Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Bamboo Beige Review

I was in the market for a new high end foundation; one for those special occasions and one that I can always count on to make my skin look amazing. As I do before buying any new product (high end or drugstore for that matter) I took to Google and began searching for the best high end foundations that fit my ideal criteria of having high coverage that is not matte. I narrowed it down to two popular choices - NARS Sheer Glow and Laura Mercier Silk Creme. I went with the latter for the reason that the Laura Mercier offering has a much higher coverage. Sold!

After getting colour matched I happily walked out of Space NK desperate to go home and try it. I picked up the shade "Bamboo Beige" which is described as a warm golden beige for light to medium skin tones and it matches perfectly. For reference, I typically wear Mac NC25 or Esteé Lauder Double Wear in Desert Beige. I looked online and saw that it is the fourth darkest shade. For a high end foundation they only offer ten shades which isn't that impressive.

I have been trialing this foundation over the past two weeks and I really am mixed about what I think of it. The coverage is great - near enough full coverage that literally creates a flawless canvas - and you only need a little to cover the entire face. As it is a cream formula, hence the name, it does make the texture extremely thick and, in a way, uncomfortable. I would say that is it slightly heavier that Double Wear by Esteé Lauder (...and that is saying something!) Fuller coverage foundations have more pigments than lower coverage foundations so I can understand the reason why it feels heavier on the skin. So let's dismiss the thickness of the foundation and move onto finish.

One of the USP's that encouraged me to choose this foundation over the Sheer Glow offering was for the luminous finish it apparently gives. And it is really pretty and for a high coverage foundation it is impressive how much light it gives to the complexion. Unfortunately, it clings to dry skin like crazy. Like I said before, I research into new products and read the foundation suits people with combination to oily skin. I have combination skin and, despite moisturising and using Hydraluron before application, I still found this foundation so drying on areas where I suffer from blemishes. Around the blemishes it was extremely drying - almost flakey! - and just did not look pretty. I was a little confused as full coverage foundations are *primarily* targeted towards those who want to cover up imperfections and, in my experience, the extreme thick texture of this foundation, highlighted any dry areas on the face, thus making any blemishes more obvious.

Thankfully, the product did not break me out which tends to happen when I switch up my foundations. I do think this is one of those products I will completely adore in a few months and one that needs a little more persevering and trial and error. Perhaps due to the weather I am not a fan and in the summer it may be a joy to use. I'll probably do a follow up post in a few months! Currently I am browsing the Space NK website, hovering over the "add to basket" on the NARS Sheer Glow...

PS. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and successfully braved the Boxing Day sales if you did go. Have a great new year!

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation Review

L'Oreal foundations are definitely my favourite. I love their True Match and now after trying the Lumi Magique it has also become another holy grail foundation of mine.

Compared to the True Match, the Lumi Magique is basically the opposite in finish. True Match gives an almost matte finish whilst Lumi Magique gives a satin, and more dewy, finish. And I love it.

Now that the weather is getting colder which results in dry, sallow skin, I prefer wearing foundations with a much lighter formulation that provides a more dewy, fresh appearance. Lumi Magique provides medium, yet very easily buildable, coverage that looks fresh and alive. I definitely agree with the "as if lit-from-within" statement on the bottle. It looks really pretty. It's super blendable, really lightweight and you can easily build it up for more coverage.

This foundation wears really well throughout the day, better than True Match - I apply it at 7am and it's still going strong by the time I finish college at 3pm which is impressive. I sometimes do powder midday but other times I just leave it to wear through - it looks just as good, if not better, by the time I get back home. It's still dewy, but not oily looking and definitely not at all cakey.

However, one thing I don't like is their shade range. It's bad. The Lumi Magique offers 7 shades (compared to 22 in the True Match range, can I mention!) which are really bizarrely labelled - I have shade W3 which is the lightest "warm" undertone shade they offer. Luckily, it's my regular shade in the True Match, yet this could be a problem for others with different undertones. Hopefully they'll expand their range as the product gets more press.

I genuinally think this has become a new favourite foundation of mine. I've been wearing it non stop and it has replaced my True Match in my everyday makeup routine for a few weeks now...

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso Review

This was the product I was most keen to buy as it has literally been raved by everyone and I am partialy known to go with the hype. This Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso can be described as a light coral with peach undertones. It has a little shimmer that reflects in the light and aims to create a fresh, healthy glow.

The texture of this blush is extremely lightweight and smooth which makes for an easy apply and blending process. And also means you don't need much to create a subtle glow. Layering it up however deepens the peach undertone to flatter almost all skin tones. This shade in particular is very luminous and brightens up the complexion instantly creating a healthy glow.

I'm super impressed with this shade and is perfect to compliment a tan. I've found that this blush is a pretty close dupe for both NARS Orgasm and MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Stereo Rose (limited edition). Just 10x cheaper!

Whilst away I also picked up another Milani blush which I'll probably review in the near future. Have a great day :)