What makes you crave a beauty product?

I seem to have temporarily achieved beauty zen.

Right now, at this moment, I am indifferent to beauty products. While I might restock old favourites that have run out I don’t seem to want to try anything new.

This state of course won’t last because as soon as a new formula is launched promising me what I desire it will all start up again. But it seems that all my beauty needs are temporarily satisfied.

So what whets my appetite for beauty products?

1. Kiss-proof, long-lasting lip colours in ideal shades and formulas

No surprise here my mad desire for lipstains has been documented on this blog for ages as I’ve hunted for the perfect stain in a formula that’s easy to apply, in every shade I could want and at an affordable price point. Well, Revlon’s Balm Stains and L’Oreal Caresse Glosses have completely satisfied this need between them. Unless they launch a new colour that is that elusive shade of perfect pink I'm always looking for - I’m all good in the lip department!

What is a foundation that isn't a foundation? Dr. Perricone No Foundation Foundation

They thoughtfully provided
a lock cap thingamy for travel as well

Quite some time back, my sister dragged me to the Dr. Perricone counter. "You have to try their No Foundation Foundation."

"Their whaaa?"

A makeup artist friend had recommended it, she said, and her skin looked lovely and glowy after using it.

I tried it on and didn't see much difference until I glanced in a mirror an hour later.

WOW.

My skin did look great and glowy. There wasn't any oil at all, my skin was well-hydrated and best of all, it looked touchable. My skin hasn't been that way since I was 10 and I thought I would never see it again until I tried THIS.

Discuss: How do you tell a friend that she is using the wrong foundation?

"Oh, honey, your new foundation looks great. You don't look orange at all!"

We have all been there before.

It can happen anywhere. In your bedroom, a public dressing room, the office, a club, your car... But the situation is always the same: A friend prances up to you excitedly asking, "So? How do I look today?"

As she twirls and flicks her blow-dried hair, all you can think of, "Good grief, her face is ORANGE."

The next thought is, "How do I tell her?!"

You have to tell her of course. She is a good friend after all. Who else will put up with your drunk-dialing at 3 am, laugh at your dirty stories and cry with you on a bad day? You HAVE to. Its your God-given duty to do so. Its practically an Act of Charity.

Unless you are planning to head out and figure that Lil' Miss Orange Face here will make you look more attractive to the boys.

What would you do?

Things I Did Over Christmas Week

Happy New Year, All! It's a brand new year and I am sure that some of you have made a heap of New Year Resolutions. Me? I didn't bother this year round. Just had too many things to do last week which included...

1.   I finally visited Sephora. I know, I totally fail as a beauty blogger. Sephora has been open for yonks but I never got around to visiting it until last week. In my defense, I am usually tending to other things on my trips back to Kuala Lumpur.

It is great to see brands like Urban Decay, Too Faced and Soap & Glory finally here on Malaysian shores. Sephora Cosmetics looks pretty interesting too. I didn't buy anything so don't ask me about that!

I do wish that Sephora didn't bother opening counters for stuff like Clinique, Lancome and Dior. Why not use the space to bring in brands like NARS instead? I much prefer going to departmental stores to buy my Clinique and Dior. At least I get proper one-on-one attention from the sales assistants, samples and points on my department store card..

Beauty Blender sponge - a lifesaver for non-silicone foundation users

Sorry ladies, I know I haven't been posting much lately,but it's been an exceptionally busy time. If I'm not travelling, I'm hosting someone. Right now actually Syen's staying with me. Whee! It's all been fun but has left me little time or energy for posting.

Still I was so thrilled about this wee pink egg that I had to share!

Reading reviews online I was never quite convinced that the Beauty Blender Sponge was that much better than a regular damp sponge. While some ladies gave it rave reviews, others said they preferred their buffing brushes to it (more on that later). Also, it wasn't available in Asia.

