Kanebo Milano 2016 & Shiseido Maquillage Snow Beauty II Powder Haul

Both are translucent luxury powders and lightly scented. Both powders are the most finely milled products I've ever encountered. I can't see my fingerprints in pacts after swatching. However, picking up product is difficult. I have not used enough luxury products to compare texture and feel.

Kanebo Milano 2016 Face Up Powder

• Released November of 2015. 
• Theme: sprout angel, edeleiss flower of courage and precious memories. 
• Puff uses Fukui Prefecture fiber technology. This puff is the largest and softest of the three in this review.
• Case is cream pearl with minuscule flecks of aqua to purple interference/duochrome, convex scallops contours, and gold accents. It has a larger than normal hole on the bottom for refills.
• Price since 20151215 is 125 USD. Tawny Kanebo Milano 2016 has more skin improving ingredients as is currently 150 USD.

Instructions not found. Description sets its moisturizing and ideal for dry skin. Goal of powder to make transparent and bright skin. Not sure if it's safe enough as a night powder, but I will be testing this as night powder, light coverage day powder.

Shiseido Maquillage Snow Beauty II

• Released December 2015. 
• Theme: night snow flower, Nordic Finland. 
• Two puffs: thinner, smaller, softer puff for day use and travelling. Thicker, larger, not as soft puff for night use. Includes puff case with lavender and lilac ribbons. 
• Case is gunmetal or hematite, matte silver background, gold and silver snowflakes (largest silvery snowflake has purple and blue accents), glass top, and gold clasp. No visible hole for refilling. 

Currently hard to find. Purchased for 95 USD. It's been roughly 2 weeks and I can't find anyone selling it. Since I ordered from Japan, I just received my package. I actually like last year's packaging better. It was all sliver and grey and rims were pearlescent (I think) with a single gold accent at clasp. Puff case ribbons were light pink and minty green. Unfortunately, I can't find this year's powder for sale anymore and finding the previous year, even just the packaging, will be difficult and expensive. With that said, I still like the case, but just maybe not as much (because I don't have the first snow beauty powder). This year's formula is improved from last year.

Multiple uses: on top or under makeup, on top of hand cream, touch ups during day, for translucent appearance, melanin inhibitor, has hyalouronic acid. Goal: smoothing appearance, whitening, skincare during night.  Day: evens skin tone, blurs pores, prevents shine, and enhances makeup wear. Night: brightening, seals in skincare, and reduces sticky feeling of skin after skincare. Includes two puffs, thin one for day, big and fluffy one for night. Will be testing as night powder, day setting powder, day finishing powder.

Thoughts

After opening my package, I was slightly disappointed. These are splurge items and I was hoping to love they way they looked. The letdown was the Snow Beauty II case, especially since I usually like mixed metals. I convinced myself at the time of purchase that darker metal would be more sophisticated and it is but I'm not loving it at the moment. I also thought that I wouldn't be embarrassed pulling out something darker and more mature but it's too bulky to take on the go which will make testing harder. The extra puff case or sleeve is adorable, especially when tied in a bow and really helps me feel satisfied with my purchase. Super bonus points for intention of not clogging pores as I'm super excited to try that.

Testing Shiseido Maquillage Snow Beauty II

Day 1: used after skincare with night puff swirled in product and patted onto face, worn during day

• product was easier to pick up than expected
• puff shed hairs
• as expected it provides little coverage, mattifies skin, blurs pores
• skin soft and velvety to touch

The Face Up Powder is as expected. I would have like the blue version from 2014 but there really aren't good photos on the internet that give me a good idea of what the case looks like. It's also bulky.

Will be testing in January 2016

I will post thoughts on formulation. Honestly, the packaging alone does not justify the price so I'm really hoping these products actually give me translucent and pure looking skin. This would be unlikely because of my acne and scarring so I'm not expecting miracles. If the formulation is nice enough, I would be willing to repurchase next year.

UPDATE

Shiseido Maquillage Snow Beauty II

With continued use, this does clog my pores. I loved the finish it gave me. It gave me a truly translucent, matte, yet glowing skin. I wanted to use it as a mattifying or setting powder, but it changes the finish of my foundation.

I don't have much use for it though I do enjoy using it. Unless Shiseido makes a great design next year, I am unlikely to repurchase. Even so, I might not know if it is a good design because of the massive amounts of retouching on product images.

Skinfood gold caviar collagen moist fitting cake review

Skinfood Gold caviar moist fitting cake sod 25 PA++

Nice packaging, right?  Unfortunately, unlike other double compartment bb products, there are no refill catridges. 

It has a twist to unlock packaging.

It includes a slightly stiff and porous, round makeup sponge, like those for two way cakes, and a cake with a swirl of no purpose to my knowledge. 

First impressions

The cake doesn't blend into the skin very well. It actually acts a lot like a two way powder cake but in a gel or creamy consistency. This test was done using the included sponge. Tests with a brush and a bb cushion sponge will be conducted in the future.

