Urban Decay - Naked Skin Foundation

It's been a while since I posted anything. I've been trying out Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation, and, as usual with foundations, I like to test things out for a while before committing my review.

What initially attracted me to Naked Skin was its promise of giving the effect of healthy, gorgeous skin without feeling heavy. As much as I absolutely adore my Kat Von D foundation, the idea of something that felt barely there was really appealing, what with warmer weather on the horizon.

Shade matching was a relatively painless task - Shade 1.0 is pale with undertones that lean more towards the yellow side. My first instinct was right - 1.0 is a great match for me. 0.5 would have been far too pink, anything that pink doesn't look at all flattering on me.

Kat von D - Lock-It Tattoo Foundation

 As soon as I heard about Kat von D adding a foundation to her line at Sephora, I was chomping at the bit to try it out. When it was added on to the Sephora site, I spent ages pouring over the swatches trying to find a good colour match. I chose Lock-It Tattoo foundation in Light 42.

Firstly, the packaging is nothing short of stunning, as with the rest of the KVD line. The box is embellished with the rose design that appears on other items from the line.

Chanel - Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation

I'd read lots of good things about Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua liquid foundation. Being the somewhat-obsessive foundation junkie that I am, I had to give a whirl for myself. I bought the palest yellow-toned shade - 10 Beige.

The first thing I noticed was the packaging: I love the bottle! It's smaller than most foundation bottles, yet it still houses 30ml of product. It's a tough plastic, so carrying it around for touch-ups is easy; it doesn't take up much room or weigh you down. Then there's the nozzle - no open bottles here, so you won't waste loads.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - OCC Skin Primer

I ran out of primer in my freelance kit recently & decided to give something new a try. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics OCC Skin Primer has some rave reviews, so it seemed like a good option. Before I use anything on a shoot, I like to try it out on myself to get a feel for it. I've been using OCC Skin Primer for about a month on myself & on shoots now, and I think it may well be love.

Firstly, the packaging is great. Whilst the bottle seems quite small, it's a good thing; it doesn't take up as much room as previous primers I was packing. A tiny amount of this primer goes a long way - a month's worth of use & the bottle still looks full. As the bottle is plastic, there's no danger of it breaking & because of the small opening, you won't end up dispensing too much & wasting any product.

Illamasqua - Skin Base Foundation

Illamasqua's newest foundation, Skin Base, is based upon Asian BB creams. Having tried a couple of BB creams, I decided to give Skin Base a whirl. Upon looking at the Illamasqua site, SB 06 seemed like the best match, as I have fairly neutral undertones. When I went to the counter & said that I used their Rich Liquid foundation in shade 133, the lovely counter staff agreed that SB 06 was the shade I should go for.

MAC Pro Longwear - fresh from the box.

I confess, I have a terrible problem. I'm a foundation junkie. I've tried quite a number now from various brands & even if I find one I truly love, I still get the urge to try new foundations.
At the moment, my favourite is Armani's Lasting Silk. Great colour match, nice finish & good wear-time. Upon hearing about MAC's newest offering, Pro Longwear, I felt that uncontrollable urge to go forth & purchase.

Beauty Stuff I Can't Live Without

There's some things that are nice to have, some that are just downright essential. Like any makeup junkie, I'm prone to always looking at the newest thing. As of now, my list is pretty much as follows;

Skin Care
Lush's facial cleansers are a big win for me. I have quite sensitive skin, once I find something that works for me I stick with it.
Herbalism - only recently started using this one but it's fantastic. Recommend for those with combination skin that gets oily in the t-zone. Controls the oil well without drying out areas that are normal. Great for controlling hideous breakouts.

Aqua Marina - this is one of my favourites, have used this for years. Very soothing & great for sensitive skin.

Angels on Bare Skin - lovely, scrubby but gentle cleanser. I like to use this at night after I've taken my makeup off.

Shu Uemura cleansing oils - I can't rave about these enough. They take off even the toughest of makeup with minimal effort. No need for scrubbing around the delicate eye area. MAC's Cleanse Off Oil is a similar product but I found it broke me out quite badly, something the Shu oils have never done.