(pictured: part of my collection)
Sofina, part of the Kao Group, is a major cosmetics brand (along with Shiseido, Kanebo, and Kose). It has an efficient and no-nonsense concept of skincare and makeup with a sense of fun and enjoyment. It mostly appeals to the 20-something generation.
One of the two Sofina’s foundation lines, Raycious, is probably more popular than the skincare and the color makeup lines. The debut of the 1st-generation Raycious powder foundation in 2000 was a sensation. It was said to have sold 1 million in its first year in Japan.
The innovation of Raycious lies in the ultra-fine luminous pale-blue particles (which the blue packaging represents). It counteracts the dark orange undertone (which makes skin look dull and lifeless) and keeps the face bright (not shiny) and fresh-looking throughout the day. The color of the foundation does not fade or turn dull when the face gets oily.
When I tried it for the first time, I was amazed. All the advertising claims were lived up to. No wonder it sold so well. The color does not darken over time, unlike what usually happens with a lot of other foundations. And the foundation stays fresh throughout the day and my face actually looks more luminous (not greasy!) by the end of the day.
Each year the packaging and the formulation of the foundation change, so we’re in the 7th-generation in 2006. But the fine blue-based particles have always been the main feature of Raycious. This year, the new formulation is all about defining the facial contour, and the foundation case became as much of a talking point as the foundation itself when it features a three-way mirror (for seeing exactly how the foundation defines the contour of our faces from multiple angles).
Aube, Sofina’s color makeup collection, offers all the good basics for daily makeup. The packaging changes entirely every two years or so. New products replace existing ones season after season and we end up with a completely new line every two years, in line with the revamped packaging. The Spring 2007 Collection is mentioned in a previous post.
The daytime moisturizers with proper sunscreen ingredients are the most popular items in the skincare line. They are fresh and still great as a makeup base.
Packaging-wise, Sofina is the most down-to-earth one among all my favorite brands, but it consistently offers great and innovative products. I will always be its loyal customers.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi there,
I’m keen to try the Sofina daytime moisturizer. May I know which one are you referring to? Is it from the ‘Very Very’ or ‘Rise’ range? I’m over 25 and have oily to combination skintype. I can’t find this in Singapore. I hope you can advise me on these before I ask someone to CP for me. Thanks for your time. The links are here :
http://www.sofina.co.jp/catalog/detail_brand/vv_uvcutmilk.html
http://www.sofina.co.jp/catalog/detail_brand/rs_uvcutmilkcream.html
You also mentioned about the Raycious foundation. Did you try the liquid foundation or the 2-way cake? Thanks once again.
Cheryl
Hello Cheryl,
Thank you for your comment!
The daytime moisturizers with sunscreen I was referring to in my post are Very Very, Rise, and Vital Rich. I myself have oily skin and the one I personally like is Very Very. I think it is the most popular one as well. You can probably try this first and see if you like it.
About Raycious foundations, I have only tried the powder ones. I tend to slightly prefer the older versions because they give a more matte finish. Some later versions give a more glowy finish. I think this is the trend with foundations in general over the years, but I usually go for a matte foundation to cope with my oily skin.
By the way, just for your information, the Raycious powder foundations are only meant to be used dry so they are not two-way foundations.
Hope it helps!
PJ
Hi,
I am keen to try Sofina Very Very daytime moisturizer. Do you know roughly how much it cost? I am interested to purchase a 2-way cake (foundation) as well. Do you have any good ones to recommend? I am currently in Tokyo and hope to do a last minute purchase. Thank you.
Shirlyn
Hi Shirlyn,
Thank you very much for the questions. I will reply briefly so you can get this in time.
– The Very Very UV Cut Milk costs 3360 yen in Japan. But you might be able to get a discount if you buy it in a drugstore.
– For two-way foundations in Japan, I would recommend Sofina Raycious as well as Kanebo Coffret D’Or Beauty Lasting Pact UV, particularly if you have combination, slightly oil, or oily skin. If you have drier skin, have a look at SUQQU’s Powder Foundation Glow.
Hope it helps! Enjoy the rest of your stay in Tokyo, and hope to hear from you again. :)
Hi,
Thanks so much for your prompt reply. I tried to get Sofina’s very very UV Cut milk in Tokyo but the sales person told me that it has already discontinued and replaced with another called Hana-ka Prefect moisturiser with SPF 50 and SPF 24 respectively.
Best Regards,
Shirlyn
Hi Shirlyn,
You are very welcome. Thank you for letting me know that Sofina’s Very Very UV Cut Milk has been discontinued in Japan. I hope you did manage to find something you would like to try.
Thank you for leaving your comment again! :)
PJ
Hi,
do you know FINE-FIT by Sofina?I’ve found it on adambeauty.com and find the foundation case very cute. But I dont knwo if the powder is as good as the Raycious. Can you give me some advaices please?
