Seeing the light...

I was beyond thrilled then I spotted this on my local Essence stand.

This is My Base Illuminating Make-up Base (and one of Essence's new dual polishes that I already blogged about). It costs €4.79 for a 20ml tube and I am loving it.

I like the squeezy tube. and then when I pulled off the lid, and found this:

Its got a pump!!!!! First time I have EVER seen anything like this, and so I feel a bit special.

Its done everything it said on the tube: moisturises, conceals small imperfections, makes foundation application easier and extends is wear. It does all those things. And it smells of nothing.

It isn't a moisturiser.This lightweight lotion is hydrating enough to stop foundation from flaking on those pesky dry patches.

One fully depressed pump dispenses triple the amount of product shown above (I didn't want to waste it) which is pink based, but blends out colourless.

Its not the glitterball bling fest, like the LE Iluminator from Catrice's Hidden World collection was. This is just perfect. As you can see where I have completely blended the lotion, it just leaves a gorgeous lightness behind. It doesn't feel sticky and it doesn't sit in a greasy layer on top of my skin.

I use this after my moisturiser, and before my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, and my foundation goes on nicely and while I haven't actually measured if my foundation actually lasts longer, at the end of a particularly hot day last week, when I was stuck in a car, my foundation still looked pretty good. I was impressed.

I used this on its own today, no foundation, just to see how it would look, and it looked ok. It seemed to blur out the redness around my nose a bit and it made my pigmentation seem a bit less obvious. It didn't sit in my pores or emphasise them, but I would be going to the races with just this on my face...

This is not shimmery or glowy enough to be used as a highlighter. But it does give a pretty finish to my skin, something that makes me look subtly polished.

I like it and it is totally worth the €4.79. I have been using it for 2 weeks and it hasn't broken me out yet, but on the days that I do wear make-up, I double cleanse, and I think this helps.

And sure, for less than a 5er, even if you don't like it, you haven't wasted loads of money.