Illamasqua • Rich Liquid foundation • Liquid

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*TOP REVIEWER* raspberrysorceress on 10/12/2011 2:15:00 AM more reviews by raspberrysorceress

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This was my first Illamasqua product, so I was really pleased that this is such an excellent foundation. I originally bought this to use as a concealer because I'd heard about how much of a full-coverage it provides, but I made a mistake of buying a shade a bit too light to use alone (RF 115) but doing so has actually been a blessing!! I find that majority of my foundations (except for Nars in 'Siberia' ) are a little too dark or pink for me so I decided to experiment and began mixing a bit of them with Rich Liquid Foundation, and found that it makes for a perfect match. The consistency is so thick that it reminds me of concealer in a squeezy tube. Because of this, I would never wear it alone, yet mixing it with E.L Double Wear (an already full coverage foundation) it looks surprisingly very natural and I haven't had any issues with masky/cakiness. Also, because my skin has been pretty crappy as of late I like wearing heavier foundation so this is perfect to mix with regular ones to provide that little bit more coverage needed. I have trouble using this with a foundation brush, but I find that with a beauty-blender sponge this applies and blends flawlessly into my skin. Absolutely love this one; another foundation that's a keeper.

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MelissaCookMUA on 8/31/2011 3:58:00 AM more reviews by MelissaCookMUA

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Green    

This foundation offers full coverage and works best when really buffed into the skin. It is essential to really work with the product quickly as it's quite stiff and stubborn in just a couple of minutes. In order to counteract this you will need to use in combination with a primer if you prefer something a little more versatile. This does not compromise the brilliant coverage and will leave you with a silky flawless finish. If you are struggling to find a perfect shade match it really would benefit to purchase a couple of shades. This will be great for a little contouring, selecting the darker shade for cheekbones, sides of the nose and chin...BUT if you are going to take this approach you really must blend blend blend! Overall a great product, wouldn't be without it in my kit!

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nicolemcnally on 8/28/2011 9:49:00 AM more reviews by nicolemcnally

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy   Eyes: Blue    

best match i have ever had from any foundation! im extremly pale and can never find a good colour, but this is perfect! its very thick and can be drying around the nose and between the eyebrows, but it can easily be solved either by putting powder or moisturiser on, will buy again for the colour but the formula isnt amazing, recommend!

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doctordoom on 7/13/2011 3:37:00 PM more reviews by doctordoom

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

LOVE this stuff. though it was very hard to find a match(i actually had to go in and swatch to determine what would be perfect), it was definitely worth it. this stuff gives full coverage, the fullest coverage, might i add. you do need to blend it quite quick but a little goes a LONG way. i could imagine this stuff lasting a good year with daily use, especially since you could even mix it with 1 part foundation to 3 parts moisturizer, and it's STILL insane coverage! would purchase this again, in a heartbeat

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tstimbert on 7/13/2011 3:03:00 AM more reviews by tstimbert

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

PROS:
*Full coverage
*Very useful to mix with too-dark foundations
*Doubles as a concealer
*Awesome color selection for pale skin (and significant consideration put into the undertones of the foundation)
*Love the clear squeeze bottle packaging
*Lots of product (you need very little at once)
*Smells like sweet vanilla, almost identical to MAC lipsticks

CONS:
*Highlights flakiness
*Appears very cakey unless "cut"
*Very thick (can be hard to spread, esp. evenly)
*Creases under eyes

HOW I "CUT" THIS FOUNDATION:
Adding something to this super thick foundation is the only way I've gotten rid of its love of clinging to dry patches and highlighting flakes I never knew I had. It makes it so easy to blend and look natural while still giving great coverage. And it's much more buildable this way.
*Apply silicone-based primer over driest areas of skin, then mix foundation with primer on back of hand (do a few swatches to test coverage of mix) and apply with stippling brush. It will probably have a mousse-like texture.
*Prep skin with facial oil, like Bio-Oil (seriously, the only moisturizer that wants to cooperate with this foundation. Probably because the consistency is so thin). Then, mix Bio-Oil and foundation of back of hand to desired coverage. Apply with fingers and work into skin or use buffing brush. I like the Real Techniques one from the Core Collection.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
*Mixing with a cream moisturizer. It will only make it thicker.
*Applying just foundation with fingers (coverage was too heavy and concentrated)
*Applying directly to skin without primer or oil. It will cake and sweat right off


tl;dr : I gave this foundation a 3 rather than 5 based on all the work that needs to be put into application of the foundation and its ability to bring attention to flaws in the skin's texture. But I will most definitely repurchase because of the AMAZING color selection for fair or straight up ghostly skin. You need a lot less of this than you think. Once you find a way to make it work, though, it's bangin'.

