An Asian Vanity

I’m not much of a make-up person, but I do own items to look presentable for work. Here’s a few in rotation that hail from Japan or Korea, hence the title.

Kose FASIO UV Protect Gel (¥1,000 for 50g) is lightweight, non-sticky and invisible. When I wear this I can do away with the foundation primer as it is an excellent base. It is said to contain collagen and hyaluronic acid to retain moisture. Wild claims aside (collagen CANNOT be absorbed through the skin =͟͟͞͞( •̀д•́))) I LOVE IT except that it is so hard to get hold of even in Japan. It is definitely not a staple in Matsu-Kiyo. On my most recent trip to Hokkaido, I did not spot FASIO products even once.

Paul & Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer I’m mostly using just to finish up the last bit. I don’t think I will be buying any primer from now on, it is too much of a hassle. Missha M Magic Cushion in 21 is a decent cushion foundation with a medium matt finish. I don’t have much to say about it except that it is Missha is GENEROUS. The puff is almost disintegrating from the multiple washes, and yet the product still doesn’t dry out.

Club Yuagari Suppin Powder (¥1,600 for 26g) was purchased solely for its wonderful white floral scent. Supposedly developed for women afraid of showing their boyfriends their bare faces, it helps to reduce the appearance of an uneven skin tone and pores. It also claims to contain collagen (COME’ON! =͟͟͞͞( •̀д•́)), hyaluronic acid and other skincare goodness that you can go to sleep without removing it.

It does indeed give a perfectly lightweight and natural finish, though the effect does not last too long in the Singapore humidity. It is very similar to Jurlique Rose Silk Finishing Powder in terms of the finish and scent, except with the added benefit of coming in a pressed compact.

Canmake Cream Cheek in 13 Love Peach You can see that I’ve hit pan right? I’m very excited because this is the first time I have ever hit pan on a blush. To be frank I have rotated between CL01 Clear Red Heart (a cherry red color) and Love Peach, but recently I’ve been reaching for the Love Peach more. It is a milky, light peach color that is barely visible after blending, but gives a very subtle flush which does disappear by the afternoon. I find cream blushes great to carry around in the make up pouch because you can work with your fingers and do away with the additional weight of a blush brush. The heat from your fingertips actually work better to melt the product and blend as compared to a brush.

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in 366 Pink Icon. 366 is a muted sheer pink and very wearable. It is basically my HG MLBB colour. The Dior Addict Extreme line I find is generally moisturising and creamy but their lasting power isn’t spectacular. For people looking for lasting power and pigmentation, another Dior line or another brand will work better.

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So there we have it! Unlike skincare, I don’t have a wishlist for make-up nor am I well informed about brands and releases. I am currently out of ideas in the foundation department. What foundation should I try next?

Light Peach & Ivory

I have always spent more on skincare than makeup. When came to the point when I have to start wearing make-up, I went to Bobbi Brown and asked the SA to give me a make-over i.e. teach me how to do it.

The SA correctly identified my dark circles as my greatest skin issue. My fairer skin has also lead to its increased prominence on my face—I really did look like a panda. I bought these two babies upon her suggestion, and they’ve been working wonders ever since.

Note that I’m probably a terrible reviewer of make-up products, because I own very few pieces and do not have the experience of comparing them to see which performs better. So please take what I say with a pinch of salt!

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Peach

The corrector is to be layered under a regular concealer when extra coverage is necessary. The SA demonstrated one eye with the corrector under concealer and the other with only the concealer, and you can observe the purple coloration coming through the one without corrector. The peach tone cancels the original purple of my under-eyes very well, and I find on days when I am lazy, it works well enough on its own without the need of concealer.

I prefer applying this to my under-eyes with my fingers, rather than a brush, as the heat can help to melt the corrector and allows for a more even application.

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Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Set

The set comes with a pan of Creamy Concealer (in Warm Ivory) and a pan of the Sheer Finish Pressed Powder (in Pale Yellow). While I use the concealer consistently, I do not touch the pressed powder side often, as I am more used to using the overall face powder to set the concealer. When the concealer is layered on top of the corrector, it sometimes melts after a few hours, and the color will set into the creases along the eye, especially if the weather is warm. The color is fantastic for other blemishes on the face, such as spots and hyper-pigmentation. This one is better applied using a fine brush for a more precise application.

