Prescriptives Virtually Transformed my Skin!
Written: Mar 01 '03 (Updated Mar 24 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: perfect colour matching, light-weight, long-wearing, oil free, natural finish
Cons: only SPF 10, oil free not oil controlling!
The Bottom Line: Perfect skin need no longer be a virtual reality with Prescriptives - for a long-wearing, light-weight, oil-free, natural finish foundation try Virtual Skin!
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| darkchild99's Full Review: Prescriptives Virtual Skin Makeup |
I have long been a fan of Prescriptives and no longer waste my time at other counters when I'm looking for a foundation. There's no doubt about the fact that when it comes to makeup, Prescriptives have all the bases (no pun intended!) covered. Whatever your concerns, be it oily/combination/dry skin, fine lines, dullness, texture, clarity or skin tone you will find your match in a Px foundation. I only discovered Px about three years ago but those three years have changed my outlook on foundation completely! Foundation is, in a way, the most part of makeup for all women. Without a good foundation, any other makeup can look cakey, fade, crease or slip off your face. Plus, we all have very specific needs when it comes to foundation. So where did the quest for the perfect foundation begin? Read on to find out!
I have always had trouble finding a foundation to match my skin tone since I have medium olive to dark skin (depending on which season it is). This was never a real problem for until I started working because I was always able to resort to tinted moisturisers, which didn't require exact colour matching. Once I started work I realised that I would need a little bit more coverage than I was used to but I didn't want to go overboard and look streaky/orange/ashen/like death warmed up. Even now I would still prefer a tinted moisturiser any day to a foundation, even though I've found one which is pretty darn near perfect. For years I resorted to buying two foundations from a line that had a decent colour range and mixing them to get a colour that suited me.
The Product
After enduring the 'mask' look for so long I was absolutely ecstatic (and a bit doubtful) when a friend finally spilled the beans about Prescriptives. I paid a visit to their counter in my local department store and as soon as I was colour-matched, I was hooked. They actually found my colour - I didn't have to find one of theirs that was 'close enough'! It took me a few months just to get over the shock. Added to that was the fact that when Px says 'Supernatural Finish' they mean exactly that. I was offered a choice from their Virtual Skin formula and their 100% Oil-Free formula as I have combination skin. I decided to go with Virtual Skin because it sounded like what I wanted foundationt to look like on my face. I wanted something simple that evened out my skin and lasted the day (even when I didn't!).
Virtual Skin comes in a simple, frosted 30ml (1 fl. oz) bottle that is user-friendly. It has a dark grey cover with a strip underneath with 'Prescriptives' printed on it. The name of the foundation is printed on the front of the bottle and it also has information about the type of finish, wearability and coverage. Virtual Skin has a great natural finish while still being long-wearing. It has a sheer to medium coverage which is perfect for my needs - I still don't have the courage to go for some of the more full-coverage foundations although I know that I will eventually need them. Prescriptives has a great range of foundations to suit most skintypes: Virtual Youth (lifting), Traceless (tint), Virtual Skin (natural), Makeup + (moisture), Luxe (illuminating) and 100% Oil-Free (matte).
Product Hype:
Erases the line between makeup and skin. Our most natural looking, natural feeling foundation. Weightless. Sheer to medium coverage. Long-wearing. Oil-free. SPF 10.
Directions:
Shake before use. Apply to clean skin and blend.
Ingredients:
Octyl Methoxycinnamate; Octyl Salicyate Water; octyl methoxycinnamate; cyclomethicone; methyl gluceth-10; octyl salicylate; sea searate; tea-isostearate; steareth-21; glyceryl stearate; lecithin; propylene glycol stearate; polysorbate 20; calcium silicate; silica; bisabolol; magnesium aluminum silicate; isosteric acid; propylene; glycol laurate; xanthan gum; cellulose gum; allantoin; sorbitan laurate; ylang ylang; alumina; trisodium edta; phenoxyethanolk; ethylparaben; butylparaben; methylparaben; propylparaben; titanium dioxide; iron oxides; ultramarines; mica; bismuth oxychloride
My Experience
When you go up to the Px counter the SAs ask if you need to be Colour Printed, which means finding your colour family. The four main colour families are Yellow/Orange, Red/Orange, Red/Blue and Red. Once your colour family is determined you have definite categories of Px that apply to you, from foundation to blush to eyeshadow. If you can't find a foundation colour to suit you from the range, Px can mix one up for you. However, if you have one 'concocted' it will not have any SPF (this is done because some people are allergic to SPF ingredients). All this means is that you need to wear an SPF moisturiser with the foundation. It's so amazing how the whole colour choice process works and you will be truly happy with the results. I never knew that makeup could look so natural before and that it could complement my skin so well!
Application: Virtual Skin looks best when applied with a Px foundation brush, but doesn't have to be done this way. I had never used a foundation brush before so it was all pretty exciting. The foundation brush prevents you from wasting too much of the product and gives a very natural finish. The brush has stiff bristles (stiffer than a blush brush) that soak up the foundation and allows you use to 'paint' the foundation on to your face. It makes blending a breeze and also means that you don't have to go sticking your unhygienic fingers into the bottle every time that you apply. It's very important to keep the brush clean and I rinse it every time I use it and give it a soapy wash every week. I've found that the foundation brush has made my application so much easier and my bottle of Virtual Skin lasts longer as well.
