MY TOP 5 FOUNDATIONS

Finding the right foundation can be a big challenge. Despite reading into the reviews and doing the research, I find that I can never really predict how a product will wear on me until I've tested it out on my skin. I've been on a bit of a foundation kick lately - I've read through my fair share of 'favourites' and 'top 5s' in the blogging world, and as a result my stash has grown significantly in the last few months. 

I generally jump between various foundations depending on the condition of my skin and the weather, which means sometimes I will use up to 5 different foundations over the course of one week! It is an essential product in my makeup routine, so I thought I would share some of my absolute favorites in this post. I'm going to try to keep things short by pining it down to the key factors, but don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions. Also, I would love to know what some of your current favourite foundations are! :D

In no particular order…

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation (53)
Coverage: Light to medium
Longevity: 6-7 hours
Shade Range: 5 shades available
SPF: None
Primer I use with this foundation: Various (It's worked with pretty much all my primers!)

My current favourite drugstore foundation. I usually reach for this when my skin is looking a little dry and tired - I find that it gives my skin the boost it needs without making my face too 'shiny', which is often the case for me when it comes to illuminating products. I do point out that this foundation is not the longest wearing product (I have combination skin), but it stays put for most of the workday, so it is a great choice for a day-to-day foundation.

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation (5.5)
Coverage: Medium to full
Longevity: 9-10 hours
Shade Range: 26 shades available
SPF: None
Primer I use with this foundation: Illamasqua Hydra Veil

The wear of this foundation is fantastic, it lasts from day to night even around oilier areas of my face (mainly the T-zone area). The product blends seamlessly into the skin and is overall great to work with. This foundation can be easily built up to full coverage, but also wears quite natural if applied sparingly. Illamasqua Skin Base is a great choice for flash photography, it contains no SPF so there won't be any unwanted flash back.

Jump for more foundation love!

GIORGIO ARMANI ROUGE ECSTASY CC LIPSTICKS

Hello blog - I'm back! :)

There's something undeniably striking about the look of these Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy CC lipsticks. Up until this point, I had not been sold on many of Giorgio Armani's lipstick releases, but the packaging alone of these had me hunting them down as soon as they were available. I absolutely adore the bold red magnetic encasing - it's sleek, luxurious and definitely an attention grabber when taken out in public. LOVE!!

Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy CC lipsticks are formulated to give 'colour' and 'care', providing high colour payoff and hydration to keep those lips moisturised. Mine are generally quite dry so I can't really say that they feel particularly hydrated after application, but the formula sits very comfortably and does not dry out as the colour wears off.

These lipsticks apply very smooth, they glide on effortlessly without feeling too creamy or heavy on the lips. I find the pigmentation varies just slightly with different shades, but are very pigmented nonetheless. You can see micro shimmers in the bullet of the lipstick if you look closely, but this does not transfer when worn, leaving a very natural and lustrous finish.

Like many balm/lipstick hybrids, Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy does not have a significantly long wear time. The colour lasted about 3-4 hours, though darker shades like 400 will leave a stain that eventually fades out at the end of the day. However, the longevity of these lipsticks is something I'm willing to sacrifice for the smooth texture, so no complaints here.

Jump for the swatches!

THE MAKEUP EDITION IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

And will be back very soon! :)

I'm sorry for being on hiatus for so long...I've had quite an eventful year - both good and bad - but everything is back on track now and I'm ready to get things rolling again!

I'm still working through a few kinks here and there with the new layout, but I'm aiming to have it all finalised before the end of the week.

So please bear with me a little longer! Thank you so much to those who are still here!

<3