I'm actually so excited to finally review this foundation. You know that feeling when you're so in love with a particular product and you're dying to share it with the world? Well this is the Becca Skin Love foundation for me right now.

I can't remember where I came across this foundation first but it was during the summer of 2019. After watching several videos and doing some research I knew I had to have this glowy base. Luckily I found the Becca Skin Love for dead cheap on eBay and managed to buy 3 shades for just under the price of one. Yes it's a bit excessive but it was a bargain! Nikki Makeup on Instagram uses several shades of foundation on her clients/models faces if they have an uneven skin tone. This technique works really well for me too but obviously it's a very pricey technique since you'll have to buy more than one bottle.

Website Description

What it is and what I love

- Comes in an easy to use plastic airless pump tube. Pretty holographic printing and a window to see the shade and contents within. Lightweight and very convenient to travel with. (Since it's an airless pump you may have to press quite a few times to bring the product up the first time.)

- 35ml for £32

- Has a slight fragrance.

- 24 shades with a good variety of tones.

Dior Face & Body 3WO, Becca Skin Love Driftwood, Olive and Bamboo. Driftwood and Olive are quite similar but as you can see Olive has more olive tones in it similar to the 3WO

- I have the shades Driftwood (Cool medium beige with neutral undertones), Olive (Warm medium beige with golden/olive undertones) and Bamboo (Golden beige with yellow undertones).

I first bought the shade Driftwood during the 'good skin phase' I had last year and it matched me perfectly (the centre of my face is quite pale especially if I've been consistent with my sunscreen and skincare) but it was slightly too pale for my forehead so I bought the shade Olive which has lovely olive tones in it. I took Olive with me on holiday since I knew I'd be catching a tan and it's been my most used shade. When I came back from my holiday I bought the shade Bamboo to match my super tanned forehead. I mix and match all of them to suit my needs. Like I said earlier it's obviously a very expensive technique and I probably wouldn't have done this if it were full price. A bit of bronzer across the forehead does the job for me.

- Texture is thick and creamy but super lightweight on the skin, you can't feel it. Has a setting factor and there's no tackiness.

- I like using a brush but a sponge would work well too, I've noticed fingers work really well as well but I prefer not to get them dirty. Blends easily but since it's quite thick, a denser brush would work better than a fluffy one.

- I use 4 little dots for everyday use. A little goes a long way as you can see in the gif below! Provides instant medium yet build-able coverage. Skin tone is evened out, if you have any prominent blemishes you may have to layer or spot conceal, but I personally find this provides a LOT of coverage.

- A proper satin finish on my skin type, has a glowy, radiant finish and makes my skin look very healthy and hydrated. It's almost erring on semi-matte but as my oils start to come out it looks more and more satin-ey.

- Forms a second skin-like layer over the skin, fills in and blurs pores, smoothens and plumps up the skin, it's delicious! Formula is similar to Urban Decay One & Done (review), IT Cosmetics CC Cream, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation (review), Clinique Beyond Perfecting (review) etc. But this one's my favourite for sure as it's more lightweight.

- Doesn't oxidise but sets to a slightly muted tone. I personally find this lasts a long time on me, I can touch my face even without setting and it won't transfer onto my palms. Without setting I get slightly dewy in 6 hours. Definitely set if you want it to last longer. 

The Negatives

- I find this particular formula works better on a smoother skin type, if you have any dry flakes make sure you exfoliate and prep your skin well before using or it might pick up on texture.

- Even though this can be glowy and hydrating, I do find this works better on combination normal skin, people with dry skin may find this quite thick and matte. Oily people might find this gets quite radiant on them. 

-It's a natural finish but not completely invisible or undetectable.

I've used this foundation so much and really love what it does for me. It makes my skin look healthy, radiant, smooth, poreless and plump which is why I'm happy to own several shades for the different areas of my face. I've tried many other similar formulas to this but the shades have always been a let down so I'm happy I finally get to enjoy this formula with an equally great shade match...or several should I say in my case! Definitely give this a go if you're after plump poreless skin.

Hope you enjoyed this review. Stay safe. xxx

Have you read my last post? Glossier Skin Tint, Stretch Concealer, Cloud Paint Review

I've always loved the Glossier aesthetic but never thought it was ideal for my problematic-ish skin. However I was going through a period of rather good skin during the summer/autumn of 2019 and it was around then that I realised how ideal a dewy base with minimal coverage would be.

Website Description
Perfecting Skin Tint

Sheer skin enhancer 

1 fl oz / 30 ml 

More skin, less makeup.

