Base Makeup - Foundation Swatches & Lemmings

I have to admit, I'm obsessed with flawless skin and I'm always on the lookout for products that would help me look less ruddy and more polised.

Today is a showcase of the foundations that I own and a short introduction on them. Not a lot and I'm still a long way from building a foundation bible.

I do hope that this can help those who are trying to buy foundations with absolutely nothing to rely on, except for online swatches for comparison.

This idea came about when I realized that there were very little cross foundation swatches to be found on the WWW. Maybe my search parameters wasn't good enough, I don't know.

Anyway, I decided to pull out all the foundations that I currently own and swatch them. For the benefit of others, who like me, don't have the luxury of testing out products in person.

Click Image for larger pic

Lunsol Water Cream Foundation in YO02:
You can read my review on this foundation here.

RMK Liquid Foundation in 101:
I bought this out of impulse when it first re-launched in Singapore. Frankly speaking, I didn't quite use this foundation due to the heavy yellow undertone. Moreover, the coverage was not enough to cover old and blemished skin like mine.

Paul & Joe Liquid Foundation in 010:
The first Japanese foundation that I bought. The color is a tad too light for me but the undertone was perfect. The only drawback is that, it doesn't really provide the coverage that I need.

IPSA Pure Protect Foundation in 100:
You can read my review on this foundation in my last post here.

DiorSkin Nude Liquid Foundation in 020:
What can I say? My perfect HG foundation. Gives the best finishes. You can read about my review here.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville:
One of the latest addition to my makeup collection. Color is a tad light for me but once it oxidizes, it's a perfect finish. You can read about my review here.

As for my lemmings:

Burberry Sheer Luminous Fluid Foundation in Trench 4
Armani Luminouse Silk Foundation in 4
Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation in Sunny Beige
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe
Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation in Chamomile
Chanel Pro Lumiere Foundation in Clair-Cameo


A good resource is the Foundation Matrix on Temptalia. Go take a look if you're interested.

Review / Makeup: Lunasol - Water Cream Foundation

Item Name: Lunasol - Water Cream Foundation
Size: 30g
Price: S$77.00
Available At: Kanebo Counter @ Takashimaya
Picture Source: Klutzbeauty

Product Description from Manufacturer's Website:
We've taken our Water Cream Foundation, a much-loved product since its release, and made it even better.


With its remarkable spreadability and lightness, you won't believe it's a cream. This level of comfort could only be realized by its approximately 60% water composition.


It melts into your skin just like water as soon as it touches your face, giving you ideal skin full of fine shine and clarity. Its luxurious beauty essence formula retains moisture all day long, even for dryness-prone skin.
And its flawless finish keeps for hours, emitting clear glow from deep inside the skin.

Why I bought it?:
I was looking for hydrating base makeup and narrowed down to either Dior or Lunasol after thronging through reviews online. I got the Dior and is now hooked on it. However, I decided to try the Lunasol too, given the raves by many gurus and users alike.

Pakaging:
The product is housed in a translucent jar and a spatula is provided. Very messy and not convenient at all. Not to mention the germs that goes into the whole jar if the spatula is not cleaned properly.

Texture:
Light airy whipped cream texture. Although it is stated as cream foundation. But the texture is more fluid compared to conventional cream foundations.

Price:
Price is on the steep side. A good $10-$20 more expensive compared to other brands in the market.

The Road Test:
First and foremost, the product was messy and inconvenient to get to. A spatula is provided but I'll wipe down with alcohol after each application. And the spatula meant that I wasn't able to gauge how much to scoop out accurately, unlike conventional pump bottles. Sometimes, I'll scoop out too much. However, I do realize that given the nature and texture of the foundation, I can actually decant the whole jar into a squeeze bottle and still wont choke the opening.


Coverage is sheer to light and the finish is both dewy and glowy. It had a natural sheen although the shade was a little off for me, making my skin unaturally yellowish. Maybe OC02 would have worked better on me but I can't be sure.

As for staying power, the foundation started to melt after lunch and by the end of the day, it was pretty much gone.

Verdict:
Despite the raves, I would have to disagree with the majority. Although I like the natural finish, it wasn't giving the correct coverage I need. Not to mention that it started to melt on me in the afternoon, despite using makeup base.

This foundation would definitely thrill ladies who dont have a lot of blemishes, and looking for something light, with a dewy finish.

So would I buy when this runs out? Nah, I guess this foundation won't be missed by me. Oh gosh, what am I to do if Dior ever decides to discontinue their DiorSkin Nude range???!!!

Haul: Random buys in June

Been away.. Was kind of depressed over the week as I lost my brand new laptop! Well, technically, I didn't lose it but rather, a cab driver took off with it in the boot. I was so shocked by what happened that I didn't get the license plate. It was a brand new laptop just out from the shop.

I was more angry with myself than with the cab driver. First, I shouldn't have put it in the car boot. There was enough space in the back seat for it. And I should have asked for the receipt. But the cab driver was so nice that I was caught off-guard. I shouldn't have been so trusting, remember, low crime doesn't mean NO crime.

