Ever since I can remember, I have received at least five emails a week [more like a five day now] from customers asking me if I can match them up to a Foundation shade - either based on another brands colour or by them telling me something along the lines of "I have pale skin, blue eyes and red hair - any suggestions?" Erm...
So to attempt to eradicate this problem I am going to set up Ultimate Foundation Swatches.
Welcome to part 1!This is the Rich Liquid Foundation swatch, starring Crispian and myself...
100 105 120RLF 100
This is the palest shade we produce. Make no mistake - this is white. And because it is a Rich Liquid Foundation, it will take even the darkest skins down to white without any natural skin colour coming through - perfect for a pure, theatrical alabaster look.
RLF 105
This has a slightly pink undertone, but is still very pale. Gorgeous for a Marie Antoinette look if you slightly deeper in skin tone, but this has been matched to a great deal of people who are thrilled with the result - I know there are a lot of you who have been searching for high coverage foundations to match your pale skin and this is the lightest 'skin' colour we do!
RLF 120This has a pink-based foundation and still very light. For an idea of comparison to other brands, I have been told that
Gossmakeupartist will be looking in to this in the near future!
125 135 140RLF 125This is a yellow based foundation with an ash undertone.
RLF 135This is another yellow based foundation and the colour that Alex Box used on me at the Alex Box Masterclass, if you want an idea on how it looks on me [I am a 215 from day to day!]
RLF 140 Another yellow based foundation that is one of our best selling colours.
145 205 210 215
RLF 145 This foundation is another of our best selling colours - in terms of skin tone it is the same as RLF 140 - the difference being that it is pink-based. This is the last of the cooler tones of Rich Liquid Foundation.
RLF 205The first of the warmer foundation shades, this is another best seller - a yellow based beige.
RLF 210 This is similar in skintone to 205 but it is pink based.
RLF 215 This is my colour - a pink based, slightly warmer version of 210.
Me with 215 on [Satin Primer + SPF20 on first, then Rich Liquid Foundation buffed on top]
230 240RLF 230This is another warmer shade with a slightly ash undertone.
RLF 240This is the last in our warmer shades and is a deep, almost apricot type hue that is suitable for olive skin tones [I am doing it no justice!]
320 325
RLF 320The first in the darker shades, this is suitable for olive/ asian skin tones. It is yellow based, but looks like a lovely tan shade. Thanks again to Crispian!
RLF 325This is a very popular skin colour for black men and women who are quite red based and is one of our best selling shades.
330 335
RLF 330
This still has a red base, but not as much as the 325. It is actually Crispian's match [if he ever chose to wear foundation...!] although on his arm it looks quite dark.
RLF 335
This is another, darker colour that is very warm with slightly blue undertones.
340 345RLF 340 This is a more red based, deep brown shade.
RLF 345 This foundation is arguably the darkest we do of the skin shades and has no hint of red or blue undertones.
Below are the foundation, in the order stated above, on a black glossy background:
Coverage
The Rich Liquid Foundation has the highest amount of coverage of any foundation I have ever tried. This makes it perfect for HDTV [it's also called in all the time by press for shoots] as well as being popular with theatre make-up artists.
It can, however, be buffed down to create a less high impact look. I like to apply it after Satin Primer + SPF20 during the day with a Foundation Brush and then buff it in after with the Highlighter Brush for a more natural finish.
If you suffer from redness at all, then it really does wonders at covering it up and means that you can add a pink blusher without feeling overly made up.
I do hope this has helped and I welcome feedback. I will try and do a Cream Foundation and a Light Liquid Foundation next week!
Have a great weekend all.
I cannot describe how excited I am to hear the feedback from the online New York based community after they have had their swatching frenzy at the first ever Illamasqua stand in the United States of America!
Here is Lucy modelling her favourite blusher for when the sun has got his hat on - Cream Blusher in 'Sob'. This is a light but bright blue pink that turns almost mauve when used with a light touch.
Lucy looks great with a bit of sculpting with Powder Blusher in 'Create' - it gives a lovely matt beige contour and if, like me, you do not like bronzers with any hint of shimmer or sparkle, then you could give this a try...
