With natural-looking colors in a glamorous and substantial-looking case, Dramatic Mood Veil from Shiseido Maquillage was love at first sight. For me, it is the centerpiece of the newly renewed Maquillage, and I was really looking forward to trying it.
Shiseido Maquillage Dramatic Mood Veil (資生堂 マキアージュ ドラマティックムードヴェール/ 資生堂 心機星魅舞色頰彩, ¥3500, refill ¥2500) was released in spring 2015. Two variations are available (RD100 & PK200), and I went for the pink-toned PK200.
The palette features five shades. The main blusher shade in the middle is a medium-toned pink with a hint of warmth and a medium depth. Compared with the main blusher shade, the light pink on the top right is slightly lighter and cooler and the light peachy pink on the bottom right is slightly lighter and warmer. The shade on the bottom left is a pale-to-light pink and the shade on the top left is an off-white pink.
The main blusher shade in the middle is moderately pigmented, and the two shades on the right are lightly-to-moderately pigmented. These three shades have a softly glowy and softly shimmery finish, and the shimmer is subtly multi-hued. (The silver and light-beige tones show up more under sunlight.) The two shades on the left are lightly pigmented and have a velvety finish with hints of glow and shimmer. The powder is very smooth, creamy and blendable, and the staying power is decently good.
With this product, Maquillage is highlighting the concept of Mood Zone, which includes the cheek areas and the under-eye and outer-eye areas. The product is designed to enhance the impression one leaves on others and includes shades for various areas of the Mood Zone.
(image from www.shiseido.co.jp/mq)
The numbers above indicate the various shades and the recommended order of application. (Shades 2 and 3 are designed to be mixed together.) The idea is to go through the gradation from the darkest shade to the lightest shade.
Of course, you can use this blusher and highlighter palette in any way you want. One slight variation of the recommended order is to use the two highlighting shades first as the last steps of your base makeup routine and then apply the blusher shades. You can also apply shades 2 and 3 before completing the look for the cheeks with the main blusher shade.
Apart from the exquisitely smooth texture of the powder, there are a few things I like about this product:
– All the shades have pigmentation levels that are easy to work with. The three blusher shades do show up sufficiently but there is almost no need to worry about over-application. The highlighting shades are sheer and don’t create the reverse-panda look.
– The colors are very natural, and, as parts of a palette, they are very well-coordinated. When they are applied according to the instructions, you see one coherent look with gentle nuances instead of the individual colors.
– The finishes are also very natural. (“Creamy gloss” is the description from Shiseido regarding the overall finish.) The softly glowy blusher shades with a gentle glimmer and the predominantly velvety highlighting shades look subtle and understated.
The product comes with a double-ended applicator, with a brush on one end and a sponge on the other. According to the application instructions, the sponge is used to gently stamp the main blusher shade onto the cheeks and the brush is used to apply all the other shades. The hair of the brush is soft and relatively dense, and the brush picks up individual colors quite easily and blends them on the cheeks effortlessly. I haven’t used the dome-shaped sponge as I think it (the size of the surface on contact with the cheeks, to be precise) is a little too small to create an even and seamless look.
I like the large and substantial-looking case. The main reason for the large size is that the applicator (which is not a flat applicator that often comes with a powder-based blusher) is stored in the case. It sits diagonally on a plastic tray that rests just above the powder.
Like Dramatic Rouge, which I reviewed last month, Dramatic Mood Veil has been popular in Japan. At www.cosme.net, it ranks first for the award for the best blusher released in the first half of 2015. Overall, this is a well-designed product that reflects the original concept. It adds natural and well-coordinated hues to the Mood Zone to enhance the complexion and facial expressions. It is also a very user-friendly item that should appeal to those new to applying makeup.
Related posts:
Maquillage Fall 2015 Makeup Collection
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