When I spotted this in the Sasa outlet on D'Aguilar St, Central for HKD170 (ouch yes I know, but it retails for USD19.90 so the price is fair) I bought it and gave it a go... also gave it death threats all the way home should it fail to perform. Good thing for its hot pink skin that it did!

Loving Bourjois Bio detox organic silicone-free foundation & concealer!

Is it the perfect foundation? Hell no.

No silicone-free foundy can compete with the perfect airbrushed smooth goodness of the evil silicone (dimethicone, cyclomethicone, methicone...etc). But at GBP10 its' way WAY cheaper than Laura Mercier's Oil Free Foundation, it works well enough with a little effort and it does not break me out. Huzzah!


Now on to the review, I warn you this will be a long one:

Review & Application: Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation

It's finally happened. Much to my dismay, the latest version of Revlon Colorstay has too much silicone for my skin to take and it broke me out. In despair I turned to the net to find a dimethicone-free foundation and the only viable result made me despair more. 

I mean come ON. Laura Mercier's Oil Free Foundation costs RM169. 

But after a tester not only did not break me out but helped my skin clear up, I bit the bullet and bought the bottle despite the fact that the stuff is damned near IMPOSSIBLE to apply. 

Review: Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation

Nothing beats Bobbi Brown for base makeup.

I tried looking for a usable drugstore liquid foundation for the longest time but nothing -- not even the famed Revlon Colourstay foundation -- matched my skintone. They were either too pink, too light or too dark. I couldn't carry off any of them unless I was going to be in a really dark room with a single candle.

Thank goodness for Bobbi Brown.

Tried, Tested and Tried Again: Reviewed Products Revisited

We are frightful enablers here on So Loverly: our reviews not only inspire lemmings in others but amongst ourselves. I have lost count of the numbers of times I have read a review by Kahani or Syen and thought, I want to try that.

Unfortunately, not all products recommended by Kahani and Syen work for me and vice versa due to our different skin needs. Kahani has mad oily skin, Syen's skin combo-oily while mine is oily-dry. The cleanser which broke Syen out works great for me but I won't touch Kahani's HG acne treatment with a 10 feet pole. Clinique's DDM gel works for Kahani and Syen but not for me.

There was that one product which all of us agreed on disliking albeit for different reasons; Syen hated the scent, Kahani got breakouts while it gave me rashes AND made me sneeze.

Here's my take on some previously reviewed products:

Review: Shu Uemura Face Architect Glow Enhancing Powder Foundation

Righto.

I thought it was about time I wrote about the Shu Uemura Face Architect Glow Enhancing Foundation (with SPF 25+++) which seems to be much raved-about. I've always been rather loyal to ZA, but after reading Paris' review, I couldn't help but itch.

A lemming was born.

It's not that the ZA isn't great. It is, but I thought it'd be nice to have something else apart from ZA to play around with.

So on a whim one evening a few months back, I made a dash into a Shu Uemura store, and picked one up myself in #754 (which is a decent match). A dash because I wanted to make the purchase before I changed my mind.

How did it perform? Read on to find out.

The very next morning, I used this instead of my regular foundation in my morning makeup routine. When applied, it looked great, and it felt alright. The coverage you get from this one is medium, at best. Which is how I liked my foundations. But you're one for heavier coverage, then this isn't it for you.

Two days later, however, things weren't so rosy. My skin revolted and I had a huge pimples and my nose had tiny little bumps. And my pores looked like they were all clogged up with white heads.

Uh-oh. Baaaaad.

"It HAS to be the foundation," I proclaimed. And so into cold storage it went for a while.

(In hindsight though, I think my skin's eruption could have been due to several other factors as well.)

After many weeks, when I had garnered up enough courage to give it another shot, I was in for a pleasant surprise. I used it for a few days straight (in the mornings), and my skin remained fine. No breakouts, no zits, nothing. This was good.

But a few days more, and my skin started to look a little unhappy. I went back to my ZA.

