No Bullshit Product Review: MUJI MAKE UP BASE

In my line of work, I   never had to buy my own make up and am even paid to try them.  But since I quit the industry, I have to spend my hard earned money for it.
Even with my insider knowledge, I still occasionally get disappointments from my purchases.  Here is one.

Recently, I bought this Muji Clear Make Up Base.

I chose a clear make up base instead of foundation because:

  1. Foundations look too made-up, even the light coverage ones
  2. Foundations come only in limited number of shades (for the brand's economic reasons).  So chances are, it will be dang difficult to find a perfect match to my skin color
  3. My skin tone darkens or lightens depending on the quantity of my exposure to the sun.  So even if I find a perfect match today, it will not be a perfect match tomorrow.
  4. A clear base helps provide a good layer to hold the rest of my make up well and longer.  I can look my "natural best" without seeming like I have spent much time on myself (and well, I haven't- I only spend 5 minutes max to make my Face Zero)
I chose the MUJI brand because of the ff. reasons:
  • ORIGIN: MUJI is made in Japan.  My experience is good with most Japanese made products and brands as Japan is more stringent with its quality standards compared to FDA of US and that of Europe.
  • PACKAGING: MUJI has decent and yet non-superfluous packaging.   No box but with a sticker seal, and just a one color printing.  This means that more of the cost goes to the product rather than the packaging, ergo, I do not spend unnecesarily to show off.
    As well, they chose a dropper type of delivery system.  This means that there is less chance of product contamination which helps the product stay good longer.

  • NO TECHNOJARGON BULLSHIT: MUJI did not give me any bullshit descriptor- no techno jargon, no vitamin bullshit.  It just claims SPF 15 at the back (SPF15, is nothing impressive.  An SPF claim, though not bullshit, is no reason for me to buy a product).  Of course it could have said some bullshit in Japanese but since I cannot read Japanese, I judged only from what i read.
  • NO ADVERTISING BULLSHIT: It is not promoted by celebrities or expensive advertising.  But it was presented well in the counter.  So I don't give the company money just to blind my judgement by celebrity and/or advertising.
  • GOOD TEXTURE:  I tested the texture in my hand and it was just the right consistency, it is absorbed easily and did not leave a sticky sensation.
  • GOOD PRICE:  I bought this in Asia and paid about 6€ for a 30ml.  
I felt good when i bought the product.  It didn't make any false promises and delivered just what I needed for a fair price.

However, after about 3 months, the formula became runny and its components have separated.  %*#!!!

Now, a little technical backgrounder to explain to you what happened here.

Emulsion 101
 This product is an emulsion.  An emulsion is made of oil and water and as you know, oil and water do not normally mix.  For them to mix, an emulsifying agent is introduced.  
A good formulation which is packaged well (protected from sunlight and contamination) should remain stable for at least 3 years.   
They are tested in the lab for stability by subjecting them to an elevated temperature for a few months.  If the product remains stable (water and oil do not separate) during this time, it is assumed that it will remain stable for at least 3 years in normal climate conditions.*
Sub -note on expiration dates
*BTW, if a formulation is good, it can stay longer than the expiry date states.  Expiry date is  just a legally required guideline.   Learn to judge if a formula is good aside from the expiration date and save yourself money.


So, What happened?
The formula itself is obviously not very stable.   
Though the texture feels good, and the product has passed its  lab stability test, lab tests are just simulations and are never a 100% assurance of a product's long term stability. 
It also did not help that the packaging  is white as it could not have been enough to protect the formula from the sun and heat.  So, the texture is more exposed, more "aggressed" and thus broke down.

If you live in colder country and you can keep your product in a less aggressive environment, then this product might be worth the risk, though there is no guarantee.  

What would I do?
To avoid this formula separation, and if I were Muji, i will :
  • tweak my formulation and subject them to more stringent and longer lab testing
  • go for a darker color packaging
  • I will also refund me for this texture fiasco 
Will I buy this product again? 

Not unless MUJI has changed the formulation and the packaging-  I will not and I do not recommend you to buy it either.  

Nonetheless, I will not discourage you to try the other MUJI products in the range because of the other reasons I had when I bought this product.   BUT,  not because it is MUJI means all products are good- be sure to try the textures that they are satisfactory and hope that they do not break down on you in the long run.

