Mini-San San haul and Review

I'm no brand snob, and even if I do like to splurge on more high-end beauty products whenever I can, I still actively seek for cheaper dupes or alternatives. A girl's got to be practical sometimes, right? So last week, I hopped over to my nearest HBC and decided to try out a few more products from San San. This isn't my first time purchasing anything San San as I previously bought one of their concealers which I still use and love!

I settled for three items: their Matte Finish Liquid Foundation, Blush On (with Age Defense), and 2-Way Cake pressed powder.

I'll be making a quick summary for each item at the end of the entry, so click below to read more!

For their blush, I got shade 03 which I believe is their 'pinkest' or only pink shade as all the others I saw were either more peachy or neutral in color. I like how it has added SPF, which isn't common in a lot of blushes actually, as well as vitamins to nourish and aid your skin at the same time. The packaging, though clearly cheaply produced, feels surprisingly sturdy and it closes securely so I think this is also safe to tote around with you in your bag.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of very light or bold pink blushes and this is more of a mauve shade which I like. It's also difficult to tell from the picture, but the blush does have shimmer/glitter in it!

Though I love the color of the 2-way cake powder's packaging, it doesn't seem as sturdy as the blush's. However, like the blush, aside from it also having added SPF and vitamins, it does manage to close securely and with that satisfying 'snap' so I believe it's travel-friendly as well!

The compact has a decent sized mirror and is double layered. Underneath the powder is where the sponge it comes with is housed, but I quickly threw it away since it was pretty much useless! Whether dry or damp, it was hardly able to apply the product, much less apply it evenly, and makes a horrible 'squeaky' noise when you slide it against your skin. Think of the sound when you run your finger against a very clean plate. Yes, that kind of squeaking!

The powder itself is very fine, though quite chalky in texture, and since it was white I assumed this was a translucent powder which I can use for setting my makeup or for retouches, but I was wrong! Pictures and explanations why at the end of the entry.

The liquid foundation is housed in a thick, frosted glass bottle and despite not being travel-friendly, I certainly won't risk breaking this by throwing it into my makeup kit, I still find it very elegant looking.

I got shade 02, on recommendation by the SA, which is their lightest shade. The next shade did seem a little bit too dark for me already anyway.

There's no convenient pump with this foundation, but it does come with a spatula which by the way, should not be used to apply the foundation directly to the skin! It's best to use it to apply onto the back of your hand first, then use a brush or your fingers to work from there.

First applied, then semi-blended out. The consistency is very smooth and neither too thick nor too runny, making it easy to spread and blend out onto your skin.

Obligatory bare face! What I try to cover up are my large pores, acne/acne marks, and other visible blemishes such as dark spots, etc. Of course, I also seek to even out my skin tone since my cheeks and the immediate area around my nose can get red.

After applying the foundation to my face and set with powder (namely Revlon PhotoReady pressed powder in 020 Light/Medium) As you can see, it makes my skin look a bit dewey, and this is already after I applied powder. Prior to setting my makeup, it was so 'dewey' in appearance that it made me look oily! Yes, this is supposed to have a "matte finish", but it just ended up looking very oily so I had top it off with more powder than usual.

Coverage wise however, it's quite good. At the very least my pores are minimized or 'blurred out', as I like to say, and gives full coverage like most foundations. It's not very build-able though and you easily run the risk of it looking cakey. I also recommend moisturizing very well prior to application, especially if you have naturally dry skin, because it can emphasize or produce dry spots/patches!

This is how the powder looks applied onto the back of my hand. See how with the powder it just makes my hand look ghastly white even after proper blending? It did the same to my face!

Another picture just to show how the Blush On looks on me. I love how it gives a very natural and not too pinky looking flush, similar to my Krave Blush Crush (review here).

Summary
San San Blush On with Age Defense: As I've already mentioned, I love the shade of this particular blush and my only complaint would be staying power. By the middle of the day, especially if it's hot and you get sweaty, it fades considerably and I find I have to touch it up at least once a day when using this. It also 'crumbles' very easily in the pot when you swipe your brush against it and can create a bit of a mess. Need to point out it also has light shimmer in it, in case you're not a fan of sparkles on your face! I, personally, don't mind however.

San San 2-Way Cake: I felt like I was applying baby powder to my face with this. It's terrible overall as it emphasizes dry spots/patches, has zero oil control, and unless you have a porcelain white like skin tone, it makes your face look ghostly white, so no, it's not translucent at all! I used this once and am regrettably never using it again.

San San Matte Finish Liquid Foundation: I had a mixed reaction to this product. I do like the coverage it gives, but it cakes up easily so it's not very build-able, and its claim of having a 'matte finish' is frankly untrue because it was very dewey and just made my entire face look oily. Even my usually dry cheeks! A good amount of powder is needed to counteract this, and I do not recommend this product if you already have oily skin to begin with. At the same time, if you have dry skin (like I do on my cheeks), still make sure to moisturize well because once you add powder, it seems to do something to the foundation and your dry spots/patches are suddenly emphasized. Strange, I know! Perhaps it's my temperamental skin and how the foundation reacts to it, but this was my experience. Lastly, shade 01 is actually too fair for me. If I don't top it off with a powder that's one or two shades darker than my natural skin tone, it looks like I lightly applied white face paint! However, I am planning to get shade 02 from this same line in order to mix both together when applying so I can hopefully get the perfect shade for me.

Prices: San San Blush On with Age Defense (PHP101.00), San San 2-Way Cake (PHP135.00), Matte Finish Liquid Foundation (PHP132.00), Purchased from: HBC (TriNoma)

HBC official website: http://www.hbc.com.ph/
HBC official twitter: https://twitter.com/tweet_hbc
HBC official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myHBC?ref=nf

Phew! Sorry if this entry was quite long, guys, but I hope you enjoyed reading nonetheless!