My Perfect Foundation Base

I feel like most of us can happily say (or maybe that should be unhappily say) that we’ve tried a lot of foundations, concealers and primers. Whether it’s a struggle with finding the right shade for your skin tone or just finding a consistency that works with your skin type, we’ve all been there. I’ve definitely not got things right first time round… slightly orange shade of Dream Matte Mousse anyone?

My preferred products can often change simply due to impulse purchases or pre-payday woes, so this isn’t always my choice of products, but definitely ones that are working well for me at the moment.

Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer
ASOS, £27

I honestly didn’t know what to make of this when I bought it on a whim on a mad ASOS shopping spree, but the Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer has become my go-to primer recently. I’d actually just run out of my absolute favourite primer (Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer FYI… expensive but so good) and wanted a cheaper alternative, which is where this came in.

It’s so weird to use at first, as it has a little spatula which you use to stir up the settled gel-like substance. You only need quite a small amount for your whole face and it just gives tired, dry or dehydrated skin a real moisture boost. I wouldn’t say this gives your foundation mass amounts of staying power, but it really does help towards that dewy skin look.

They also do a Matte Veil Primer, perfect for those with more oily skin.

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation
Selfridges, £32

The Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation just seemed like such a natural purchase to make alongside the Hydra Veil Primer, I’d previously been using an Hourglass foundation but yet again couldn’t justify spending ridiculous money on my foundation.

I chose the shade 02, as this is equivalent to Mac NC15, but I must have some slight hint of a “tan” at the moment as it’s a little too pale on me. So y’know, aside from that I have to say I’ve been really impressed with it so far. There’s no SPF in this, so you don’t get that whole ghostly white face and tanned body look in flash photos, which is really good. As long as you’re covered with SPF in your moisturiser, I really don’t see the need for SPF in every single foundation.

The squeezy plastic bottle is a godsend. It might not feel tres luxe but it’s as practical as you can get. You only need a very small amount to comfortably cover your face and it doesn’t feel cakey at all, even though it’s medium coverage. Highly recommend to everyone, especially pale girls!

Clarins True Radiance Foundation*
House of Fraser, £27

I think I’ve briefly reviewed this before, but I thought I’d go a bit more in-depth this time. Now, I must add that this is the ‘Porcelain 102.5’ shade, which is the palest shade in their foundation range. It’s definitely not pale girl friendly, as when worn alone on my skin it has that hint of orange.

BUT, I love the consistency and finish of this foundation. Recently I’ve been mixing about 1/4 of this with 3/4 Illamasqua Skin Base and found it gives me a really great flawless base. So if you’re looking for a glowy radiance-boosting foundation and you’re not as pale as me, then you should definitely give this one a try. It’s quite runny but one pump gives you a great dewy-looking base.

Buff this in with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and you’re going to look flawless.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
ASOS, £22

And last but not least, I use the concealer of the Gods… NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. You might have seen this raved about before and it’s definitely not for no reason. My foundation usually covers up most of my blemishes and dark circles, but this helps give them a little radiance and makes sure they’re fully camouflaged.

It has a doe-foot applicator and I usually use a Real Techniques Setting Brush to blend it in properly. It’s high coverage and not at all cakey. I’d say this was similar to that cheapy Collection concealer, but stepped up a notch. So if you’re feeling spendy, I’d 100% recommend this!