makeup – base makeup – foundation

Japanese Base Makeup Week (Part 4)

by PJ on Thursday, March 5, 2009

in _Japanese Base Makeup Week, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer

Part 4: Which brands shall I look into?

(IPSA’s new Pore Protect Foundation)
(image from www.ipsa.co.jp)

Today I will briefly mention some of the Japanese beauty brands that are noted for their base makeup lines. Direct links to the base makeup pages of the brands’ official websites are provided if possible. (Some sites are very flash-heavy and don’t have direct URLs for individual pages.) I will also update this post when there is something new and noteworthy on the scene.

Here we go:

– The three “megabrands“/ “superbrands“

Currently, in Japanese cosmetics, “megabrand” refers to the main base/point makeup lines of Shiseido, Kanebo, and Kosé. At the moment, they are Maquillage (of Shiseido), Coffret D’Or (of Kanebo), and Esprique Precious (of Kosé). These lines are usually worth looking into because their latest products are often the results of the companies’ latest foundation technologies.

– Sofina Primavista

Primavista, Kao Sofina’s main base makeup line and Raycious’ predecessor, is the answer to the megabrands’ base makeup lines. Right now two collections have been released (fall/winter 2008 and spring/summer 2009), and it will be interesting to see how the line develops.

– Albion Exage

Various versions of powder foundations from Exage (and Exage White) have been among the best-sellers in Japan for years. Fans often comment on the fine and light texture of the power and the natural finish.

– IPSA

IPSA is particularly strong in skincare and base makeup. All IPSA counters have a consultation area where you can find out which skincare and base makeup items are suitable for you. You can also check which foundation shade goes with your complexion.

– Paul & Joe

Paul & Joe has been known for its base makeup for quite a while. The products tend to create a luminous finish, with a low-to-medium coverage for an ultra-natural look. (Even though Paul & Joe is a French fashion line, its beauty line is produced in Japan.)

– SUQQU

SUQQU has been very strong in base makeup, and I feel that most of its base makeup products tend to be quite suitable for dry skin (even their powder foundations). Their concealers (Stick Concealers), cream foundation (simply called Foundation) and Clear Veil Powder are particularly popular.

– Lunasol

I think Lunasol has been so popular with its gorgeous point makeup collections season after season that some forget that some of its base makeup products are also very well-received. In the February 2008 issue of Biteki, Water Cream Foundation and Micro Finish Powder N are listed among the top five favorite base makeup items (in their own categories) with Biteki readers. In the February 2009 issue, Skin Fusing Powder Foundation is among the top 10 powder foundations.

– Sonia Rykiel

Sonia Rykiel is another French fashion brand that features an essentially Japanese beauty line. Among the base makeup products, Water Gel Foundation (which is claimed to contain 80% water) and the primer (currently Treatment Makeup Base S) have been popular for as long as I can remember.

– ECM

ECM started off as a base makeup brand and has a well-structured range of base makeup items. Please see my brand profile article on ECM here.

– Ex:beaute

Recently, Ex:beaute has been getting quite a lot of Japanese beauty magazine coverage. Their current slogan is to create the luminous and flawless “actress skin”, which is ready for anything hi-definition.

– Shu Uemura

Since Shu Uemura is sold internationally, the range of foundation (and loose powder) shades is considerably wider than that of most other Japanese beauty brands (that are sold within East/ Southeast Asia). There are also quite a few different foundation products to choose from.

Other than the brands above, a few cult products deserve a mention. RMK‘s various primers, AYURA‘s Zero Clear Colors (color-adjusting concealers), Chacott‘s (a dancewear brand) Finishing Powder, and Kesalan Patharan‘s Sheer Micro Powder all have their places on the Japanese base makeup map.

In the final post of the series, I will mention some of my favorite Japanese base makeup products and I will finish the series with a few further notes.

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Japanese Base Makeup Week (Part 3)

by PJ on Wednesday, March 4, 2009

in _Japanese Base Makeup Week, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer

Part 3: Which one is my shade?

