Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless Flexi-Hold 3 In 1 Foundation 30 Porcelain

Hi there! Today’s post is about this Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless Flexi-Hold 3 In 1 Foundation 30 Porcelain which I’ve been using on and off for a few months now. This product is a 3 in 1 = primer, concealer and foundation. It promises a flawless, shine-proof and matte finish that lasts all day and buildable medium to full coverage. This foundation is non-comedogenic, and it has SPF 20!

I have very dry skin, and based on the description, this isn’t the most suitable foundation for me. I’m glad I didn’t know much about the foundation before I bought it, otherwise I would have given it a pass. But I’m happy that I discovered it and made it work for me! And here’s why I love this foundation:

It’s a perfect match for my face. With most foundations I’ve tried, the lightest shade is often 1-3 nuances too dark for me, so I was over the moon to find the perfect shade. The foundation is liquid – which isn’t my favourite formula, but it can be applied easily with clean hands. I tried a make-up sponge and a foundation brush, but these methods aren’t the best. In terms of coverage, one and a half pump is the perfect amount of foundation that I need for flawless, full coverage. The foundation is best applied quickly.

I’ve noticed that this foundation doesn’t play well with every serum or face cream. Some products make the foundation ball up, others make it impossible to even apply the foundation. What works for me is face mist + oil serum + rich moisturiser. When I apply the foundation on top of the perfect base, it gives me a flawless finish that really lasts all day. One thing though: If you’re like me and you have very dry skin, you need to get on top of your dry patches first as this foundation is not very forgiving.

All in all, I love this foundation! I found the right products to make it work for me, and I love how it makes my face look and feel. Once I run out of Pan Stiks, this will be my new go-to foundation (unless Max Factor ruins this formula too).

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless Flexi-Hold 3 In 1 Foundation 30 Porcelain is available as 30ml for about £13.99 (although Boots and Superdrug often do 3 for 2). I bought 2 bottles for £4.99 each at B&M Bargains!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation Natural 50

Hi there! Today’s post is about Max Factor’s Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 In 1 Foundation which I had a sample of. The shade I tried was Natural 50.

OK, so what does the product do? In a nutshell, this foundation promises to prime, conceal and cover (this is the 3 in 1 bit). And it claims to provide longlasting and flawless coverage. Read on if you’d like to know if it’s any good.

Max Factor Face Finity is a liquid foundation. I’m not the biggest fan of liquid foundations, but this one was quick and easy to apply. The shade Natural 50 was a bit too dark for me, but it wasn’t too bad. It was in the “still OK” range. 🙂

I was very impressed with the way the foundation looked on me because it gave me pretty much full coverage. Despite this, the foundation didn’t look cakey or unnatural, and it didn’t settle into my fine lines. So yeah, I think the finish was almost flawless!

I checked my face numerous times throughout the day, and I’m happy to report that the foundation stayed put. I wore it for 12 hours, and I really liked it!

To make a long story short – I was impressed with this foundation. I know I will buy a full-size bottle in the not too distant future. I would, however, choose a lighter shade.

Max Factor’s Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 In 1 Foundation is available as 30ml for £12.99.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Reducing My Samples Stash – Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation Sand

Hi there! Today I’m reviewing Maybelline’s Dream Satin Liquid Foundation which I have (well, had) a sample of. The shade I tried is Sand. This foundation promises to make pores appear invisible and to create a perfect complexion. Sounds… cocky! I’ve now given the foundation a try, so let me tell you more about it.

I love how the foundation felt when I applied it. It was dreamy. And satiney. Wow! However, it was impossible to blend the foundation into my skin. I tried, and tried, and tried again – but it didn’t work. And I was disappointed to see that this foundation settled into my pores and fine lines, thus making them more visible.

This foundation doesn’t provide much coverage. However, it still manages to look unnatural and cakey. And on top of that I’ve noticed that this foundation oxidises quite a bit. My face looked orange after just a few hours.

