I've been trying this skin tint out for the past couple of weeks, and I'm so glad I persevered with it, because my first few dalliances were not great at all.
This is Liz Earle's first move into cosmetics and has been three and a half years in development. It's not naturally active, unlike her skincare range, but at least the SPF 15 comes from mineral sun filters, nothing artificial. It's carmine-free and contains avocado oil, so it's good for sensitive skin.
Lovely packaging, digging the patented Liz Earle Marine colour, sadly the box got a bit crushed in my suitcase.
My first impression of this Skin Tint was actually quite good - at the event I tried two of the three shades it comes in - Bare and Beige (it also comes in Beach, the darkest shade). Bare worked really well on the back of my hand, blended right in and looked matte and natural. But after this I had a few run ins with a bottle of SunBelievable and Bare was much too light. Mixed with a bit of Beige though it would have been just the right shade. I didn't take issue with the shade match, as you can always darken up with bronzer, but what really put me off was it's very greasy look when first applied which almost made my face look puffy. I'm not one for 'glowy' skin, especially since this so oftens just resembles shiny oiliness. I tried it a number of times, but as I was always in a rush I ended up rubbing most of it off and applying my trusty No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser. But the trick you see is to wait about 5 minutes until it settles into your skin and mattifies, once this happens, you can throw another layer over the top and build up some coverage (but you can still see most of my freckles through).
Now, one thing I was put-off by is the scent, which reminds me of mushrooms, but this too departs after about minutes.
While I have come to like the Skin Tint, it doesn't win out over my No7 Holy Grail, particuarly in terms of value. Liz Earle's is £21 for 40mls and you do need to use about four splodges to cover your face, more if you're bringing it down onto your chest. No7's is £10 for 50mls, or £5 if you catch it at Boots voucher time. However, Liz Earle's completely wins out over Benefit YouRebel, Olay Touch of Foundation, Clinique City Block and ELF's Studio version.
First impressions would lead you to think this Skin Tint would be great for dry skin as it starts with such a 'glow', but it almost has a gel-like consistency when rubbed in, and when it dries the finish is matte. I've gotten well over 12 hours of wear without need for a touch up or a shine absorbing sheet, which is very impressive for a tinted moisturiser, and because I have oily skin, it's all I need to use in the morning after washing my face.
If you purchase by mail order you'll be sent three sachets of the available shades to work out which is best for you and if you've ordered the wrong shade, you can send the tube back for exchange.
While I can't see myself making this product a regular feature of my make up bag (unless No7 discontinue theirs) I will definitely use this tube up and will hang onto it for winter when my skin will be much paler.
It's available online and in store (John Lewis, QVC) from 8th September for £21. There are more cosmetics releases from Liz Earle in the pipe line, so keep your eyes peeled!
*PR sample provided for review
