Liquid -Clarins - Ever matte 
MariellaFromBe 3/5/2012 9:28:00 AM
So this Spring Clarins is launching their new Ever Matte foundation, an oil-free formula with SPF 15 that promises a long lasting matte finish and, well, quite a lot of other things, too : "An anti-shine, skin-balancing formula, ideal for women looking for a matte appearance in all circumstances. The plant-based "Skin Detox" complex helps regulate oil production and tighten pores. Its lightweight texture blends easily and allows skin to breathe without drying. The complexion appears more beautiful thanks to an invisible, long-lasting matte "veil" that evens skin tone and keeps skin shinefree from morning to evening.Unrivalled radiance: Clarins exclusive "Light-Optimizing+" complex captures, diffuses and magnifies light. Fine lines and small imperfections are visibly minimized. The complexion appears more even and radiant.SPF 15. Matte finish - Medium coverage - For all skin types. Anti-pollution protection. Oil-free. Noncomedogenic.Dermatologist tested." I'm NC15, I had to get this in the color 108, as 107 was very orange on me, but I would say that this is a bit darker then I'd like. In Ever Lasting, I wore 108 as a Summer color while 103 was my normal shade, but of course, 103 isn't available in my country for Ever Matte. That means that unless you're NC20, there won't be a true match for you. *sad face*. The packaging is a lightweight plastic bottle/tube with a dispenser neck, it's quite foolproof and hard to break, which is always a good thing in my book. The coverage is medium-full as it did cancel out most of the redness in my skin with just one layer. The texture, though, is still quite fluid and rather easy to blend. The product smells exactly like Ever Lasting, to the point that I wondered if that wasn't just a repackaged, slightly twisted, version of the same thing. But the final result is different, so I don't think it is. The finish is definitely matte and I would not use powder on top of this as this would be, in my opinion, looking and feeling horribly dry. I thought my natural oils on the T-zone would start showing after a few hours, but they didn't. Not even after a not-too-intense 45 min workout. My conclusion. Does Ever Matte do what it says? Definitely. Excepted for the "unrivalled radiance" because quite frankly, I see no radiance there. Do I recommend it? Yes, if you need good coverage and are really oily and/or looking for a very matte finish. I don't think this is, as Clarins said, suitable for any skintype as I don't see how someone with dry skin would enjoy this. But that's true of any matte foundation, I guess. Do I like it? Well, no. I just think this finish is not flattering on me. Correction, I don't think it's flattering on most people, I saw other bloggers posting pics of them wearing this the last few days, and I didn't like it more on them than I did on me. I know matte skin is trendy again, but I can't help finding that this is aging because of the lack of luminosity. Now, to each their own thing, if matte is yours, then this is a product to get. (Why did I ever get this, then? Because I had issues with my T-Zone being oilier than usual, and I did freak out a bit. I just thought this wouldn't be THAT matte all day long.) So that's why I wouldn't repurchase it.
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Eye Shadow -Unlisted Brand - Makeup Geek Moondust
MariellaFromBe 1/13/2012 5:18:00 AM
Moondust is described as a silvery taupe, I would say it is Mac Vex and Patina's love child! Such a gorgeous complex color, with a creamy texture that is easy to apply and to blend. Pigmentation is awesome too. For me, definitely a unique shade and one of the must haves from the MUG range!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Unlisted Brand - Makeup Geek Corrupt eyeshadow
MariellaFromBe 1/1/2012 10:53:00 AM
Corrupt is the matt black from the Makeup Geek range of eyeshadows. It does look like there's a slight shimmer through the top layer but it's definitely completely matt when swatched and those little specs don't go through once the top layer is gone. PACKAGING: this comes in a little cardboard envelope, similar to the Mac Pro Pan. The pan itself is similar to the Mac ones and will fit in a Mac palette. There's already a magnet on it. PRICE: $5.95, that's half the price of Mac for the same amount of product PRODUCT: this is the blackest black I have ever seen. In comparison, swatched next to it, Mac Carbon looks grey. The pigmentation is absolutely insane; most black eyeshadows turn blue on me once applied, but with this one, even hours after application, the color was still perfectly black and opaque. You don't have to build up the color at all, as it is so opaque. The texture is pretty good, I don't really notice fall out during application. Like any black, it can be a bit tricky to blend but I mostly didn't have issues. For me, definitely the best black eyeshadow I've tried!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Illamasqua - Masquara
MariellaFromBe 9/19/2011 3:05:00 PM
