Illamasqua • Skin Base foundation • Liquid

Where To Buy?

xcarbonx on 1/3/2012 5:21:00 AM more reviews by xcarbonx

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

Firstly, this will not be a review on the product it's self. I only purchased this yesterday so have not used it to the extent that I feel would be fair to base a review on.

I just wanted to write an initial reaction to the colour selection & the colour which I was matched with, hopefully to stop anyone wanting to try this with a similar skin tone to myself from purchasing the wrong shade.

I am currently wearing MAC Pro Longwear in NC20, with a tad of NW15 mixed in to lighten up and neutralize the yellow slightly (I find the NC shades of Pro Longwear to be extremely yellow).

The Illamasqua comparison chart recommends SB3 in place of NC20 & SB2 in place of NW15 - Which means that I would have purchased either, or both, of these shades had I purchased online.

As a new store just opened in my city, I decided it would be best to go for a colour match, as opposed to trusting the online swatches & recommendations - Thank goodness I did.

SB2 & SB3 are VERY pale, far too pale for me.

I ended up being matched with SB5, which is described as a pink tone but I find to be more neutral. It may be slightly pinker than SB4, but only very slightly.

So, the moral of my story/review is - If you are unable to get to a store & have a skin tone between MAC's 15-20, which is pretty much neutral but can lean slightly pink or slight yellow, I would definately try SB4 or SB5 & absolutely avoid the lighter shades!

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illamasquaFreak on 12/26/2011 12:35:00 AM more reviews by illamasquaFreak

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Violet    

Illamasqua SkinBase is a product that continues to amaze me, if you have reasonably good skin, you need only the foundation! Ofcourse if you're worried, use a primer. If you have medium skin or are having a bad skin phase/day set it with a translucent pp or a pressed foundation. And for those of us with bad skin, they have an excellent concealer availiable! Prime it, Conceal it, Skin Base it then set it and you're skin will glow with a luminosity unknow to you before. deffinately a keeper.
(Add me to favourites if this helped, contact me for further info on illamasqua, i'm an expert ;) )

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jaykay91 on 12/7/2011 11:30:00 PM more reviews by jaykay91

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

It is medium coverage and can be buildable. It cover all most acne scar and it doesnt dry craky on my skin. I feel like I have nothing on, just feel like it is my skin!! There are lot of color range, i totally love its!

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halwaya on 11/30/2011 3:53:00 AM more reviews by halwaya

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

I bought this one after so many great reviews (written and vlogs) and I after I tried it was really disappointed. It just didn't work for me - and quite frankly it is one of the worst I have ever had. I tried different combinations while applying the product: moisturise my skin before application, use the make-up primer/ smoother, use the foundation brush/ my hands.. very little and a bit more product - every time I get the same result: not even looking, coming off the nose.. highlighted dryness of the cheeks, and what is the worst of all - it gets into the wrinkle lines. Only mixing it with other foundation (like Double Wear -EL) allows me to use this product and look so what good. I don't know what's wrong with it. It is a genuine one (bought from the Debenhams UK).. or what is wrong with me. So far I am more happy with Dior Diorskin-Forever or even Revlon ColourStay (which for the price is the winner). I am sorry to ruin such a good rating, but I had to be honest. This foundation is a no-no for a dry skin.

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changelyng on 11/16/2011 6:06:00 PM more reviews by changelyng

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

For reference, I am an NW15 (but can also be NC15 depending on the foundation), Chanel VLA BR10. I have dry patches of skin around nose and forehead and redness on my cheeks (oh yes, I'm just blessed with awesome skin! Not.)

I'm writing this review because I bought the wrong shade (SB2) and I relied on the comparison charts on the Illamasqua site to make my decision. SB2 is far too pale for me. I look ghostly. I am verrry pale as it is but somehow SB2 makes my teeth look yellow and my neck have a yellow tinge! I will use this shade in Winter or when I'm going to a Goth club and will buy a darker shade (possibly, SB5 and mix down with SB2 if required) for every day wear because I like the coverage and finish.


