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Monday, August 10, 2009

Pigeon Pressed Powder: Japanese vs Indonesian

There is a bit of confusion going on about Pigeon powders because two variants from different countries are available locally. I reviewed the supposedly better variant from Japan a couple months ago, ignoring the Indonesian variant which seemed to cause pimple problems for those who tried it.

In this post, I am going to dissect the "problematic" Pigeon compact from Indonesia and see how well it stacks up against its Japanese counterpart.

Here's my Indonesian compact, which I bought three days ago. I got the pink variant because I was curious if it would give me a rosy glow.

The compact is manufactured by PT. Multielok Cosmetic under license from Pigeon Corporation Japan.

Perhaps the major advantage of the Indonesian compact over the Japanese one is is the inclusion of a mirror, which makes application much easier on the go.

It is also slightly smaller, making it easier to put in your pants pocket. This is a big plus for me, because I prefer using pockets over bringing small bags when I'm only going to go out for a little while.

If you remember my Pigeon Japan review, I absolutely loved the sponge that came with it because it was super soft. Fortunately the Indonesian compact's sponge is just as soft, except it's much smaller and slightly yellowish, which I think makes it look less cleaner.

While the Japanese compact has a hinge opening kind of like a grandmother's coin purse,

the Indonesian compact has a pushbutton opening. In this aspect, I have no preference over either product. Both styles of opening are fine by me.

And here's the point-by-point rundown of both compacts:

Japan-made
Indonesia-made
Pros
Cons
Similarities
Pros
Cons
· Greater value for its price (P280.00 = 45g; meaning P6.00 per 1g)
· Bigger sponge
· Fragrance-free
· Lasts relatively long (about 6 hours on my skin)
· No mirror
· Quite bulky
· Hard to find
· translucent blotting effect (at least on my skin)
· velvety soft sponge texture
· did not break me out
· Has a mirror
· Very portable size, jeans pocket-friendly
· Easier to find than the Japanese compact, but still quite uncommon
· Lesser value for its price (P230.00 = 20g; meaning P11.00 per 1g)
· Smaller sponge
· Fragranced
· Doesn’t last long (about 4 hours on my skin)
· No noticeable rosy effect (since pink powders should supposedly have this)

So which one do I think is better? The Japanese compact gets my vote, but only by a small margin. Because I didn't get the dreaded breakouts experienced by many users of the Indonesian compact, I actually like both products - the original Japanese variant for its value and lasting power, and the Indonesian variant for its portability and its decent similarity in quality to the original.

The only real issue I have with the Indonesian Pigeon is its smell. It isn't particularly bad, but it isn't particularly good either. At least the scent doesn't stick to my face after application.

13 comments:

  1. ow wow, you included a table. this is 100% researcher kind of thing :)

    i thought the indonesian one is better. when i tried and tested it on my hand, the texture is like mac blot powder (starchy).

    since the rave is always the japan made pigeon, yun binili ko.

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  2. thanks for the review! i wanna buy the Japan made Pigeon for my baby! I read it has silicon also that protects babies' skin.

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  3. San ba to usually nahahanap?
    Wala kse ako na papansin eh. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. GwG - Hahaha researcher thing nga! Kakatapos ko lang kasi ng mahabang paper, nahawa siguro yung blog writing style ko dun! XD

    Khymm - You're welcome! :D

    Sofia - the Japanese compact you can find (if you're lucky) at baby sections of dept stores like Landmark or SM. The Indonesian one you can find at baby sections or at Watson's.

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  5. Thanks for the review. I'm still looking for the Japanese Pigeon.

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  6. So, ano mas maganda? For you? Haha. Papalitan ko na kse retouch powder ko. :)

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  7. ^I honestly really like both. :D It depends on what you need though. Use the Japan compact if you want longer lasting power and no smell. Use the Indonesian one if you want portability and a mirror.

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  8. Nabili ko na rin tong Indonesian. Haha. Ok naman, lasts for about 3-5 hours. Pretty good for P250.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello! Share ko lang po sa mga naghahanap pa rin ng pigeon powder (Japan-made)hanggang ngaun na meron sa Robinson's Ermita, sa Personal care exchange . Meron both yung Indonesia and Japan made. Marami pa ata sila nun. Nakita ko lang yesterday. Sa SM Mall of Asia Hypermarket meron din, sa baby section. Just ask the saleslady. Kaso isa na lang natitira kasi binili ko yung isa. Hope this helps! :D

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  10. I've seen the pigeon compact powder before, and I am really curious what its used for (I hardly use makeup)... is it supposed to offer any coverage or is it just there for blotting/oil control?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello majatheaztec! Sorry for the super late reply.

      If you're still curious about pigeon powders, they offer very little coverage and are just used for oil control. Some people have even said that the Japanese version is comparable to MAC Blot.

      Delete

Thank you very much for commenting!

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