Foundation is the one product that most woman use every single day and trying to find the perfect foundation is an ongoing struggle. Throw in the fact that some of our favourite high end foundations cost a small fortune and sometimes we find ourselves hunting for a more affordable alternative. To help you with this search, I have decided to start a budget foundation series on the The Beautiful Truth. Every week or so I will be reviewing a budget foundation, detailing the pros and cons of each. However, it is important to remember, that what suits my skin, might not always work out for you. So keep that in mind as you read each foundation post.
The first foundation in the foundation diaries, is the L’oreal Lumi Magique foundation. This isn’t a new foundation to the market, but is one that is been around for quite a number of years now and has been tried and tested by many beauty bloggers. This foundation is said to give that lit from within look, to help you create the much sought after dewy finish.
Shade Range: Like with a lot of budget foundations, the shade range is pretty poor. There are only 6 shades available, so if you’re very pale or in anyway dark, you may forget this foundation. In saying that, I did manage to find a shade fairly easily and in fact had a choice of two. I went with the yellow toned nude beige , but there was a pink toned alternative. If you happen to find yourself in America, there are darker shades of this foundation available. I don’t think I will ever understand the reason behind limited shade releases in Ireland, when they already have the darker shades available in the US.
Packaging: As far as budget foundation bottles go, the Lumi Magique comes is a cute rose gold and glass packaging. It also thankfully comes with a pump, making it easy to get the right amount of product out of the bottle. While you receive a standard 30ml of product, the bottle does feel a little heavier due to the extra heavy glass at the bottom of the bottle.
Texture: This has quite a fluid texture, that glides onto the skin very easily. As it is a light infusing foundation, it is said to give a dewy lit from within finish. I however foundation it to feel a little greasy on the skin. In fact I really didn’t like the feel of it on my face at all. When I didn’t powder the foundation, I could feel it sit on my skin as the day progressed, which really irritated me. Keep in mind however, that my skin has been a little on the oily side lately so i have a feeling that this could be part of the reason it sat on my skin.
Finish: This is without a shadow of a doubt a dewy finish. It does give your skin the glow as promised. However, I did find that in areas of my face it could look a little powdery at times. This didn’t happen all the time but there were days when my forehead looked a little powder like. I also found that it tended to sit in any lines.
Skin type: In my opinion this is a foundation for dry skinned ladies. If you’re oily I would be inclined to say avoid this like the plague, as it really broke down on my t zone which was on the slightly oily side. If you’re skin is dry, I really believe that this will give you that glow and won’t cling to dry patches. I know Jaclyn Hill raves about it and she describes her skin as very dry.
Coverage: This is a medium coverage foundation. It gives enough coverage to blur out imperfections, but not to cover them completely. I did apply an extra layer to give my skin slightly more coverage.
Lasting Power: The lasting power of this foundation varied from day to day. If my skin was anyway oily it broke down after 3 or 4 hours and looked very patchy. On the days that my skin was more on the dry side I got a little bit longer out of it. It does last slightly longer when powdered, so for me unless you’re quite dry, powder is a must with this foundation.
Price: At €16.49, I do think this is expensive for a “budget” foundation. However, if you’re very dry, this would be money well spent.
Overall I feel a bit meh about the L’oreal Lumi Magique, but I feel that this is down to my skin type rather than the foundation. As I mentioned above, if you’re more dry, I really think that this could be a good choice for you. If your skin is dry and you have tried this foundation, leave a comment down below and let me know how you got on with it.You can buy it on any L’Oreal stand or online here.