Despite my shade issues, I am going to do my pros and cons:

Pros:
* excellent coverage (even though this is the wrong tone, it covers really well. I'd say it was medium to full coverage for me)
* only need a tiny amount to cover full face
* squeezy bottle packaging is durable and highly portable
* feels nice on the skin - not too sticky


Cons:
* website shade comparison charts are just plain wrong
* I actually went to and Illamasqua counter in Robina, QLD, Australia on a Saturday around 11am and there were NO staff to help me with shade selection. I came back an hour later and there were still no staff. Not one. I couldn't believe it. This is why I purchased the foundation online and relied on the comparison charts.
* this is not a slap on and go type foundation. As with all Illamasqua foundations you will need to play around with the application styles to get it working for you.
* it settles into fine lines on the face just like every other Illamasqua foundation I've ever used.
* basically, it's too much trouble.

**update** I received the correct shade yesterday which I correctly guessed as SB5 (with no help from the website comparison chart) and it has made all the difference. Very happy with the coverage and finish so far.

**update again ** I dislike this foundation. It's just too much trouble. There are better foundations that are easier to use.

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taliahx on 11/1/2011 11:37:00 PM more reviews by taliahx

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

I've used Napoleon Perdis for pretty much the entirety of my makeup life, so I thought that I would try something different. The colour is incredible, even though the artist said it might be a little dark, my face is lighter so it blends in well. The coverage is pretty good. The finish is pretty good too. But the one thing I can't get over is how oily it makes my skin! I suppose I do have a little bit of oil in my t-zone but this is ridiculous, I literally wipe it off! I'm thinking of trying it with another primer (using NP atm) and seeing how it works. But overall (besides the oiliness) it's a pretty nice foundation!

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brbrbr on 10/31/2011 5:43:00 AM more reviews by brbrbr

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I bought this foundation on a whim. I was looking for something with very high coverage like the rich liquid foundation, but the mua tried it out on me and it really didnt sit well on my dry skin, so she tried this one out instead. It has medium coverage, but still manages to cover my very red cheeks nicely without looking cakey and has a dewy finish. I would definitely recommend this for people with dry skin. The mua matched me with 6th shade with I think might be only very slightly dark on me but it is coming into summer in Aus. The only thing I dont like about this product is that it doesnt have a whole lot of staying power, so I use a bit of setting powder which I dont normally like to use. Overall a great product. A bit over my price range at 65 aus dollars but the mua mentioned the price would be coming down. Would purchase again. Id like to get the white shade and a darker one for playing around with.

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KGirl24 on 10/30/2011 9:33:00 PM more reviews by KGirl24

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This is a pretty nice foundation. I bought this in shade #4 which is a close match to my NC20 skin. I found the shade matching section to be very close. I wear sand in Bobbi Brown foundations and I was matched to shade 4. The coverage is medium with a natural finish. With MAC Prep+Prime SPF 50, this lasts all day for me. I took one lippie off because I have found that if you are not careful in applying this, it can look cakey and unnatural.

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clay2626 on 10/21/2011 9:51:00 PM more reviews by clay2626

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I have this in SB04 and I am usually in between MAC 20-25, this color was simply too light for me though I used their color matching chart on their website. I would probably go for SB06 which is considered a neutral color if I were to re-purchase.
I read mixed reviews on whether this foundation would last on oily skin but I decided to give it a try. I really wanted to like this foundation but it simply did not last on my oily skin, not only did I have a lot of shine but the foundation became blotchy and disappeared from several areas after a couple of hours. I struggle to have any foundations last, the best being Double Wear, Sisley Oil Free but this may be a good foundation for others who do not struggle with oily skin. I am not sure If would repurchase but I am going to try this with a primer and see if that makes a difference.

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*TOP REVIEWER* CHLee916 on 10/9/2011 5:01:00 AM more reviews by CHLee916

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) - I like this. I've been wearing Trish McEvoy foundation for years (her real skin). It's light and airy and works well for me. I am running out of my last bottle and tried this one. I love it. It is thicker than Real Skin BUT it doesn't give my skin the appearance of wearing a heavier foundation. It goes on great, covers thoroughly and still looks natural and dewy on me. The color matching system is right on. I always end up with too dark or too light. As a MAC C5/6 and NC 44/45 the 13 really matched. That was an area of concern. This foundation is pricey but oh so worth it.

