Makeup for a Night Out | Tips

Before I begin I'd like to say that this isn't a tutorial for how to achieve a night out look, but it is a set of tips to help make sure your makeup stays looking good all night. Having just completed my first year of university, I've been on my fair share of nights out, and it really tests your makeup. I'm sharing the things I've found useful for keeping my makeup on all night. Your makeup needs to withstand hot temperatures (from clubs), possibly liquid (possible crying/spilt drinks) and it needs to stay on the whole time which can range from 2 hours to 8+.

Primer
If you want your makeup to stay on for as long as possible, it's best to use a primer underneath your makeup. It will also help with makeup application as you have a smoother base to apply your makeup to. You may not know how long you are planning to stay out, so by using a primer you can ensure it will stay on for as long as you need it to. I don't tend to wear primer everyday as I find it's not needed, but when going out I always use it as I tend to wear more makeup and won't be able to touch it up throughout the day.

Powder
This is helpful for two reasons. Firstly it's great to increase the longevity of your makeup, and works well with primer in order to keep your makeup lasting all night. Secondly, it's important as it helps get rid of any shine you don't want (t-zone, chin, nose etc.). This is great for a night out as chances are you will get hot if you are inside a club and are more likely to be shiny. Setting your makeup with powder will make sure you avoid this.

Setting Spray
My number one tip is to use a setting spray. I love setting sprays and they are a staple in my everyday makeup bag, but they are doubly important when it comes to going out. They help your makeup stay intact, which helps it stay on longer. However, I find it also avoids eye makeup from smearing or blush fading which is great if you're wearing a very dramatic eye look that they want to stay intense and bold, and not fade. I've heard of quite a few people using hairspray to do the same thing, but I'm not sure if that's necessarily the best idea...

Gel Liner
I love to use eyeliner on my waterline, I love the effect it gives. However, I find kohl pencil often smudges and doesn't last long at all. If you do want to wear eyeliner in your waterline I suggest using a gel eyeliner. These will stay on for a long longer and are far less likely to smudge. They are also often darker and more intense so look better for nights out. You also won't need to bring your eyeliner out with you to touch up, which is better as you don't risk losing it.

Lipstick
Most people are going to wear lipstick, but my suggestion is the type you wear. I highly recommend the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lipstains for two reasons. Firstly, a stain is going to last far longer. If you are out chances are you going to be out for a long time and will probably have something (alcoholic or not) to drink. Most lipsticks will be gone within the first hour, a stain will not. As they are stains you also want get lipstick marks around glasses. Secondly, when you want to touch up these are far easier as it's a lot harder to get lipstick on your teeth or go outside your lips. They are also very light and easy to carry. If you do lose them (which can happen) they aren't too expensive, but if you lose your beloved YSL lipstick, that's a different story...

My final word of advice is not to carry makeup out with you for touch ups (except lipstick/lipgloss) which is why most of these products aim to prolong your makeup. It's very easy to loose makeup or drop it and when using expensive makeup, this is not at all ideal.

I hope this post was helpful, let me know if you use any of these things when going for a night out or have any tips of your own.

Empties | July

I don't usually have many empties, but this month I seem to have come to the end of a lot of my products. I seem to have finished up a lot of foundations and concealers this month, which is good because I change my foundation far too often and need to learn to finish one before buying another. I'm really sad that I've finally finished my Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner and Urban Decay Makeup Setting Spray, two of my must have products. Both have lasted me over a year though, so I'm impressed with that.

1. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 
I always have a couple of these concealers on the go, they are one of my favourite concealers for everyday. They have high coverage, last all day and are easily blended into my foundation. For £4.19 these are a real bargain as their quality is comparable to high-end more expensive concealers. I finally ran out of the two concealers I had been using. As you can see, I pretty much tried to get all of the product out of the tubes and all of the brand lettering has worn off. I've currently decided to try a new concealer as I have been using these for so long I got curious as to what else was out there, but I probably will repurchase them.

2. Urban Decay Moisturising Makeup Setting Spray in 'Dew Me'
I was so upset when I finally ran out of this makeup setting spray. I use this everyday without fail in order to set my makeup and it makes sure that it last all day without fail. I also like to use this when I know I am going out on the night, and I find it keeps my makeup on all night without it smudging. I have this in the moisturising formula (there is a formula for normal skin and one for oily skin) as I have very dry skin. I find that this helps to keep my makeup on and also get rid of some of the dryness on my skin and give me a 'dewy' effect to my makeup. I will be repurchasing this as soon as I can as its a staple for my makeup bag.

3. Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation
This foundation is pretty much finished with now. I really liked this foundation, I found that it looked natural on the skin and didn't look heavy, but you could also achieve good coverage with it. I used this everyday and the bottle probably lasted me about 4 months. I also liked the shade selection, I am a very pale person and often find I am the lightest shade in all foundation ranges (or that there simply isn't a match) but I am actually the second lightest shade in this range, and with different undertones to match your skin, it is likely everybody will be able to find a suitable match in this range. I won't be repurchasing at the moment as I am currently trying out another foundation, but I might repurchase in the future.

4. Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum
I have had this bottle for a while and tend to go back to it when I'm in between other foundations. I really like it as a foundation, it applies nicely and has good coverage and leaves a beautiful finish. The main problem with this foundation is that its too dark for my skin (even though I have it in the lightest shade). It therefore requires quite a bit of blending for me to wear this shade and on most days I don't have the extra time to spend blending my foundation. I do really like this foundation and if I do get a tan (unlikely though) this would be one of my top foundations. I probably won't be repurchasing due to the shade selection.

5. Cover FX Total Cover Cream Foundation
Cover FX is a less well known brand that some of the others, but I am glad I stumbled across this foundation. First off, this foundation is very high coverage. This literally covers any imperfection you may have which is great for when I've got blemishes. The shade selection is also good, this shade is perfect for my skintone and they have a wide range of shades available. It is also really easy to carry around with you as you don't need to apply it with a brush. I currently have a few unfinished foundations so won't be repurchasing this as of yet, but might repurchase it in the future.

6. MAC Bronzing Powder in 'Sun Dipped'
This isn't completely finished, but I thought I would include it anyway. I got this last year and it is my go to bronzer most days. I really like the lasting power on this, I find it lasts me all day and it doesn't look powdery on the skin. I also like the texture of it. It has a bit of shimmer in it but it is not noticeable on the skin. I think the colour is a bit too dark for me however, and needs a bit of blending to look right on my pale skin. This was a limited edition item so I can't repurchase it, so I think I am going to try a lighter bronzer for my skin next time.

7. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in 'Black Ink'
I recently did a post on how much I love this gel eyeliner, and compared it to other eyeliners here. I love this gel eyeliner and have worn it everyday since the day I got it. This pot has actually lasted me for over a year despite my constant use of it. It lasts for a long time, looks great in the waterline and is a true jet black colour. I am currently using the Sleek gel eyeliner at the moment, but will repurchase this eyeliner soon as it really is one of my must have products.

Those are my empties for the month of July. Let me know what you've been used up this month in the comments below!

Twitter | Pinterest | RSS | BlogLovin' | Google + | SheSaidBeauty

Beauty Wish List | July

1. Real Techniques Limited Edition Duo Fiber Set - £23.99
I've never tried Real Techniques brushes but I've heard so much good stuff about their brushes. I love duo fiber brushes and when I saw this kit I knew I wanted it.

2. Sleek MakeUP Blush by 3 Palette in Sweet Cheeks - £9.99
I already blogged about how much I love the Sleek MakeUP Blush by 3 palettes here, and this is their newest offering. I really love the colours in this palette and think that they would look great for the summer.

3. Pixi Early Bird Kit - £16
Every since I saw this I knew I wanted it, its a huge makeup kit with so many products. It has eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, a highlighter and powder shades. I think this would be really great for travelling, which I do quite a bit, as it contains most the makeup that I use on an everyday. I also haven't tried any stuff from Pixi before, so this would be a great introduction to the brand

4. Rimmel Apocalips in Big Bang - £5.99
I've been lusting after these for ages as I love the idea of a cross between a lipstick and a lipgloss. I'm particularly interested in the red shade having seen swatches of it on other people.

5. MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in Light - £22
I've been after this for a while. I want a new powder to set my makeup and would like to try a non-translucent powder (what I currently use) to see if that makes a difference. I have heard really good things about how this product leaves your skin looking so really want to try it out.

