As you can tell by the rather constant stream of reviews, I’m trying to make up for my slight hiatus during the last few weeks heh. That, and also because I’ve recently gone through a rather thorough organisation of my makeup stash with the help of several gal pals. This has unearthed products that are long overdue for a review. Here’s one that I thought was pretty promising at first glance.
The Body Shop Instamatte Mattifying Compact – S$36.90
The Body Shop Instamatte Mattifying Compact – S$36.90
I say…
The Packaging: It comes in a convenient compact casing with a separating tray that acts as a sponge holder as well as a mirror.
The Scent: Nil
The Texture: It’s a really, really fine balm that can barely be seen (i.e. no whitish tinge), and goes on smoothly onto bare skin. The sponge is white, so I sometimes can’t see if I’m picking up enough product as well
The Application: Now this is a rather befuddling product. The instructions say to apply alone, or to use on top of makeup. Using it alone – ok, no issues with this cos it works rather well as a makeup skin-smoothing and pore-blurring base. It’s lightweight like a balm (with lots of silica of course), and helps minimise the appearance of pores. Makeup seems to glide on slightly more easily as well.
Now, it’s the instructions that tell me to use it on top of makeup that confuses me – I found the sponge wiping off /picking up existing makeup rather than mattifying the face – aka removing the makeup. See photo below.
L: The History of Whoo Essential Foundation. R: Applying The Body Shop Instamatte Mattifying Compact over the foundation – you can clearly see that the foundation has been slightly removed.
The Verdict:
- As a base product / primer: I have absolutely no issues with this product. It applies easily, doesn’t leave any whitish tinges, and smoothens the surface of skin / hides the appearance of pores so that your makeup seems to glide on more smoothly.
- As a touch-up product: Nah. No. Nope. I seldom hear of a mattifying product that’s balm / gel in nature that can be used as a touch-up. It’s just kinda odd/awkward. Sure, it does mattify the skin to a certain extent, but the sponge also picked up (aka wiped off) my makeup/foundation. And since I can’t use this as a touch-up item, there’s really no point in putting this in a compact casing (which helps ease makeup needs while on the go).
- Overall: Best used (and left) at home as a base product. Slightly pricey at $36.90 though, so if you’re reallllly keen on trying it, you may want to put this on your wishlist for Secret Santa to buy. Alternatively, I’m open to giving this away to whoever wants to try it? You’ll just need to tt me $5 for registered postage. Email me at [email protected] if you’re keen – only open to those residing in SG :)