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bogo_pogo on 10/6/2011 2:36:00 PM more reviews by bogo_pogo

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Dry, Dark, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Have this in No.14 (using MAC Satinfinish in NC44 and YSL Anti-cernes Concealer in No.4).

Colour: PERFECT for me - and that is a big statement to make. Really impressed with the colour as find it difficult even with MAC.

Packaging:the nozzle makes it easy to dispense on back of hand, see through so you can see how much you are using.

Price: you get 30ml and because I got it at discount price, was value for me. At full price, I would still buy again.

Formula: have not found it irritates my sensitive skin at all. Have eczema and can use over that. It feels thick, like a cream a bit, but does not feel heavy when you have it on which is an achievement! Very much like how it feels.

Coverage: this is the most full coverage I have had so far as usually have sheer to medium ones. This for me is med to full. Not a natural look, given how it does give you smooth canvas, but you dont look overdone imo.

If they could expand the Rich Liquid Foundation colours and I could find a match, I would try that too. I dont use this for work, more for weekends and going out so should last a good while. Will repurchase.

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jennieafero on 10/4/2011 11:53:00 AM more reviews by jennieafero

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Wow. I am in love :)

I basically stumbled across this little gem. I thought I was happy with my Mac Studio Fix foundation but didn't want to use this for my bridesmaid makeup (it has SPF, with photographers flash can make skin "white out").

I went to nearly every makeup counter in House of Fraser then Debenhams and each brand all the foundations had SPF (Except MAC Face & Body, but I'm not a huge fan). Anyway I came accross Illamasqua and non of their foundations contained SPF, Hurray! So after testing a few I decided on the *New* Skin Base Foundation in shade 08.

After a few wears I have to say I am hooked! The formula is really easy to work with and is surprisingly thick. The coverage is buildable and I just apply it with my fingers. It gives the most gorgeous glowing, healthy looking natural complexion. I have really pale/rosey/freckly skin and usually prefer full coverage but I am very happy with this.

Something I found interesting however was on the Illamasqua website there is a shade comparison chart for all different brands (MAC, Bobby Brown ect). With MAC I wear NW20. The shade comparison chart shows that the Illamasqua shade I bout this foundation in (08) is comparable to NW 30 wich I don't agree with so if you are buing this brand for the first time I would sample it and definetly visit a counter to get the right shade.

A lot of people are commenting on their skin improving due to the Beauty Balm element and all I can say is that my skin has not had any break outs and feels very moisturised which is unheard of as my skin is temperamental and extremly dry. I love this stuff. Can't reccomend it more highly. If you want it, and this shade in particular - Good luck! It's sold out and their is a waiting list online. Can only mean good things! :)

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Maddieo87 on 9/30/2011 4:49:00 AM more reviews by Maddieo87

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Lovely, high definition, beautiful foundation. If only it came in the right colour for me! I use this if I want full coverage for cheerleading mixed with either my Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc or Clinique Superbalanced in shade 02. Still, wonderful foundation if you can get it in the right colour.

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kalikabarlow on 9/23/2011 10:57:00 AM more reviews by kalikabarlow

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Hazel    

First day of using this foundation and I have to say, so far I'm impressed! The colour matches me excellently and really covers up most of all imperfections and lasts flawlessly for about seven hours or so. After that it deteriorates a little but that's true for most foundations on combination skin. But this one stays excellently and keeps its colour! No orange to be had here and it goes on so smooth and lovely looking. I'll update as time goes on but so far, so good!

