The Benefit of Bobbi Brown

I have forever been a fan of Benefit, ever since I started taking make up seriously. I tend to not bother looking anywhere else for products, although my hunt for the perfect mascara continues (currently on L'oreal telescopic which isn't too bad). Benefit however stopped selling their 'Non-fiction' foundation and I had to stray.

I need to feel like I have a decent covering on while not looking caked, so prefer a liquid coverage rather than a stick or powder. For about a year I have listlessly be trying high stewed brand after brand, watching broken promises happen before my eyes as they fail to live up to their airbrushed expectation. The worst was L'oreal Infallible 16 hour, which barely lasted the tube ride to work.

A couple of weeks ago, continuing the quest I was in Westfield for the day. At the end of quite a long (hungover) day I found myself in the Bobbi Brown counter of House of Fraser. I'm not sure if it was the foundation, the lovely sales assistant (Saffy, what a fab name) or the feel of the cool cleanser on my poor tired skin. I tried the liquid foundation in Porcelain and had a much better glow which seemed to last the rest of the evening. I wasn't sold however as I wanted to try some different brands - especially as I was moving into the £30+ range.

So when I found myself in Selfridges at the weekend I was looking around the different counters with little inspiration. The Clarins made my pores look like moon craters, Mac was far too busy to get any face to face time with a sales assistant - yet Bobbi Brown was in the distance gleaming at me like a beacon. I wasn't in the best of moods but the sales girl was friendly and complementary about my skin without being too false (although I still didn't believe her when she said I had nice skin).

I didn't tell her I'd previously been seen my another assistant to see if she came up with the same product. Luckily she did. I am truly one of porcelain skin. She also used under eye concealer and setting powder which impressed me, plus I felt guilty about taking so much time getting made up that I thought two products was the right spend.

Under eye concealer and setting power in Ivory

I haven't given up on Benefit altogether though! For my birthday my friends know me too well, I received not one but two of their brand new blusher, which may be the nicest yet. Hervana is just heavenly. With a tapered brush it goes on really nicely too. If there is a knack to spreading the colour I am yet to learn it, so if you have any tips for me?

Am I missing any great foundations that would work wonders?