Powder power: Est to launch new powder foundation that mimics liquid foundation

The upcoming Illuminating Powder Foundation is set to launch on September 9 in Japan, followed by a regional rollout in Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea through duty-free channels.

It will be launched under the Est label, one of the Global 11 (G11), or main cosmetic brands of Japanese personal care major, Kao.

The new foundation has been touted to be a game-changer by the brand, promising to introduce beauty consumers to a “new sensation”.​

According to the brand, this powder foundation adheres to the skin and finishes with a lustre like liquid foundation. Furthermore, its unique technology allows it to be used without a primer.

“We are pleased to announce the release of a new foundation that offers the convenience of a powder foundation, the smooth adhesion and glossy finish like a liquid foundation, and a moist and comfortable feel.”​

This was made possible by Kao’s latest powder gel technology and the Illuminating Powder Foundation will be the first product to utilise this innovation.

The firm was able to achieve this by combining highly oil-absorbent powders, it explained.

“This time, we also discovered that by combining a lighter and smoother powder and a low-viscosity oil, the resistance to the skin when applying is reduced and a smooth coating film is formed on the skin. As a result, powder gel technology has evolved to improve the ability to adhere smoothly to the skin.”​

In one experiment, a powder foundation developed with powder gel technology was able to adhere to dry skin evenly as compared to conventional powder and liquid foundations, as it had both the characteristics of oil and powder, said the firm.

Furthermore, its finish was analysed by Kao’s Kirei Skin AI skin evaluation system that was trained to evaluate skin like a human judge and can identify skin texture like matte, shiny, or glossy.

According to Kirei Skin AI, a powder foundation developed with the new technology was evaluated to have a high visual lustre as compared to the other formulas. The researchers hypothesised that the powder gel formed “a smooth coating film with high adhesion on the skin”,​ thus reflecting light well.

“This time, we have developed a new powder gel technology that combines the ease of powder type with the moisturising feeling of a liquid type and makes it adhere smoothly to any skin for a glossy finish. By applying this unique Kao technology to various base makeup products, we will strive to be closer to the beauty that more customers want to be,” ​said the firm.