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Yamada70 on 7/10/2011 6:03:00 AM more reviews by Yamada70

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Extremel pigmented, you will only need a tiny tiny spot of this foundation. This will undoubtly last me a very long time. I use this sparingly, easily blendable. It doesn't feel heavy at all & doesn't settle into fine lines under the eyes. Poor staying power though & the packaging is awful considering the $ you pay for, but I don't need to worry about a pump breaking down on me. Coverage is very build able without feeling like you are wearing a mask.
EDIT: broke me out. I took it back to the department store I purchased it from & the makeup artist told me this foundation is oil based. Urk!

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furnando on 6/27/2011 4:04:00 PM more reviews by furnando

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Black    

I am so sad that they don't carry a color close to my natural skin. I am a M.A.C. NC40-42, the closest color I could find was 240 but it was still too dark making my face look dirty. The next color was too light, making me look ashy. I mean seriously Illamasqua?? What is with the poor color selection,if you're really fair or really deep toned you'll be in luck, but for us that are quite tan there is really not much choices. On the positive side this is absolutely full coverage as it says! I used the smallest amount and it concealed everything...dark spots, beauty marks, redness. I really love everything about this minus the fact that they don't carry my color! If you can find your shade I highly recommend this highly pigmented smooth foundation that doubles as a great concealer as well.

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fbolanos on 5/31/2011 5:27:00 AM more reviews by fbolanos

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I LOOOOOOOVE this foundation! The only reason why it isnt getting five lipsticks is because it accentuated the pores around my nose the tiniest bit. It covers AMAZINGLY. It covers alot more than studio fix fluid by mac. It does also accentuate dry patches so if you are dry please stay away. It smells really good. Just like vanilla cake or something. It didnt wear as long as i wanted it too. It started separating after about the seventh hour of wear. Didnt make me break out and this is a FULL FULL FULL coverage liquid. THE FULLEST IVE EVER SEEN IN A LIQUID! Simply amazing but i still find myself using fix fluid more.

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cherrykisses1 on 5/28/2011 7:16:00 AM more reviews by cherrykisses1

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation is simply amazing in its level of quality and versatility. I can use it to go from a very light, natural application for daytime to a heavier, flawless look for nighttime. It has such strong pigmentation it has replaced my go-to concealer.

To give you a bit of info about my skin, I'm quite light (nw15-20 in mac) but i have a lot of redness in my skin tone. I have enlarged pores and a fair bit of hyper pigmentation from acne-scarring. I'm currently on roaccutane so my skin is VERY dry.

It is important to note that Rich Liquid is FULL coverage and while it doesn't contain any moisturizing ingredients it will not dry out skin, something that is very important to me. The foundation blends quite well for a full coverage foundation and has a satin finish.
While the full coverage aspect may be off-putting to some, let me assure you that this foundation can look astoundingly natural if applied correctly.

To get perfect application with this foundation you need to follow these rules:
Exfoliate - Particularly if you have dry skin, it is important to scrub off those flakies as this foundation will CLING LIKE NOTHING ELSE
Moisturize - This helps create a smooth base for the foundation
LESS is MORE - This foundation is SO pigmented and SO easy to blend you need just a TINY amount for your whole face. I use less than half a pea size amount and blend it using my fingers (or a brush if i can be bothered). This creates a natural skin-like coverage which you can then build by adding more foundation over trouble areas.

If you find the foundation difficult to blend by itself or desire a little bit less coverage, mix about half-half foundation and moisturizer. This reduces the coverage a bit and allows easier blending. Using a primer will also help if you find this foundation difficult to blend.

This foundation has a tendency to rub off slightly if i touch my face throughout the day or wipe it with a tissue so i usually set it with a tiny bit of powder and it holds very well.

