Review: Burberry Sheer Luminous Foundation

Aahh, foundation always challenges my application skills and patience. I have the toughest time to find a great foundation. My skin turns all foundations into red-based color either orange or muddy or pink. An ideal foundation for me will smooth out my skin, dry in natural finish and will not turn orange.

Only Clarins Ever Matte has grant all my wishes for the summer. It however leaves little dry patches when the dryer weather hits Houston. And it leans pink, although at the slightest, enough to get me unsatisfied. So here I test and test again. I've been collecting samples of some the new foundations coming out this fall. Let's start with what used to be Burberry's only foundation.

Burberry Sheer Luminous Foundation ($52 for 1 oz) comes in 9 shades. It seems like the odd-numbered shades are yellow-based and the even-numbered leans more neutral. Trench No 5 lies between the shade of my neck and my face but is closer to the first. My face skin is one shade darker than my neck. Yeah, troublesome I know. And Trench No 5 solves this problem. It doesn't turn orange through out the day either.

Burberry Sheer Luminous covers my green veins quite well with 2 layers. 

I don't find it luminous to the level that mirrors the description. It's really natural and weightless. My face feels naked! However, it becomes shiny at hour 5 on my T-zone. That's not particularly bad compared to Clarins Ever Matte (hour 6), Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk (hour 3), Chanel Mat Lumiere (hour 5), Dior Skin Nude (hour 5), Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich (hour 5), and Bourjois Healthy Mix and Healthy Mix Serum (hour 5).

Although designed as a sheer foundation, it can be built up to full coverage and somehow still look like second skin. Love love love it! Better yet, it stays on for 6 hours when applied sheerly without setting powder and 8 hours with two layers and a bit of powder on the T-zone.

The texture is so heavenly smooth and lightweight. You can feel the silicon slip through your fingers yet not as much as Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk does. It's also less liquidy and more like cream type of foundation.

Bottom line. It might be the one for me. Highly recommended! Since so many new foundations have been released this fall and all promise revolutionary technology and exceptional finish, I must try them, especially Giorgio Armani Maestro, before declaring Burberry Sheer Luminous is the winner for me.

Have your tried Burberry Sheer Luminous Foundation? Any thoughts on how it compares to your favorite?

*****A side note on my skin and foundations*****

 I have medium yellow undertone (MAC NC 25-30) with some redness on the cheek and dull skin on the chin. My face skin is nearly one shade deeper than the neck. I look for a foundation that match my neck skin to create a seamless transition from face to neck. I don't classify my skin as good but I don't have break out or major skin problems. Loads of foundations turn orangy or muddy on me within one to three hours of wearing. This is the frustration of finding a good foundation for my makeup. 

Four must-have traits of a good foundation for me

1. doesn't turn orange or muddy throughout the day
2. dries in natural finish
3. evens out the color and smoothes the skin (finely milled texture)
4. covers veins, discoloration, redness and minor dark spots