(Shiseido Maquillage Lasting Powdery UV)

(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)

I am often asked about choosing the right foundation shade from a Japanese brand. One question that comes up the most is “What is the difference between Ochre shades and Beige Ochre shades?” If you have wondered about the same thing, I hope this part of the series will help you a little.

Many major Japanese foundation lines categorize their shades into three groups:

– Neutral Ochre (OC) shades
– Yellow-toned Beige Ochre (BO) shades
– Pink-toned Pink Ochre (PO) shades

(Notice that some brands don’t carry PO shades.)

Sometimes the shade name can vary. (Coffret D’Or’s pink-toned shades are called Soft Ochre shades.) But, on a typical shade chart, neutral shades are usually in the middle, with pink-toned shades on the left and yellow-toned shades on the right. Below is the shade chart for Coffret D’Or’s Lasting Power Pact UV:

(shade chart for Coffret D’Or Lasting Power Pact UV)

(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/coffretdor)

In the shade chart for all the Sofina Primavista foundations (below), Ochre 05 is marked as the “standard shade”, which is the shade that suits most people of East-Asian descent. This happens to be the shade I would usually go for, as the second lightest Ochre shade usually suits me quite well.

(shade chart for all Primavista foundations)

(image from www.sofina.com/jp/primavista)

If you are of East-Asian descent and you have never tried a foundation from Japanese brand, then I would recommend trying an Ochre shade, which is likely to suit you reasonably well. Also, once you know what an Ochre (neutral) shade looks on you, it is slightly easier to know what to expect if you decide to try a yellow-toned or pink-toned shade.

(Since most Japanese makeup lines are only sold in Japan or in East/ Southeast Asia, the foundation shades are not made to suit a wider range of complexions. If you are of Caucasian descent, then you can probably find Japanese foundation shades that suit you. If you are of Latina or Afro-Caribbean descent, then most Japanese foundations might be too light for you. But I have had good feedback from readers of Afro-Caribbean descent on Japanese loose powder products, which are usually translucent and can work for most complexions.)

However, not all Japanese foundation shades are categorized like what you see above. Other brands use a linear presentation of the shades and the shade names don’t suggest their undertone. Below is Paul & Joe’s Protective Fluid Foundation N:

(Paul & Joe Protective Fluid Foundation N)
(image from www.paul-joe-beaute.com)

Overall it can be a lot trickier to tell which shade would suit you the most. In this case, apart from weeding out shades that might be too light/dark for you, try to compare the swatches in terms of yellow/pink undertones.

(If I have to pick a shade only by looking at the swatches here, I would first eliminate the two lightest shades, 10 and 20. I tend to avoid peachy/pink-toned shades, and 30 looks like a shade that might work for me as it looks slightly more yellow-toned than the neighboring shades.)

Having to choose a foundation shade on-line can be very difficult. (I can occasionally choose the wrong shade even when I can see all the shades in person…) But once you have some experience, things will get a lot easier.

(Sometimes it might be worth learning to recognize the Japanese characters for the three shade groups. Please refer to the Primavista shade chart for the characters (those printed within the color swatches). The names happen to be the same ones used by Maquillage, so you will be able to make more sense of the shades you see for Maquillage’s Lasting Powdery UV at the top of this post.)

Are you ready for some on-line browsing? Tomorrow I will talk about some popular Japanese base makeup lines.

Related posts:

Jill Stuart Moist Silk Foundation

Majolica Majorca Skin Remake Compact

Japanese Base Makeup Week Part 1 & Part 2

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Japanese Base Makeup Week (Part 2)

by PJ on Tuesday, March 3, 2009

in _Japanese Base Makeup Week, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer

Part 2: When are they coming out?

(Sofina Primavista’s spring/summer 2009
base makeup lineup)

(image from www.sofina.co.jp/primavista)

Partly due to the speed of development in Japanese base makeup (and partly due to marketing tactics), the frequency in which a brand’s base makeup products get updated is a lot higher than that of most western brands.

