Like many women I love to try out new cosmetics and perfumes. My make up bag is full of lotions and potions that I have purchased and some have been more successful than others. In general the Boots No 7 range is fairly decent, the range offers good quality cosmetics at affordable prices. I had seen the No 7 Essentially natural foundation in the chemist but decided not to buy it before using up other foundation creams that I have already bought. My niece loves her skin creams and facial products, she had already purchased some of this No 7 foundation and had decided it wasn't for her.

I know that we should never judge a book by it's cover but this foundation cream does not come in the prettiest of packaging. The grey plastic tube is basic, it has a screw on top and the product information is imprinted in gold lettering. Some would say that the packaging is classic but in my books it is pretty uninteresting. The tube holds 40ml of the No 7 Essentially natural mineral foundation cream and if you were to buy that it would cost in the region of £13.50. The mineral foundation cream claims to offer lightweight hydration for a healthy looking finish.

The cream comes in six shades, my tube is 225 beige. The cream is fairly fluid and it flows easily from the tube. The foundation cream is light and soft to the touch and it doesn't feel powdery. The silky lotion smells pleasant too. If anything the cream flows a bit too easily, making it a bit difficult to squeeze out the right amount without wasting. I always apply my foundation cream using my fingertips and this lotion is so light that it glides onto the skin.

After applying a layer of moisturiser I add a few dabs of the No 7 mineral cream. The foundation is cream in colour but it looks dark against my skin. I have pale dry skin and this cream looks positively muddy. As I start to smooth the foundation cream into my skin the `muddiness` clears, the foundation is easy to apply and it blends into the skin within seconds. After applying one light coat of cream and blending it in it would seem that the Boots No 7 mineral foundation has all but vanished.

The cream contains a ceramide complex and sodium hyaluronate to help keep the skin moist. Many facial products make the surface of the skin feel taut and dry but this is not one of them, after applying a layer of the mineral cream my skin feels moist, soft and supple and the light perfume from the cream is pleasing. A second look in the mirror tells me that the coverage is not all that it should be, my face looks a bit patchy. The mineral foundation cream is still moist enough to move around so I try to smooth out the patches using my fingertips. The cream refuses to co-operate until I use a make up sponge to blend it in and the end result is good.

One layer of the mineral foundation cream offers a very light coverage that does nothing for my skin so I apply another layer. The second layer makes all the difference, the coverage is good and my skin looks fine. The cream has semi-covered some minor skin imperfections and small veins. This foundation leaves the skin looking fresh and natural not clogged and dull. My face doesn't feel taut, dry or uncomfortable either.

The Boots No 7 mineral foundation cream is fine although it maybe not my number one choice. I have found that the foundation rubs off easily and leaves the collars of my tops quite marked but those marks seem to wash away easily. The cream is easy to remove at the end of the day too, it washes away with ease. Boots state that the cream is hypo-allergenic and that it will not block skin pores. The cream contains a semi-precious gem complex ( this includes a mixture of Ruby, Sapphire and Amethyst, these minerals help to create a natural finish. The foundation also contains SPF 15 to help protect the skin from sunlight.

The Boots No 7 mineral foundation cream is fine, having tried this foundation I maybe wouldn't rush out to buy a second tube but a 40 ml tube is going to go a very long way.