Sunday 27 November 2011

Maquillage Essence Rich White Liquid UV Foundation

Over the past week, I've been testing out the new Maquillage Essence Rich White Liquid UV Foundation (S$76, 30ml). Designed to help repair the sun damage done over the summer months and to keep skin hydrated and supple during the dry fall/winter months, it is touted as comprising 80% beauty serum with a moisturising Pure White Essence E that includes extracts of saxifraga sarmentosa, zingiber aromaticus, plus sodium hyaluronate and glycerin. It also makes use of light-diffusing technology to help conceal pores and skin dullness for a radiant finish.

The multi-faceted glass bottle design is reminiscent of the Rouge Enamel Glamour. There are seven shades available in Japan, and six in Singapore (which does not have BO20).


It comes with its own pink and white sponge. The instructions on the box recommend using the white side to first apply the foundation starting from the cheeks, moving outwards towards the jawline. Next, use the remaining foundation on the sponge to apply on the forehead, the areas around the eyes, nose and mouth. (You can see a short demo on the Maquillage website.)


I received the foundation in the lightest shade OC00 from Shiseido to try. In Japanese makeup lingo, "OC" stands for Ochre and has neutral tones, whereas BO (Beige Ochre) is more yellow-toned and PO (Pink Ochre) is more pink-toned. OC00 turned out to be a good match for my skintone, although I think I can probably also wear OC10. It has a more watery texture compared to Bourjois Flower Perfection and Lunasol Water Gel Foundation.

Essence Rich White Liquid impressed me with its ease of application and how it seems to meld seamlessly into the skin for a very natural finish, even when I do not use a moisturiser or primer beforehand to prep the skin. I find the lightweight finish very similar to Lunasol Water Gel Foundation as Essence Rich makes my skin look smoother, more even-toned and healthier, without looking like a heavy layer of makeup. The sponge helps greatly in blending it into the skin. Essence Rich provides sheer to medium coverage, depending on how much one layers it, with a slightly more glowy finish than Bourjois Flower Perfection. I liked Essence Rich much better than Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation which sets too quickly. Essence Rich is easier to apply and blend, including over areas with flakiness and enlarged pores.

Essence Rich is supposed to be suitable for all skin types. Given the high serum content, I was expecting it to cause my skin to oil up quickly but surprisingly, it worked quite well with my oily skintype. I still had to blot every two to three hours, which is normal for me. The past week has been extremely hectic but thanks to the fail-safe combination of the Essence Rich White Liquid foundation and Lunasol's Shelly Ocean palette, I've been able to do my makeup in under 15 minutes. The only minor flaw I found is that one pump dispenses too much product for one application, even when applied with the sponge. The foundation is fragrance-free but it does contain silicones (dimethicone) and ethanol.

The TV CM featuring singer Sheena Ringo.

7 comments:

galpal.hi said...

I like the finish of this foundation on you. It looks great! Now I'm going to want to try this foundation out too. Thank you for the great review!

*Kat*

Jan S said...

Thanks for sharing. I can really see the difference it makes to your skin! I love maquillage products, although the main drawback is the price :/

sita said...

I like the finish of this foundation on you
How does it compare to the maquillage stick foundation?

Haru said...

hi Sita,
The Maquillage stick foundation offers greater coverage with a slightly more matte finish but the Essence Rich White Liquid UV foundation has a more lightweight feel.

hi Jan,
Maquillage is quite expensive, so a good time to purchase their products is at the Metro 20% sales. They also offer promotional sets quite often.

makeupmag said...

Hello, so nice to see your lovely face again! *HUGS*

And you look great; I really like this foundation on you.

maddie said...

your skin is so radiant in this foundation! does this impart a dewy look in real life too? it just looks amazing,and my old skin needs some youthfullness. :( any idea where i can buy this online? thank you much!

Haru said...

hi Maddie,

It's more of a satin finish, not flat matte but not super glowy/dewy either. Adambeauty.com carries Maquillage but they don't seem to have this foundation listed yet. Perhaps you can check back with them later to see if they stock it?
http://www.adambeauty.com/showagent.php?agentid=1&productid=1&groupid=1