Shiseido Radiant Lifting Foundation : A liquid foundation with anti-aging benefits

There are a couple of new foundations making their rounds this year, and one of them is the Shiseido Radiant Lifting Foundation. A new addition to the Shiseido foundation range, this foundation boasts anti-aging skincare benefits while giving your skin a radiant, youthful glow.

When I see things like “radiant youthful glow” and “more lifted appearance” and “anti-age”, something tells me that this foundation isn’t one for just anyone 🙂 I would put this foundation as targeted more towards someone who has the problems they hope to address i.e. slightly older women. It promises give a soft focus effect and luminosity to hide wrinkles and fine lines and just make you look younger.

Also, the texture is a little heavier and it claims to be more moisturising to skin, which again is something that older skin will appreciate more. If you have young skin, you may find the product too oily for you and anyone who has oily skin will not appreciate anymore shine, no matter whether it is cloaked in words like “luminosity” and “glow” 😉 So young ‘uns, you can stand down now LOL! 😉

I do have slightly drier skin and I quite like the texture of the foundation. The good thing about it is that is quite moisturizing, and I don’t have a problem with it accentuating any flakiness, or fine lines. It simply glides over skin, offering good coverage and is very comfortable. I do have one niggling problem however.

My problem is that I found this foundation had a tendency to oxidise on my skin.

If you want to try this one, I will suggest that you try to get a sample, or at least sample 2 shades – one, the shade you normally wear or are matched too off hand, and one more a shade lighter. Get a stripe swiped down the side of your jawline, go and take a walk for about an hour, and then check in the mirror to see which side looks better on you.

My problem is that I took this in I00 (Very light Ivory) which is the lightest shade in the whole line. It is the same shade that I wear in the Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation and in that one, it remains a perfect match all day long without turning. With the Radiant Lifting foundation, I found that no matter how thin a layer I apply, it did have a tendency to turn about half a shade darker.

The first time I wore this, I was quite liberal in application, and about 2 hours into the day, I got my sister asking me why I was looking so tanned. It was quite puzzling, but I had a suspicion, so I took a piece of wet wipe and wiped a line down my cheek. The difference in skin tone was noticeable, and that was how I realised it had oxidised.

The next time I used it, I made sure I only applied a very thin layer on my skin and I managed to get away without the oxidization being too prominent. Wearing a primer helps some, but I don’t always do. The problem with this, is that I can’t use it as a concealer as I normally would, doubling up over areas that need more coverage. The coverage in this one is very good, if I don’t say so myself, and because it feels so comfortable, without once feeling oily throughout the day, I would have loved to just wear this without adding on a separate concealer. But I can’t do that.

Oxidizing aside, the texture is very good. It feels creamy to the touch and coverage is quite impressive. Because I tend to use so little, I only use about half a pump each time.

I also find that this is one product that is best applied using fingers. I tried to use the Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush, but found that it applies too much each time. With fingers, I get a much thinner layer on my skin and it feels more comfortable, somehow. As for the radiance and soft glow effect, I don’t notice it per se. It maybe because I experience oxidization.

Here is the swatch of this foundation in comparison with a couple of other foundations that I wear that match my skin tone.

(1) RMK Liquid Foundation #201 (2) Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua liquid foundation B10 (3) Shiseido Radiant Lifting Foundation I00 (4) Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation I00

For some reason, 3 and 4 look different but are in fact quite similar in tone when I swatch it right out of the tube. With the Perfect Refining Foundation, I do have to shake it up to ensure that it is properly mixed up while I don’t have that problem with the Radiant Lifting Foundation.

RMK dries down much more matte compared to the others, and like the Chanel, is more liquid. The two Shiseido foundations have a more dewy, creamy finish.

Here is the before/after on skin.

 Left: Before – clean skin with just skincare and sunscreen Right: With Shiseido Radiant Lifting Foundation I00

I applied the foundation here in just a very thin layer. I pump half a pump on the back of my hand, spread it out with my fingers and then draw stripes on my face and blend. The foundation takes care of redness and smooths and evens out skin tone. Despite being billed as a full coverage foundation, it does not cover up my pigmentation. If I layer the product on, it will but I risk having a patch of different coloured skin. So I go back to a regular concealer to do the job.

As far as foundations go, I think that for someone who has more matured or drier skin, then this foundation is one you can take a look at. I like how it just glides on my skin and how comfortable it feels all day. I spoke to a couple of people who have nothing but raves for this product and for whom oxidization wasn’t an issue. This is why I say to test this foundation in 2 shades – one your normal shade, and one a shade lighter to see if it might react on you.

When I get the formula and application right, I do like this foundation a lot. But its always a bit of a gamble and so, if I want to put my best face forward, I can’t rely on this one. I will instead go for its sister, the Perfect Refining Foundation which my skin seems to like better 🙂

In a nutshell

The Shiseido Radiant Lifting Foundation is a foundation that combines anti-aging skincare benefits, while adding a glow and luminosity to the skin. The product pumps out of a plastic bottle and has a very lovely creamy texture. Coverage is good, and it isn’t drying on skin at all. I find that applying a very thin layer with fingers is the best way to apply this product, as the result is a more natural finish. I experienced some oxidization as the day wears on, so I will advise you to try this in 2 shades, just in case it happens to you too. As I’m already using I00 which is the lightest shade available, I can’t go any lower 😛 But if you get the right shade, I think this a good foundation, that looks natural, gives good coverage and is very comfortable to wear.

Pros: Not heavy on skin, Creamy texture is very comfortable, Good coverage, Best applied with fingers for a very thin layer on skin

Cons: Oxidized on my skin, Pricey

Who will like this: Anyone who wants a more full coverage liquid foundation without a heavy texture, Anyone who wants to diffuse their skin imperfections

Here is the ingredient list.

Does this liquid foundation catch your fancy? Do you wear liquid foundation?

There are so many in the market these days that its hard to navigate the labyrinth. I was never a liquid foundation wearer because they used to be so heavy on skin. But in recent times, the new formulas are now much more comfortable to wear and I find that they last longer on my skin than powder foundation. I like everything about this foundation except the fact it oxidised. I don’t know why it happened but a light layer does help with that issue 🙂

Paris B

Shiseido Radiant Lifting Foundation Price: RM150/30ml Availability: Shiseido counters