Flawless Base: Current Fave Combinations!

Hi hi, in this entry, I will share with you most of the products I am using in my foundation/ bases routine.  In the past few months I have managed to finish up quite a few of my fave base products, and I have since moved on to some new and not so new base products, so I thought it would be useful to do a round-up of everything.  Before we start, I thought I would start with a few useful pointers –

1. The awesome foundations/ bases I have used up are: NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint, IT Cosmetics Your Skin but Better CC Cream, and I am on the last few uses of Shiseido Synchro Skin Fluid Foundation
2. Everything I mentioned here can be mixed and matched depending on the amount of coverage, sun protection, type of finish that I want.  This is important to note, because on a daily basis, I just reach for whichever I can, especially when it comes to the setting powders and concealers.
3. I have relatively clear skin  and I just need something to even out my overall skintone. I also have normal skin, with a slightly oily T-zone. With that said, I realise that whenever I said something is long lasting on me might not be the case for everyone – so if you have oilier skin than me, you probably should use your fave makeup primer to make your foundation last on you.  I usually test and wear all my foundations without primers/ bases as over the years I find that I don’t need to use a primer anymore — unless it is for SPF or to add more glow to my skin, but not to enhance the longevity of a foundation.
4. Everything I use and mentioned will be clearly listed below for your reference, because throughout the entry, I will only be on ‘first name’ basis with the products for brevity’s sake.

So I will share with you two main combinations – using the Make Up Store instant perfect foundation & the Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow cushion compact.  I will also share the UV protection that I am currently enjoying.  In between I will mention the other ‘accessories’ which I have been enjoying. You will notice that everything is semi-grubby and pan-hitting, but that’s only because I have been using them a load! 🙂

I have been rotating these three UV bases:

1. Moonshot UV Bouncer – this smells great, is completely clear and slightly creamy. I use this mainly when I am just heading out of the house for a run, and under foundations that have low SPF.  I had this for a while (when the brand first launched here) but only started using it recently.  Don’t think this is very expensive, and if you are looking for a nice everyday clear sunscreen, this is one to check out.  Love the pump dispenser too!
2. est.lab Sun Shield – this is my 2nd tube.  You can get this from Estetica Beauty salons in Singapore.  Another pump dispenser tube.  It looks white in the tube, but like I have previously reviewed this before years ago (on my old blog), this blends out and becomes a skintone colour.  I think it will suit all skintones though, as it is not ashy or anything.  So this does help to even out my skintone.  With this, I am covered with SPF and have some tint. If I am just heading out for yoga, I will just put on some concealer to brighten my eyes, and lightly set with powder and this is a good combo for my yoga class, head out to lunch or a random pop around town.
3. DIORSNOW Makeup Correcting Base with SPF35 – again, another going out for a short while base. It is a tad too peachy for me, but the very lightweight texture is nice to wear.  It does even out my skintone abit.  I will finish it but not feel the need to repurchase/ replace.  Strictly speaking, of course, this is not a sunscreen but more of a makeup base – so if you need a peachy base to correct/ balance a tired skin, this might be a better fit.

Among the three bases here, I would definitely recommend the est.lab Sun Shield ( think it is around $70?) – it has some coverage and proper SPF.

Next, we have three concealers – NARS is a repeat, while the other two are quite new. I am curious to try out the new Tarte Shape Tape and Kat Von D concealers though!  But I have also purchase some really good concealers lately while I was in Seoul —  I am planning a haul and first impressions entry hopefully to be posted next week. 

1. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer – This is my second tube: I take forever to use up one, because at any time, I am using 5-6 different concealers. These are just three which I want to discuss at the moment.  This is one of the best concealers out there for both under the eyes and spots though I use it mainly for under my eyes.  Just to add more coverage and brightening. I can imagine that it might be a little cakey if you have very dry skin or have lines under your eyes,  but for now, this works well for me.
2. Too Faced Born this way concealer – This has the same coverage as the NARS concealer, but less creamy.  This is a tiny bit streaky compared to the NARS one  (and that’s if I am really nit-picking) but both are quite similar.  I did not enjoy the UD concealer which many have compared to either this Too Faced and NARS one, in case you are wondering.  Quite a decent concealer, so I think it is all a matter of finding the shade you prefer in either the Too Faced or NARS one (price wise, I think they are less than $5 apart).
3. Bobbi Brown Retouching Wand – this has good coverage.  I like the sponge tip dispenser. A little drying though, so if you have oily skin or oily eye area in general, this is a good one for you. Adheres well to the skin, and I am aware that the Bobbi Brown philosophy has the correct followed by conceal method as far as under eyes are concerned – and if you go to a BB counter, they will NOT recommend to use this for under the eyes, but … to me, whatever works for me.  I don’t really need to correct anything, I just want something to brighten.  So, why should I use an additional product just to correct something that’s non-existent?

 

OK, so now, let’s move on to LOOK ONE featuring the MAKE UP STORE base products.  I was given these lately, and I was immediately drawn to the Instant Perfection foundation – it is supposed to have light coverage but for me this coverage is pretty decent, like light to even medium.  It works well with all the setting powders I will be sharing in this entry, but to keep it within the brand, I have paired it with the MAKE UP STORE Dual Glow foundation powder – which probably added more coverage to the foundation itself.

