Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing: This Shiseido Powder Foundation Is Good

Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Custom Finish Powder Foundation has technologies to make it last up to 24 hours.

I don’t typically go for powder foundations, but I am always up for trying something new. After all, you never know when you may strike gold and find a new favorite. Shiseido Synchro Skin is a top rated pressed powder foundation with over 1,000 reviews, giving it a 4.4 star rating on Sephora.com. In fact, 92% of reviewers actually recommend this product! I have to say, I was pretty excited to test this one out.

With powder foundations, some of my concerns are if it will last, will I get oily faster, will my skin look dry? There’s a lot of technology Shiseido infused into their powder foundation to combat these. Though, I had a few of these concerns confirmed while other parts of this Shiseido powder foundation surprised me.

Promises vs. Performance: This Shiseido Powder foundation controls shine for over 8 hours.

Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing makes a ton of bold claims for a powder foundation. For starters, it includes Shiseido’s exclusive ActiveForce technology, which self-refreshes, or protects, your skin nonstop for a flawless finish that doesn’t show the effects of sweat, oil, or face movement. Responsive Sensory Technology adapts to skin’s condition, tone, and texture, while Shiseido Smart Correct Powder enhances skin’s surface texture and tone. Now, Shiseido promises their powder foundation to last up to 24 hours on the skin, with 8 hours of shine control. It is said to be smudgeproof, provide immediate hydration, and custom buildable coverage with a natural finish. You can apply this foundation wet or dry, but you’ll get a creamy texture regardless. Shiseido claims weightless, breathable comfort with a blendable, buildable coverage.

I really wanted to test the wear of this powder on its own, so I skipped primer for this wear test. To apply, I used the sponge Shiseido included. I love testing powder foundations with their included applicator to see how good (or bad!) they may be. The powder went on creamy and effortlessly. I picked up shade Alabaster which ended up being the perfect fair tone for me (it looks lighter in the pan than on the skin). As Shiseido claims, the coverage can be built from sheer to medium. I applied two layers and achieved a light-medium coverage. My only worry at application was that the powder was just kind of sitting on my skin. It didn’t melt and become one with the skin despite it’s creamy texture, and was exaggerating my peach fuzz. It definitely looked like a powder sitting on my skin.

But how does it wear?

As I wore this Shiseido powder foundation, it did melt more into my skin and looked a lot better. I was surprised by the end of the day with how this powder foundation wore. It wore really evenly and my trouble spot, my forehead, looked super good! I didn’t look oily or greasy, but instead just had a really beautiful natural glow. There were some parts of my face that did look a bit drier, mostly around my eyes and smile lines, but I expected that with using a powder base.

Quick Rating Rundown

This Product

(3.9)

:Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation

Price: $45.00

0.31 oz

Value

(4.3)

Application

(4.4)

Coverage

(4)

Texture

(4)

Longevity

(4.3)

Shade Range

(2.5)

Extra Benefits

(4)

MILABU PICKS

(4.5+)

:Best Foundations You Need To Try

Price: $15 – $70

various sizes

Value

(4.5+)

Application

(4.5+)

Coverage

(4.5+)

Texture

(4.5+)

Longevity

(4.5+)

Shade Range

(4.5+)

Extra Benefits

(4.5+)

^{Our Rating Criteria}

How It Compares: Which powder foundation is better?

But, I will leave you with this: I’m not the biggest fan of powder base products on my skin. I feel like they settle into every fine line and can age my skin if applied heavy handed. However, I think Shiseido Synchro Skin is a beautiful powder foundation. I loved the way it wore, especially on my forehead as that is the one area I typically get the most oily. For powder, it wore better than most on my skin and gave me an even coverage that lasted all day. My skin still looked blurred and I still had the same light-medium coverage as when I first applied.

I want to compare this to another pressed powder foundation, Make Up Forever Matte Velvet Skin. The Make Up Forever foundation gave me a little bit more coverage, but I enjoyed the wear of the Shiseido foundation more. Both products beautifully blurred and didn’t look like a powder on the skin. I do think Shiseido Synchro Skin controlled my oil and shine more and had a longer wear than Make Up Forever Matte Velvet Skin.

Which powder foundation is better?

Both of these pressed powder foundations are beautiful formulas with such tiny differences between the two. I think with these it comes down to price, amount of product, and shade range. With the Shiseido powder, you get 9 grams of product for $45 and it comes in 16 shades. With Make Up For Ever’s powder, you get 11 grams of product for $38, and have a much larger shade range to choose from (30 shades).

Milabu Beauty Method: Get a custom coverage with this Shiseido powder foundation.

Want something for those light days just to even out your complexion? Check. What about fuller coverage days for a glam look? This powder foundation can do that too.

First, Prep skin with your morning skincare. I don’t find I need a primer with this foundation. However, those with larger pores or drier skin may benefit from adding a primer underneath. If you’re looking for a good primer that layers well with powder, check out Milk Makeup Hydro Grip ($36).

To apply dry:

1. Taking the included sponge, pick up product out of the compact using the white side of the sponge.
2. Using sweeping motions, apply to your face.
3. To build coverage, repeat steps 2 and 3. You can also use tapping motions to add more coverage in a concentrated area.

To apply wet:

1. Dampen the included sponge, squeezing out any excess water.
2. Using the black side of the sponge, pick up a product out of the compact.
3. Apply to skin by pressing the product in using a patting motion.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to build coverage to desired level.

Tip: Something I like to do when using powder bases is setting with a face spray instead of adding more powder on top. I’ll take a beauty sponge and press the spray into my skin to help the products look less powdery.