Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish vs. MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder

I really like the texture, feel, and finish of Bobbi Brown's Sheer Finish Pressed Powder as a setting powder and I like having it in my purse for touch ups. However, I hate the packaging. The square shape of the compact makes it larger than I would like and takes up a lot of space in my purse. So, I went to MAC and decided to try out the Select Sheer Powder to see if would be as good of a product as the BB powder, in better packaging.

As you can see, the BB compact is larger, pointier, and bulkier than the MAC compact. Also, the numbering of the BB powder is funky. I use the third darkest shade Soft Sand, or number 5. This throws me off because in the foundation range my number is 3.5, Warm Beige. The MAC powder uses the same numbering as the foundation and in both I am an NC25. 

Both compacts have a mirror and come with a powder puff. 

Both powders are very sheer and don't deposit a lot of color, which is what I wanted. Both powders are very silky, blend in to the skin, are great for setting my face makeup, and control my minimal shine. I really couldn't tell much difference between the two when worn on my face. Considering that I like the MAC packaging and numbering system better, I am now going to stick to the MAC Select Sheer powder. Oh, and the MAC powder costs $23 for 12g of product and the Bobbi Brown powder costs $34 for 11g of product, so clearly MAC wins this battle.

Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Powder Foundation SPF 20 Review

Enabled by fellow blogger Suka and Spice, I decided I needed the Josie Maran Argan Matchmaster Powder Foundation SPF 20 in my life.

This powder foundation is self-adjusting, so it goes on white and changes color to match your skin tone. It really is pretty amazing how this works! The powder goes on white then transforms as the product is blended.

I like that it has a separate compartment for the sponge applicator and also includes a mirror.

I was skeptical whether or not this would work for me because it only comes in 3 shades. The middle shade Light/Medium seemed like the obvious choice, but when I swatched it at Sephora it was way too orange for my NC25 skin. The lightest shade Fair/Light was a touch lighter than my wrist so I went with that. It turns out that the color is actually a great match for me, so I wonder if it really is suitable for very fair skin tones. It is pretty neutral in tone, neither too warm or too cool.

Swatch straight from the sponge

Blended

Isn't it cool how the powder magically blends into the color of my skin? In terms of application, the product does powder up a lot, especially when you use a brush. I prefer to just use the sponge applicator included in the compact. However, since the white parts of the powder are not evenly distributed throughout the compact, the sponge sometimes picks up too much white and requires more blending so it doesn't look ashy.

The feel of this powder foundation is what I really love. It is super silky and my skin feels so soft afterwards. The SPF 20 makes this a perfect swipe and go face product for those days when one is running late or in a rush. The coverage is light - enough to even out the skin tone but not enough to hide blemishes or dark spots. This would be a great summer/beach day foundation. However, and this is a big however, this powder does not last all day. It starts fading after about 4-5 hours. I wore this a few times and when I used a makeup wipe to remove my makeup at the end of the day, the wipe was practically white...there was so little face makeup on that there was nothing left to remove! This was the case even when I used a face primer underneath. Therefore, this powder foundation is going back. Although I really liked how this looked and felt on my skin, I need something that will last all day, and unfortunately, this isn't it.

Makeup Tip Monday: A Natural Way to Bronze

Here's a tip for those that are new to bronzing/contouring or want a more natural way to bronze or sculpt the face:

Instead of using a bronzer, most of which tend to have shimmer, use your favorite powder formula in a couple shades darker than your natural skin tone. A powder will have a more natural finish to it and it will blend easily over or under your normal powder. You can also use a powder a few shades lighter than your skin tone to highlight your face. 

Do you like to bronze or contour? What product do you use?

Glow Like an Angel with Smashbox Halo Powder

Wouldn't it be great if life were like the Jetsons and you could step in into a room, automatically get showered and dressed and have your make up put on by a robot? Well maybe someday...

In the meantime we can keep ourselves busy with the current technologically enhanced beauty developments, like the Smashbox HALO Hydrating Perfecting Powder.

I got this a couple months ago and have been using it nonstop. It has an advanced formula of different peptides and is supposed to minimize the aging flaws in our skin. So does this work?

YES!!!

Awesome fact #1: This compact has a built in mirror.

Awesome fact #2: This powder comes as a pressed powder,  and has a swivel shaver blade, so it takes the pressed powder and shaves it so you get loose powder. The more your turn the shaver, the more loose powder you get. This feature is awesome cuz you don't have to worry about the mess of loose powder and you won't waste any product.

Awesome fact #3: This product goes on flawlessly. It is not cakey or ashy, it gives a flawless finish on both oily and dry skin.

