Is this the longest-lasting foundation? Our editor wear-tests it to find out
As an editor with an immensely busy schedule, finding a base that lasts all day is no easy feat for Tessa Patrick, so she put the latest product from Shiseido to task.
A lot of people ask me how I spend my days as a magazine editor. You know those awful job descriptions where they say, ‘no two days are the same’? —I think that saying is such a cliche, but in this industry, I can vouch for it. Amid meetings and events, time spent at my desk and time spent on shoots and days interviewing talent, I can never be entirely sure of the day ahead of me—which can sometimes make nailing the right make-up look a challenge.
I was recently offered the opportunity to put Shiseido’s Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation to the task—allured by its touted capabilities of decent coverage, a lightweight feel, and total staying power. And amid one of the busiest days of the year, I was utterly impressed with how the base got more and more beautiful throughout the day.
0700: Application
Perhaps I’m the product of my era, but after growing up in the early 2000s, few things frighten me more than a full face of makeup—I like my skin to feel like it can breathe. Initial thoughts during application were how lightweight the formula felt while offering impressive coverage and a well-sunned glow. A little goes a long way, and its silky finish made applying products overtop easy. 
0800: Auckland Theatre Company Breakfast
I’ve always been a theatre kid, so getting to preview the 2025 programme over breakfast is a huge perk of the job. Other media and cameras are around, so I’m glad my face base is settling in naturally. It feels like a second skin.
0930: Shoot Collections
Now comes the busy part of the morning: I park my car in the downtown park and run—because I’m running late to my first appointment—part of the way up Queen Street. I’m stopping at Hublot, Prada and Bvlgari to collect some divine pieces for our still-life shoot, Highest Bidder. Against all odds, my foundation stays nice and fresh throughout the chaos. I love it when it’s slightly wind-whipped and glowy.
1100: Luxury Fashion Shoot
I arrive on set, goods secured, and get stuck into styling all the day's accessories. We’ve based the concept of this shoot around an auction house catalogue, meaning that the set itself is pretty minimal, and it means we can be incredibly detail-oriented with our shots. There’s a bit of a dilemma on set—one of our looks was held up in customs, which means lots of phone calls and running around to meet delivery drivers. By the time we wrap up at 3 pm, my make-up still feels ready to go for the night ahead. 
1600: Elle + Riley Christmas
After nipping home on the way to my next event, I get out of my shoot-day jeans and shirt and freshen up with a coat of mascara and lipstick. I know I sound like a broken record, but the lightweight, dewy foundation has seriously held up like it said it would.
1800: Lexus Design Awards
After a couple of glasses of Champagne, I tend to get a little flushed, but this foundation is doing a fabulous job of hiding that in all the right places. I arrive at the Lexus Design Awards at Simon James, somehow after the day we’ve had, still raring to go. 
1930: Dinner With Friends
The workday is finally done, and I head to Roses on Karangahape Road to meet my partner and our friends for dinner and drinks. In this cute little dining room, under the warm, candlelit tables, I feel extra glowy in the best kind of way. Usually, I’m pretty self-conscious about foundation; if it’s wearing right, if it’s smudging my other products. Pleased to say I received many compliments on how good my skin looked.
2200: Removal & Bed
Any dubiosity I have about foundations has been put to bed. At 10 pm, I head downstairs to the bathroom and remove a surprisingly still quite fresh face of make-up—especially considering I’d been applying it in the same spot 13 hours earlier. The foundation glides off smoothly and, I’m proud to say, has earned its prime place in my beauty cupboard.
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