Many major Japanese beauty brands release two base makeup collections a year. Spring/summer releases are usually in March and April, and fall/winter releases are usually in September and October. (They are more or less released two months after the seasonal point makeup collections are available.)

The size of the collection varies. Sometimes there are just a couple of items (perhaps a new foundation and a primer), and sometimes there can be a major collection revamp.

Very often, when a new product is launched, the existing equivelant will be discontinued. This means that a Japanese base makeup product can sometimes only be available for 12 months. (This is especially the case with some department store brands.) For example, during the Raycious era (2000 – 2007), a new powder foundation was released every March and the previous version would be discontinued. Not all the products are updated at this rate, but many do get revamped about every other year.

So, on the whole, every six months, a base makeup collection goes through an update, and possibly a few products are phased out. (One obvious exception would be a new base make range whose lineup is still growing, like Primavista.) My suggestion is that, if you discover a Japanese base makeup product that you can’t live without, consider picking up some extras. (The next version might not suit you equally.)

There are some general differences between spring/summer and fall/winter releases. Spring/summer releases tend to have higher SPF and PA. They are often more sweat-resistant and are better at sebum-control, and the finish is often slightly more matte. Sometimes, the coverage is more on the natural side.

Fall/winter releases usually have a more emollient texture. The foundations sometimes have more coverage, and the finish is more luminous. The primers tend to be for further moisturizing the skin.

It can be quite useful to know in which season a product (particularly a foundation) is released. In Japan, there is quite a big temperature difference between summer and winter. If you have combination or oily skin and you happen to live in a tropical or sub-tropical climate, you probably don’t need a very emollient cream foundation (even though it might be a best seller in Japan.)

(Though the choice of a powder foundation or a liquid/cream foundation is often a matter of preference, I tend to suggest powder foundations for people with combination or oily skin. I think those with normal or drier skin do have more choices. Liquid/cream foundations would generally work fine, and there are some powder foundations with a very smooth and velvety texture that can work very well on dry skin even without a primer.)

Apart from regularly checking the official websites of Japanese beauty brands, Japanese beauty magazines offer great editorial content on new base makeup releases. Biteki runs a major base makeup feature twice a year (usually in the May and October issues). Voce’s popular monthly feature, “Voce Experiment” regularly tests out the latest foundations. Even if you don’t read Japanese, these features are usually abundant in photos of new products.

Tomorrow, I will touch upon the choice of foundation shade.

SUQQU Base Makeup Kit

Esprique Precious Spring/Summer 2009 Base Makeup Collection

Japanese Base Makeup Week (Part 1)

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Japanese Base Makeup Week (Part 1)

by PJ on Monday, March 2, 2009

in _Japanese Base Makeup Week, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer

Part 1: Why Japanese?

(from Kanebo Coffret d’Or via YouTube)

Many years ago, I read an article on Japanese base makeup, which mentioned that the technologies in Japan involved in producing base makeup were about a decade ahead of those of most western brands. While it is not easy to prove this (and whether it is still true today), I do feel that Japanese base makeup items are constantly out-doing their western counterparts.

It seems that we can draw inferences from the cultural side of things. I have often heard that, if one can only choose to wear one makeup item for the day, a western consumer is likely to choose a mascara (or an eyeliner). On the other hand, a Japanese consumer would go for a foundation. (It can be a sweeping generalization, but I do find some truth in it.)

From the articles written by Kaoru Saito, a Japanese beauty expert, it seems that Japanese people perceive having shine and open pores in public as something impolite. Having a fresh and impeccable complexion, free from shine and open pores, seems to be part of the social etiquette. (Maybe this is why there are a lot more products (mainly primers) that tackle these two issues in Japanese beauty brands.)

In this case, it is the consumers’ needs that drive product research and innovation, and the result is products that work better.

I have oily skin and almost always use a powder foundation, and I think I probably want quite a lot from it. I want it to have a fair amount of coverage but to still look natural. I want it to cancel out mild redness, conceal pores, control sebum and last throughout the day. The powder should have a smooth texture, and the finish should be predominantly matte.

