Shiseido The Makeup Dual Balancing Foundation SPF15 I60 Natural Deep Ivory

Advantages: Lightweight on the skin, flawless effect, leaves skin glowing, only need a tiny amount, moisturise
Disadvantages: None

...Despite being a fan of my Bare Escentuals mineral makeup, I felt like a switch for my most recent purchase and on browsing in the MAC store I was persuaded to try their newest foundation formula, Studio Sculpt which was released earlier this year after 2 years of development. Studio Sculpt is "a creamy, luxurious, gel-based foundation that provides medium buildable to high coverage with a natural satin finish" and was developed in response to demand from makeup artists at fashion week for a base that really took care of skin while providing quick buildable coverage. Because my skin can be a bit problematic with both oily and the occasional slightly dry patch, I was told that this would be a great foundation for me, as it is oil free and moisturising, as well as providing good coverage. It is packaged in a slim tube containing 40mls... Read review

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Advantages: Natural looking and light
Disadvantages: Doesn't last as long on as it could

...Clinique Almost Makeup SPF15 is a sheer alternative to foundation. It's somewhere between foundation and tinted moisturiser in terms of coverage and benefits. You can get it from Clinique counters in department stores, or online, so it's usually easy to find. It comes in 4 different shades from 'Fair' through to 'Deep', and it costs £18.50 for a 45ml tube. It contains SPF15 non-chemical sunscreens and Antioxidants, to protect your skin from environmental damage. It's oil-free, non-acnegenic and non-comedogenic, as well as being ophthalmologist tested, so it's safe for use on all skin types, and around the delicate eye area. It's a waterproof formula for long wear, and it contains light-diffusing particles to help mask imperfections, and botanical extracts to soothe the skin. It comes in a small green tube with a silver screw-on lid... Read review

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Advantages: selection of shades; coverage; ease of blending
Disadvantages: awkward pouring; more expensive than average

...Until recently, I'd sworn by L'oreal foundations, and found these to sit well and last the day. However, as is the case with a lot of brands, the shades were always just a touch too light or too dark. I was drawn to Mac because of the range of shades on offer. Perhaps it was just my experience, but I found the lady who served me in-store to be refreshingly blunt. Instead of the usual false air one encounters at cosmetic stands, she was extremely professional, while also flat-out telling me what didn't suit my skin tone, and also which type of foundation I should go for, based on my borderline oily skin. Again, I'm not sure if this was unique to the store I visited, but I found it extremely refreshing! Select SPF 15 comes in a 30ml bottle, and unlike the testers, doesn't have a pump at the top. I found this quite cumbersome, as its... Read review

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