Illamasqua Haul

My mum decided to be a total babe and treated us to some Illamasqua stuff. I'm glad she did because finding a foundation pale enough for me is difficult. I often find with some of the high street brands I've used the foundation oxidizes around the edge of my face and creates an orange line, which is never attractive! I've completely forgotten the reason but I think it's something to do with the SPF in it that reacts with the oils in the skin. Feel free to correct me!

What I like about this foundation is that it's easy to blend into the skin and you can build it up if you want more of a flawless finish. The shades can be matched to pretty much everyone - they range from palest of the pale to a fairly dark shade. I like that they have a white which will blend with others to alter the colour. I was originally going to opt for shade 3, but after testing it on my face it was far too yellow for my complexion. Surprisingly shade 2 was/is a perfect match as it has a pink undertone..

You have to buff it into the skin quite fast as it dries quickly. I find it's easy to apply onto the skin first with a foundation brush and then buffed in with either a latex wedge or fluffy blending brush. Of course it can be applied with your hands but I just find it easier. I was also told by the girl on the counter that it can be used as a concealer as it's buildable coverage which is great. The only problem for me would be that I suffer from dry skin occasionally and the foundation sticks to some of the dry patches. To prevent this I would make sure you take all your make-up off each night and moisturize to keep the skin healthy. 

Powder foundation - 120 (pink undertones)

Powder Eyeshadow - 'Nymph'

After testing this I tried the powder foundation and a bit of light pink powder blush - possibly 'Nymph' (that I didn't buy but definitely will when I've got a bit more money) which gives a bit of depth on the cheeks without being too dramatic.

My mum also bought some of the skin base foundation along with a cream blush (Devour) which will last ages, you only need the tiniest bit on your brush and it goes a long way. I would definitely recommend Illamasqua to anybody as they have a range of products suited for everyone and you get what you pay for - it's good quality stuff and will last a long time. I've just got a new job so I'll be raiding the store soon when my first payday comes along, hahah.

Last but not least, shout out to Rachel on the Illamasqua counter in Birmingham for being so lovely and then taking time to help us pick out the products best suited to us - we came in originally looking for lipstick, oops!