SHISEIDO Synchro Skin Lasting Liquid Foundation

THIS foundation is the bomb. I can't believe I haven't reviewed it yet. Once upon a time I had my all time favorite foundation discontinued. For YEARS, I tired every foundation under the sun from Armani, to Chanel, to MAC, to Dior, to....you name it, I've tried it. I started wearing this foundation about a year ago. I find that I have a pretty neutral/olive undertone and really dry skin lately (hormonal changes and maybe even this foundation may have contributed to my dry skin). I have tried the radiant version and it's just too much shine for me. Less is more with this foundation. I have learned when I try to build this foundation up, it can look cakey. I try to stick to 2 pumps even on days when I am badly broken out and just conceal.

PROS:
-Blends like a dream. I dot around my face and use a brush. Because i have dry skin, I go back over and press it in with a damp beauty blender.
-Longevity - this stays on pretty well all day. I notice my t zone sometimes getting oily so I have to blot
-Color - pro and con for me. For winter, Neutral 3 is a perfect match. In the summer it's too light and the color up is too dark
-Doesn't break me out
-Offers great even coverage
-Looks flawless in pictures

CONS
-Contributes to dry skin, so I really have to moisturize as the side of my chin and jawline as well as smile lines get very dry and the foundation has the tendency to cake up in those spots. If I am having a break out, the foundation has the tendency to stick to spots....however, it does help dry the spots out faster.
-Color - in the summer i have to add bronzer drops to this foundation to get the right color as the color range is limited. Even thee N3 is not a perfect match but I make it work.
-The packaging - the cap is ridiculous and just sucks

All in all, I would give it 4.5 stars. May not be suitable for super dry skin like mine but as I mentioned, I moisturize a ton (I even add 2 drops of seabuckthorne oil to my moisturizer to make this work). The color range could be better. I would love to see a better color match. I can't seem to go up in color as it's too dark and the yellow color range is too yellow on me. However, considering the coverage, the longevity, how beautifully it sits on the skin and the fact it doesn't cause break outs, I LOVE this foundation and cannot find anything that comes close at this point.

This foundation is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!
Its medium coverage and my skin looks so perfected without looking like Im wearing a foundation.
AND it lasted for 12 hours (I had to lightly powder my T zone only once, for reference I have combination skin).
I would say its a semi-matte finish.
LOVE it and would repurchase. Might just be my new all time favourite foundation (look out Guerlain Lingerie de Peau and Borjouis!)

I wanted to like this, and when the MUA put it on my face (with a brush) I thought it looked amazing. However its so thin and liquidy (like a thin paint texture) and just seems oily? It is buildable but I find it very hard to work with, and with acne prone skin I don't use a brush or sponge anymore, so I find it quite difficult to apply with my hands.

I was planning to use this as an everyday foundation but only find myself using it when I'm going out and therefore have more time to apply makeup - I don't find it an easy foundation to put on in the morning when you have five minutes - for this reason it was quite an expensive purchase and I wouldn't buy again.

On the plus side it hasn't broken me out. If you like to apply with a brush I think this can look really nice, and it doesn't settle in pores etc. Colour selection is good too, maybe it will work better for someone else but unfortunately not for me.

This is a very nice foundation. Very natural, medium coverage but it is buildable. This doesn't have a scent like some other high end foundations. Doesn't irritate my skin or cause breakouts. *Edit. I noticed that sometimes this seems to cling to dry patches.

I've tried a lot, Estee Lauder, Mac, Sisley, Clinique, Max Factor, Loreal etc. but this is my all time favourite foundation.

I bought this because of Katleen’s review about it. I have combo skin with some dry patches on my jawline. At first I really hate it because I use it with mattify primer which make it look cakey and horrible on my jaw. Then I started using it with moisturize primer and it looks really nice I really like it. My face look fresh all day long. The weird thing about it is color. I have yellow undertone so I bought it in Golden3 (i’m between nc25-30) but it looks a little bit pink but it’s not that bad. I will buy it in Neutral next time.