What it is: 

In the land between bare skin and makeup makeup exists the imperceptible wash of color that is Perfecting Skin Tint

Why it's special:

Breathable, ultra-thin formula evens out skin’s appearance for a smooth, dewy finish

Diamond Powder gives a brightening, soft-focus effect and minimizes the appearance of pores, while Glycerin moisturizes skin

Comes in 12 super sheer, adaptable shades that won’t hide your freckles, cake your pores, or cover you up

Good to know: hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, appropriate for all skin types, non-settling, non-irritating, paraben free, fragrance free, cruelty free, vegan

Another day another foundation review! I came across this foundation on Kinkysweats youtube channel, she's one of the handful of youtubers who's product reviews I trust and buy! I also watched Melissa Alatorre's review on this and share her opinions on it so check out these videos if you want an actual demo and a good review.

Foundation technology is advancing so much and this Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation is up there for me at the moment. I've tried many many foundations in my time (as you may already know) so I recognise great formulas and can easily distinguish characteristics between various formulas.  I've heard Shiseido are very advanced when it comes to beauty formulas so I'm not surprised at how good this foundation actually is. Not only that but most companies are now producing at least 20+ shades so people can now finally enjoy a pretty decent shade match alongside an outstanding formula.

Flash Photo. Top-Bottom : Nars All Day Luminous Stromboli, Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing 340 Oak, Dior Face & Body 3WO

-It's interesting but I've noticed the shade adjusts after about half an hour but it doesn't exactly oxidise.

-Light creamy texture, runs slowly down the back of your hand.

-Very easily blended out, doesn't require that much effort. I like using a brush most of the time anyway but I've tried it with a sponge and both are amazing with this formula, even though it's a light formula there's not too much absorption.

-Looks very natural on the skin and feels very lightweight. This manages to mimic my skins natural texture and characteristics without highlighting or adding texture yet manages to smoothen the surface and perfect at the same time. It's amazing I love it, I feel like a better version of myself and not caked at all whilst getting decent coverage.

- For me personally this is a very skin beautifying and enhancing formula and finish.

-Provides medium build able coverage. More coverage than the Dior F&B so light blemishes are concealed with just one layer and skin looks really flawless. Not super full coverage but it can be achieved.

-Natural semi matte finish but there is slightly more radiance to the skin compared to Dior F&B, so erring more to the side of satin but not fully satin either. So great for combo skin like mine.

-Once set with a little powder it lasts a while and wears really nicely on me. This is one of those formulas that move with the skin so no fading or melting. I have prominent laugh lines (I'm a chubby smiley person ;) ) and this doesn't settle in the lines. It doesn't highlight or sit in or around my pores nor does my skin drink it up or look parched after a while. Also noticed it controls my oils nicely too where after a few hours, I look radiant but my face or especially my t-zone isn't hella greasy.

-With regards to staying power this does have a setting factor. I read in the description that it 'self refreshes non-stop', how and if that's possible I don't know... but I can agree that this does actually remain looking fresh for a good length of time.

-Reminds me a lot of the Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation (review), thin consistency, semi-matte, lightweight, skin like, skin smoothing and good wear time, I would say the Shiseido is more natural looking on the skin but they're very similar and obviously this shade is way better for me.

Now for the negative..

-I haven't had many negative experiences with the Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation but I would say that it can sit around dry flakes if you have dry skin. There was a time when I was due for some exfoliation and noticed the foundation sit around some dry flakes on my nose. 

As you may already know I don’t buy full sized foundations on a whim, I play around with samples first and in this particular instance it was pure love. I purchased the foundation from the Dior website in the shade 3WO, described as “light medium skin with warm olive undertones”. It comes with 50ml of product for £29.50. I received 2 deluxe samples of my choice, free shipping and I opted for the gorgeous complimentary gift packaging since I was treating myself to my first ever Dior purchase. (I generally don’t like waste and unnecessary packaging, but I’ve kept the lovely box for storage purposes).

Top-Bottom: Becca Skin Love Olive, Nars All Day Luminous Stromboli, Dior Face & Body 3WO Taken in natural lighting.

- A light to medium build-able foundation. 

- Demi matte finish
- Lightweight 

- Skin like finish

- Long lasting

- Waterproof
- Liquidy formula and thin consistency but not super runny
- Has a slight fragrance

                                             
My application method:
I prefer minimal makeup for day to day. I don’t need all my marks to be concealed but I do want my overall skin tone to look even. I apply one drop on my forehead, one drop on my nose and one drop on each cheek. Then using my flat angled kabuki I blend outwards. I avoid my under eyes and around my mouth because they will most likely go ashy and I don’t want to use colour corrector or concealer as that means more layers making my makeup look obvious which I don’t want. With the minimal, barely anything amount left on the brush I go lightly over my mouth and chin. My skin is left looking more even and awake and still looks like skin. I then set with an incredibly light dusting of powder.


What I love about the foundation:

- Comes in a huge variety of shades with various undertones so everyone will most likely find a match. They have 'N' for neutral, 'W' for warm, 'CR' for cool rosy, 'WP' for warm peach and 'WO' for warm olive.