This mascara has a big fat brush, but curiously it reminds me a bit of Hourglass Superficial Lash as it does catch the lashes at the roots pretty well, and does separate them very good - but does not add much volume. I tipically love YSL Faux Cils (my HG) because it lenghtens and volumizes at the same time. Masquara is different: it's more of a super buildable mascara. You can add layers and layers and layers and build up to some long intense lashes. Also, once you stop layering, it dries within seconds and even though it's not waterproof, it did resist some moderate crying. Good formula, not for you if you want to be done in one quick coat and have tons of volume, though.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Self Tanners -Unlisted Brand - Xen-Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe
MariellaFromBe 8/16/2011 3:33:00 AM
Xen-Tan has launched this new fake tan this Spring and the product description sounded extremely promising: "New to the range, Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe has been four years in the making. During that time we've perfected our darkest, richest and most luxurious tan to date; one that offers a tan that will last longer than any other fake-tan product. To create this ultimate dark, long-lasting tan, we've included more DHA active tanning agent than ever before. Because DHA is what causes the traditional 'fake tan smell', we've also included Scent Secure - a revolutionary new ingredient that locks out any chemical odours. So you can enjoy incredible natural-looking results for up to 10 days that leave you feeling fabulous." Ten days of fake tan and no smell: what more could I want? I had to try this little wonder! Well, I haven't had to say that about any Xen-Tan product but this one is a huge disappointment. The product smells divinely and has a slight olive tint to it so you can see where you apply. It's a bit thicker than the regular Dark Lotion, but the tint is much lighter. So far, so good. However, when you start blending it, it gets white like a thick cream, then disappears, and I found it thicker and harder to blend than the lotion. Not having as much color guide was making things harder, too. It took me about 10 minutes to do my full legs, which I do find time consuming. But I thought that if my tan was going to last over a week, it was worth the effort. The product description stated that "Thanks to Xen-Tan's expert formula it dries incredibly quickly. Your tan will start to develop immediately and will be fully developed within approximately 8 hours" Half an hour after I had finished applying, my legs still didn't feel dry. I know I didn't apply too much, as I had used a small amount and blended a lot like I always do, so that's not the problem. I just felt sticky. Good thing I had applied this at night because I couldn't have gotten dressed up to go out any time soon. On the next day, I had a nice olive tan, but it wasn't as intense as I had expected - something close to a few layers of progressive fake tan, maybe. My body wasn't really smelling of fake tan but my hands, even though I had washed them carefully, were definitely smelly, and slightly tinted as well. Not nice. When I showered for the first time, I didn't use any soap nor shower gel as it's what Xen-Tan recommends on their website. I did notice some color going away with the water, which was probably the color guide residue. Now we're 3 days after application and my legs are a patchy disaster. The tan has faded a lot, not completely disappeared, but I don't see how it could last up to another 7 days. And I do really notice patches that I'll need to exfoliate, but that definitely proves that the color is already fading a lot. I'll probably need to reapply tomorrow. So, all in all, this is more complicated to apply than the regular dark lotion, more expensive, not lasting longer at all, not quick to dry, and not completely smell-free if you apply a lot. Disappointing, and not worth £39.99 at all in my opinion, especially as you can get the regular dark lotion for £28.99 - nothing justifies that difference when it comes to the results.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Illamasqua - Skin Base foundation
MariellaFromBe 7/1/2011 2:35:00 PM
(I will update this again later when I have tried for longer but since a lot of questions are raising on the makeup board, here are things I can already say.) What this is: this is a foundation based on the idea of Asian BB creams but with no SPF, whitening property or any other skincare property that BB creams claim to offer. This base is about giving the look and feel of a BB cream rather than its skincare results. It doesn't have a particular smell. Packaging: 30ml plastic transparent bottle with a nose, it makes product easy to pour and dose, won't break and gives visibility on the amount left. Texture: the product is water based but contains a lot of silicon. It's quite fluid and easy to spread, but it doesn't feel siliconey at all. I have tried using a flat top brush or my hands, both work well but I feel hands worked better, maybe because of the heat. Coverage: I was surprised at the amount of coverage this product gives, yet it sill let your skin texture show through, which is quite unique in my opinion. It's definitely medium to full coverage and is buildable. It can probably be sheered down with a damp sponge too, although I haven't tried that. In my opinion this does hide pigmentation very well, but it doesn't make the skin look smooth despite the silicone, so your own skin texture will still show. Finish: the finish is satin to dewy, definitely not matte. Longevity: I found this lasted extremely well for 6-8+ hours, and it didn't move around my "problem areas" like my nose where my foundation typically wears off. For reference I am 34 with combination skin: oily T zone and tendency to dry patches on the cheeks. I am NC15/Nars SG Gobi, Chanel VA B10 and my match in this Skin Base is 3 (excellent match by the way)
