#cool vanilla

[h69hart]

Smooch

[theshuffles]

Went to boots earlier, they do this thing where they scan your face and it tells you what your skin tone is, apparently mine is "Cool Vanilla". My face sounds delicious.

[mylipstickdiaries]

BB Cream: Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream Cotton Fit in N02

(That was a really long name.)

Okay, I really don't know why I persist in doing this: trying out endless base products despite the fact that I'm reasonably confident in my Boots No7 and that L'Oreal True Match in R1 will work. Also, entirely ignoring the fact that most BB creams I have tried in the past have turned out more like fake tan!

Moving on. I was persuaded to buy this because:

a) It (or rather, its "Bright Fit" counterpart from the same line) was featured in the 2013 CLEO Beauty Hall of Fame, which I have religiously stalked from the tender age of fifteen.

b) I was assured by the sales lady that it wouldn't oxidise.

I have to admit to running down to Guardian and swatching the aforementioned True Match next to it and then wandering around for another good 15 minutes before making my decision.

Well, whaddya know? She was right.

I swatched this again at home, with great trepidation, against my Boots No7 Stay Perfect in Cool Vanilla.

In sunlight

In electric light

So everything is all peachy in the end. I do mean peachy. This is quite yellow/orange-toned, whereas the No7 is cooler and pinker (beige?). I'm beginning to think the "cooler and pinker" part is key here, but I think this works quite well regardless. (Note: as it's currently the middle of winter, the Boots No7 is a smidgen too dark at this point in time - as is the EH.)

Shade aside, this BB cream promises "clear and bright complexion with a smooth, cotton-like powdery finish for flawless skin". I'm pleased to say that I do seem less oily after using this compared to when I use a regular foundation. It gives a very nice semi-matte finish.

Speaking of "regular" foundations, I find that although this is a BB cream, the coverage is medium-to-heavy rather than "light". If you're into a very sheer, natural look, the "Bright Fit" line may be a better bet, as the shimmer in that formula seems to tone down potential cakiness. I do prefer a matte finish, though, so this one stood out to me.

So far, I'm a happy customer. However - this was quite pricey at SGD$25.90, and N02 is the lightest shade available. Now, I complain about being Casper-like all the time, but I'm not actually that pale! I'm sure there are lots of people who could do with lighter shades than this. That said, EH seems to be doing well for the Singapore market, as L'Oreal seem to be the only brand here that do pale foundations in a similar price bracket. (Revlon's 001 and 002 across all ranges are great, but the lightest I've seen here is 003, and in a fairly out-of-the-way place.)

Also, I have a very slight problem with the texture of this BB cream. I realise that a lot of "authentic" Asian BB creams are quite thick, but this seems to take the cake! It's quite a bit harder to spread than my other Skin79 BB cream. I don't like this because a) you end up tugging on your face, and b) it makes it harder to distribute and thus sheer out the formula.

As far as I know, there are 3 shades of this available: Light Beige (N02), Natural Beige (W13) and Honey Beige (W24). There seems to be quite a large difference between the shades - the sample of W13 I got is not remotely workable - so I would advise swatching if possible. However, I'm excited about the fact that they have such a shade selection for BB creams! Perhaps this would provide another option for bronzed beauties as well? :)

[mylipstickdiaries]

Foundation: Boots No7 Stay Perfect Foundation in Cool Vanilla

Product claims:

"A beautiful flawless finish that stays all day. SPF 15. Hypo-allergenic.

Discover picture-perfect skin from morning till night, with this ultra-reliable moisturising foundation. Soft, silky and flattering in any light and won't fade away.

For best results: Blend smoothly and evenly with the sponge or your fingers, working downwards and outwards from the centre of your face."

This is also part of the Boots Match Made line where a nifty device samples an area of your facial skin and automatically matches you to the closest available shade.

Review:

Let's start with the packaging, just because I think it's really cool and looks more expensive than it is. You get a shiny (almost metallic) case, brown-black, with "No7" embossed on the cover. Granted, it's not the thinnest compact ever, but I think the organisation of the interior makes it totally worth it. You get:

a) A generously-sized mirror (well, for a compact anyway)

b) A compartment for the foundation, which has its own plastic cover attached so makeup slobs like me won't lose it.

c) A separate compartment beneath (basically the bottom of the case) for your sponge. I think this part is the best, because it means that your dirty sponge doesn't sit on top of and thus contaminate your makeup. Also, the generous space means that you can rotate out sponges of various shapes and sizes (which is cool, instead of having to find the perfect rectangle to squeeze into a teensy sponge compartment).

The only problem I have with the packaging is that it holds fingerprints because it's so shiny, but no biggie.

Moving on to the formula itself.

Stay Perfect is a cream foundation; nope, not cream-to-powder, just cream. I don't know if this provides moisture as they claim, since that's not generally my issue. However, I have noticed that this shows up every little flake on my face when it gets dry in winter, so... I also can't comment on the sunscreen as I always wear SPF anyway. It doesn't irritate my skin though (and I have heat rash!).

This foundation really does have impressive staying power, although claiming that it keeps skin "picture-perfect" all day might be a long shot. I've been wearing this at home in summer when I'm literally sweating buckets, and at the end of the day, I still look like I have makeup on. I do need to blot, and sometimes to touch up where it's gone patchy, but I would not expect any makeup to survive Singapore completely intact. Not on my skin. The great thing about this foundation, of course, is that you can carry it with you for touchups. For that reason it's also my go-to for days when I get up too late *gasp* to do my face before dashing out the house.

The best thing about this foundation other than portability? It doesn't oxidise. Much, anyway. Usually when I match a foundation exactly to my face, I look like an Oompa-Loompa three hours later. No such issues here!

I find that I like to apply this with a damp sponge to avoid an overly "cakey" finish - people with a lighter hand at application may not have this issue.

As for the Match Made system? I think it's pretty much perfect. To be sure, I didn't believe Cool Vanilla was my shade at first! I have two foundations from No 7 in this shade - this one swatched really dark on my arm, and I thought the other one was almost too light for some reason. I wouldn't say that the shades are uniform across the different ranges, and yet both somehow work on my face. (Or maybe it's a placebo effect?) I'm actually thinking of getting Calico (next shade down) for winter and spring because I got matched to Cool Vanilla when still fresh from sunny shores.

In a nutshell, I agree with Boots: Stay Perfect really is ultra-reliable. It lasts, it carries you through really crappy mornings, and you don't have to worry if your face is a completely different colour from when you last looked in the mirror. What's not to love??

If you look out for the coupons Boots gives out, No7 can actually be a really good deal. Why not get yourself colour-matched and give it a try?