Friday, September 26, 2014

Shiseido Cream Concealer; Review & Swatches of Shades

Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer
Price $25 for 10ml
Approx $2.50/ml

Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer is one of the few high-end counter concealers that has a long-wearing, water resistant formula and doesn't tote an overly ridiculous price tag, yet Shiseido Cream Concealer isn't mentioned too often in the beauty world...

On the one hand, I am kind of surprised that more people don't try Shiseido Cream Concealer (or at least discuss it), and on the other hand, I can absolutely see why its such an overlooked product.

For starters, Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer is not a Cream Concealer but any stretch of the imagination. Sure the consistency is thick and cream-like but that's where any similarities end. This may be something that has deterred those with oily or breakout prone skin from trying Shiseido Cream Concealer, the name Cream immediately brings images of an emollient, moisturizing formula to mind and that's a far cry from what Shiseido Cream Concealer actually is.

The first ingredient of Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer is Cyclomethicone which is essentially the commonly used Cyclopentasiloxane but in a larger molecule. Both are obviously silicones and both dry when exposed to air and have some water-resistant properties. Formulas which list this as the first ingredient are often traditional long-wearing concealer or foundation formulas and Shiseido Cream Concealer is no different.

While it does start out creamy and offers plenty of time and slip to blend, once it sets Shiseido Cream Concealer is nearly budge proof due to its ttenaciouslong-wearing formula.
Because of the long-wearing formula, Shiseiso Cream Concealer is ideal for those with acne they wish to cover because of the medium-full coverage that can be easily achieved and the matte finish won't lead to any excess shine. Plus, these types of formulas are more drying than hydrating and are unlikely to clog pores or contribute to breakouts

While those with under eye circles may have some success if they have oily skin, prep well with a moisturizer, or use an emollient foundation under/over their concealer, many people will find that Shiseido Cream Concealer is a bit too drying to use by itself. This is true for most (if not all) long-wearing concealers and the positive aspect of formulas like this is that they're less likely to crease or creep into fine lines.

In many respects, Shiseido Cream Concealer is a solid contestant in the world of long-wearing concealers, but unfortunately, where Shiseido drops the ball is extremely surprising considering its an area they are known for excelling in and that's the range of shades. Unlike all of Shiseido's foundations which come in three undertones (B=Pink, O=Yellow, I=Neutral), Shiseido Cream Concealer is only available in a limited assortment of 8 mediocre shades, (I've included descriptions of each below,) and if you plan to use Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer for anything close to full coverage, you'll want a good match and that may not be possible. If that's the case, consider Mally Conditioning Cancellation Concealer or Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Concealer. Both of those are fabulous Cruelty Free options with performance that rivals Shiseido Cream Concealer any day!



Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer; Review & Swatches of Shades; #1 Light, #2 Light/Medium, #3 Medium, #4 Dark,  #5 Deep,#6 Honey, #2B Light Medium Beige, & #3B Medium Beige:
Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer Swatches of Shades
#1 Light, #2 Light/Medium, #3 Medium, #4 Dark
#5 Deep, #6 Honey, #2B Light/Medium Beige, #3B Medium Beige

As you can see in the picture, the shades are going to be a hit or miss situation for many!

Shades #1 Light, #2 Light/Medium, #3 Medium, #4 Dark, #5 Deep,
Will suit those with fair-deep skin and they are actually semi-decent but not spectacular, especially when you consider that they are intended to be used with any shades from O00/I00-O80/I100.
(The lightest shade) #1 is very light and that and #5 are probably the best shades for their respective skintones since the rest of the shades have an off-shade of beige.

Shade # 6 Honey: 
Is kind of a one of a kind shade of neon orange. I'm not sure if Shiseido planned on using it as a corrector or what, but there's no additional description accompanying it. I actually found that it served as a pigment quite well and I just mixed about .2ml of Honey with 10ml of Shade 1 to get a match for me that was a little more neutral than yellow.

Shades #2B Light Medium Beige, & #3B Medium Beige:
If you typically use Shiseido's B Shade range, then you may be in luck because Shiseido Cream Concealer comes in 2 additional shades just for light-medium skin with pink undertones.



Shiseido Cream Concealer; Review & Swatches of Shades; #1 Light, #2 Light/Medium, #3 Medium, #4 Dark,  #5 Deep,#6 Honey, #2B Light Medium Beige, & #3B Medium Beige:
Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer Swatches of Shades;
#1 Light, #2 Light/Medium, #3 Medium, #4 Dark, 
#5 Deep,#6 Honey, #2B Light Medium Beige, & #3B Medium Beige:


Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer; Review & Swatches of Shades;
Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer Swatches of Shades;
#1 Light, #2 Light/Medium, #3 Medium, #4 Dark, 
#5 Deep,#6 Honey, #2B Light Medium Beige, & #3B Medium Beige:

Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer Review & Swatches of Shades
Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer Swatches of Shades;
#1 Light, #2 Light/Medium, #3 Medium, #4 Dark, 
#5 Deep,#6 Honey, #2B Light Medium Beige, & #3B Medium Beige:
Shiseido Cream Concealer, Natural Finish Swatches of Shades
Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer Swatches of Shades;
#1 Light, #2 Light/Medium, #3 Medium, #4 Dark, 
#5 Deep,#6 Honey, #2B Light Medium Beige, & #3B Medium Beige:

No comments:

Post a Comment

I don't moderate comments before they're posted but I do make it a point to read & respond to every one of them. I LOVE hearing what you guys have to say so thank you for taking the time to let me know what you're thinking!