When I think of face powder, I immediately cringe. I can’t help it – I was traumatized as a child by the aunties of the 80s and the thick plaster and splotchy white powder they applied to their faces in order to achieve the “fair and lovely” look. As a result, I’ve often ventured out without setting my makeup with any powder at all, even risking a shiny nose or two, in the fear that I will end up looking just like the ladies that scared me in my youth. But, as much as I hate the product, sometimes it is in fact a necessary evil, especially for oilier-skinned ladies when the weather turns warmer. The problem is, many of us find it difficult to choose and apply the right kind of product for our skin types and tones. Part of the confusion stems, like with foundation, from which color to use, but the truth is, the most important choice you will make regarding your powder is which form you use, loose or pressed. And, with the proper application, you may just be able to prevent yourself from looking like the lead actress from Memoirs of a Geisha.
Like many of you, I have been the victim of sales assistants at makeup counters that don’t want to take the time out or simply don’t know enough to explain the use of certain products. When I’ve asked the difference between loose and pressed powder, I’ve been told “oh, it’s just the consistency you prefer and what’s easier for you.” Ladies, this is not the case. Yes, ease of transportation and application is a vital point, but cosmetics companies would not waste time and energy finely milling powder into two different consistencies just because they are nice and want to give us a choice. There is more to the loose versus pressed decision. Read the rest of this entry »