Anyway, at last I've found some sort of a happy balance in my makeup routine. I now alternate between this and my ZA foundation, and nothing untoward has happened so far either. Nothing major anyway. My skin isn't as brilliant as it was before my wedding, but it's not too bad either.

It stays on okay, but I still need my usual touch-up in the afternoon. It's not very oil-resistant either, as I would still need to blot about twice throughout the entire day.

(Me, bare-faced without anything on. As you can see, there's a zit on my chin, and there are some scar marks on my right cheek which you probably can't see.)

(Applied only concealer and Face Architect. My complexion looks more even, but geez, don't I look uber washed out?)

(Looks much better, no? Added Shu Uemura blush and lipstick. How's my attempt at going red? I hope to review this lippie sometime in the near future. It's a lovely red I tote around in my bag. Shocked? =P )

If this is your first purchase, chances are, you'll be splashing RM125 for the powder refill (14g) and another RM50 for the sleek black case with the sponge. That makes it RM175, which to me, is a bit of a splurge. My ZA costs so much less but my skin just seems to love it.

In conclusion, based on my experience with it, I'll rate this one as a nice-to-have, but not a must-have. Since I have splurged on it, I'm going to have to keep up with the happy balance until it finishes. But I doubt I'll be making a repurchase. The search for an alternative foundation continues. Sad, but true.

TIP: Use the sponge and not a brush to apply this foundation as the powder is rather soft. It works much better with the sponge.

Wet your sponge woman! And why I love Revlon Colorstay

I actually had another post scheduled for today. But a combination of insane work load and a niggling flu has left me bereft of the ability to review anything coherently. So I've bumped the review to next week and will instead share with you a revelation I've recently had.

WET YOUR SPONGE, WOMAN!

ParisB's new method of applying liquid foundie is probably awesome for all things but very thick makeup like Revlon Colorstay and cream, pancake makeup. For all those things, watch the following vid:



Convinced? Now move on for a confirmation of why I absolutely adore Revlon Colorstay for my acne-ridden skin. And now I've discovered the joys of the wet sponge, I love it EVEN MORE. L

I'll be honest with you girls. I do damned near everything she does. I don't bother with the tiny brush or additional concealer unless it's a very special occassion and I use ZA 2-Way Foundation instead of mineral foundation these days (for convenience sake). But otherwise, it's scarily similar. And it works! Thank god for this foundation, Revlon please don't improve it out of existence!

Review: Almay TLC Pressed Powder

Excuse the blurry picture. I forgot to bring the camera with me to Sabah and as it will be a few months before I go back to KL, my camera phone will have to do for now.

I always think of Almay as a drugstore version of Bobbi Brown. A little bit boring but chock full of great, fool-proof staples. Big siter is a huge fan of their i-colour eyeshadows -- "Saves me the bother of mixing, matching and thinking," she says -- and we both agree that their foundation range isn't too bad.

Which brings me to their TLC foundation range. Now, in Almay's books, TLC stands for Truly Lasting Colour as the foundation supposed to be able to last for up to 16 hours. Big claim, but I decided to put their pressed powder to the test.

I picked this up in Medium as it had a neutral undertone which matched my skin fairly well. One drawback about this powder are the limited number of shades: Light, Light/medium and Medium. Anyone darker than NC 35 should give this a miss.

After trying this out for the past few months, I have to say that I really like this powder. Coverage isn't very heavy but it works well in evening out my skin tone. It blends in beautifully and best of all, the oil control is superb. I am oil-free after 6 hours without any touch ups. It's a different story when I use sunscreen under my makeup though.

The main drawback to this product is the bulky packaging. It's round and fairly big so I can't slip it inside a tiny tote. Furthermore, the sponge compartment under the powder is pretty tiny so any sponge thicker than 3 sheets of paper isn't going to fit in there unless you strap a rubber strap around the case to keep it closed.

