Best Things in Beauty : Maquillage Lasting Stick Foundation UV

For the past few years, I have used mainly powder foundations as I find these the quickest and easiest to apply, especially given that I'm usually short of time in the morning before work. I have also tried numerous brands of liquid and cream foundations but found few that could last well on my oily, acne-prone skin in Singapore's hot and humid weather. When Shiseido provided their new Maquillage Lasting Stick Foundation UV for me to review, I was curious to see how it would perform on my skin as I have actually never tried stick foundations before, primarily because stick foundations usually feel hard, heavy (i.e. prone to clog pores) and not as easy to blend.

The Maquillage Lasting Stick Foundation UV is supposed to provide up to eight hours of wear, conceal pores and skin unevenness. It contains SPF24 and PA++ as well as moisturising ingredients such as hyaluronic acid. It comes in a sleek metal tube which makes it very convenient for travel or touch-ups on the go. In Singapore, it retails at S$76 for 11g of product.

I usually wear OC10 (Ochre) for Shiseido and other Japanese brand foundations but for the Lasting Stick Foundation, I was matched to PO10 (Pink Ochre), which turned out to be perfect for me. Japanese foundations usually come in OC (Ochre), BO (Beige Ochre) and PO (Pink Ochre) shades. OC is neutral, BO is more yellow-toned while PO are more pink toned.

For me, a good foundation is one that helps to reduce the appearance of my pores, does not oxidise and change colour and also helps to control oil without making me break out. The first time that I tried out the Lasting Stick Foundation, it was a mini disaster because I applied the foundation in stripes across my face and then took some photos. After putting down the camera, I realised that the foundation had already set somewhat which made blending it out difficult! Nevertheless, I was impressed by how smoothly the foundation applies. It literally glides onto the skin, turns into a powdery finish and does not feel greasy or heavy at all.

The instructions on the box recommend applying the foundation in stripes across the forehead and cheeks and then blending it out with one's fingers or sponge. However, after experimented with the foundation at least six times now (the pic below shows how much I've used it over the past week), I've found that it works better for me to dab a bit of the foundation onto my fingertip, dot that on and then blend it out, working area by area so that the foundation does not set before I get around to blending it out.

For the smaller pores on my forehead and beside my nose, the foundation covers them up almost completely. For the larger pores and acne scars on my cheeks, it takes a bit more massaging and blending with my fingertip to achieve a more even finish. These larger pores and acne scars are by no means eliminated but their appearance is significantly reduced. Aside from the excellent coverage of my pores, I was also impressed by the good oil control power. After setting the foundation with loose powder, I only had to blot about every two to three hours, whereas with other foundations, I can be blotting as often as once per hour. There was also no oxidisation even after 10 hours of wear.

Overall, I liked the Lasting Stick Foundation very much for the lovely smooth finish, ability to conceal pores and long-lasting nature. It does take a bit more time and effort to apply and blend, compared to powder foundations, but the end result is totally worth it. If you have access to a Maquillage counter, I highly recommend checking it out in person first before investing in it as foundations are very subjective and what works well for me may not necessarily work well for you. It's also better to get matched to the right shade in person.