Welcome back!
I've been trying really hard to practice what I preach and make my beauty and fashion purchases as ethical as possible. As I am quite uncomfortable with my skin, I wear foundation almost everyday. I have pretty oily skin which is prone to blemishes, so I've been trying to marry my eco-quest with finding a foundation which is oil free and suitable for spotty skin.
I purchased this foundation in the January sales. I was attracted to it because:
* It is oil free, which I assumed would make it less likely my skin would become greasy throughout the day, and wouldn't add any extra oil to my skin.
*It is SPF 15. You NEED SPF in your daily make up or moisturiser Even living in the UK where the sun apparently doesn't feel welcome, there are always UVA and UVB rays flying around which you need protecting from.
*It contains Marula oil from a Fair Trade women's co-operative in Namibia - ethical points :D
* It was only £10 (it's RRP is £13, but the Body Shop always have discounts online and offers so it's worth checking those out!)
I use shade 01, which is great as it has a slightly peachy tone, rather than a yellow tint which often makes me look a bit ill!
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The shade on the left is the Body Shop 01 shade. The right is Rimmel Perfect Match (in 100) as comparison. Apologies for the colour of my hand - revision has killed it :(
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So - what do I think?
To be completely honest, and believe me it pains me to say this, I really don't like this foundation :( It says on the website that it is suitable for light to medium coverage which I what I use it for, as I use a concealer on blemishes and really hate feeling like my foundation is heavy. However, when you apply it it seems to cake up on my skin (despite using it sparingly) and makes lines obvious. I don't mean that I have wrinkles, but like smile lines... it just goes a bit cakey which doesn't look great.
(Apologies for how tired I look!)
As you can see, it gives an even, fairly radiant coverage. It's not brilliant on dark circles (I normally use highlighter/dark circle concealer as well).
Furthermore, it doesn't really attach to your skin. I apply my foundation before my eyeliner and mascara in the morning, and the light touch of my fingers on the foundation (even 10 minutes after application) leaves FINGER PRINTS on my face. No one wants finger prints on their face.... :( Furthermore, you really MUST apply this with a brush or sponge. I often try to do my make up with my (clean!) fingers, but it genuinely leaves streaks, finger prints and swirly lines where I've tried to blend in my highlighter/concealer. If you are a fan of quick, easy make up - this isn't for you.
Finally, although it is oil free it makes my skin feel pretty shiny and I do need to wear powder on top. It is a 'moisturizing' foundation, so perhaps it is my mistake and the slightly oilier texture is intentional. For someone with drier skin this would be perfect as I imagine the oiliness would help balance out dry skin, but on anyone else it seems to just perpetuate the issue.
There are positives to the foundation.
* The colour is great, and it does come in a range of 7 adaptable colours (although I don't think they have tones for people with black/darker skin which alienates a lot of people).
* It does provide a full coverage, and you don't need a lot of the product for it to go a long way. The images I've taken here show the product I have which I've used maybe 50 times since January and you can see it's only about 1/3 used. It will last FOREVER. You can also see when you need to buy a new one as the packaging is clear.
* It smells very pleasant, and is easily dispensed through the pump :)
Overall, I wouldn't buy this again because:
* It makes my skin oily
*It is too malleable, I don't want swirly lines and fingerprints on my face!
* It takes too long to apply to get a smooth, non cakey coverage and needs checking during the day, which for me is a big downside.
However, if you have less oily skin, and you don't mind spending time applying it meticulously, then it will probably be fine!
There are over 300 reviews on the Body Shop website saying how brilliant it is, which makes me think I'm either just fussy or it's never going to be great for oily skin. Either way, I'm still on the hunt for the perfect foundation, as I've learnt with everything that's been going on recently, that life really is too short for bad foundation.
What do you think? Have you tried this foundation?