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I had a hard time choosing the right shade for me because I had makeup on at the event. Plus, the lighting at the hotel didn't help as well so I had to trust my gut instinct and the helpful tips of the Shiseido beauty associates.

Since this powder foundation has SPF35, it's enough to keep your facial skin protected from the sun! Isn't that amazing? I forgot who gave me the tip in choosing the shade, but I want to make a special shout out to my fellow blogger who gave me that tip! According to her, since the SPF of this product is high, it will appear lighter at first but will eventually adjust to my skin color. So I should choose the shade that was recommended to me.


As most Japanese brands go, packaging is not never scrimped. I have never been to Japan but I know that they are really big on being sanitary and packaging. They pack their products individually.


It comes with a little pamphlet that contains all the information that you need to know about this fantastic product! Ok, the shade looks dark in the photo -I know! I got scared too when I saw it under natural light because I thought I chose wrong. But as it turned out, the BA was right on the dot! The shade was perfect for not only my skin tone, but the color as well.


Light Ochre is my shade. It's yellow based and it's catered for fair-skinned women. But I recommend trying on the shades yourself because not all fair-skinned women have the same tone, so ask Shiseido's trained BAs! The refill comes in a plastic container like this. It's disposable so you would have to buy the case that is made for this product.


I have always loved this compact. I've never had one for myself but I would see some of my blogger friends retouch with this powder and I am just dying inside! I just love the bright blue case that looks like a toy. I was supposed to buy one for myself about 2 days before I got Shiseido's invitation so I decided to just wait so I can ask for recommendations when choosing foundation from their product line.

The case is made from hard, sturdy plastic that is smooth and rounded. Kinda like a UFO. Wait, what?


I love the layers because the sponge compartment is separated from the foundation powder. I don't like it when oils from my face gets transferred to the product and it hardens and becomes unusable.... Has that happened to you before? Eew.


The powder goes at the bottom, and the sponge on top! In spite of the layers in this case, the whole thing itself is very compact and easy to keep in your kikay kit! It has a lock that keeps the powder and the sponge in the case too! Don't you just hate it when the stuff in the case pops out?


Looking at the powder on the pan it looks dark for me. The texture is very velvet-y smooth! To tell you honestly, I am not really a fan of makeup that is too thick or has full coverage because I get quite uncomfortable. Although it looks nice, I just personally prefer very light liquid foundations that enhance the skin, not completely hide it.

But after the first swatch I did on my hand, the formulation of this powder actually feels very lightweight, unlike other powder foundations I've tried before.


As you can see, the powder is not as dark as it looks. It's actually quite light! You can see that the coverage is quite thick. You can feel it immediately on your fingertips if the powder is thick. Although I did expect it already, this being a powder foundation. Coverage is full so instead of using the sponge, I used a rounded fluffy powder brush to apply on top of my liquid foundation.


You can see that even if you apply this powder with a brush, the finish is still very full. So imagine the effect if you apply it with a sponge. You can actually use this powder alone, and you will still get great coverage. For gals on the go.

I like applying powder on my nose first because this area oils up first and the foundation tend to slip off from this area first! Apply a generous amount of powder on this area and work yourself out towards the hairline.


I then set the under-eye area next because fine lines are found in this area too so the concealer or foundation in this area tend to crease when not set right away.


I like the effect of a foundation that is set with powder with a brush because it sort-of "buffs" the powder into the skin so it looks a little bit dewy. You ca see the little bit of glow my skin has specially on my cheeks.



HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS:
Length of usage before review: 2 weeks


PROS

• Full-coverage, no need for liquid foundation!
• Lightweight.
• Doesn't give a ghostly white cast on flash photography.
• Non-chalky.
• Doesn't cake!
• Long-lasting, no need to retouch often.
• Doesn't make the skin feel dry.
• Controls oil production. My T-Zone is not as oily when I am wearing this powder.
• Adjusts to skin color and tone after a while.
• Superb finish when applied with a brush!
• Full coverage but looks very natural.
• Loaded with SPF! No need for sunblock!
• No strong fragrance!
• Price is just right for powder foundation.

NEUTRAL

• Hoping for more yellow toned shades.

CONS

• N/A

Retail Price: PhP 1,900.00
Purchased For: Gift from Shiseido.
Will I re-purchase? Yes.
Will I recommend it? Yes.




MY OVERALL RATING: ★★★★★