Face of Australia - Mineral Therapy Liquid Foundation

I was gifted a bottle of this foundation in the colour Beige from Dee who tried it first and you can read her review here. Although we both have relatively dry skin the differences are very clear when you find the right product and this is a great example.

Firstly I have to say that until recently FOA was completely off my radar, then they released the Luxe nail polishes. I am also aware that a few bloggers have received items for review and so FOA seems to be everywhere again. I think that's kind of nice as I am happy to support an Australian company that is also animal friendly (yay!) as long as their products make the grade. And my experiences with the Luxe nail polishes and this foundation support the quality of their products. So onto the review -


Packaging - This is somewhat similar to the Maybelline mineral liquid foundation and I like the design. The design is sleek and simple and allows for easy and hygienic dispensing of the foundation liquid. It is also pretty easy to keep the bottle mess free.

Smell - There really doesn't seem to be any smell which suits me. Yay!

Texture - This is quite a thin liquid that applies easily and I used it with a primer (I'm currently using MAC Prep and Prime) for best results. I applied this foundation using a few different techniques - my fingers, fingers and a sponge, brush, brush and a sponge. I have to say this foundation is pretty forgiving as all the application techniques worked. The coverage is medium but can be built where required. In my case this was challenging as I found the colour a little dark - however using a sponge to thin it out at the edges of my face really helped.

I also felt more comfortable with a powder over the top - again I tried a few different ones - MAC MSF Natural, EDM Natural Reflections Fair and Rimmel Loose Powder. Rimmel was the clear winner - it toned down the glow (which could be another selling point for others) but didn't make my face look cakey. The foundation and powder combination lasted for the majority of the day - although towards the end I did see some of my natural redness come through - but that is a common issue I face.


Performance against it's claims:
They say:

• Lightweight formula provides perfect coverage
• Wont clog pores or irritate skin, evens skin tone and soothes problem skin
• Available in 4 shades to match any skin tone

I say

• It is a lightweight foundation - I feel like my skin breathes with this on and the coverage is good but I don't have problem skin
• I certainly didn't have any issues with clogged pores or increased redness on my sensitive skin. I can't honestly say if I felt my skin being soothed though.
• I have this is the colour Beige - I'd love to try Ivory for comparison I bet that would be perfect.

Value for Money - This foundation retails for around $15 (sorry I couldn't find an exact price at the time of publishing this) for 50 mls. I think that's pretty reasonable considering it has some 'good skin' ingredients, covers pretty well and is reasonably forgiving of different application techniques.

Anything else?
My only sad point comes with there being no SPF and I cannot (in good conscience) just single out FOA here as a lot of drugstore foundations do not have SPF. If this had SPF I think that would give it the magic factor to take it from ordinary into the must have category. This is a solid B foundation.


Would I buy this again? I honestly would probably not buy this again unless it had a SPF (but I am a day walker who should be covered by an umbrella at all times). I would have no hesitation in recommending this to other people but with a warning to ensure they use a sunscreen and/or moisturiser with SPF.

I will certainly be looking into their new Face Base Primer, Lasting Looks Natural Foundation and Tinted Moisturiser that all have SPF though. In fact with a moisturiser and primer with SPF I might be persuaded to risk a purchase of this foundation (in ivory).

I have also had the opportunity to try the

1. Mineral Therapy Powder Foundation +Brush (from Dee)
2. Devine Shine Lip Plumper in Lavish Instincts (from Dee and smells awesome!)
3. Mineral Lip Shines in Beach House and Twilight Glow (purchased by me and I love them). 

 If anyone is interested in my thoughts on these just leave a comment below and I'll review them as well.

Have you tried this foundation? What was your experience like?