We are all massive fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's at Head Office [we frequently have the amazing 'It's Blitz!' playing through the speakers] and their lead singer, Karen O, has become a style revelation with her unusual half polish, half korean looks and unmistakable voice.
To recreate a Karen O look, prep your skin with Matt Primer + SPF20 to help even out skintone and lightly mattify oilier areas. This will also allow your foundation to sit on top more evenly and achieve that flawless finish that Karen O has. For a nod to the 80s, apply a contour colour [Illamasqua has a great selection of contour specific Powder Blushers for all skin tones] such as 'Mischief' Powder Blusher just under the cheekbone to define and sculpt.
100 105 120
125 135 140
145 205 210 215 
Me with 215 on [Satin Primer + SPF20 on first, then Rich Liquid Foundation buffed on top]
230 240
320 325
330 335
340 345
'Ravish' is the left shade - a cutesy colour that can be blended out very easily for a barely there hint of colour, perfect for every day.
You can see here how it is very wearable wine shade with red undertones. I have tried to blend out the colour in the swatch so you can see how it would look with a subtle application and a more intense application.
I also recommend using these colours on the lips - they are very hydrating and dewy!"
So, as the New York launch looms, and our National USA launch in October is growing closer, I have been spending time in the USA making sure that everyone who needs to know about Illamasqua knows about it. Monday Jennifer, Daniel and I trained the fabulous and inspiring team that are going to be representing us in Sephora at 5 Times Square. I am so excited about the launch and have confidence in the newest Illamasqua evangelists. In the words of one of the team - we channel Sasha Fierce!
It remind me of Boysenberry butter [see below]!
The last berry I wanted to show you is Lipstick in 'Resist'. I know this isn't a Lipgloss, but it's my favourite lip colour at the moment and a really great transitional colour - by that I mean it looks bright and fresh with a Summer tan but also has that wine/ berry undertone that would make it really great for Autumn.
As I reported last week, Marina and the Diamonds played a set at the Sanderson Predicts event at the exclusive Sanderson hotel in London.
My friend and I headed down after work to catch the set and met Halimah, who had created the look for Marina that night. After a cocktail or two in the Long Bar [order the 'Sweet Thing' - at £11 it's not cheap but its a delicious concoction of crushed strawberries, vanilla vodka and apple juice - yum] we grabbed a spot near the make-shift stage in the garden area ready for Marina to make her appearance.
And what an appearance it was. I was unfamiliar with her music before the set, but I cannot stop downloading her tunes now - I am especially loving 'I Am Not A Robot'. Watch the video here - it was shot by Rankin and is a really edgy video.
Sanderson [and Illamasqua!] predicts big things for this girl and with her album launch in January 2010 she is definitely one to watch. She also has a blog! marinaandthediamonds.com. Follow this link to see her thoughts on Illamasqua!
Selfridges is a great, if surreal, world. Last week I went along to a Christmas event for an assortment of media press, where brands show their latest collections/ ideas for Christmas. Walking into a room with Christmas trees and tinsel in the middle of July is a strange experience!
Tonight we are sending our gorgeous Selfridges Oxford Street artist Halimah to the Sanderson Hotel in London where she will be making up the alter ego of Marina and the Diamonds.
I'll give you the goss from the event tomorrow as I'll be heading down after work!
Thank you all so much for your feedback in response to my post on the expansion of our Mascara range. Today we received a visit from our component supplier to review possible wands for any forthcoming mascara's that we decide to produce.
Cat has won a fantastic prize of:
1 x Liquid metal in the shade of her choice
The ever-fabulous Adam from Selfridges Oxford Street travelled up to Manchester last week to launch the new Powdered Metals exclusively at Selfridges Trafford. I spoke to Sharon, the Counter Manager, for her take on the event:
We figured that since these three products have been developed with a variety of skin tones in mind, we would get a quintessential English Rose-type girl to and a gorgeous olive skinned guy to be our Sirens for the day!"
Powdered Metals have now launched online [click here to buy] and we will be rolling out this demonstration through each of our counters in the near future.
