September Face (Powder) Off - MAC Studio Fix Powder

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I saved the best for last good people! Let's lift our champagne flutes, wine glasses or adult sippy cups and cheer.

In case you've missed it, I dubbed September "Face (Powder) Off" month. I read an article on totalbeauty.com about the 13 best face powders. You know that I'm a face powder fiend because I don't like the feel of liquid foundation however, I'm always game to try a new face powder. I tried 4 from the article (or variances thereof) and 3 of my own. I liked them all (except 1) but my favorite face powder (of the moment) is my MAC Studio Fix Powder.

I've mentioned before that I was late to the party when it came to MAC products. Everyone else loved them and I didn't understand the hype. Then I purchased my MAC Studio Fix Powder. Now I'm a believer.

This powder is a perfect color match. There are 31 colors within this powder type. You have to find your shade. And, if you don't then MAC has several other types of powders that might work. This powder goes on smooth as silk and lasts all day. Sometimes I have to touch up my t-zone. Sometimes I don't. It's almost magical. There are a few powders that I love just as much, but I will probably always repurchase MAC now that I've joined the party.

Now, you probably noticed that I didn't try the really high end face powders. When I did the math, it would have cost me about $400 to try everything on the list. I like you guys, I really do, but $400 is a lot for a month of face powders. And then, I'd have 13 face powders that I may or may not use. I looked carefully at the list and none of the others jumped out at me as a "go ahead and splurge" type powders. I mean, I thought about the Chanel Poudre Universelle and the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder but I had already decided to save a few pennies for Black Friday deals and I didn't think any of these were worth digging in that cookie jar.

Instead, you guys tell me if you own one of the 13 best face powders OR tell me what your favorite face powder is.

September Face (Powder) Off - Black Radiance Pressed Powder

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I mentioned his product back in my June favorites. It was a purchase for my daughter's prom makeup. I thought it would be a good shade for her but it ended up being a good shade for me instead.

Black Radiance is one of those makeup lines that I almost forget about. It's normally the first cosmetic line that you see when you walk to the makeup area at the drugstore but it doesn't always stand out. The only reason I looked there is because I like their lipsticks and I know that they have a good selection of shades for brown skinned ladies. The shade selection does lean toward darker complexions but the colors are so expressive that anyone with a touch of tan can get away with the lipsticks, shadows, blushes and bronzers.

Anywho, I really like this pressed powder. You get .28 oz of product for about $5 and I got it in the shade Honey Amber. At first glance it looks a tad bit dark but when buffed in, it gives me the tiniest bit of a summer glow. It's nice and really warms up my complexion. This powder has a really good staying power and I only need to touch up my t-zone area. It's smooth and in my book, rivals some of the higher priced products.

If you haven't tried Black Radiance powders (pressed, blushes & bronzers), you really have to wander over and try them. If you are fair skinned, you might be able to peek at some of the bronzers (and use a VERY light hand). Gingersnap has always been a fave of mine. If you have a bit of tan, try some of the other colors. I think you will be very surprised!

So, would I buy this product again? Of course! I think you should try it too.

September Face (Powder) Off - NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder

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NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder is one of the 13 best face powders from the totalbeauty.com 13 best face powders article. It was the cheapest one in the group. But, never go by price alone.

Let me preface this post by saying I used my NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder in Translucent as a finishing powder, not a foundation powder. The article in totalbeauty.com leaned heavily toward foundation powders in my book. That being said, I really like the NYC Smooth Skin face powder itself. I just wasn't a fan of the color.

I really wanted to be able to say that this was a great translucent powder. I wanted to be able to say that it was just as good as others that I have tried but that just wasn't the case. While this powder  was smooth, buttery and blended well, it wasn't translucent. My complexion is a good test of translucency. You are truly a translucent powder if you blend flawlessly on my face. If you give off a white hue or look ashy, then you aren't as translucent as you should be. 

This power was ashy and gave off a white hue. I tried it with several foundations in several different forms (liquid, powder, bb cream) and it didn't make a difference. The ghost had walked in. I would like to say that I should have tried a powder with color but the store (and apparently the website) only had translucent, naturally beige and warm beige. Warm beige is the darkest color that they have and it was too light for this MAC NC42 girl.

That actually made me sad because like I said, this is a smooth powder that would have worked like a dream had the color be right. So, yes, this is a good powder. No, I won't every purchase it again. Yes, Mel B, you have a new pressed powder coming your way.

