REVIEW: AVON Ideal Luminous Invisible Coverage Liquid Foundation SPF 15/ PA++

Hi everyone!

So  here I am...alone and bored! Hahha... My bf is out on work so I'm here trying my best to get something out of my brain. I really gotta do more posts..right? I wonder how other bloggers do more than one two posts a week while maintaining an 8 hour job. Anyway, I can do this!! I should motivate mysefl!! Yeah!

Alright! So, today, I am reviewing this foundation form Avon that I got for free from a makeup session with AVON. I also got other stuff and I am going to blog some of them in my next posts. 

I am quite excited about this foundation because when I swatched it during the event, it was very light yet gave a good amount of coverage. So after trying it out for a few weeks, here's what I think about it. :)

Product Name: Ideal Luminuous Invisible Liquid Foundation SPF 15/ PA++

Price: P499, sometimes you can get it on sale for P299  (As for me, I got it for free as mentioned)

Where: Avon or contact an Avon lady.

Amount: 30g

Shade: Nude

It came in a small tube/bottle. 

To get the product out, you need to squeeze the bottle.

Swatches:

At first, I thought the color of the product will not suit me at all because it looked grayish. But it looked nice after it was blended out.

Let's test drive this baby!

Of course, no foundation review is complete without me showing my bare face. And of course to minimize the (unpleasant) impact, I filled in my brows. 

As usual, my skin is dry and dull looking. 

MAC's NW 30 is a perfect match for me.

I started with a three to four drops of the product. It is a little thick but I felt like the coverage is sheer so I had to put more product.

As you can see, the finish is also very natural. It was very easy to blend and does not cake easily. It also has a dewy finish but it does not feel oily on my skin. It actually made my skin very smooth and it smells like very "fruity" which is quite different from other foundations that I have tried. 

 It does have a little bit of white cast so remember to blend it on the neck as well.

Can you see the difference? It evened out my skin tone but I think I need to apply concealer to brighten up my undereye area.

My thoughts:

Packaging:

Since it is in a plastic tube/bottle, I think it is quite handy and very travel friendly. It is quite small so it does not take up too much space. Another thing is that it is also quite hygienic because you have to squeeze the product out  and it is also easy to control how much product you want and it is also less messy.

Formula:

The foundation is very smooth and a creamy yet, it is so lightweight and thin. It made my skin feel soft and smooth after applying it. I have dry skin so it really moisturizes my skin making it feel less dry.The smell! Oh!! The smell! I really love the smell. If you are into "fruity" smell, you will love this product. The formulation is quite good, I love how it is really "invisible" and looks natural. It give light to medium coverage and is very easy to blend. You can use either your fingers or your brush with this. It does have a dewy finish and in my case, I like dabbing powder on my T-zone whenever I use this.  

Lasting Power:

Though it is so lightweight, it can last up to 4 hours under humid weather. It really sticks to the skin making it last longer than other thicker foundations. If you work in a non-airconditioned area, then I think you have to apply your powder after 3-4 hours depending on how oily your skin can get. In my case, this can last up to 6 hours on me with minimal touch up like powdering my nose area. But of course, if you plan to go out and party then I suggest using a primer or a setting spray.

Affordability/Availability:

If you know an Avon lady, then it is easy to get this product. It usually costs P499 which is an okay price but make sure to look out for sales because it can retail to only P299. Either way, unless you pay cash, Avon products paid after a month so you still have one month to save on this. 

Overall

What I like:

- the finish is very natural

-has a really good smell

-lasts 4 to 6 hours

- gives a light to medium coverage

-great for everyday

-super easy to blend

-great for those with dry skin

-feels light on the skin

Some Issue:

-I think this only comes in two to three shades so it might not suit other skin colors (especially darker ones)

-has a dewy finish

-gives a little white cast

- light to medium coverage so more concealing is needed if you have more blemishes

All in all, I love this product. It is great for everyday or on days when you're in a hurry. I recommend this to girls who have dry skin (like me!). I'm sure students, and those who don't like putting on too much makeup will love this product too! I will surely buy this again when I run out. 

So what did you think of my review? Please do comment below! I would love to read your thoughts!

Take care!

