okay, i knew i didn't need a new eyeshadow palette, considering that i don't even hit pan in any of my previous eyeshadow palettes. i've bought 2 new eyeshadow palette couple months ago, which i like, and i've been rotating three of them in the hope of at least i can hit pan in one of those pans. but, i've been seeing these dupe list of the famous anastasia beverly hills modern renaissance palette, which is a best-sellers for this year i believe. i think after urban decay naked eyeshadow palette, no other palette that makes me want to buy it until this one. i've been seeing lots of reviews, lots of tutorial using ABH modern renaissance that makes me think that even though this palette consists of unusual pick of shades, i can make it work too.

beauty creations irresistible palette

and i've been seeing lots of people giving their dupe list, beauty creations irresistible palette is the cheapest one, then there's bad habit royal palette which is also cheap, but unfortunately no online shop sells it here. then there's BYS berries palette which i also attracted to, mainly because they arranged the colors in better order (excuse my OCD talking) and i could get my brother to get it for me before he went home for holidays. the beauty creations and bad habit both are dead-copy for ABH MR, they both have all the colors, and i have to say they copy it pretty exactly too. beauty creations adds a new shade that fit perfectly with the rest of the colors in the palette, while bad habit sticks to 14 colors just like ABH MR. while BYS only got 12 colors instead of full 14. talking about price point, both beauty creations and bad habit only cost $12 and $10, BYS is slightly more expensive at $16.95. BYS has an offline store at shopping mall near my house, but i never asked the price in IDR, so i never knew. online shops sell beauty creations irresistible ranging from IDR 95-135 rb.

another close up at the palette

and then my hubby was away for a business trip, leaving me with 3 kids at home. although i had helpers with me, sometimes kids can make me go nuts, so i decided to treat myself with this palette and bought this when it was restocked again (trust me, i've seen this palette being restocked twice and it will be gone in one day!). when i received it, i'm glad that i get it. i've been playing with it several weeks now and i'm quite happy with it.

the description from shophush website: a necessary eyeshadow collection with 15 neutral to berry pigmented tones. with the irresistible palette, you have the freedom to create warm tones to brightly colored looks.

the slide on packaging

the packaging: it comes in a slide-on cardboard packaging which has a pretty pink design. the design is similar to a matchbox design, that you have to push the palette up or down from the outer packaging. there's another one that looks similar on the outside, and it's called butterfly palette. so you have to be careful, since both of them comes in pink design too. the palette itself comes with a magnetic closure at the top so you can lift it easily, but it has pretty strong magnet power so it won't open accidentally. on the inside, there's a decent size mirror so you can use the palette anywhere. this palette has total 15 shades in small square pans, covered with plastic and they print names of the shade under each pans. now, the earlier version has exact shades name just like the ABH MR which cause a lot of talking, so the company decided to change the shades name. i have to say that i like the new names better, somehow it gives seduction vibes that's in line with the palette name. unfortunately, the base color of this color is light grey which is more toward white, so sometimes it gets messy when i tap the excess of eyeshadow on the side of the palette. i don't mind they didn't put a brush in the palette because usually the brush is useless. or i think it's a good strategy since beauty creations launch several sets of good brushes lately so the lack of brush will lead people to buy brushes, hopefully from them too.

close up at the slide on (the palette is the one on top while the outer is the bottom)

the shade selection: this palette consists of 15 colors, ranging from neutral to warm red and raspberry, which a lot of people commenting that it's perfect for fall. and since we don't have fall here, let's just say that it goes well with the ongoing trend. this palette is quite unusual for me since it has mostly mattes, with just 5 shimmers (the original ABH MR only has 4 shimmery shades). now this will be challenging for drugstore/high street brands since matte eyeshadow tends to be powdery and can be dull sometimes.

inside the palette (plastic is covering all the pans while you can see the mirror inside)

close up at the shades (natural lighting)

the product and result: i will break it down each shades so you will get the idea better.
- naked: on my fair skin, this shade is true to the name, naked. it's similar to my skin color, so without flash light, it's barely shown on me. i think it has slight sheen, not entirely shimmery, but it gives a little sheen under the light. this shade is dupe of tempera.

you can see that it's more visible than similar shade from my revealed palette

- touch me: a matte light brown. this is a great transition shade. this color is a little bit more visible on me than similar shade from my revealed palette, which is quite surprising since my revealed palette is the most pigmented from the rest of my eyeshadow palettes. since this is matte, it doesn't feel as buttery as the shimmery one, but still soft to touch and translated to my eyes perfectly. this is dupe for golden ochre.

comparison swatch

- true love: this is a pinky beige shimmery shade. one of the two outstanding shimmery shades in this palette. this shades is very buttery. i found that using my finger and tap it on my lid works better than using a flat shader brush. this is a dupe for vermeer.

comparison with similar shade from other palette

- only yours: this is a matte mauve taupe shade. this shades is smooth and easy to swatch. on my lid it works better than similar shade from my other palettes. i've included a comparison swatch and you can see that my MUR and i heart makeup shades appear slightly more chalky than this shade. only yours is dupe for buon fresco.

look how smooth it is!

