Saturday, April 1, 2017

Shu Uemura Petal Skin Foundation


Petal Skin Fluid Foundation (S$68) launches today (1 April) in Singapore, and is a welcome addition to Shu Uemura's foundation series. Built around the idea of fresh, smooth "effortlessly radiant" skin that looks like a flower petal, the formula aims to combine semi-matte with semi-glow characteristics in a lightweight, velvety smooth formula that feels comfortable and natural on the skin.

I've been test-trying this for the past few weeks now, and I'll say I love the finish and effect this has on the skin.

When I first saw the name, I expected a lightweight, radiant foundation with very light coverage. The things that surprised me were:
  1. the instant pore blurring effect
  2. how much like real skin it looked
  3. the rather impressive medium coverage despite the light texture
Shu Uemura Petal Skin Foundation before-after: 1 coat

Finish:

My pores instantly looked "filtered" as I rubbed it on. The formula contains a unique volatile fluid that glides over skin and disperses pigments in a thin layer, where they bounce light off in a smooth, even sheet for that smoothed-out effect. It also subtly corrects texture and is not settling into or around pores and fine lines or emphasizing them.

Like the pigments in some of the Lightbulb powders, the ultra-fine reflective powders are also spherical so they don't sit on top of the skin in a matte, cakey layer, but diffuse light so you look "lit from within". I'm endlessly fascinated by formulas that manage to bounce light without making you look shiny or emphasizing all your pores and this one does it very well.

Coverage:

While this doesn't give high coverage like The Lightbulb or Smooth:Fit, it managed to give decent coverage and unify my skin tone quite well. I need less concealer when I use this, but if you have active spots or darker pigmentation to cover,this will not have enough concealing power on its own.

You CAN build this up a bit more, and I did try it with 2 coats (below) for a more perfected look, but I would not advise going any thicker because there's no point in losing that fresh, "my skin but better" effect.

Petal Skin Foundation \: 2 coats 

Lasting Power:

I wore this for full days out, and it holds up beautifully on my normal-ish skin, in humid weather, for about 6 or so hours without any blotting, if I set it with a little loose powder. The formula has been tested in Singapore weather so it is quite humidity- and heat-resistant.