Foundation Reviews: Shu Uemura, Designer Brands, The Body Shop

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links.
How to cite: Wong M. Foundation Reviews: Shu Uemura, Designer Brands, The Body Shop. Lab Muffin Beauty Science. December 27, 2017. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://labmuffin.com/foundation-reviews-shu-uemura-designer-brands-body-shop/

I’ve tried out some more foundations since my last set of foundation reviews. The foundations I’m reviewing here are Shu Uemura Lightbulb Essence Foundation, Designer Brands Luminous Hydrating Foundation and The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation.

A quick recap of my key requirements:

  • Shade: I’m quite yellow – slightly yellower than NC25 in MAC – so most foundation ranges end up pinker than I’d like.
  • Application: I use a damp sponge, and because I’m not that skilled and pretty lazy, I like my foundations to apply nicely with minimal effort.
  • Longevity: My oily skin makes most foundations slide around over the course of the day, so anything that lasts decently well is amazing.

Shu Uemura The Lightbulb Essence Foundation

Shu Uemura The Lightbulb Essence Foundation ($85 for 30 mL) arrived just as I ran out of Face Architect, which I’ve reviewed before (I never use up foundations, so this is a massive testament to how much of a HG this was for me… also a testament to how much foundation my makeup sponge eats up!). Lightbulb Essence foundation (not to be confused with the older Lightbulb Foundation) is full of skincare oils (primarily camellia seed, ginger and rice nuka oils) and acts as a sort of highly tinted facial oil. I was initially skeptical since I’m oily asf, but it gave me a fantastic glow over winter, though it tended to move around a bit over the course of the day. I’m skeptical that it’ll work in summer. I’m also a big fan of the colour range: 764 Medium Light Beige is great on me.

Foundation Reviews: Shu Uemura, Designer Brands, The Body Shop

The dropper bottle that it comes in is cool but a bit fiddly, and I’ve knocked this over quite a few times (I’m pretty clumsy in the mornings!). It also settles over time and needs shaking before use, though if you use it daily it doesn’t take much time at all to shake up. It also has impressive sun protection at SPF 45 and PA+++, though getting full protection probably isn’t going to happen with the amount you’ll probably use.

Designer Brands Luminous Hydrating Foundation

Designer Brands Luminous Hydrating Foundation ($19.99 for 30 mL) has become a bit of a workhorse foundation for me thanks to its impressively long-lasting formula. It’s quite hydrating without being greasy, and gives a really nice dewy-but-not-oily finish. The texture is quick thick but spreads quickly, so it’s really easy to work with. It gives light to medium coverage and is rated a pretty standard SPF 15.

Foundation Reviews: Shu Uemura, Designer Brands, The Body Shop

The only issue is the limited shade selection – Porcelain Ivory is the best option for me, but it’s a bit too pink-toned and pale so I’ve been mixing this with yellower foundations that aren’t quite as good formula-wise, so on average I end up with an OK formula and an OK shade. If it came in a yellower shade this would be a steal! The gold-dusted bottles are very pretty, and they’re very affordably priced.

The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation

The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation ($32 for 30 mL) is a light to medium coverage foundation that gives a very dewy finish on my oily skin. It moves on my skin a bit throughout the day, so I think it might work better on dry skin. It’s a standard SPF 15. They have quite a lot of shades, and Bali Vanilla 020 is a really good colour match for me. There’s a really impressive shade selection for a brand that doesn’t solely do makeup – they have quite a few very dark colours as well.

Foundation Reviews: Shu Uemura, Designer Brands, The Body Shop

Have you tried any of these foundations? What did you think? I’ll be reviewing some more foundations soon!

These products were provided for editorial consideration, which did not affect my opinion. This post also contains affiliate links – if you decide to click through and support Lab Muffin financially (at no extra cost to you), thank you! For more information, see Disclosure Policy.


Skincare Guide


Related Posts

5 thoughts on “Foundation Reviews: Shu Uemura, Designer Brands, The Body Shop”

  1. I’m so glad you reviewed the Essence Foundation, because the Lightbulb Fluid is my HG of HGs, so I’ve been wondering what this is like! Sounds like I should definitely stay with the Fluid for summer, because that doesn’t shift. Maybe pick up a sample in winter. Love your reviews!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Mzuri Cancel reply