Based on my experience I wouldn’t recommend this foundation. If you want a natural looking foundation that provides good coverage without looking like it’s been caked on, you need to look elsewhere. Maybelline’s Dream Satin Liquid Foundation is available as 30ml for £8.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Reducing My Samples Stash – Oriflame Giordani Gold Mineral Therapy Foundation Natural Beige

Hi there! Today’s post is about Oriflame’s Giordani Gold Mineral Therapy Foundation in Natural Beige. I’ve had this sample for quite some time. And I haven’t been keen on giving this foundation a try. That’s because, based on my experience, those ‘natural beige’ shades are usually way too dark for me (I’m a pale redhead). However, I’m making an effort to use the products I already have – and that includes all those samples too!

Now onto the review! The first thing I noticed was that 3ml is a lot of product for a foundation sample. Wow! The second thing I noticed was that the shade of this liquid foundation wasn’t really a natural beige – it was more of an orangey shade. But that was OK. It was a Sunday, I didn’t have to go anywhere, and so I just applied the foundation…

Then I took a really close look in the mirror, and I was ready to wash my face again! My face looked orange – but that wasn’t even the main issue. The main issue was that this foundation didn’t provide any coverage at all. I didn’t even look like I was wearing make-up. I looked like I had slathered my face in carrot oil. Ridiculous!

But since I wanted to give this foundation a chance, I left it on for the entire day. I must say that I expected the foundation to settle into the fine lines, and I was sure it would highlight dry patches – but it didn’t. And it actually felt nice on my skin. Now, I make room for the possibility that I helped by not applying powder, but who knows? And who cares? I certainly don’t because this foundation doesn’t cover anything at all, so I wouldn’t buy it anyway!

Oriflame’s Giordani Gold Mineral Therapy Foundation has been renamed. It’s current name is Oriflame Giordani Gold Long Wear Mineral Foundation. It’s available as 30ml for £18.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

I wouldn’t recommend… NYC Skin Matching Foundation 685 Fair

Hi there! Today’s post is about a foundation I’d never recommend – it’s NYC’s Skin Matching Foundation in 685 Fair.

I bought this foundation for £1 only. So I knew it wouldn’t be great. But I was hoping that it would be OK and that I would be able to wear it under my actual foundation – as a BB Cream or instead of a primer.

However, I’ve now binned the product. Here’s why.

First of all this shade is quite dark. I’ve seen foundations called ‘natural’ or ‘medium’ which were lighter. So this one isn’t for fair skin. In addition, I’m not sure why the product claims to adapt to skin tone – because it doesn’t.

The major problem with this foundation is that it’s not blendable. At first, it goes on streaky like a bad BB cream. And then you can’t blend / correct or touch this foundation with your fingers, a brush or a sponge – because it will flake immediately. 😦

I gave this foundation a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance (and so on). I tried to make it work with different moisturisers and beauty tools. But my efforts remained fruitless. This foundation just doesn’t work at all. And because of this I can’t even tell you anything about the coverage or whether it lasts long…

If you see this foundation at a bargain store, don’t be tempted – no matter how cheap it is. There’s a reason why this full-size foundation ended up on offer for £1 in the first place.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Poundworld Make-Up: Miss Beauty London Pressed Powder 18 Ivory

Hi there! About two months ago Poundworld launched its own make-up range, Miss Beauty London. The products are made in the UK by the same company that also manufactures 2True products, so I was interested to see how Miss Beauty London would hold up.

When I had a look at what was on sale, I wasn’t too impressed. They had lots of lip and nail products, but only a handful of eyeshadows. The nail colours didn’t look bad at all, but the shades were fairly standard so I didn’t pick up any nail polish. In the end I bought two products – a lipstick (to be reviewed shortly) and this Miss Beauty London Pressed Powder (18 Ivory).

This shade, 18 Ivory, is really nice for pale girls. It’s certainly the perfect shade for me because it’s a perfect match for my skin tone. This is also the reason why I didn’t take a photo of the powder on my skin – you wouldn’t see anything.