Anyway, I lodge reports with the police, LTA and the cab company. Although chances of getting it back is slim, but I still want to put it in record that there is an errant cab driver on the prowl.

This entry is for the random buys that I did for the month of June. June is not only my birthday month but also the month of the Great Singapore Sale (GSS).

Not a lot of stuff as I'm trying to curb my spending. Oh well, living in Singapore meant that there are sales going almost all year round. There's always next time.

First up is MAC 217 brush. It's a my second MAC brush. This is a much raved eye makeup brush and I was totally won over. It's so soft and blends my eyeshadows very well. The best part is that I paid for it with my Isetan vouchers that I redeemed with my Isetan points. So, this brush came almost as free!

Next is the Lunasol 2010 Summer Collection, Nature Summer Blue EX01 Eyeshadow Quad (S$77.00). I've been lemming this quad ever since Rouge Deluxe and Fuzkittie featured it. So I decided to get it when it launched in Singapore on 18th June 2010.

Friends of mine know that I'm a blue eyeshadow lover. A lot of people are scared of blue eyeshadows but they are one of the colors that actually works for me. And Japanese seems do well in this arena.

I'm totally in love with the deep blue!!

Ok, what else???..... Oh yes, I purchased a Fancl sunscreen. Due to my sun-phobic nature, I'm very into sunscreens. I currently own.. hmmm.. about 6 bottles of sunscreens. All of different brands.

My ma thinks I'm totally insane. She's an advocate of sunscreens since I was young but I think I've outshone her. Wonder how many sunscreens my daughter will own next time. Anyway, picked this up because I had quite a good experience with it previously. The only thing I don't like about Fancl products is that they expire way much faster than I can use it up. 75days after I've opened the bottle, I'll have to toss it.

I also stocked up on some essentials during the GSS period.

MAC makeup sponges and brush cleaner. Truth to be told, I'm not exactly a connoisseur when it comes to makeup sponges. So far, MAC makeup sponges have worked well for me and so, I've been hooked on it ever since.

The MAC brush cleaner was a purchase I decided after reading somewhere that normal shampoo do not do a good job when it comes to disinfecting. And so, I bought this so that I can give my brushes a good clean. I'm a germ & dust-phobic when it comes to the things that I put on my face. To the point that I rather buy the wrong foundation shade home, then to have the BA test it on my face. I once saw this lady who took the tester lipstick and applied straight on her lips. Yew, I was totally turned off and horrified by what I saw.

Next up is the Clinique's Liquid Facil Soap (Mild) - S$35.00. Another staple of mine that I've grown to love. This product does a good job of cleaning without stripping moisture off my face.

Lastly, is the Laneige Perfect Renew Skin Refiner (S$53.00). Another staple of mine. I had a bad reaction when I first used it but now, it's one of my holy grail. I'm already in my Nth bottle!!

Hauls: Lunasol Foundation + Sephora Brush + Queen Magazine

It's been some time since I've updated this pad. My workload is starting to pick up. Good news is that I'm having income, bad news is that, I'm going to sleep around 10PM and waking up at 5AM during the weekdays so that I can beat the morning rush hour and still have energy for meetings...


In addition, there are some problems at home. My dad is ill. Not going to delve into the details but I just couldn't find the time and energy to do any blogging.

Anyways, just an update on the things I bought recently. Sometimes I feel that I buy for the sake of buying. Some people term it as retail therapy. Me? I categorize it as my saving grace. Going into a store, walking around and trying things helps take me away from many things in my mind. Hopefully, I don't bankrupt myself in the process.

Now, moving on to my purchases....



First on the list is the Lunasol Water Cream Foundation in YO02... Yes, I caved in and bought the foundation.. Despite the fact that I have another 4 opened foundations sitting at home. I really wanted to try this raved foundation.

Blew $77.00 in my bank account and the only place in Singapore that carries Lunasol is the Kanebo counter @ Orchard Takashimaya. Which meant, I have no discount or whatsoever, unlike Isetan or Metro. Argh, seriously thinking whether I should apply for that Takashimaya Credit Card..

The list of ingredients..

The next purchase is a Sephora Professional No. 48 Bronzer brush. It retails at S$50.00 but there is a 40% sale right now, so effectively, I got it for S$30.00. I'm happy with my Red Earth Powder brush but I wanted to try whether a dense brush would do better when it comes to buffing foundation. Would do a brush review when it's dried and ready for use.

Note: Always wash your brushes before the first use. You do not know how many people have touched it, or where has it been lying before you bought it.

Pristine brush in it's plastic cover.

View from the side

The view from the top. Notice how dense this brush is.

The last one is a package from Taiwan... I've been collecting the Queen Magazine since the first issue but somehow or rather, I missed the purchase for Issue 10 and 11. I've been searching around to complete my collection. I managed to find a Taiwanese seller who was willing to ship overseas and tah-dah, my lovely Queen Magazines that will complete my collection.

The lady even gave me a mask sheet and some Snoopy Card Holders.. Woo Hoo..