The Big Finish

Posted: Tuesday 15 November 2011 09:30am

Makeup products are like people. Some just beaver away in the background, quietly doing their job with little or no recognition, while others are dramatic, highly visible and get all the attention.

Take face powder, for example, you hardly see any articles written about its benefits and uses and yet it is indispensable to a polished appearance, especially in summer when high temps can make even dry skin look a bit shiny.

One of the most common beauty questions I field is – What do you think about powder? A lot, in fact, and why it’s such a tragedy that most women think it’s only good for one thing – reducing shine.

It wasn’t always so. In the days before Max Factor invented Pan-Cake Makeup, the first widely available foundation product, powder was all that most women put on their faces. There’s nothing modern about custom-made makeup, Charles of the Ritz was the brand of choice for American society beauties from 1920 to 1970 for its custom-made powders and in 1988 the company re-introduced the service because of the huge demand.

Leading makeup artists, including beauty guru Bobbi Brown, believe that a powder that matches the skin can dramatically enhance a woman’s look. “Many women just don’t get it,” says Bobbi. “They buy a rose-coloured powder, and that’s unnatural and unflattering. Too light a colour in translucent powder can make you look gray and ashen which is very ageing.”

When it matches your skin tone, though, loose powder in particular has a long list of virtues. It “sets” foundation and keeps it looking fresh during even the most humid weather. A light dusting on your eyelids before applying eyeshadow will prevent it from fading and creasing.

Loose powder is also a good substitute for foundation and can correct skin that is very red or yellow.  If your concealer tends to wander, a light dusting of powder will keep it firmly in place. And if your powder blusher “disappears” during the day – dust your cheeks with face powder first, then apply the powder blusher over the top.

There’s always a strong move back to powder when fashions return to being more classic and refined, as we’re seeing now on the catwalks of Paris, New York and Milan. And the development always provokes the perennial question: What’s the better option – pressed or loose powder?

One of the biggest differences is, of course, portability. Pressed powders come in neat compacts ideal for keeping in your handbag for on-the-run touch-ups. They are applied with a puff and so the powder, which is heavier than the loose kind, stays on longer. A matte finish such as Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder RRP$48 is great for oilier skins but if you have dry skin look for a pressed powder with a moisturising formula such as Revlon New Complexion Oil-Free Powder RRP $34.95 or Covergirl Advanced Radiance Powder RRP $18.95. Illuminated powders such as Estee Lauder AeroMatte Ultralucent Pressed Powder RRP $68  are also popular with women of all ages for added glow.

Loose powders offer the most sheer finish. Dip  a soft, full brush in the powder and then tap off any excess. You only need a very thin veil of face powder, not a heavy dusting, and if used sparingly loose powder does not exaggerate lines and wrinkles. Top buys include:

* M.A.C Venomous Villains Magically Cool Liquid Powder RRP $40, which contains 60 per cent water to avoid the dreaded “dusty” look.

* Avon Personal Match Loose Powder RRP $24.99 (1800 646 000).

* Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Skin Smoothing Loose Powder RRP $64.

* L’Oreal Paris Translucide Naturally Luminous Loose Powder RRP $33.95.

Over the past three years, bronzing powders have soared in popularity as more and more women realise that they want a healthy glow without skin damage. But be careful – use only sparingly to avoid the orange loook.

Bronzers also look more natural if your skin already has a naturally sun-kissed look but from a bottle, not courtesy of the sun itself. A good product that gradually and lightly tans the face is Johnson’s Holiday Skin Daily Facial Moisturiser. Then dust on a bronzer one or two shades darker than your “new” skin  tone – for example, Max Factor Bronzing Powder RRP $24.95 or Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Duo RRP $68 work well.

But whether you are dusting on powder for a seamless finish or re-applying bronzer, don’t repeatedly apply another layer to fight shine or the multiple layers will cake, especially when the weather is hot and humid. Instead, mist your face with water, blot with a tissue and then re-apply the powder.

by Elisabeth King

Comments (1) Print Send to friend Share or bookmark this page