And no, you don't want to use the original sponge which came with the powder. It gives very cakey coverage. Use a brush or a very good sponge instead.

Alas, we can't get this in Malaysia but you can buy it from Australia for AUD 29.95.

Review: Lancome Maquiliquide UV Infinite

It's been an amazing month for review products. Please understand that I don't emphasise that I received a product free to boast, but in the interest of honesty. Even though I try to be objective, there is no denying that I am more likely to like a product or forgive it its flaws if I didn't have to pay for it.

This foundation has received rave reviews from Beetrice and ParisB, they love the sheer coverage, light formula, and on them it lasts all day. So this may come as a shocker, but I find myself preferring my staple foundation - Revlon Colorstay! (It's a shock to me too let me tell you).

Formula
I really do love the watery, light formula in this foundation. When first swiped on I find ut doesn't match my skintone at all, but once patted in it almost magically sinks in and blends in, providing even luminous coverage.

This foundy has the prettiest finish I've ever seen when freshly applied. Although matte it still appears luminous - my skin but better. Even better it has SPF20, which to me, lets me bypass sunscreen (I slather on a lot)

Sadly on my crazy oily skin it doesn't last well enough, even when set with powder after blotting, coverage fades patchily - especially around the nose - and I have to touch up with 2-way foundation. This obscures the pretty finish of Maquiliquide.


Shade
I was matched to BO-015. When I first saw it I thought it was too light for me but was convinced by the makeup artist that it would match my face. Well, it may match my face but the contrast between face and neck is just too obvious!

I look like I'm wearing a mask. I wish I had held firm and gotten a shade darker. I may have liked the foundation better if I had.

Coverage
It evens out skin remarkably for such a light formula. It is especially good at counteracting redness. But it does nothing for dark spots left by pimples and undereye circles so a concealer is a must.

Wear
As mentioned earlier, although the foundy promises to be long wearing and sweat proof, it doesn't stand up to my insanely oily skin.

It also doesn't control oil as well as Colorstay. The good news is it doesn't break me out at all.

Conclusion
I'm really disappointed in my skin for not cooperating with this foundation. There is so much to love about it that I want skin that works well with it! Sighs. Still at RM130 for 30ml, it's maybe just as well I didn't fall madly in love with it!

Even though it doesn't work for me, I can see how many girls would LOVE it. So if you have combination or normal skin, and want a long-lasting light formula, this is your dream come true in a bottle.

Me? I'm stuck with thick, bullet proof and cheap Colorstay and grateful I have it!

Video: Friday is for Foundation, Foundation, Foundation

Review: Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Oily skin

Having used Revlon Colorstay SPF8 for Combination/Oily skin for almost a month now, I feel ready to review it! The first time I tried using it as an all-over foundation (pre-softflex formula) I absolutely loathed it. No matter what I did it looked cakey, flat and just well... weird. It became a concealer.

Then they reformulated it and killed my then-foundation, Revlon Colorstay Stay Natural (yes it IS an awful name) so I gave it another go. I STILL hated it, it STILL looked weird. It became a concealer. Now, about 4 years later I believe they’ve quietly reformulated it because it’s now sheerer, has a more natural finish, and is a pretty great long-lasting foundation! Not so good as a concealer though...

Full review after the jump.


Formula
First up, the bottle is the same – glass with a wide mouth, and the formula still smells funky. Fortunately even over-sensitive-nostril-ed me isn’t bothered by the smell once I put it on.

The formula is definitely sheerer and has more slip than I remember – this does result in a need for concealer undereye and over the worst spots, but I’m really not complaining about it. Coverage is medium when applied sheerly to pretty complete when layered over the areas that need it. Although it sets rapidly, it will feel sticky until you set it with powder. This however, can be a good thing as you will see later on.

Application
For the absolute best finish combined with highest coverage, you should use the stippling method with a dual-fibre brush. Unfortunately, when they say long-lasting they MEAN long-lasting and it’s impossible to get this stuff out of your brush! I ended up using every single remover I had from cream, to oil to foaming to get the stuff off.

