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| Shu Uemura Under base mousse: (L) beige (R) pink |
I don't get it... I don't get it... I just don't get it...
This SPF-containing mousse-based primer is definitely one of the more "iconic" of Shu Uemura products.
But I don't get it.
It's weird. It's mousse-y. It takes quite a bit of getting used to to work with (for the record, I dispense approximately a walnut-shaped size of this onto the back of my hand, then I work it into my face quickly with my other hand. It takes a while of using it to figure how much to use and how much to dispense).
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| Just about the right amount for me... |
It's supposed to be used as a makeup primer, on top of your moisturiser, underneath your foundation. It's supposed to gives your skin a glow.
It does give your skin a very slight glow. While mattifying the skin. Which is in and of itself an interesting achievement, actually.
It does prolong the life of your makeup a teeny tiny bit (and all the better if you're using a Shu Uemura foundation like this one on top of it; certain brands' products seem to work best with their own products and this is definitely true of Shu Uemura)... I mean, if you squint a bit and look sideways at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day.
It doesn't particularly help your foundation to glide on better, as a lot of other primers do.
I use the beige one - both beige and pink are available in Ireland. Beige works fine for neutral-yellow undertones (this is the one I use). Very pink undertones will find that the pink one suits best. This also now comes in the newly released Tsuya version (see here for a review of the serum from this mini-range).
Shu Uemura claim that this is a "weightless formula that evens out skin tone and texture, reduces redness, minimizes pores". Nah. I can't honestly see that it lives up to those claims. On the other hand, sure it certainly is very lightweight. You really don't feel it on the skin, and it hasn't caused my skin to feel dry or tight either. For all that, it's not really great on dry or very dry skins.
It definitely has a ramp-up time associated with learning how to use it. Shu Uemura recommend using a sponge to apply - I don't. It dries pretty quickly y'see, so you need to whack it on toot sweet with your grimy mitts and not be messin' around with it.
This has an SFP of 30. Worn under foundation, or on its own, it causes flashback. That's fine; flashback isn't a huge deal, we're not all heading out in the mornings waiting to be papped by multiple flashbulbs. But just be aware of it.
It contains talc, silica, silicones, alcohol, sodium hyaluronate, titanium dioxide, mica.
As an SPF alternative to something heavier (like this one which I mainly use, but which is quite a thick greasy formula), the Shu is great. As a primer; to prolong makeup or help it glide on or help even-out fine lines, or disguise larger pores, nah, I'll pass...