At the age of 32 I thought I would probably be wearing a full coverage foundation. I do find that my skintone is quite uneven and although I don't suffer from acne or other skin complaints, I do get very dry skin and this, combined with the fact that my skin is quite sensitive, means that I struggle to find a base makeup that works well for me.
I tried BB and CC creams when they first came onto the market and I was quite impressed with the finish; they weren't drying on my skin and didn't make my T-zone oily, equally they seemed to last all day without needing retouching and didn't slide off as foundations can tend to. As I've used both in fairly equal measure, I thought I would compare the two and see which I found to work the best for me.
I had recently finished my Korres CC cream and I adored it; I would re-buy it if it wasn't so expensive as I found it gave brilliant coverage without irritation and it also lasted the distance. I went looking for another CC cream to replace it with but I was annoyed to find that most of the high street versions offered a matte finish-I tend to go for a sheer or balm finish as I find that mattifying products don't suit my dry skin-they cling to any dry patches and make them look much worse. So, I ended up picking up a BB cream from Seventeen to try, and a foundation from No.7 which I was colourmatched for at the counter.
The Instant Radiance foundation by No. 7 promises to boost tired, stressed skin and has an SPF of 15. It is quite a thin lotion consistency which is a great colour for me (I got shade Warm Ivory) but it doesn't have the longevity I require in a foundation. It is quite a buildable consistency; I found that applying it with a sponge, I had to use quite a lot of product as it sheered out to almost nothing. It has a yellow undertone which actually suits my skin well and I was fairly pleased with the initial result once I'd put it on, but I was disappointed that by lunchtime my skin looked shiny and it had flaked off in places. This foundation costs £12.50 which is reasonable but I think I would get through the bottle quickly, due to the reapplication factor, and having to keep topping it up to achieve the desired coverage. The Korres CC cream was much better-one application did all day and needed no refreshing.
I picked up a BB cream from Seventeen using my Boots points (usually it costs £6.99) and this I do like. It has a slightly pinker undertone than the foundation, (I got the shade Light) but the consistency is much better-creamier and thicker, more balm like and easier to apply. I found I didn't need as much to get an even, flawless finish and the product stayed in place all day, without drying or flaking. My skin didn't feel tight or caked in makeup and the price point is really affordable. My only quibble with it would be the colour, even the lightest shade is slightly too dark for me but I think as it's now coming into summer and (hopefully) the sun will be shining this won't be too noticeable.
Have you got any CC or BB cream recommendations? I'd love to hear them!
XO Amie
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