The Balm timeBalm Foundation

Hello again peeps!  This review is based on one of my favourite subjects – foundation (yes, I've always loved using foundations and trying out different formula’s and new brands).  When Tammerly from Spoilt asked me to trial and review this foundation for her website, I couldn’t wait to 'slap' it on! Read on for my thoughts, or click here for the initial published version.

The Balm timeBalm Foundation is a solid cream foundation, free of parabens and enriched with rejuvenating, anti-ageing ingredients like antioxidants and an array of vitamins, which is considered 'makeup with skin care benefits', whilst it irons out imperfections and creates a flawless, long-lasting  finish.  Suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive.

The foundation is wrapped in a cardboard outer box that has a very simple blue, yellow and grey colour scheme, scattered with faint stars and product information, but the presentation is quite dull in comparison to the majority of their colourful, entertaining, retro-style packaging.  The inner compact-sized container looks cheap and a bit tacky, made of clear, rather brittle plastic, with a screw off lid (that will break in a flash if accidentally dropped).  I was somewhat surprised after my previous experience with this quality brand to find their foundation housed in something resembling that of a budget, no-frills cosmetic brand.  The compact has no mirror and the sponge is too flimsy, so it was essential to use my own applicator, so based on the whole packaging concept, I wouldn’t consider this product to be very travel friendly and not ideal to pop in my bag and use on the go.

The foundation has a slightly dry, stiff surface texture, however it amazingly transforms into a smooth, creamy consistency once it begins getting worked.  It has a subtle herbal-type scent, which isn’t offensive or noticeable after application.  Providing a generous coverage that is highly pigmented and super buildable, it blends evenly and there is no streaking, flaking or a caked on appearance.  Because of the weightless, moisturising, noncomedogenic formula, my skin was able to breathe instead of feeling suffocated and it provided adequate hydration throughout the day, without causing excess oil or greasiness.  I received this foundation in the shade medium, which appears to have yellow undertones, which I do prefer, particularly when, like in this case, it is a perfect match for my own natural colouring.  It gives my face a uniform colour and discretely conceals any noticeable flaws for a polished, healthy-looking, finish that stays in place with decent longevity, only requiring minimal maintenance throughout the day.  Because my skin is so oily and this foundation doesn’t exactly eliminate excess oil, I still wind up with a bit of shine, so a quick touch-up to blot away any surface shine will help to refresh the look.  

Both the inner and outer packaging.

Despite having such poor, dodgy packaging, the quality of this skin-loving foundation is kind and super effective when it comes to my oily and sometimes sensitive skin.  The gentle formulation hasn’t triggered any irritation or breakouts and I am almost certain that my skin has improved slightly during the time I’ve been using it..  With buildable coverage that conditions and transforms my complexion to skin perfection within moments, it layers and blends over any areas that need extra support, yet never settles into fine lines and pores, nor does it start flaking and looking crepey.  Since having deemed the included sponge useless, I’ve tried various application methods, but I achieve the best results using a synthetic foundation brush.  I’ve used it alone and with a pre-foundation primer, however I prefer the overall product performance when I prep and prime my skin first, then follow up with a light dusting of translucent powder to set the finished look.  I guess the retail price is quite expensive as far as foundations go, however considering it’s infused with nurturing, caring skin-friendly ingredients and there is actually quite a decent amount of product in the pot, which I also expect will last for ages, it’s not really that unreasonable.  Personally, I would be prepared to splurge on the cost of The Balm timeBalm Foundation for myself and I would confidently recommend it to anyone who is looking for a suitable foundation that’s flattering, comfortable and long wearing to help achieve/deliver a fresh, dewy, naturally flawless appearance.

TIP Can be layered if needed, to dab on any extra problem blemishes or under eye circles.

Have you tried this foundation or any of the other products from this brand?  What do you think, sound like something you would be keen to try or....??  Let us know your thoughts by commenting below. xx oo

The images in this post are generic.