These two concealers are great, but I will not be purchasing them again, because:

• You can probably get better value by purchasing a concealer palette with two or more shades, or better yet, mix them for different parts of the face.
• The concealers don’t have SPF. WHY?

Hanyul vs. Sooryehan: The Rival Balms

Sometimes I can’t help but feel as though BB creams and tinted moisturizers are not really make up. It is for young people to dabble and experiment with before graduating to primers and foundations. Well, I’ve recently purchased my first foundation (my interest in make up came far too late), but BB creams are still very satisfying and convenient to use. It is only my second one aside from the Lancôme UV Expert GN-Shield BB Base & Make Up Base (read review), so I do not know BB creams well enough to do quality reviews and make comparisons.

Hanyul Rich Effect BB Cream SPF50+/PA+++

First off, the color is a great match for my skin. However, there is only two choices of color, in the lighter 21 or darker 23. It is likely not going to be suitable for people with pink skin undertone. It has really good coverage, and sometimes using this on my under-eye area is sufficient.

The texture mousse-like, and not as runny and easy to spread like the Lancôme. I ended up spending a lot of time dabbing and blending the Hanyul BB cream until I got used to it. Lately, I’ve enjoyed blending it out using the Ecotools Bamboo Foundation Brush and the Real Techniques Stippling Brush, just to reduce the additional hassle of washing my hands after spending so much time blending. 

Once the BB cream settles into the skin, it doesn’t budge. Even when I dab my sweaty self with tissue paper, very little color came off. I was used to seeing streaks of color browning stains while using Lancome, and assumed it is the same for all BB creams, so this is a lovely surprise.

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R: Hanyul L: Sooryehan

Sooryehan Hyo Fermented BB Cream SPF30/PA++

This has a much more neutral color, which I was originally quite happy about—until I wore it out. When applied to skin, the BB cream is almost grey-looking. Even though my skin is fair and I normally go for the lightest shade when trying on make up, there is something about this BB cream that just makes me took a little more dead and unnatural, like I’ve gone overboard with sunblock and failed to blend it out properly. I don’t find this as good as the Hanyul BB cream for coverage, but it is equally good in terms of texture and lasting power.

I find that in this BB cream the thing I dislike about BB creams in general is demonstrated—the lack of a good color match. Sooryehan Hyo BB Cream comes only in one color, and to say it would transform its color to fit everyone’s skin color is too much of a stretch. It likes the Hanyul BB cream seem almost lovely in comparison.

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The title refers to AmorePacific (which owns Hanyul) and LG (which owns Sooryehan). The two big corporations constantly fighting for market share at different cosmetic segments (or maybe not, but that is the impression I get). I am more familiar with brands under AmorePacific thought it is time to branch out a little. Unfortunately, both my experiences with Sooryehan has not been all that great. Great, time to try out other LG brands then.

Crème de la Crème

I have Paul & Joe Beaute Moisturizing Foundation Primer N in shade 03 Crème, the lightest shade available. This gives almost zero coverage and is devoid of shimmer. The texture is liquid, and acts more like a lotion. It is highly moisturizing and does not contain that much silicone. So if you are concerned about pore refining, stay away from this one, it doesn’t fill out your pores! But if you need a bit of hydration boost, grab it, it is fantastic.

I have previously swatched the shade 02 Miel, which is totally not my skin color. The general feeling I get is that shade 03 is a lot more watery than 02. Maybe it is because 01 and 02 provide more coverage, while 03 is translucent, so formulation is a little different.

My BB cream and foundations looks brighter when I use this, but not longer, because darn those Korean BB creams last really long. The dehydration lines however are reduced at the end of the day, courtesy of the moisturizing properties of the primer. If you only own emollient moisturizers that cannot be worn under make up, light primers like this will help with the hydration.

A small nitpick is the lack of sun protection, making it impossible to be worn on its own. Otherwise, this is great stuff.