positively luminous with health.
Application couldn’t be simpler; the cream spreads like a dream and covers with a natural matt finish, no greasy residue, no caking and no irritation for those of us with annoyingly sensitive skin. I’d like to be balanced and find something negative to say about this product, but for once I’m honestly lost for words. I will normally only recommend top-end products slightly grudgingly – I don’t agree with spending money just for the sake of it – but really I think that this one might just be worth it. |