31 out of 31 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Brush Collection - Eyes Starter Set
MariellaFromBe 6/12/2011 6:53:00 AM
Generally speaking, all Real Techniques brushes are really soft, they don't shed at all, they're not smelly or anything and they kept their shape after I washed them with warm water and Marseille soap like I do for all my brushes. All brushes are made of Tacklon and are cruelty-free, which is great.The color of the handle indicates the use of the brush: eye brushes are purple, yellow ones are for face and pink ones are 'finishing' brushes. The whole name of the brush is written on the handle, so it's really helpful for beginners.I also like that all brushes have a flat end to their handles so they can stand on it. This one comes with a little poach that is very useful for travelling and can also double up as a holder. I think this is great for beginners, particularly as this whole set is excellent value for money at £18.99/ USD 15.99 The brushes coming in this set are: -Base shadow brush: this one is a wide flat shader brush that works great to apply a wash of color on the whole lid. I find it takes less pigment than an Mac 239 but it's a very nice shader brush. -Deluxe crease brush: I love this one, it's round and quite big, I love it for applying crease color and blending it at the same time, or for blending the edges of my crease color into my brow-bone color. -Accent brush: this one is very nice for detailed work like under the lower lash-line. I absolutely love it as I didn't own any kind of smudger brush before and I love how precise this one is. -Brow brush: is an angled brush to define the brows - probably too wide to be used as a liner brush I'd say, but it's not what it's meant to be. -Pixel-point eyeliner brush: I must be honest I haven't tried this one with gel liner yet as I like my Mac 210 so much and this one is quite different. But if you want to use eyeshadow rather then liquid or gel liner, this is great. I just regret there's no dupe for the Mac 217, but this is definitely a great set and if you are a beginner, this contains everything you need to start practising with quality tools!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Foundation Brush
MariellaFromBe 6/12/2011 6:50:00 AM
Generally speaking, all Real Techniques brushes are really soft, they don't shed at all, they're not smelly or anything and they kept their shape after I washed them with warm water and Marseille soap like I do for all my brushes. All brushes are made of Tacklon and are cruelty-free, which is great.The color of the handle indicates the use of the brush: eye brushes are purple, yellow ones are for face and pink ones are 'finishing' brushes. The whole name of the brush is written on the handle, so it's really helpful for beginners.I also like that all brushes have a flat end to their handles so they can stand on it. This brush has relatively firm bristles, a bit like the Mac 190. But its particularity is the angled shape, that allows you to apply foundation very easily around the nose and under the eyes. It seems so obvious that I can't believe there aren't more brands that offer this kind of foundation brush!There's something you need to be cautious with, though: the brush being quite large, it feels easy to spread the foundation all over the face in just a few wide moves, but if you do that you might leave streaky marks. Make sure to use smaller motions to prevent that.This one costs £8.99/ USD 9.99
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Stippling Brush
MariellaFromBe 6/12/2011 6:49:00 AM
Generally speaking, all Real Techniques brushes are really soft, they don't shed at all, they're not smelly or anything and they kept their shape after I washed them with warm water and Marseille soap like I do for all my brushes. All brushes are made of Tacklon and are cruelty-free, which is great.The color of the handle indicates the use of the brush: eye brushes are purple, yellow ones are for face and pink ones are 'finishing' brushes. The whole name of the brush is written on the handle, so it's really helpful for beginners.I also like that all brushes have a flat end to their handles so they can stand on it. I must say the Stippling brush is the one I was the most excited about getting because I had a feeling it would perform well for foundation application.I decided to put it on a hard test and try it with Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation. This one has the (quite deserved) reputation to be hard to apply, particularly if you don't have the right technique and obviously the right tools. Following the advice I had gotten at the Illamasqua counter, I used a very small amount of product and applied in very soft light strokes with the stippling brush. It worked like a dream, I was really impressed - and if this brush can apply this foundation perfectly, it will work with everything else. This one costs £8.99/ USD 9.99, which is great value for money and definitely cheaper than a lot of equivalents on the market.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Becca - Becca Sesame Powder
