Andddd it’s a new week again! Somehow, the month of January seems to be dragging by a lot slower than last month – I’m guessing it’s the absence of public holidays as well as the impending motherload of a public holiday in the form of Chinese New Year next month. Gah. In any case, I’ve been feeling a little more gloomy than usual these days (Awesomeness level is ↓ by 25%) meh~~~ thankfully, I can still depend on my (rather superficial and shallow) hobby of makeup hoarding/reviews to perk me up slightly and to add that little touch of colour to my skin (on the surface level), especially with the arrival of this palette that I’ve been hunting down for months! Oh yes my precious, come to momma!
VDL Mule Face Correcting Palette – SGD$69
I say…
Background information: MULE was created by (and named after) famous Korean makeup artist Jung Saem Mool who does makeup for Kpop celebs such as MissA, Lee Hyori, Kara and more. This was done in collaboration with LG Household & Healthcare division (which has brands such as The History of Whoo, ISAKNOX, The Face Shop, belif, VDL, etc), which means it has the expertise and experience in creating makeup/skincare items. I’ve been hunting down MULE for a long time, but was unable to do so because: a) there’s no standalone store/ beauty counter (that I could find), b) there’s limited items available for sale online through Qoo10 and Gmarket. But now, it’s finally been amalgamated under the VDL brand into VDL Mule (or VDL x MULE), so yessssssssssss I finally have my grubby paws on it!
The Packaging: It’s a black rectangular plastic compact with a magnetic closure and an inbuilt mirror. The compact itself is slightly larger-than-average, measuring in at 8.5cm x 7.5cm x 3.3cm. Inside, you have 3 separate areas (kinda like a canteen tray). There’s concealer (for pesky spots), eye brightener (for undereye brightening), and the foundation is on the “main area” (which is dispensed by pressing the button. The foundation can be spread out on the “main” area so that your sponge doesn’t pick up makeup in a giant blob and lead to uneven application on the face. It also comes with a black sponge (measuring 5.6cm x 3.5cm) for foundation application (I’d recommend applying the concealer and eye brightener with either a finger or a brush).
The Texture:
- Concealer: It’s rather thick and hard to blend in, so you must be careful when applying this. I pick it up with a finger (it takes a while to “warm up” the concealer so that it can be picked up with your finger), and dab very sparingly onto spots / blemishes. It does give very good coverage (it completely covered this giant mountain of a zit) and is barely discernible if you only apply one layer – just tap tap tap onto the targeted area. Any more than that, and it’ll cake. I would not recommend this for under-eye coverage because it will drag on the skin and is really tough to blend in.
- Eye Brightener: This performs much better than the Concealer – it’s much easier to “warm up” and pick up with a finger, and blends easily. Even though it comes across slightly pinkish in the tray, it actually applies as a light natural beige and can neutralise the darkness / purple tones of dark eye circles. The consistency is more hydrating than the Concealer, and is also lightweight (really similar to one of my former favourites, the Laneige Dark Circle Concealer Kit). Again, try to go easy on the application – 1 layer covers dark circles easily, and it might cake if you go 2 layers or more.
- Foundation: This is the most buildable of the trio – it’s smooth and easy to blend, and hydrates the skin as well. There’s a very slightly powdery scent to it, but you’ll need to really make an effort to sniff in order to catch it. It gives good coverage (7.7/10) and can cover my dark eye circles, brighten up the overall look and give a smooth skin illusion. The finish is more matte than glow (about 7:3 in a matte:glow ratio), and has a semi powdery finish (once you set it into the skin). Note that if you’re having flakey/dry skin, I’d suggest applying some hydrating moisturising / facial mist to prime the skin before applying this, cos the semi-powdery finish can draw unwanted attention to the flakey bits.
- Beauty Tip: Apply the Eye Brightener before the Foundation to get a longer-lasting, less cakey-looking finish under the eyes. Same goes for the Concealer on pesky spots too.
The Wear Time: I’m pretty impressed with this – it can go a good 5-6 hours before pulling a Copperfield, and even then, it doesn’t leave the icky bits of oxidised spots – instead, it sort of melts away. The oil control is also rather good, with the sebum forces making headway past the defences at around the 6-hour mark (particularly visible around the corners of the nose).
The Verdict: It’s totes worth the moneh (and my 1-year-long search for this!). Yes, the texture of the concealer may not be as smooth as I’m used it, but it does prevent me from being too heavy-handed. The Eye Brightener does a great job of living up to its name, and the Foundation lasts pretty long and is buildable (so it doesn’t cake). The all-in-one palette is great for carrying around for a full-face touch-up, or when I want to transform myself into a semblance of a human being (from my Stuck-At-Desk-All-Day shitface).
— Available now at all VDL outlets in Singapore. —
