REVIEW | Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Foundation SPF17

New year, new me! Just kidding - same me, just with a whole lot more reviews!

My recent trip to Tokyo in October not only resulted in a five pound weight gain, but also a beauty gain in my makeup collection. Here are my thoughts on the Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Foundation SPF 17. With a name like that, do you really expect me to leave the store empty-handed?

Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Foundation SPF 17
4000‎¥‎ at Shiseido Japan | $35 USD at Shiseido, Sephora
30ml | 18 shades

Let me first put out a disclaimer that there seems to be two versions of this foundation floating around  - Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Foundation SPF 17 and Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Foundation SPF 18.  My version with SPF 17 seems to only be sold in Japan and comes with a total of 6 shades, whereas the other version with SPF 18 is being sold pretty much everywhere else in the world, and features a total of 18 different shades. Not sure why this discrepancy exists, but what's important is the actual product inside and how it performs, which I'm confident is completely identical. Now that that's out of the way, on to the review!

Shiseido claims that this foundation "cancels out the appearance of redness, blemishes and visible pores without concealing the skin's natural beauty", and that your skin will look fresh and glow with sheer perfection. The word sheer might scare some people off, but it's right up my street. The packaging is pretty straight forward - not at all glamorous but gets the job done - and its compact size makes it great for travel. 

I hypothesized, the very second I squeezed this foundation out onto the back of my hand, that this would be similar to the MAC Waterweight Foundation SPF 30 - and I was spot on. In terms of consistency, finish and wear, these two foundations are pretty much identical dupes. So in the interest of saving time, if you've already checked out my MAC foundation review and liked what you read, then you can stop here and go about your day, because I can already tell you that you'll be a fan of this Shiseido foundation. If you haven't read that review - uh, where have you been? - go take a gander then come back for some comparisons!

Just like the MAC foundation, the consistency of this Shiseido foundation is very thin and fluid, and spreads out over the skin equally as effortlessly. I would say the MAC foundation is a tad runnier while offering a hint more pigmentation and coverage - Shiseido stays true to its name in terms of being sheer. I've tried out both foundations together on multiple occasions - each base on one side of my face - and I can honestly say they look exactly the same on the skin, as if I'm wearing just one foundation all over. If you really wanted to nitpick, my MAC Waterweight Foundation in shade NC20 is a touch more yellow-toned whereas my Shiseido Sheer and Perfect Foundation in shade O20 Natural Light Ochre, while initially more brightening on the face, dries down to be a smidgen darker.

MAC Waterweight NC20 | Shiseido Sheer and Perfect O20

Both foundations are perfect for those no makeup-makeup days when all you want is to even out your skin-tone and look like you're having a good skin day - which is pretty much all I want everyday! They both give the same natural, skin-like coverage that can be built up to an almost-medium, and are equally lightweight and comfortable to wear. I didn't find either to be particularly great at diffusing the appearance of pores, and because both bases dry down to a dewy, satin finish, my oily-combination skin starts looking shiny after just two hours. The Shiseido foundation does seem to have better staying power - just an hour or two more - as I find the MAC foundation to be more easily transferable, and as I mention in that previous review, have experienced firsthand it streaking down my face during the summer months. Fingers crossed this Shiseido foundation doesn't do the same!

So in a nutshell - if you love natural, skin-like bases that don't feel heavy on the skin and are a breeze to apply, you will really enjoy this Shiseido Sheer and Perfect foundation SPF 17. If you already own and love the MAC Waterweight Foundation SPF 30, then there's absolutely no need to splurge on both. If you don't own either foundations and want just one to try out, I would say go for Shiseido purely for the better lasting power and spill-proof, travel-friendly packaging.

Thanks for reading - hope everyone is having a wonderful, positive start to the new year!

SAMPLE SUNDAY | The Ginza Hybrid Day Protector x Melvita Moisture-Replenishing Night Nectar

It's all about under-the-radar beauty brands for this week's Sample Sunday!