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*TOP REVIEWER* wonderbuy on 9/10/2011 3:01:00 AM more reviews by wonderbuy

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

If you have never used this brand of foundations, the Rich Liquid Foundation (RLF) is much better. This could look great photographed however my foundation goals are smoothness, undetectable med coverage and longevity of wear, which unfortunately this fails. I would say that at best, this is on the bad side of OK. This is most suited to young, unlined faces with no imperfections. If you test a bit on the back of your hand, you can see the way it settles into the lines, this does not happen with RLF. I find the texture of this to be unrefined and emphasises all the imperfections on my face. I have read this complaint among bloggers and discovered myself that this is true. The degree of coverage is medium and unless you are an exact color match, it is very obvious you are wearing foundation. The girls leaving dept store demos has a clear demarcation where there was no perfect match, with RLF, this just does not happen. I find this a lot goopier than RLF, which is quite sheer when used with primer however this just made me one oily mess with primer. I highly recommend you test a small sample prior to purchase. One more thing I don't like is the fact that its MADE IN THAILAND, whereas the rest of this brand is made in Germany (this brand is made by Kryolan).

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burntlego on 9/1/2011 5:39:00 AM more reviews by burntlego

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I got a sample of this foundation from Illamasqua's Beak Street store while I was in London, and have been testing it on/off for a couple of weeks now.


I'm Middle Eastern with a medium skintone. I'm somewhere between an 8 – 9, I took shade 8 home as it's more neutral ad that's what the MUA matched me to, but I think it's a little too pink for me and I'd probably buy shade 9. Saying that, I was able to blend this out and have it look natural without mixing it with a more yellow-toned foundation, so I was impressed!


Texture:


I thought this would be a lot thinner than it actually is, and that it would be like a tinted moisturiser. How wrong was I? It's actually really thick, when you squeeze a blob out onto the back of your hand, it holds its shape rather than spreading out. I'd say it's a medium – thick coverage base.


Application:


When applying, you have to make sure you have a good moisturiser underneath. I personally found the foundation quite difficult to work into the skin, and had to use a bit of Fix+ to help it blend out. However, I do think this was also due to the brush I was using: I usually use the MAC 109 brush but I think this foundation would work best with a flat brush where you can really work it into the skin rather than just buff it in. A little goes a long way! I got a 5ml tube and use a pea-sized amount for full face application, there is still plenty left in my sample tube.


Now, I absolutely HATE heavy foundations (lookin' at you, Estee Lauder Double Wear!) but once applied, this foundation looked beautiful and felt lovely on the skin.


When you apply you can tell it's on your face but after a couple of minutes it seems to melt into the skin and really blend in. It made my skin look really flawless, and on days where I wanted something lighter, I'd use Skin Base as a concealer (something which the Illamasqua MUA also recommended.) It works brilliantly as a concealer alone, is really buildable although you don't need much anyway, and stays put once fixed with some powder.


Longevity:


After a few hours, the foundation did make my face a bit shiny. I have classic normal/combination skin with an oily t-zone, particularly during the summer, and this foundation left me glowing – I wouldn't say oily as my face wasn't greasy to the touch but it definitely gives you a bit of shine. it's not an oil-free formula though so if you do have particularly oily skin you may want to use a good powder or choose a different foundation altogether. Personally I quite liked the 'glow'. I did find that it lasted all day and I only reapplied powder once, which I probably would do with any other base – so not a big deal to me.
Applied at 9am, it will last 'til about 3pm, so not bad going! Although do bear in mind this completely depends on your skin type.


What do I think?


Overall, if you're a fan of medium coverage, then I would recommend this foundation. Although it's pricey it works well as a concealer, and for a lighter application it mixes well with moisturiser so I see it as a multi-purpose product. As with all Illamasqua products, Skin Base comes in a fantastic colour range where you'd easily find a shade to match your skin tone.
I think the main thing to remember is that this product is based on Asian BB cream in theory and doesn't count itself as a similar or copycat product, so if you are looking for something which has a texture akin to a BB cream, then you may be better off with a lighter/oil free foundation or tinted moisturiser instead.


PS - I can't comment much on the packaging as I got a little sample tube but have heard the full-size product plastic packaging is hard to squeeze and get the product out once it starts running out. Haven't tried it myself so I've rated it mid-way at a 3!
All I can say is I'm glad it doesn't come with a pump because a pumpful would dispense too much product, you really don't need much at all. Wish the full-size came in a squeezy tube :)

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QuirkyFashionista on 8/29/2011 5:14:00 PM more reviews by QuirkyFashionista

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

I'm in love with this foundation. I actually had a foundation I was satisfied with, but got a tube of this from a friend because the shade was too light for her. It was too light for me too (shade 02), but I liked it so much that I ordered it in another shade (04), which turned out to be a perfect match.

