Za True White Plus Liquid Foundation SPF 25 PA ++ Review

Hi IMBBians!

It was my dream to indulge my senses into Asian beauty products because they are known for their skin conditioning properties and effective ingredient. And, since Za (pronounced zi : ei ) is the sister brand of Shiseido, I decided to try out their new liquid foundation that they recently launched in the Indian markets.

Product Description:
Spotless Brightening Powder and Poreless Powder create Pearly White Skin. Contains Vitamins C & E derivatives, minerals and hyaluronic acid for skincare. Its base formula leaves skin feeling satiny, smooth and bright.

Claims:
Radiance, Clarity x Brightening effect, With Bright White Complex containing Spotless Brightening Powder and Poreless Powder, Satiny feel with aqua touch base formula , Long lasting effect , Contains skincare ingredients , vitamins C & E, minerals , and hyaluronic acid.

Ingredients:
Water, Cyclomethicone , Titanium dioxide (yaay physical sunscreen detected), Butylene glycol , Polymethysilsesquioxane , Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate , Diphenylsiloxy phenyl trimethicone , PEG-10 Dimethicone , Bis-Butyl dimethicone polyglyceryl-3 ,Sorbitan sesquiisostearate , Disteardimonium hectorite, Dimethicone/ Vinyl dimethicone , Crosspolymer , Trimethyl siloxysilicate, Ascorbyl glucoside , Tocopheryl acetate , Calcium chloride , Magnesium chloride , Sodium hyaluronate (Hyaluronic acid) , Aluminium hydroxide, Aluminium distearate , Trisodium EDTA , Alumina , Triethoxycaprylylsilane , Glycerin , Sodium citrate , polysilicone -2 ,Dimethicone , Citric acid (Vitamin C) , potassium hydroxide , BHT, Tocopherol , Phenoxyethanol , Sodium dehydroacetate , Fragrance , iron oxide , Mica.

Price:
INR 950. But, I managed to get it online for INR 750 only.

Quantity:
30 ml or 1 fl oz

My Experience with Za True White Plus Liquid Foundation SPF 25 PA ++:

This baby comes in a sleek glass bottle packaging. Oh yes, I said glass! Careful there, Miss Butterfingers!! 😛 So, the bottle comes with a silver cap and also a pump. When I held the glass bottle against sunlight, it gave off a pearlescent tint which is probably the work of ingredients that promise to give you the pearly glow. The word ‘pearly’ had got me, hook line and sinker, in for this foundation, and well, can you really blame me for that! 😛

I had read really good reviews about this foundation. Another reason why this review is important is because I went crazy looking for swatches on the internet to determine my shade, however, the swatches varied a lot. And, I finally zeroed in on the darkest shade available, which suits medium skin tones, OC 30. They should launch more shades for beauties who are on the dusky side, but then this company caters primarily to Asians within the light to tan skin tone range.

The texture is creamy and moisturising with a lot of skin conditioning ingredients like Bright White Complex (whatever on Earth that is), Hyaluronic Acid (say yes to moisture!), Vitamin C and Vitamin E. The coverage ranges from medium, to slightly buildable. But, since we live in a humid country, I`d really not advise people to layer this moisturizing foundation on for more coverage. Instead, using a concealer is a good idea.

So, is it worth your money?
I`ll be honest. I wanted a foundation that could moisturise my skin, that would give some sun protection to rest my conscience and could give me a glow too. I wash my face repeatedly, thanks to the dust, heat and pollution in my city and on top of that I cannot really use a heavy, drying foundation. This foundation’s only drawback, according to me, is that it oxidises. Therefore, it gets darkened and I should’ve chosen a shade lighter for my skin tone, exactly for this reason.

The undertones are very well organised on the website of the product – OC (for ochre or yellow tones) and PO(for pink undertones). While I chose OC 30 and it suits me fine, really and gives me a nice, hot tan glow, I feel I could’ve gone a shade lighter. That way, even after the shade gets oxidized, it would’ve looked good on me. However, the formula is moisturising and best suited for dry skinned ladies in hot and humid countries. This is not a summer foundation and definitely not an evening wear foundation since it has SPF 25 and that can show a bit in pictures taken with the flash on.

The coverage is best worn as medium as layering it up didn’t work for me. It became too oily on my combination skin. It doesn’t cover major imperfections, so this is not for you if you have a lot of dark spots or problem areas to conceal. This has been compared to Lancome Teint Miracle and named as its cheaper alternative, but I`d suggest that the formula is best suited for people living in colder climates only.

It fulfils some of its claims, though. It gives a satin feel, is light on skin and when washed off, leaves the skin soft. Also, it doesn’t clog my pores and in fact, is extremely gentle on my sensitive skin. However, the finish could’ve been better since it becomes oily after 2 hours of wear in intense heat. I don’t like to always powder my face, so this is a bit of a problem for those who are a swatch-rub-go person, like I am during hectic working hours.

Swatches:

Pros of Za True White Plus Liquid Foundation SPF 25 PA ++:

• Good formula that has a lot of beneficial ingredients.
• Moisturising and gentle on sensitive skin.
• Medium coverage which means no drag queen effect for makeup amateurs.
• Waterproof, to some extent.
• Gives a luminous glow on application and the glow stays for an hour.

Cons of Za True White Plus Liquid Foundation SPF 25 PA ++:

• The glow I spoke about, turns into oil within 2 hours in intense heat. Yikes!
• It is not very long lasting. My Revlon Whipped Cream lasts way longer, but then it’s a full coverage foundation.
• Doesn’t offer a matte finish. Are you surprised? Asian beauty is all about THE GLOW, but they also have cooler climates, not a sheekh-kebab frying weather like ours.
• Buying the shades online is tricky, especially since the foundation oxidises.

So, there you go! I wish the Asian market would launch more of their potions in a bottle in the Indian market, but first they need to customise them according to the Indian climate.

And Shiseido,
What’s up with the insane prices, eh?
*Exeunt Reviewer* ^_^

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