Like most bb creams from Skinfood, this applies as a light color and oxidized slightly. It has a pearly finish.

Compared to my missha misa geum sul bb cake, this cake is drier than I expected. However, this probably what others think a moist fitting cake should be, a two way cake that already has some moisture.

After testing

Good:

No breakouts. Pretty packaging.

Bad:

Too pink (I am severely yellow)

Increased oil production. This is a cream to powder so I know it's not from amount of oil in formula. 

Broke up on me after 5 hours..

 Emphasized pores. After about 2 hours.

No refills.

I hated it. I hate a lot of Skinfood products. I don't think they work. The only thing that might work is their honey or bee propolis, but I might be sensitive to bee derived products.

Canmake Stamp Cover Concealer Review

This concealer comes in two shades and 02 is pictured above.

This item is small and is really just a sponge brush with a twist off cap that has concealer on the inside of the cap. The smaller black tube part of the wand is retractable and spring loaded. This means that the amount of product on the brush when capping on and off can be adjusted by using more or less twisting motions. I have to fully twist on and off the cap more than 5 times to cover my acne spotted face. I have a lot of spots and acne. I've read another review saying that it helps reduce the amount of concealer applied. I agree for one reason only because the wand applies product precisely. It doesn't seem like there is much product in the cap but I will reuse the wand for potted concealer.

I love this since I don't have to carry the stuff for my previous methods of applying concealer. I used to carry canmake stretch and cover concealer that comes in a plain tube with doe foot wand and a mini bb cushion sponge applicator I got in a deluxe sample. The stamp concealer is good for me since I apply normal concealer in the same motion and there's really no difference except that I don't need another applicator to smooth out the product after dabbing and working it into the skin.

I love makeup that applies quickly and can take on the go since I commute every day now. 

The concealer itself applies nicely. Coverage is medium. While shade 02 will cover pigmentation, it will not cover redness as well as brown spots. My canmake cover and stretch is better at concealing bumps. Longevity is mediocre to good.

Pros:

 travel friendly

same routine, less steps/items/fuss

Cons:

little product

Repurchase? No. 

 

Test and swatch

Shade 02 before

Shade 02 applied on lower cheek, jawline, chin, and around nose

With foundation on top

Next testing: washing applicator.

BB Cake Review - MISSHA Miss Geum Sul Vitalizing BB Cake

I have recently obtained a bb cake (for its pretty packaging, MISSHA Miss Geum Sul Vitalizing BB Cake SPF40/PA++) and will compare it to bb cushions.

The packaging is very similar to cushions. Same sponge, double compartment, mirror, and pop out refillable cartridges. The difference is the formula and sometimes the applicator. BB cakes do not use a cushion sponge to deliver thin, liquid foundation. Instead, cakes are solid. Basically, bb cakes are cream compacts. Cream compacts are usually moisturizing and coverage can be built up to full, doubling as a concealer. How to apply: sweep on a light layer and pat in to blend. Spot conceal and pat in to blend. 

Pros:

hydrating

moisturizes dry patches

buildable to mediumm-full

does not clog pores

can be used for touch ups

Cons:

transfers

oily

coverage fades

color matching

Repurchase? No. The color doesn't match and the coverage and finish is too high maintenance.

Pictures Missing

So it seems like all my pictures aren't working. I don't know why that is but I'm not going to put in a ton of effort into reposting them because they were a pain to upload in the first place, but I'll do my best.

5 mins on Guerlain Meteorites Perles

Guerlain Meteorites Perles
I have a few pearls, more than I'll ever use because
(1) their older formula was difficult to use. it too a lot of swirling to get color rather than white and sparkle
(2) it normally makes me look worse and exaggerates my large pores when used all over
(3) I have a lot of them and can't seem to stop buying more because of their packaging.

I normally have bad experiences with face powders anyway as they tend to not blend into my skin they way liquid or cream formulas do. However, colored powders such as blush and bronzer for the face are fine.

Currently, I own:
Perles de Nuit 2011 (teal tin)
Perles du Dragon 2012 (black and gold tin)
Perles du Paradis 2013 (large cardboard pink and pastel)
Perles Teint Dore 03 (silver tin before 2013ish reformulation)
Perles de Neiges 2015 (white and gold ball ornament)

The new formula is softer and should be easier to use. I haven't used the blushes yet but it seems more promising than an all over finishing powder that I can't even use.

There are a LOT of dupes on the market, for example from too faced and physician's formula. The best dupe I've found might be discontinued but is still found on eBay right now. VOV Ball on Cheek.

At the moment, it's about $10 USD. The case is plastic but cute enough and you get a small amount of balls which is good for realistically using up within a year. It comes in two colors. After receiving one, I wish I had gotten both colors, but I have a lot to use up already. These actually show up on my face and don't emphasize my pores. However, these are blushes and bronzers. In the very least, the blush is not for all over the face.



I am not sponsored. These are my true opinions.