- til midnight: this is another shimmery shade, a medium brown with mauve sheen to it. again, this is very buttery and it gives the same pigmentation compared to similar shade from MUR palette, although it's not as pigmented as revealed one. til midnight is dupe for antique bronze.

comparison swatch

- kiss me: i have high hope for this shade. i believe this is one of those raspberry tone shades that makes this palette unusual. this is a matte raspberry shade, slightly toward purple than red. on my arm it swatches okay, but on my lid, i have to build the color to get it shown. a little bit disappointing considering this is a dupe for love letter which is pretty pigmented in ABH MR palette.
- yours: this is a matte dark brown that's quite buttery too. swatches okay and translates into lid okay. this is a dupe for cypress umber.

you can see that it's slightly more pigmented than i heart makeup palette

- bare: this is a medium dark orangey-brown, slightly darker than its neighbour, infatuated. again, it is buttery and smooth to touch. and i'm quite impressed with this shade too. considering it's just a notch darker than my skin tone, i can see it clearly on my lid when i use it as transition shade. this is a dupe for raw sienna.
- infatuated: this is a dark peachy orange matte shade. and again, it's another buttery matte shade that surprisingly visible on my lid despite it's a light color. it's a great transition shade that i usually mix with bare. this is a dupe for burnt orange.
- love letter: this is a shimmery champagne gold shade which is soooo beautiful and pigmented. in my comparison picture you will see that it's more shimmery and more pigmented than my other palette, although i find it as pigmented as revealed palette one. this is a dupe for primavera.

swatch comparison

- tender kiss: this is a matte reddish brown shade. again, this is a let down for me since it's a bit chalky and powdery, especially when used with brush. you can see on the swatch that it's not as smooth as the other. on my lid, i have to build it up couple times to get the pigmentation that i want, while the original shade from ABH seems not having similar problem. tender kiss is a dupe for red ochre.
- smack: a matte pinkish red matte. this is a red version of kiss me, but not bright red, but slightly pinkish. again, on swatch you can see that it's not as smooth as other shade, bit powdery too when i use my brush. on my lids, somehow i can't see the difference with tender kiss when they're used together. this is a dupe for venetian red. i have to admit that this is another shade that interest me in buying it, but it's another let down since it's not pigmented and buttery enough.
- warm touch: a matte taupe shade. i have to admit that the name of the ABH's shade name is more on point, which is warm taupe. this is smooth and swatches okay, okay on the lid too. it's another shade that i reach frequently for transition shade.

comparison swatch

- mix emotions: this is another matte red brown shade. it's more red than tender kiss. again, i find that this is a bit powdery, but nothing much. i think it's expected with matte shades. this is a dupe for realgar.
- night out: this is the addition shade. it's a shimmery dark brown with tiny gold speckles in it. very tiny, almost undetectable. and i like it, how it adds more darker option to the palette and tones it down, making the palette is more wearable seeing that most dark shades in this palette has more reddish or raspberry tone.

close up (with flash)

overall, i'm quite satisfied with this palette. i'm quite surprised considering that i can use neutral tones in this palette to create a daytime look. although i'm still learning to ace that reddish brick and raspberry tone shades. and the shimmer in this palette.. they really wow me. i won't say that this is a s good as ABH MR one since i can see that it's not, but for a palette that cheap, it works surprisingly well and even more than my expectation. some mattes might be powdery, but i don't have to do my eye before my face makeup. the fall out is really minimal. just make sure to tap the excess from the brush before putting it on your eyelid. i also impressed how sometimes this palette exceed my MUR and i heart makeup palette in some shades, considering that this one is cheaper than the other two. so, if you love warm shades including raspberry and brick red and orange shades in this palette, then grab it the next time you see it restocked, because this palette is selling out fast. if you love ABH MR but you don't want to spend your money on that palette, buy this one, although i can't say that it's more superior than the other dupe since i don't have the other palette. but if you're terrified that the shade might not good on you, then skip it. there's a lot of other palettes in the market right now, i bet you can find one that suits you best.

