Shiseido 7 Colors Powder Revival Centennial Edition & 7 Lights Powder Illuminator

Makeup trends come and go, but one thing that remains – women throughout the centuries desire smoother, brighter, clearer skin.  And nobody understands that better than the Japanese…  This Spring 2017, Shiseido two heart-stoppingly beautiful powders to bring out that radiant glow!

I am a little bit of an old soul, and love collecting items with historical value… and though seemingly-superficial, I’ve always found the age-old tradition of women powdering their faces to be rather romantic.  And so, I personally find Shiseido’s 7 Colors Powder to be one of those treasures, the entire presentation is meticulously executed, and it is an exact replication of the well-loved Rainbow Color Face Powder introduced 100 years ago!  For this Revival Centennial Edition, Shiseido has once again partnered the original manufacturer and used the traditional formulation, and we are able to experience genuine craftsmanship and the artisanal spirit.

Traditionally, face powders were primarily white, and housed in boxes that were either square or round.  In 1917, Shiseido broke all conventions, and introduced a series of rainbow face powders that allowed the lady to customize the finish of her makeup according to her personal needs.  The Rainbow Color Face Powder came in a set of 7 different colored powders, packaged in novel squar-ish boxes with cut-off corners to create an octagonal shape.  The top lid is decorated with the Shiseido camellia blossom logo inside a gold border, and has a gentle cushioned bulge reminiscent of ring boxes as a symbol of the precious gem inside.

Today, we are all familiar with the concept of color correction, and there are a myriad of products out in the market that attempt to correct various imperfections down to the minutiae, Shiseido’s 7 Colors Powder adapt to any skin-tone and can be used individually or combined.  Each powder is so finely milled it practically vaporizes with the gentlest touch.  Hyaluronic Acid is added to a blend of 20 different powders for a porcelain-like finish on the skin.

Even though the powders look quite colourful in their little boxes, they all swatch out very pale.

• White brightens and gives a translucent quality to the skin.  Apply to t-zone, chin and corners of the eyes to highlight.
• Yellow evens out skin tone and erases redness for a naturally bright complexion.  Target areas of unevenness for all-over radiance.
• Beige smoothens skin texture and also evens out skin tone.  Apply to t-zone, chin and around the eyes and temples.
• Rose gives a natural vibrant look to the skin.  Apply to cheeks and chin.
• Peony brightens up the skin and gives radiance.  Apply over eye lid, under eyes and around mouth for a rejuvenated look.
• Lavender covers dull, yellowish skin tone.  Apply over eye lids, under eyes and around mouth for a translucent look.
• Green covers and conceals redness, brightening out skin tone.  Use on targeted areas.

Together with the Revival Centennial Edition, Shiseido has also introduced a modern interpretation of the 7 light pigment technology, and gives us a much more portable and equally beautiful Shiseido 7 Lights Powder Illuminator.  This is a handy palette with 7 different-colored powders arranged in a rectangular pan.  The shades are arranged in a clever way that allows different segments to be to highlight, contour, and even as an all-over finishing powder.

To highlight, simply sweep your brush diagonally from the top to the left quadrant, picking up the white, pink and lavender pigments.  To contour, sweep the brush across the right and lower quadrants to pick up the brown-toned pigments.  Finally, swirl your brush across the entire palette for an all-over brightening, smoothening and skin-tone evening effect.  I have swatched the palette in the manner I have just described for your reference.  It is very interesting to me how the various pigments were able to “erase” each other, and if you really so desired, you could pick out individual shades with a small eyeshadow brush to use them as blushes or eye color!  What is special about this 7 Lights Powder Illuminator is that it has the ability to adjust to different skin conditions, absorbing excess oil to mattify, and still smooth over rough and dry areas of the skin to keep it feeling comfortably all day.

Both the Shiseido 7 Colors Powder Revival Centennial Edition and 7 Lights Powder Illuminator are now out in stores.  They are limited edition, and the Revival Centennial Edition is a collectors’ piece with only 150 pieces available in Singapore.  So I highly recommend you to check them out as soon as you can!

_{This post featured products that were generously provided for my consideration.  Regardless, all opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views.}