Now, I just my right index and middle fingers and wipe them off on a baby wipe. Much much easier.

To get the required amount, I cover the bottle’s opening with my index finger (it’s juuuust the right size) and upend the bottle. Then I dab the amount on an area and blend quickly, going back for more and blending it as I go. Dabbing it all over your face then blending would result in patchy coverage as this stuff really does set very fast. Once I’ve evened out my skintone, I go back for one more dab of foundation and dot it over areas that need more covrage, pat-blending it out with a foundation brush (this is easier to clean than a dual-fibre brush, a baby wipe will do for daily cleaning).

I find that this foundation works best over well-moisturised skin, and the shade I have, Sand Beige, covers redness well but works less well on dark brown spots and undereye circles. I’m looking out for a salmon-undertoned illuminating concealer for this purpose now.

Wear
This foundation lasts and lasts and lasts. If I’ve been sweating a lot and unable to keep up the blotting and powder it does fade – but not completely so I still retain some amount of coverage. Even after a long day at work the foundation continues to look quite fresh.

I also find that this foundation does have a measure of oil control – always welcome – and I stay matte for longer with it. For absolutely best oil-control set with compact Mac Blot. This is a little pricey in the long-run though, so thanks to ParisB’s rave reviews for MUFE Super Mat loose powder in Translucent Natural #12, I now use that. It’s not as oil controlling as MAC Blot, but it’s pretty darned good! Review coming up!

Skin
To my surprise, my skin has actually been clearing up while using this product. While I don’t credit this product for it (I’ve started using another miracle product that I will review after using it for a month), I am delighted that it’s not making my skin worse.

The key, I found, is to be sure that you remove every scrap of the foundation at the end of the day. This is no easy task I must admit. I generally take 2-3 rounds with Neutrogena Deep Clean lotion followed by dry-applied Johnson & Johnson’s Head to Toe cleanser to get it all off. Yes it’s inconvenient, but I did ask for long-lasting didn’t I?

Added bonuses
This foundation is even good for a few more things you wouldn’t expect a foundation to be good for!

As an Eye Shadow Primer. While not as great as Mac Paint Pot, I find that for a 6-8 hour day unset Colorstay works great as a primer! It helps shadows cling, last, stay and not crease. Same goes for eyelienr. Set with translucent powder after applying shadow and lining.

For making blush last the day. Before setting, while the foundation is still tacky, gently stipple powder blush on with a dual-fibre brush or a flat-top brush. Be careful because the foundation does make the colour appear more intense. It will grab onto the pigment and make it last just about all day! So much for my hunt for the perfect portable blush.

As a concealer. For skin with only minor to no blemishes, this foundation really is enough coverage to work as a concealer. And it’s a almightily large bottle of concealer too!

Conclusion
Phew this review really is rather long. Take heart though, I’m going to stop.

At around RM50 a bottle I will definitely always repurchase this foundation to either use or keep as backup. While I still think the absolutely perfect foundation of my dreams is still out there, Revlon Colorstay comes awfully close to being the one for me.

Setting Mineral Foundations Aside & Clinique Superfit Foundation Review

This is going to be a slightly introspective post as giving up mineral foundations has been hard on me.
Ever since I fell in love with L'Oreal's True Match Minerals, then Silk Naturals and the most recent being Everyday Minerals - I have loved mineral foundations for how clear they keep my skin and their natural matte finish.

Now sadly, I have to concede that they cannot stand up to my oily skin in Malaysia, or my 12-hour workdays that involve considerable running around. I finally got tired of the caking, the slipping, the fading and the touch ups (usually around the 5-hr mark). And thanks to Tine's rave review, I put in an order of Clinique Superfit when my makeup mule made a trip to the US. Read on for the review!

