I very rarely write reviews for makeup products, but on the occasion, I feel I need to share with you guys my opinion on this foundation. I first bought it after reading rave reviews and I was wanting to try a different type of foundation, since I normally use liquids (typically estee lauder double wear.) So because I love Illamasqua's products, I thought I'd give this a go. I purchased this foundation is shade 130 which is a perfect match for my NC25 skin, pale with very strong yellow undertones and I applied it with a Sigma flat top Kabuki brush. I used a moisturiser and a primer so my skin was prepped, but trying to blend this foundation into my skin was a nightmare, it just didnt blend! I tried warming it up and using a different brush/fingers but it looked awful, like it was just sitting on my skin. I really wanted to take it off again but unfortunatly I was due at work so I didnt have time to redo all my makeup again. I had an 8 hour shift, and the whole time I just wanted to go home and take off my makeup because I just felt so disgusting. I looked like an oily mess, it had clogged horribly in the corner of my nose and round the sides of my mouth and I dont even have oily skin or large pores! Needless to say, I was glad to finish that shift at work! I took it off and soon as I got home and threw this product away. What a waste of money! Overall, this is by far the worst foundation I have ever used, and that is saying a lot as I have tried a lot of foundations in my time! I do love illamasqua but I find thier face products are vile. The rich liquid foundation I also find to look very heavy and cloggy. I do love thier concealers though. The only good thing I have to say about this foundation is that the packaging is nice and the product itself smells lovely, but this is not enough to improve my opinion on this foundation. Dont waste your money!

I generally don't wear cream foundations but if you're a cream foundation fan, I'd recommend this.
Pros:
Colour selection
Sheer to medium coverage
Smells nice
Nice packaging
Cons:
Don't get much product.
It gathered around the chin and my dry areas (all cream foundations do this to me though)
I'd recommend buffing this in with a dense topped brush rather than with the sponge as using the sponge just kind of wipes it away.

I use this foundation in the 115 shade. I interchange between this and the Rich Liquid foundation, depending on what type of coverage I want. I love this product, it's probably one of the best pale foundations I've ever used, along with the RL. Love it!

After Prescriptives announced they were shutting down, I went on the hunt for a new foundation that was a good color match. After going through many brands, I tried Illamasqua cream foundation in 110.
I have never used a cream foundation before but once I got used to applying it I fell in love. As long as this is available I will continue to purchase it.
I like that it is sheer coverage but I can build it up as needed. If I need a bit extra coverage I will use a concealer brush (or finger if lazy) and then blend in with a MAC 187 brush or Sephora Professional Airbrush 55. I get no streaking when applied as above and it lasts all day without oxidizing. This does not dry out my skin or make my skin greasy.
For reference I have dry to normal skin and wore "Real Camelia" in Prescriptives foundation and it was far too dark but was the closest in undertones so would add Face Atelier Zero Minus (white) to lighten it. (I love that I do not need to mix with the Illamasqua foundation) .

PROS: Looks incredibly natural, like there is 0 product on the face.

CONS: Reason why it's so natural looking is because it's overly sheer. I was like, "Does this have any coverage?" when I first started using it. I have to agree with the person who said it blends off skin when trying to blend it because it's so light that it just disappears when you blend! It can be built up to medium coverage but for that to happen, you need to use TONS of product. Way too much. You'll hit pan in 1 month doing this! And by using more, it gets thoroughly embedded into brushes and is a pain to clean out. Color match was great (CF135), even though it looks too dark to match my neck, it somehow does perfectly in photos. Also, no SPF. Mirror and sponge are fine, but I don't use them and would rather save money, it is not worth $30 at all IMO.

OVERALL: Actually it's not worth it even if free. I hate how much product you have to use, it will be gone in no time (or you can save product and get 0% coverage instead).

tried this really hoping it was the answer covering my face completely. It did but was SO DRYING I could not wear it...Needed a good coverage foundation and still looking

I'd never tried a cream foundation before, but given the nasty dry spots my skin can often harbour I thought it was time to give them a go.
Packaging is lovely. Easy to carry around if you are someone who like to touch up during the day. The sponge is quite usable though I used a regular sponge to apply and a brush to buff it out. Nice texture, easy to apply, and loved the mild vanilla scent (this disappears on the skin). I had so many compliments when I wore this, my face glowed. It lasted all day and didn't oxidise.
However I had one big problem with this. It caused very vicious cystic acne on my cheeks. I've been left with a very visible scar on one side of my face, which I'm not happy about. I'm confident that it was the foundation as nothing else in my regime had changed. I've never had any cosmetic product cause this kind of reaction, and I certainly don't have sensitive skin. Disappointed on many levels as I really thought I had found my HG, but I suppose the search continues.
In fairness I've given the product 3/5, as it isn't going to cause that kind of reaction in everyone, and the product itself is a very good one. It's made me much more cautious about what I put on my skin, so I suppose something good came out it!

