Bronzer Bunny and I found ourselves in Barneys and were swayed into checking out the Sayuki counter. What is Sayuki? It's a relatively new brand to Barneys (2-3 months) that focuses on custom blending your foundation and concealer for the perfect color match!! Custom blended color matching - sign me up!!

As you can see from my fly-by-night super professional iPhone picture above (ha ha!!), Sayuki also offers other products aside from the Custom range. These include a bronzer, finishing powder, primer, brushes and illuminator. There is also a tinted moisturizer. Though the bottles they had on display were not our color match, we wanted to see what the finish would be like so we tested the foundation on the back of our hands. It was really pretty and hand a naturally luminous finish.

Here's what I ended up with:

Sayuki Custom Foundation, $85/1oz @ Barneys

Sayuki Custom Concealer, $58/.05oz @ Barneys

There is more than one finish/coverage but what you get depends upon how you answer the Sayuki questionnaire. I ended up with the Sheer Foundation.

The packaging is nice and sturdy with a very clean look. However, the containers are plastic and the lids seem a bit flimsy. At this price point, I'd much prefer a glass container...and something beautiful to stare at...something sumptuous to look forward to every time I pick it up to apply. In this case, I think you are paying more for the promise of your perfect color match...oh, and also for the diamond powder found in these products :-)

The back of the outside package has this sweet saying: Sayuki Creates Happiness :-)

The outside packaging is also embossed with the Sayuki name.

Here's how it works:

* You answer some questions such as what type of coverage are you looking for and what type of skin do you have (combo, oily, etc.)

* They remove any makeup from your face on your cheek area

* You put your cheek against a small, circular part of a machine and it analyzes your color

* All of your info is sent to another machine that blends the color and formula

* They give you a card with all of your information to make it easier when you reorder

Here's my custom color for the Sayuki Custom Foundation!!! I put it next to my color match in Bobbi Brown, which is 2.5 Warm Sand. The Sayuki looks lighter and also more neutral-toned than the Bobbi Brown. This is taken in natural window light. Lately though, I've been feeling the Bobbi Brown is a bit darker than I'd like and have been thinking about getting a shade lighter to either wear alone or mix in with my current color.

This is slightly brighter, natural window light.

This is a 100% color match, no doubt...but it's a 100% color match to my cheeks and to the lightest part of my cheeks at that. When applied to my forehead it looks a bit ashy. So I don't know how I feel about the color. Some days I feel it's perfect. Some days I feel it makes me look washed out. Some days I just don't know. According to Lisa Eldridge's video about foundation matching (HERE - awesome video if you haven't seen it already!!!) , if a foundation makes any part of your face look ashy then it's too light. I'm thinking maybe that's why I'm so ambivalent about the shade match and why I can't quite make up my mind about whether or not I like it. When I mix in a bit of the Bobbi Brown with the Sayuki, then it's much, much more to my liking!!

If you decide to try Sayuki foundation, make certain to have them to match it up to the part of the face you want it matched (cheek, forehead, neck, etc). Don't let them force you into where they are only trained to match you up!!

Formula. So this is the sheer foundation...and it is VERY sheer. It's so sheer I cannot tell I have put anything on - at all. It covers nothing, not even minimal redness. Blemishes - forget about it. On a second or third layer it covers a tiny bit more but only a tiny bit, and at that point it starts to look too heavy. Seems strange because the consistency is a little thicker and more tacky than other sheer formulas I've tried. See in the pic how it holds its shape vs. the Bobbi Brown? It also dries quickly and you have to work fast to blend.

The finish natural, but not in a way that makes my skin look better...it looks as though I didn't even bother. If I use powder the finish looks really flat and boring. I really wanted the naturally luminous finish I saw on display. One big plus is this does not break me out or irritate my skin :-)

I will not be repurchasing the sheer Custom Foundation formula again. I'd be tempted to check out the other formulas, but I'd have to really consider the color matching process...match to my forehead? Then again...there are so many amazing foundations out there (and for less $$) that I probably will not revisit this one anytime soon.

Now for the concealer :-) The color match is perfect except for my forehead where it ends up looking a little ashy like the foundation. Elsewhere it does cover redness, though it might take 2 layers if the redness is moderate. It's nice and lightweight, and doesn't feel even remotely heavy or thick. This covers minor blemishes that are flat and mostly healed.

The Sayuki Custom Concealer has been amazing for my undereye area!!! The biggest thing is it doesn't crease, even when I apply additional eye cream during the day...this is a feat other concealers have yet to accomplish. I don't have big dark circles or puffiness I'm trying to cover, but it does hide corner shadows and really brightens me up in a believable (read: I've had the best night's sleep ever) way!! This I would repurchase!!!

Sayuki Custom Foundation ingredients: