Whenever anyone asks my advice on which higher-end foundation to buy, the first one that pops in to my head for many reasons is Illamasqua’s Skin Base foundation. It gives great coverage without feeling heavy, it looks amazing in photographs as it doesn’t contain SPF, and for me it’s long wearing.
For more than a year now this has become my favourite “weekend” foundation. At £27 for 30ml it isn’t cheap, so that’s why the old Rimmel favourite is my weekday foundation and I keep the Skin Base for special occasions/weekends.
Illamasquas skin base paired with the Real Techniques Expert Face brush is my ultimate, perfect skin combo. If I need a foundation that will stay put all day this is the one I always reach for and I’m always happy with the results. Illamasquas products are all highly pigmented so you don’t need to use much foundation to get a good coverage, but if you prefer a fuller coverage it is buildable. Great if you need both a day and evening foundation!
It gives my skin quite a normal look, not too matte and not too glowy. At first it can look a little flat and ghost like but I find that after a few minutes it warms up and looks beautiful. The application with this foundation is something you need to master. It isn’t a foundation that you can slap on with your hands and expect an amazing result; buffing a small amount in circular motions and working into the skin works best, giving you that smooth, even finish.
One point I would stress is that your skin needs to be in tip top condition before using it, as the foundation will stick to any dry patches you have. Their Hydra Veil primer works brilliantly if you have dryer, normal skin. This is a hydrating primer that smoothes any fine, dry lines by giving the skin base a better canvas on which to sit. I’ve read so many mixed reviews about the Skin Base with some people commenting how it settles into fine lines. But as with any foundation, if you don’t have a good skincare routine, this will probably happen. Think of it as trying to paint over flaking wood!? Regular exfoliating and a day and night moisturiser will help to avoid it settling (this may sound like a lot of hard work but I promise it’s worth it).
The skin base comes in a huge range of colours. I really wouldn’t risk buying online without being colour-matched instore, as you have the confusion of pink or yellow skin tone and even within both of those the choice is overwhelming. I find that SB06 and SB07 are both good medium colours, whilst SB02 is very light.
The only annoyance with the skin base is the packaging. It comes in a hard plastic tube where it’s impossible to squeeze the last of it out; if I’m paying £27 for a foundation I want every last drop.
All in all I love this foundation. I have recommended it to so many people with brilliant feedback, but if you do have oilier skin it may be a case of getting a tester for Illamasqua’s matte primer and skin base to try before splashing out.
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