I love a good powder foundation as it’s the easiest way to achieve high coverage on both spots and spot scars. It’s easy to work with, stays in place and works brilliantly with oily skin which is why it’s something I often reach for, especially during bad skin periods. Clarins Skin Illusion Loose Powder Foundation is like a luxury take on the typical, bog standard powder foundation. It’s beautifully packaged, well formulated and very easy to use.
Unlike other powder foundations, you don’t have to swirl and buff this into skin and can instead apply it as you would a liquid foundation in straight smudges and blends. This isn’t the highest coverage powder foundation I’ve ever used, but to be honest I think that anymore coverage would steal away from finish that’s achieved, which is the perfect balance between glowy/dewy and matte/polished. It’s very natural and very “skin”.
The packaging is fab…unless you plan to travel with it as it’s a little on the bulky side. It’s a square box that holds both the powder and lid, which easily separate so you can use the brush with ease. The brush is adequate for touch-ups, and at a push you can use it for a full application, but, as is usually the case with included brushes, it isn’t the best so if you have a brush you normally use with powder foundations then I’d recommend going for that instead.
The shade I have is Nude (105) which is a near perfect match for my ivory, N17 skin. It does oxidise a little darker, but as you can see from the pictures it’s slightly too pale on first application, so the oxidisation works out well. Longevity wise it happily lasts all day whilst keeping shine at bay coverage level high. This is really lovely powder foundation that doesn’t upset breakout-prone skin and is extremely comfortable. I reach for this when I need a bit more coverage than a liquid foundation can offer, or on days when I need my base to last all day. I also use this as a setting powder for days when I know I won’t have a chance to touch-up my make-up as it really does keep everything in place. Have a look at my Kiko Dark Heroine post to see how it looks with other make-up applied. Clarins Skin Illusion Loose Powder Foundation costs £28, is available in six shades and can be purchased both instore and online.
*PR sample
