Yay or nay?

I'm quite excited to do this post because I haven't featured a liquid foundation in forever. Seriously, if you backtrack my older posts, you'll never succeed in finding a review of a liquid foundation. BB Creams and tinted moisturizers don't count, mind you. (Not that I have loads of that too, but still.)

Anyway, I decided to purchase a bottle of foundation just so I have one I can use when I do my LOTDs and stuff. What, you think I turned a new leaf and will now start using a foundation on a daily basis? :P I usually just wear them when I really need to, like when I have special events and stuff but for everyday, I reach for powders and BB Creams, the easy stuff.

Since I 'll just use a foundation for blogging purposes, I decided to purchase something that's affordable since I see no point in splurging for something I won't use that often. I opted to go for something local since local brands cater to morenas.

After browsing San San's liquid foundations, I opted to go for their Matte Finish Liquid Foundation in 03 Rich Sienna. The Matte Finish line comes in a frosted matte bottle with a cap in San San's signature metallic blue. The bottle feels quite sturdy and twists quite tightly and it doesn't take up a lot of space because it's not too bulky, tall, or wide. I'm not sure about other San San foundations but this line comes with a paddle applicator, quite like the applicator of La Prairie Skin Caviar line. I have no beef with this type of applicator since this is for personal use but I have to admit, a pump is definitely more hygienic and less messy.

Rich Sienna is the third and darkest foundation in the Matte Finish line. It has a strong warm yellow tone with a hint of orange undertone. This shade can match a lot of people in the warm medium to medium-dark spectrum, I'm definitely in that spectrum and this shade is a near match, as it's a half shade darker than my own.

APPLICATION + SWATCHES

Against my bare skin, you can see that the yellow tone in this foundation is strong, a big contrast to the redness going on on my face. I like how this shade really looks like my skin. It has yellow tones but it also has brown and orange tones so it doesn't really look too jaundice-y, for a lack of better term. :P

So this is what 1 layer looks like. I like how it just evens out my skin tone and as you can see, it somewhat hid my red blotches, as well as the veins and other discolorations. I also like how it matches my skin to my neck!

Side by side: Left (bare) & Right (1 layer). You can see the big difference here, don't you think? My after photo looks even and a bit darker than usual but it also looks quite smooth & flawless

MY THOUGHTS:

So these are unpowdered, unset photos, just the foundation on my skin. I used a beauty sponge with this because the consistency's thin and thick at the same time. It feels thin that it can be blended out easily but feels thick that you know there 'll be streaks when you blend it out with a brush. A beauty sponge is your best bet for this foundation because it will absorb excess product which is important considering this foundation's consistency. Also, this isn't a true matte formula. You can see shine here and there but it's the healthy shine kind of look. It's dewy effect is just right, like the one you get from BB cushions.

Coverage-wise, it's in the middle. It's definitely not sheer, let's get it out of the way, but it's also not full as it didn't really fully cover up my dark circles, my beauty marks, and all that. It lessened the appearance of redness but didn't really full cover it up. In short, you still need to do some concealing afterwards.

In photos, I like how it makes the skin look even and smooth. But I can't shake off the fact that it doesn't look too natural. You can definitely tell that I'm wearing something on my face here, no matter how many times I've blended it out.

Oh, and it has a scent. Can't really point out what it smells like but it's like vanilla with a hint of coconut. Give it a sniff if you spot it on a counter.

THE CONS:

One beef I have with this foundation is that it takes too long to set. Too long that I legit think it doesn't set at all! I tried fanning it to speed up the process but nope, it still feels tacky even after 15 minutes later. I also feel like it doesn't really skin into the skin, like it's just on top, even when I buffed the hell out of it. This may be a good thing or bad thing but personally, it irks me. I mean, it gives you a lot of time to work it into the skin but it just takes forever to set, you know?

Oily skinned peeps may want to skip this foundation. My T-zone is the only thing that oils up in my face and unfortunately, this didn't do anything to stop that from oiling up. So if you're looking for an oil control base, skip this one.

I'm all for a natural looking base but this one kind of looks borderline cement-like, and I just applied 1 layer. It somehow looks good on camera, yes, but in real life, it looks too obvious. Also, I can't help but notice that it kind of highlights the bumps on my face. But I guess that's a general con with liquid foundations, no?

Now this one still confuses me but I think it oxidizes on me. Like, as I have it on longer, it looks less yellowish and more orangey. I wasn't aware I'm acidic since I didn't have any problems with my bases before! I don't know, I'll have to investigate further with this.

Also, a con:

WHITE CAST

Pro: it has SPF 15, Vitamins A, C, & E. You definitely don't want to use this when camera flash is present because it ain't pretty. Still looks flawless though HAHAHA!

So here's what it looks like after I set it with a powder foundation:

Now that's more my cup of tea! Don't get me wrong, I like how it looked alone but when set, this is just a notch better. It looks more polished and the shine is just right. I used a powder foundation to set it because I don't have any loose powders in my stash. If my memory serves me right, this is the Maybelline Clear Smooth Powder Foundation and I'll be reviewing this soon! <3

IN SUMMARY:

PROS

-shade match

-warm toned

-isn't too thick nor too thin

-blend easily when used with a beauty sponge

-looks flawless on photos

-has medium coverage

-doesn't feel too heavy

-gives off a healthy dewy look

-has SPF and vitamins

-looks better when set

-affordable (140php for 30ml)

CONS

-when used with a brush, there'll be marks

-takes a long time to set / doesn't really set

-looks a bit like cement on the face

-doesn't look natural that much

-makes face bumps look more obvious

-no oil control

-isn't a full matte

-white cast

Overall, I think it's good for what you pay for. It's not the best out there but it's a good product to start with if you're on a budget. I don't think I'll purchase another bottle afterwards but it's not so bad I won't use my current one up. San San has an HD line but I heard somewhere that the Matte Finish line is better than the HD ones. Can't really agree or disagree on that one but comment below if you tried either or both. If I had to rate this, I'll give it a 6/10.