Laneige Snow Crystal Dual Foundation SPF22

I'd never tried Laneige products before, as they are not too readily available in the US except at Korean boutiques and marts. I picked mine up at HMart in Atlanta for $38USD, which is very reasonable for a foundation and concealer.

The foundation has an interesting and sanitary push pump dispenser which you compress to dispense the liquid foundation. The cream concealer sits atop inside of the lid, with a flip top, which is great for portability. Everything is plastic, and the container is transparent, so you can see how much product you have left. Also, it's convenient to have a concealer and foundation housed altogether. I use one full pump to cover my whole face, and then follow with the concealer.

They did not have the full color range at HMart, so I got #21, which is the second color in the range. It looked pretty dark in the container, but matches pretty well with my NC20-25 light beige skin. It really blends in well, and has a lightweight texture that surprisingly covers effectively. The sales pitch for this foundation is that it "melts away like snow" into the skin. Interesting advertising concept, but the effect is quite natural. It has a semi-matte finish, but still looks like real skin.

I have combo skin, and did have some breakthrough shine in the t-zone which I did have to blot about mid-day and add some powder. The concealer feels a bit sticky to the touch, but it applies matte. It is quite opaque, and can be used to cover some blemishes and the mild sunspots I have been trying to fade with the Tri-Luma. I did not have any troubles with it being too dry for the undereye area, though I did use an eye cream underneath. The combo makes my skin look perfect and healthy, and I am happy with it. Also, an added bonus is that is has SPF22, which, though I still wear sunscreen underneath, is a perk.

Overall, I am satisfied with this foundation, am glad I took a chance, and would definitely repurchase. I may go pay a visit to some of the boutiques in K-Town just to explore more of the Laneige products, as well as other brands owned by Amorepacific.

Laneige Sliding Pact SPF 24

I discovered Laneige on a trip to H-Mart, a Korean supermarket chain. Being addicted to makeup, I always make time to look at makeup, even when I am grocery shopping with my mom! This retailed for $26USD, but I signed up for their mailing list and got $5 off, so I paid $21 for it, which is not bad at all!

The color that I got was "Natural No. 2" -- it looks quite peach in the pan, but it blends quite translucently into my NC20-25 light beige skin. It gives a decent amount of coverage for something that is supposed to be a pressed powder without looking heavy. Used alone, it does sort of "set" the skin, and I also like using it atop foundationed skin to give it a more finished effect.

The version that I got was the "moisture" one which comes in the purple compact, and it blends in softly, with no chalkiness at all. However, the caveat is that it does not control oil. I think they make an oil-control version of this, which I did not try.

It comes in a cell-phone sized compact -- in fact, it looks like a cell phone and even has that little hook in the back where you can hook on your trinkets and cell phone baubles. The front is completely mirrored, which is great because you can actually see your entire face. The powder slides out, and then you can lift it to expose a plush velvety sponge underneath. The back of the compact is a metallic light purple, which is sort of overly-girly for me, but this powder does come with a little gray pouch that you can put it inside. The compact is designed by a Samsung phone designer, Kim Yong Se, so that explains some things.

Overall, a nice powder, and my interest in Laneige has been piqued. I also purchased one of their foundations, which I will review.