Skin Illusion Natural Hydrating Foundation

10 Reviews

1. 

   jubilantOatmeal9

   Reply

   Finally!~Looks great on this dried winter skin, Color is an exact match and the texture is light and buildable. Sheer coverage is what I need in this dry season or every chaffed area (around nose) and patchy area is highlighted. Less is more in the winter months!~My skin breathes with this, nothing is less flattering than cakey makeup. This foundation delivers. Some may feel it’s too light of a formula but it feels so good, so good, and with the exact color match nothing else matters right now. With failure after failure even with formulas described as moisturizing tints, this is hands down what it says it is…a Skin Illusion. Worth the money when you consider how much you spend in the search!! Color 110 Honey was a perfect match, totally undetectable where the chin meets the neck, a total skin melt. If you’re older and want a sheer coverage during the winter hibernation, buy this.

2. 

   wornoutCoati3

   Reply

   This foundation was such a surprise! I have never really considered Clarins before but this formulation sounded so appealing. I love a light, my skin but better finish. Shade 105 was a great match for my skin also (NC13).

   This one applied best with fingers. It has an odd texture – thin but a bit gritty. It did dry down a little as it set and went slightly powdery (this may be because my skin is so dry). A spritz of a hydrating setting spray and it was beautifully glowy and natural looking.

   I do not care for the eye dropper packaging. I have never been a fan of eyedroppers for foundation. I’m lazy about screwing lids back on and it is always a bit messy.

   Overall though, this was a really lovely product and not as expensive (AU$50) as other department store brands.

3. 

   abjectMeerkat4

   Reply

   I had to throw Armani’s Maestro Glow foundation away recently after using more than half a bottle (plus it also seems to be discontinued, WTF Armani?!). It simply went bad which never happened to any of my foundations before. I guess it is because of an unhygienic design of the bottle with that silly pipette thing that makes the oxygen and bacteria to flourish in a liquid after a while of dipping it in and out over a long period of time.

   So I went on a search for an ideal foundation. I tried about 20 different brands (EL, YSL, Dior, LM, Clinique, Maybelline etc. I cannot remember but none of these foundations was impressive enough to purchase). My goalpost is Chanel’s Vitalumiere Aqua (I’m shade 020), I like light to medium coverage, prefer foundations with a bit of spf (Armani had spf 30), that are not completely matte but not too glossy either, that set and don’t make my pores look huge and that are generally unperceivable on the skin and relatively long lasting, oh and which you can apply with just fingers and they still look good.

   Vitalumiere Aqua is totally fool proof, just shake it and apply it, the colour is matched perfectly, with yellow undertones. Visibly beautified skin.

   The colour selection is frankly the worst thing about finding a right foundation. The samples are either not available (I was point blank REFUSED samples by some sales assistants in Scotland who insisted instead on colour matching me directly in the shop, on my already made up face with their unwashed brushes and dirty testers!) or available in too pink or too dark shades. testers are dirty, lighting in the shops bad and misguiding. What a total palaver!

   I came across my Chanel foundation after a sample sachet was glued to an advert in a magazine and it was the same with Clarins. My sachet was in 103 (Ivory) and I have managed since to get my mittens on shade 105 (Nude) which is not exactly darker but more peach in tone and warmer than 103 which is a pretty neutral very fair, cool toned ivory colour as the name suggests. I’m trying on Nude tomorrow but Ivory works for me pretty well since I do not put a lot of this foundation on, the amount would be perhaps like one drop from the dropper over my whole face. I bronzed a bit with a bronzer so I would not have a too pale face and it lasted beautifully with blush and highlighter the whole day!

   It spreads perfectly on my spf 30 (I don’t believe in spf in makeup although it is a welcome addition), does not gather in pores or wrinkles, makes my skin even in tone (even with a very delicate veil of product) and I don’t look greasy (I use powder on my forehead = fringe and nose where my foundation usually disappears fastest) although the glow is there (I had to blot it after approx 4 hours of wear) and is very pretty.

   My biggest beef with this product is the packaging (so unhygenic! It takes me usually a year or more to use a foundation up. This packaging does not preserve the product AT ALL!), then the alcohol (ok, Chanel has this in too and my skin seems to be all right but is this really necessary in 2019?) and fragrance (see the previous bracket – pleasant faint cucumber smell but can cause allergies). If you however do not have problems with any of the above and you are looking for a truly lightweight foundation that will maybe not correct your skin but beautify it (I got so many compliments on my skin when I was wearing it for the last several days!) and will look like a better version of your own SKIN, then this is an answer to your prayers.