The price is comparable to M.A.C foundations i paid $55AUD for my bottle (30ml) but this will last me for at least a year with daily use. I just use so little for a full face.
This foundation doubles as a superb concealer however, so it is very good value for money. (Be careful under the eyes however as it may highlight fine lines)
The packaging is very good too, it comes in a hygienic, plastic, squeezy bottle that is so convenient for carrying in a bag or purse and dispenses product easily.

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Shannyn05 on 5/15/2011 7:24:00 AM more reviews by Shannyn05

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I love this foundation. If you are on the extreme end of pale, Ilamasqua is a life saver in terms of their range of shades for those of us so pale that finding a matching foundation shade is a long and, more often than not, disappointingly fruitless chore. I wouldn't personally consider myself to be intensely ghost white in my colouring however MAC's NC/NW 15 is too dark for me and I was colour matched with RF115 by the makeup artist at my local counter (this is their lightest skin tone shade but they also have two white shades as well). If you plan on ordering online I wouldn't recommend it simply because of how ridiculously pale some of the shades are. And just because the foundation has a ‘15’ in the colour name doesn’t mean that it is the equivalent of MAC's NC 15 because you'll look gothic if the MAC shade is your actual colour. I would definitely recommend going into a store/counter if you can and if not, research it thoroughly.

The foundation itself is very thick and amazingly pigmented. So much so that it actually takes a bit of practice to apply properly. It's also not the type of foundation you want to apply with a regular foundation brush. I suggest a very dense kabuki brush or something similar to the highlighter brush that Illamasqua sells. I use the MAC kabuki and find it works perfectly though it took a bit of trial and error to find the perfect brush. My cheaper kabuki’s and MAC duo fibre brushes just didn't cut it. If you don’t use the correct brush, not only will it not apply as seamlessly but you will most likely find that the shade does not look right on you. I hated the foundation at first because the brush I was using applied it too heavily and didn’t blend it well enough so the colour looked far to pale for me.

This foundation seems as though it’s going to last you a long time as well as you only need the smallest amount to cover everything. A pea sized drop is going to be too much for even the most problematic skin (such as mine) as I find I have nearly half left over and that’s after applying it as a concealer as well.

The only reason I didn't give this foundation full marks despite its perfect colouring (for me) and brilliant ability to cover all redness and blemishes is because if you haven't exfoliated and moisturised your skin to perfection, your skin will look flaky and dry, even if it really isn't. Extra incentive to take great care of your skin, though.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

chantililly on 4/28/2011 12:40:00 PM more reviews by chantililly

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

Firstly, I would like to say that while I'm going to say some negative things about this foundation, I will admit that when blended properly and applied well to the right skin, it does exactly what it says on the bottle: beautiful and even coverage. However, I find a whole host of other problems with this foundation.

I'd read up on how to apply this foundation properly, having heard it could be tricky, and so when I received my bottle of RF115 in the mail, I eagerly went to try it. The colour match was *perfect*. I have extremely pale, neutral-to-pink skin and it's easily the absolute best shade of foundation I've ever tried; not a sickly yellow like all the 'pale' tones you would find in Superdrug or Boots, a true porcelain neutral that toned down the redness in my skin without making me look ill.

I applied it over my Gosh primer in thin coats, blended it well until the streaks were gone, and buffed it smooth. It looked great! Then I moved out of the rather dark corner in which I am forced to do my makeup to see it in proper daylight.

Oh. My. God.

I don't know what Illamasqua were aiming for with this: some sort of anti-concealer that points out every single little flaw on your face for you to see? Flakes in places I didn't even know were flaky now stood out like a sore thumb. Anywhere that I had healing acne, or scabs, was clagged with it, any loose skin had trapped it, Under my eyes it had stuck into the lines-- not even really lines, I have to add, I'm nineteen for crying out loud! I don't have wrinkles, just light and usually invisible creases-- making me look about ten years older.

Worst of all, even with good primer on, it had somehow collected in every single one of the pores on my nose and brought them out in painfully obvious little white dots. It seems to slide right off oily skin, especially if you have big pores. Considering my primer had handled every other foundation I'd ever tried wonderfully, that's quite a big failing for this one.

The conclusion I come to: in order to wear this foundation celebrated for giving people perfect-looking skin, you need to have, well, perfect skin anyway.

Well, the good points. I have strange combination skin that is flaky-oily down my nose, extremely dry on my lower cheeks and forehead, and normal on my chin and upper cheeks. On the areas of normal skin, I have to say that it had done beautifully. It had blended really nicely to a smooth, non-claggy-looking porcelain finish and looked very natural and quite lovely.

