Some foundations which I wear really do play havoc with my skin; some of them are too oily and look really bad when I apply them, some give me dry skin and others block my pores and give me spots. I have lost count on the amount of money which I have wasted on foundations over the years, if I don't like the look of it when I apply it or I find that it dries or irritates my skin them I'll throw it in the bin straight away regardless of the amount of money which it cost me. On one occasion I spent £30 on a foundation which I only bought because I had heard that it was really good, only to throw it in the bin after three uses because it made my skin look all dry and blotchy. I had almost given up hope of finding the perfect foundation for my skin until my mums friend recommended Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Base to me. Albeit it is a little expensive but it does the trick and is perfect for my skin; A 9.9g Compact costs approximately £33.
I had never heard of
Jane Iredale nor her range of products before until my mums friend recommended them to me about 8 months or so ago. Apparently Jane Iredale set up her
cosmetics company in 1994; previous to that she had appeared in various films and
television adverts. Since 1994 her range of products have become really popular in America that Plastic Surgeons believe that her products are safe to use on skin which has been subject to operations such as face and eye lifts. Jane Iredale's range of products have become so popular over the last 14 years or so that they are now available world wide and not just from America.
The Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Base is supplied in a rather attractive gold coloured circular compact. When the compact is flipped opened there is a mirror on the top side and the powder and applicator are stored on the bottom; quite similar to any other compact foundation which you would purchase. On the front of the compact there is a J embossed which is obviously the Jane Iredale Logo, you also get a small navy blue coloured velour pouch in which your compact slides into so as it doesn't get bashed and damaged inside your make up bag or handbag if you are taking it out and about with you. The applicator which is supplied with the Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Base is a small circular pad which is white in colour and has a soft silky upside and a velvety application side. Like the compact case the applicator also has the same J embellished on the top side of it.
Before purchasing my Pure Pressed base I had to first find out which colour was best suited to my skin tone, I have quite a tanned
complexion so I opted for the Golden Glow shade of Pure Pressed Base. There are loads of different tones of Pure Pressed Base to choose from so there is a tone which will suit the lightest or even darkest of skin tones. According to the Jane Iredale Website there are another 23 tones of the Pressed base to choose from; so there is a wide selection, which is really useful considering most foundations are only available in a
small range of different tones.
The Golden Glow coloured tine which I choose is best suite for people whom have medium skin tones which have yellow or gold undertones, which applies to me as I have quite a tanned complexion.
I fond that applying the Pure Pressed Base is a really easy task to do as it only takes me a couple of minutes to achieve a perfect flawless coverage. There are a few ways in which you can apply it to your face; basically it is just the way in which you prefer, with me I tried a couple of various techniques until I found the one which looked the best and was easier for me to do. The first option is to apply it using the applicator sponge/pad which is supplied with the Pure Pressed Base. To apply using this method all you need to do is swirl the pad lightly around the compact and tap gently so as you remove the excess powder. Then apply to your face and neck

as you would do with any other foundation; applying the foundation in small layers until you have the desired look is probably the best way. I found that using the applicator was a quick and efficient way of applying the foundation to my face although I did think that it was too easy to apply too much of it and sometimes it often gave me an uneven complexion. The applicator is a good way of applying it if you have time and patience to take your time and get the best result; however for me I am often in a rush and don't have the time to apply it in this way so I use an alternative. The other method which I use to apply the foundation is to apply it using a
brush and work the base into my face in small circular motions so as I get perfect even coverage. There are lots and lots of different brushes on the market which you can use, some are cheap and others are expensive. The brush which I use to apply the Pure Pressed Base is a brush called
Mac Pro which only cost me about £10 from an online cosmetics website. Basically if you choose to apply the foundation using a brush then choose one which has good soft bristles which don't fall out from the brush shaft easily. When applying the foundation just lightly swirl the brush around and tap off any excess and then apply to your face and neck in circular movements so as you
get even coverage. I find that using the brush gives the best coverage as it seems to get the foundation into all the little creases on your face such as the eye area and around the nose.; where as the applicator which was included with the Pire Pressed Base was rather difficult to get into these areas and resulted in a patchy appearance. So if you are going to apply using a brush then make sure that you choose one which has good quality bristles and one which feels comfortable to use. The Pure Pressed Base should be applied onto clean, moisturised skin. This foundation is quite concentrated so a little amount goes a really long way.