Generally, I find that Japanese foundations cancel out mild redness and conceal pores considerably more effectively than western ones. Also, the foundations I have tried that have a good sebum-control efficacy are all from Japanese lines. So, based on personal experience, I’d say that Japanese base makeup products generally perform a lot better.

(I have less experience with liquid/cream foundations. If you have any observation on how Japanese products fare with western ones, please do let me know your thoughts.)

In the next few days, I will talk briefly about the rhythm of product releases in Japanese base makeup, how to choose the right shade, some Japanese beauty brands that are particularly known for base makeup, and some of my personal favorites and recommendations. Do come back!

(The ad on top of this post is the TV ad for Coffret D’Or’s latest powder foundation, Lasting Power Pact UV. It was officially out on March 1st and is something I am interested in trying.)

Continue reading the series:

Part 2: When are they coming out?

Part 3: Which one is my shade?

Part 4: Which brand shall I look into?

Part 5: My Favorites (& Yours)

Western vs. Japanese…Who’s Winning?

All About Japanese Cosmetics

“Japanese Brand Profile” Series

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Coming Up: Japanese Base Makeup Week

by PJ on Friday, February 20, 2009

in all about Japanese cosmetics, announcement, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, makeup - base makeup - powder, makeup - base makeup - primer/concealer

To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of Japanese cosmetics is the generally outstanding quality of the base makeup*.

In the first week of March, I will be posting five articles on Japanese base makeup. These posts are largely based on the questions that I have often been asked in the past two years by readers new to or interested in Japanese makeup. I hope these articles will be helpful to some of you as well as any future reader who might have similar questions.

The first article will go up on Monday March 2nd. If you have any question on Japanese base makeup or suggestions on what you would like to see covered, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

Thank you very much, and stay tuned!

* In Japan, “base makeup” (or “base make”) refers to items applied before any color is added. They include primers, concealers, foundations, highlighting/contouring items, and loose/pressed powder. With some Japanese brands, they can also include delicately pigmented blushers.

Items featured in the photo:

Jill Stuart Moist Silk Foundation

Paul & Joe Light Cream Foundation

Anna Sui Fluid Foundation

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Sofina Primavista Powder Foundation Moist Touch

by PJ on Monday, October 13, 2008

in -Kao, -Primavista, -Sofina, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation

(Sofina Primavista Powder Foundation Moist Touch:
Ochre 03 (left) and Ochre 05)

On September 1st, Sofina‘s Primavista was officially launched as Raycious went into history. Since Raycious had a solid fan base, I think many people have been looking forward to seeing how Primavista will live up to the expectation.

I received trial samples of Powder Foundation Moist Touch and the two primers (Smooth Coat Base and Bright Up Base) some time ago, and today I am sharing my thoughts on the foundation. (I will probably talk about the primers later.)

In short, if you like Raycious powder foundations (especially the later versions), you probably won’t have problems liking this one.

Regardless of how the powder is formulated and the new technologies involved in the production, Primavista’s first powder foundation performs similarly to ones from Raycious, in good ways and bad.

Generally, you will see the same strengths that made Raycious so popular. The staying power is very good and the color of the foundation does not turn dull overtime and pretty much lasts the whole day. However, the glowy finish might not suit people with oily skin or those who want powder foundations to work hard to make pores less visible. (This is the reason why I had to stop buying Raycious foundations as the later versions were too glowy for me.)

I use #22 in ZA Two-Way Foundation and find Ochre 05 a relatively good match.

Overall, I think this powder foundation will suit people with no problem with excessive sebum. But one interesting thing is that, back in the Raycious days, there were no powder foundations released for fall/winter. (It was always a liquid foundation.) So maybe we’ll see something slightly more matte and more sebum-absorbent in spring 2009. This fall/winter release is called Powder Foundation Moist Touch…maybe the spring/summer 2009 release will be (predictably) called Fresh Touch? We’ll see!

You can read another review of this foundation at Autumn Masquerade.

