Shiseido Week: Sheer Matifying Compact Foundation

Realization: my Tweets read like t-shirt slogans. They are vague, sometimes sardonic, but often obnoxious. I write them when I am seized with A Thought that just needs to be farted out to the world. If I don't say it, then it will die in my head and no one else will know how witty I am.

That's what I think anyway. I'm not really a witty person, I just have witty things to blurt out from time to time.

So! Today I'm going to review the Shiseido Sheer Matifying Compact Foundation (P1,650 for the refill). This is a lovely foundation with a crazy smooth texture and medium to heavy coverage. It's something I can recommend to oily girls, since it delays The Shining longer and wears well throughout the day.

Let's do a rundown!

What I love about the product

• It delivers a silky smooth finish that makes my face look flawless. It's predominantly matte, but there is a sliiiight hint of glow on the high points of my face, when I'm looking at it in direct sunlight. 
• It has medium to heavy coverage; if you use the sponge, it can already cover minor blemishes and uneven areas by itself. If you want sheerer coverage then use a powder brush.
• Doesn't feel heavy or mask-like when the going gets tough.

• Texture is well-milled and silky to the touch - the mark of a good powder foundation.
• Staying power is pretty good at 5-6 hours. It depends how oily and where you are, of course. I noticed shine three hours in, which isn't bad at all. 
• No pimples. It's the kind of foundation that I feel allows my pores to breath.
• I like the sponge - it's floppy and soft! 

I used a Majolica Majorca case to house this refill. Yes, it fits! Although I do want to buy a Shiseido case in the near future, for posterity!

Wearing OC20 here on top of concealer; no other base. It's not my shade, unfortunately. It doesn't look that off in person, but in pictures it's just not working out! I'm an OC40, STILL. Why do I never learn? The exact same thing happened when I bought my first Shiseido powder foundation some four years ago!

That aside, you can see how flawless the foundation looks. Here it is on top of a liquid foundation. I barely had to use any concealer here, actually.

What I don't like about the product 

• Because of the heavy coverage, this foundation can look cakey if you don't buff/blend it properly. So take the time to work the powder onto your skin, for best results!
• I wish it has more than SPF10. I think I'm spoiled by powder foundies with at least SPF25. Not a deal breaker though.

Majolica Majorca vs Shiseido

The Shiseido case is sold separately at roughly P900 for the slim one and P1,100 for the chunky double-decker one. The compacts look lovely and classy and sleek...and yeah, expensive. You can purchase a Majolica Majorca compact for about P450 and the Shiseido refill will fit perfectly! Majo is a Shiseido brand so yeah, same thing.

My ooooold Shiseido compact vs Majolica's compact

The Sheer Matifying also has a dupe in the  Majolica Majorca Skin Remaker Pore Cover Foundation. It's kinda the same thing, except the Majo is less pigmented and silky than Shiseido. But yes it'll work more or less the same. ^_^  

Recommendations

The Shiseido Sheer Matifying Compact Foundation is a great buy if you have combination to oily skin. It's also a nice choice if you're prone to pimples and blemishes, since it can easily cover up those kinds of imperfections. (You'll need a concealer if they're pretty major, though). This foundation is also for matte lovers!

The finish is just unbelievable. I look at my face and I'm like, WTF is this! I've forgotten how flawless Shiseido powder foundations look!

You have to be careful about choosing your shade though. Just swatching it on your hand or neck won't be enough since the swatches aren't accurate until you put it on your face. It can be a costly mistake if you get the wrong color! I think OC20 is good for NC25 skin, while OC40 is okay for NC30-35. These are just approximates though.

Verdict

I love this foundation! I unfortunately got the wrong shade. :( I can still wear it I guess but I'm slightly OC about finding a good foundation match. Lemme know if you want to buy the OC20. I'll sell it for P900 only, used three times, no box. I purchased this foundation so I have no qualms selling it. I'll use the cash to buy the OC40 lol.

This is potential Holy Grail material, I just wish I chose the right shade. 

Thoughts?