THE PERFECT FOUNDATION FOR SUMMER 2019

To be honest, it's not very often that I decide to change up my foundation. Similarly, the fact that I waltzed into the store and bought this straight away is also quite unusual for me. I'm usually the kind of person to never 'treat myself' and pretty much never really indulge on material things. This little bottle is quite the exception...

It all started, actually, about a year ago when I was invited to an event at The Body Shop. I was very kindly made up by one of the staff members in a full-face of the Body Shop Make Up cosmetics and I adored the foundation so much that I took a sample away with me.

Fast forward a few months, I finally got round to using the sample. And, like I did the first time I wore it, I was whizzed off my feet by the way it suited my skin and preferences so perfectly. Fast forward a few more months, I was walking past The Body Shop, walked in, asked for a shade match, and thus bought the foundation. A complete whim-buy, for me, but one that I look back at pretty smugly.

So what is so great about this foundation (and what makes it so perfect for the summer)?...

So what is it?

This is The Body Shop Fresh Nude foundation, it's a 30ml, pump dispenser glass bottle. My shade is 015, Kyoto Blossom, and contains Sun Protection Factor 15. According to the website, the product claims to have 24H moisturisation, be light to medium coverage, a semi-matte finish and be suitable for sensitive skin. So, let's talk about that.

-   Size, Amount, Coverage

As I mentioned, the description of the product is 'light to medium' and it certainly lives up to that. This is not the foundation for anyone looking for full coverage although, I have found that, with its buildable quality, it is achievable. Speaking of which, it does build well. Adding more layers onto your skin doesn't mean you feel claggier and claggier, you definitely see more of a difference than feel more of a difference - which is only a good thing.

I'm a believer that, in the summertime, my foundation should be many things, but definitely not full coverage. I get uncomfortable in warm weather if I'm wearing thicker foundations or if my skin can't happily soak in a bit of well needed Vitamin D. Therefore, I tend to go for the likes of BB Creams or, now that I'm in the company of this product, a light coverage foundation. I reckon 1 pump of this will give me the base that I need on a hot summer's day to even out my skin tone while letting sun at my skin and avoiding the risk of packing my pores with a thick product.

-   Complexion Finish

In relation to the coverage of this foundation, the finish happens to be something I definitely wouldn't reach for usually. It's very dewy, in my opinion, and I certainly wouldn't agree with the claims of it being 'semi-matte'. On the typical highlighted points of my face such as my forehead, chin, and nose, the light really catches the moisture. As a result of this, I do prefer to mattify it with a translucent powder but think that, as the foundation gets time to soak into my skin and stick to the mattifying powder, I don't find myself needing to apply more powder later one.

Which leads me perfectly onto the 24H moisture claim. Firstly, I think the claim itself is already a bit fetching as I don't know a single person prepared to wear foundation for an entire 24 hours but, I have to say, this foundation doesn't cling to the dry parts of my skin anywhere near as much as some of my others do. I did try testing the foundation for around a 9-hour wear and noticed that, by the end of it, it seemed to have pretty much stayed put and my skin didn't feel any sort of tight or dry underneath. 

-    The Summer Factor
What truly stands out for this product and makes it the ideal item for a travel bag, or a new kind of holiday romance, is the SPF 15. I'm a preacher of the idea that SPF keeps the skin young and I even aim to use an SPF moisturiser every day, even throughout winter, to minimise my skin's exposure to damaging UV Rays. I think there is nothing more reassuring than knowing that you can feel and look your best while not having to worry about adding extra products for extra protection. Essentially, it's like a 2 in 1.

Overall, I'm just delighted that I bit the bullet and got this foundation after thinking about it for so long. Not only does it match my skin impeccably, but it also has all of these wonderful characteristics that are both ideal for me or something completely different to my usual, safe kind of style. I highly recommend this product and can guarantee it's definitely raised my expectations of The Body Shop make up even further.

What foundation are you loving at the moment?