Sofina Primavista Creamy Compact Foundation

Creating Your New(ish) Foundation Refill

Paul & Joe Fall 2008 Base Makup Collection

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Creating Your New(ish) Foundation Refill

by PJ on Wednesday, September 17, 2008

in -Shiseido, -ZA, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation

I am sure many of you have been doing what I do with powder foundations, but since I was again making a new refill a couple of days ago, I thought I’d document it and share it with you.

Some of us who regularly use a powder foundation might find that, as we get towards the end of a refill, the application takes longer and longer as the sponge has to dig into the corners. It can be a bit of a pain, and we just want to open up a new refill.

Some years ago, with several nearly finished refills like those you see above (from different brands actually), I decided to try putting all the powder together and I was a little surprised to see how much powder was actually left on each tray. So I started to save somewhat finished refills to make a new one later. (I stopped pushing my sponge to the very end…)

The steps are what you see in the photos below:

1. Find a small (and perfectly clean) spoon or spatula. (I prefer a plastic one to a metal one.)

2. Start scraping! (Imagine that you are clearing the corners of a delicious Japanese bento box.)

3. Realize how much powder is still left.

4. Put all the leftover powder into one tray. (Here, I have powder from four nearly finished refills of ZA Two-Way Foundation.)

5. With your spoon/spatula, gently pat the powder down.

6. Lay a piece of tissue (which I have folded here) on top of the powder, and apply even and firm pressure with your fingers. Pay specific attention to the corners.

7. Reveal your (semi-)new refill! (The one here is about 75-80% full and will last quite a while for me.)

Tips:

1. Obviously the powder is not pressed to an industrial standard, so we have to be slightly more light-handed with the sponge than usual.

2. Sometimes our complexions can be between two shades with our favorite foundations, and sometimes we are happy with a shade but not the finish. These steps are good for customizing your own powder foundation, as you can mix and match from the same brand or different brands.

3. Make sure you store the nearly-finished refills in a clean/dry place just like your new ones. (I always save the refill boxes for this purpose.)

I hope you find this useful. If you have any related tip that you would like to share with us, do please post it in the comment section!

More beauty-related tips:

Can’t Live Without – Starbucks Napkins

Seasonal Sales on Cosmetics in the UK

Would you like some samples?

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Remembering Raycious

by PJ on Thursday, August 21, 2008

in -Kao, -Sofina, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, stash focus

(Sofina Raycious Frosty Loose Powder (left)
and Ray Crush Powder (right))

As I mentioned previously, when Raycious didn’t release any new item for spring/summer 2008, I suspected that the line was going to be discontinued. When news about Sofina’s new base makeup line, Primavista, arrived last month, it was obvious the line would be Raycious’ successor.

As Sofina‘s webpage for Raycious has been updated with the official announcement that the sales of Raycious will be terminated on August 25th, I would like to take a look back at one of my favorite base makeup lines.

(This post is not meant to be a product review, since the items you see here (except Frosty Loose Powder, which I only have the case of) were released quite some time ago and are not sold anymore. Also, for hygiene reasons, I have not been using these items (apart from Ray Crush Powder).)

(image from www.sofina.co.jp/raycious)

Raycious, debuted in 2000, is the base makeup line of Sofina. (Raycious is not a brand in itself. It is one of Sofina’s two base makeup lines, alongside Finefit.) Looking back, I think Raycious was one of the reasons why I started to be drawn into Japanese cosmetics (particularly foundations) because the line clearly offered something that western brands hadn’t come up with. (For more information on this (and on Sofina in general), please have a look at this previous post.)

One of Raycious’ best-selling products was the powder foundation, whose formula was updated every year (in spring). People seemed to either love it or hate it, and I wasn’t surprised. Raycious’ powder foundation didn’t try to please everyone, and I believe this was one of the reasons for its success. (I suppose when we try to please everyone, we please no one.)

(Glamorous Skin Powder, Raycious’ last powder foundation release,

along with a limited-edition pink case)
(image from www.sofina.co.jp/raycious)

Raycious’ powder foundation is generally a lot more suitable for people with oily skin or people living in a warm climate. While people with dry skin can find it dry and chalky, those with oily skin (like me) tend to find it effective in sebum control. What I also love about it is that the foundation shade doesn’t darken or turn dull overtime. It is one of the very few foundations that wear better and better for me throughout the day. (By the way, Raycious’ powder foundations are meant to be applied dry and are not two-way foundations.)