Has anyone else tried this powder and what did you think? Did the color work for you?

September Face (Powder) Off - Lancôme Dual Finish Multi-Tasking Powder & Foundation In One

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I was lucky enough to score several samples of the Lancôme Dual Finish Multi-Tasking Powder & Foundation In One. I had purchased many lipsticks and glosses (and my BB cream) at this counter and the lady was all too happy to provide them to me. I suspect there was a secondary reason as well. Keep reading.

This powder is really nice. The coverage is great. It stays on very well. Touchups are only needed in the t-zone. The color match is also on point. There are 25 shades to choose from  so you have a good chance of finding the color that you need.

This powder is $38.50 for .67 oz of product which that pretty much goes along with the price point of other powders that I have.  The problem is that I didn't see that it was THAT much better than anything else I've been using. It wasn't better than my MAC Studio Fix ($27) or my Bare Minerals READY^® Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20 ($29). It was slightly better than my drugstore powders but only because of color match. The quality was about the same. Since I already have and love other powders, I didn't really see the point of adding this to my foundation collection.

But then I learned that Dillard's was having $10 off of all Lancôme foundations (liquid, powder, BB cream, etc.) on the 25th, 26th & 27th. Well now, $28.50 is a different story! Of course I'll grab one then! I don't know that this sale is at every Dillard's or in every state (give yours a call if you are interested) but I know I'll be at mine! I'll let you know what I get.

So over all, I probably wouldn't pay full price for this powder. While it's good, it isn't special. But, if I need a powder or there is a special sale, yes, I'd purchase one.

BTW, this is one of the powders from the totalbeauty.com 13 best face powders article. So far, I've liked the ones that I've tried from the article. I'm not sure about best face powders but I'll give a better review at the end of the month.

September Face (Powder) Off - e.l.f. Translucent Matifying Powder

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When I first read the totalbeauty.com 13 best face powders, the e.l.f. Translucent Matifying Powder ended up being the first one of the 13 that I purchased (2 of the powders I already owned).

The e.l.f. Translucent Matifying Powder is a the perfect purse powder. It comes in a sleek black container that is very stylish, if I must say. On the left hand side you have product, the right hand side a small sponge and at the top, a nice sized mirror. It's the perfect size to slip in your purse.

I won't wear this powder everyday but I will keep it in my purse for touch ups. It might have made a good everyday powder if it had been bigger. The e.l.f. powder compact contains much less product than the .3 or .5 ozs that I have been getting with others. This is only .13oz. I know it's only $3 but so are my NYC and Rimmel powders (there about).

The color is truly translucent. I'm a MAC NC42 and this doesn't make my skin appear ashy at all. I was concerned about this but I didn't need to be.

Normally, I don't touch up my powder unless I am testing a product. If it's a regular old day, I put on my powder in the morning and what you see at 5pm is what you get. With this powder, if I am in testing mode, half way through the day I have to touch up. That's ok though. I don't think it matifys any better than anything else but I was able to add more, without it caking on my face. That is certainly a plus.

Over all, this is a good finishing powder. I wouldn't use it as a base powder but I don't think it's meant to be. I don't think I'd purchase it again though. For the money, even if it is $3, you don't get enough product. You can spend $3 - $6 and get triple the amount of a product that is just as good.

September Face (Powder) Off - NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder

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I own two of the NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powders. I have All Over Bronze Glow and Pink Cheek Glow. There are 4 shades total - Translucent Highlighter Glow, Pink Cheek Glow, All Over Bronze Glow & Bronzed Pink.

I purchased these powders at different times but their normal price is around $4.99. I think because of their price, they are perceived as cheap products. They may be inexpensive products but many of the products in the NYC line are pretty durn good! These face powders are included in that list. They are light and airy and you get a good amount of product in that pan! I've never experienced any breakouts from the products and they don't smell bad or anything. They are slightly reminiscent of the Coty smell (that reminds me so much of my grandmother) but they aren't as strong as Coty. If you don't understand what I mean you have to go find a container of Coty powder and sniff. If you do understand, you just got a flash back of Coty red lipstick in a gold tube and the smell of Estee Lauder YouthDew and Cinnabar. Wow! Isn't that powerful?

Anyway, I use the All Over Bronze as a normal face powder. When all the colors are mixed they turn into a beautiful, warm brown that goes well with my complexion. I don't use it as a replacement for foundation. Instead, I use it as a face brightener. It is matte but even without sparkle or glitter or highlight, it warms my face and softens the color. It's like a magical haze for your face. It doesn't cover my dark spots or highlight my cheekbones or anything like that. It simply makes the natural, better. I really like it and I need to show it more love.

