Prescriptives Virtual Skin foundation

...some new foundation. I chose Prescriptives Virtual Skin, which is a brand I had been wanting, nay longing to try. In the UK, a 30ml bottle will cost about £20 upwards, so I was pleased to have obtained the same product for $22.00.

**FIRST THINGS FIRST**

I am becoming an old hand at this cosmetic testing routine, and one thing I have learned- my skin changes from day to day, depending on a number of factors. How much ...
...now fallen in love with Prescriptives Virtual Skin, which is excellent for those days when my skin is in relatively good shape. On other days, I full recognise it is probably not going to be enough to give me decent coverage. I say this at the beginning, because it's important to recognise that everyone's skin is different, and if you run out and buy this because I said it was good, you may well be disappointed. This is why they have Tester bottles. ... more

Does the perfect foundation really exist, or is it some mythical Holy Grail quest which I forever spend my time and hard earned money seeking?

On my recent trip to the US, I decided to use the cosmetic factory outlet as an excuse to purchase some new foundation. I chose Prescriptives Virtual Skin, which is a brand I had been wanting, nay longing to try. In the UK, a 30ml bottle will cost about £20 upwards, so I was pleased to have obtained the same product for $22.00.

**FIRST THINGS FIRST**

I am becoming an old hand at this cosmetic testing routine, and one thing I have learned- my skin changes from day to day, depending on a number of factors. How much sleep I have had. How much water I have drunk. How much alcohol I have drunk the night before. How much sun or windburn I have experienced. How many spots I have. Bearing this ever changing palate in mind, I came to the realisation that NO foundation is ever going to be perfect every single day.

Having said that, I have now fallen in love with Prescriptives Virtual Skin, which is excellent for those days when my skin is in relatively good shape. On other days, I full recognise it is probably not going to be enough to give me decent coverage. I say this at the beginning, because it's important to recognise that everyone's skin is different, and if you run out and buy this because I said it was good, you may well be disappointed. This is why they have Tester bottles. And counters with women in white coats to help you decide.

**THE PACKAGING**

Lovely. I think the bottle has a nice round chunky shape, pleasing to the eye and simple. Prescriptives don't have the most exciting packaging around, but the simplicity works well for me.

**THE PRODUCT**

Here's what it says on the bottleVirtual Skin, Sheer to Medium Coverage. Super-natural, Weightless, Long-Wearing. Oil-free. I have chosen "Red" "Real Cameo". Take note, this is not the same as the custom blended Prescriptives brand, which I understand combines shades from a range of colours to form an exact skin match. This is a simple off the shelf attempt, sampled on the back of my hand. Prescriptives use colourprinting technique, the accuracy of which I cannot vouch for. Shades are divided up into skin tones of red, yellow, orange, etc. Note, I just went for the colour which blended the best on the back of my hand- scientific- not!

The coverage tends toward the sheer- it's not as light as the Clinque tinted stuff I bought a few months ago. But when they say "supernatural" they are obviously referring to the fact that when you are wearing it, you don't look like you have a face full of make-up. The effect is dewy fresh, rather than a matte finish. I'm really into the no make-up look at the moment, since I work in a fairly conservative office where women tend to be more natural looking (read: don't wear lots of make-up.) So I love the natural look this foundation gives me. This is a great week-end foundation, or for any occasion when you want to look fresh and natural.

At first, I was not convinced, and figured I had bought another one of those expensive tinted moisturizers. But I noticed that as long as I was looking for a subtle effect, this foundation actually goes on beautifully, blends well and lasts for ages. It could also be due to other factors, but I have noticed that my skin looks better when I am wearing it, as opposed to some other brands I have tried. I suspect a big part of that is the fact that Prescriptives Virtual Skin is oil-free, which means it won't clog your pores. I love the glowing look this brand helps me achieve. But if I need a bit of additional help, I will add some extra concealer or powder to those areas, as the coverage simply is not heavy enough to hide any major blemishes.

The foundation contains SPF 10, which is great. As a very pale freckly type, I have become a real fan of make-up with extra SPF protection. Every extra little defence against the ozone layer is just fine by me.

**INGREDIENTS**

Here's the full list: water, dimethicone, cyclomethicone, glyceryl stearate, octyl methoxycinnamate, HDI/Trimethylo hexylactone crosspolymer, butylene glycol, talc, cholesterol, wheat (triticum vulgare) sphingolipids, melanin, sodium hyaluronate, tocopheryl acetate, green olive (olea europaea) extract, polyacrylamide, Palmitic acid - a (2/1) or (2/0)on the list, c13-14 isoparaffin, laureth-7, linoleic acid, dimethicone copolyol, citric acid, sodium citrate, disodium EDTA, sorbic acid, imidazolidinyl urea, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, and it may contain: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides. If you know what that all means, you are wiser than I.

** SMELL**

I add this for the sake of completeness- there isn't much of one that I can detect. I note from a little web research that it claims to be fragrance free, though I do notice a faint smell, nothing offensive.

**PRICE**

As mentioned above, Prescriptives is not the cheapest brand around. The custom blended version will cost you £40. Normal Exact skin and Virtual skin lines run around the £20 mark, although you can sometimes pick up a deal on this from sites like www.island-trading.com, where they have special deals. I'd be the first to admit this is a lot to pay for a small bottle of foundation, which is why I was so thrilled to get it so cheaply in the US. I guess the true test of how much I love it is whether I'd be willing to shell out full price for it- we'll see.

**OTHER PRODUCTS/WHERE TO BUY**

Prescriptives are run by cosmetics giant Estee Lauder, and have a suitably dazzling array and range of products, including fragrances and lotions. I have seen Prescriptives in most big stores like House of Fraser, but one drawback is that it is not widely available. I was unable to find any sort of website with the definite prices and range of products, so it's slightly elusive, but not impossible to obtain.

So, in conclusion, a great, if pricey product to give you a glowing fresh look. But as Valentine's Day fast approacheth, I can guarantee you this- the one thing which will really make your face glow is that elusive magic called luuuuurve.

 

...less