SPEND VS. SAVE: EVERYDAY FOUNDATION

For this edition of Spend Vs. Save, let’s look at an everyday foundation.

 I have POUT LIQUID FOUNDATION IN CARAMEL AND SHU UEMURA FACE ARCHITECT REMODELLING CRÈME FOUNDATION 734 (DEEP ALMOND)

L-R: POUT AND SHU UEMURA

BOTH ARE BLENDED ON SKIN: NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL

POUT: Pout is originally priced at 995php and I bought it on a clearance sale for 288.45php only. Pout is a UK brand and a lot of make- up junkies in makeupalley swear by it’s products, especially their foundation line.

 I was a Pout user, especially their blush stick. Then I rested for quite a while from collecting make- up until the time I got in the field of Theatre.

I was a bit surprised because Beauty Bar is pulling Pout out of their range of products. Maybe it didn’t quite appeal to some Filipinas (and it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad product), because some Filipinos would swear by MAC, Nars, Shu Uemura, and the likes.

So this foundation is sheer and good enough for everyday wear. It’s actually good. You’ll also love the dainty bottle. The bottle is in a plastic pump bottle. It’s quite small and lightweight, as compared to the ones in glass jars. It promises not to cake and streak during wear. I once wore this and had an accidental movement rehearsal and it didn’t stain my clothes nor stung my face (which is a foundation problem for me) while I was sweating. It faded a bit, but retouching it with powder will make you look fresh again. You could also retouch the foundation but I’m no foundation wearer so I just retouch the powder. Anyway, these qualities will make this foundation an excellent buy.

In terms of coverage, this might not be your best bet. The consistency is comparable to a tinted moisturizer so don’t expect to get a fantastic coverage from this one. It is not buildable, because it is sheer. And no matter how much amount I slather on my face, I still see no difference in terms of coverage (unless you pour the whole bottle one time big time though). If you have flawless skin, this will do. It just enhances your face color and preps your skin for further make- up. Another con, you don’t have a lot of choices for this one. On the rack, there were only two shades: Vanilla (for fair skin) and Caramel (for dark skin) so all you could wish for is for the shade to match your skin. In my case, Caramel is still a shade lighter than my normal skin tone so there goes a problem. But it’s sheer, so it just disappears into nothingness on my skin. Problem solved (is it?)

SHU UEMURA: I acquired this product through a swap. I was supposed to get the Lancome virtuose but it was a mascara top coat so boohoo. But good thing it was a top coat, because if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t discover this lovely product. This retails at around 1800- 1900php in Rustan’s. It’s pretty expensive but this product really gives you your money’s worth.

 It appears as a thick liquid in a glass jar (so why was it called cream in the first place?) so you might think this baby is too heavy on the face. Surprisingly, it is not. The consistency is thick because of the good pigmentation of this product. It does a wonderful job in terms of coverage. It’s tagged as a “face architect”. Well, it doesn’t necessarily re- constructs your face, but it transforms your face into a smooth- looking canvass for make- up. Well, if you are looking for something that will hide minor skin discolorations and smoothen bumps, this will be your best bet. It doesn’t streak nor cake when you properly moisturize your skin and set it with powder. It is buildable, so you could go from sheer to dramatic coverage for a perfect face. Also, this baby has SPF 10, which is a much- sought after ingredient in a product.

Every good thing still has a con. So for this one, it gives a semi- matte finish (satiny) so your complexion will look dewy and supple, which I mistake as oil sometimes on my face. You know it’s not oil, but for others, it might seem like oil so you may feel the need to retouch over and over again. It’s in a glass jar, so it’s kinda’ heavy. It’s called a cream foundation, but it’s liquid in actual. After a few usages, you might realize that you have stained the nice looking cap of your product, and it’s too hard to remove, or, you can’t remove it at all. And to top it all off, it’s exxxpppeennnsssiiveee. But at least, it delivers positive and good results.

 FOR THIS EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU: SPEND OR SAVE. Depends on your make- up need. J