4

Nov

2011

Bridal style: Bridal makeup – A review of the best liquid foundations for your big day

You may have noticed a few changes to the blog this week, I have been adding in new features and there are still more to come, but this afternoon I would like to introduce you to what will be a regular Friday feature; Bridal Style.
Today we are talking make-up and skincare (my favourite subject after food) with good friend to the Boho Blog, Catherine Hughes from Ivy Clara. Catherine has been trying out the best the market has to offer in liquid foundations, so you don’t have to do the hard work. So I’ll pass the blog over to Catherine and she will tell you her findings.

 

Review of the best liquid foundations

 

Normal skin: Illamasqua Skin base foundation

bridal make-up

What it claims:
The Ultimate ‘Skin Realism’ Foundation
Inspired by the cult Asian market Beauty Balm creams, Skin Base Foundation is a brand new, refined formula unlike anything on the UK market. Easily blendable, it effortlessly creates a perfect complexion, and like the entire Illamasqua foundation range, is undetectable in a professional HD environment. Suitable for all skin types, it smoothes, softens
and conditions your skin whilst providing natural, buildable coverage.

My thoughts:
I’ve got to say, this is fast becoming a favourite of mine. It provides excellent coverage but has an ‘air brushed’ finish which looks truly believable. It is easy to apply and blend with both fingers and a brush and lately a few photographers have commented on how flawless it appears on camera due to its High Definition (HD) properties. Brides have reported it
being very light even though it can be built up to provide total coverage. This definitely suits normal to combination skin but on dry skin I would recommended ensuring that your face has been moisturised well.  I love this…!

 

Dry /Matures Skin: Chanel Vita Lumiere

bridal make-up

What it claims:
 The ultimate solution to tired skin, the best-selling CHANEL foundation instantly revitalizes the complexion upon application — and throughout the day. The formula has been updated with ingredients to specifically target dry, dull and uneven skin, and moisturizing agents to provide hydration and comfort. A marine extract boosts cell energy to enhance radiance, and light-reflecting pigments smooth away imperfections, creating a soft-focus effect. Creamy and luxuriously lightweight, this essential daily foundation blends effortlessly for perfectly
smooth, even-toned, radiant skin.

My thoughts:
Chanel’s VitaLumiere foundation is a g choice great choice if you are looking for a fairly sheer, natural-looking foundation with a hint of dewiness. Although it has a dewy finish, I advise topping with loose powder for a more matte effect especially on the t-zone. Although it has a wonderful finish, I would advise using it if you have fairly dry skin and need minimal
coverage as the staying power does not match some of the other foundations I use. If you need moderate to heavy coverage, this is not the foundation for you. Also I wouldn’t recommend this for oily skin. With regards to weddings, this is not a product I would use as, due to it’s moisturising properties, I would be concerned about it’s staying power. In my opinion, this foundation is a dream to apply and is suited dry-very dry skin or matures skin. It doesn’t lie in fine lines and accentuate them- it actually softens them and makes them less visible which is great for around the eye area. I use this foundation on my mother of brides and my own mum They absolutely loves the effect it has-flawless without being heavy with a softening effect. Dry and more mature skin can cope with the level of moisturiser in the product as the finish stays ‘glowing’ as opposed to oily.

(Chanel also have a similar product called VitaLumiere Aqua which is said to be a little less dewy so if you like a sheer cover without being too ‘glowing’, this could be the product for you. The guys at Chanel are more than happy to provide samples so pop along to your nearest counter and have a trial!)

 

Oily/Combination skin: Chanel Matte L’umiere

bridal make-up

What it claims:
Perfect for combination skin with a tendency to shine, this oil-free formula delivers a soft, natural matte finish with maximum staying power. Medium coverage looks impeccable and
shine-free for up to 12 hours.

My thoughts:
I find this foundation great for brides who have issues with oiliness and the staying power of foundation. This is a medium coverage foundation which is easily buildable to provide extra
coverage where needed. The texture is more like a light gel than a liquid and smoothes onto the skin very well. On drier areas of the face (around eyes, the outer edges and cheeks) it is important to use sparingly. I normally start in the centre of the face and blend the product outwards to avoid over loading the skin. I always ensure the bride has moisturised beforehand and use a primer underneath. The main pros of this product is the fact it will last  extremely well and will not need touching up during the day apart from maybe a blotting powder on the nose if the skin is extremely oily. This foundation is a firm favourite with brides who tend to suffer from ‘hormonal’ skin as it doesn’t clog pores and controls unpredictable oiliness. If you have combination/oily skin I would definitely recommend this foundation.

 

Foundation Phobic!: Giorgio Armani –Face Fabric

bridal make-up

What it claims
 Giorgio Armani translates his skills in texture and layering into its unique range of cosmetic textiles, a wardrobe for face. Face fabric is an invisible makeup with a 3D Micro-fil™ technology. Its unique Micro-fil™ formulations bring lightness and fluidity to makeup, allowing infinite blending and layering to enhance the natural glow of the skin. A subtle, neutral palette is accented with three shades – porcelain, apricot, soft rose – to be used alone to create a healthy-looking glow, combined with any of the shades to boost the color, or alone to sculpt or highlight the complexion

My thoughts:
This foundation is a personal favourite for everyday use as, in a 20 second application, my skin literally becomes airbrushed. I have never been able to use tinted moisturiser due to having an oily t-zone. This has the best of both worlds! Light and airy with sheer coverage, but no shine in sight! I seriously love this product and for me, I doubt any other will take over in terms of my daily makeup routine. However, for brides this is not a product I would use unless the bride had very good skin and didn’t really want to wear foundation. It’s perfect for foundation haters! Another good use is for weddings abroad where a light coverage is wanted without shininess. If you’re foundation phobic, I think you’ll be bowled over by this!

 

Thank you to Catherine for this informative review, Catherine will be back in a few weeks with more make up reviews and more ‘How to’ Bridal looks, so make sure you pop back.

If you have a foundation you use that you want to share with everyone, why not tell us, or if you have used any of the foundations above then let us know what you think.

For more information on Catherine’s bridal make-up work go to
www.ivyclara.co.uk
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TWITTER

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Comments

    Colette

    Fantastic advice, I think I’ll have to add Illamasqua Skin base foundation to my list of things to buy this month x

    Reply

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