Makeup

Why You Really Do Need a Green (or Yellow, or Pink) Face Powder

Many of the new face powders look weird and unwearable, but you'll be amazed at what they do for your skin

by Dawn Davis

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, $45 each Think about how your skin looks in great lighting -- a candle-lit restaurant, a stroll through the moonlight. Now, imagine you can get the same effect with these Hourglass powders. "There are no wrong choices; the powders are universal," says celebrity makeup artist Moani Lee. "It's more about choosing the lighting effect you want to replicate on your complexion."

With names like Diffused Light and Dim Light, they're easy to decode. Lee suggests using a powder that's lighter than your skin tone to highlight, one that's similar to your skin tone for an all-over glow, and a slightly darker shade to contour.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Correcting Powder, $13.95

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Nars Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder

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Older comments

Great article! I love color-corrective powders.

by MizzPink Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 02:58PM Report as inappropriate

I love PF products

by yestfl Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 01:55PM Report as inappropriate

Can't wait to try the physician's formula one!!

by sportimonki13 Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 04:41PM Report as inappropriate

I have been wanting to try these. The one from Nars looks like it would be amazing so thinking I will try it out.

by Alana_Danes Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 06:31AM Report as inappropriate

Lots of colour can be a bad or a good thing for fair-skinned individuals. Your best bet would be to stick with a translucent or pink hued powder. Going crazy with colors will only make you look like you're dressing up for Halloween.

by hiddenexpose Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 02:21PM Report as inappropriate

Lovin Hourglass' ambient lighting, looks great on.

by kiminsc Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 05:41AM Report as inappropriate

Everything old is new again. I remember as a little girl being absolutely fascinated to make the trek "downtown" (remember "downtowns"?) with my mother to the high-end department store (remember "high-end department stores"?), where she'd sit in her hat and white gloves and nifty little Evan Picone tweed suit while the stately matrons of the designer makeup counter (remember "designer makeup" for anyone except celebrities?) MIXED HER FACE POWDER FOR HER INDIVIDUALLY out of an arcane combo of, yes, all these weird lime greens and hot pinks and bilious yellows which somehow came out looking....PERFECT. ALWAYS. Today I am now in my mid-50s, the age that she was then, and when IO need face powder I sling on my yoga pants and message tee, grab whatever's mineral-based and oil-free at Walmart or Rite-Aid, throw it in the giant economy-sized cart, and scan through the self-checkout next to the harried urban mom with four screaming kids under six. Would I be completely out of line to opine that maybe, just maybe, something valuable to our sense of ourselves as ADULT WOMEN has been lost here...?

by Spikeygrrl Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 09:22PM Report as inappropriate

I absolutely love the idea of this. I have yet to try a colored powder although I do believe that it sounds like exactly what I need. I have oily skin so I typically like a powder to help control shine but then I have the problem with powder build up that tends to look cakey throughout the day. Love this. Must try!

by Crystalbz1113 Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 08:41PM Report as inappropriate

I don't like the compacts that have a bunch of colors in them. It just seems like a gimmick.

by Roxalyn Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 05:01PM Report as inappropriate

This article is missing one very important point and that is, if you are very fair, be very light handed with colored face powder! I learned this the hard way and the Physician's Formula powder is probably your best bet as its very sheer. Now, for a warning on the Nars powder- it contains iron oxides in pretty high concentration and some have allergies to this ingredient (me!!!) and those who do may suffer some cystic like "acne", which will go away when you stop using the powder. Just an FYI!

by jenn8779 Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 01:57PM Report as inappropriate