MariellaFromBe 4/20/2011 6:28:00 AM
Becca finishing powders come in both lose and pressed forms and I got the lose one because you get more for a smaller price. Both come with a puff but I like to apply with a brush. Packaging is a bit hard to open sometimes but at least I know it wouldn't get lose and make a powder mess in my makeup bag! Plus the lid is very useful for swirling a brush into the powder. I am actually extremely impressed with this powder for two reasons: it does really take away the shine from the areas that don't need to glow (I use more on the nose and forehead for obvious reasons) and it does really last all day, unlike most powders. There aren't many colors available but there are, yellow, pink and neutral undertones including in the transluscent product, which makes it possible for everyone to find a good match. Fine Lose Powder, 15g, USD34 - £26 (the pressed powder contains 10g and costs USD32, £45)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Becca - Stick Foundation
MariellaFromBe 4/20/2011 6:26:00 AM
The foundation stick comes in over 30 shades, so everyone can find their happiness, including very dark skintones. It's very practical to take along for travelling and use in a hurry because you can apply with your fingers. I personally think that it's easier to apply it with my foundation brush, particularly if it's already wet from the primer and/or the liquid sheer foundation of the same brand, that is meant to be used in combination with the stick. With my hands I found it a bit thick and waxy. However, the coverage it gives is not at all cakey or pan-stick like - it's kind of medium coverage but buildable and I found that, applying with a brush, it was easy to build up without it looking like I had a ton of stuff on my face. Also I didn't need much so I don't think this stick will be used up in no time, like it does happen with some cream products. The SPF 30 is obviously nice, and like all other BEcca face products, this is very long-lasting including under warm weather. The products are not cheap, but you do pay for a great quality: 8.7g, USD44 - £35
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Becca - Luminous Skin Color sheer foundation
MariellaFromBe 4/20/2011 6:23:00 AM
This very sheer foundation (more like a tinted moisturizer, really) comes in 15 different shades, including pink toned, yellow toned and neutral toned ones, up to the very dark side of the skin color spectrum. Since the product is very light and transparent, you can fall between 2-3 colors and get away with a one that is a tad bit too dark for you, in my opinion. The product comes in a sleek light plastic bottle with an airless pump, which is very nice. I use 1-1.5 pump for the whole face when applying with a Mac 190 foundation brush. It has an SPF of 25, which is always a bonus in my book, and it smells very nice - kind of a vanilla scent- but not to the point that it will bother you once it's applied. This is an extremely lightweight product, actually I'm not surprised Becca includes it in the "priming" step of their "skin perfecting makeup system". Unless you're a 16 years old model with perfect skin, you won't be able to get along with wearing this on its own, as it doesn't hide muchat all. It's actually meant to be used together with the stick foundation and/or the concealer. But it does give a lovely radiance to the skin, and it evens it out nicely excepted for discolorated or hyperpigmented areas. And it does last extremely well on the skin, even when the weather is a bit extreme. This foundation is not cheap, but you do pay for a great quality: 50ml, USD42 - £33. Also note that 50ml is more than you usually get in a foundation bottle, the average being 30ml.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Oskia - Get Up And Glow Serum
MariellaFromBe 3/18/2011 12:10:00 PM
What this is: A serum that doubles as an illuminator and can be used on its own instead of moisturizer, or on top of makeup as a higlighter. The packaging is a very pretty transparent bottle that comes with a pump. As described by the brand: "Get Up & Glow is deliciously lightweight revitalizing and energising serum that increases cell respiration and ATP energy. It is also enriched with clinically-proven youth-boosting nutrients and polypeptides. OSKIA’s unique dual approach actively brightens and firms, evens skin tone, smoothes the appearance of fine lines, protects against everyday environmental, seasonal and lifestyle damage, while also providing essential cell nutrients to help improve cell health long term. This refreshing serum leaves skin looking revitalized, healthier and smoother with a youthful, radiant glow" Active ingredients: - Enriched with not 1 but 12 beauty-boosting actives including: - Riboxil™, known as The Beauty Sugar, energizes, revitalizes and brightens by boosting oxygen intake to recharge cell energy ATP to benefit all cell processes. Reduces wrinkle area by 30.1%. - Natural light reflecting pigments add lustre to tired skin. - Galactoarabinan, a vegetable alternative to collagen, reduces fine lines and wrinkles. - MPC Milk Peptides™ immediately lift, firm and tone the skin leaving a natural sheen and radiance by increasing the thickness of the epidermis, stimulating collagen