6. Essie Nail Polish in Mint Candy Apple £7.99
I only have one Essie nail polish and really want to expand my collection. Mint Candy Apple seems to be a colour that everyone has and I think its a great colour for the summer.

7. Bobbi Brown Navy and Nude Palette - £48
I really like the look of this. I love nude colours and think the pop of Navy adds a nice twist to the palette. It also looks really compact and easy to carry around - something which I always look for in a eyeshadow palette. As much as I love Urban Decay Naked, it is a pain to carry places due to its size, you can't just put it in a handbag.

8. Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder in 02 Blondes - £34
I've never tried anything from Guerlain but I really want to. I'm on the look out for a new bronzer and have heard good things about this. Not only does it look pretty, I've heard its quite a light bronzer. As I'm pale a lot of bronzers require a of blending on my skin to look natural, so this looks like it would suit my skin better.

9. Urban Decay Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Colour in Naked - £14
I love lip products in pencil form, I just find them so much easier to apply. I really like the look of this colour from Urban Decay as it seems to be a good natural lip colour. I also like the concept of the pencils too.

10. L'oreal Superliner Black Lacquer - £6.49
I've always heard good things about the L'oreal liquid eyeliners and this one seems to be one of the most popular. My current liquid eyeliner is nearly finished, so I'd love to try this one out. It's a great price too.

11. Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick - Pink - £40
This is described as being similar to the shimmer bricks, but a bit more subtle, offering a 'glow from within'. I've always wanted a shimmer brick but have worried about how shimmery they seem to be, this seems to be a great alternative to highlight the cheeks without going overboard.

12. Illamasqua Precision Gel Eyeliner - £18
In this post I spoke about how much I loved gel eyeliner, and how Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner was one my favourite products ever. I love Illamasqua and would say it is one of my favourite makeup brands, I have never been dissapointed by a product I've bought from them. When I found out they had brought out a gel eyeliner, I knew I had to try it.

That's my current most wanted beauty items. Do you want any of these items as bad as I do? Let me also know the current beauty items you are lusting for in the comments.

That's all for now,

Twitter | Pinterest | RSS | BlogLovin' | Google + | SheSaidBeauty

Gel Eyeliner Comparison | Sleek MakeUP, Bobbi Brown & MAC

Hey everyone, today I am doing a comparison of the three gel eyeliners I own. Gel eyeliners are one of my favourite makeup products, but when I first began using them I was unsure of what to look for. Until recently, gel eyeliners were also not easily available on the highstreet which made it even harder for me to decide which brand to buy eyeliner from. Speaking to other, non-makeup obsessed people they tend not to know about gel eyeliners or if they do, not know where to buy them from or which ones are best for which purpose. I hope this post is helpful in answering those queries, and if I use other gel eyeliners I will add them to this post. 

Sleek MakeUP Ink Pot in 'Dominatrix'

I recently purchased the Sleek gel eyeliner as I had run out of my Holy Grail Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner (discussed below) and needed  a new gel eyeliner. However, being a university student, I don't have much excess cash to spend on high-end makeup products (sadly) so I looked for a cheaper alternative. Having looked at reviews, the Ink Pot from Sleek was the cheapest so I decided to buy it.

The Claim:

'Super long wearing and water resistant, Ink Pot is the ultimate gel eyeliner. The smear and crease proof formula stays on all day, so you can smoulder without smudging.'

 This gel eyeliner is a very good product, especially considering its price. It is creamy and easy to apply and leaves a very black line. The only issue with it is that it doesn't work as well on the waterline, I find it doesn't stay put for as long as loses some it is intensity. However, for upper lash lining it is opaque and doesn't smudge. It does last for a long time too. It does dry quicker than other eyeliners, but so long as you don't work slow this will not be an issue. For the price, it is an incredibly good offering from Sleek!

Shades: Currently, the Sleek MakeUP gel eyeliner is only avaliable in a single colour, black. I have heard that there used to be more options avaliable so maybe more will be released in the future. However, for now there is only one colour avaliable. This is a disadvantage compared to both MAC and Bobbi Brown which both offer their gel eyeliner formula in multiple shades.

Pricing: The Sleek eyeliner  is the cheapest gel eyeliner available (to my knowledge) costing only £5.49. This makes it much cheaper than its rivals and much more affordable if you are on a budget.

Availability: The Sleek Inkpot is available from Sleek MakeUP and Superdrug.

