Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation

While purchasing Koh Gen Do's lip gloss, I was give samples of their Aqua Foundation. KGD products, while marketed toward the U.S. market, are all made in Japan.

 The samples came in a paper pamphlet.

The brand's deep-sea water -based ingredients remind of Shu Uemura's skincare and base makeup recipe.

The Aqua Foundation (SPF15 PA++) comes in five colors, one of which is a highlighter (WT-00). The other four colors offer quite a limited shade palette, mostly catering to fair to medium complexions.

From left to right: OC-1, PK-1, WT-00. See above photos for shade descriptions.

Although the samples state they are good for one use, I was able to do two full face applications with PK-1.

WT-00. This is a very unusual foundation. Few brands label highlighters as foundations, but KGD formulated the WT-00 as a foundation and highlighter in one. The consistency is very light and liquid. A little goes a long way, since this highlighter is not meant for the entire face. I applied it on the apples of cheeks, forehead center, and nose line. The white pigment blended into the skin with no white cast, but there was a slight "sheen of light" and the littlest bit of shimmer. Overall, it created a noticeable illuminating effect. For day, it might be over the top, but for an evening soiree, I'd say this is just about right. The formula is commendable. It is not sticky. Alas, though this was a already a light formulation, it was still too heavy for my skin type. It made me look extra oily in a matter of an hour. Sadly, it also clogged my pores. I didn't break out from this though.

Blended out. WT-00 delivers with its superb formulation and finish. I see how it can do wonders for those with normal to dry skin types.

OC-1 turns out to be too yellow for my skin tone. I usually am an OC-02 in Kanebo foundations, so this was quite a surprise. (OC stands for ocher, and is a common labeling method of Japanese base makeup; the others being PK for pink, YO for yellow, and sometimes N for neutral.)

Blended out, this shade looked too dark and yellow against my natural shade, so I didn't bother testing it out on my face.

PK-1. Ah, this one looks much more familiar to my foundation shades. The shade is a perfect match to my skintone. The formula is concocted so well it looks good enough to drink (gulp!).

This foundation felt very light against my skin. It offers sheer coverage, covering minor blemishes and some of the redness on my cheeks. It also gave a slightly glowing, illuminating effect. I like how light the formulation is. The problems I had with the foundation were that, again, it gave me the oilies and clogged my pores. Also, it broke me out around the cheeks in small spots at the end of the day. I can't vouch the same experience for every one, but please do note that my cheeks are extra-sensitive because of mild rosacea, and reacts to products quite often. Other reviews have been very positive with Koh Gen Do's Aqua Foundation. I can already tell that KGD foundations will work very well for people with normal skin, given that they are well-formulated and of high quality.

The ingredients list.

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Lip Gloss in Shell Pink

Never have I heard of the cosmetic brand Koh Gen Do until one fine day when I saw its poster on the windows of Beauty Bar -- clearly depicting cinema/high-definition products but with a Japanese touch. It's hard enough to resist anything Japanese-makeup related, but combined with the novel concept of HD (high definition/cinematic makeup), which I've never seen being marketed in other Japanese brands before, it certainly caught my attention. Some more research revealed that Koh Gen Do is a full-fledged brand with complete makeup and skincare products up its sleeves. It seems to be more established in the United States more than any other country. Here is an excerpt from the official website:

It is most famous for their cleansing water, base makeup / foundation, concealers, and lip glosses. After discussing the brand with the SA, she revealed that Koh Gen Do just launched in Manila on November 2011. 

All the Lip Glosses looked delicious, but in the end I settled for the shade in Shell Pink. 

It comes in a white glossy carton that is a tad plain but the quality is evident (a cosmetic trait that is very Japanese). The product name includes "Maifanshi" (which sounds Chinese in my opinion but I'm sure it's Japanese). I'm not quite sure what it means.

The tube is made of soft clear plastic while the black screw cap is also plastic but of a harder sort.

It contains 7g of product which is quite a lot for this is a thick gloss and a little goes a long way. I like the clear packaging because it allows me to see the color right away at the same time I know how much product is left.

The applicator is also made of plastic and is slanted. Plastic applicators are easier to clean therefore less prone to bacteria, which is another plus. The slanted tip (reminds me of Lancome's Juicy Tubes) is another positive attribute because it allows precise application. The tiny hole helps controls product release with a few squirts, which is perfect given the lip gloss' thick texture.

Above is a swatch of Shell Pink. It looks like coral pink veering on the pinker side against skin. But on the lips it looks a lot more transparent with just a hint of pink. It gives off a very natural shade with high-shine finish. The gloss gives lips a healthy, plump look. The nourishing effect of this lip gloss is also amazing. Dryness on my lips are erased with this gloss on; I do not even need to apply a lip balm beforehand. This is like a treatment lip product with the benefit of gloss.

There are other shades available such as Blush Pink, Juicy Beige, and Champagne if I'm not mistaken. Beauty Bar doesn't carry all the colors available on Koh Gen Doh's website. Incidentally, this lip gloss range won Essence magazine's 2011 Beauty Awards :)

 

Ingredients list above for those who can read Japanese. Koh Gen Do really surprised me with this lip gloss. It's rare for me to fall in love with the first product I try from brands I've never heard about, but the Maifanshi Lip Gloss is one such gem. At P1,050 a pop I think the price is reasonable for the the very high quality of this product. For those who desire natural-looking lip gloss combined with treatment benefits, I definitely recommend this!