Yes right? Finally, I'm reviewing the whole V-Face line of Maybelline which I showcased here.
Read on for swatches and thoughts.
I first introduced this product in my blog in this post, and I noticed a lot of traffic there so I thought to expound a little more on why I think you should check out this affordable contour powder.
I'm not 100% sure if the product is cruelty-free, or if the the box is cruelty-free.
Contouring - Is the use of creams, liquids and/or powders to create depth and "shadows" on the face to give it structure and dimension. These contouring products are usually a neutral to cool brown colour, ideally with gray tones in it.
PACKAGING / SCENT
Shawill's Perfect Powder in 003 is housed in a sturdy sleek and glossy compact with a nice-sized mirror —very reminiscent of the NYX Blotting Powder compact and their Matte Bronzer compact. The scent is very talc-y like those old-school makeup with perfume-y scents. Not particularly strong (I don't mind it at all) but you do smell it every time you open the compact. It doesn't linger on your face though.
Related : Shawill Coloring Eyebrow Review
TEXTURE / COLOUR / APPLICATION
This is supposedly smooth and soft but not so soft that it leaves a dent in the pan when you dip your finger in. The one I got however might have been a bad batch because it's tougher and a little hard when swiped.
I have tried the testers at different Shawill counters and they are indeed smooth. My case seems to be isolated. Other people who've tried this swears by its smoothness or "creaminess".
The colour is a cool matte brown. I would say it's mauve-y so there's still a little red in this but with taupe / gray in the mix. It's easy to build-up because of the texture but you do have to take some time in blending it in and making it look diffused.
I can't get the truest colour on camera but it's a little more light and a little more brown in real life
People who prefer extremely heavy pigmentation from the get-go might not like this. You have to swirl the brush (the denser, the better) more than once to get a decent amount of product on it. Then again, that might be because I got a bad batch.
As you can see (I actually don't know if you can) but it's definitely a little mauve, a little taupe and a little gray kind of brown.
Affordable (Php 168) and easily accessible (Watson's and SM carry Shawill) it also wears well. In a night setting it lasted well over six hours on my dry-sensitive skin until I had to take it off. No adverse reactions as well!
From my experience, it tends to react to foundation/oil in the foundation/oil on my face and pulls a tiny (like very tiny) bit more red because of it. So I make sure to set the face with a powder first then use this. It's a good tip nonetheless, since powders blend better on top of powders.
Verdict : Decent buy.
TIP
After I use this on the hollows of my cheeks I blend it in more with a warm bronzer. I find that it looks better because of the transition it gives. It's not just my skin/foundation then a cast of shadow under my cheekbones.
Have you tried this? Any other "contour" products that are easily accessible and affordable out there? Let me know below!
xx,
CJ
PS. I still use a brown bronzer to sort of mix around the contour area because I think it's a little weird looking if there's only a grayish brown stripe under your cheekbones. I find it a little unhealthy-looking. Plus I love bronzer. When I do my face, I can go without blush, but not bronzer #VSGlow #JLOGlow
If you've seen my latest haul I got a few things from Shawill. I'm really happy about the fact that they have a lot of new products out most of which are eyeliners and blushers.
So I road-tested the Shawill Coloring Eyebrow and The Perfect Powder.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The Perfect Powder is not as pigmented as the ELF blush and bronzer duo (reviewed here) but it is matte and cool toned, which is essential for creating shadows on your face. It's smooth but a little hard because when I swirl my brush there's little fall-out (great!) but the powders on the brush (stippling) aren't enough. I suggest using a densely packed one.
In terms of blending, it does so nicely. Because it's not super pigmented you can build up the color and not over-do it.
It comes in three colors (white-yellow, brown-orange and this cool brown) and all are matte. The compact feels secure, well-made and has a big mirror inside. It also looks very sleek and professional because of the black glossy finish with the white text on top. I haven't played with it for long but I think it's a pretty decent contouring powder and for Php 168 it really doesn't hurt to try it out.
It was really a surprise to find a cheap eyebrow pen readily available in malls. I know NYX and Korean brands have eyebrow pens too and sold at a relatively cheap price compared to the coveted K-palette eyebrow pen but this one is really cheap at ~Php 200. (I distinctly remember it not going over 200)
The Coloring Eyebrow Pen comes in two colors, light brown and gray brown, I believe I chose light brown as it was a more "believable" color that complemenented my somewhat pinkish-orange-red-blonde hair.
Using it was still new to me. I've only tried K-palette once and comparing the two, they feel pretty much the same. Both have the same brush tip but this one has a mechanism inside (a metal ball maybe?) to mix the liquid..
One time I used this I inadvertently over-drew my brows which I found was easy to do if you're not used to pen liquid brow products. So take it slow and use light feathery strokes to mimic hair when using something like this or else it will be very very obvious and not the good kind.
I also found that I have to lay it down in my storage or put the brush-tip down so the tip won't dry out.
All-in-all I'm pretty happy with these. I wish the contour was creamier and more pigmented but that's just me. I imagine that to be great with beginners though.
What do you think of these products? Have you tried any of them?
xx,
CJ
Other products worn:
- Maybelline The Rocket
- Nichido Satin lipstick
- Revlon Highlighter/Bronzer in Peach Glow
- LA Colors eyeshadow palette
- James Cooper blush duo
- PeriPera BB cream + Kate Tokyo base remaker