arm swatch (on natural lighting)

another arm swatch with different lighting

my husband was away for 10 days, leaving me with 3 kids without any maid. i do have a nanny to help me, but my house is pretty big, and two adults versus 3 very active kids is not a good balance. so my husband was being considerate. he gave me some money so i can buy some treats when he was away when i got stressed out with the kids. so, i decided to get a little gifts for everyone (well, almost everyone.. the money wasn't enough to buy my brother a gift, hahaha.. ) i got my both my sisters a brush set and a blush/bronzer/highlighter palette, a batik shirt for my husband and my brother in law, then a little treat for myself. i always wanted to have a full set of brush. i do have a eye brush set, but i don't have any face brush set. i wanted to get BH cosmetics one, but considering that my eye brush set from BH cosmetic is a hit and miss, i didn't want to experience the same thing. then there's morphe brush set. there are a lot of options, and more expensive ones, but i don't quite like the sets of brushes that they offering.

most of the brush set had flat foundation which i already had, and i didn't use it much. in fact, i even used it as a mask brush now, so i didn't want to get another set with a brush that i wouldn't use. so i had several options, but nothing really attracts me. then i saw several online shop putting advertising on beauty creations brush set. i've just bought an eyeshadow palette from beauty creations and i liked it, so i thought they must make good brushes with such a good price too. but there's no information on this brush set whatsoever. i didn't know what's in the set, what brushes are in the set, and no review either. so it took me a couple of days before deciding buying this brush set over BH cosmetics or morphe. and i got the 12 pieces one instead of 10 pieces one because the price difference is really close, so i think why not get the 12 pieces one if i have to pay only 5000 rupiah more? so here i am, playing with my new brush set and i will review it for you.

the cosmetic bag (notice the white band? it's made of paper that you can remove)

the packaging: it comes in a cosmetic bag. it is pink, and it's suitable considering the theme, which is royal rose. it has this paper belt around the bag stating the name of the theme and brand. it is a shame that it's made of paper, since somehow i like the additional belt better around the cosmetic bag. i think it give a nice contrast. without it, it is just a plain pink cosmetic bag. the bag is pretty spacious too.

all the brushes inside

the product and result: this is a 12 brushes in a set, 6 face brushes and 6 eye brushes. all of them have pink handle, rose gold ferrule and dual color brush hair. the root is dark, and it has white tip. i believe all of the brush hair is synthetic. they printed beauty creations' name on the handle, but no name of the brush printed on the handle. i do wish they put name to the brushes because it will be easier for beginner like me to find out which brush is for what. all the brushes don't feel like cheap brush, it feels nice. it's easy to grip and handle, it has soft and nice bristles. i like how i can use every single brush in this set. i will try to decode everything for you.

the face brushes

the eye brushes

- powder brush: it comes with a big fluffy bristles and short handle. the handle is big enough to get a good grip. they even provide plastic cover so the bristles hair is still in shape. and the bristles is soooo soft.. i can touch it all day and be amazed with it. and it's still soft even though i've washed it a couple times since i got them.

the powder brush

- angled blush/contour brush: it's an angled blush brush similar to my elf brush. the difference is this one has softer and less dense bristles so it gives me softer result. but if you have powder blush or contour powder that's less pigmented, you will have to work real hard to make the color shown on you. personally, i like to use this to do my contouring and use my usual elf angled brush to do my blush.

angled blush brush

- pointed foundation brush: this is new for me, i never try a foundation brush like this. i've had a flat foundation brush and it gives me streaky result, so i'm a little bit worried about this brush. this is the first brush that i tried and so far i like it. it works well with my foundation and it doesn't give me streaky result. it gives medium coverage, a little bit more than my ecotools sponge. and since the tip is pointed, i can use it to blend my concealer too. the pointed tip can reach to the sides of my nose without any problem.

pointed foundation brush

- stipple brush: i think this is a stipple brush, but i can't be sure. if i'm wrong, then this might be a small flat top brush. since i use the pointed foundation brush to do my foundation, i usually use this brush to blend cream or liquid blush and it works well. it blends it nicely.

flat top brush

- large blending brush: oh this is my other favorite. this is a small version of flat top brush, but with a dome-shaped top. i usually use my sponge to blend contour cream, and i don't like how sometimes it blends too much that i can barely see the contour cream. so, lately i've been using this brush to blend the contour cream. and although it does take more hard work than the sponge, i like how i can still see the contour cream blended in nicely. i also would use this to blend concealer if i use it as highlighting cream.

