I’m not entirely sure how long I’ve been looking for a "perfect" foundation, but I know it’s taken me two BB creams and two liquid efforts to find it. Until I was about eighteen, I didn’t wear much make-up (or at least I can’t remember doing so!). I can recall using a lot of cheap Seventeen pressed powder compacts, and then making do with just a basic concealer dabbed on the most offensive spots. For special occasions, my sister usually made me up, so I wore whatever she had in her make-up bag! Then there came the big ‘Beauty Balm’ (BB) explosion, and - off the back of several rave reviews I read in magazines and the like - I bought Smashbox’s ‘Camera Ready’ version. This worked for quite a while, as it boasted SPF 35 and was a lightweight, low-coverage option for my low-maintenance needs. However, as those needs developed into more complex (some may say borderline obsessive…) demands on my make-up, I started casting around for alternatives. This was whilst I was living in Washington D.C., and when I heard that Benefit had launched their "bigger than BB" Big Easy "liquid-to-powder" product, I popped down to the Sephora in Georgetown to pick it up for (slightly) less than I’d be able to in the U.K. Unfortunately, all that did was convince me that I was definitely a liquid, and not a powder (or liquid-to-powder!) kind of girl. It also made me aware of how annoying it is that you can’t really test products before you purchase them. Sure, lots of beauty counters offer mini-makeovers these days, but if they really know what they’re doing they’ll use an abundance of things (clever lighting, mirrors, sales people etc.) to convince you to buy.
So I was pretty pleased when I found an "invitation" (read: coupon) from Estée Lauder to get a "10-day sample of your perfect foundation" - Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup - in a recent copy of Elle. My knowledge on the brand had somewhat increased in the recent months due to my outrageous obsession with all things Kardashian (no judgement, please); Kendall Jenner is their newest spokeswoman (read: stupidly high-paid model). I started looking for opportunities to visit a counter and take advantage of the offer, but it wasn’t until the New Year that I managed to get to one. The process was quick and easy: a friendly Estée Lauder consultant matched my shade by working with me to narrow it down from her three original picks to the one I felt would work the best with my skin and its needs. This was 1N1, or "ivory nude", and I got a 4ml pot to take away with me, tucked inside a little leaflet with details of the shade written down. 