In my application, I start out with bare prepped skin (prepped – applied moisturiser) and if I am wearing this foundation out for the day – I will use the Moonshot UV bouncer for more SPF. I don’t think this foundation has any SPF.

You can see, the foundation has a thick consistency, looking like a BB cream.  I like to use this with my fingers, and really work it into my skin. As you can see in the  before/ after shots, the foundation has a light coverage, and yet it manages to neutralise the redness in my skin. If you need foundations with more coverage, MAKE UP STORE has several other more foundations to choose from.  But this is by far my fave (I have also tried the cream one which didn’t impress me).

This foundation always looks fresh, and lasts quite well on me.  It is now my go to foundation especially for going out in the evening.  The sleek flat tube package is quite cool and also makes it easy to pop inside your bag for travel etc.

Highly recommend this foundation!

The next set of application process shows how I use the concealers under my eyes. Lately I prefer using a Beauty Blender, but most of the time, I just use my fingers.  But these concealers I am sharing here have a thicker consistency so I think a Beauty Blender works better for a seamless application.

You can also see that I used the Dual Glow foundation to set all over my face – I used a powder brush and lightly pressed and rolled it all over my face.

I only filled in my brows.

No other bronzer, blusher, highlighter are used, as I just only want to focus on the skin.

Really love the finish and natural coverage of this Make Up Store instant perfect foundation!

In Look 2, I am using the Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow cushion compact – in Neutral 2.  This is a good shade for me, and I was also using this the whole time I was away in Seoul.

I used the sponge applicator that comes with the compact, and used a pat pat motion to work the product into my skin.  With cushion compacts, you just got to pat pat.. instead of buffing and rubbing (when you are using the sponge applicator).

Compared to the liquid version of this Synchro Skin… the cushion compact  has less coverage and is more glowy.  This is my daytime foundation, and if I want more coverage and SPF (this contains 20+ SPF) I will definitely use either the Dior or the est.lab UV base for more sunscreen.

This has a very natural light coverage, and if you need more coverage, you are better off with the Synchro Skin Fluid foundation.  The cushion compact is convenient, and it looks good on me (I think) but I still prefer its fluid counterpart.

It looks good throughout the day but not as lasting as the fluid foundation.

Next, I got to rave about this IT cosmetics bye bye pores pressed powder.  It is very finely milled, and I like to dust this in the centre of my face.  It further smooths out my skin and stays that way for a good amount of time. I soon hit pan on it, as you can see.  I also have the loose powder version, which I have swatched many times in Sephora, and it is soooo silky and smooth, I can’t wait to try it out after I am done with the pressed version!

But for this LOOK 2, I will use the Shu Uemura lightbulb loose powder to set my face.  I think I have mentioned this loose powder before in a ‘foundations I am loving entry’ – this is a good glowy loose powder.  If you want a matte/ non glowy one, you won’t like this.  The glowy factor is quite discernible. For loose powder – I like to use a powder puff, though sometimes I use a large powder brush.

As you can see in this finished picture, the coverage is much less compared to the Look 1 (and to be fair, my skin was quite reddened after two rounds of cleaning and rubbing from post yoga shower etc etc).

Bottomline?   My top picks?  

1. MAKE UP STORE Instant Perfection foundation
2. NARS Radiant Creamy concealer
3. Too Faced Born this Way concealer
4. Shu Uemura Lightbulb Loose powder
5. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores pressed powder
6. Est.Lab Sunshield

 

I hope this entry is helpful, and like I mentioned earlier, all product details are mentioned below!   Thank you for reading!!  (I am already at over 2k words, gosh, the rambling is real especially when I crammed so much stuff in one epic entry!)

 

Product details:

Bases/ Sun Protection

1. Moonshot Multi-Protection UV Bouncer SPF50 PA+++
2. DIORSNOW Brightening Makeup Base SPF 35 PA+++
3. EST LAB SunShield UVA & UVB Protection SPF50

Concealers

1. Too Faced Born This Way Naturally Radiant Concealer (Shade Light)
2. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Vanilla)
3. Bobbi Brown Retouching Wand (Porcelain)

Powders

1. Shu Uemura the lightbulb Glowing Face Powder (colourless)
2. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Airbrush Silk Pressed Finishing Powder (translucent)
3. Make Up Store Glow Dual Foundation (stockholm)

Foundations

1. Make Up Store Instant Perfection (bare)
2. Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Cushion Compact (Neutral 2)

Look One Combination

1. Make Up Store Instant Perfection foundation, set with Make Up Store Glow Dual Foundation
2. Conceal with Bobbi Brown Retouching Wand
3. Brows – Son & Park Gel Bonding Eyebrow in 03 Ash Gray set with MAC pro longwear waterproof brow set in Quiet Brunette

Look Two Combination

1. Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Cushion Compact, set with Shu Uemura the lightbulb glowing face powder
2. Conceal with Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer
3. Brows – Shu Uemura Brow Palette in seal brown/ stone grey and set with Jung Saem Mool Brow Mascara