   It is not cheap at £30 but the cost per wear ratio will quickly work out well because you’ll enjoy how nice your face looks. Recommended!

4. 

   outlyingHawk8

   Reply

   I’ve been using this for the last 4 years. It really has that light diffusing quality and has taken a few years off my look. It doesn’t last all day…I will try a setting powder to see if that helps. It gives a lovely dewy finish.

5. 

   gutturalSalt2

   Reply

   I must say I like this foundation a lot…it goes on light, yet covers enough, it has a satiny natural finish…my skin is normal to dry, and I must say it feels good on my skin…now, it feels like it isn’t longlasting, when I check my face later in the day, it is like I have nothing on.
   Now , not too pleased with alcohol being the fifth ingredient, so far my skin doesn’t react to it, but it puzzles me…..also this isn’t longlasting..my color is beige 7, perfect neutral shade,my skin is light to medium, it looked a bit peachy at first but it stays pretty much neutral..now, a pump would have been nice, I hate those droppers…
   So overall, it is a nice product, I think for dry skins, mature skins, or anybody who wants a light finish, this would do..now, not sure about the long side effects of alcohol in it, i don’t love it,I much prefer a foundation without alcohol, so I will not repurchase. but i wear it regularly.

6. 

   enviousOrange0

   Reply

   I have been waiting so long for this foundatin to come out and finally I have it. I love Clarins Skin Illusion Mineral Powder Foundation for the coverage and natural look and I hoped that this new one of the Skin Illusion line woud have a similar effect – and it does.

   It has a buildable light to medium coverage, more than I expected, actually, and if I need to cover some spots I just use a conceler. The dropper is not the most handy thing but once you put some dots on your face It is also very easy to spread as it is fluid but not too liquid: I don’t have to work a lot to make it look good either with my fingers or with a flat top brush. I only powder slightly my T-zone and it is good to go.
   It looks natural and radiant, it doesn’t highlight the texture my mature skin and doesn’t settle in my pores.

   It is moisturizing but not overly so, so very dry skins will need a good moisturizer before. I apply it over a serum without moisturizer and it is enough.
   What surprised me the most is that it is quite long lasting for a foundation of this kind. Two of my favourite natural looking foundations are Urban Decay Naked foundationa and Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude and, although they look good when applied, they wear off in the afternoon.
   This one, on the other hand, stays well put during the day. My nose starts to shine after 3 hours, like with every other foundation including the longwear ones, but when I blot it doesn’t come off.
   I don’t know how it will perform in hot humid weather and I guess that it won’t be that good considering my combination skin, but this is the perfect care-free kind of foundation for the mild or cold season, when I need a medium SPF, some moisture and some longevity, but still want too looking natural, like no wearing any makeup.

   Another nice surprise is the range of shades, finally available in every country, from very fair and yellow toned to very dark. I could wear several of them, 103, 105 in winter and 107 and 109 in summer.

   A word of caution for sensitive skins as this has the typical Clarins scent, not too strong but if you are sentitive to it, try it first on. And it contains alcohol. Normally my skin doesn’t like alcohol but I didn’t have any problems with this one. There are many different kind of alcohols for cosmetic use and they are not all bad for sensitive or dry skin, some are also used as moisturizers, so again, try it on before making a decision.
   Clarins is offering generous samples for one week usage, so it will be good to take advantage of it and wear it for few days before buying it in case you have sensitive skin.

   In summary, this is a great foundation for those with mature or normal or combination skins that want to even out their complexion or add some colour without looking masky or made up.

   AQUA/WATER/EAU. METHYL TRIMETHICONE. DIMETHICONE. ALCOHOL. ISODODECANE. BUTYLENE GLYCOL. TITANIUM DIOXIDE [NANO]. PEG-9 POLYDIMETHYLSILOXYETHYL DIMETHICONE. HDI/TRIMETHYLOL HEXYLLACTONE CROSSPOLYMER. GLYCERIN. DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER. POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYDIMETHYLSILOXYETHYL DIMETHICONE. SODIUM CHLORIDE. SQUALANE. ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE. STEARIC ACID. PARFUM/FRAGRANCE. SILYBUM MARIANUM SEED OIL. DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE. PROPYLENE CARBONATE. ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN. TOCOPHERYL ACETATE. TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE. DISODIUM EDTA. HYDROXYETHYL UREA. SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE. DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL. KALANCHOE PINNATA LEAF EXTRACT. PHENOXYETHANOL. ALGIN. SODIUM CITRATE. CITRIC ACID. ACACIA SENEGAL GUM. JANIA RUBENS EXTRACT. FURCELLARIA LUMBRICALIS EXTRACT. SODIUM BENZOATE. POTASSIUM SORBATE. CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT. TOCOPHEROL. LAPSANA COMMUNIS FLOWER/LEAF/STEM EXTRACT. MARIS SAL/SEA SALT/SEL MARIN

