Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush

I was on a mission recently and spent a considerable amount of time looking for a brush that would be suitable and have firm enough bristles to deposit foundation in a thin layer, evenly all over my face. As I was shopping one day, I came across this brush from Shiseido – a brand which I did not care for nor explore due to a bad experience many many years ago. Japanese and Korean brands I have found do not really cater for women of color and I was told once by a rude SA that the brand is for fair skinned people only.

That aside, my prejudices against a brand did not stop me from exploring it again and I did come away (thanks to a sweet SA that day) with not only a brush but with the most gorgeous shade of purple cream eyeshadow! (Review coming!)

I have used this brush almost everyday for about two months now and I must say that I am ready to throw out my sponges as well as some other foundation brushes which are in the category of “blah” at this moment.

The bristles are firm but has a soft rather velvety feel to it and therefore able to hold and spread the foundation thinly and evenly without scratching your face to bits. Also, the bristles are very tightly packed so you are able to pick up as much of the product as you need. In order to have the coverage that is ideal for you, you can pick up a little bit of your foundation and work it in a thin layer all over your face for light coverage or if you are going for more coverage, then you can slowly layer on the foundation until you reach your desired coverage. For me to be able to do this well with the brush, I use the back of an old CD to pump my liquid foundation on and then work the brush into the product picking up as much as I need or less depending on the look. I always use two foundations on my face, one the exact shade and another in a lighter shade. This is done to create some depth on the face. I start off by using the lighter shade above my eyebrows, bringing it down under my eye and then around my nose and the sides of my lips. Then I blend the color that is my skin shade all over, overlapping the first shade. This brightens up the area around my eyes and creates a look that is not flat. 

Works well with liquid, cream or powder as the website claims but I have not used it with powder so I am unable to tell how effective it is. Its not a flat top but its angled a little and this is brilliant because it allows for the brush to reach the crevices especially around the nose and undereye areas.

The handle is a little on the short and thick side and does take a little getting used to. Initially when I used it, my fingers would hurt a little from the thickness of the handle but I am now used to it.

Using this brush results in even application of your foundation be it liquid or cream and the best part of all, you get an airbrushed quality application. Since I have used this, several people have commented on how smooth my face looks which I think is testament to how well this brush performs.

The price is quite reasonable at  around RM96 and a good bargain too seeing that I use this everyday to apply my foundation. If you are looking at investing in something that delivers well then I say go for it.

I rinsed before I used the brush and was pleasantly surprised that there was no shedding and after a week of using the brush, I washed it with a washing liquid that I purchased from Daiso. Again, all the product residue came off the brush but no shedding.

If and when I find another brush that I like, this will be my go to brush for a while!

Please note that the picture of the brush above was taken from the Shiseido website as for the life of me, the pictures that I took right after I purchased this cannot be found - it must be somewhere in the black hole of missing photo's!

Chanel Vitalumiere Satin Smoothing Fluid Foundation with SPF15

I have been lemming this beauty for a while now so when things were a little slow in the office one day, I put my lunch hour to good use by stopping by a Chanel counter to check this out. I was a little apprehensive about whether they would carry a shade that would work for my skin tone, however I was delighted to find a shade that matched my skin perfectly which is 50 Naturel. I ran all the way to the cashier to pay for my new 'toy'! 

This is the product explanation of Vitalumiere on the website:- " Delivers a young, radiant look. Lines, wrinkles and imperfections seem to be erased. Ultra-gliding fluid provides buildable coverage. SPF 15 UV protection; nut extract guards against free radicals" Now who does not want all that?

Whats not to love about this product? Nothing at all, in fact I love it so much its been the only foundation I have been using for a while now. The pump bottle is super efficient in dispensing just the right amount of product for a light to medium coverage and on the odd day that I do notice some extra redness on my cheeks, I use a bit more.

Its wonderful to note that the foundation glides on and blends easily and it does not feel heavy on the face. You get a lovely dewy finish which lasts all day long and looks as fresh at the end of the day as when you first applied it in the morning. Unlike some foundations, my face did not get very oily towards the end of the day which makes me love this foundation all the more.

Here is the back of my hand with a little bit of the foundation on it...see how it matches quite nicely?

 And here is a picture of the foundation smoothed out on my skin!

