PP12: The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation in 020 Bali Vanilla

~ stashy

I’m all caught up now! Back in synch with the rest of the Project Pan crew! 😀 And it’s also the half way point to our 12 week project.
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Today we’re looking at the still relatively new Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation in 020 Bali Vanilla:
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I bought this foundation on a whim back in March when this was newly launched. This costs C$25 for 30ml.

Ages ago, I had the Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Liquid Foundation but their colour selection was terrible but I really liked the formula. Compared to that foundation, this one feels more lightweight and the shade range is a huge improvement.
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Body Shop describes the foundation as:

Make every day a good skin day with The Body Shop’s Fresh Nude Foundation. Enriched with English rose water and aloe vera, this hydrating formula leaves skin feeling beautifully fresh and comfortable all day. With a semi-matte finish, each of these 16 nature-inspired shades mimics the look of fresh-faced natural skin with a nude glow.

The claims are:
• 16 nature-inspired shades
• Up to 24H moisturisation
• Light to medium coverage
• Semi-matte, fresh-faced finish
• Suitable for sensitive skin & dermatologically tested

I don’t wear my foundation for 24 hours so we can just ignore that one. 😛

I am especially impressed with the shade offering:
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010 Chelsea Porcelain
012 Bora Bora
015 Kyoto Blossom
020 Bali Vanilla <— this is me
024 Hawaii Macadamia
026 Fiji Sand
030 Sahara Light
032 Yorkshire Rose
040 Santorini Sunset
050 Sicily Amber
055 Yukatan Honey
060 Andalusia Almond
070 Seychelles Cinnamon
075 Caribbean Mahogany
080 Tuscany Chestnut

Not only that, but this foundation launched along side a companion product: the Shade Adjusting Drops! There is a Lightening and a Darkening shade:
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I already own Illamasqua’s Skin Base Mixers, which are also shade adjusting products – or else I would have likely bought the Body Shop version. I think every makeup line would do well to offer shade adjusters – this would be useful to bridge the gap for those skin tones that are in between shades, but also for people to transition between summer and winter colours.

But, back to the Fresh Nude Foundation itself.  I was introduced to the world of foundation at a time when a matte finish was popular. I remember powdering my skin until it had the finish of a dry wall. o_O I thought that’s what “wearing foundation” was all about. It’s taken time to retrain myself to think of foundation as evening out my skin tone and not creating a mask-like appearance. Natural skin has a bit of sheen. This is what the Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation provides (although the description states “semi-matte” I would call this more of a satin finish – that is to say, it’s more dewy than matte). I’ve heard this compared to the Nars Sheer Glow foundation – I’ve not tried that so I can’t confirm. Of the foundations that I have tried, this reminds me most of the MAC Mineralize Moisture foundation.
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I really like that it comes with a pump – I find that 1½ pumps is a good amount to cover my face and neck. The consistency is that of a creamy lotion.  The shade Bali Vanilla is a decent shade match – a bit light for me right now but a good match for my winter colour. It does not oxidize on me.

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The white sponge is the H&M Precision Makeup Sponge, and the brush is bdellium tools #957 Precision Kabuki brush

My favourite way to apply this foundation is simply with my fingers. I tried a Beauty Blender type sponge but I found that I had to use a lot of product (maybe that’s a good thing given Project Pan’s goal is to use up products! 😉 ). I also liked applying this foundation with a buffer type brush. I do not find that this foundation can be built up beyond a medium finish.

The main drawback of the Fresh Nude foundation is that it does not have good oil control. I have combination skin and my t-zone shine breaks through by the 3 hr mark. I combat this by blotting the foundation prior to setting it with a powder – this takes away some of the oil (it contains Marula Oil) from the foundation at the onset. Also, due to the hydrating nature of the finish, it’s not the longest lasting foundation (at around 6 hour mark I see it wearing off).  The saving grace is that it wears off evenly all over – it doesn’t break down in patches.  I’ve found the addition of a primer has helped – I’ve been using my trusty Laura Mercier primer underneath this.
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Here are the foundations in my current rotation (well, before I went on Project Pan and exclusively use the Body Shop Fresh Nude since early September):
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• Vincent Longo Water Canvas Foundation in #4 Soft Amber (review here) – this looks super ochre compared to the others, but this is a heavy swatch – it is only slightly ochre when blended
• Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Foundation in 25 Nude Beige (review here) – I had been mixing this foundation with the Fresh Nude when I came back from vacation due to having a slight tan
• The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation in 020 Bali Vanilla
• Illamasqua Skin Base in 6.5 – the colour is similar to Bali Vanilla but the finish is much more pigmented and matte
• Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Foundation in o20 Natural Light Ochre (review of the shade i20 Natural Light Ivory here, which is a better match for me)

Honestly, now looking at my current foundation line-up, many of them don’t match me that well. :/

Here’s a glimpse behind the blog – after I had swatched all the foundations, I thought the cotton buds made for an interesting photo:
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I swatch most products using those paddle shaped cotton buds – the flat side to lay down and blend, and the pointed tips to clean edges as required. These are the Joe Fresh brand (box of 500 for $6).
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The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation is made in the UK.