Clarins Ever Matte SPF 15 Oil-FREE Skin Balancing Foundation

Hello beauties!  :-h   now I’m reviewing a product based on a trial for Tammerly who was super generous in sending me this foundation to test drive on behalf of her Spoilt beauty blog, which is linked here.  Here are my thoughts.  :-*

I have super oily skin, so finding a suitable foundation is always a challenge. Even those that claim to be oil-free and matte, don’t necessarily work that way for me and within hours of the initial application, guess what???  Yep, my skin turns into an oily, greasy mess, making me look like I’ve just jumped out of the deep fryer.  :">  Either that or the formulation is too rich and makes me break out, or it’s too heavy and looks almost plastered on, leaving me with another foundation that simply doesn’t compliment my naturally oily skin.  ~X(  I was keen as a bean to try the Clarins Ever Matte SPF 15 Oil-FREE Skin Balancing Foundation and see if I could eliminate my foundation blues once and for all.  >:/

The Clarins Ever Matte SPF 15 Oil-FREE Skin Balancing Foundation comes in very plain packaging and was not what I was expected from such an upmarket brand; provoking my initial reaction that it looks ‘cheap’ or ‘stingy’.   :-O   In my opinion, the presentation is on par with an average, everyday budget or no-frills cosmetics brand, which is a far cry from my conception of how a leading, luxury beauty brand should be marketed.   /:)  The slim, 30ml rectangular-shaped, squeezable plastic tube boasts a plastic lid with a mirrored gold coating, which is the only indication of the brands high quality.  I don’t like how the bottle is opaque; therefore I’m unable to see inside to determine the content level.  This is especially annoying, because the bottle feels so light, for all I know it could be near empty and I have no way of ever knowing.  :-L  On the plus side, this modest, little foundation is ideal for travelling or popping in your purse/handbag to use on the go, plus it’s non-fragile, causing no concern about breakage.  :">

I’ve never been a fan of scented beauty products on my face and wasn’t expecting to unveil a fragranced foundation,  @};-  however, the unusual fruity melon aroma infused in this formula is subtle and quick to fade and during this experience I’ve actually grown fond of the delicate scent.  The consistency is light and airy with a creamy, velvet-like texture that feels silky smooth, which glides onto the skin and blends with ease.  It’s fast drying, and sets into a weightless, natural-looking, matte finish, minus that dull, flat appearance often associated with matte foundations; instead it generates a vibrant, lustrous impression.   ;;)  The light-medium coverage doesn’t hide all my flaws, but it’s buildable, so gently layering over problem areas that require extra attention, omits the need for a separate concealer.  The shade 110 Honey perfectly matches my colouring and effectively transforms my complexion by covering redness and minor imperfections with a veil that uniforms my skin tone, without the obvious indication of wearing foundation at all.  It’s formulated to allow my skin to breathe and provides the less is more approach; hence my skin looks like skin and not a mask.  ;)

Shade Honey 110

The staying power is exceptional and I am impressed that after 8 hours the foundation hasn’t budged, still appears fresh and …you better believer it…MATTE!  =D>  Yes, I honestly didn’t expect it to hold up this well, even though after a few hours a slight shine becomes visible on my forehead, my skin is not AT ALL oily or greasy.  Alternatively, it creates a natural, dewy finish that radiates a beautiful, all-over, healthy-looking glow.  There is no caking, streaking or patchiness and no sign of fading or flaking, my just skin remains comfortable and hydrated.  <:-P  I prefer using a brush or a beauty pod for application, to ensure flawless results, nevertheless, fingers work adequately when I’m lacking in time.  I usually buff translucent powder over my face after applying foundation, which is basically out of habit and makes little difference to the end results, so I wouldn’t consider setting powder as necessary.     B-)

With the bonus of SPF 15 for added protection, the non-comodegenic formulation improves my complexion, yet doesn’t irritate my fussy sensitive skin or cause any issues with congestion or breakouts.  This foundation ticks all the right boxes, meeting my personal requirements for a faultless day-to-day foundation.  With a lightweight, barely-there feel, it delivers advanced performance and longevity, controlling excess oil, whilst skin remains fresh, polished and matte all day, eliminating the need for regular touch-ups and frequent blotting.  :x  Thanks to the Clarins Ever Matte SPF 15 Oil-FREE Skin Balancing Foundation, my oily skin woes are a thing of the past and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to achieve gorgeous, even skin with natural luminosity and a matte-like finish that will last the distance and produce the ultimate complexion perfection.  \:D/

I’m rating this foundation with 4 stars out of 5.  (*) (*) (*) (*)  It loses a ½ star for the unappealing packaging and another ½ for being quite costly, especially conceding the bottle feels so depleted. I will be interested to see how long it actually lasts.   

