Regular readers may recall that last week I was invited to go back to the newly launched Japonesque Concession in John Lewis to get a little more familiar with their cosmetics line.
As I had a prior engagement on Thursday evening which would involve copious amounts of non-alcoholic beverages *COUGH* and a very late night (gone 1am), I thought this could be a great opportunity to not only try out a new look, but also to test the staying power of the line.
I have to say that my make-over was wonderful. I swooned over more of the collection and walked away with even more goodies which leads me on to the purpose of this review. The Japonesque Luminous Foundation, which has to be one of the best I've ever tried!
I shall elaborate, firstly it should be noted I hate looking cakey which is why I tend to stick to tinted moisturisers. I love a natural finish and most of the foundations I've tried feel heavy or just don't quite match my skin leaving me with a lovely Simpons-esque yellow tinge. I'm quite pale in all honesty so trying a new foundation is often a daunting experience and normally results in the product being binned as I'm never going to use it again.
The next morning I gave this a go on my own; this means no special tools or fancy store lighting to lure me in, and I was still just as impressed, if not more so the next day. I reckon the colour match is spot on and it blends really well with my own natural colouring.
So, first things first. The product itself comes with a pump applicator which is always a plus as it means minimal waste.
The product is quite light in texture as well which made it really easy to blend. I just popped one and a half pumps on the back of my hand (more than enough for the entire face plus a wee bit to spare) and applied with a foundation brush. I found the formula to be so light that I took it right under the eye and onto the eye lid.
I would say the coverage of this is light to medium and can certainly be built upon if you prefer something that's a little fuller. This does leave a dewy glowing finish so if you prefer a more matte look, you may need to finish this off with some powder.
As I've said the texture is incredibly light and I didn't feel as though I was wearing any make-up at all, in fact on the face I felt as though I was wearing a tinted moisturiser as per normal which is great. Even Ad commented that it didn't look like I was smothered in make-up and my skin looked very natural which is saying something.
Over the course of the day I didn't feel the need to reapply the product as it seemed to have stayed put and at the end of the day, my skin didn't feel tight or dry.
To give you an idea I've done some before and after shots. I've not applied any other make-up apart from the Luminous Foundation so there's no concealer covering any marks or dark circles! I think that my skin just looks as though it's been airbrushed and the foundation is barely noticeable which is certainly up my street.
Before
After
I reckon that the Japonesque Luminous Foundation ('JLF') is incredibly similar to the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (I'd even go so far as to say this is a dupe!). The main difference between the two is that the JLF has a slightly thicker consistency. In terms of coverage and staying power, I reckon these two are pretty evenly matched so if you're an Armani fan looking for a more reasonable alternative then I'd definitely recommend giving Japonesque a go!
I cannot even begin to convey how impressed I am. Whilst applying it in the bedroom I just kept remarking on how quickly this blended in, becoming almost invisible in the process. This is certainly going to be a new staple in my collection.
If you're interested in picking some up for yourself the range is available in 10 shades, each priced at £24 and is currently only available from John Lewis directly (I've popped a link for you
HERE). I was colour matched as Shade 03, so if you're paler than me you may just be in luck!
Have you discovered any new make-up products lately that you can't stop raving about?