Awesome fact #4: The powder actually lives up to its claims! It looks better on the skin the longer you wear it. When you first apply it, it looks good. 10 minutes later it looks even better. An hour later your skin looks flawless. This means it actually does help minimize the appearance of fine lines and pores. What's not to love!!??!?

Awesome fact #5: This product comes with a good quality kabuki brush. It is smaller than most full size kabuki brushes but it actually works really well so I think it's the perfect size to keep in the purse for touchups.

Awesome fact #6: You can use this as a finishing powder, to blot oil, or buffed in to the skin as a light foundation. It's definitely multi-purpose!

Awesome fact #7: It might seem pricey up front, but it's a pretty good deal. Yes, you have to shell out $59, but you are getting 0.75oz of product for that much. What does that mean? You are paying $78.67 per ounce of product. The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (my other go to powder) is only $26 but you only get 0.35oz of product, which comes out to $74.29 per ounce, just a few dollars less than Smashbox. Plus with the Smashbox Halo powder you have a built-in mirror and you get a brush.

Not So Awesome Fact: There are only 4 shades of this powder. That being said, unless you are on the extreme size of the skin color spectrum, one of the 4 shades will probably work for you. I am an NC30 in MAC foundation and I wear the shade Light and it is perfect for me. Now there is a chance you could be between shades, so I recommend trying this out at Sephora or a department store and then stepping out into sunlight to see how well it matches.

Kajal Couture Overall Rating: A+

I highly recommend the Smashbox Halo powder and it now has a permanent home in my makeup collection. Have you tried this awesome powder?

My Honeymoon Makeup Bag

I recently found a couple pics on the makeup I took on my honeymoon, and realized I never posted them. For my honeymoon, I was determined to pack light, at least in terms of my cosmetics, and I am so proud of myself for actually sticking to that!! This is all I took with me:

Here is a list of the products:

Loose powders making a mess? Here's what I do

Do you own any makeup that is a loose powder? Ever notice how it always makes a mess and you end up spilling a good amount every time you use it? I am so clumsy with loose powders it practically turns me off of buying more...but alas some products are just so amazing that I have to deal with the mess. Until now.

What I discovered not too long ago is a little trick to minimize the spillage factor. I will take my loose powder product and try to get the powder to go back down the filter through the little holes. I will use some kind of clean, sanitized spatula so I don't get bacteria in the product. Here I used one of those little spoons you get when you go out for gelato. (Yes, I save and clean these guys and keep them handy for makeup, putting in little spice jars, etc.) I take the spoon and move the powder back and forth allowing it to fall through the filter holes like so:
Once most of the powder is down through the holes (or when I have lost my patience doing so), then I will move the remaining powder on the filter to one side. Then I take a piece of clear tape and cover most of the holes. In this photo I have covered about half of the holes:

I will keep doing this until only 3 or 4 holes are exposed. I find that is enough to give me the right amount of product for one application.

With this powder I had already opened and used it months ago so I had a lot of product I had to push through the holes. Therefore, I recommend taping holes as soon as you purchase and open a new loose powder. Most loose powders should have a sticker on the filter that you have to peel off. As soon as you peel that off, use some tape and tape up the holes. That way, you can avoid the first step I showed you here and you will thank yourself for saving that time. Ta-da! Easy as that and now you will not have a powdery mess when you open up a loose powder jar!

Oh, in case you are wondering what product I was using in the photos, that is a MAC loose beauty powder in drizzlegold. It is a sheer shimmery powder that can be used anywhere, but is absolutely divine as a highlighter on all skintones. I will use the 224 to pick some up and dust it lightly above the cheekbones and on the temples. This also gives a great shimmer to the shoulders and other areas of the body. It gives a subtle sheen to the skin and picks up the light beautifully. Loose beauty powders are a PRO product so if you are interested in getting one, check out or call a MAC PRO store.

Foundation Coverage from a Powder

When I say that I LOVE the MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes, that is an understatement. I use the shimmery ones as highlighters and blushes, but I am a huge fan of the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (MSF Natural) as a setting powder, or just as a daily powder when I don't wear any foundation. I recently discovered a trick that allows the MSF Natural to provide even more coverage! Instead of using a regular powder or duo-fibre brush, use a kabuki/buffer brush (like the MAC 182) and swirl it around the powder and then buff the powder into the skin in a circular motion. When I tried this method, it gave me the same coverage as foundation! It might not be full coverage, but I can definitely achieve up to medium coverage, which is perfect for work and everyday. 

I am especially excited because I don't like to wear a lot during the summer, and it's a major plus when I can use one product to get the same result as 2 products. If you like the MAC Mineralize loose foundation, try this out. Using the MSF Natural seems to give the same coverage, but without the mess!