The Ginza Hybrid Day Protector |
I'm going to take a wild guess and say most of you will probably be unfamiliar with this brand, but The Ginza Cosmetics is actually a premium skincare line from Shiseido! Well, whaddya know! (And Ginza is actually an upscale district in Tokyo where Shiseido was born and their flagship store still resides. Ooooh, makeup education!) This Hybrid Day Protector SPF 30+++ claims to protect the skin by shielding it from harmful factors including UV rays, air pollutants and "invisible substances" - their words, not mine. It has a lightweight, mousse-y texture that melts flawlessly into the skin using just my fingertips! It comes out as a nude gel yet offers zero coverage, but manages to have a skin perfecting quality - it makes my pores less noticeable and has a similar blurring effect as the Kiehl's Micro-Blur Skin Perfector. In direct sunlight, I found this has the tiniest amount of shimmer, which I think gives the skin that extra radiance and oomph. The texture, the scent, the application - this was just an all-around pleasant product to use. However, it turns out the full size is almost $2200HKD (that's close to $285USD... *eyebrow raise*) which is entirely ridonculous for something that performed like a glorified primer with SPF. If I were Oprah, I'd probably own this entire range. But I'm not. No one will ever be Oprah, expect Oprah. I love Oprah. Wow, that escalated quickly.

Swatched | Blended out

Melvita Moisture-Replenishing Night Nectar |
All you organic skincare junkies, listen up! I've been a fan of Melvita for quite some time now - the French pioneer in organic beauty, Melvita only uses ingredients that are organically and responsibly sourced, along with packaging that is completely recyclable. Talk about doing it right! I was given this sample of the Moisture-Replenishing Night Nectar from their Rose Nectar range upon purchasing the Rose Nectar Fresh Eye-Contour Gel a while back (which was nice and refreshing but worked poorly under makeup), and had put off trying it since it's specifically for dehydrated skin, Well, I've since learned that you can have the oiliest of skin types (like moi) and still be dehydrated! This claims to bathe the skin in "beneficial moisture all night long" with a velvety consistency. I was highly drawn to its subtle, calming rose scent and milky, runny texture that felt soothing, almost even cooling, on the skin, although it never did fully absorb and sink in. The instructions on the packet say to use this only in the evenings, which I suspect is because their products - like the Eye-Contour Gel - don't work particularly well under makeup. Since I was lathering it on before bed, the tackiness didn't bother me all that much. Still, I feel this Night Nectar was too rich for my oily skin, and perhaps the Hydrating Facial Gel from the same range catered for dry to combination skin would be a better fit. We shall see!

That's it, folks - I love trying products from unknown and underrated beauty brands! You never know when you'll find something absolutely amazeballs.

SAMPLE SUNDAY | Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF35 x Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream

For this week's Sample Sunday, I'm trying out a BB cream that claims to give you flawless, camera ready skin, and an ultra-rich, anti-aging eye cream that claims to target five types of eye wrinkles. I didn't even know there were five types! Let's check it out!

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF35 |
My first impression of this Smashbox BB Cream was that it felt very similar, in both consistency and coverage, to my NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30, which I love. So that's a good start. This has a thick, creamy texture and has light to medium coverage that instantly evens out my redness and discoloration. Although my shade in Light looks pink straight out of the tube, it turns a golden yellow shade as soon as I start blending it out. I was pleasantly surprised with the oil control - my face looked relatively shine-free (for once) after a long day at work with zero touch ups! With some trial and error, I found this blended into the face the best using a buffing brush - pairing this with my BeautyBlender made my face weirdly patchy. Not cute. Overall, this BB cream really seemed to agree with my skin, and I love that it comes with SPF 35, so I would definitely consider purchasing the full size ($39 USD) once this sample is finished. Smashing!

Swatched | Blended out

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream |
My mom gave me this deluxe eye cream sample from one of her Shiseido skincare purchases a while back, and although it's targeted for more mature skin, it doesn't hurt to start early! This eye cream claims to counteract five types of eye-area wrinkles, including crow's feet, corner creases, under eye wrinkles, lid creases and vertical lines (not entirely sure what that last one is), as well as improve firmness and the appearance of dark circles. This has a rich and luxurious texture - it's creamy but not greasy - and feels intensely moisturizing under the eyes. Although I used this mainly in my nighttime skincare routine - since it does take a good while to fully absorb into the skin - I tried it a few times in the morning as well and found it worked great under makeup - unlike the First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream, this didn't get patchy or ball up under my makeup. Huge plus! While I can't comment on the wrinkle-resisting claims, my under eyes do feel more plump and hydrated after one week, my dark circles seem to have reduced slightly, and I experienced no sensitivity or irritation. And since a little goes a long way, I would be willing to splurge on the full size in the future ($55 USD for 0.5oz) and say au revoir to wrinkles and aged skin!

Finally, two samples that I was actually impressed by! Although my wallet's not going to be too pleased, my skin will thank me fosho.