Clinique Superfit Foundation in Shell
When I first got the foundation it was actually a decent match to me still as I retained the remnants of my tan - product of my last glorious summer in Europe. Now however I have to concede that my face looks darker and slightly pinker than my neck. Dang! Although Shell is fairly yellow-toned, and supposed to be for very-fair people, Neutral from the moderately fair range looks yellow-er and as light. I got a sample and will be giving it a go.

Texture, coverage & Finish
The texture of this foundation is one of the best things about it. It's very watery and light yet has very high coverage. I find however that it doesn't layer too well and can look cakey if you try. For the best finish I swipe it on with my fingers covering most of my face in a thin layer then blend out with my dual-fiber brush for a very natural, semi-matte finish.

Wear
I love that this foundations is oil free, and seems to help control my oilies to a certain degree. It isn't perfect (nothing is that doesn't break me out.. argh!) but it helps. I dust powder over and have to blot in 3-4 hours. Which for me is pretty darned good!

On the other hand, although this foundation is long lasting, I do find that it gets patchy and fades on my crazy oily skin after about 7 hours. Now, 7-hours may be enough for most, but sadly it still doesn't cut the mustard in my lifestyle. I want it to last about 10 hours at least - as that is my average working day. Not to mention be good to go if I want to go out for dinner and drinks after.

I know I'm being demanding and there may not be a foundation out there that can do what I want. If it weren't for the mismatch in colour, I'd stick happily with Superfit as I really do love it. Plus if I'm careful to remove every trace of it at the end of the day - no breakouts! Or not much - it's hard to tell as I get hormonal breakouts too. But it's not much worse than when I stick to minerals

Conclusion
So for now, mineral foundation will be for weekends to give my skin a break. For my crazy work days though it's going to be a long-lasting foundation. Unless I find the precise colourmatch for Superfit, I won't be using it anymore. I can't go around with a face that doesn't match my neck! Thank goodness it was so much cheaper in the US - about RM70 at the time.

So for now I'm giving Revlon Colorstay in Sand Beige a go - it's a perfect colour match and the new formula has been getting rave reviews online. Wish me luck that it works out and doesn't break me out! Especially since Revlon is only about RM55 compared to Clinique Superfit's RM1oo in Malaysia.

Video: Friday is for Foundation - applying Revlon Colorstay

If, like me, you've tried Revlon Colorstay in the past and given up on it because you could never get the finish to look natural you may want to revisit the foundation. The latest hot brush - the dual-fibre stippling brush has provided us with an entirely new way to put that foundation on. And guess what? I've tried it and it works! Here Bethainy gives us review + application technique video. Now, be warned it's over 15 mins and she DOES tend to babble. So just skip along till you see her wielding a brush (about 4:34). Then after she's got Revlon on, you can skip the rest (from 9:30 onwards) unless you want a comparison of Revlon to MUFE HD foundation. In which case, skip till almost the end (around 12:00).

Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish 16Hr Foundation

To sum up, this is would be an awesome foundation if it didn't break me out! *sighs*

After reading rave reviews of this foundation on MUA, I had to have it. Learning it wasn't yet available in Malaysia, I immediately got a friend who was travelling in the UK to pick up a tube for me (£6). The first day I used it, I feel in love! It evened out everything, even smoothing over the uneven surfaces of my skin, it looked natural, and it lasted and lasted. I oiled up, but this foundation didn't let it show. I was rather amazed at how soaked my blotter was because I sure as heck didn't look it.

Use
I bought this in Soft Beige Shade 200, it was a great match but a little pink. Like most silicone-based foundations it smooths on better with a foundation brush than it does with your fingers. It feels rather thick when applying, and will remain tacky to the touch until you set it with powder. But once set it STAYS.

Coverage, as mentioned earlier, is full and amazing. Natural looking, non-cakey, yet heavy enough so you can skip the concealer!

Oh and for girls who are wary of perfumed laden products, it does have a rather strong perfumey scent. So that may be a drawback for you.

