Cracks in our Foundations

    I've never really had much luck with foundations to be honest. Whether the colour selections are too warm (tango is not my preferred look) or whether the consistency irritates or doesn't suit my skin type, it's always been a make-up minefield.
Working in Superdrug gave me plenty of time to try out different brands and types of foundation and a few years ago I settled on Maxfactor's Miracle Touch. I have two shades, one of which is slightly darker/warmer and I use this on the centre of my face as a second layer as I'm very self-conscious of my red cheeks and sometimes dark under-eyes. I only use this if I'm going out because, at over a tenner a go, it's an expensive insecurity; but I have a routine that works.
Just lately I've been hankering after that flawless look all day, everyday. Why should I only have picture perfect skin when I'm on a night out, I should be able to have it 24/7 and not have to look like a washed out zombie who's been dipped in a vat of oil by lunchtime if I only use a bit of make-up that day. I hate taking make up to work or out with me - I'm just not that kind of girl, but where can I find a foundation that gives a decent level of coverage, suits my skin tone and stays put?
It's a nightmare.


    So my lovely boyfriend got a No7 voucher in Boots and gave it to me thinking he was being a top bloke. Before I go any further, I have to tell you that my relationship with Boots has been rocky in the past. Having worked for Superdrug for around 7 years up until a few years ago (wow! I didn't realise how long it was until I wrote this post) I would never have been seen in a Boots store perusing their fine fragrance and higher end make up stands. No, not me, I was loyal.
In hindsight, by only shopping in Superdrug I was missing out on so many brands; particularly No7. So since leaving the realms of beauty retail I decided to turn things around. It was time for a change and I was free to indulge in the plethora of beauty brands on offer without feeling guilty or thinking that I could have bought something in Superdrug with a nice staff discount attached to the price tag.

    I digress; Andy gave me a voucher for No7. I wanted to visit Boots to take advantage of the 3 for 2, mix and match offer they're currently running and decided it was the perfect time to benefit from my beauty brand freedom; I always have to psyche myself up for things like this, I hate spending money and finding later that it's a crap product and, to be completely honest, I'm a little scared of change.

    I strolled into Boots late Saturday afternoon to avoid the crowds, while pretending I was perfectly at ease in a Boots store, and started the search for the next best, daytime foundation. I really like the look of the Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation as it is supposed to have pigments that counteract dark and red skin tones which would be ideal! However, I was swayed by the No7 voucher which entitled me to £3 off and decided that, as it was quiet, I would get my skin matched with that nice little machine thing they've been advertising on TV.
It reaffirmed that I'm quite good at choosing the right shade for my skin tone (thank you Superdrug, you served me well) and I went for a matte finish, liquid foundation.
At the moment, my skin is really oily; but only when I'm at work. It must be the central heating or something but it's playing havoc with my complexion and making my 'flawless skin' goal nigh on impossible. The matte finish foundation was the only foundation available in the range that was a medium-full coverage and conveniently happened to be for oily/combination skin. Perfect.
All in all it was a pleasant, stress-free experience and I can honestly say I'm a fan of Boots.

No.7 Beautifully Matte Foundation, £13.50

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

   
    It's a nice foundation, it has a very faint menthol smell to it which I like and it goes on really well without feeling heavy or looking cakey. It definitely lasts longer than my other liquid foundations but doesn't stay put for the 14hours it promises, or at least it hasn't yet. It also doesn't give as much coverage as I'd like around my eyes so I think that perhaps I need to go for a full coverage product next time. The colour does match really well so I find I'm using less because it's not appearing uneven in places, which is obviously going to better for my skin in terms of blemishes. My skin looks nicer, more natural and seems to be getting better by the day so it's obviously settling to the product.
Usually, by around 12 o'clock, my T-Zone is really oily and I look like I have very little make-up left on with my red cheeks on full display. However, since using this, although my face feels oily it doesn't actually look that bad; I have a dewy glow which I can deal with and it's definitely a nice alternative to looking like I've dipped my face into a vat of oil. Out of 5 stars I give it a 4. Its a nice product and I'm liking it more each time I use it, but I would like a higher level of coverage so it just misses out on the top rating.

And here's the final product!

    I think I might try new facial skin products to see if that makes a difference to my skin issue; I've purchased Garnier's Shine Be Gone Clarifying Face Wash to try but if anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them.

    I'm definitely going to save for the Estee Lauder Double Wear next - everyone seems to be raving about it and I have to see how good it is for myself!

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