large blending brush

- highlighter brush: actually, this is one of the reason i got this set. i always want a highlighter brush. i've been using the angled brush to do my highlighter, and sometimes i think it's not enough. so i almost got myself a single highlighter brush, but i resist and get this set instead. i like how it has tapered end to precisely put my highlighter on top of my cheekbones and the tip of my nose. i've been using this to do my highlight since i got this brush and i super like it.

highlighter brush

- small blending brush: this is the smaller version of the large blending brush. i usually use this to blend my contour cream on my nose since the large one is too big for my nose.

small blending brush

- small shader brush: this is the usual shader brush to pack colors to your lid. the size is smaller and it's not as dense as the BH's small shader brush. it's a bit fluffier than my face shop's shader brush. the size is okay for my small lid. the BH cosmetic eye set has two shader brush, the big one is too big for my lid, while the smaller one is too dense. so i like this one better for packing the color to my lid. not too big, not too dense either.

small shader brush

- eye blending brush: okay, i've been using elf blending brush to put color on my crease, but it's a little bit too flat. somehow i can't seem to use it to its full capacity. this brush is also a flat blending brush like elf one, but fluffier. that's what makes it easier to blend color to my crease. the BH blending brush is also fluffy, but it's round and fluffy and too big for my crease, and it's prickly, while this brush size is perfect for my lid and super soft.

left: blending brush right: comparison with other blending brush (from left to right: bodyshop - beauty creations - elf - bh cosmetics)

- pencil brush: ever since i watched tutorial how to put eyeshadow like a pro, pencil brush seems to have important role in my collection. my BH cosmetic set has a pencil brush, but after i wash it couple times, it shreds a bit and now it isn't as soft as it's used to be. and i don't like it. this pencil brush is a little bit fluffier than BH one and it's soft, so i like to use it to put highlight under my brow and my inner corner.

left: pencil brush right: comparison with bh cosmetics pencil brush

- angled eyeshadow brush: the one from BH cosmetic is a little bit prickly that's why i rarely use it. back then i use the pencil brush to put on darker color to my outer V. but since i have this brush, i use it to put darker color to my outer V and sometime to contour my nose with contour powder. again, i'm amazed how soft the bristles is. and that makes the blending process easier.

left: the angled eyeshadow brush right: comparison with bh cosmetics angled eyeshadow brush

- angled eyeliner brush: this is the smallest brush from the set. it is an eyeliner brush but has angled tip just like the one from BH cosmetics. the difference is, this one is more dense than BH one, so i can use this to draw my eyebrow with eyebrow powder or eyeshadow better than the BH one.

left: angled eyeliner brush right: comparison with bh cosmetic

honestly, ever since i got this brush set, i've been playing with them every time i got the chance. i've used it to apply my foundation, to do my eye look and everything else. i like how it seems to blend everything nicely, making my face look flawless. and somehow having a full set of brush makes me feel like a pro. and how pretty it is! pink and rose gold combination makes me feel girly. and i also like how it comes with a cosmetic bag, making it easy for travelling. now, i'm not saying that this one beats the high-end brushes (because i've never tried one), but if you're considering buying an affordable brush set, get this set and you won't regret it. if you think 12 pieces is a bit too much for you, they have 10 pieces set and 6 pieces set. you can pick which one that suits your need and don't need to break your wallet.

i only bought two sunscreen when i was in japan last time. i didn't know that one of them was in travel size, so i was running out of sunscreen before any holiday time. i was hoping i could go somewhere to buy another sunscreen (i usually buy my sunscreen on my holiday abroad, usually in japan or hongkong). luckily, the kids need to get vaccinated and it wasn't available here so we have to go to the nearest country, singapore. and sunscreen is definitely in my have-to-buy list. when i went to watson, i noticed senka sunscreen, this yellow tube and the other one in blue chubby bottle. there were newer version of biore sunscreen too, but i didn't grab that one since many people complained about the new formulation and praised senka one instead. so i wanted to try it myself.

this is the description from amazon website: an anti-ageing japanese sunscreen gel made with mineral water from mount fuji. the sunscreen features a newly developed, mineral water based "agar gel" formula that applies and feels like a beauty serum on the skin. it contains PA ++++ UVA protection to protect against dark spots, loss of firmness, and other sun damage. it also uses a blend of coenzyme q10 and hyaluronic acid to keep skin hydrated. the moisturizing gel leaves the skin feeling smooth and refreshed. double as a makeup base. removable with face wash (not waterproof).