It took about four coats to almost completely hide my acne, acne scars and freckles, making it the only foundation I have ever tried that makes an effort at concealing them instead of just turning them a strange purple shade-- though not exactly the most economical at its price on my student budget. Considering how awful my skin is, that is a really big compliment and on anyone with less dreadful skin, it would be perfectly concealing. (There is a certain sort of humour I find in the fact that I need four coats of a foundation so thick that it can cover tattoos just so that my acne isn't making perfect contour silhouettes on my cheeks, though. Who was it again that said that the teen years were the best of your life?)

It wasn't quite as matte as I like, but that is easily fixed, and I think that when I have some similarly-coloured powder foundation to apply on top of this, the coverage and appearance will be perfect. It's also probably best used with blusher unless you're actually after the monochrome look (a good thing for me, since it suits my look and style, but not so much for anyone who prefers to look natural or mainstream).

I think that I will make an effort at fixing the flaky areas on my skin and keep trying with this foundation because the colour match and coverage is so good.
But in conclusion, if you do not have smooth and even skin, be prepared to want to hide under your bed and not come out again, ever, when using this foundation. Even applied well, and I modestly admit to being pretty good with makeup on the whole, this is really not a foundation for the flaky, large-pored or oily unless you have some boss primer or are really committed to an exfoliating and moisturising routine. It's definitely better suited, or easier to wear, for someone with normal skin or mild blemishes who wants to look flawless in their makeup.

EDIT: I tried applying it with a kabuki brush instead of a foundation brush and what do you know? Much better! Just put a tiny dab on the back of your hand, apply it to your face with your fingers anywhere you want it to be, then buff it with the kabuki (or any domed) brush. I still dislike its staying power, though, and it has a tendency to go very shiny very quickly. It doesn't completely hide all my blemishes on its own, either. I'm going to use it with a matte powder foundation for extra coverage and see how that goes.

EDIT EDIT: Lol, so many edits :x finally, I have worked it out! Use less. Then use even less than that. Two tiny dabs on the back of your hand is enough to cover your whole face and then build up over the bad patches, seriously, it goes such a long way. Use a teeny bit more if there's any blemishes left. If it looks cakey over your pores, you are using too much. This is actually a fabulous thing, considering how long it will last! You need literally like a flat smudge on your finger for each bit of your face: each cheek, nose, chin and forehead, before building up over individual blemishes.
But it definitely needs a good primer underneath to be able to blend easily. I've been using it with Gosh matte primer and Maybelline's Rose Nude matte powder and it matches beautifully. Helps if you blow hot air on your face or wait a few hours before going anywhere afterwards, though, to let it settle down onto your skin. But then it looks oh-so-beautiful. At last, I'm pleased!

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lucreziad on 4/23/2011 5:24:00 AM more reviews by lucreziad

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I used to be loyal to Loreal True Match foundation in the porcelain shade, but then they discontinued the colour so I began my search for the perfect substitute! I tried MAC, Clinique and Shiseido with no luck! When I stumbled upon Illamasqua I thought, 'FINALLY, A MAKEUP BRAND THAT CATERS FOR PALE GIRLS!'. I purchased the RL foundation in '115' and never looked back!

This blends really easily over my primer and a little bit goes a really long way! Many people have commented that it's a bit too heavy for every day use, but I don't find it heavy at all. I think if you're going for the pale porcelain doll look, this foundation is perfect for night AND day.

I generally interchange between this and the Illamasqua cream foundation in 115, depending how I feel. The cream foundation seems a tinge bit darker, and I tend to wear it at work for a more natural look.

Just a word of caution - if you do decide to wear the RL foundation during the day, like i said before, a tiny bit goes a long way, so don't use too much.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

nic18 on 4/16/2011 6:27:00 PM more reviews by nic18

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I havent actually purchased this foundation yet because im stuck on which shade to order, i live quite far away from a illamasqua counter so i will have to order offline! Does anyone know which colour i should buy if im an nc15 in mac studio sculpt? Im stuck between 115 or 133. Please help :)

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injectlove on 4/11/2011 10:25:00 AM more reviews by injectlove

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I want to love this foundation, but my skin makes it impossible :(

It's quite thick, so difficult to apply, but I've got the hang of it now. The colour is amazing, no other foundation comes close!