Overall: Although I still think the Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner is a slightly better alternative, for the price the Sleek MakeUP ink pot is great for anyone on a budget that still wants a gel eyeliner. Well worth the price!

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in 'Black Ink'

The Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner is one of the best gel eyeliners available on the market. When I first started researching gel eyeliners back in the day, this was the one everyone raved about. It definitely lived up to that hype. It has quickly become a staple item in my makeup collection, and as you can see by the photos, I definitely use it a lot.

The Claim:   

'This award-winning liner gives you the look of liquid liner with the ease & feel of a gel formula. Long-wearing, water-resistant colour glides on and let's you get it just right before it dries - then stays without a smear or crease.'

My favorite part about this eyeliner is the fact it can be used on the waterline. It is safe to use on the waterline and the fact it is water-resistant makes it ideal for this. I love to wear eyeliner on my waterline but often find I have to keep replying it or it smudges and I look like a panda. This eyeliner not only glides onto the waterline easily and maintains its black colour but it also stays put. I'd say this stays on the waterline for about 6 hours before it starts to noticeably fade, which is a lot better than most eyeliners. It also doesn't smudge and it doesn't transfer either.

Shades: The shade I used is the black shade known as 'black ink' however, unlike a lot of other brands, Bobbi Brown offer a wide selection of shades in their gel eyeliner formula. Their website offers 14 different shades ranging from a 'deep emerald green' to a 'violet purple'. I haven't tried any of the other gel eyeliner shades, however, I am lusting after the violet purple shade as I think it'll help bring out my green eyes.

Pricing: The Bobbi Brown eyeliner is the most expensive of the bunch costing £17.50. While this may seem like  a lot for an eyeliner, I feel that the price is justified. As you can see from the pictures I pretty much used the entirety of my eyeliner.  My pot lasted me for about a year and a half, and I wore this nearly everyday. Although it did begin to dry up towards the end, I still feel the price is justified due to the quality of the product and how long it lasted.

Availability: The Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner is available from Bobbi Brown and Debenhams. 

Overall: This is  a really good gel eyeliner for those willing to pay the extra money. It may cost more than some of its competitors, but it is well worth it and a small pot can last over a year. 

MAC Fluidline Gel Eyeliner in 'Blitz & Glitz'

MAC fluidlines are well known in the beauty community. They were probably the first gel eyeliner I ever heard of and were the first gel eyeliner I ever used. The shade I'm reviewing is Blitz & Glitz which is black with hints of gold, however there is a black fluidline available from MAC known as Blacktrack.

The Claim:

'Ultra-smooth, Fluidline's gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. Goes on foolproof with a brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof. Lines up in a rich array of colours and finishes.'

The MAC gel eyeliner is a smooth formula and I find it easy to apply onto the eye. It is also long wearing, lasting the majority of the day. However, the MAC eyeliner is not supposed to be used on the waterline and there is not official word on whether or not it is safe to use it there. I have used it on the waterline before (because I'm a rebel like that) and found that it doesn't last particularly long at all, and often smudges. It is a good quality product for the eye and does have smooth and easy application. It also doesn't smudge and does not transfer in my experience.

As you can see, my pot of eyeliner it has completely dried out and is harder to use now. I found this dried out quicker than the Bobbi Brown alternative, but I also used it less as I mainly only wear eyeliner on my waterline, so this could have been a factor.

Shades: The MAC fluidline comes in 6 different shades on the website, ranging from dark brown to dark blue. Occasionally limited edition colours are released in MAC collections.

Pricing: The MAC offering is a bit cheaper than it's Bobbi Brown rival, coming in at £15.00.

Availability: The MAC gel eyeliner is available from MAC Cosmetics and Debenhams.

Overall: The MAC offering is certainly a contender with Bobbi Brown for the best gel eyeliner. It is slightly cheaper than its rival, however can't be used on the waterline as easily as the Bobbi Brown offering.

There are more offerings available in the market, with many drugstore/highstreet brands now offering gel eyeliners, which a couple of years ago was not the case. I have heard a lot of great things about the Maybelline offering but have yet to try it, definitely one for the wish list.