Wear
I don't know if it lasts 16 hours, but it lasts. Through sweat, through rain, through SWIMMING it lasts. And it looks fresh and lovely the entire time!

Now for the tragic bit. Like most silicone-heavy foundations, it broke me out. Not badly and not immediately. After two days of use I started getting some white heads that went away with exfoliation and treatment. But 3-4 days of continuous use and the small pimples started appearing everywhere. I quit and went back to my trusty ZA 2-Way and Concealer till things calmed down. After 4 days I'm mostly back to normal, so I'm not too angsty.

Verdict
I can't tell you how MUCH I wanted this wonderful stuff to work for me. If you're not overly sensitive to large amounts of dimethicone, then do give it a whirl. It's pricepoint is low and this is a superior product. For me, I'll still keep this around for days when I need to go from work to partying late into the night. I can mask and scrub like mad the day after. =P

Guest Review: Joppa Minerals - the most befuddling foundation

Eli gives Joppa Minerals a try, and she loves it - no wait, she hates it, oh yeah she loves it, oops no... oh just read it yerself. =P

I ordered a 3 piece mini sampler kit from Joppa a few months during a free international shipping offer. The reason why I am only reviewing it now isn’t because I am busy (although I should be studying for my exams right now…) but because I couldn’t decide if I liked their foundation or not.

This is the most confusing foundation ever.

Before I jump into that though, Joopa’s mini sampler kit allows you a choice of 2 foundation powder samples and any one sample of their finishing silks for US $3.50. I ordered the shades Medium #2 and #3 in their Soft coverage formula and their original sheer finishing powder. Medium #2 is my perfect match.

FYI, their samples are smaller than EveryDay Minerals. The wee jar comes without a sifter. Be very careful when you open the jar as the grains are so finely milled, they go “poof!” into the air if you are hasty.

I adored the foundation the first time I put it on. It made my skin look pretty, even and glowy although I wasn’t using BB Cream underneath. With the finishing silk on top, I had that lovely soft focus look I thought only achievable with Photoshop.

“Waaaaaahhh, me so pretty.” I admired myself in the mirror for a bit and then happily skipped off for classes. I came back 6 hours later with the soft focus look mostly intact and very little oil.

For the next 3 days, I was really impressed and was seriously thinking of switching over from Silk Naturals to Joopa.

Summer came along in earnest not long after. I changed my moisturiser to one with SPF and stopped using makeup for a while to let my skin adjust to the weather and the new moisturiser. Once it had calmed down, I whipped Joopa out of my cupboard again and dusted it on. It looked a little flat this time but still pretty. I went off to class without thinking much about it.

When I came back, my face had a slight orange tinge – the foundation had oxidised on me. Eeeeek.

I wondered if it was the BB Cream so I didn’t use it the next day. Came home, checked, wasn’t orange.

Next day, I didn’t use BB Cream again but came home orange.

Hmm, maybe the moisturiser with SPF is causing the oxidisation. I switched back to my old moisturiser and tried the foundation without BB Cream. Came back normal.

I used normal moisturiser for the next 2 days only to come back orange both times.

EEHHH??!!

Unwilling to give up the mystery, I took a break for a few days and tried again. This time, I tried using normal moisturiser for a few days, moisturiser with SPF and then BB Cream with both, giving a few days break in between. The results were so erratic, I gave up. BB Cream didn’t seem to be a contributing factor either.

My sister suggested that Joopa foundation suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder.

The Verdict? When the foundation works, I look unbelievably pretty. When it doesn’t, I look like an overtanned Playboy Bunny gone bad – and I don’t mean “bad” in a hot n’ raunchy way. Otherwise, the foundation offers pretty good oil control on its own which could give SN’s oil control primer a run for their money.

I prefer Joopa’s finishing silk to SN’s Perfecting Powder though. Joopa is much finer, gives better oil control and although it does not work so well with other foundations, it still gives a very polished look.

