Natural Collection Shine Away Disaster!!

(£1.99 from Boots)

I purchased this whilst in my local Boots on a whim. A foundation this cheap was worth giving it a go and, as Summer is coming forth fast and steadily, I'm very welcoming to a foundation that claims to 'reduce shiny looking skin'. Perfect, right? Wrong! I can't find much that's good about this foundation and it echoes some people's thoughts that cheaper products are not worth it. This is a shame as I do think there are a lot of 'bargain' cosmetics that do a great job. Unfortunately this foundation goes completely against my thoughts.

The packaging itself is lovely - it's subtle and pretty and doesn't look overly budgeted. It's simple and plain but that really reflects the brand and fits well with the rest of their theme. 'Medium cover' also really attracted me as this implies that it would cover my skin well but not be too heavy for Summer. 

Now, to the dreadful part. I applied this to my skin and it comes out slightly like clotted cream. It feels very sticky without even being on my face. Application itself is one of the worst I've ever seen in a foundation. It is very 'stodgy' which would be acceptable if I could thin the formula out by blending but it just doesn't blend. I've tried with my fingers, a foundation brush and blending sponges but nothing works. It just drags on my skin appalling leaving a thick and heavy mess. I purchased the lightest colour, porcelain, yet it leaves orange lines on my skin. I had to take every scrap off as I couldn't go out with it on. I've tried it with moisturiser to thin the formula slightly but, even then, it dries far too quickly and clings on to my skin too much to be able to blend.

As you can see from the picture (especially towards the bottom of my hand) it clings to certain areas and does not budge. I can't blend it at all and it leaves a horrific orange glow on my skin. Does it live up to its claims to get rid of shine? I honestly could not tell you! It stayed on my skin for 5 minutes before I had to scrub it off. Although, seemingly it would last for quite a few hours as, after using make-up remover, it was hard to wipe off and some traces still remained.

Obviously for £1.99 I cannot expect an amazing quality product but this is a complete let down. I find Natural Collection is very 'hit and miss'. Their lipsticks and pressed powders are beautiful but their foundations and eyeshadows leave much to be desired. Comparing this to the budget of MUA leaves nothing to be desired - I'm sure one day I'll do a direct comparison between these two brands.

Has anyone else tried Natural Collection? Other reviews love the foundation! What do you think?