Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation

Cost: $38.00 US Dollars

Available at your local Sephora.

Description: “Never heavy, chalky, or dull, Illuminating Liquid Foundation glides on weightlessly for sheer-to-medium coverage and a silky semi-matte finish that evens out flaws while letting your skin’s natural luminescence shine through.”

First Impression: This foundation looks quite goopy, almost like mud. The texture is very light and fluffy, reminding me of whipped cream. The coverage is sheer to medium although it is definitely buildable. The shade that I chose, 60 Watt, is a little off and it gave me a very warm skin tone. This foundation really overdoes the “illuminating” part.

SPF: None.

Shade: There are 8 shades available although they all look to be quite warm in tone. I chose 60 Watt but I’ll probably be more suitable in 40 Watt since 60 Watt was way too dark for me.

Finish: Honestly, this foundation made me look like a disco ball. I love radiance but I find it to be a bit excessive.

Texture: The texture of this foundation is slightly denser. I wouldn’t call it a cream. It does need to be worked in though and blended in thoroughly. Otherwise, it will look very noticeable. I’d say that it almost feels like a gel-cream.

Coverage: This foundation has sheer to medium coverage. It is certainly buildable(to a certain extent) but it is more suitable for a wearer who doesn’t have many problem areas that need covering up. It covered my broken capillaries after a few light layers of foundation so I wouldn’t recommend it for redness or facial veins or even acne scarring. I would give this foundation a 5 out of 10 when it comes to coverage.

Workable: Light and fluffy, it is certainly workable. It blends in well enough although it is tedious if you have to layer. I think the product disappears once it hits my skin and I end up having to use more.

Longevity: This foundation has little staying power. Since the coverage was light, I found myself having to retouch throughout the day. The light-reflecting particles do transfer easily and it becomes a nuisance because it’s genuinely so sparkly!

Application: I used a large stippling brush to apply Stila’s Illuminating Foundation.

Type of skin: This foundation settles into my dry spots and emphasized them slightly despite the light-reflecting particles. This foundation is great for normal and oily skin types and I honestly would recommend a setting power. This foundation was not as hydrating as I expected it to be (compared to Guerlain, Lancome, and Chanel). It is hydrating, but it’s just not enough for drier skin types.

Packaging: The foundation is packaged in a frosted, rectangular bottle that also comes with a white pump (the cosmetics companies are learning lol).

The Verdict: This one is going on the “No” list for me. There are way too many glittery particles in this foundation; it’s ridiculous. I think it looks like you literally sprayed your face with water and them dipped it into a bowl of glitter. I love radiance and everyone should know that, but definitely not when it’s distracting. I can see myself using it for a holiday party but it doesn’t necessarily have the hydration that I need. If you are a dry skin type and want to try this foundation, I suggest moisturizing really well, exfoliating (even before applying moisturizer) your skin, and using a refresher/setting spray such as MAC Fix +.

Stila’s Illuminating Foundation costs $38 and that’s a pretty good price for a foundation (if only all foundations cost around $35).

This is the last foundation of the foundation review marathon. I was supposed to post this last night so I apologize for the wait. I can tell you that it has been very tiring going back and forth between a social life, family, work, and blogging but I’m trying still! :D If I come across any new foundations, I will post a review on them. In the future, I’ll update on the eight that I’ve posted these past two weeks on how they perform in the long run. I have some interesting posts coming up and I can’t wait to share them with you all. (I’m just going to give myself a breather on Mondays and Tuesdays … if I can help it of course. I’ll probably end up blogging anyway.)

Happy reading and have a great night!