After the foundation is applied to my face it looks glowing and the coverage is perfect and is achieved in a mater of 2 minutes or less. The best thing about the foundation is the fact that I can wear a light or white coloured blouse to work and not have to worry about it rubbing off on my clothes, if I'm am cuddling up on the settee with my partner watching a film then it also doesn't rub off onto his clothes.
Once applied in the morning the foundation lasts right up until the evening before I wash it off before going to bed. Most foundations which I have used in the past only last a short while before they start to fade away and need reapplied again, but with this one I can wear it all day without needing to check it to see if it looks ok. If however I think that there are a few little parts which need touched up then I can do this easily and quickly using my brush.
In the eight months or so which I have been using the Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Base I haven suffered from any of the problematic
skin problems which I had experienced prior to using it. It makes my skin look radiant, glowing and flawless, it blends in with my natural skin tone perfectly and it doesn't make me look as if I have foundation on, it just gives me a healthy glow and it covers up any spots or marks I have on my face. The best thing about this foundation is the fact that it covers up uneven skin tones perfectly as well as scars, rosaicia, etc. I have a scar on my
forehead which is still quite pink in colour, some foundations don't cover it up and you can still see it shining through, but with the Jane Iredale foundation you wouldn't even know there was a scar there.
The Pure Pressed Base is a 4 in 1 product, it can be used as a foundation, concealer, powder and sunscreen, so even although this sounds like an expensive product you are really saving money as you will only need to use this and wont need to by separate SPF sunscreen, concealer etc. The Pressed Base is made from Micronised Minerals, natural antioxidant extracts of Pine Bark and Pomegranate. The Micronised Minerals reflect the light so as you get an even flawless coverage every time you use it. The built in sunscreen is SPF 20 so you don't have to worry about applying separate sunscreen as well as foundation. The only thing about the built in sunscreen is that you need to reapply this foundation every 4 hours or so if you are exposed to the sun for long periods of time as the sunscreen only lasts for a certain length of time. You should also reapply the Pure Pressed base if you have been towel drying or perspiring excessively.
I highly recommend using this product as it gives you perfect flawless coverage and has the added benefit of a built in sunscreen . Since using the Jane Iredale Pure
Pressed Powder I haven't had any dry skin or
oily skin outbreaks nor have I ruined numerous amounts of white tops due to the foundation rubbing off onto my clothes. I can wear this foundation without worrying about it rubbing off everywhere, This is a particularly good product to use if you have birth marks on your face or scars or burns as it will cover them perfectly and give you a healthy looking glow without making you look as if you are wearing foundation. A really fantastic product despite its £33 price tag; one which I will continue to purchase.
A 9.9g compact of this product will last a really long time, I have only bought one compact and this has lasted me eight months (daily use) and there is still loads left in it.
I estimate that this compact should last me for another four or five months before I need to replace it with another. Once your compact is opened you have 24 months to use it up before it needs throwing out, so it also has a really long shelf life which is useful if you aren't going to use it on a daily basis.
For more information on Jane Iredale or her range of colours or products please have a look at her website which is http://www.janeiredaledirect.com/ or www.JaneIredale.com
You can also purchase Jane Iredale cosmetics from her website and from www.musthave.co.uk or EBay. Prices may differ depending on where you purchase it from. I paid £33 for a 9.9g Pure Pressed Base.
Pure Pressed Base isn't tested on animals nor does it contain any talc, oils or chemicals so it is suitable for those whom have sensitive skin types.
Thanks for reading
:O) Lisa x
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2008