Ingredient list:
Aqua/Water/Eau (Solvent), Diheptyl Succinate (Skin Conditioning Agent – Emollient), Cyclohexasiloxane (Conditioning Agent), Octocrylene (Ultraviolet Light Absorber), PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate (Emulsifying Agent), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Ultraviolet Light Absorber), Silica (Absorbent), Cetyl Dimethicone (Emollient), Titanium Dioxide (Ultraviolet Light Absorber), Hydrogenated Polydecene (Skin Conditioning Agent), Magnesium Sulfate (Absorbent/Bulking Agent), Alcohol Denat. (Solvent), Glycerin (Humectant), Disteardimonium Hectorite (Stabiliser), Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil (Skin Conditioning Agent – Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Caprylyl Glycol (Skin Conditioning Agent), Ammonium C6-16 Perfluoroalkylethyl Phosphate (Surfactant – Emulsifying Agent), Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer (Film Former), Ethylhexylglycerin (Skin Conditioning Agent), Caprylhydroxamic Acid (Chelating Agent), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder (Skin Conditioning Agent – Humectant), p-Anisic Acid (pH Adjuster), Parfum/Fragrance (Fragrance Ingredient), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Propylene Glycol (Humectant), Sodium Hyaluronate (Humectant), Rosa Alba Flower Extract (Skin Conditioning Agent – Emollient), BHT (Antioxidant), Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Sorbic Acid (Preservative). [+/- CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide (Colorant), CI 77492/Iron Oxides (Colorant), CI 77491/Iron Oxides (Colorant), CI 77499/Iron Oxides (Colour)].

Pros:
• Good colour selection (plus lightening and darkening drops)
• Pump packaging
• Easy to apply / blend
• Natural skin-like finish
• Does not oxidize
• Light to medium coverage
• Mid-price point and often goes on sale

Cons:
• Not long lasting
• No oil control

Stash worthiness: 8/10

This is a good foundation for casual days or good skin days, and it will work well for me in the upcoming winter months.  I would say this foundation is better suited for normal to dry skin types. Would I repurchase this? Maybe. It’s inexpensive but performs like higher-end foundations.
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I’ve been using this 5x a week for the past 6 weeks except for when I was away on vacation. When I had a tan, I mixed this with the Maybelline SuperStay foundation for week. So far, this is the product showing the biggest variance from the starting point, which is no surprise:
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The rest of the Project Pan items are still in limbo, no movement on the scale except for the Cargo pressed powder:
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Please check out my Project Pan Pals for their updates:
• Ingrid of Curly.Spring.Blossom
• Jodi of A Brash Attitude
• Chanelle of Chanelle Hayleyyy

Have you tried The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation? What’s your current everyday foundation?  (I’m itching to try a new foundation!)

54 thoughts on “PP12: The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation in 020 Bali Vanilla”

  1. I’ve tried out the skin adjusting drops in store, the white looks great but the darkening drops seemed very orangey to me when mixed, took a cool toned foundation over to the warm side.
    Still haven’t tried out the extra virgin foundation I got from the Body Shop yet, I really should do as if it’s anything like this it sounds like a great every day option with a natural finish

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    1. I only tried the Lightening drops, not the Darkening one – interesting about it being orange toned. I really like the Illamasqua ones have a warm and cool additive.
      The Extra Virgin foundation is really emollient – definitely save it for the cold winter months! But I did really like it.

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  2. I don’t know why I never think of buying makeup from the body shop!😏 I might give it a try since I’m a foundation junkie these days…😂 You are killing me with your chart, I love it!

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    1. I used to LOVE Body Shop makeup back in the day but recently I haven’t been as interested. I think this foundation is worth a look for sure. $25 vs $60 for foundation!

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  4. OK, I have to try this! Sounds like it would be great for dry skin. I wasn’t sure if I’d be Fiji Sand or Bali Vanilla (why do I always seem to be in between shades?) so I should go in store and swatch them. I think the last time I went in I swatched Bali Vanilla and it seemed OK, but they didn’t have Fiji Sand around.