I really like the finish of this foundation. It is not too greasy like alot of other cream foundations I have tried and you dont need a ton of powder to set it. It is expensive and I wish it was alot cheaper, Its even more expensive than MAC. But I am really starting to love Illamasqua products. They have great pigment, colors, and staying powder. I always get compliments on my makeup when I wear this foundation. I really like how they cater to pale shades. Im pretty pale and I think this one was even too light for me. No pink or orange tones either.

Finally after hearing all the rave reviews I dove in and got this cream foundation as I am an avid cream foundation user. I was very disappointed.
I don’t even have oily skin and not longer after applying I was so oily-it was gross. I could feel the foundation on my skin and it was very uncomfortable.
I tried using different application techniques and none gave me the coverage I desired. I even applied less but it was still very slick and oily-I think this might be better for drier skin types.
Even with thier primer and a dusting of powder it didn’t stay on my skin it looked separated and blotchy.
This is a no go for me so back it goes-the only good thing I can say is that it is easy to apply and blend but that’s b/c it’s so greasy it slides right on.

PROS:
- customisable coverage. it can be sheer - full which is great! It doesn't show up too obviously on the skin, but once you build up to full coverage it's more noticeable, but doesn't look too bad.
- great colour range for pale and darker people (I'm 120).
- doesn't oxidse, even on my oily skin.
- blends well, and easy to apply using either a standard foundation brush (like MAC 190) or a sponge. It also applied well with the Illamasqua highlighter brush and MAC 109.
- lasted all day
- even though it isn't oil-free it didn't break me out or make me oily.
- nice packaging.
- not too expensive
CONS:
- does contain oil, so has the possibility of breaking acne-prone people out
- i can see myself going through this stuff quite quickly, it'll maybe last me 2 - 4 months
- if you want fuller coverage it takes a bit of time to build it up which is a little tedious if you're using it everyday.
Overall, I love this foundation, but it's not HG, just very very good.

I'm not sure what to make of this foundation. As much as I love how perfectly the shade matches my skin and the easy application, this foundation just refuses to stay on my skin. I don't have particularly oily skin, but even as I blend it it blends *off* my skin! I may be applying it incorrectly (It's been years since I've used cream foundation after making the bare minerals switch) but I've tried with a sponge, my stipling brush and with my fingers and i can't seem to make it stay on my skin. If i rub my nose, I'll see foundation residue on my finger and if I touch my face I can see the foundation sliding around. I love the finish and the smell but I don't think I'll re-buy.

Since I love Illamasqua's Rich Liquid foundation for nights out, I figured I'd try one of their others for day use.
Usually I shy away from cream foundations as they tend to leave me rather oily, especially in my already-oily t-zone area (MAC Studio Tech was not good in this regard).
So far, this hasn't been a problem at all with this. It leaves me relatively matte-looking yet still has a nice touch of a glow to it.
Coverage is medium but can be built up & I haven't found I have to use much concealor at all. It doesn't look as if you're wearing a ton of make-up even if you do decide to amp up the coverage, either.
Application wise, this foundation is fantastic. Usually, I discard the sponges that come with cream foundations but this one actually works fairly well and it's great for quick touch ups on the go. It also applies nicely with a kabuki or my MAC 188 brush.
Wear time is on a par with the Rich Liquid. I've never had a cream foundation last this long. I do need to set it in the t-zone with a touch of powder, but once it's on, it stays on. It's fairly low maintenance too. One or two touch ups with blotting sheets & some powder in an average 9 hour day are more than enough to keep it looking good.
Colour match is absolutely fantastic. I use 125, same as Rich Liquid & it's a fantastic match. No overly pink tones and it's definitely pale enough for me.
My only quibble is with regards to the packaging. There's no space in the compact to store your sponge, unless you keep it on top of the foundation pan itself (something I prefer not to do). This is only a minor complaint as the packaging is otherwise fantastic. Good sized mirror in the compact lid & it looks beautiful.
Despite having only used it four times now, I can safely say this foundation has quickly become one of my favourites & I will definitely repurchase when I need to.
Good job yet again, Illamasqua! continued >>

This is the last Illamasqua foundation I have tried, but certainly not the least. Actually it is my favourite. I have this in 125, which is an ashy beige shade for pale skin, close to an NC15.
It comes with a sponge applicator and a real mirror, which makes it a perfect foundation for travelling or to take along with you for touch ups.
PROS:
- medium coverage: won't hide everything and won't replace concealer but will make your skin look good
- quite matte: perfect for combo/oily skin as well
- long lasting: still looks quite good after 9 hours, a bit of powder on my usually oily forehead is all it would take to make it perfect again for several hours
- great base for blushes and MSF's: I have really noticed these stayed on much more longer than usual
- good packaging
- you don't feel it on the skin
CONS:
- you need to find your shade since you can't custom mix like you would do with liquids
- I wish it had a tiny bit more coverage, but I can still make this work
For me it's the best foundation Illamasqua makes and the one that will suit most people, including those who are not very experienced with foundation application. This is definitely going to become an important part of my makeup kit!