Diorskin Nude Natural Glow - The Holy Grail of Foundation

I am a self confessed make-up junkie, and have been for years.  I regularly have to put myself on ‘make-up purchase lockdown’ because I can spend a fortune on trying out new products.  And my weakness is definitely foundation.  I think a flawless face forms the base of any make-up look and I am constantly in search of my Holy Grail foundation.

Just to give you a quick 411 on my skin...I have very dry skin.  I suffer from eczema and as a result my skin is sensitive, easily irritated and quite red-based.  I also suffer from large pores on my cheeks and various blemishes which now and again rise up into angry red lumps. 

So, from my foundation I need coverage and hydration. 

I have tried SO many foundations, although that is probably obvious from my numerous foundation posts.  At the moment  though, my go-to foundation is Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Make-up by Christian Dior.  In my opinion it is expensive.  At £32 a bottle, it makes my eyes water a little!  But I have struggled to find anything cheaper that rivals it.

 I’m a fan of the consistency to start with.  It is quite thick, and turns almost a little bit mousse-like after a while, which may not suit everyone.  It starts off a lot more fluid, but thickens up over time.  But I quite like it once it has thickened up a bit as it feels like it covers better but then still feels light on the skin.  It applies very easily, and I find it smoothes my skin texture out.  I will warn that it is quite heavy coverage.  If you are a fan of light coverage foundations then this isn’t for you. 

I am also a fan of the colour range.  Their colour range is labelled as follows: 010, 020, 021, 022, 030, 031, 032 etc.  The middle number denotes how dark the colour is (1 being the lightest – 7 the darkest).  The third number denotes the undertone.  Numbers ending in ‘0’ have a neutral undertone, numbers ending in ‘1’ have a yellow/warm undertone, and numbers ending in ‘2’ have a pink/cool undertone.  I believe their 010 colour is quite dark for it being the lightest one they offer, so this probably is better suited for people with medium skin tones.  I wear 021 in the winter and 031 in the summer, and sometimes I mix them to get an 'in between' shade.  I am NC25 in Mac make-up.

Despite containing a high SPF, this foundation photographs really well as well.  It holds its colour and doesn’t make your face come up too white when photographed with a flash.  I also find it an even base to then apply blushers and bronzers.  Sometimes when I use moisturising foundations, my blusher/bronzer tends to ‘clump’ in certain areas.  This doesn’t happen with Diorskin nude.

But my hands down favourite thing about this product is that it hydrates my skin but still has quite a matte look.  This is so hard to find in moisturising foundations.  The vast majority give a “dewy” complexion, and normally if I even attempt to use a matte based foundation I end up with dry patches and foundation gathered in my fine lines.  This is the only foundation I have found which I can wear all day without getting any dry patches, flaking or fine lines and yet stays reasonably matte. It lasts for ages as well, and once the foundation sinks in a bit, it actually looks very natural for high the coverage is. I rarely top it up when I wear it for a whole day and into the evening.

I apply it with a foundation brush for a heavier look, or with my fingers for a lighter look and I even use it as a concealer if I am wearing a lighter foundation or tinted moisturiser.  You can just pop it on the parts of your skin which need a higher coverage, and it blends so easily.

I will just give you a heads up though....the pump on the foundation regularly breaks.  About 6 or so weeks into using the product, the pump will stick fast and literally will not budge.  If this happens, TAKE IT BACK.  I live in a small town, and even the Dior lady in the Boots there is aware of this problem with the pump.  They quite happily swap it for a new one (if you keep your receipt that’s a bonus).  I have had about 7 of these and every single one has got stuck.  Although it is a hassle having to take them into Boots to swap, you do end up getting a few free foundations out of it!!

The re-designed the packaging in October 2012, and I haven't had the problem with the pump since, but if you do get a sticky one, take it back straight away.  Always a good idea to stash the receipt somewhere safe too, just in case.

I'm not going to lie, the price of this seriously pains me.  When one runs out, I really toy with the idea of trying to use cheaper alternatives (the best I  have found is Maybelline Fit Me) but I just cannot find anything to rival this, and I come back to it time and time again.  I guess the best things in life can't always be free.