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    1. I was thinking of you when I wrote up this review. It would definitely be a good one for your skin type. I think we’re about the same skin tone so Bali Vanilla would be a better match. I found the Fiji Sand too dark / yellow. Here’s a swatch I saw online:

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  6. Whoohoo for finishing so much of this product!
    Random thought, but the names of the shades are so appealing…
    It sounds like the less peachy foundation shades are a better match for your skintone? I always find that a lot of foundations pull too peachy on me. It’s SO hard to get colour-matching right unless there was a brand with a 50-shade selection 😛
    It takes me forever to get through a bottle of foundation, but the formula of this one sounds like it would be a good contender for my next foundation purchase.

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    1. I know what you mean about the shade names – they did an awesome job with those! I also really like how they’re labelled right on the front of the bottles – very sleek looking for a Body Shop item!
      I’m on a personal mission now to find an EXACT match for my skin tone! I always seem to make-do or because I prefer more sheer formulas, I can get away with something that doesn’t match 100%. I guess my best bet is probably MAC. I remember now that I really liked the Matchmaster when I tried the sample before.

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        1. Off the top of my head, the only brands with such a wide shade range are Make Up For Ever, Inglot… maybe Nars?
          I’ve tried Make Up For Ever (I have the Face & Body, and had the HD) but I didn’t find the colour match to be stellar. I’ve been very curious about the Inglot foundations, especially this AMC line: http://inglotcosmetics.com/amc.cream.foundation/products/139/1357
          They offer it in 41 colours! 😮
          What other brands would you recommend?

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          1. Whoa, I had no idea that Inglot had 41 colours! You’re BOUND to find something there.
            Make Up For Ever is also the first to come to my mind, as well as Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H Wear (35 shades), and the various foundation ranges from CoverFX also come in 40+ shades. However, I have never tried the Lancome or CoverFX foundations, so I don’t have any personal experience with them.

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            1. I don’t know why but I’ve never gravitated toward Lancome for foundation. I’ve never even tested any at the counter. I should have a look-see. I don’t know much about CoverFx either – they’re at Sephora now – I worry they’d be super heavy duty makeup though.

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              1. Hah, I completely agree with you on both comments, I feel the same! I’ve heard good things about the Lancôme foundation though, so might be worth checking out. I also have the impression in my head that CoverFX is a super full-coverage brand, but I don’t know if that’s actually true – the Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation says it’s “flexible sheer-to-full coverage”.

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    1. I haven’t tried their primer but I’ve heard good things!
      Ooh tell me more about this EL Doublewear Cushion STICK! 😮 I’ve heard of cushion foundation but in a stick form? What!

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    1. I have a massive 120ml bottle of MAC F&B that is so neglected – I’m about half way through it. I was just thinking the other day it likely needs to be tossed as it is more than 2 years old now! 😛

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  12. I will have to see if I can find this foundation over here and swatch it if I get the chance. I’m already guessing I’d be one of the two lightest shades 😛 this sounds like a lovely formula, being quite dry skinned I prefer more of a dewy look to a matte as it seems to suit my complexion better. Thanks for pointing this out!

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    1. I was really surprised too! I guess realistically I could finish up a whole bottle of foundation in around 6 months if I keep using the same one? But I have at least 10 foundations on the go at once… so that’s my problem! 😛

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  14. I always look at the Body Shop makeup but never end up purchasing anything! Also, I love seeing progress on a product I’m trying to finish up and this one is definitely showing progress for you! I think my favorite foundation right now is the Hourglass Vanish Stick Foundation!

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    1. I love seeing progress too. It’s a challenge with the rest of the products – even the weighing hasn’t proved to be too significant. Maybe if I had a nano-scale! 😆
      I played around with that Hourglass stick foundation at Sephora – it felt SO creamy and blended really nicely! Good to know you love it.

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  16. Sounds like a pretty decent foundation! That is a seriously impressive shade range – other brands could really learn from them! I came across those lightening drops in store and wondered how well they worked. I picked up a so-very-wrong shade in my CG Outlast foundation and it kills me not to use it. I think I’m going to wait for a sale.

    I’m still using my IT Cosmetics CC Cream, I’m beyond addicted at this point. 🙂

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    1. I think having some sort of lightening / darkening drops in one’s collection is worthwhile for all those foundations that get neglected because of wrong shade match. But then again, most people don’t have 10 foundations opened in their stash… 😳

      My next foundation purchase is either going to be that BareMinerals tinted moisturizer or that IT Cosmetics. I’m waiting for when IT Cosmetics will be available at Sephora!

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