synthesis by 40%, increasing cell-to-cell communication, boosting key elements of the Dermo-Epidermal junction making nutrients more available to the skin, increasing Hyaluronic Acid production by 1900% and reduces wrinkle depth by 35%. - Soothing Butterbur reduces redness and irritation. - OSKIA’s MSM complex aids collagen production and keeps skin strong, supple and porous. - Phyto Cell Tec Mallus™ (Swiss Apple Stem Cell culture) help renew and prolong the life of healthy skin cells, protect DNA, reduces wrinkles and fine line depth by 15% (after 4 weeks) and stimulate cell proliferation by 80%. - O3 Stressed Yeast Lysate™, a live yeast cell derivative, increases cell respiration to promote wound healing and strongly protects fragile cellular DNA, RNA and skin lipids after sun exposure. - Our elite grade Hyaluronic acid and biosaccharides provide long lasting hydration, plump up the skin, stimulate the production of Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), making skin appear plumper and smoother. - Prebiotic Oligosaccharide protects and stimulates the skin’s defense barrier by preventing colonization by harmful flora. - Powerful antioxidant Inula Viscosa, Vitamin E and prebiotics protect against free radicals, harmful bacteria and UV damage. My thoughts on the product. First thing I noticed about this product is that it spreads extremely well on the skin, so one little pump is more than enough to do your whole face and neck. The consistency doesn't feel oily at all, but it definitely feels like a serum and I don't find it extremely moisturizing. I would say that in Summer it would be great used on its own but in Winter or if your skin is on the dryer side, you'll need to use a moisturizer on top. (My Becca hydrating primer works well on top of this). The product is infused with little particles that do reflect the light once they're applied on the skin. I'm not talking glitter, obviously, but it's like a fine shimmer that shows through the serum and gives you a nice subtle glow. I really mean subtle, to the point that, if you put moisturizer or foundation on top, I find this practically disappears. Bummer, because you lose the "glow" part of the "get up and glow" concept. But I need to say that the product has other benefits, and that spending that kind of money for an illuminator would be too much in my opinion, so let's focus on these other features. About the active ingredients: As you read, Oskia claims this serum is infused with tons of natural and efficient ingredients. The fact that hyaluronic acid is very high in the ingredient list indicates there's a high concentration of it in the product, and this is good because we love hyaluronic acid for its anti-aging action. The glycerin, also in high concentration, is a good thing for moisture. The Yeast extract are also used in the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum that I love so much, so that's good as well, and that the MSM is said to contain sulfur, which has clarifying properties. On a negative note, there's benzyl alcohol in the formula, which can be drying, but personally I haven't had any problem. So I would say this product is packed with a lot of good ingredients and that I think it makes a good daytime version of my Advanced Night Repair, also with a texture more suitable under makeup. The "negative" point. Oskia (London) position themselves as a high-end brand with scientific background and innovative ingredients coming from nature, as such, they place the price tag quite high. At £ 64,50 ( € 76, USD 99) this is an expensive serum, but it's definitely a nice treat. NOTE: I wasn't sure I'd repurchase, until I dropped and broke the bottle. I really missed using it and did spend the £64.50 again, so that shows how much I love it.
14 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Rouge Bunny Rouge - Deliquescence Makeup Melt Cleanser
MariellaFromBe 3/18/2011 11:52:00 AM
I had been eyeing RBR cleanser called Deliquescence, which is a cleansing balm, for a little while. I like to think of it as some kind of hybrid between a cleansing oil and a cream and for some reason that felt really appealing to me. What the brand says about it: "This luxuriously rich and creamy balm melts like butter with the warmth of your skin; add warm water to swiftly transform the butter into a heavenly milky sap that dissolves even waterproof make-up without a trace, while nourishing and pampering your face. Use a delicate muslin cloth, wrapped around your hand, to sweep away all impurities, cleanse and gently tone, leaving your skin angelically resplendent. Cacao Butter offers excellent moisturising and smoothing properties for a soft, velvety appearance. Meadowfoam Seed Oil is an outstanding moisturiser and anti-oxidant, helping to prevent moisture loss and boost your true radiance. Inspired by aromatherapy and enriched with an essential oil mixture of Chamomile, Clove, Eucalyptus and Lavender, our Make-up Melt Cleanser will not only improve your skin’s suppleness and softness but also revitalises and leaves you with a sensuous and soothing feeling. Chamomile calms the skin with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-depressant effects. Clove adds stimulating and aphrodisiac qualities. Eucalyptus is anti-bacterial, balsamic and antiseptic. Lavender provides soothing, anti-inflammatory, refreshing