Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation.

I guess you could say this review has been a long time coming, I always mention this as my daily foundation but the only review I’ve done on it was three years ago when it first came out! It’s actually pretty hilarious, so if you fancy a laugh you can read it here.

I first started using Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (£32) when it came out three or so years ago, I remember it was a big deal in the blogging world and everyone rushed to buy it. This was before they had stores and counters in most shops, so you could really only buy it online – of course, I managed to get the wrong shade so although I loved it, it just wasn’t right for me. I used to mix it with a darker foundation to make it useable, and so that original review isn’t as good as it could be.

I’ve since got a correct shade for me (5.5 if you’re wondering), and it’s now become one of my most used foundations; it has a really natural, skin-like finish that isn’t too dewy or too matte. The formula is inspired by Asian BB creams, so it’s super lovely to apply and blends seamlessly without feeling heavy or looking caked on the skin. I actually tend to apply it without using a primer, as I feel it’s good enough coverage on its own – although I do find that sometimes I can get an oily T-zone throughout the day, even in this wintery weather so perhaps I’ll slick on a bit of the Matte Veil in future.

I find the lasting power of this is pretty incredible, I don’t even need to set it with a powder. It’s a great day to night foundation as it sort of becomes better as the day goes on, starting out very natural and ending up slightly more dewy towards the evening – although not in a sweaty or unsightly way. It’s a foundation that you get a lot of compliments on!
To apply, I usually use a buffing brush like the Sephora brush above – I just tap it on to my skin and then lightly but quickly blend until I’m happy with the result. It really conceals all, while also blurring any imperfections and uneven tone so skin looks as flawless as can be.

All in all, this is definitely one of my favourite foundations. It has a gorgeous formula and it sits beautifully on the skin, and you only really need a tiny amount so I feel like the tube lasts so well – although I have to say I’m not overly keen on the design of the bottle, it makes getting the rest of the product out kind of impossible. I tend to cut it open and decant it in to an empty, clean pot.

Have you tried Skin Base? What were your thoughts?