There you go! My first hands-on no bullshit product review.
In the next posts, I will write to give more guidelines in choosing your textures.


DISCLOSURE:

I received no compensation, whether it be in cash or in kind to write this review.
I have no contact with any MUJI company representative  prior to this article- well, except of course for the sales person who assisted me in this sale.

30 comments:

  1. I am struggling to blog again. I have written a number of articles but have not been happy and have not published them. I am not giddy with this article either, it lacks my usual brand of grit, methinks. But please bear with me, I hope that by writing more, i will get my blog mojo back.

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    1. You dont have to have your 'grit' all the time; you have a wealth of knowledge and the simple sharing of facts is very interesting to read! I fucking LOVE this blog!!!

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  2. Don't be silly, I really enjoyed this post! Do keep writing as what you think is bad is still very much worth the wait for the rest of us.

    Do you just use a white base in place of a foundation, then? What effect does it provide?

    Thanks :)

    Lisa

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    1. Oh thank you for the reassurance Lisa. I think I will write a separate article for make up bases to answer you. You can also look at my article - My bullshit beauty secret which touched a little on the face zero and make up base.

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  3. so glad youre back, never have I ever read a review as great as this one, please keep it up!!
    Sophie

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  4. Maybe it was already old when you bought it?

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    1. All companies keep the products in outstanding condition so that the product remains "new" until the time they sell it. This is one of the reasons that companies are now shifting to the PAO system (months after opening and not after fabrication). As I have said the expiration date is but a guideline.
      As well, the fact that i bought it in good condition and stayed so for a few months means it was stored well.
      If, for the sake of argument, they sold a product that has been more than 3 years (unlikely), then company is still at fault for that practice.

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  5. I've been wary about Muji's makeup products but their Cleansing Oil is decent. In Manila, Muji is still pretty pricey and it's better to spend on something that really focuses on cosmetics. I think it costs less in other Asian countries tho. Thanks for the review... at least I know what not to try :)

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    1. Hi Voodoo Girl! Do not be wary of brands that are not primarily cosmetic brands. They are just as good, if not better. Tell you why:
      - we all source from the same suppliers, be it an established beauty brand or your grocery brand.
      - they do not need to spend so much on advertising or flashy claims as they already have a captive clientele
      - the brand managers do not have yet pronounced bullshit skills as established brands do
      and finally, look at this article-
      http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/budgeting/10-items-you-should-always-buy-generic6.htm

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    2. Oh and thank you for this cleansing oil tip. I have been contemplating about this, I think I will try it.

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  6. So glad to see you pop up in my inbox Rowena...still excited to read your posts even if you aren't 100% happy with them. :)

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    1. Thank you echokitten! Glad to be in touch again!

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  7. Yay, a new post by you :) !

    (And reviewing something new - it sometimes seems that all I do is read about US brands, and US brands only, since so many bloggers are based there.)

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    1. You have come to the right place then:-) Thanks Ana for making me feel missed.

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  8. Loved your review! Like everyone else, I was super excited to see another post from you! :D

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    1. I cannot believe how welcomed I still am after this long absence. Thank you Steph!

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  9. I am so glad you are back! I have missed you so! I think it's good that you are writing-it will help get your quick wit mojo back!! Can't wait to see more!

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    1. Thank you Fingers! So happy to see all the familiar names. I will keep trying, and thank you for the words of encouragement and the understanding for my rusty writing. Will get there soon!

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  10. Aw, I am so touched! Keep this up and i will keep blogging forever!

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    1. Misato-san, I am so touched! Thank you for taking the time to write me this touching welcome.

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  12. Your post was thoroughly read and enjoyed! So glad your back!

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    1. Thank you NeenaJ! Still trying to get the bite back, but will get there soon!:-)

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  13. Very happy to see a new post from you on my feeds! I enjoyed reading this and every other posts you have written!

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    1. Thank you Threcia! Will try my best to stick around!

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  14. love it. would love you r comments on fashion in general as well on color cosmetics, OHHHH and seasonal color TRENDS! of course too! it is within your realm of beauty and not one cuts through the bullshit with more flair. xo

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    1. Thank you Barbs! A 'fashion' post is actually in the tweaking line, just do not want to flood with you with too much posts for now:-)

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  15. So glad to see you back again!

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    1. And am happy for this short welcome note Susan G. Thank you!

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