and antiseptic effects, and also acts on the nervous system as an extraordinary mind refresher, restoring your inner balance, strength and vitality." In short: the ultimate cleansing experience! How do you use it? Well, you massage the product (a rich transparent balm) into your skin and then remove your makeup with a moslin cloth. It is very effective and works on all types of makeups, like a cleansing oil would do. What I like about it: - the packaging is very pretty: a smoked glass jar with a black cap - very nice to look at - you do get a moslin cloth with it, no need to buy separately (although you won't go very far with only one) - the smell is really lovely and natural, no heavy perfume but a light herbal scent - the balm texture is very pleasant - it leaves your skin clean and feeling very soft but not greasy at all unlike some cleansing oils What I don't like about it: - I always find it uncomfortable to remove mascara with my fingers and anything else than a micellar jelly, so I tend to use a separate eye makeup remover - I don't find it's that easy to massage this product into the skin (and particularly the eyes) without using quite a lot of it and...the jar is quite small (50g) and... it's super expensive: £46 !! My overall opinion: At that price, and considering I have a lot of cheaper options to cleanse my normal/combination skin, I don't want to use this product on a daily basis. Maybe if you're very dry, the unique texture will make it work the price but for me that's not the case. It is a luxury cleanser and so I keep it for luxury treatments: either when I'm doing a facial at home or if I'm super tired and want to pamper myself. It does a perfect job, but it's really expensive.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Shiseido - Perfect Refining Foundation
MariellaFromBe 2/28/2011 3:36:00 PM
How the brand describes it: "A light liquid foundation that blends seamlessly to instantly erase conspicuous pores, acne scars and skin roughness for perfectly even, long-lasting coverage. Minimizes shine while optimizing the moisture balance of the skin. Offers an exquisitely smooth, refined finish for 15 beautiful hours. Formulated with Micro-Smoothing Complex, a Shiseido-exclusive ingredient that protects against the enzyme that causes skin roughness. Available in 15 shades for your perfect match. Semi-matte finish, medium coverage." PROS: -The packaging! Even though this contains 30ml/1 fl.oz like most products on the market, this little guy fits in the palm of the hand, it's not much bigger than a bottle of nailpolish and it's actually lighter because it's made of very light black plastic. Also, the bottle has a nose that makes it easy to decide what amount of product we want. Definitely an excellent point for this product. -Long-lasting: excepted on my nose area (even though I don't have a cold, but that's where foundation wears off quicker for a lot of people) I can say this was still on most of my face after 15 hours. I'm not saying you won't feel the need to touch up at all during the day but it wears really really well in my opinion. -Light to medium coverage: I don't think this will save you from the burden of using concealer, but it does even out the skin tone pretty well, erasing light redness and scars. -Semi-matte finish: I'd even say satin, actually, this brings a nice luminosity to the face.It also feels extremely light on the skin. -Erasing pores: ok, I'm not really sure about this one but it does NOT enhance pores, that's for sure, and that's nice already. -No smell. CONS: -On me this became a bit too shiny on the T-zone for my liking through the day. Nothing dramatic, but since I do use a bit of powder, I didn't think this would happen. -Although the product looks liquidy when you poor it out, it's actually a bit dry when you spread it. -If you're among those who like putting a nice bottle on your dressing table, this packaging isn't going to satisfy you - definitely not a prettyfying object for your bedroom! My overall opinion. Well I am a bit confused about this foundation, because it's very close to being Nars Sheer Glow twin sister - and Nars Sheer Glow has been my Holy Grail foundation for over a year, as you know. The shade I00 I'm wearing is exactly the same as my Nars Gobi, and the result on the face is very very similar. So what are the differences? Sheer Glow is a fraction easier to spread on the face Sheer Glow is a fraction more glowy without looking greasy (and I insist on using the word "Fraction" because the difference is really that small) and I do think the longevity on me is equivalent to the Shiseido one. Shiseido's packaging is much more practical and light, especially if you travel, and is also unbreakable while the Sheer Glow bottle is a pain to handle At 38USD, the Shiseido product is 4$ cheaper than the Nars one for the same amount. If you have dryer skin, Sheer Glow will work a bit better for you because of its consistency. If you're after a good product with a no-nonsense packaging, Shiseido will be the best choice. I do think I still prefer my beloved Sheer Glow for its texture and less dry feeling on my cheeks (who knows if I won't change my mind in the future?), but I already know that when I travel, it's Shiseido that's going to be in my makeup bag!
24 out of 26 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No