Review & Application: The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Compact

In my March 2012 favourites, I mentioned this foundation and I decided the lack of videos on YouTube and reviews on blogs had to be fixed! :) I've also always wanted to do foundation application videos as they are my favourite to watch on YouTube, so I decided to kick start that as well - please take a look as I think visuals will really help make sense of the crap that sometimes spills onto this poor blog..

The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Compact Foundation in 305 Natural Beige


This has been one of my most used foundations this spring, and it's partly because of the shade match, but mostly because of its everyday finish that's natural with a natural amount of coverage, and also because it's so easy to use :)

Packaging: I love it. It's a matte rubbery packaging like the NARS blushers, and it's incredibly sturdy. Granted they didn't need that window, and could have expanded the mirror behind the lid, the mirror is still a good and useable size. The flip top section beneath the foundation is not wobbly, and the brush is secured in a cut-out so it's not clanging about - near perfection really, this packaging!

Formula: It's slightly moussey, not sure if you can tell in the picture, but it's incredibly incredibly light-weight, and not something you'd expect from a cream compact. It's very slippery and so appliable with pretty much anything under the sun (hands might be a bit messy though).


Coverage: See for yourself in the video, but I'd say somewhere between light to medium, but verging on the medium.

Longevity: I always prime and set, so under those circumstances, all day long baby!

Finish: Unlike many cream foundations which often dry powdery or dewy, this one is incredibly, incredibly natural and lightweight. It'll genuinely look like skin, and with the powder I use it stays that way too :)

Shade Range: For a drugstore brand, they've done well to produce both warm and cool tones. However, they're darkness range is not great as mine's the 2nd to darkest shade! If you do happen to fall on the fair-medium side of the spectrum, Katie from Katie's Beauty Blog has a fantastic post with the swatches from the Extra Virgin Minerals Liquid Foundation line here that you can refer to if you are interested in purchasing things from the line online. I'd say judging from the swatch of my shade, 305, that the cream compact shade is very similar to the liquid. For reference, in the video I'm between a NC30 and 35.

To hear more in detail what I think about the product and see first(ish) hand, then please watch the video below! :)


Overall I think it's a fantastic foundation for all skintypes, because it's SO natural in terms of the finish and coverage, doesn't cling to dry patches, doesn't get too oily if you prep and set, and will last all day if you do that too. The formula is so flexible in the sense that the brush included is actually useable, and you can use it as a base, a concealer and can carry it around to top up too. I also think the ethics of The Body Shop are an added bonus! :) Like I said in the video, the only negative is that there isn't much product and I've hit pan in a few weeks. However, still an absolute winner in my books, and it's made me want to try the rest of the foundations in this line, and has put a lot of faith and interest in other The Body Shop make-up for me! :)

Hope you enjoyed that guys, and please let me know if there's anything you think I should change on the video (except the glaring sun, that was the force of nature..) or if there's a particular foundation you know I have that you would like to see applied :) I know my old review posts on foundations were more in depth so please let me know if I should keep doing that alongside the video :)

You can purchase this foundation online for £16 on The Body Shop website :)

Have you tried any of The Body Shop make up?
How about a cream compact?

<3yu

Comments

  1. This looks lovely on you, but Body Shop makes shades that really don't match me :( Out of curiosity what brushes are you using for under eye concealer and powder? :) Thanks! xxx

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    1. That is such a shame! They really need to get on that! The brush I used under my eye is the Sigma P82 and my powder brush is the Real Techniques Powder Brush :)

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    2. Indeed! Ahhhh I thought it was the P82 *note to self- too much time staring at brushes*, I'm getting the P86 soon which I'm excited about! They both seem really good, I may have to go pick them up ;) xx

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  2. This has made me want to dash out and buy this tomorrow! I have oily skin too, and agree than blemishes can be covered with concealer as long as my foundation evens out my skin tone, I just hope there's a colour match for me :D thankyou so much for the review xxx

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    1. Haha yaaaaay I hope you find a shade for you! :)

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  3. I thought I was the only one that thinks concealers are for covering blemishes, etc. Nice video and ya I don't like when I hit pan easily :(

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    1. Yea I had the same with the Bobbi Brown Corrector, but it's lasted almost a year now so it's not always bad ;)

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  4. OMG, Yu, you may have saved my foundation life! I have found some great cruelty-free/vegan liquid foundations, but no cruelty-free replacement for my L'oreal Magic Smooth Souffle... from the looks of it, this could be the one. I've got to get me to a Body Shop for a colormatch! Thanks <3

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    1. Ah yes I hear L'Oreal are bad for animal testing! Idk if it's vegan, but it's worth checking out. I hope you find a good shade love!

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  5. It sounds great! I think I'll get it for my trips this summer. Way easier to take around than a liquid foundation.

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  6. Really curious to try this now. I hope I can get a good colour match for my NC25 skin. xx

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