This is big, HUGE!
In 2017 I ordered a tube of Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint. I didn’t read the reviews – because it was a repeat order and I didn’t take much notice of the ‘New and Improved” label either, how could they mess up such a beloved product?
They did. They changed the formula. It was as different as it could be and I moaned and complained about it at length.
I wasn’t the only one who hated that shade 02 (ditto shades, 01 and 03) had taken on an orangey hue, that it was runny, emphasised pores, and left the face looking super shiny. There were lots of equally terrible customer reviews on the official site.
Click on the image below for my full post.
Since then, I only used the Liz Earle site to stock up on Cleanse & Polish when there was a special offer available. Plus they always send out a mini tube of C&P with a muslin cloth with orders which is really useful for traveling.
Earlier this year, I happened to read the latest reviews on Skin Tint and it looked very much like they’d reverted back to the old formula.
But it was confusing, someone from the company said they hadn’t made further changes since the 2017 relaunch, but the reviews seemed to imply otherwise. I trust the reviews on the Liz Earle site because they often reflected exactly what I experienced. So if the reviewers now say it changed again, I believe them.
Click on the image to see what I’m talking about.
I took a chance and at the end of October, I bought shade 01 Bare and shade 02 Beige.
I’ve been trialing them for a month and I can confirm that the new, new formula HAS changed – a lot.
I’m not saying it’s exactly the same as the original, but this formula is more like a sister to the original, whereas the new one was a very distant cousin 50 times removed.
THE GOOD POINTS
- It is no longer runny.
- Shade 02 Beige is no longer orange.
- It’s not greasy looking on the face.
THE NOT SO GOOD POINTS
- Shades 01 and 02 are not the same as the originals. They’re more natural-looking, but both shades are slightly darker.
- The application isn’t quite as smooth.
- It dries really fast. There’s not much time for blending.
Despite the ‘not so good’ points, I’m very pleased with the formula and application, I’ve just had to learn to apply it in a new way
As mentioned above, this foundation dries very quickly, (I wonder if they’ve cut down on the avocado oil?). I applied it with a Beauty Blender, it didn’t go on smoothly at all and looked very patchy. I tried a foundation brush but the bristles seemed to grab all the product. I mixed it with Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Spray (review here) which I love because it locks in any foundation to make it last all day, but it became very gloopy.
Eventually, I settled on my fingers and found the answer. Obviously, the warmth of my fingers helps to distribute it and the application is smoother. I can’t understand how the official line is that they haven’t changed the formula when it went from runny and oily to this much drier formula? You do need to buff it out with a brush afterward to get rid of any streaks. I would also suggest a richer/creamier moisturiser underneath to counteract any dryness. Bobbi Brown’s Face Base primer works exceptionally well.
The huge bonus for me is that the application (now I’ve nailed it) is very fast. I used to spend a lot of time blending and checking for patches, now it’s just applied with fingers and buffed out with a brush. It’s cut my foundation time by a third.
I still have to mix the two shades to get my perfect colour. Too much of the lighter shade 01 gives my face an eerie mask-like appearance.
The shades – I’ve tried to take a good swatch photo every time I’ve worn it, but I can’t get the colours exactly right. I’ll get there though. However, you can return the foundation if it’s not suitable, so at least you have the freedom to trial the shades. Only three to choose from though which I always thought was a bit old-school.
I paid just over £50.00 for these two foundations. It’s a lot, I could get a premium brand foundation for that price, but with Sheer Tint I can customise the colour – helpful for summer/winter and know it will never look shiny. It’s still a lightweight makeup though, you know that feeling of being aware of wearing foundation? This is undetectable which is very much like the original one was.
A matt face is not flattering on mature skin, but I can now liberally apply a rich and nourishing moisturiser underneath without fear of overshine and forgo loose powder.
SHOPPING INFO
Thanks to Black Friday, Sheer Skin Tint is now down to £20.40 from £25.50 for 40ml.
LAST WORD
Sheer Skin Tint is the last makeup product Liz Earle sells, so I do wonder if it’s going to be discontinued? This would be a real shame, now that they’ve finally addressed the problems.