- Comes in an easy to use and convenient squeezy tube bottle. It’s very simple yet chic.


- A generous 50ml of product so well worth your buck.

- The shade 3WO (warm olive) is the perfect match for my skin tone. Lovely balance of yellow and olive with just the right amount of depth.

Top-Bottom: Becca Skin Love Olive, Nars All Day Luminous Stromboli, Dior Face & Body 3WO

- Blends into the skin seamlessly and effortlessly, my skin just drinks it up and becomes one with it.

- Undetectable skin like finish. People have told me my “skin” looks great when I’ve had it on, not my “makeup” looks great.

- Demi matte finish, matte but not flat, there are still areas of the skin with a slight glow. Obviously all adjustable with the type of skin prep and powdering.

- Very skin smoothing but in a natural way, it doesn’t form a second layer on top of the skin but sinks in to the skin and fills in and blurs pores.

- Super lightweight, I can’t feel it on at all.

- Buildable coverage though I always go for light coverage anyway. I don’t think this goes further than medium coverage. It evens skin out but will need more than 3 layers if you want to cover blemishes or red spots so I personally think you’re better off using a medium to full coverage foundation if you’re after coverage.

- Doesn’t oxidise orange or change colour, though I find my oils do react with it a little after a long while, but nothing drastic enough to put me off.

- No flashback so great for photography.

- Great for my combination skin type and has ample amount of oil control for me. After a few hours my skin looks more glowy in a natural way but not oily.

- Since it's for the body too, it's quite long-lasting on my skin and doesn’t melt or disappear. When set with a light dusting of powder I get approx 8+ hours of wear. But I apply such little product I can’t always tell what’s foundation or what’s skin (lol sorry). But when I cleanse there is always product on the flannel so I know there’s still foundation on my skin.

- Can be used on a variety of skin types, forgiving on most as it can be altered for either dry or oily skin but I would say best for combo oily skin.

Top-Bottom: Becca Skin Love Olive, Nars All Day Luminous Stromboli, Dior Face & Body 3WO

What I’m not so keen on:

I don’t have many dislikes with this foundation but if I really were to think about it I would say:

- Can be quite matte and drying if I haven’t prepped my skin properly.

- If I want a dewy glowy look this isn’t the foundation I will use. I actually reluctant to use this in the summer because it was too matte for my liking.

- I don’t think people with dry skin will like this, I think they will find it too matte.

- I rarely get breakouts these days (current skincare routine is working brill for me) but on the rare occasion that I did get some spots the Dior Face & Body didn’t conceal the redness with one layer and I didn’t really want to apply more layers. So not great if you’re after coverage.

To summarise I absolutely ADORE this foundation, it’s my current go-to everyday base. I find it so easy to use, very reliable and never lets me down. It’s the MAC Face & Body but in the perfect shade with a formula better suited to my skin type plus giving me the finish and coverage that I’m after. If you’re looking for a light coverage matte foundation which evens out your skin as wells as controls your oils then definitely give this one a go, you can use it on your body too if you like!

Have you tried this foundation? If so leave us your thoughts down below!

Previous review : NYX HD Wand Concealer

If you've been following my blog or Instagram for a while, you'll know that this wasn't the first time I done a disappearing act. I'll be honest though, 2 years was a long time, even for my standards! However this time round I felt the need to provide some sort of explanation for my recurring lengthy absences and to be perfectly honest I just wanted to be real with you guys.

Over the past few years in my life I've unfortunately gone through some very difficult and testing times, which has affected my physical as well as mental health and in order to recover and heal from these traumas, I've had to take some time out for myself. In these periods of time I've realised I lose any interest in my favourite pastimes and hobbies, which is why I disappear from the blogosphere. I'm generally a very positive and optimistic person but I have also had moments where I've hit complete rock bottom. I wanted to share this with everyone because we aren't always aware of what people have gone through in their lives or the battles they may be fighting every single day. Everyone has a story. I want to say to all you out there right now who have struggled or are struggling, that you are strong and that you will get through this. There will always be sunshine after the rain. I believe kindness, compassion and lots of positivity towards each other is what makes this world a better place to live in.

I've always tried to keep it real on my platforms and I want to make it more so because it's what I personally want to see. I want to see real lives and real people, the highs, the lows and the struggles. I want to see what makes us human. Unfiltered and relatable. Social media can be a very fickle place sometimes and we've certainly witnessed that behind every perfectly curated picture there's much, much more to a story.

Other than that I’ve also gotten busier with moving homes, new routines and a new job. Posting and interacting regularly on Instagram can sometimes feel like a full time job and I just don't have the time nor energy to commit to it as much anymore. To my loyal readers: Do not fear! I am just as much beauty obsessed as I was before and have so many new favourites to share with you all, so will be popping up on the blogosphere now and again. I hope you understood the purpose behind this post. Thank you for taking out the time to read this, see you around lovelies.