Another bonus: The powder has sunscreen and vitamin E added to it.  I don’t think that I need the extra sunscreen from the powder because my Olay moisturiser protects me from the sun. I also don’t think that the vitamin E reaches my skin because I use Max Factor’s Pan Stik. 🙂 But it’s nice to know the manufacturer thought of adding sunscreen and vitamin E – just in case.

In terms of quallity, this product is average. I’ve had better and worse face powders. It does what it’s supposed to do – it controls shine and sets make-up, but it needs a touch up every couple of hours. But then again, it’s £1 only so you can’t really go wrong. I’ll definitely keep this powder in my make-up bag!

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Max Factor Pan Stik 12 True Beige, 25 Fair

Hi there! Let’s talk foundation. I’ve been using many different foundations over the years and I’ve always been on the hunt for something better – until I discovered the incredible Max Factor Pan Stik. I’m using two different shades at the moment – 25 Fair and 12 True Beige. (Scroll down for swatches – unblended and blended.)

25 Fair is my go-to shade for most of the year. It’s supposed to be the lightest shade, but it can look orange if you apply too much. 12 True Beige is a beautiful soft beige and I use it as my winter foundation.

The Pan Stik has the most incredible coverage. It covers everything – redness, sun spots, acne… you name it. But it’s no surprise since the Pan Stik was originally developed as a stage make-up almost 100 years ago.

Some say ‘it’s a concealer’, but it’s not. You can use it as a concealer if you want to, but the Pan Stik is a foundation.

I apply the product by ‘drawing it on’ my face. A couple of strokes on my cheeks, chin, forehead, under my eyes… and then I blend it with my fingers.

Two minutes later my face looks basically flawless. However, I then use a sponge to give my foundation the perfect finish and to make sure there aren’t any fingerprints on my face.

My skin is very dry, so I don’t need to apply powder. Ever. This foundation simply lasts all day on me.

I would recommend to use powder if you have normal skin, but I wouldn’t really recommend the Pan Stik if you have oily skin.

Still, if you have dry skin (even with several dry patches) and want full coverage, the Pan Stik is for you.

I also don’t think that the Pan Stik looks cakey at all if it’s applied the way it should be (with fingers, then blended out with a sponge) on dry or normal skin.

While it’s obvious that I am wearing make-up, my face looks simply flawless. I don’t look airbrushed, and I don’t look like I ‘towelled it on’. Thanks to the Pan Stik, I look like someone who has great skin and only needs a light foundation – even though my skin is not great at all and the foundation is very rich. 🙂

And I love that my faces looks dewy. Yes, I have dry skin with dry patches. For years I’ve envied other women whose faces looked dewy because I thought my skin could never look like theirs no matter which foundation I’d use. But thanks to the Pan Stik, my dry skin looks dewy!

The incredible Max Factor Pan Stik is available for around £7.99, but there’s usually a 3 for 2 offer at the two big drugstores.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde

Yves Rocher Pure Light – Light and Luminous Foundation Beige 200

Hi there! I received a sample of Yves Rocher’s Pure Light – Light & Luminous Foundation Beige 200. This foundation claims to have a second skin effect and to enhance skin’s radiance and softness. So I put it to the test.

Let’s start with what’s good. The foundation is easy to apply and it feels very silky and smooth on my dry skin. Its scent is subtle and pleasant. The shade is a true beige with yellow undertones – it is not orange at all.
Now here’s what I didn’t like. This foundation provides light coverage only. Those who want or need medium to full coverage would be disappointed. I also found Beige 200 way too dark for me. Whilst I am a pale girl, I wouldn’t expect the 2nd lightest shade of a foundation line to be this dark.

If you have near flawless skin and if you want a foundation with light coverage only, you may want to try this one. Yves Rocher’s Pure Light – Light & Luminous Foundation is available as 30 ml for £21. It’s quite pricey, but Yves Rocher does half price or BOGOF offers all the time.

Mrs Strawberry Blonde