The first few editions of the powder foundation are the ones I particularly love, as the finish of the later ones seems so luminous that it can look a little too glowy/shiny for me. However, their pressed powder and loose powder have constantly been part of my base makeup routine up until today (with all the extra refills I got). The Ray Crush Powder (seen above, on the right) was my sole favorite loose powder until I tried Lavshuca’s Face Powder (I now like both equally). The pressed powder does everything that a pressed powder should do in terms of gently mattifying the skin and diffusing the appearance of pores.

As I have alluded to, not all Raycious items are equally fantastic. For instance, people seem to complain that its liquid foundation (updated annually in fall) often lacks coverage.

One item I do also like is Stick Makeup, which is the kind of stick foundation that many major brands (both western and Japanese) were releasing one after another many years ago. The lovely cream-to-powder formula blends very easily and has a lovely matte and subtly luminous finish.

(great-looking skin in a stick)

On the other hand, Beads in Gels are not really for me. They are color-adjusting primers (available in soft green, blue and purple). The colored particles are crushed during the application to form a very subtle light-reflective pearlescence.

(They don’t really suit me…)

Unfortunately, they have quite a lot of alcohol. (This is fairly typical of Japanese primers.) I happened to get the one in blue (above the green one in the photo) in a gift with purchase (after I tried the green one), and I never opened it. It is still in the box in the unwrapped cellophane. It will probably always stay unopened in its “brand new in box” condition. A nice time-capsule candidate for the history of Japanese cosmetics, I suppose…

If you have also seen my Raycious foundation cases and pressed powder items, you have now seen pretty much all my Raycious collection…

Even though I think this is probably my last post on Raycious, I don’t think this is my last time mentioning the line. Various products from Raycious are among my favorite base makeup finds, and I am sure I will compare others with them in the future. In the meantime, let’s hope that Primavista will live up to the expectation of all the Raycious fans as well as surprise a few others!

Related Posts (my recent base makeup favorites):

ZA Two-Way Foundation

Coffret D’Or Makeup Powder

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Foundation Face-Off (3) – Jill Stuart vs. SUQQU

by PJ on Wednesday, May 21, 2008

in -Jill Stuart, -SUQQU, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation

(Jill Stuart Smooth Silk Powder Foundation
& SUQQU Powder Foundation Fresh)

Today I am bringing you the third foundation face-off, this time between Jill Stuart’s Smooth Silk Powder Foundation and SUQQU’s Powder Foundation Fresh. Both are spring/summer 2008 releases.

(A note on my foundation concerns, preferences, and habits to set the perspective for the review: I have oily skin which is prone to some slight redness. I prefer powder foundations that control shine well, offer at least medium coverage, and have decent pore coverage. I usually don’t wear a primer or a concealer.)

Basics

– Jill Stuart Smooth Silk Powder Foundation: SPF 20/ PA ++, 5 shades
– SUQQU Powder Foundation Fresh: SPF 27/ PA ++, 6 shades

Finish

Jill Stuart has a very soft-focus and glowy finish, while SUQQU gives a luminous matte finish. Neither has visible shimmer.

Texture

Jill Stuart’s powder is very smooth and velvety and has an almost-moist feel. SUQQU’s powder is slightly drier but it is still quite silky.

Coverage

Jill Stuart offers a nearly-medium coverage, which I am quite happy with. SUQQU offers a good medium-to-full coverage. I feel that SUQQU covers my mild redness better than Jill Stuart, but I think this might be only because the SUQQU shade I tried, #25, is more yellow-based than Jill Stuart’s #103.

Pore Coverage

Jill Stuart’s pore coverage is satisfactory, while SUQQU’s pore-concealing ability has some room for improvement.

