Review ★ Mamonde Real Skin Founder

Hullo everyone!

I was supposed to upload this like last week OTL, but once again, school has gotten in the way @___@.

Today I will be reviewing the Mamonde Real Skin Founder in #2 for you~ Mamonde is well known for their high quality products, and for SNSD's Yuri endorsing their products. Also Sunnydahye (youtuber) mentions this product as one of her holy grail products in a lot of her videos, so I thought about trying it out since the reviews are also generally favourable!

There's only two shades available like a lot of other products, which is quite limiting. I think #2 is most appropriate for those who are an NC20 - NC25 shade, whereas #1 would be best for those are paler than that.

Description
(Information taken from ibuybeauti.com, and ebay listings)
It uses a new concept that fuses foundation and powder, which gives it it's name 'founder'. Experience foundation's thin and moist coverage, and powder's make-up fixing function at the same time. It consists of ingredients extracted from gold and pearl, which provides an elegant glowy effect. It also includes the following flower extracts: edelweiss, snow lotus, chamomile, jasmine, for a moisturizing effect.

The pact comes in a simple box with little information on it. All of the information is in Korean, but I assume that it's the standard kind of stuff (product name, functions,  maybe ingredients LOL). It's  understandable since it's a Korean product, although others brands have English on their packaging.

The pact itself is cute, and I'm really digging the metallic pink cover. I think it enhances the overall aesthetic appeal of the pact :3, but then again, I really like metallic pink. It comes with a sponge applicator, which is conveniently stored on top of an interior cover, so that the sponge isn't constantly touching the product. The sponge is surprisingly soft and flexible. I thought it would be similar to the sponge from the Isa Knox X2D2 CC cream, since it's still a dark blue sponge applicator and I feel like there's only so many variations of sponges. The sponge is the best way to apply the foundation, since it picks up and spreads the foundation well.

The texture of the foundation is really creamy and smooth, and it glides on when I apply it. It has a floral scent, which could possibly be irritating to sensitive skin since it isn't a very light fragrance. It's very lightweight, which makes it great in warmer climates, because the last thing we want is to physically feel a lot of make-up on our face when it is hot. My face is lighter than my body, so it does match my face quite well LOL. The finish appears matte on my hand, however it has a very mute dewiness when it's applied to my face. The foundation itself has light to medium coverage, so it covers a fair amount of redness and light discolouration, and it minimizes the appearance of pores; however, concealer is still necessary for dark spots and whatnot. It is also buildable, however I do not recommend layering it on because it will look cakey.

It lasts for around 5 hours (with setting powder on top) before I start to get oily, which is alright since that's the duration of my day at school with commuting and breaks in between classes! It is still cold out in Toronto, so it would probably last a few hours less in the more humid/hot places; perhaps 3-4 hours.

I would recommend this product for those with normal/combination/oily skin. It's lightweight, and the finish is matte with a hint of dewiness for that healthy, natural finish. You can also apply a finishing powder for extra wear without having that cakey feeling that comes with applying it over a thicker foundation. It is also good for those who live in warmer climates because it has the added sun protection too! At the same time, it probably will not last very long without reapplying or blotting if it is really warm or humid out.

I absolutely do not recommend this for those with dry skin or dry patches because it will emphasize those patches like no other. Although it claims to be moisturizing, it is not. I didn't even know some parts of my face were really patchy until I applied it, even though my other liquid face make-up products never emphasize areas that aren't dry to touch. It's also not the best to use in the colder weather due to the dry atmosphere. I don't think I've used any face make-up (liquid or powder) that emphasized dry patches like this one. Usually, I'll apply the Bourjois Healthy Balance powder on top of liquid face make-up to set it because it gets rid of the appearance of flaky/dry patches, but that didn't work with the Real Skin Founder :c. Some people say it has a more moisturizing effect and dewy finish if you mix it with their primer, so that might be a remedy for it~ But that's just more money spent for one product, when you can get something else :<.

Although I think people with combination/oily skin will like this product, I feel really let down by the fact that it emphasizes the dry patches on my face >__<. I also feel that it is quite pricey for the results, since there's cheaper BB/CC creams and foundations within the same price range that work better.

Pros
+ Lightweight
+ Natural
+ Matte/mute dewy finish
+ Easy to reapply on the go
+ Relatively long lasting
+ SPF 33, PA++ for sun protection

Cons
- Emphasizes dry patches/flakiness
- Expensive

Rating: ★★★☆ (I would have given it a 4.5 if it didn't accentuate the dry patches on my face)

Where to buy? I purchased it from ibuybeauti.com for $27.99. You can also purchase it at the following: Amore Pacific ebay ($28.70) and Twofacemall ($30.45).