Twitter | Pinterest | RSS | BlogLovin' | Google + | SheSaidBeauty

Pale Foundation Swatches

For years I've been looking for the perfect foundation to match my pale skin and have found it a hard process as many foundations are sadly too dark. However, one of my main tools to search for pale foundations is using blog swatches and reviews. I have provided swatches and reviews of all my pale foundations to try and help anyone else facing this issue.

  (Note: This post used to be on my previous Blog, I have reposted it here as many found it useful)

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation

Shade: I have this in #115 which I would actually say it  too  pale for me, and they do have paler shades in #100 (white) and #105 (almost white).

Coverage: Super SUPER high coverage! I like full coverage foundations but this is the highest coverage I’ve ever tried in a foundation. I don’t have particularly problematic skin, but this easily covers any blemishes I may have and I can see it covering most things with no problem. If you look at the swatch you can really see (especially compared to the other photos) how thick this formula is. As a result, it looks great in photos as your flaws are completely covered!

Rich Liquid Foundation on Skin

Suitability:  This can accentuate dry patches so be careful to moisturise well before using it. I don’t have oily skin, but I find this foundation lasts a good 8 or so hours on me (possibly more but I often take my makeup off as soon as I’m home to let my skin breathe). 


  

Packaging: The packaging is sleek and very lightweight, easy to carry around and it doesn’t matter if it accidentally falls, it will stay in tact.

Availability and Prices: Available from Illamasqua for £21.50 (they ship internationally too)

Overall: I think this foundation is a bit too full coverage for me as I prefer using a lighter foundation then using concealer over the areas that need it. However, the shade selection is brilliant, one of the best of high-end and low-end brands.


 

Illamasqua Skinbase Foundation

Left: Skinbase | Right: Rich Liquid

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

Shade: The shade swatched above is in Skin Base Number 2. They do a paler shade than this (1.0) but this is a completely white shade and would be best either for lightening foundations or theatrical makeup. However, this does mean if 2.0 is too dark for you, you can mix the two in order to achieve your exact match. I find 2.0 to be a very good shade for pale skins, in fact I would say this is a bit  too light for me which is saying something as I am one of the palest! The foundation does have a slightly pink undertone, but it doesn’t lean too pink. If this pulls too pink, shade number 3.0 is there pale shade with yellow undertones.

Coverage:  The Skinbase foundation is marketed as being based on the Asian BB Creams, however I find most BB creams to have quite sheer coverage, but I would say this has medium coverage and its buildable.

Suitability:  Unfortunately, like RL, this can cling to dry patches if you haven’t moisturised properly but as long as you have moisturised properly this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Packaging: I quite like the packaging of this, it is very lightweight which means it is ideal to carry around with you. Like Rich Liquid, it has a squeeze tube applicator which personally I like most as I find it easiest to control the amount of product that comes out and it is also hygienic. You can also clearly see the shade of the foundation.

Availability and Prices: Available from Illamasqua Illamasqua for £25.00 (they ship internationally too)

Overall: I do like this foundation as it does come in pale shades and gives a good finish, however I need to make sure I moisturise well in order to avoid it accentuating my (very) dry skin.

L’oreal Paris Infallible Make-up Lasting Perfection Foundation

L'oreal Infallible Foundation

Shade: For me, this is the best shade for my skintone out of all the foundations featured. The shade pictured here is the lightest shade (15 –Porcelain) and I find it to have quite neutral undertones. This is possibly the lightest shade I’ve found in a high-street/drug-store foundation (where ivory often = dark orange).

Coverage: I’d say the coverage on this is medium, I found it evens out the skintone and partially covers blemishes and dark circles, but I would say you’d most likely use a concealer on top of this.

Left to Right: L'oreal | Skin Base | Rich Liquid

Suitability: Speaking as someone who has the driest skin on the planet, this doesn’t accentuate my dry patches at all (provided I’ve moisturised of course). I don’t have oily skin so can’t comment on that, but I do find this wears long on me. The bottle claims it lasts for 16 hours, personally I’ve never worn foundation for that long but I find this lasts an average time for a foundation at around 8 hours on me.

Note: This does have a slight scent, personally I find it quite a nice scent, but if you dislike scents in your foundation this is something to keep in mind.

Packaging:  The bottle is sturdy and the lid screws on fine so there’s no need to worry about it falling off. However, as the cap is see through it can look dirty after a while.

Availability and Prices: Available for £12.29 from  Boots  and Superdrug

Overall: I really like this foundation, it’s the best match for my skintone and at its price I really can’t complain!

Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick 

Shade: I have this in the lightest shade ’00 – Alabaster’. I found this a good match for my skin, I’d say it’s darker than both the Illamasqua foundations but lighter than the Bourjois and Maybelline foundations.

Coverage: This is a cream foundation so it does have higher coverage than a lot of liquid foundations. I’ve seen people using this as a concealer before due to its creamy texture and high coverage. It isn’t as high as the Illamasqua RL but it is certainly medium to full coverage and very buildable.

Suitability: When I first got this (this is my second tube) I was in love with this foundation, however lately it doesn’t suit my skin as much and I can’t figure out why. My skin has gotten particularly dry recently and this doesn’t glide on like it used to. However, I think unless you skin is unbelievably dry like mine, this foundation will be great for you. I also find this doesn’t last as long as other foundations (around 6 hours) but the packaging means it is easy to carry it around with you for touch ups. It is very easy to blend and easy to apply (you can use it directly from the stick).

Packaging: This is my favorite packaging from all the foundations in this review! I absolutely love the sleek black design with the white lettering, it feels nice to hold and easily fits into a makeup bag. I find it looks very luxurious on my dressing table and the packaging means the outside of the product doesn’t look used or messy.

Bobbi Brown | L'oreal |Skin Base | RL

Availability and Prices: Priced at £28.00 it is available from Bobbi Brown, House of Fraser and Debenhams.

Overall: I really like this foundation (it is the only foundation I’ve ever repurchased), I’ve practically run out of this second tube as well so I clearly really liked it, it has good coverage and I love the packaging

Revlon ColourStay Foundation

Shade: I have this in the lightest shade 110 – Ivory. It is a tad too dark on me but can be blended in to work.  It is also a slightly pink tone.

Coverage: This is high coverage, it’s definitely buildable.

Suitability: I have this in ‘combination/oily skin’ even though I have dry skin. This is because I got this when it first came out and back then my skin was a lot less dry and I did have an oily t-zone. They do have a dry skin one which I haven’t tried unfortunately.  I like the fact they have a foundation formula for different skin types though, as it means you can select the one which will suit you best. This does have good lasting power though and I find can last 8-10 hours.

Swatch

Note: This has a pretty strong chemical smell to it, I don’t mind this, but it’s something to note if you do.

Packaging: This packaging is quite annoying, from the outside it looks sleek and it doesn’t look messy, however it doesn’t have a pump, you simply pour the foundation from the bottle. This can be annoying as you usually end up with too much foundation which is wasted product.

Availability and Prices: Priced at £12.49 and available from Boots

Overall: I like this foundation, it is a touch too dark but I can work with it (if you are lighter than me though you might want to swatch it in store to check). 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

Shade: I have this in the lightest shade, 51 – Light Vanilla/Vanille Clair. Unfortunately this is a bit too dark to make it work, sometimes I add bronzer and really blend it in, but realistically it isn’t a good match L This foundation is yellow toned (most high-street foundations are pink toned) so this is good news is you have yellow undertones to your skin.

Bourjois | Revlon

Coverage: This is medium coverage, it will cover redness but I do find I often need to use concealer for blemishes.

Suitability: I LOVE the formulation of this foundation. It glides over my skin and gives me good coverage. My skin doesn’t look dry and it doesn’t make me look shiny/greasy either. I find it also lasts a good time too. It’s a gel foundation which personally I love, I find it very easy to blend also. 

Note: It has a slight smell but this doesn’t stay.

Packaging: Nice packaging, it has a pump dispenser and is lightweight.

Availability and Prices: £10.99 from Superdrug and Boots

Overall: If this foundation was a shade or half a shade lighter this would probably be holy grail
foundation, sadly it is not meant to be L If this foundation shade is right for you thought, I strongly recommend it. 

Maybelline Instant Age-Rewind The Eraser Perfect & Cover Foundation

Shade: I have this in the lightest shade 010 – Ivory, it’s too dark for me

Coverage: I haven’t used this much due to the fact it’s too dark, but when I have I’ve found it is quite light coverage, you can build this up to a slightly heavier coverage, but it won’t cover any major skin problems.

Maybelline | Bourjois | Revlon

Suitability: When I applied this it didn’t seem to accentuate any dry patches, and it didn’t make me look shiny either which was good. However, as I haven’t worn this much due to the shade I can’t 100% say

. 