the packaging

the packaging: i think every japanese sunscreen has similar packaging like this one. cardboard backing and just cover the sunscreen with plastic. at the back of the cardboard there's description and ingredients list and fortunately since i bought this in singapore, the description is in english. the sunscreen itself is in yellow plastic tube with screw top. it has spout to dispense the product out. the back of the bottle has japanese description so no telling what it's about.

the tube

back of the tube

the scent: i thought it might be scentless just like most japanese product, but one day i sniff quite hard and i can smell this synthetic scent, almost like plastic. quite unpleasant for a product that i have to put on my face.

the spout

the product: the sunscreen is yellowish cream, pretty thick compared to my several previous sunscreens. strangely, one day i forgot to shake it (before this i use anessa sunscreen that has this ball inside so automatically i start shaking it before using it) and the sunscreen came out with some oil separated from the cream. after that, i always remember to shake well before pushing the sunscreen out. the sunscreen spread well to my skin and take a while to be absorbed.

the sunscreen

the result: this sunscreen is pretty thick so it takes awhile to be absorbed. then it doesn't turn matte instantly. at first it will leave this watery traces that seems like forever to be gone but it will turn semi-matte if you wait patiently. although this is pretty thick, i'm amazed that this sunscreen doesn't make me greasy, only on my nose, but not too much. not as much as face shop sunscreen that makes me super oily. it sits well under makeup too.

the watery trace immediately after blending the sunscreen

until now, i'm not convinced about this sunscreen. the oil separation from the cream makes me reluctant to use this sunscreen at first, but shaking it well seems to overcome the problem. and i've been used to using more liquid sunscreen so i need adjustment using thicker sunscreen. at first i don't even use the minimum amount that is required for sunscreen to give its protective capability, but as time goes by, i'm getting used to it and slowly i use more than i first did. unfortunately, recently i read another senka sunscreen review by fiddysnail, and she mentioned that a sibling from this sunscreen (the one in a blue bottle) contains alcohol and that causes her breakouts. now, i never had problem with alcohol in my skincare though, but i compare the ingredients from both sunscreen and it appears both contain alcohol in quite high concentration, so if you're sensitive to alcohol, you might want to steer away from this sunscreen. as for me, i also use another daiso serum that contains alcohol and i'm currently testing the ordinary lactic acid, so i need to figure out which one causes me breakouts since i've been experiencing breakouts too. until then, i won't decide about repurchasing yet.

i finally finished my hatomugi skin conditioner, yayy! i was super proud since i was able to finish the whole bottle without cheating. but toward the end, i was thinking whether or not to buy a hydrating toner, considering that i like first essence better than just regular hydrating toner. but i have bought several tablet mask, and soaking it with first essence seems too much. so i was torn between mamonde rose water toner and klairs toner, which both were very popular right now, and then i decided to buy mamonde first. mainly because it's available in 3 different sizes, so i buy the medium size, the 250 ml one.

this is the description from aritaum website: a soothing hydrating tissue-off toner with 90,89% rose water. 90,89% damask rose water: damask roses grown in the world-famous rose valley of bulgaria have been used to formulate toner since the 16th century with their excellent soothing & hydrating effects and beautiful fragrance. low temp, super high pressure rose water extraction: unlike high temp distillation that uses hot steam, we applied the pressure of 10,000 m under water in a low temperature to minimize deformation of active ingredients by heat.

the toner bottle

close up on the bottle

the packaging: it comes in a pink plastic bottle with a flip top. they seal the outer top with a pink sticker label and then another sealing at the opening of the bottle inside. pretty secured considering they don't put it in any box. there's description at the back of the bottle but everything is in korean. the opening is just enough to pour out the toner, but i like to transfer it to a spray bottle since i found that using it as a mist works better for me. this toner has 3 sizes, and mine is the middle one, 150 ml.

the back of the bottle

top left: outer seal bottom left: inside seal top right: flip top bottom right: toner on my hand

the scent: i've been using one or two products that contain rose and nothing smells like this. this one smells really like rose and it's pretty strong scent. like perfume. fortunately somehow it grows on me, so it's not too annoying. but if you have sensitive nose, i suggest steer away from this toner as you might be overwhelmed by the scent.