Skin Base provides medium coverage, which is buildable, depending on the application method and amount of product you are using, you can get light coverage to very good coverage- depending on what you prefer. The finish is not mask-like and obvious at all.

I use a Sigma F80 flat-top kabuki to apply this, I find that this works better than using fingers or a traditional foundation brush,

It's easy to apply, blends easily, the result is flawless, it's long-lasting and it potographs amazingly- they didn't add sun screen to this to make it potograph better, and it really makes a difference. I originally thought the lack of sun screen was a con, but now I've learned that foundations with sun protection really do not provide much protection at all, so now I use separate sun screen underneath primer and foundation, and find that this works perfectly.


A warning/tip: this foundation does not oxidise after applying, like many foundations do- my Guerlain Parure Extreme is at least a shade darker half an hour after applying it. So don't purchase a shade that is too light expecting it to turn darker on the skin after a while- this doesn't!

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cyro on 7/26/2011 3:50:00 PM more reviews by cyro

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Tried this foundation today...and wow im impressed, i have been looking for my holy grail for a loooong time and finally think i have found something, the colour is a really good match which is hard to find for me as i am a nc20-25 in mac and have yellow/olive undertones (i am shade 03). It is very hard to find a product that doesnt give me a white cast or is too dark, it is slighlty lighter but matches my neck and i can warm it up with a brozer or powder. Regarding the comparison to BB creams; i was slighlty addicted to finding one but they all broke me out quite badly, i think due to the oils and amount of ingredients, they would leave me with an oil slick after a few hours and also oxidise to a darker colour, I was so disappointed because i can't stand foundations that are heavy and make me feel like i want to take it off but also need the coverage to mask scarring from breakouts, this foundation is dare i say perfect for that, it covers verrrry well and doesn't feel like i have much on at all, iv never put a foundation on and actually looked in the mirror and said wow. The only problems i have come across are A. The price B. the packaging as it is a little harder to squeeze out, C. some minor fine lines would look a little more apparent but not over the top only if i look reallly close, not noticable. I havn't had any problem with oxidisation or oil seeping through or transferring onto clothes, hope this helps :).
UPDATE: ok i am so upset! I love this foundation BUT it does not stay and wipes off so easily :( also some shine comes through my t-zone after a few hours which hardly ever happens with my skin i am not considerably oily apart from when wearing bb creams, also it accentuates dry patches.. so i dont really see how this would work for either dry skinned or oily peopless. its such a shame if only the formula was able to sink a little better rather than sit on my face.

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g on 7/19/2011 6:17:00 PM more reviews by g

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

An excellent foundation. I use number 12 which is a good match for my nc40, mufe 34 skin. There is something about the product which is like a treatment which supports the literature behind the product. A little goes a long way. I mix it with Armani sheer fluid 2 (another excellent mau tip, thank you!) and I have glossy, glowy skin all day long. It lasts and looks like the skin you wish you had. Give it a go, you won't regret it.

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am355 on 7/15/2011 6:39:00 PM more reviews by am355

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight   Eyes: Green    

I am really loving this foundation! I have troublesome skin - blotchy, moderate redness, the odd blemish and oily in the t-zone. I usually go for the fullest coverage I can find but seeing as I have a summer tan and am feeling a little more skin confident, and the foundation's BB cream comparisons I decided to take the plunge and get Skin Base.

I went into the store to be colour matched and ended up SB09. It's a medium shade with yellow undertones. It matches my skin and chest perfectly (damn you annoyingly pale neck) and gives a medium to full coverage but without the cakiness or obviousness. I love the glowy look it gives to skin and it seems to smooth its appearance. My redness is completely covered and the foundation is still in place at the end of the day - no mean feat for my greasy nose! For me this foundation has reached HG status.

Pros:
Great natural looking coverage
Long wearing
Extremely blendable
Blemishes have improved since use began

Cons:
Fairly expensive

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