I’ve been having a slight breakout recently – silly me went to apply some long-neglected cream, only to find out that it had expired – gasp- Anyhoos, I’m now recovering back to my usual blinding awesomeness, and in the meantime, I’m trying out some lightweight base products so that it doesn’t apply so cakey when applied over the mountainous ridges of my pimply jawline. I mean seriously guys, it’s like a camel’s back on my chin. Meh!
I say…
The Packaging: A short angular bottle (similar to Etude House’s Stay Up Foundation), measuring 8.5cm tall (cap included) by 4cm across and 2cm wide. The cap twists off to reveal a funnel tip. You can squeeze out the foundation easily (cos the texture is really runny), but be sure to shake it well before usage. It comes with a free brush that has a tapered top as well as a reservoir in the center for you to put the foundation in, and then blend onto your face (but this so does not work. Read on to find out more). The brush itself though is very soft and doesn’t irritate or jab the skin’s pores.
The Scent: A fragrant and mild scent that I actually really like!
The Texture: A watery, running lightweight texture. It can drip down so be careful when using it. I find that the texture, when applied to the skin, is a good point, cos it blends very easily and has a barely-there feeling. When combined with the brush though – it’s a no-no. It’s just not thick enough to fill up the little reservoir, and just seeps down to the bottom of the brush. It’s a lot better to just spread it on your face (using your fingers) and then use the brush to blend it in.
The Verdict: CLIO has always been a brand that has super strong color products – their lipsticks are super pigmented, their foundations are super high in terms of coverage. For this product, even though it is pretty lightweight and watery, the coverage is pretty decent – on the medium-to-high end of the scale. It doesn’t cover my dark eye circles completely though, but most major blemishes are concealed. It gives a mostly brightened and matte/velvety finish, with some dewiness that can be seen on strategic spots of the face, such as the cheekbones and nose bridge. It’s buildable and thankfully doesn’t cake or get patchy. It doesn’t have much oil control though – I found the face getting shiny after about 4 hours, but some gentle dabbing with a tissue sheet solved it (and not much product was lifted onto the tissue either). I’d say this is one to use for when you need a medium/high-coverage moisturising foundation (perhaps in dry climates especially, even though it does work in humid places too).