Thank you ^.^
Hi Julie,
I have not tried Fine-Fit before, but I think the quality should be more or less the same as that of Raycious. I think one of the main differences is that Raycious used pale blue-toned particles to brighten the complexion, whereas Fine-Fit doesn’t.
Hope it helps, and thank you for your comment! :)
Hi PJ,
I’m finishing my current bottle of Sofina Very Very UV Cut Milk, and so I just ordered another two more bottles from adamybeauty. Can’t wait for it to arrive! It’s my holy grail!
By the way, where do you usually get your japanese stuff from?
I tried adambeauty, however, they do not carry certain brands like Albion and Lunasol.
I like brands like Sofina, Albion, DHC, and Lavshuca, but they are not avail in my country! Sob!
Hi Winterberry-gal,
I am happy that the Very Very UV Cut Milk is working well for you. It is certainly a very popular product.
Apart from my very kind friends, I get my Japanese cosmetics through http://www.adambeauty.com and ichibankao.com. Ichibankao is based in Japan. Like Adam Beauty, it takes PayPal payments and delivers internationally.
Hope it helps, and thank you for your comment again! :)
I used Very Very UV Cut Milk before and i really loved it, however it is discontinued now. Have you tried Ayura's f-SIGN DEFENSE MOIST PROTECTOR?? It claims that it is free of anything that harms the skin.. really tempted to try.. Also the RMK's face protector 31 seems to have very good review, however I never used RMK before.. and cannot get hold of an ingredient list.. Any thoughts?
Hi Jo,
I also used to use Sofina's Very Very UV Cut Milk as well, which was when I used to live in a warm and humid climate. (It wouldn't be moisturizing enough for me in the UK. Also, as I mentioned in one of the other replies to you, the alcohol in it would irritate my skin here.)
I have not tried the two moisturizers you mentioned. But, for me, as long as a sunscreen product has at least SPF15 and ingredients to protect against UVA rays (the UVA protection is indicated by the PA level in Japanese cosmetics), it is generally worth looking into.
Hope it helps, and thank you for your question! :)
Hi PJ,
I found out that the RMK face protector spf 31 has PA+. I understand what the spf means, but what about the PA.. is only 1 + enuf? i see some of them with PA+++..
I just thought you mite know :)
Hi Jo,
The PA level indicates the level of strength of UVA protection. (UVA rays cause skin-aging and skin cancer. (UVB rays cause sunburn.))
There are three levels of strength of UVA protection in Japanese sunscreen products: PA+, PA++ and PA+++. (PA+ is the weakest and PA+++ is the strongest.) For general daily use, it is fine as long as a product has at least PA+. If you are going to spend a whole day under the sun, then you might consider using something that has either PA++ or PA+++.
Many sunscreen products from western brands only indicate the UVB protection by using the SPF level. Therefore, you need to read the ingredient list and see if a product has any of the ingredients I listed here.
Hope it helps, and thank you for stopping by again!
Hi PJ,
Thanks for your quick response. I really like your blog that's why i keep coming back. I think it's my favourite beauty blog!^0^
I have one other question. I hope it doesn't sound too stupid.
You know how the SPF number means how long you can be exposed in the sun for. Say SPF 15 means u can stay in the sun for 150 mins. Like is the 150 mins mean exposure time in the sun. Say if i put the suncreen on in the morning and only get expose to the sun in the afternoon.. Do I still have the full 150 mins protection??
I hope that make sense.. haha
Thanks in advance
Hi Jo,
I am glad you enjoy reading my blog. :)
Yes, I do understand your question. Basically, we should always apply sunscreen before sun exposure and we should also re-apply sunscreen when needed. So I would suggest that you re-apply sunscreen in the afternoon before sun exposure just to be on the safe side.
Hope it helps! :)
Hi there,
I have to say that almost 90% of my knowledge of Japanese make-up is from this blog, and I'm happy with that. Thanks so much, and pls don't stop! :d
Just wonder can u make any comparison between Primavista and RMK foundations and makeup base? I like an idea of putting on a bright up base and then just some powder to make it as natural and smooth as it can, as I have an oily T-zone, bad blackheads and big pores (seems like the whole bad things). However, my face's condition is not very bad to put on a liquid foundation.
If u can spend some time to compare those 2 giants, it's great. I'll keep an eye on your blog often.
Cheers,
Jas
Hi Jas,
Thank you very much! I am glad that you find my blog informative! :)
I have not tried makeup bases from Primavista so I am afraid I don't know how well they work. As for RMK, I have tried its Make Up Base. I am personally not very keen on this since it has a lot of alcohol.
In terms of foundations, the two powder foundations from Primavista (Moist Touch and Long Keep) and RMK's Powder Foundation EX are all quite glowy and I would only recommend these to those with normal or dry skin. As for you, I think you might want to try ZA's Two-Way Foundation or Coffret D'Or's Beauty Lasting Pack UV. I think they are quite suitable for those with combination or oily skin and that they have a fairly good pore coverage too.
Hope it helps, and thank you very much for stopping by! :)