The Body Shop have added to their complexion range with their new Fresh Nude Foundation and Shade Adjusting Drops. The latter has created a bit of a buzz within the beauty industry - the Shade Adjusting Drops come in a Darkening and Lightening shade so you can adjust your foundations to fit your skin tone perfectly.

I tried the Shade Adjusting Drops in the Lightening shade, which I was excited about because I have a lot of trouble in getting foundations to match my skin tone, mainly due to oxidation causing foundations to dry too dark for my complexion. The Lightening shade is designed mainly for light to medium skin or for anyone who finds that their foundation looks too dark or orange. It has a concentration of white and pink pigments to neutralise yellowness while lightening. I’ve found that a drop or two mixed with a bit of my usual liquid foundation makes the colour more appropriate and fitting, without altering the consistency of finish of the foundation I’m using.

For foundations which have appeared slightly ashy or light on my complexion, I’d imagine that the Darkening Adjusting Drops would work just as well. I’ve even tried wearing the Lightening Drops alone - the stark whiteness might serve as a deterrent, especially for medium to darker skin tones like my own, but it actually works well on any skin tone to even out pigmentation and create a smooth base, so is similar to a primer as well. It has a silky texture and blends seamlessly with the skin, and the dropper format provides great control and is effortless to use.

The Body Shop’s Fresh Nude Foundation is one which aims to give a semi-matte, fresh-faced finish with a light to medium level of coverage. It comes in sixteen shades - I tried shades Chelsea Porcelain and Hawaii Macadamia. Hawaii Macadamia is a good shade for me but a drop of the Darkening Shade Adjusting Drops would make it the perfect shade. I like the buildable coverage but the aspect I loved the most was the finish. The Body Shop have created a semi-matte, slightly dewy finish perfectly and it wears well without becoming oily as the day passes.

The Fresh Nude Foundation has a comfortable and creamy consistency. It does oxidise but only slightly, and lasts for a decent six to seven hours before a touch up is required. I feel that wearing this foundation creates a natural ‘my skin but better’ look, which is very different to the masses of full coverage, photoshop finish foundations on the market.

The Shade Adjusting Drops and Fresh Nude Foundation both come in sleek, glass bottles which have an air of minimalism about them. I feel that the two products complement each other exceptionally well and offer great value for money. The foundation comes in 16 shades of which are eight are suitable for brown beauties and out of those, five are a deep shade. Overall this is a great foundation but it’s the Shade Adjusting Drops that takes the title of being a wonder product.

For more information, please visit their website.