The Base Zero, Japanese Foundation
Finding a foundation in Korea for me is a bit difficult. I've tried so many brands from Nature Republic to bOH and find that all of them are too light for me! The darkest colours these brands do are either a level 2 or 3. They label 3 as being beige but it's definitely not when on the skin! There may be other brands out there which have a wider range, but the usual ones you can find in Olive Young are on the lighter side.
Koreans love the white look, so I guess that's why they only stock these shades.
While in Olive Young, I found a Japanese brand of foundation called The Base Zero. It was 23,000won (£15). Usually I spend less than 10,000won (£7) on foundation, but thought I'd give this one a try. They had about 7 shades, from a primer to the darkest one which I chose.
It had a fairly watery consistency and I found that it ran off my arm as soon as I put it on with the pump bottle. The watery consistency made it easier to blend with a make up brush or a sponge and it wasn't drying at all.
The tiny squirt of foundation covered my arm pretty well.
Although this was the darkest shade, I still found it to be too light for my skin. I have a darker complexion to most Koreans, and you can see from the picture above that it makes my skin white. On my face however it looks better than other brands I have used. I've had comments from my family saying that I've morphed into a Korean as my face is so pale now. I'm not really sure what they mean, but I guess it's the make up choices. Back in the UK, a lot of my family love the tanned look! It's the opposite in Korea.
I now use this foundation every day and I love it. It's not too heavy, and it doesn't feel like I have anything on. If you find it, give it a go! I'll definitely buy it again, if I see it in the store. I haven't seen it in a while and now wish I bought two!
What do you think about Korean foundations and cushions? Have you tried them?
Kelly
In the U.K. I struggle to find any drugstore foundations that are light enough for my skin...all the “lightest” shades are either still too dark or look very orange on my skin!
ReplyDeleteSuffering Wanderlust
I’ve never tried Korean foundation, but I love those foundations that don’t feel heavy on your face!
ReplyDeleteI rarely use proper foundation as I always find it's too heavy for my skin. This one looks interesting though because of it's more watery consistency. I doubt they would have my skin colour though!!
ReplyDeleteEscapesAndEpiphanies | Travel Fashion Lifestyle
I'm super pale, so I was happy to find lighter shades when I came to Korea, but I totally get the struggle in reverse! Did you take a look at Espoir and VDL? They have some really great quality (better than the usual road-shop brands...) foundations and a much wider range of shades.
ReplyDeleteI'm so pale that I think I would find a foundation that matches my face color so easily from there. All the foundations here a usually way too dark for me in winter. In summer it gets easier :).
ReplyDeleteIt looks exactly like my skin tone, lol and I love the bear!
ReplyDeleteLooks really good! I’m starting to understand why korean beauty products are such a phenomenon. 😊
ReplyDeleteThe bear is so cute!
ReplyDeleteActually, I have the opposite problem (even some Korean foundations are too light for me, thank godness, some Missha BB creams match me) but I feel your struggle, Kelly!
Great review, as always xx
I think the foundation is perfect for you, as the hand tends to be slightly darker than the face most of the time. Do share a photo of yourself when you are wearing the foundation.
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