Thumbs up for Joopa’s Finishing Silk and a no-no to their foundation from me. Pity as it would be HG material if it worked all the time.

Guest Review: Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream

At last, we have a review of a BB cream on this site. For an Asian-run blog we are quite the disgrace for being so far behind. The thing is I've been aware of this product, and interested in it. But have never found a shade that wasn't too pink or too fair that didn't cost the earth. Here's our beloved Eli to the rescue again. Miraculously she found a shade to suit her, and here's her take in it!

Blemish Balm (BB) cream is a Korean “miracle” cream, supposedly able to heal almost all skin imperfections, especially acne and skin blemishes. It was originally a type of post-surgery skin cream used by Korean stars as it was able to heal incisions without leaving any scars. Some smart aleck decided to take the cream, add in some tint and SPF, and then market it as an all-in-one skin cream/ treatment, makeup base and sunscreen.

You can imagine the stir BB creams caused when they hit the market a year or two ago. Nearly every Korean cosmetics company seems to sell BB creams (some Taiwanese companies are selling them too) – the choices available are mind-boggling. The people selling these on ebay must be making a fortune.

I was all agog when I first heard about this because I am a sucker for (nearly) anything promising to get rid of acne scars. Thing is, BB creams are mostly formulated for Korean consumers so they are usually really light coloured and pink based. Boo-hoo for me since I am dark and yellowish.

Missha was smart enough to take advantage of this gap by releasing two shades of their Perfect Cover BB Cream for the South East Asian market. When it was finally released in Australia, I got it as a birthday present from my boyfriend – the price made me think twice about getting it.

I got this in the darker shade, #23 (Natural Beige). Missha’s Perfect Cover BB Cream comes with SPF 42 PA +++ (the active ingredients are methoxycinnamate and zinc oxide). It is also supposed to help with lightening the skin tone, reduce wrinkles and heal skin blemishes.

This BB cream is not a moisturiser so I have to use one before slapping this on. The texture of the cream is rather thick and takes a while to smooth on. It goes on grey at first, before blending into my skin after about 5 minutes or so. The tinted cream doesn’t give very heavy coverage but it’s just enough to make my acne scars less visible and fills in the pitted scars nicely. I use roughly half a pump (the 50 ml version comes in a pump bottle) to cover my cheeks, temples and parts of my chin and forehead.

It doesn’t help with oil control though so I usually dust on some Silk Naturals’ tinted oil control primer after and I am good to go.

After about 2 months of use, there doesn’t seem to be any changes in my acne scars. Pimples do disappear and heal a lot faster when I am using this though so it is more than a makeup base.

For those who hate Chinese herbs, stay far away. Missha added a herbal scent to this BB cream. I don’t mind the scent as it reminds me of home – my mother always had some Chinese medicinal concoction boiling on the stove. An uncle used to refer to it as “witches’ brew”.

The big question is, would I repurchase? Truthfully, I have no idea. It is convenient to have around but I don’t know if I would miss it when it’s gone. The main reason why I got this was to satisfy my curiosity about BB creams. This seems to be more of a makeup base than a skin treatment for me.

For those wondering, Missha is against animal testing for product development and their packaging is recyclable. They do use animal derived ingredients though as the Perfect Cover BB Cream contains caviar extract.

On another note, I got a sample of their “Near SKIN Firming Project Concentrating Emulsion”. I tried it out a few weeks ago and liked it. My skin brightened up overnight and seemed less dehydrated than normal. Am planning to look into their skincare products the next time I drop by Sydney.

The Perfect Cover BB Cream was selling for AUD 32.90. It was still being sold last month but I am not sure if it has been taken off the shelves as it is no longer listed on the Australian Missha website.

Editor's Note: Ever since seeing Tine's Review of The Face Shop's Quick & Clean BB Cream, I'm anxious to try it! For my poor wallet's sake though I'll hold out till next month.