Posted September 4, 2012 by Suzanne Jackson in Beauty

REVIEW: New Clarins Skin Illusion Mineral Powder Foundation!

I had never tried a mineral foundation before, the thought of a face full of powdered make-up used to make me quiver, because as you all know by now – I love a glowy foundation……. but Clarins may have changed my mind

The top beauty brand have formulated a new loose powder foundation using a combination of plant and mineral extract like pink opal powder which illuminates the skin. I was excited to try it becaause for years my mam has being saying that they are the best!

So lets the the review started…

The Packaging:

The foundation is loosely stored in a cube container that has it’s very own kabuki brush built into the lid. In order to open it, you just twist and click open – very easy to use and quite quirky! The brush itself is very good quality and I’ll certainly be hanging onto it after this foundation has finished.

The Foundation:

First of all, I love the scent, it smells fresh and floral, as a lot of Clarins powders do and I love it! I was afraid that it may look too obvious on my skin, I HATE that cakey powder look, but it actually doesn’t appear that way. You should prep your skin first and the application is the key here read more about this below). The foundation itself looks flawless and blends in beautifully. Skin Illusion doesn’t feel heavy on the skin, if fact, I can’t even feel it.

The Longevity:

It is long-lasting and stays on really well. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to test it out in the heat but it does stay on all day long when it’s +25C.

The Coverage:

The powder is very finely milled and leaves skin looking airbrushed and flawless. Coverage is medium. It’s not full but not sheer. The finish is not fully matte but almost. It’s soft though and not heavy or ashy and looks good. If you like powders and can use them, ie: oilier skins, you need to check this!!

The Application:

The kabuki brush that comes with the foundation is very handy and I find that it is great for applying powder foundation. Buff the product into the skin with the circular motions until it blends in completely.

Make sure that you tap off the excess as you don’t need that much! It also very important to properly moisturize your skin before (I don’t mean just before the application) as you don’t want to enhance the dry patches on your skin.

The Shades:

There are six shades available: 105 Nude, 107 Beige, 108 Sand, 109 Wheat, 110 Honey, 112 Amber. I actually have the 112 Amber one and I love it!

Hopefully, I have covered everything but if you have questions, feel free to ask them in the comments!

The Price:

€36

Here’s a quick snap I just took with only the foundation on, I didn’t put much on, but I think it’s so natural looking. Hope this snap give you an idea of the colour/coverage etc.