TIP:   *-:) This foundation works 100% better without a primer! I was left disappointed when I first tried this foundation, incorporating a pre-foundation primer.  An hour later, I noticed that my face was not particularly matte and in lieu of displaying that dewy radiance, the slippery beginnings of oil had started to surface on my T-Zone.  I have ever since, maintained immaculate results every time, by just prepping my skin with a normal daily moisturiser and skipping the primer all together.

Do you have oily skin, where finding a foundation is sometimes a nightmare?  Do you find makeup that even claims to be suited for oily skin still doesn't help and you face gets shiny or greasy soon after applying?  Share your experiences and any rec's or a solution to effective coverage for oily skinned beauties!

The images in this post are generic. 

Prestige Skin Nude Foundation

Hi all, :-h  back again with one of the trial products that Tammerly aka Pink Diva from Spolit sent me to test drive and review for her, dynamic and extremely resourceful, beauty website.  This post is based on my original review that documents my personal experience test driving the (soon to be released) Prestige Skin Nude Foundation .  ;)

Prestige Cosmetics is currently due to introduce this liquid foundation, infused with additional ‘skin-loving’ ingredients such as Ginseng, Aloe, Vitamin E, along with Sun Filters to maintain hydration and help achieve optimal skin health.  I received the Skin Nude Foundation in 02 Nude Natural, which is a perfect match for my light/medium skin tone.  :D

The Prestige Skin Nude Foundation is presented in a 25ml squeezy tube with a screw-top lid.  It claims to be fragrance free, but I noticed it’s very lightly scented with a subtle fragrance that reminds me more of a delightful moisturiser than of a foundation.  ;;)  The formula has a thick, smooth, ultra creamy consistency, somewhat like a rich dessert, so just a pea-sized amount on my foundation brush was ample to perfectly even out my complexion and hide my flaws.  It provides a medium to full coverage that works so well I don’t need to use a separate concealer, yet it’s also buildable with the ability to camouflage those more prominent, unsightly imperfections.  #:-S   The lightweight texture, despite having exceptional coverage, means it doesn’t look caked-on or mask-like; instead the natural, dewy finish is streak-free, appearing flawlessly fresh with a healthy, radiant glow.  I like how this foundation instantly transforms my skin from drab to fab!  \:D/

I have naturally oily skin and despite setting the foundation with a translucent powder, I noticed that after a couple of hours, my face began to take on a slightly shiny appearance; therefore I had to rely on blotting papers or a touch-up of powder to keep any excess oil under control.  :-S   Unfortunately though, whilst it stayed on quite well in terms of coverage, I couldn’t ignore that as the hours ticked by, my skin just got oilier and oilier and I frequently had to blot or powder my face to eliminate the oil slick that kept forming.  :-O  I dare say this foundation was also the contributing factor to a few new spots that I discovered afterward, because generally when my skin gets that oily breakouts soon follow.  #-o

Initially, I really liked the results of this foundation, but after seeing how oily it made my skin, I would suggest it’s definitely a better option for those with normal to dry skin types.  I loved that it was easy to wear and felt nice on, but a more matte formulation is more suitable for my skin.  :-<  I would recommend it to anyone who wants a foundation with decent coverage that perfectly evens out the skin tone, but oily-skinned beauties beware, the finish is dewy and luminous and it requires constant attention to keep the shine at bay.  /:)  Based on my experience, I rate the Prestige Skin Nude Foundation with 3.5 Stars out of 5  (*)  (*)  (*)  ½  (*).

For those who use liquid foundations, which is your favourite?  Do you have problems with certain foundations making your skin greasy?  Please share any tips on how you best deal with the midday shine.  :-*


Image in this post is generic