   +/- MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR: MICA. SILICA. CI 77891/TITANIUM DIOXIDE. CI 77491/CI 77492/CI 77499/IRON OXIDES [M3012A1]

7. 

   brainyFish0

   Reply

   Looks beautiful on the skin. This foundation perfectly gives me that “glass skin” illusion that is so popular now. Skin looks very hydrated, youthful, plump and dewy! I’m not the biggest fan of “dewy” to be quite honest as I have always had oily skin, but this foundation is not overly dewy and wet looking. It’s the perfect combo of satin but dewy yet natural.

8. 

   similarGatorade6

   Reply

   This is now my HG. I own hundreds. This is all I will use for a long time. I have combo/dehydrated skin. My coloring is fair with golden undertones. NARS Gobi is a great match for me in winter and NARS Ceylan is great for summer. I use the color 105 nude. It’s a shade too dark but I starting using a tiny bit of sunless tanner on my neck and chest so it works great. I like medium coverage that can be sheered out or built up. This foundation doesn’t go past medium just for the record but I don’t care. It has a subtle glow and looks great whether i powder or not. I’m an esthetician so I have to look like I have practically perfect skin. I am 39 so I am seeing some sunspots and fine lines but this just makes me look healthy and beautiful. It doesn’t look makeup-ey unless I try to build past medium. It doesn’t accentuate and lines or dry spots either which is great because I like to do peels frequently and I don’t want to look flaky at work. All in all I will repurchase this for a long time.

9. 

   mildKitten7

   Reply

   Today this is my HG. I say this with all manner of conditionality, as my 59 year old skin cannot decide what it wants from month to month. I was oily most of my life and I have enlarged pores. I do not have many wrinkles, but I do have some slackening. I also have discoloration from redness, a few broken capillaries, a few small scars, and a couple of dark spots.

   Bobbi Brown made this fantastic foundation that I adored but for the lavender oil that stung my eyes. It was a whipped gel type formula in a jar, and the finish it gave me was glowy and luminous without being greasy or shimmery. I have been using the IT CC cream, which is nice stuff, but the finish is a bit more dense and more matte than I would have liked. It also has that strong grapefruit smell. I find that I need to blend in some luminizer to keep it from looking too flat. I liked the sheerness and glow imparted by Lancome Renergie, but it is way too greasy for me. EL had Country Mist which I really liked until they discontinued it in my shade. I share all this to give you some perspective as to my likes and dislikes.

   Let me start with fragrance. This has one. It is a very fresh cucumber like scent. I would really wish it were not here, but it is. Cucumber can be downright nauseating for some, so beware. I do not find that the smell lingers, like the lavender in Bobbi Brown.

   This formula is more sheer than the IT CC cream. It is on par with Renergie, and may be even a tad more sheer. It is completely non-greasy. No slickness at all. It blends easily without streakiness and unevenness. I find I can build the coverage where I need to.

   The finish is closer to the Bobbi Brown than anything else I have used, with a glowy satin look. Not shimmery, not oily, but somewhat of a glass-like finish you might get from a gel.

   The colors are not plentiful but all seem to be pretty neutral. Given the sheerness, they are also pretty forgiving.

   This comes in a nice glass pump bottle. This is a really nice product. Clarins is quickly becoming my favorite makeup line. The line is small and edited, but the products are exquisite.

10. 

    debonairSnipe9

    Reply

    I bought this after reading some online reviews from various websites & would definitely purchase again. Prior to this foundation I used the Estee Lauder DoubleWear foundation after hearing about the hype I was left disappointed (with DoubleWear).

    First purchased in December 2014- still using (July 2016)
    Coverage: Medium
    Left my skin feeling: Luminescent, lightweight, no break outs
    Smell: Definitely has a fragrance to it- I found it pleasant
    Colour: Honey
    Stay power: 6 hours-ish dependent on weather/activity. On hot days would love it if it were longer lasting.
    Bottle/Packaging: Comes in a glass bottle with pump. Unfortunately it doesn’t pump catch last couple of milliliters from the bottle.

    I have just purchased & am going to try Clarins Ever Matte to compare & see if it helps with stay power.