Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation

I have found it hard to find a foundation that works with my skin, so was excited to try this. The packaging is minimal which is great and the instructions on the box are simple and easy to read. The box also has a QR code you can scan to get additional information and instructions about the product. The bottle itself is nice and simple with a twist to pump lid which minimizes mess. The foundation is almost silky and goes on easily. I loved the coverage I got with the foundation which is buildable, making my skin colour even covering the red blotchy patches I have. SPF 30 being an added bonus. Unfortunately this was about all I liked about this foundation. I found it only lasted a couple of hours max before it started going cakey and patchy. It also made my fine lines appear worse. I do work in a cold environment so may have a little to do with it, although I also used when not working. I tried with and without a primer, moisturized and waited 5 mins, also moisturized and applied straight away. For me, this foundation is a no go, so still looking for the right one for me.

This is a really nice foundation, and although expensive, I would purchase again.

The foundation itself comes in a square bottle with a twist top pump to dispense product, which is nice and hygienic, with little possibility of wastage or using too much product like from a screw top bottle.

I had matched the foundation through Shiseido's website with my old foundation and concealer, and although I was apprehensive it would be too dark, seems to be quite a good match once applied. While the website says to apply with your fingers, I tested it with my fingers, blender, and foundation flat brush. Out of all the applications, I do prefer my blender with the brush a close second. As this is a medium-full coverage foundation, when I first applied it with my fingers I felt it was way too thick and difficult to use, but is still easy to blend and build. It doesn't feel or look heavy, covers redness nicely and I also didn't need to use a lot of concealer.

This foundation has a lovely, dewy finish and I felt it does make my skin look smoother and younger. I also have quite a deep vertical wrinkle between my eyebrows, and it doesn't settle in it and makes it look less obvious. It also doesn't separate, even after a full day of wear with my skin oils coming through. I also found my powder blush was easy to apply on top of the foundation without setting it first, and it stayed in place, which was a nice wee bonus.

All in all, I was surprised as I wasn't expecting my skin to look so lovely while wearing this foundation, so it will be a repurchase for sure.

• Lovely packaging, very attractive in black/red • Pump bottle, not a huge fan as you can potentially waste a lot of product towards the end • Chosen colour was too light for my skin colouring but used it anyway to see how good the product and coverage is Used it a number of times, with primer and without, with a brush, with a blender, with both, and still couldn’t get a nice finish. Looked cakey and made my skin look very dry, sadly it just got worse as the day went on. I don’t need a lot of coverage so it wasn’t a matter of using too much, just didn’t sit well on my skin unfortunately. Also settled into my smile and eye lines which needed brushing over during the day.

Loved the look of the packaging and product but that’s a “no” from me.

Wow! Great even coverage at last. High quality bottle with twist top dispenser. Even though the shade I chose was way lighter than anticipated, I tried it anyway just to see what the product can offer.

I love this product and will definitely purchase a shade thay suits my skin tone better. It glides on easily, blends like a dream and lasts the entire day. I had to wash my face well to get all of the foundation off.

This is quality at its best. Didn't dry my skin, didn't flake.or become blotchy during the day. LOVE IT! Thank you for the opportunity to test this great product.

I love Shiseido foundations. Was devastated when they discontinued their beauty cake.

This synchro skin radiant lifting foundation wasn't one I'd heard about and eager to find a replacement for their beauty cake, I was excited to get on this trial.

My skin type: I'm in the 40-something age group, with some fine lines, a couple of deeper forehead creases, reasonably even skin tone but with some red areas and pigmentation.

The bottle is fabulous. It's a pump dispenser, with a twist lid to open/close. It doesn't dispense too much product with one pump. One pump was plenty for the coverage I wanted, but note that this foundation is buildable too. It says to shake it before use and I'd recommend this as my first application (and I didn't shake it) was quite a matte look, however, when I shook it first, I got a more luminous/radiant finish.

The foundation is quite light weight when dispensing, but when applying it has what I'd consider a more full coverage. One single application concealed redness, pigmentation and even took care of dark circles. I tried applying with a brush and beauty blender and preferred the more natural look with the brush. Beauty blender tended to give that more full coverage look. As the day progresses I found the foundation settled a little, and looked more natural, than the heavy finish at the start of the day. If I went a little too heavy handed I did find that the foundation settled into my deeper forehead wrinkles, but that seems a normal experience with most foundations I've used. It didn't dry my skin too much, and seemed to last the day reasonably well. Some of my pigmentation started coming through towards the end of the day. Unlike some full coverage foundations I didn't feel my skin was too tight or overly dry at the end of the day, but I did prefer to take my makeup off as soon as I could end of the day - so maybe not as hydrating as I'm used to with other foundations. The Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation however was definitely A LOT more hydrating than their much loved beauty cake, with the same kind of coverage!

I did find the foundation felt better through the day with a primer under it, usually using my hydrating primer. It probably helped with staying power also through the day.

All in all I really liked this foundation. It's definitely in that medium/full camp for coverage, so not for those that want a really light application, unless you tried maybe mixing with a serum perhaps.

It looks like it would last a really long time too given how little you need for amazing coverage.

