Valen’s Vanity Square

I have been using Elianto Duo Wear Pressed Powder for more than a year and like it very much. Its powder is light, soft and provides certain extent of shine control. Although its coverage is consider light, I’m fine with it because it does help to brighten up my complexion naturally and does not look like I have put on any make up.

The only problem I have with it is, I tend to break its casing; all three that I’ve used!

Should I blame their design, casing quality or myself? I don’t know! Haha! May be I’m just a rough gal.

To avoid more ‘casing casualties’ (that’s my excuse) I decided to try a new product - Maybelline’s Clear Smooth Minerals Powder Foundation (current price: RM49.90).

I’ve never used any mineral face products before, but since they are generally claimed as the most natural and healthy products for the skin, so I thought I could give it a try. Using Elianto has not triggered any pore clogging or blemish problems (also one of the reasons why I like it). I hope this mineral powder one won’t, too.

So far, I’ve used it once. The coverage is considered satisfactory, but one has to be careful when applying. Start with just a little amount of the powder on the brush and slowly add on if you need heavier coverage. In fact, the point of using this mineral powder is to be able to use the least amount of powder to achieve the intended coverage. The result looked pretty natural if applied correctly (remember to read the instruction first).

Make sure your face is dry or not oily when applying. Otherwise the powder will stuck at those areas and makes your face looks patchy.

Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Powder Foundation comes with a kabuki brush. I also got a casing to contain the powder and the brush because there was a promotion 2 weeks ago at one of the pharmacies.

The kabuki brush - made from soft goat hair - is, well, not as soft as I interpreted from its name. It’s rather ‘pokish’, haha! (is there such a word at all?) But may be it is supposed to be in such a way so that the application is more even.

Anyway, I will be using this mineral powder foundation often from now onwards. If I don’t update any further about this product, that means everything is fine. If there’s bad news, I will let you know!

Although I’ve learned how to put on a complete make-up and really have fun (and fuss!) drawing the eyebrow, shading my eyelids, blushing my cheeks, and glossing my lips, I don’t do it all the time.

You see, to do a complete make-up takes up a long time (at least for me, hehe). The foundation part itself has already got 3 steps – make-up base, liquid foundation, and loose powder. That’s why I tend to spend at least 30 minutes in front of the mirror before I’m all ready to step out of the house. And poor hubby, he just dozes off on the sofa while waiting for me to get ready, haha! Guess I just need more practice to speed up my make-up process.

So whenever I’m in a rush, or on occasions that a full make-up is not necessary, I abandon the 3 essentials of foundation application, and go for a much simpler and faster cover up with Za True White Two-way Foundation.

• A whitening skincare foundation with SPF 20, PA++
• Inhibits melanin production, provides solid protection against UV rays
• Covers up conspicuous pores and dullness while achieving a natural finish with a fabulous clarity

I’ve been using Za’s two-way foundations for more than 4 years, started out with the blue-casing Za Two-way Foundation Now Edition, to the current one. Well, that just shows how much I like Za’s two-way foundation.

Their prices are affordable, for one thing. More importantly, I found them:

• Easy to use.
• Truly provides a natural coverage that evens and brightens up my skin tone.
• Friendly to my skin and have not caused any acne problems.
• Not too dry for my skin.
• Great for touch-ups too.

I think I’m currently on the third or fourth refill of the Za True White Two-way Foundation. And I’m sure it will continue to be my all-time favorite make-up companion in the years to come.

I must confess that I bought something else besides Estee Lauder’s products during my beauty shopping spree last week.

It’s Clinique’s Superbalanced Makeup foundation. I already had this in mind for quite some time. It is priced at RM100, but I only paid RM60 because I had a RM40 voucher to use. Otherwise I would not have bought it, hehe.

• The great equalizer for combination skin.
• Provides moisture and absorbs oil where needed.
• Minimizes appearance of fine lines.
• Helps protect skin from environmental damage.
• Contains anti-irritants and antioxidants.
• Water resistant. Non-acnegenic and oil-free.
• Ophthalmologist tested.
• Can be worn in the immediate eye area.

I have used it a couple of times already and I really like it. It’s easy to apply over the whole face because the fluid doesn’t dry up easily. It provides a good coverage for skin that doesn’t have too much of blemishes and marks, creating an even and natural look to the face.

May be it’s just me, it seems that my face also exudes a healthier glow after putting on the foundation, hehe.

This is the best fluid foundation I’ve used so far. After the foundation, I just have to lightly puff on some loose powder, curl up my eyelashes with a mascara, slide on a lip gloss for a juicy lip, and I’m all ready to go!

I bought two make-up items from Shu Uemura earlier this year. I was looking for a foundation that is able to give my face a smooth finish by ‘covering’ up the pores. 

The promoter recommended to me the pink base UV Underbase Mousse (SPF17, PA++) and the Powder Foundation Natural Glow Finish (SPF20, PA++).

UV Underbase Mousse, SPF17, PA++ (RM135)
This is to be used as the first ‘coating’ even before you put on your foundation. Because of its mousse form, it is easy to apply over the face with a sponge. It contains witch-hazel extract that is known to “tighten and firm the skin surface and pores”, giving the face a smooth and even surface for the following make-up to stay on. 

If you already have a rather even skin texture, but just want to show a healthy skin tone without putting on additional make up, using this underbase alone is already sufficient. Of course, it won’t be able to cover up your dark eye circles or blemish marks. So during some of my better skin days, I would just use it by itself. 

Powder Foundation Natural Glow Finish, SPF20, PA++ (Rm125)
Sadly, I don’t like to use this after I bought it. It did give my face a smooth velvety finish when the promoter applied it on my face. But when I tried it myself, I just couldn’t achieve the same effect unless I used a lot, then it would be like a thick layer of paint and my whole face would look very unnatural. If I applied a thin layer, I could see patches of the foundation, which was not easy to even out either.

Oh well, may be it’s just me and my poor technique; I don’t know the proper way to apply a foundation. For now, I’m reserving it for formal night functions where almost every woman has a thick coat of ICI on the face and it’s okay.