I have been using tinted moisturiser for a while now mainly because I don't like the heavy greasy feeling that I have experienced when using foundations. Many of the foundations I have tried have ended up being abandoned and binned after only a couple of uses. With a toddler and another baby on the way I don't have that much time to put my make up on in the morning and I have always found that tinted moisturiser blends easier than full foundations.

However, the winter months have taken their toll and I decided that my pale skin needed a bit more colour and coverage than my trusty tinted moisturiser. With this in mind I went to my local boots in search for a new foundation but one that I would get on with better than my previous purchases.

The 17 brand is a favourite of mine and this product immediately stood out to me from their other offerings. The packaging is an understated but elegant black with silver lettering which makes BB Blemish Balm look more expensive than it actually is. At £6.99 for a 30ml tube I found this to be very reasonable and as it is currently on offer with £2.00 off it is an absolute bargain.

BB Blemish Balm promises to be ' a cult wonder product that gives your skin a complete natural, flawless finish'. It also includes SPF 25 protection which I think is essential in any face product all year round.

There were only 2 shades on offer which I think is a shame because the other foundations that 17 make have at least 4 or 5. I tested both shades and found the 'medium' which is the darker of the two shades to be the best for me. I have relatively fair skin so if you normally take a darker shade of foundation then BB Blemish Balm is probably not going to be right for you.

On applying the product at home I was genuinely impressed with how light the product felt on my skin. It blended really easily and felt like it melted into my skin rather than sliding over it which I loved as hate that greasy feeling you get with some face products. It had a faint biscuit like smile which was not unpleasant and I think was probably a result of the SPF in the product but if you are sensitive to such smells you may be put off using it. The colour was a good match and blended easily so I was not left with any tell tale tide marks and it was very quick and easy to use.

However despite my positive experience with BB Blemish Balm so far the coverage that it I found it provided me with was very disappointing especially because it promised to offer 'full coverage' and help control shine. In my opinion it failed to do either of these and its effects were rather similar to that of my usual tinted moisturiser so I had not really gained anything from purchasing this product.

I will continue to use this product as a good tinted moisturiser in the spring rather than as a foundation and my search for a more suitable base for the present winter months will continue.