My only problem is wear. Even while using a mattifying primer, and then powder and setting spray afterwards, it transfers off and is entirely off my nose within a few hours!

If it were a little more long lasting, it would be my HG.

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acneprone on 4/1/2011 10:31:00 PM more reviews by acneprone

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Ummm, this product maker must have like one black friend, and made a single color just for her. their color line is ridiculous. they have a broad range for fair skinned people (whites, asians maybe, etc), then, one than may possibly be applicable to a light-skinned black woman (think Tyra Banks, maybe Halle Berry..maybe), then the next color JUMPS to someone who's the shade of an Iman or Beverly Johnson. I mean, really? Gimme a break and step your color shade game up, Illamasqua.

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*TOP REVIEWER* slippingbeauty on 2/20/2011 12:42:00 AM more reviews by slippingbeauty

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I tried this foundation full power when I first got it and it was a little too much coverage. I was very disappointed to see that it did not mix well with moisturizer to sheer it out. However, I dot another, thinner foundation (currently, L'Oreal True Match) onto my skin and then dot the Illamasqua foundation over it. This gives the perfect amount of glow and opacity. I love it. Since I use so little (half a pea-sized amount daily, I'd say) the tube will last for a very long time. Overall, I am quite pleased and I would like to try more Illamasqua products.

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GavinPickle on 2/17/2011 11:29:00 AM more reviews by GavinPickle

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I adore this foundation. Most people have issue with the colours and the texture. To get the most from this foundation you really must try before you buy, and whatever you do, DO NOT apply this with a regular foundation brush, sponge.... or even worse your fingers. You need a medium sized dome shaped brush, such as the Illamasqua blusher brush 1 or highlighter brush.

Make sure you use a small amount, and blend in a circular motion, this foundation needs to be buffed into primed skin. It may seem a little high maintenance, but when applied correctly you'll get maximum coverage and no caking or sliding around.

Colour wise, a lot of the paler shades are a little yellow I must admit, but I'm yet to discover a range that has a shade for everyone!

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jessicawong57 on 2/5/2011 1:15:00 AM more reviews by jessicawong57

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

I am shade 210 and i love this foundation its great for photos and it looks flawless and it nearly matches my skin color and i used this with my MAC prep and prime powder transluscent and i love it i use this when i go out at night for photos and stuff love it

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*TOP REVIEWER* rp1017 on 1/25/2011 3:34:00 PM more reviews by rp1017

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I absolutely love Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation ........ this is the first time that I have ever found an exact match for my pale skin (I wear 105,) however, while the color is a 100% match, I do have an issue with the consistancy of this foundation. The foundation is very thick which is a plus as I can use this a concealer ......... I have a few discolorations underneath my chin, and due to the consistancy of this foundation, it works as a concealer, however, the negative issue I have with it is it being thick and hard to work with .......... I have found the best solution by dabbing a tiny pinhead dot in the center of the underneath of my chin, and then use my MAC stippling brush and it blends flawlessly (I cannot believe how literally the tiniest dot is enough coverage for me.) I then use the matching 105 powder foundation and swipe a quick sweep on my chin, and viola, I have perfect, and lasting coverage until I wash it off at night. Due to its consistancy, I can see how this would be difficult to use as foundation, however, as a concealer it works perfectly. Don't overdo with this foundation ........ this reminded me of Kevyn Aucoin's concealer, it that the tiniest dot gave you enough coverage for almost your entire face ....... Illamasqua's Rich Liquid Foundation is the same way ..... less is more.

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Hevz555 on 1/25/2011 6:53:00 AM more reviews by Hevz555

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

The sole purpose of me buying this was to have a white foundation which I could mix with my other foundations through the winter months and when other foundations are slightly too dark. Not many brands carry a pure white foundation so I purchased this.

This is very thick. I tend to wear medium coverage foundations so this by itself would definately be the fullest coverage foundation I have come across. However, a teeny tiny bit of this into my darker foundations is the solution I was looking for. It does end up giving my foundations a bit more coverage but I don't mind that and I really do just use a tiny amount which is enough to lighten any foundation. It works wonders on my undereye area so I have also been mixing a tiny bit with my concealer and it completely covers my undereye area.

Very happy with this product. Such a small amount is needed so I probably will never have to purchase this again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No