Shine Control

For me, this is usually the deciding factor on a foundation. Here, the luminous and glowy Jill Stuart fails to impress me as it has very little shine-control ability. Even a good matte loose powder can’t keep the shine away (my face becomes shiny within an hour) and constant touch-ups are a must for me.

On the other hand, even though SUQQU’s shine control is not the best that I have experienced, at least it is what I would expect from a spring/summer powder foundation release from a Japanese brand, which is usually more about sebum control than a fall/winter release. (Again, out of all the foundations featured in the face-off posts along with the ZA Two-Way Foundation, Coffret D’Or’s Beauty Lasting Pact UV offers the best shine control.)

Staying Power

Neither of them darkens overtime or loses the coverage too quickly, but, as mentioned above, Jill Stuart’s silky smoothness turns shiny very quickly on me, making it a very high-maintenance foundation for my oily skin.

Between the two, I favor SUQQU Powder Foundation Fresh. It offers good coverage and decent shine-control, and it stays on well throughout the day. A good loose powder can easily enhance the pore coverage. I think this should be a good powder foundation for most skin types. As for Jill Stuart’s Smooth Silk Powder Foundation, I wouldn’t recommend it if any part of your face tends to be on the oily side, as it doesn’t control shine and the glowy finish will make shine appear more obvious.

(I’d like to thank my friend Betsy at Autumn Masquerade for very kindly sending these samples to me. Please head over to read her review on SUQQU’s Powder Foundation Fresh.)

Foundation Face-Off (1) – Chanel vs. SUQQU

Foundation Face-Off (2) – Lunasol vs. Coffret D’Or

My Latest Foundation Cases
(Anna Sui and Jill Stuart)

{ 22 comments }

Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation

by PJ on Tuesday, April 22, 2008

in -Jill Stuart, 2007 Fall, all about Japanese cosmetics, makeup, makeup - base makeup, makeup - base makeup - foundation, stash focus

(Jill Stuart Moist Silk Liquid Foundation)

Jill Stuart‘s Moist Silk Liquid Foundation was released in fall 2007. At that time, I was not sure if it would replace Tint Liquid Foundation (Jill Stuart’s first liquid foundation). But, at this moment, both are listed on Jill Stuart’s website.

The packaging is beautiful and very princessy, and it has almost become a permanent fixture on my dressing table.

Here is how it performs for me:

The Basics

SPF 18, PA +++, 30ml, 5 shades
(Mine is 103 Nude, a neutral light-to-medium beige. Ethanol is seventh on ingredient list, but this foundation doesn’t irritate my skin.)

Texture & Consistency

It has a light-cream consistency. The very smooth texture largely comes from talc, and the richness of the consistency is mainly down to squalene (which is a very effective moisturizing ingredient used in many moisturizers). The foundation is not very liquid-y and the bottle has to be tapped against the back of my hand to slowly dispense the foundation.

Slip & Blendability

The foundation has a good slip and blends relatively easily. It dries a little fast so swift blending is ideal.

Finish

The finish is smooth and satiny (neither matte or luminous), and it has a pleasing soft-focus look to it.

Coverage

This foundation gives a natural medium-to-full coverage. The level of coverage is a lot higher than Paul & Joe’s Light Cream Foundation reviewed earlier.

Pore Coverage

For me, among non-powder foundations (which almost always cover pores less effectively than powder foundations), the pore coverage is fairly good.

Lasting Power

The lasting power is relatively satisfactory. It doesn’t have an optimal lasting power for me only because it is quite emollient for my oily skin for most part of the year. Other than that, the color does stay true and does not darken overtime.

Overall, liquid foundations are more suitable for me in winter no matter whether they are spring/summer or fall/winter releases. This one is no exception. In colder days and when I need more coverage than what Paul & Joe’s Light Cream Foundation can give me, this is definitely the one I’d go for.

Loving Japanese Brands – Jill Stuart
(my personal take on Jill Stuart)

Jill Stuart Brilliance Eyes in 04 Gem Amethyst
(my very first lilac-based eye palette)

Jill Stuart Powder Foundation Compact S
(the latest member of my foundation case collection)

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