REVIEW: MUA UNDRESS YOUR SKIN ILLUMINATING FOUNDATION

I'm still penny-pinching when it comes to buying myself new products. With my current focus being on my skin and not my make-up I've gone to the more affordable end of the beauty spectrum now my Diorskin Forever Liquid Foundation has finally run out. £31 to £5 is a dramatic leap but I was willing to take a risk as this new release from MUA has been highly commended by a lot of beauty bloggers, one of which being Miss Budget Beauty. 

The packaging is cheap but the I wasn't expecting a glass bottle from a budget brand. My only concern is that because I can't see into the tube I won't know when it's about to run out before it does. The colour range isn't extensive but I knew I would definitely be the lightest shade in this foundation purely because, just from looking at swatches from testers in store, the other shades were simply too dark for my fair complexion. I was going to be hit and miss but with some blending I thought I would pull it off. 

Using clean hands and fingers I've been applying this foundation from the center of my face outwards. 

I usually start on my jaw because this is where I need the most coverage for blemishes and hyper-pigmentation marks but I worry about the dreaded tide-line too much for my own good some times. I've found the colour match to be acceptable but obviously it was never going to be perfect. MUA describe this foundation as 'medium to high coverage' which I personally don't find. It's buildable and could give quite a full coverage if it was layered up with many thin layers but I find that it seems to be quite light if anything - especially when it's really worked into the skin from the pea size that I apply to the back of my hand. As for the 'illuminating' claims I would agree that my skin looks to have a subtle glow after first applying the product but this soon wears off. I haven't noticed any glitter chunks or shimmer particles in the formula and I still feel like I need to use highlighter on the areas of my face I like to make prominent but I wasn't after the 'illuminating' part of this product anyway so in my eyes it's simply a bonus.

Wear time will depend, ultimately, on your skin type. 

If you have dry skin then it may last quite a while a on you before it needs touching up although you may have to moisturize well in any areas that you don't want to look patchy. If you have oily skin then may I suggest a bloody good primer because personally I found that on my slightly oilier areas, especially on my T-zone and jaw, this foundation just simply went AWOL. Dehydrated skin, also like my own, will love this foundation for all of the moisture it contains and will absorb it to leave a very patchy mess if you don't moisturize very very well before you apply this. I would suggest travelling with it for touch ups 'just in case' if you're like me and very anal about how your base looks. 

Would I recommend this? For the money it is impressive.

Ultimately it's up to you dear reader. I've said before that I prefer my foundations to be high-end predominately because I think they perform better and you should invest in your base products. I do think this Undress Your Skin Illuminating Foundation is good but it isn't something I would have purchased had I not been forced because of a bout of thriftiness recently. Still, it's good to know that if I do need to save some money in the future I can rely on this to tide me over until my next more expensive purchase.

MUA Undress Your Skin Illuminating Foundation is available from counters across the UK in Superdrug stores and also the MUA website. RRP: £5.00.