Along with the spring 2015 makeup release, Shiseido also introduced a new concealer stick. The Perfecting Stick concealer.
Being an ardent fan of the Clé de Peau concealer stick, I was curious to see how this performed against it. Specially since the Shiseido retails at a very competitive price!
So let’s get right to it!
Packaging
Given they both come under the Shiseido brand, packaging is very similar, except for the iconic navy blue tipped cap. The Shiseido instead has the logo up top, still maintaining a very luxe finish.
Overall both look sleek and compact and ideal for keeping in your makeup bag.
Also no worries of leaks or spillage, the cap secures with a firm click.
Formula & Coverage
According to Shiseidos press release, the concealer contains a special ‘Bind & Fit Wax’ which allows a high coverage while also delivering an easily blendable smooth formula that helps you achieve a finish that looks skin like and never unnatural or cakey.
From my experience I found the concealer to be smooth and creamy, a little more emollient than the Clé de Peau. Therefore making it perfect consistency for concealing blemishes and spots too. I mostly use this to cover dark circles though and it does a pretty good job of it. It looks less dry on the under eye when compared to the CDP, something a lot of users complain about.
The coverage of this is on the higher side of medium. Almost opaque when blended in. In comparison to CDP, it’s slightly under. For those with regular under eye darkness this should be a good fit.
Finish
The concealer melds well with the skins surface and gives a very natural finish. Never looks patchy or parched.
Longevity & Wear
I noticed it creases. But then so does the Clé de Peau. I have come to peace with the fact that no concealer on earth would be crease free on me as my ‘fine lines’ are pretty deep! I remedy this by wearing as little eye cream as possible (sometimes I skip it altogether) which reduces the chance of ‘slipping’. And of course powder, powder, POWDER!
Here’s what a mix of 22 and 33 looks applied on my under eye. (Left with concealer and right eye is without)
It makes my eyes look less tired and the red undertone in the inner corner is now concealed. I also applied it on the inner corner of my cheeks around the nose to conceal any pigmentation and redness. It’s virtually undetectable.
Shade Range
This concealer comes in 6 shades.
11 Light
22 Natural light – Neutral beige toned
33 Natural – Yellow toned
44 Medium – Peachy Beige toned
55 Medium Deep
66 Deep
I ended up buying an additional two apart from the 22 Natural Light I was sent for review. So I basically ended up with half of the collection released!
These suit, Light Medium to Medium complexions.
I found the Shiseido colours were slightly brighter in comparison to the Clé de Peau. And there are no shades that are exact matches to the CDP.
And some swatches,
I currently use CDP Almond for my under eyes. And the match from Shiseido is a mix of 22 with 44 or 33.
22 on it’s own is far too light and looks ghostly on me, a typical ‘reverse panda’ eye.. If you are a NC 35 you could choose between 33 or 44 which would suit a medium, difference being the undertone. 33 is more yellow toned while 44 is a neutral peachy beige tone.
A good match for NC 25-30 would be 22 Natural light.
For those of you around an NC 15, 11 Light is the shade to go for.
For NC40 and above, 55 and 66 should suit well. I can’t recall undertones of these though. Sorry!
Overall thoughts
I feel this is a close match to the CDP. If price is a concern, you could try this and achieve a similar outcome. Although I won’t be ditching my CDP concealer in a hurry! I still enjoy the thicker and heavier coverage.
If your under eye circles aren’t too severe or if you find your CDP concealer too drying for the under eye, try this!
Note – For those of you with deeper fine lines with oilier skin, this would most likely crease on you. So be sure to test this out at a counter before you purchase.
Product info
The Perfecting Stick Concealer comes with 5g of product and retails at SGD 46. Available at all Shiseido counters.