Packaging: Personally, I dislike when products include applicators. I like to be able to try a variety of ways to apply a foundation and see which works best, rather than being given one option. Unfortunately this comes with a sponge applicator to apply it. You twist the foundation and then directly apply it onto your face with the sponge. I dislike this as I find it unhygienic. The sponge applicator isn’t as bad as I thought it would be though and I can see it being great for some people.

Avaliability and Prices: £9.99 from Boots and Superdrug

Overall: This foundation is a bit too dark for me to make it work, I think if your skin is slightly darker than mine and you want a light coverage this could be the foundation for you. It depends on your feelings on the sponge tip applicator, personally I dislike this, but for others this could be a huge positive.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation

Shade: I can’t do a proper review for this as, as you can see by the photos, it is just much too dark for my skin. Believe it or not, this is the lightest shade, 100 – Ivory.

Availability and Prices: £8.99 from Boots and Superdrug

Rich Liquid | Skin Base | L'oreal | Bobb Brown | Rimmel | Maybelline | Bourjois | Revlon

Bare Minerals Original Foundation

Shade: I have this in two shades, ‘Fairly Light’ and ‘Light’, with the first being the lighter of the two. Sadly these are both two dark for me. However, on checking out the bare mineral range, it seems they have added another option since I got these (I’ve had these a year or two) in ‘Fair’. I haven’t tried this but this may be perfect for pale skin tones.

Coverage: This is a powder foundation so I wasn’t expecting much, but it does give quite good coverage, it doesn’t match up to the coverage of some liquid foundations though and personally I like full coverage. This does look very natural though, and it is perfect for a ‘no makeup’ makeup look.

Light | Fairly Light

Suitability: I have dry skin, and so putting powder foundation on my skin seems like a recipe for disaster, however provided I’ve moisturised well this doesn’t actually accentuate my dry patches too badly.

Packaging: The packaging is small and easy to carry around, however be careful when opening as the product is loose powder meaning it can spill if you aren’t careful.

Availability and Prices: £24.00 from Bare Minerals and Debenhams 

Overall: The foundation is too dark for me and isn’t the coverage I’d like, but as a powder foundation it is a good product. If you are looking for a powder foundation this would be good to try.

Cover-girl Clean Makeup

Shade: This is a good shade for pale skin, I have this in 'Classic Ivory', I’d say its similar in colour to the Revlon Colourstay.

Coverage: This is medium coverage, but it can be buildable

Suitability: This is an old foundation so I haven’t used it when my skin’s been really dry, however I did find it lasts all day (it has oil control so that may help lasting power for those with oily skin) and didn’t accentuate any dry areas.

Packaging: It doesn’t have a pump which I dislike as it means you have to pour out the foundation which can often lead to too much product being dispense and product being wasted.

Swatch

Availability and Prices: This is not readily available in the UK but I have seen it on sites such as ebay.co.uk and amazon.co.uk for under £5

Overall: I wasn’t sure whether to include this as it is an old foundation and I’m not sure whether you can still get it anymore, but I thought it would be useful for reference.

ChitChat Foundation

Shade: This is quite pinky, so if you are yellow toned this might not suit you, it is a nice pale shade though.

Coverage: Very light coverage, not really buildable.

Packaging: Very lightweight, easy to put in a bag and carry with you.

Suitability: This is a very very old foundation from when I first started wearing makeup (over 5 years ago) but I don’t remember it being too drying or oily. It is very cheap though so don't expect it to be a 'WOW' foundation, it gives a bit coverage but is pretty sheer.

Covergirl | ChitChat

Avaliability and Prices: This is an old foundation but it is available in a new foundation in most major Poundland Stores (yes Poundland!) for £1.

Overall: I wasn’t going to include this because it is so old, but as it is a pale shade and it very very cheap I thought I’d put it in, if you really want a budget foundation for pale skin.

I hope this helped if you are pale skinned like me and looking for foundations to suit your skin tone as I realise there are a lack of shades available. I’m looking to try new pale foundations, and have currently been looking into the Nars Sheer Glow in Siberia and the Laura Mercier Silk Crème Foundation in Soft Ivory, if anybody pale has these foundations would you recommend these as colour matches?