Shiseido synchro skin self refreshing foundation Review

I recently posted about my Japan haul, which was gifted to me by my brother and his wife. As the title suggests, this post is all about my thoughts on the Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation.

And OH. MY. GOSH.

It’s so stunning, I keep going to the restroom just to check myself out!

I first heard about this foundation when I watched The Lipstick Lesbians on IG during her matte foundation showdown. It came down to this or Pat McGrath’s foundation, but she chose the latter. For reasons unknown, I was more drawn to Shiseido than Pat McGrath. So, when my brother went to Japan, I asked him to grab it for me.

Since there isn’t a Shiseido makeup line at my nearby Sephora, I guessed my shade and picked 320 Pine for medium neutral. I think it’s a bit lighter than my actual tone. For reference, I have a combination oily skin with a medium neutral undertone.

Maybe I didn’t let my skincare set long enough before applying, because when I first put it on my nose, it became cakey and accentuated my pores. So, I wiped the area with baby wipes (it was all I had on hand) and buffed the spot with the leftover foundation on my brush. The result? 👌. I finished the rest of my makeup as usual and set it with Charlotte Tilbury setting spray and Skindinavia finishing spray for longevity.

The first selfie was taken right after application, and the second was 9 hours later. I didn’t touch up with powder, only blotted my nose lightly ONCE, and I still looked like I had just applied my makeup. It even looked better as the day went on!

Here’s what Shiseido says about the foundation:

“A long-wear, climate-adaptive foundation that refreshes non-stop and protects the skin from environmental aggressors like UV rays, blue light, dryness, and pollution for a 24-hour flawless finish.* ActiveForce+™ Technology synchronizes with skin, resisting heat, humidity, oil, and movement with weightless comfort. Skin looks and feels fresh all day with medium-to-full, buildable coverage and a semi-matte finish. – For all skin types – Medium-to-full, buildable coverage – Natural, semi-matte finish – SPF30 – 24-hour wear* – All-day hydration**”

All of the above is TRUE! Hands down, the best foundation I’ve tried—better than my Dior Forever, Lancôme Ultra Teint, and Estée Lauder Double Wear.

The rest of my makeup was my usual routine, but I did try out my Suqqu blush for the first time. Since I have combination oily skin and blush tends to fade quickly on me, I applied my Makeup Forever cream blush first, then set it with the Suqqu blush.

I’m not sure if it’s the foundation or the blush itself, but it didn’t budge! I was in awe. Honestly, I don’t want to sound dramatic, but I gasped every time I caught my reflection because my makeup looked as flawless as when I first applied it.

It now earned its HG status