A die-hard Pony fan reviews Pony Effect makeup (it’s now in PH!)

I grew up watching a lot K-beauty YouTubers. Everything I know about makeup and skincare, I learned from them (and Project Vanity, of course!). One of my top beauty idols is Hye-Min Park or Pony Syndrome, who is hands down the most famous makeup artist of the K-beauty world! She works with the biggest K-pop idols like 2NE1 and Wonder Girls, and has even released a few books. And then three years ago, she launched Pony Effect, her very own makeup line. 

As a huge Pony fan from even before K-beauty became popular, I dreamed of owning something from her makeup collection. I got so excited when the PV team found out that Pony Effect is coming to the Philippines via Paradiso PH, and then I was asked to review a few items for Project Vanity. I just went nuts! Rabid fangirling aside, here is an honest review from a Pony superfan.

Pony Effect Pro Fit Liquid Concealer in Beige (P990 for 6ml)

The moisturizing formula of this concealer proved to be a great match for my dry skin! The texture is more liquid than creamy, which makes it easy to blend and to build from a medium to high coverage. It does not dry matte and needs to be set with a bit of powder since it has a tendency to move around while still wet. But once it sets, IT SETS. It only started to fade a little bit after 8 or 9 hours of wear, and I accidentally tested it for longer because I fell asleep on my stomach (please don’t do this). I was surprised that it still looked okay when I woke up the next morning, and that it didn’t leave any stains on my white bed sheets!

As much as I love this concealer, one drawback is the limited shade range. My skin tone matches MAC NC20, which is on the lighter end of the spectrum, and found a match in the shade Beige. This is already the deepest shade available from the range, so this concealer is definitely not morena-friendly.

Pony Effect Stay Fit Matte Lip Color in #Incredible (P990 for 4.5g)

This is the most comfortable matte lip color I have ever tried in my entire life! It dries down with a true matte finish but still feels pliable - not paint-like or crusty. In fact, it seems to do the opposite of what most matte lipsticks do, because it even blurs my lip lines instead of highlighting them! Formula-wise, it has a rich pigment that looks opaque in just one swipe. There’s minimal transfer, and it survives through drinking and “regular” eating (aka, not an all-you-can-eat buffet). It fades a bit in the inner part of the lip when I eat, but I only need to smack my lips together to spread the pigment and that’s enough to retouch the color.

I am in love with the shade #Incredible, a deep blood red that is oh so beautiful. It has an effect of brightening my face and whitening my teeth! I get compliments from a LOT of people when I wear this, especially when applied as a full lip. It also looks so pretty when dabbed on to create a gradient effect.

Pony Effect Master Eye Palette in Shimmer Master (P1,890 for 12g)

There are three variants of Master Eye palettes available, and I chose this because I found the colors most interesting. It contains 8 shades of shimmer eyeshadows, with varying degree of shimmer intensity. 

  • YAAAS is a champagne gold with fine shimmer

  • SPARKLING is a pinkish purple with slightly chunkier gold, silver, and pink shimmer. This is actually a sheerer color as compared to the others, and it really reminds me of a pink shimmery lip gloss! 

  • ODD is a unique Marsala base with green and silver glitters, which makes it super interesting to work with

  • BOMBSHELL is a copper gold with silver and gold shimmer

  • MIRROR MIRROR is a very cute peachy rose gold shade that would work perfectly for a single eyeshadow look

  • ECCENTRIC is actually the least pigmented shade in the whole palette but I’m so drawn to it as the only duochrome color in the palette. It has this blue-purple, slightly pinkish tint because of the mix of glitters.

  • STOKED is a khaki color that has gold shimmers, which I honestly find a little out of place in this palette but I do love this pop of color

  • STUNNING is a grayish red brown. This is the least shimmery shade in the palette, and is also the most pigmented! I like using this to create depth and drama in eye makeup. 

Swatches, from left: YAAAS, SPARKLING, ODD, BOMBSHELL, MIRROR MIRROR, ECCENTRIC, STOKED, STUNNING

These shadows wore without creasing, and there was only minimal fading after about 8 hours of wear while commuting. I’ve also tried wearing this on top of other eyeshadows, and it gives that extra oomph. The colors are a bit sheer, so prepping with eye primer is a must if you intend to use this as your primary eyeshadow. The pigmentation doesn’t build up very well with a brush.

This palette is more suitable for those who already have a solid eyeshadow collection and just want something extra to up their eye makeup game. The colors aren’t typical, which is both what makes this palette interesting and also what makes it more challenging to use.

I used the Pony Effect Pro Fit Liquid Concealer in Beige as my base, Pony Effect Stay Fit Matte Lip Color in Incredible for my lips, and all shades (except Stoked) of the Pony Effect Master Eye Palette for my eyes.

I’m quite thrilled with the Pony Effect products, especially the Pony Effect Stay Matte Lip Color. This has become a fast favorite for me! There are 13 total shades for this, though I only found 7 available at Paradisoph.com, which is the official PH distributor, and 8 shades on BeautyMNL. I hope they bring in more products (and shades) soon!

Are you a Pony fan? What products would you want to try from Pony Effect?

Stacie Chan

Age range: 18-23

Skin type/shade: light with yellow undertones, oily

Skin concerns: whiteheads/blackheads, spider veins/broken capillaries, redness, dry lips

Hair type: naturally straight and thick

Hair concerns: hairfall

Eye shape: downturned and monolid

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