September 8, 2010

Shiseido Perfect Complexion Kit Review and Swatches

There’s something terribly appealing about flawless skin but I gotta say that the idea of complexion perfection packaged in a neat-o little box for under $50 kinda makes me hyper.

Meet the new Shiseido Perfect Complexion Kit.

Laura Mercier started the flawless box trend but Shiseido steals this show with some pretty incredible offerings in a single box for perfecting your face and getting you looking all kinds of stupid flawless.

You NEED this.

Jump!


A kit full of Shiseido essentials for getting a flawless canvas for makeup!


Let’s take this bad boy apart….

Here’s the deets on what you get!

  • Shiseido Refining Makeup Primer
  • Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer
  • Shiseido The Makeup Lifting Foundation (two shades)
  • Shiseido Translucent Loose Powder
  • Sponge

The set is $44.50 and includes five total products in mini sizes. Honestly, since most of the products are incredibly pigmented I’d say you can get 6 months or so with daily use (if you aren’t a heavy hander with foundation) out of the products included. The sizes are pretty generous particularly for anyone who uses a tiny bit of foundation and doesn’t need a full face’s worth but hey if you run out you can always buy the same products in their larger sizes for full price.

Depending on how you look at it, it’s a good deal or a bad one. Since these are mini sizes it breaks down to around $8.90 per item not counting the sponge. In my opinion not too bad a deal for quality makeup.

So what’s so great about it.

My favorite pieces in the kit were the Shiseido The Makeup Lifting Foundation. Possibly one of the better foundations/bases I’ve tried in a very long time. Considering I’ve given up on foundations in the US this is saying something. I choose the Light Kit which includes Shiseido The Makeup Lifting Foundation in Light Ochre and I20 Natural Light. Neither works well on its own but together they create my perfect shade! I dunno how, I dunno why but for some reason these two shades create a near perfect canvas for my makeup. The formula isn’t incredibly hydrating or moisturizing but feels more rubbery to me which is great as it wears very long sans oxidizing. I personally have a real problem with foundation that oxidizes within hours of application but this seems to stick around around six hours or longer when I set correctly. I blame the formula as it doesn’t run towards being big time creamy or heavily moisturizing so it manages to stick around longer without fully absorbing and disappearing into the skin. It’s pigmented enough to work at full coverage however you would have to layer a fair bit on so it’s best suited for light to medium build up. Once in place it really accentuates my clear skin and creates this beautiful, flawless layer. Dullness disappears and my skin radiates perfection, seriously, this has to be what flawless looks like.

Shiseido Refining Makeup Primer also comes along for the trip in this set. I wasn’t partial to this but I might just blame the longer wear of the foundation on it. Nothing special here and the formula runs a bit thinner in consistency than the foundation but it does make a good, proper moisturizing base for your foundation. I wasn’t really OMG’ing myself over this but it might be combination of this and the translucent setting powder that helped the foundation stick to my face the entire day through.

Shiseido Translucent Loose Powder seems quite nice compared to other settings powder I own of the same nature. It’s much like MUFE HD in the fact that it’s white but applies with a translucent finish. It seems to perfect as well as set makeup so any minor imperfections hanging out on your face are blurred with the help of this.

The item I liked the least was the concealer simply because it was a tad too light but coverage wise it’s quite good. It has a nice creamy formula and plenty of pigmentation to fight even the most pesky of dark circles. Although creamy it does feel a tad drying without proper prepping and priming so definitely be aware for those with dry eyes.

You can see me wearing the foundation, powder, and concealer in this photo. My skin looks quite lively and fresh thanks to the kit.


The kit is only available in light and medium which pretty much coverages a large range of skin tones but still puts anyone with olive or darker skin out of the picture.

It’s available at Sephora for a limited time which kinda stinks as I don’t like the idea of having to purchase two shades of foundation when I run out of these two.

  • Anyone looking for purely perfect skin!
  • Anyone wanting to brighten up dull, tired skin.
  • Anyone wanting a long wearing foundation!

  • Olive or darker skin types (light and medium options make for a difficult time if your skin is darker!).


Overall, I was ecstatic over this set. I think for the most part I was deeply impressed with the Lifting Foundation which really made the entire kit fall into the you NEED this realm for me. I think it’s worth picking up if you’re old foundation isn’t quite doing what it used to and your skin is looking a bit on the tired side and needs a little boast up. I absolutely loved it and think you need to try it out!

Very Muse Approved for purchase!

Available from Sephora.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • yay

    thanks for sharing this info…. i always pass by Shiseido’s counter but never purchase anything….. maybe i’ll give this a try…..

    • the Muse

      hi yay you can try the foundation but this kit isn’t available on counter hun.

  • Heather

    Sad. I have really olive toned skin so this probably wouldn’t work for me! But good review, I would have bought it if not for that.

  • Michelle

    Sorry, maybe I’m just missing it but which swatches are which product? I’ve been eyeing this set but with summer ending, I don’t think my skin will be dark enough 🙁

  • Sarah

    I love Shiseido makeup! I think it is such an underrated brand in western countries. I have been using the Dual Balancing foundation for a few years now and can’t seem to find anything that matches my skin as well. I originally went to the counter because I heard that they did good yellow-based foundations (and was having a lot of trouble finding one, everything I had tried oxidized to pink/orange) and I fell in love. The skincare is also quite nice, although I have moved on like the cosmetic nomad I am.

    • the Muse

      agreed sarah! LOL gosh me too, totally cosmetic nomad 😀 that cracked me up b/c it’s SO me!

  • LorraineER

    Shiseido Dual Balancing liquid foundation is amazing too! It’s really impressive. This kit looks neat but kits like that never seem to work out for me because I’m so pale. I use their shade 100 and it’s perfect but I think it’s the lightest shade they offer.

  • RonyaLii

    So which one would choose if you could buy only one ?
    This one or Laura Mercier flawless face kit ? 🙂

  • Laura

    It looks pretty amazing. I’m NW15 with both warm/cool tones (Nars Sheer Glow Deauville)… do you know much on the difference between light/medium as far as these kits go? I’d love to buy it but don’t want to buy the wrong one. I’ve never tried Shiseido face products (I have a lipstick or two) and am definitely curious! I know in some brands “light” is too light and “medium” is too dark… troubles!

    • the Muse

      laura haven’t since the medium so not sure on the colors sadly. and I’m not too versed on MAC foundation shades however nw15 should maybe fall into the light range?! but don’t quote me here 🙂 it’s cool b/c they include two shades of the foundation one lighter, one darker…neither looked good on me but mixing them created a perfect shade 🙂 you can always return as sephora is super about exchanges!