As a long-time user of Shiseido products, I’ve gone through several Shiseido foundations but never have I seen a smaller bottle of foundation than the Perfect Refining Foundation. At just 7.5cm x 3.5cm, this little plastic bottle fits neatly into my palm and my pocket with room to spare for other things.
Being small and light, this bottle is definitely travel-friendly and although the packaging makes it look more like a drugstore brand than a counter brand, I like it for its easy portability and my heart won’t drop when it falls to the floor. Another reason I like the packaging is because it is so minimalist, it’s as if it has a Zen design concept and that really appeals to me. There are 14 shades of this foundation available so there is a perfect shade for everyone.
The shade which I received is in O00 which is one of the lightest shades, it is THE lightest shade in the ochre family. There are 3 colour families for this foundation, the other 2 being Ivory & Beige. These are the 14 shades available:-
Ochre
(1) O00 Very Light Ochre
(2) O20 Natural Light Ochre
(3) O40 Natural Fair Ochre
(4) O60 Natural Deep Ochre
(5) O80 Deep Ochre
Ivory
(6) I00 Very Light Ivory
(7) I20 Natural Light Ivory
(8) I40 Natural Fair Ivory
(9) I60 Natural Deep Ivory
(10) I100 Natural Deep Ivory
Beige
(11) B20 Natural Light Beige
(12) B40 Natural Fair Beige
(13) B60 Natural Deep Beige
(14) B100 Very Deep Beige
For a Japanese cosmetics brand to cater to deeper skin tones is thoughtful but I am not sure just how dark the darkest shades are. The coverage is medium and it’s not hard to see why it’s only medium as the texture is rather liquid and runny. That’s actually a good thing for humid climates like ours and for those with oily skins who cannot take in creamier textured foundations. The tiny nozzle controls the amount of product dispensed.
I do like the blendability of this foundation, I use my fingers and have no problems blending it into my skin quickly. That it has a seamless fit as per its product description is undeniable. It contains Micro-Smoothing Complex, a Shiseido-exclusive ingredient that protects against the harmful substance that accelerates decline in barrier function, which can cause skin roughening.
It covers most redness and marks but concealer would still be needed for dark circles and more apparent age spots/pigmentation/acne scars. I like this foundation because it doesn’t feel or look as if I am wearing foundation. It gives such a natural finish and I can say flawless finish too as I can skip loose powder if I wanted to.
Although not the most moisturising foundation I have used, the staying power is good for me. As it is non-comedogenic, it won’t block pores. It has SPF15 which I think is too low but there is really nothing to complain about this foundation. Shiseido has come up with another winning foundation, in my opinion.
Shiseido’s Perfect Refining Foundation retails at RM130 (30ml).
Note : The product was provided for review by PR.
Do you find this foundation going darker/oxidising after awhile? I was matched up to thr wrong colour in I40 and not only did it make me look ashy/grey it also went alot darker on me 30 minutes later.
I should have been matched up to a 20 in the Ochre shade because i have yellow skintones.
Btw looking at the picture the foundation colour still looks quite a rich colour considering its the lightest out of all the ochre shades! and it looks like it has blended in nicely with your skintone.
No, it didn’t oxidise on me. Actually, it has a very nice and light texture. You’re right, it blends in very well into my skin, looks natural and not like there is a thick layer. shiseido foundations can be a little tricky as some are for yellow skin tones and some for pinkish so you have to fit into the right color family.