Finish and Wearability: I enjoy using Virtual Skin because of its natural finish and its long-wearability. When I got my first bottle I rushed home and put some of it on. It matched my skin so well that I thought I hadn't put enough on. I love the way that it blends so easily with my skin tone but still allows my natural colour to come through. Many other foundaitons claim to 'even out skin tone and texture' but always require application with a trowel. With Virtual Skin I put on as much or as little as I like. The finish stays fresh all day and doesn't dry my skin out or look too shiny mid-day. Granted, I use blotting papers on really hot days to take care of shine but I've never had to actually touch up my makeup. I also love how light Virtual Skin is - I never feel like I have anything on my face!
Coverage: I chose Virtual Skin over 100% Oil-Free because it had a more sheer finish. While Virtual Skin is sheer to medium coverage, 100% Oil-Free is medium to full coverage. At this point it comes to a question of preferences and skin needs. I wanted something that would allow me to be flexible and I found it in Virtual Skin. My colour is Real Tawny and I can get as deep as Real Tan in summer when I'm outdoors a lot. Neither of these colours overpowers my natural skin tone and the pigment of the foundation allows me to have the 'my skin but better' look. The best thing about the coverage flexibility of Virtual Skin is that it can be used both as a tint as well as a medium coverage colour when I need it to be. The only thing that I'm unhappy about is the SPF coverage which is only 10 - wearing an SPF 15 moisturiser underneath helps me out in that respect.
The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful
There are heaps of pros when it comes to this product, but a lot of them come down to preferences and skin needs. Virtual Skin is great if you're looking for a light-weight, long-wearing, oil-free foundation with a natural finish. It definitely delivers on each of these points and a product living up to its own claims is a big pro in my view. The colour-range is a huge pro in my book too! Finding the perfect colour to match your skin is an exhilarating experience and I still can't get over it. If colour matching has always been a woe for you, then find a Px counter ASAP and find your true makeup face. Finally Virtual Skin is perfect when it comes to natural makeup - when you want to make a good impression but don't want to look like you've tried too hard.
There are two cons to Virtual Skin and one semi-con which is just me being picky. First of all, Virtual Skin has an SPF of 10 which really isn't enough. An SPF 15 is a minimum to go out into the sun and most experts agree that higher=better. This is a minor problem considering that most moisturisers now have in-built sunscreens so the SPF of your foundation doesn't really matter. The price is a bit of a con, I mean $32.50 for a bottle of foundation is a bit steep even for me! Up until I discovered Px I only ever spent half that amount on foundation, prefering to invest my money in good skincare products. The last con is actually a misconception about Virtual Skin. An oil-free product does not necessary mean that it will be oil-controlling. Some people complain that Virtual Skin doesn't control oil but this really isn't its function. If you wear a good mattifying product underneath, there shouldn't be a problem.
Is it worth it? Again this comes down to each person's specific skin needs. I have always advocated that it is pointless using a foundation that doesn't meet the needs of your skin. If you need moisturising, go for a richer formula foundation so that you don't look like the Sahara desert by midday. If you're worried about dullness then choose an illuminating foundation to bring out your personal glow. Today, the range of colour and types of foundations are only increasing. Virtual Skin is one of the best on the market if you're looking for the same things I am - an easy, 'barely there' look that complements your natural beauty. Swipe on a good liptint and some mascara and you're ready to face the world.
The Verdict
Virtual Skin can make you look virtually perfect if you let it and if it is properly matched to your skin tone and type. I have tried foundations from Maybelline to Clinique, Revlon to Chanel, Origins to Shiseido and none of them have really suited me. I threw them all out as soon as I came across Virtual Skin, they just couldn't match up in quality and performance. None of them matched my skin colour accurately, and more importantly none of them made me look so completely natural. When it comes to beauty, most women don't like to look as though they've tried extra hard because that implies that they have too many flaws. With Px it's easy because you don't have to try and you look as good as other women who spend hours on their faces.
Where to buy? You can purchase Virtual Skin or any Prescriptives foundation at a Px counter in the nearest department store. Alternatively you can order online at www.prescriptives.com or from Gloss. It's probably best to go to a counter for the Colour Printing process to get your exact match and to find your colour family.
In a nutshell? The thing that I love the most about Prescriptives Virtual Skin is that it lives up to its claims and that these claims meet the needs of my skin. Until I tried Virtual Skin I never realised that makeup could be easy and that wearing a foundation doesn't have to look like I was sprayed by the cement machine. I love the colour, the light feel, the fact that it lasts all day and the natural finish of this foundation and I'm not about to change it any time soon.
So, if you're looking for:
-a foundation that matches your skin colour
-a long-wearing formula that is light-weight
-a truly fresh, natural finish
then get your hands on a bottle of Virtual Skin the next time you're at a Px counter.
Virtual Skin has taught me a lot about makeup and my own foundation. I'm glad that I don't have to compromise my idea of natural beauty with a cakey foundation anymore. Every morning when I leave my house I know that my makeup looks exactly like I want it to and will last the whole day. It's more than a relief, it's a joy and to my mind that's how makeup should always be. Most women (me included) just want a no-fuss, long-wearing foundation that covers where it's needed and makes our skin look good. Simply by addressing the concerns of women, especially in terms of colour and skin type, Prescriptives have earned themselves a following all over the world. Once you've tried Px, you just can't go back. And Virtual Skin is the ultimate answer to the question 'Can good makeup still look natural?' My answer is yes!
This review is part of the Beautiful or Bogus write-off in the Beauty Category hosted by shantel_575 and bops_mom. Hope you enjoyed it!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
darkchild99
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Location: Perth, Western Australia
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
Everytime I hear the word 'exercise' I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
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