For a product whose entire reason for being is to make your skin look great by setting foundation and keeping skin matte, it rarely gets the attention it deserves. People never gush about how great your powder looks, do they?
Instead, it's always about how natural your face makeup is or how your complexion is so clear and glowing. Never mind that without powder, foundation slides off your face, leaving behind an oily mess in its wake.
No, powder doesn't get any love. But it easily gets hate. Just think, when you witness a powder screw-up on a co-worker or a friend, you wonder, "What cheap-o powder did that?!" and "I sure hope that powder isn't sitting in my purse right now."
But what makes one powder better than another, and are the super-expensive products more foolproof than their drugstore counterparts? After combing through thousands of reviews from readers who've dusted and pressed them all onto their faces, we were surprised to find that some of the lowest-rated products are from high-end brands.
How can this be? Makeup artist Anabel DeHaven says today, well-stocked drugstores offer such a wide variety of shades and textures that it frees women from relying on high-end beauty counters to find a perfect match. What's more, DeHaven says that if a woman is paying top dollar for a powder, she's going to expect it to work miracles and be absolutely flawless.
Want to know which powders actually do work miracles? Here they are. But just as important is knowing about the ones that'll make you look like you have flour thrown on your face. Read on for that list.
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.9* Why: Multiple readers say that with this product "you have to blend [the powder] in really well" or it will "look like you threw flour on your face." One reader says, "this stuff GAVE me wrinkles" and emphasizes "every pore, wrinkle, line, and imperfection" creating a "chalky, cakey mess." Another reader agrees, saying "it seems to make large pores [look] even larger!" Readers also hate the packaging, stating that they "can't stand the stupid brush being permanently affixed to the lid" as "there's no control over how much powder you want to sift out of the container."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.9* Why: "This is not the product for you if you are over 21, need coverage, and have sensitive/oily skin," says one reader. Many others agree, saying this foundation "has no coverage," is "too shimmery" and does "nothing for [their] faces as far as complexion improvement." For fair-skinned readers, "the lightest foundation shade is a little dark" and "gave [their] skin a strange, orangey cast." Readers also say that the "tiny pot won't last you long" and the foundation is more like a "sample-sized" product.
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.8* Why: Readers find this powder "too shimmery for everyday" use as no one "[wants] to sparkle all the time." One reader says, "whenever I wear this and step out into the sun, I get negative comments about the intense shimmer." Others complain that this powder is "not finely milled" making it "very noticeable in pictures." Facebookers beware.
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.8* Why: This product "doesn't seem to do much in terms of looks or setting makeup," say readers. One reviewer says, "I saw no difference WHATSOEVER with this powder," while another says, "if anything, it makes my concealer look worse." Others also claim "it has a texture that [leaves] concealer awkward and noticeable." One reader complains that "the [brightening] effects are much more noticeable in pictures" so "don't waste your money."
For a product whose entire reason for being is to make your skin look great by setting foundation and keeping skin matte, it rarely gets the attention it deserves. People never gush about how great your powder looks, do they?
Instead, it's always about how natural your face makeup is or how your complexion is so clear and glowing. Never mind that without powder, foundation slides off your face, leaving behind an oily mess in its wake.
No, powder doesn't get any love. But it easily gets hate. Just think, when you witness a powder screw-up on a co-worker or a friend, you wonder, "What cheap-o powder did that?!" and "I sure hope that powder isn't sitting in my purse right now."
But what makes one powder better than another, and are the super-expensive products more foolproof than their drugstore counterparts? After combing through thousands of reviews from readers who've dusted and pressed them all onto their faces, we were surprised to find that some of the lowest-rated products are from high-end brands.
How can this be? Makeup artist Anabel DeHaven says today, well-stocked drugstores offer such a wide variety of shades and textures that it frees women from relying on high-end beauty counters to find a perfect match. What's more, DeHaven says that if a woman is paying top dollar for a powder, she's going to expect it to work miracles and be absolutely flawless.
Want to know which powders actually do work miracles? Here they are. But just as important is knowing about the ones that'll make you look like you have flour thrown on your face. Read on for that list.