the flip top

the product: the toner obviously looks and feels like water. i thought it would be pink or pinkish, but after i transfer it to a clear container, it looks clear to me. but if i look at it closely, i think it has some tinge to it. the toner spreads easily to my whole face and then absorbed easily too. after being absorbed, i don't feel any sticky feeling on my skin.

the toner inside spray bottle

the result: i usually spray two or three times because i think one is not enough. i wait until the former layer has been completely absorbed before spraying more. after it's absorbed, i don't feel any sticky feeling and it doesn't leave watery traces too. somehow i feel that this toner is not as moisturizing as hada labo one, i think it's similar as hatomugi. some people touted this as hydrating toner, even become best sellers as hydrating toner, but for me it's not that hydrating.

toner on my hand

after being absorbed

i like how this toner has water-consistency, and it is perfect to soak my tablet mask just like my hatomugi. but i don't like how this toner is not hydrating enough that i have to spray two or three times every time i use this. luckily, this toner comes in big sizes since i think i can finish it quickly, especially if i use it to soak my tablet mask. i also don't like the scent. although it grows on me, i still think that it smells too fragrant. i think those with combination and oily skin might like this lightweight toner, but dry skin won't. then if you have sensitive nose, again, steer away. or if you don't like product with floral fragrance. as for me, after finishing this, i don't think i will repurchase it. if you're wondering about the price, it's pretty affordable, but not as cheap as hatomugi.

when i went to japan, i was just bought several catrice products, including their pressed powder. although it was okay, but i didn't quite like it. so i found out two most rated powder in japan, canmake mermaid powder and the bcl one. when i was there, there are various kind of bcl powders, and since i only got limited time to shop, i couldn't waste time to browse which one to pick, so i picked the only one that didn't have any variety, the powder pact. turned out i picked the uv one, not the original cover pact one.

you can read the description on ratzillacosme website here.

the packaging

description at the back all in japanese

the packaging: it comes with a cardboard packing and plastic cover. on the backing you can see a little picture diagram that show how this pact can cover your pores and at the back there's description in japanese. i've tried finding out the shade code and name, but i can't. i even google translate the packaging using my phone, but i can't find anything. although i suspect the hole that revealing a code might be the shade code. but i can't find out anywhere on any website.

the compact powder

the back of the pact

the shade: all i can find out about the shade is that this version only come in one shade, which is natural ochre. apparently, most japanese girls have skin tones similar to this shade, that's why when they make a universal shade, they make it natural ochre. unfortunately, i'm lighter than most japanese girls, so this one falls darker on me.

zoom in on the pact it has mirror inside and a puff

the product: the powder pact comes in a white compact powder case. there's another label in japanese at the back, so no telling what it's about. when i open it, i can see a white fluffy puff with houndstooth stripping. pretty cute since the houndstooth pattern is pretty unusual. i also never have a fluffy (just feels like stuffed animal doll when i touched it) puff with pressed powder. unfortunately, it's white so the color is pretty dark and it stains heavily on the puff. underneath, they put a plastic to separate the puff and the powder pact itself. the pack is so smooth when i ran my finger over it. smooth and buttery. doesn't feel powdery at all. although if i use brush, ultimately there's a small amount of kickback, but it's not bothering me at all. there's a mirror inside. this pact is travel friendly considering that it's pretty sturdy and has mirror inside that's great for touching up.

the puff is a fluffy puff, which is unusual for me unfortunately, it's white

the result: if i use brush, the coverage is somewhat a little bit sheer than when being used with puff. and i think this one is more like powder foundation than just a pressed powder. it covers my pores flawlessly just like a powder foundation. and the sebum control is good too. i've been testing this pact under hot weather and it can hold well for about 4 hours, which is standard for me. the only part that need a bit blotting is my nose.

left: bare face middle: half face with powder right: freshly applied powder all over my face (notice that it's only slightly darker when it's freshly applied)

left: bare face right: after several hours notice how my face is clearly darker than my neck (ps: on the bright side, i do look like regular japanese girls which most of them have skintone similar to this shade)

honestly, i do like this powder pact. if i got the chance, i might try another powder from bcl. recently i've discovered that there's another powder pact that has two shades, one that's lighter from this pact, so perhaps i could try it. as for this powder, i think it might suit every skin types, if you like matte to semi-matte finish. if i were in a rush, i would put this as my base and then put everything else and go. it's such a fuss free product that will help those who have limited time to do their makeup or prefer minimal makeup. and if you're wondering, natural ochre might suitable for those who have skin tones around NC 20-25. as for mine, i think i might hand in down to my sister who is a bit darker than me.