little white truths

* Image courtesy of lancome.com.au

I received a sample of this foundation recently and managed to get four uses from the sachet, so this won't be a full review but I have tested it with different primers and in different weather conditions, so I wanted to write a first impressions post because I've used it enough to give you a solid early opinion.

• Perfect the look of skin with this oil-free, fragrance-free liquid foundation
• Allows for 18 hours' continuous, sheer to medium coverage wear
• Enhances skin's natural light
• Complexion appears flawless, full of life – as if lit-from-within
• Bare skin sensation, correction with translucency for a natural finish, as if matter-free
• Diminishes redness
• Weightless formula enriched with rose extract to hydrate and boost the skin's luminosity
• Immediately the complexion appears flawless and fresher-looking
• Aura-Inside™ technology
• 10 times less powdery fillers
• Liquid Light Essence 'liquid micro mirrors'
• 37% pure water and combination of pearlescent pigments
• RRP $57 AUD for 30ml, but do shop around

Natural light (click on any image to enlarge it):

Verdict

I was really surprised to find that I like this foundation - I hadn't expected much from it because I went off Lancome foundations ages ago (the ones I've used previously aren't natural enough for me) and I also generally expect these GWP sachets to be too pale for my skin.

Not only was this one an almost-perfect colour match, but it's exactly the kind of base I'm after: it's lightweight and offers a light to medium coverage while still looking natural.

What also surprised me about this was that I got four uses from the 1ml sample, which would have been five or six uses if I hadn't swatched it and tried building it twice. This means that I would likely get five or six months' daily use from the full 30ml size, which I reckon isn't bad for a foundation that costs less than $60 AUD (and do shop around because I've seen it priced for around $45).

Shade 03 Beige Diaphane is described as a 'light/medium with neutral undertones' and I do think it's that in some lights, but in others it pulls distinctly yellow and it therefore works well with the undertone of the skin on my body (which is yellow), so I would sample this before purchase just to check whether the shade is what you're after.

What I love about this is that a little goes a long way and you really don't need much to get a light/medium coverage that's enough to cover 'smaller' imperfections and redness. My complexion just looks dewy and perfected after applying this, but my skin still shines through and this doesn't look like makeup on me, provided I don't use too much.

On that, I have tried building it but on each occasion I didn't like how it looked with more than one layer: it started to look like makeup pretty quickly on me, and while it still appeared reasonably natural, I prefer to use just one layer because then it looks like I'm not wearing anything.

One thing to note: while the foundation doesn't sit in pores (you'll see this from the shots above), it also doesn't blur textural issues particularly well either. So while I can't 'see' the product around my hairline (which I often can because foundation seems to love sitting in pores there), I can see it on my cheeks (again, refer to the shots above). This is just about the only thing I don't like about it, and it's the only reason why I mightn't buy it. You can of course manage the issue with the right primer, but I'd prefer something that just works on its own.

Perhaps the only other place this foundation falls down for me is that its lasting power isn't great. It's not terrible, but it's not fantastic either. I get around five or six hours' wear before it starts to fade, which isn't a huge problem for me because I don't need my foundation to last all day, but it may be a problem for some.

All in all, I really like this product and would consider buying it, although I'd want to test it more first. It melts into the skin, blends beautifully (I use my fingers) and one layer does just enough to make my complexion look more even while still looking natural. I also love the finish, which is dewy without being greasy, and I love how light it feels on the skin.

Definitely one to test if you prefer a lighter coverage - particularly if like me you have dry skin that needs something hydrating.