-maia

REVIEW: SAN SAN MATTE FINISH LIQUID FOUNDATION

HELLO EVERYONE!!

I have been trying out foundations from local brands here in the Philippines but so far only two has stood out. One is a cake foundation from Pinkies Collection and the San San Matte Finish Liquid Foundation. However, there is no Pinkies Collection here in Iloilo so I was not able to repurchase one. HBC can be found in almost all department stores here. I have been reading a lot of reviews about this foundation for a long time and there were some who liked it and some who don't. If you have seen my videos, you will see that I have been using this foundation and I guess, it is about time that I do a review on it, so here it goes:

PRODUCT INFO:

NAME: SAN SAN MATTE FINISH LIQUID FOUNDATION

SHADE: #3 (Shades are available from 1-4)

PRICE: P132.00  (US$ 2-3)

AMOUNT: 30ML

WHERE TO BUY: HBC STORES

It comes in a glass bottle with a blue twistable cap.

INGREDIENTS:

 The cap is attached to a small spatula so that it will be easier to scrape the product inside.

The formula is quite liquidy but thick.

This is how it looks like when blended and with flash. Quite scary!!

When blended, without flash.

 Me: 

Problem areas:

-Uneven skintone

- Dull skin

-some scarring from my pimples

Skin type:

Normal to Dry skin

I applied some on the right side of my face first. The formula itself is quite liquidy so I have to use a lot of product to cover my whole face. It smells like coconut.

I used  my Beauty Cosmetics Flat Top brush to blend the product. It was not difficult to blend since the formula is not thick and does not dry easily. As you can see, it did brighten my face and evened out my skintone. It also felt a little oily and I can really feel that I have product on my face.

 As you can see, though it claimed to give a matte finish, it is NOT matte. It gives a very dewy finish.

I dont like the finish so I always set it with a setting powder. Here I used  a small amount Bench loose powder and dusted it on my face using a  large powder brush.

 As you cans see, it looks way better when set with powder and  has no white cast.

It does not cover my large pores though.

My overall thoughts:

Packaging:

It does not come in cheap looking bottle so it is a plus, however I would have preferred a pump bottle for hygienic purposes.

Affordability/availability:

HBC stores can be found almost anywhere in the Philippines but shade 3 which is my shade gets sold out a lot so I usually buy two or three at a time. It is quite cheap!

Formulation:

Though it says it is a matte finish foundation, it is NOT a matte finish foundation! It is oily and has to be set with powder. It is easy to blend though and I could say that it gives a light to medium coverage depending on your skin condition. However, a bottle will only last me for 1-2 months since I use it at least 5 times a week since I have to use quite a lot of product. 

Lasting power:

It does last on my normal to dry skin type.
If used with primer/ setting spray, it can last up to 6 to 8 hours without retouching and I kind of notice that my t-zone is not that oily. Without primer/setting spray and just setting powder, the product itself is still there but  I  do notice that my T-zone becomes shiny after about 4 hours (of course it depends on the weather) so I have to retouch with a light dust of powder or blot with an oil control film.

Color Range:

With only four shades, I was quite lucky that it matches my skintone. They should have more colors to suit a lot of women. But, since it is quite cheap, you can buy two and just mix to get your desired shade.

What I like:

-Cheap

-No pungent smell

-matches my skintone

- has little to no white cast 

-blendable and offers good coverage

- good for those with dry skin

-did not irritate my skin or gave me breakouts

What others may not like:

- You have to use a lot of product so you might be repurchasing again after 1 to 2 months

-The spatula is not hygienic.

-Gives a dewy finish so you have to use a setting powder 

-might not be good for those with oily skin

Recommendations:

-Make sure to set with powder.

- Use a small amount first then blend. Continue layering the product until you get the desired result.

- Use a sponge to apply your setting powder then brush the excess using your powder brush. This will make your setting powder stick better to your skin.
- Since it is summer and the product can be quite oily, I mix it my water-based moisturizer and I feel that it makes my foundation less oily but the coverage is still there and I do not have to use a lot of setting powder to set it. 

  Though I have used other foundations in the past, I still keep on coming back to this. I have been using this on and off for more than a year now and I love it. It is quite cheap so I don't feel bad about using it on a daily basis.

Here is my before and after picture: