Streaky. Smeary. Sticky. When it comes to foundation meant to prettify their pores, women are fed-up with flaws.

'My liquid foundation felt really heavy on my skin and it would get sticky and runny very quickly,' says civil servant Liu Qiuling, 26.

For her and others who find their current face paint a wash-out, brighter days are here.

Japanese cosmetics giant Shiseido has added the popular Maquillage Foundations line to other make-up in the range.

Today, it launches a six-piece collection of 'base' make-up, a term used by Asian beauty brands to describe foundations, primers, compact powders and concealers.

The appeal of Maquillage's foundation is that it promises to stay put for eight hours, so women need not fear unsightly streaks, says Shiseido's marketing manager Evelyn Tan.

The range by Maquillage (French for make-up) comprises liquid and compact powder foundation, primer, concealer, pressed translucent powder and loose powder - all the products you need for a flawless and even-toned complexion.

Its star product is the Lasting Powdery UV compact powder foundation, which provides a natural finish for those who want to let their skin breathe.

The foundation collection, which was launched in Japan in 2005, and which is also available in Taiwan and Hong Kong, is targeted at fashionable working women aged between 25 and 35 who want an easy-to-apply foundation.

Its staying power comes from a technology inspired by magnets.

Within the compact powder and liquid foundation is what the brand terms 'magnetic ingredient N' while 'magnetic ingredient S' is included in the primer, called the Styling Keep Base.

Users apply the primer before the foundation to prep the skin for make-up. When they apply the foundation, the magnetic ingredients adhere to one another like opposite poles of a magnet, giving make-up longer staying power.

Celebrity make-up artist Clarence Lee, who had a sneak preview of the foundation collection at a press event in Tokyo last year, has already given it his stamp of approval.

He said: 'I like that the texture is so fine and provides good coverage without looking heavy. It makes pores look more refined too.'

JUST FOLLOW THE RULES

Large defined peepers, full lips and a sculpted face.

These are the features that make up the ideal face, according to a survey of 10,000 women by Maquillage.

The Japanese beauty brand by Shiseido posed the question: 'What is today's ideal face?' to women across Asia, including Japan, China, South Korea and Singapore, where the brand is sold.

The women were given 15 mugshots and asked to pick the face they found the most beautiful.

With these results, which were released last October, Maquillage worked with Hollywood movie-maker Universal Studios to create a computer-generated image of the ideal face.

Now, the make-up brand has come up with a step-by-step guide called The M Rules to help women achieve the perfect facial proportions.

According to Shiseido, this collection is targeted at its core customer base - working women aged between 25 and 35 in the East and South-east Asia region including Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

To make it totally foolproof, Maquillage has launched a collection of make-up palettes which contain everything you need - from the colours to the tools - to get the look.

The star products of this collection are its eye and face palettes, which contain five shades of colours each.

By following the make-up application guide - which looks like a paint-by-numbers picture - and by using all the shades in the palettes, Maquillage promises that you will be able to refine your features to perfection.

However, if you are already armed with the right colours, you might be able to achieve a similar result by using the make-up charts as a guide.

'These are basic make-up steps favoured by the Japanese to make your eyes look bigger and brighter as well as to create the illusion of contours on your face,' said freelance make-up artist Larry Yeo.

'For example, for your eyes, you will need an eyeshadow base in the same shade as your skin tone, a medium tone that is slightly darker than your skin tone, one coloured eyeshadow of your preference to accent your eyes and a highlighter colour that is lighter than your skin tone.'

Here is how following The M Rules can bring out the best in your face using Maquillage's palettes.

Eyes Creator (3D) in Sharp Gray, $69	1 Base colour Apply shade 1 with the large sponge applicator over entire eyelid up to the brow bone.	2 Medium tone Use the small sponge applicator to apply shade 2 to the eye socket up to the crease.
	3 Colour accent Use the large brush to blend shade 3 into the outer and inner corners of eyes. Start at the corner and blend inwards.	4 Highlight and line Dab shade 4 onto the centre of the upper lid as well as on the inner corner of the eye. Using the small brush and shade 5, a cream eyeliner, line the upper eyelid and one-third of the outer corner of the lower eyelid.
Face Creator (3D) in Nuance Red, $45 for palette and $28 for case	1 Highlight Use the tip of the small brush to dust shade 1 lightly onto the nose bridge and upper cheeks. Then use the whole of the small brush to apply shade 2 to the T-zone and undereye area, down to the cheekbone.	2 Contour With the large brush, apply shade 3 on the apple of the cheek and work the brush outwards and upwards towards the temples. Then use the large brush to draw a line using shade 4 along the jaw bone and the side of the forehead.Finally, use small circular motions with the large brush to blend shade 5 in along the forehead, jawbone and cheeks.