All in all, a fantastic foundation that I'll continue using

This foundation comes in a glass bottle with a lid that you simply twist to unlock the pump, which is a good deterrent for little fingers or for traveling.

The colour match is bang on for me in 130 Opal. It does have a scent which subsides after application and the colour doesn't oxidize and stays true whilst wearing. This foundation is a thin liquid but surprisingly gives very good coverage, I'd say more full than medium. It gave me a very natural looking finish even though it was a full coverage. It was not cakey, nor a super dewy finish more satin. I was impressed with the result as it seemed to blur any imperfection. I did find that it didn't last as long as other foundations that I have used but I did find that if I sponged where it had settled it looked as good as when I had initially applied it. I used a luminous primer and setting spray so it may sit better with a mattifying primer or spray? I will try this. I don't use powder to set my make-up as it's too drying for my skin.

I found that using less gives a better finish and just add a bit more on imperfections, I actually use less of this than my usual foundation.

I've never tried a Shiseido foundation before, in fact I can't recall using the brand before. I've been pleasantly surprised by the experience!

The bottle is of a great quality, with a cool little dispenser top. There was quite a good shade selection for light to medium skin tones - I found my match with shade 230.

I found it easy to apply, I tried using a brush, blender and my fingers, all worked as well as the other. I prefer my fingers mostly out of laziness!

It spreads well and evenly and the coverage is buildable. I tend to opt for a medium coverage during the day, building up to full for a night out. I played around with this and building a couple of layers still left my skin feeling natural and nice.

This has a dewy, glow finish, its really pretty and doesn't exacerbate my slightly oily t-zone.

It's definitely lightweight, and wears well through the day, with no transfer onto clothing.

I didn't notice any firming effects, but otherwise, totally does what it says and would be open to repurchasing - or trying more from Shiseido!

I've been searching for the holy grail in a foundation that both suits my 50+ skin and gives it a bit of a glow, so I was happy to be selected for the trial. Once I figured out the pump mechanism on the bottle, I squeezed out what I considered enough to cover my face. The texture was nice, not greasy or too thick and it spread easily with my fingertips. In subsequent days, I used a foundation brush and felt that was the better option. Coverage wise I would describe it as medium and I was happy with that. But when it came to the 'radiant' part of the foundation, I honestly couldn't see any difference compared to my regular foundation, and if anything, it looked more matte. I ended up putting a highlighter and finishing powder on top to improve the appearance of my skin. Overall I was disappointed in the foundation and felt it wasn't really radiant or lifting. The texture was nice, but for a premium brand like Shiseido, it wouldn't be a foundation I would spend my money on.

This foundation has some key points that set it apart from other foundations I've tried.

The twist and press packaging makes for fast application (no time wasted juggling a lid). I dispensed the foundation straight onto a flat kabuki brush and applied it in circular motions for even application. The foundation has what could only be described a very faint foundation type scent, a pleasant change from the scents of some I've tried.

The foundation is a thin consistency and feels weightless on the skin with a single layer providing medium coverage.

The product offers excellent value for money with the clever no waste dispenser and buildable coverage so you only dispense the needed amount.

The result is healthy glowing skin that lasts the day, without a heavy foundation feel.

This was such an interesting product. When I first applied it, I didn't like it at all. It came out of the pump as a nice enough, easily spreadable cream, but when I started smoothing it on my face (I use my fingers, not a sponge) it seemed to go a bit clingy and quite dry, almost powdery in patches, particularly on my nose. I thought, ok, this one isn't going to be for me. But as I kept blending, it adjusted and melted more and more into my skin until it was a smooth, natural-looking finish that felt like a lightly hydrating cream. And about a minute later, once it had fully settled, I got a lovely soft, satin sheen. Beautiful. I was gobsmacked! The coverage is medium, I'd say, so any sun damage and redness is toned right down, but my skin still looks like my skin, just more even and polished. I LOVE that I can get this result without looking like I'm wearing any makeup. It lasts well and still looks fresh at the end of the day, with no colour degradation that I can see. And speaking of colour... the tone match (I got the lightest shade) is excellent, which is unusual for me, as normally even the lightest available shades are still a bit dark for me, and it's a true neutral. I imagine this means that the whole shade range might tend a bit towards the pale side, so I'd advise others to test their shade before buying. I adore the packaging; a square glass bottle with a pump top that you turn to open or close with a nice click. Very clean, quick and easy, and the pump is sensitive enough that you can get as much or as little product as you want – really helpful, as I found I didn't need much product to get the coverage I wanted. So, even though it's not cheap, considering the months and months it's going to last me, this foundation seems very cost-effective. In terms of hydration, it's better than any other foundation I've tried, and feels super comfortable and light, layered on top of my usual serum base and moisturiser. (For women with normal or oily skin rather than dry like mine, I imagine it could work well just on top of serum or primer.) And it has a very faint, pleasant, natural cream sort of fragrance and a good spf (30+), neither of which caused any reaction with my sensitive skin. So all up, this is a beautiful foundation for my dry, sensitive, ageing skin, giving a natural, softening (possibly even radiant?!), satin finish that doesn't highlight lines and wrinkles. I'm converted. I'll be buying more.