Review: Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation

 

 

Without a doubt, my favourite Japanese beauty brand discovery is Koh Gen Do.

Before living in Tokyo I had never heard of Koh Gen Do, and now I honestly couldn’t live without their products. Koh Gen Do is a true Tokyo brand, born in the lively Azabu Juban area, the creation of a Japanese actress who was looking for skin care and makeup for her stressed-out skin. The brand is celebrating its 30th birthday this year, and has a loyal following among Hollywood’s best actresses and their makeup artists, with the brand being used on big budget films like as American Hustle and Still Alice, and has A-list celebrity devotees like Jessica Alba.

Koh Gen Do is the real deal.

 

Product: Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation (SPF 25+) ¥4968

 

 

 

What is Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation?

Aqua foundation is a long wearing liquid mineral foundation that delivers a glowing, dewy finish. The skin care integrated formula boasts an impressive range of natural derived moisturizing (shea butter, jojoba and squalene) and conditioning (algae extracts and liquorice root) ingredients and mineral powders  naturally brighten skin, cover pores and fine lines.

Available in 7 shades.

 

What did I think?

Koh Gen Do Aqua foundation is my absolute favourite foundation, and it has been since I first tried it almost three years ago. I do try other foundations regularly, but I always come back to the Aqua foundation as it give the most natural looking dewy finish. My skin type is dry and I have freckles, so finding a foundation that gives medium coverage and still looks natural is difficult to find. Aqua foundation evens out any redness, brightens my skin and leaves it looking healthy and youthful- even when you are feeling anything but. With most foundations, my skin start to develop dry patches after a few hours of wear, but Aqua foundation keep my skin moisturizer throughout the day. Importantly, even when I have weeks when I wear foundation everyday, the Koh Gen Do Aqua foundation doesn’t cause my skin to breakout. Koh Gen Do Aqua foundation truly is an amazing product.

 

How to use Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation

1. Compete your usual skin care routine, with the last step being a sun care product or a primer.
2. When using Koh Gen Do Aqua foundation you can use your preferred method to apply to apply to your face- be it your fingers,  a brush, makeup sponge or a combination. I like to use a combination of fingers and flat top kabuki brush to apply this foundation, so that is what I will detail below.
3. Start with 1-2 pumps into the palm of the hand, and using two fingers dot the foundation onto the face (nose, cheeks, forehead and chin). It’s much better to only start with a small amount of Aqua foundation and then build up where needed later.
4. Using the flat kabuki brush, work in a circular motion, starting at the centre of the face to evenly spread the foundation above the face. It’s important to concentrate on working from the centre of the face outwards, as the t-zone tends to be the area that needs the most coverage and you want the hairline and neck areas to have a light, seamless coverage.
5. If any area needs more coverage, apply small amount of Aqua foundation to that are only and blend some more. Remember to be light handed with foundation, as heavy layers tend to build up in creases and fine lines. A flat top foundation brush really does makes liquid foundation application almost fool-proof, as it buffs the foundation into the skin creating an even, seamless finish.
6. If you want, you can apply a dusting of powder but with this long wearing formula you can skip powder altogether and enjoy a beautifully glowing, dewy complexion.

 

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Where to buy Koh Gen Do products in Tokyo

Koh Gen Do- Flagship Store and Spa

Loft, Tokyu Hands, Ainz & Tulpe and Plaza stores throughout Tokyo.