I have combo skin and the number one problem I have with foundation is it slides off and gets oily looking fairly quickly. Some foundations do it immediately and others work really well for me. Primers don't help. Either the foundation works or it doesn't. This is one that works mostly well for me. This is a medium coverage foundation, I'd never say full but it's a strong medium. It's very liquidy and has a silicone almost powdery feel when you apply it. I don't love the feel of the product and every time I apply it I think it looks powdery (even though it's a liquid) at first. I usually use my artis brush with it (oval 7). I have tried a beauty blender but I think this foundation reacts poorly to the moisture in the sponge. So I brush it on and at first it usually doesn't look too good. But then it sits on my skin and looks better and better. At first I'd say the finish is a satin matte and by mid day it looks more skin like but not oily at all. I do set with powder in my t-zone. I never use primer. I'm about NC 15 and very neutral skin tone. I wear the Neutral 1. I can almost wear Neutral 2 in the summer but it's just a bit dark. I work 12 hour shifts and this is one that holds up really well all day, unless I wear a mask and then the humidity from the mask makes it break down around my nose. This foundation does not do well with dry flakey skin. This last winter I had a lot of peeling going on from active skin care and the dry winter and I could not wear this foundation. But I've changed up my skin care, I'm not peeling, and now it's warm outside and I love it. Also, it doesn't break me out, which ruins a lot of almost perfect foundations. This is fairly pricy but I think I'd repurchase. I'm only about 1/5 into the bottle so it lasts a while and we'll see if I still like it. For reference other foundations I like are Revlon Colorstay, Estee Lauder Doublewear (the original), and Urban Decay Naked skin. I'm super picky and I try lots of foundations but most don't work for me very well.

Amazing, HG foundation. One of the few that I have repurchased. This is a medium to full coverage foundation. It is a thin runny liquid consistency. One pump is all I need to deliver med/high coverage. It is so pigmented and applies so smoothly. I dot it on my face and blend with an elf foundation brush. I haven’t gotten good results with beauty blender. You can also use fingers but the coverage tend to be higher with that method and it ends being cakey some times. Only cons are color range - I’m golden 4 but it is a bit too yellow for me and a tad dark, but the next shade down would be too light. Also, it can emphasize dry patches so make sure to moisturize very well underneath. It hasn’t been a problem for me since I started using Korean skincare which put more emphasis on hydrating In thin layers. If it sometimes ends up looking too cakey from over powdering, I spray with Mario badescu rose water. This foundation actually looks even better with time. It is initially matte but Once your natural skin oils start to come out it looks amazing semi matte and slightly glowy without being greasy looking. It also lasts for a long time. I have worked 12 hour shifts and it still is on by the end, although there is fading in some areas . I can’t recommend this foundation enough! It did take me some time to figure out the best way for me to use it, but once I did I was so glad I did. Again, I highly recommend. It is expensive but I use very little (1 pump) and it has lasted me more than 6 months. Try it!!

This is definitely my treasure foundation! Seriously, best foundation on Earth!

PROS:
- Medium coverage, but it's buildable
- Because it has buildable coverage, it can give you a super natural look (people will think you're not wearing makeup at all and that you were born looking that perfect) but it can also give more extra coverage for a party or an event
- Very liquid and smooth texture, makes the application very easy either with a brush or your fingers (I don't recommend sponges because since it's too liquid the sponge will absorb all the foundation and you'll be wasting your precious product)
- Adequate to be set both with compact colored powder or translucent powder, it doesn't look cakey either way
- IT NEVER LOOKS CAKEY. It gives amazing coverage without looking artificial or cakey at all!
- Very moisturizing and you can feel your skin is still breathing while you're wearing it
- Last for at least 5-8 hours, which is pretty decent (don't know if it lasts longer because I wash my face as soon as I get home)

CONS:
- Expensive , but WORTH EVERY CENT!
- Packaging is not that nice because it's a tightly-sealed glass bottle but since the foundation is very liquid and smooth it doesn't end up depositing on the bottom of the bottle. Even if there's some foundation deposited on the bottom you can always open the bottle and apply it with a brush, so packaging is not really a problem here

DiorSkin Forever used to be my favorite foundation, only before I bought this one. I never want to get rid of it! Great coverage, polished yet natural look (the "I was born this perfect" look), great color variation and very moisturizing! WORTH EVERY PENNY!

I really only purchased this because the Dior Forever foundation I wanted so much is no longer available in Canada (apparently, it's in the process of being replaced with a newly reformulated version; I really wanted the "old" one and have a few samples but, alas, no full sized bottle). I have Synchro Skin Lasting Foundation in the shade Neutral 2 and it is a perfect match for my complexion. And I like it a lot. I do have to make sure I've moisturized well before applying - using a facial oil and then a moisturizer (and plenty of both) ensures that this applies smoothly but if I miss any areas, especially on my forehead, this foundation will really show up any flakes or dry patches. The texture is very light and almost watery but the lasting power is really good - far better than I'd ever expect from a product with this thin, milky texture. To be honest, I prefer the somewhat thicker texture of the Dior foundation - I feel it gives me more control. I like that this comes in a pump bottle but the strange asymmetrical shape means that you have to pay attention when putting the cap back on - it's really quite a stupid design lacking any practical sense.

As I say, I really only bought this because the Dior foundation I truly want isn't available. This isn't a bad second choice, however, though it does seem to come in a very limited range of shades. And I would buy it again except that I'm waiting eagerly for the "new" Dior foundation and hoping that is as good as the samples of the "old" one that I've got.