I use the Pink Cheek Glow as a blush. It's a pretty pink that is warm and soft as well. If you aren't careful, you can use too much but just a swirl or two around the palette will give you a beautiful cheek. It is matte as well, so if you want to use highlighter you can, but I'd go easy on it. This powder does quite a bit of brightening your face without it.

I highly recommend these two powders. They are great starter products if you are just beginning to feel your way around the makeup store. And if you already know your way around, go back to your roots and try these out! They are pretty good.

September Face (Powder) Off - bareMinerals READY SPF 20 Foundation

Don't talk about how dirty this is! LOL. It's been well loved (and used)!

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I do have plans to buy/try new face powders. I'm trying to show off some of the ones I already own and have test driven before I do that.

One that I am in the process of tossing (expiration date) is my bareMinerals READY SPF 20 Foundation. Yes, I went through a serious bareMinerals phase. I had found a brand that I liked and I wanted everything in the brand. Now I spread my wings a little more.

Anyway, my bareMinerals face powder ($29) was nice but it wasn't the best shade match. There are 20 shades of this lovely powder but none of them are perfect for me. I had to choose between a tiny bit yellow, a tiny bit too light or a tiny bit too dark. I went with a tiny bit too dark (Tan). It gave me a little color and so in the summer I could wear it and appear as though the sun had kissed me in all the right spots. I couldn't wear it in the winter though. It would look as if the sun had pimp slapped me and walked off.

 

Again folks, well loved (and used)!

I loved how smooth the product was and that a little bit worked very well. It blended nicely and lasted most of the day. It's flaw was the shade really and that's how I ended up letting it expire before using it up.

If I had to try it again, I probably wouldn't. I'm wiser in the makeup game now and I know that different brands make shades more suited to my complexion. This is a really good face powder and if you stop in the Ulta or bareMinerals store, you should see if they have a shade for you. If they do, I say invest.

If they don't, pay closer attention to my September Face (Powder) Off posts.

September Face (Powder) Off - Expiration Date

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2 years.

That's how long you are supposed to keep face powder. I thought we'd talk about that since September is the Face (Powder) Off month. I plan on showing quite a few powders this month so the first thing you need to know is how long to keep your opened powders.

That means that I have some powders to toss!

But, only 2. I purchased some loose bareMinerals powders (Original SPF 15 Foundation and Balance & Boost Mineral Veil) more than 2 years ago. So, into the trash they go.

I'm sad about the Balance & Boost Mineral Veil because I bought a mega container when QVC has a special and I only used half of the container. I like their mineral veil but there have been so many great finishing powders that have come out in the past few years. You know if a new finishing powder comes out I have to try it. That means my "great deal" has turned into a "just regular deal".

The Original SPF 15 Foundation was the first foundation that I tried when I started wearing powder foundations. I loved the coverage, I loved the color range and I loved the product. But, other companies have gotten hip to powder foundations. So, bareMinerals is not the only game in town. Which means, I haven't used this up (but I have it a good 2 plus year run for its money).

And everything else that I have is new(er than 2 years old). Stay tuned for the reviews AND see which things off of the totalbeauty.com list that I own or pick up!

September Face (Powder) Off

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I read an article on totalbeauty.com that talked about their 13 best face powders. I like face powders. I'm not big on liquid makeup as I don't like that "claustrophobic" feeling that they give me. They are a few liquids that are lighter than others but I haven't found one that impresses me yet. I don't like creams at all because I have an oily t-zone and my glasses already like to slide down my nose. Powders do the trick and they seem to come in more shades that match my skin tone perfectly.

I decided I wanted to try out the powders that TB suggested. Not all of them because the entire collection would run me right at $400 plus tax. I just don't have that kinda cash folks! So, instead I'm going to be selective about the powders that I try and see what samples I can use!

So, I have decided that September will be "September Face (Powder) Off" Month. I'll try some of these 13 powders and I'll mix in some of my own. I don't want the good folks at totalbeauty.com to come looking for me, so I won't list each powder (you can run over to their website and take a looksie) but as I test each powder, I will let you know how I came to get it in my hot little hands!

I'm going to have fun with this! What powders do you like? Which ones should I avoid like the plague? Are you a liquid or cream girl? Am I missing out?