If I were asked what I don't like about this product, I would not be able to provide an answer because I like the pump bottle, I love the product and the dewy finish, I love that there is a color that suits my skin, heck, I even love the slight whiff of an unexplainable smell that it has!!

For those of you who want to know what goes into making this beauty, here is a list of the ingredients:-

You know something dear readers, I think this may be my HG foundation!!!!

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish SPF 15 Foundation

I had not visited M.A.C in a long time and since I was within two feet of one recently I decided to pop in for a look see.

I came away with a bottle of their Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 Foundation in NC42. Not my usual color though - in the normal foundation range, I'm an NC45. The reason for this choice of color will be explained shortly.

This foundation is lush, and light and has some light reflecting particles in it that make your skin look fresh. I got the SA to apply some on the back of my hand and when I looked at the swatch, it had a subtle glow to it which got me hooked. I am all for the glow sistah's!

The SA offered to try NC42 on my face so I can see the overall effect however, I did not like what I saw and was overwhelmed by how the color was too light for me. I kept insisting that I was an NC45 and she agreed. She explained that this mineral foundation oxidizes on the face and after about half and hour the color would suit me better. The look I gave her suggested I was not totally buying into it and for the first time, I felt she cared more about my satisfaction than just making a sale.....yes beauties, she told me to continue shopping and come back in 45 minutes! I took her offer and went to drool over some Charles and Keith before I realized that my foundation had turned to a perfect shade of me! Love!

I marched right back and bought it - the rest as they say is history!

I am rockin' this right now because it just gives my face a brighness and glow that I love. The foundation is light and buildable too. One thing to note though, is that this foundation is not suitable for those  who have oily skin as this has the potential of turning into an oil slick by noon. With my combination skin, I do get that oily feel around my nose, but I pat a tissue over the area and the problem is solved. I also totally like that it comes in a pump bottle unlike Studio Fix and the fact that it has an SPF of 15 makes it a winner!

I currently am wearing this over my Smashbox Photofinish Primer and now THEY have become the best of friends....  

Boots No.7 Intelligent Color Foundation

I am really fussy about foundations. They scare the living daylights out of me because I can never seem to find a color that suits my skin tone. I have one other foundation which is a M.A.C in NC 45 which really comes close but could be better. I also have a Maybelline Mineral Power powder foundation which I purchased in the US the color of which is Pure Beinge in a Medium 2. It is great if you want sheer coverage - too much powder foundation can have the overly powdered face effect which is every girl's nightmare. I have, of course, made horrible foundation mistakes in my younger days. Now I know and understand the benefits of blending!

The thought of getting a color custom blended to suit my skin, however much it costs, has occurred to me but I have never gotten round to doing it. The area of foundations is one that I am still figuring out and I am sure with much trying I should be able to find something that I can say "Yes" to!

What piqued my curiosity with this Boots No.7 foundation was the fact that it is called 'Intelligent Colour' - the SA told me that it adjusts to my skin color and the result should be smooth and sheer coverage which feels light on the skin. The colors available were light (01), medium (02) and dark (03)! Could not believe my eyes that there were actually colors for darker skinned women! I went straight for the medium and thought that would be a good match. The SA tried on some on the sides of my cheeks and it actually came out too dark. Surprise! She then suggested I go for the light and at this point I thought, "nah this is not going to work - the 'Light' would be too light". Not so. It turned out to be the perfect shade for me.

This was my "Yes" moment indeed!

This little tube was quite full of surprises. The texture of the liquid foundation was mousse like and spread like a velvety dream. It went on smoothly and did not cause any breakouts at all.

What I really like about this foundation is that it does not weigh down my skin, if you know what I mean. Some foundations just feel heavy on your skin and makes you feel like washing it off as soon as you get home. Not this one. It felt good.

This is what it says on the back of the tube:- ""Ever so clever colour... take away the guesswork with a foundation that adjusts to match the colour of your skin for a sheer, natural finish. Velvety soft, easily blended and so amazingly light you'll forget it's even there." I agree!

See how well the colour blended into my skin!

It also has an SPF value of 6 and is hypo-allergenic and does not block your pores. It cost THB599. That would be around RM62 - quite good value for money.

So, dear readers, if you have access to Boots products and are looking for a foundation that has sheer coverage, why not try this one.