{Makeup Review} Ace of Base

I realized it’s been a while since I last shared my favorite makeup products, and I think it’s about time, don’t you? So here’s the first of a series of Makeup Mondays. Today I’ll talk about my favorite base products.

(1) Hada Labo SHA Hydrating Lotion. One thing I never leave the house without is moisturizer. I’ve been in love with this one ever since I discovered it a couple of years ago, and I’ve influenced my friends Tyne and Drew too. Drew lives in the Manila where this product isn’t sold, but he makes it a point to ask me to buy this for him every time a common friend flies from Singapore to Manila. If that isn’t a testament to how great this product is, then I don’t know what is. I love that it’s so light – it has the look, smell, and consistency of plain water, so it’s not heavy and sticky on the face unlike other moisturizers. After I pat it into my face, it feels so soft and smooth and bouncy like a hard-boiled egg white. Love love love! 🙂  Hada Labo is sold in all Watsons and Guardian outlets.

(2) Shisheido Senka Mineral Water UV Gel Sunscreen (SPF 50). The sun is the #1 cause of skin aging, so I never ever leave the house without sunscreen ever since I hit my late twenties. I discovered this one by accident in Watson’s. Just like #1 above, this is incredibly light and non-sticky and goes on well under makeup. It has a high SPF of 50, too, so you can stay longer under the sun. Exactly what you need if you live in extremely sunny Singapore and commute to work daily, like I do.

(3) Mac Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50. Sometimes I have an event to go to and I know I need my makeup to stay on long because who wants to look haggard in pictures, right? For these moments I use this primer instead of sunscreen because it already has SPF 50. It really works for me. I have combination skin but whenever I use this, my T-zone remains oil-free and makeup doesn’t slide off my face for hours on end. It’s quite pricey but worth using for special occasions. This can be found in Mac stores everywhere.

(4) Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer (SPF 20). This is the most popular tinted moisturizer around. I use it when I want to look au naturel. I love how it gives me a glow that is absent from my dull skin, so my skin looks natural but better. If you have skin that doesn’t need too much coverage, you’ll probably like this. I blogged about it in more detail here. LM can be found in Sephora.

(5) Bio-Essence Bio Multi Effect BB Cream (SPF 25). Just like #4, this creates flawless, natural nude makeup, but has more coverage. The difference between this and LM is that this is BB cream, so it also does other things like repair, whiten, moisturize and nourish skin. It is also a lot cheaper. Like most BB creams, though, it can sometimes make your skin look too ashy if you make a mistake of putting on too much, so you have to be careful to use just the right amount and it looks better when put on with a brush or beautyblender (see #10). Bio-Essence is sold in Watsons and Guardian and a lot of other stores that sell beauty products.

(6) Bourjois 123 Perfect and Healthy Mix Foundation. Celebrity makeup artists tout this brand as a great drugstore foundation, and with good reason. Bourjois has different foundations, but my favorites are the two in the picture – 123 Perfect and Healthy Mix. 123 Perfect has 3 different correcting pigments to conceal imperfections and has the best coverage. Healthy Mix gives you hydrated and luminous skin and has a really fragrant fruity scent. Both products provide good coverage that looks natural and doesn’t give you “pancake face,” lasts for hours (especially if you use primer), and most importantly, for me – does not oxidize. I have acidic skin which means that makeup I put on my face turns darker hours after I put it on (this is called oxidizing), which has always been a problem for me, but this one solved my problem. Bourjois can be found in BHG Tampines and John Little, Plaza Singapura.

(7) Make Up Forever Duo Mat Powder Foundation. I always carry this powder compact around to powder my T-zone when it gets oily, and it’s really good and doesn’t oxidize, too. It’s expensive, though, so once I’ve used it up (which will probably take a long time as I only use it for touch-ups), I’ll be on the lookout for cheaper products that does the trick. (Suggestions welcome!) Makeup Forever can be found in Sephora.

(8) Elf High Definition Powder. High definition powder is a translucent, versatile loose powder that creates a flawless “soft focus” effect to the skin and is put on the skin after everything has been slapped on. This product is famous for being a very cheap duplicate for Makeup Forever’s high definition powder. I love to use it to set whatever liquid base I used for the day. Elf doesn’t really have a permanent store in Singapore that I know of, I found mine in one of those roving sales in the middle of the mall. They’re available online, though.

(9) Real Techniques Core Collection Buffing Brush. I love that I discovered Real Techniques brushes! The face brushes included in the Suesh 16-piece brush set I bought were quite rubbish – they are incredibly bushy and hard to control and I really ought to chuck them out one of these days. But Real Techniques brushes, made by famous Youtube makeup guru Samantha Clapman, aka Pixiwoo, are just perfect. The bristles are soft yet not unruly, so it’s a delight to use. I also love that the names of the brushes are engraved on the handles so you won’t have difficulty identifying what they are supposed to be for. The core collection has the buffing brush which I use to buff powder into my face. Here’s a tip: the core collection set is a lot cheaper online than in stores. They’re S$70+ in stores and only S$30+ online. There’s an international website and a Singapore one as well. You’re welcome.

(10) Beautyblender Ultimate Makeup Sponge Applicator. I discovered this quite by accident in BHG Tampines. I got curious about it so I googled it and found a lot of rave reviews and decided to try it. It’s the best thing I’ve ever used to put on liquid makeup. Nothing compares. This egg-shaped sponge makes my makeup look airbrushed and just like second skin! I really REALLY love it. It’s really expensive, though, and it’s hard to clean, but it’s worth it.

What about you, what base products do you use and love? Have you tried any of the above products?