Guerlain Meteorites Compact Spring 2019

Do you love Meteorites ? Not the ones in the sky, although those are pretty awesome too, but the multi colored powders from Guerlain.

They've got a new compact for Spring called Meteorites Compact - Colour Correcting , Blotting and Lighting Powder.

It comes in 3 depth of shades , I've got the lightest  in color combo 2 Clair /Light . There are  4 separate shades to be swirled together  or used alone . As one they offer brightening ( they  work great when your foundation looks a bit darker than you'd like, acting as a slight lightener) , setting, finishing , perfecting and blotting. While the green will also cancel redness.

The 2 other shade combos look good too. I wouldn't mind a wardrobe of Meteorites. One for brightening, finishing, one for blush , one for bronzing.

If you're familiar with Guerlain you know the features, if you're not, these are finely milled powders. They don't sit on skin but blend right in with no heaviness. They do add instant brightness and perfecting. Subtle but definitely there . There's a reason these are a perennial favorite , they're beautiful to look at and work well.

This season's compact on the outside is all silver with an engraved looking swirl motif and the Guerlain name.  Pretty elegant to whip out of your bag for a midday touch up.

Guerlain Meteorites Compact is $ 62

Arm & Hammer Invisible Spray Powders

The new Invisible Spray Powders from Arm & Hammer might not be the sexiest or Insta ready new launch but they are definitely worth tucking in your beach, day or gym bag.

There are two versions- one for feet and one for body.  They best part is no white residue. They go on clean and dry fast with no cast, no stickiness and a very light fragrance.  They do however, feel cool and lightly deodorize  while absorbing moisture and sweat .  All good. They use the brand's trademarked Sweat Activated Fresh Guard technology that is meant to keep you fresh all day.

These can be sprayed anytime, anywhere and with Summer's heat here , I need that. It's a great refresh midday or late afternoon and I am going to keep the body one in the tote I drag to the office each day. 

These are also perfect for your gym or beach bag.  Going from the beach, lake or pool to dinner , you can freshen up in a jiffy or cool off  hot feet from pounding the pavement. 

They are talc free, btw.


Arm &Hammer Invisible Spray Powders are sugg. retail $6.99  and are available at Walmart .

Gucci Illuminating Powder

 

One of the hottest products this holiday season is Gucci's Illuminating Powder.

Not only does Gucci not do a lot in the way of makeup, but just look at how pretty this is.  *Almost* too pretty to use.

The butterfly catches your eye first off . Then you notice the golden pale beige shimmering powder, called Sunstone.

Sadly, the butterfly seems to be an overspray. The few light swipes of the brush I've done so far have worn it off.  But you still have the luxurious powder, which goes on lightly giving a low to medium wattage radiant glow and is buildable . It's not big glitter or over the top shimmer and is very easy to wear. I show my swatch and the official image from Gucci. 

It's the perfect Winter pick me and party glow getter and comes in a logo'd black compact  with a mirror, and small brush in the lower compartment.

Gucci Illuminating Powder in Sunstone is LE and $ 53 at Saks, Gucci.com  , Neimans and more. 

MAC Pro Longwear Pressed Powder

If you're me , oily and perspiring in the heat, you are a powder fan. You might be too.  It's a must when the oil gets going or after a long day when touch ups are needed but no time to desire to redo the whole makeup job.


MAC's Pro Longwear Pressed has been making that a lot easier since I started using it  a couple weeks ago. It's  not new, but new to me  as somehow despite being the huge MAC fan I am, I had never tried it.  And I am all for anything long wear.

There are  a couple things that set this powder apart from some of the  others I use. It doesn't seem to settle into fine lines or accentuate them ( now that I am a little older I have to worry about that), but rather smoothes over skin ,  even after a work day , making it look perfected again.  No dryness, no cake. It also has coverage. Light to medium .   On the weekend when I needed to do a quick store run and didn't feel like doing all my makeup, I patted this on over my SPF moisturizer and  was ready to go .   I had good coverage with minimal effort.  I am not a tinted moisturizer and go kinda gal, I need more than that and this got it done.

Of course longwear is the main point here,  and it does hold up well. I will still get some oil breakthrough on my nose  but nothing stops that. Everywhere else looks good. It also does well at smoothing over pores.

If you're thinking of adding this this your Summer kit, there are 14 wide ranging shades .

MAC Pro Longwear Pressed Powder is $ 27

Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Powder

Maybelline's newest pressed powder for us oily gals comes with acne treatment salicylic acid built in.

Superstay Better Skin - Skin Transforming Powder is a matte powder that also has light/medium coverage. It's not heavy but not sheer and not only mattes without looking too dry but also fills in and hides pores and perfects, smoothes skin. The  extra coverage is nice too, when the oil on your nose has broken down your foundation from it's AM application.

As for the salicylic acid, it's far down in the ingredients and I'm not sure how much gets through to skin but I'll take a little extra help to keep oil at bay and pores clearer.

I really like how this looks and works.  It holds up nicely although usually not all day. I recall Maybelline's Super Stay foundations being really long wear. Harder to get that in a powder, but the coverage here lasts longer than many powders, easily half a day on me  and depending on what foundation I've used, longer.

 I use this both over my foundation right off the morning to smooth and add a bit more coverage or over my foundation midday and/or evening . If I use first thing it definitely extends foundations wear/look.  It will work on bare skin or over a BB/ CC nicely too, giving just enough coverage .


Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Powder comes in eight shades and is available now.

Shades shown are Warm Nude and Classic Ivory.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro- Contour Palette

 

When this landed on my desk, I was a bit meh ( are we still using that word?) about it. It wasn't high on my list to test but then I  decided to give it a try on the weekend. Sometimes things surprise you and this did. It worked really well.

I don't play with contouring a lot, so I haven't explored too many other contour products but when I do I have a few individual products I like and use. Powders mainly but some creams.  One reason I don't do it a lot is it takes time , well this palette eliminates that.

The angled brush picks up the two powder colors in one  swipe and another swipe applies it to your face. The contour lines looked good, not overdone and were easily blended. I used it only on the cheek area but it  can be  used on nose, chin etc. It wore well also. I applied at 3 and by 8 it was still looking color true.

The powder is light and does have fallout but mostly in the palette tray. On my face there was only tiny bit.

There are three shade combos available- light, medium ( shown) and deep.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro- Contour Palette is sugg. retail $ 12.99 and available now.

Guerlain Météorites Voyage & Meteorites Base- Spring 2015

Meteorites was the fist Guerlain product I ever encountered. Before even I began a love affair with their fragrances.  The multi hued powder in an elegant compact easily caught my attention a few years, ok decades , ago.

New this Spring is  Météorites Voyage. Guerlain calls them  Compacted Pearls of Powder . That sums it up. You get the mosaic of five colors that help to brighten, reduce redness and perfect skin in a beaded top compact that would have been at home on Nora Charles dressing table.

Guerlain  says Météorites " signature Stardust technology transforms the invisible UV light into visible and soft focus perfecting light to fade imperfections and illuminate the face. "

This is a  very light powder, meaning it goes on barely there. It finishes up your look nicely and adds some polish and brightening but subtly. It's not heavy on  and never looks "done".

Also new is a first time Meteorites Primer Base. This time the pearls are suspended in a gel primer. Like the powder this is subtle. It's a lightweight gel that smoothes right on and into skin. It has a small amount of moisture( glycerin is the second ingredient ) but is not a moistuirzier. While Guerlain says it's mattifying and oil absorbing I'm not sure on that. It didn't make me dewy  but I didn't feel it mattified a lot either.  It feels nice on and makes an easy base while also boosting your glow a tiny bit.

Guerlain Météorites  Voyage Compact is $ 179
Guerlain Météorites   Primer is $ 74

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder

IT Cosmetics brings out another winner with new Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder, a compact version of their loose one .

Love the finish a powder can give you but don't want anything too dry, too matte or too cakey?  Bye Bye Pores does none of those things but easily gives you a flawless , perfected look .

Pores are definitely smoothed over and less visible. Skin gets a soft focus look as well as perfected. The powder isn't heavy and is translucent but does lean to the the pale side.  It also helps to blot oil  and even adds a little bit of coverage.

Ingredients include silk, collagen, peptides, aloe vera leaf juice, glycerin, grape seed extract  and oatmeal along with the brands Optical Blurring Drops Of Light technology.

Bye Bye Pores  will work for everyone , mature skin included .  There is a sponge applicator in the bottom compartment but IT also recommends using their Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball Brush , which just happens to be one of my all time favorites.

IT Cosmetics  Bye Bye Pores Pressed is $ 29 and available now at www.itcosmetics.com and August at Ulta.

MAC Studio Sculpt Defining Powder

Light, Medium Plus, Dark Deep

An addition to MAC"s Studio Sculpt line , Defining Powder arrives next month.

I'm a  big powder fan , some aren't , but my love for it is unabashed. When you have oily skin it's a must as it just sets and perfects so well.  I always notice the difference.

MAC's new Studio Sculpt is meant to help define the face.  There is a wide shade range so you can grab one for contour but they work as an all over powder really well.

I picked up the  Light shade, dusted it all over and loved what it did. My skin looked soft focused, smoothed and brighter. It just gave me  finish and a little lift.

If you look closely you'll see just the slightest iridescence in the cake. That little bit just lights up your skin, gives dimension but isn't noticeable on.

 These  are very sheer and lightweight.  Even the darkest shade I have , Dark Deep doesn't look that dark on me. More like a bronzer .

If you need a new powder, I highly rec trying  Studio Sculpt.

MAC Studio Sculpt Defining Powder is $ 32 and comes in eight shades from Light to Dark Deep.

MAC Prep & Prime CC Colour Correct Cream and Powders

A little late on this but have you checked out MAC's Color Correcting line yet ? If you're not too familiar with color correcting skin products , you might find yourself asking , exactly what do I use them for ?

These CC Creams and powders help to correct  and even skin tones basically. They can tone down redness or brighten dull skin among others. It's a subtle thing and they are not going to suddenly make you look like you have magazine perfect skin. But they definitely polish up skin, set makeup well and add a little oomph to your skin, making it and you look just a little better . It's good wakeup makeup.

Neutralize

My favorite of the group shade wise is yellow Neutralize .Yellow powder is something I've used for a long time off and on. Yellow powder not only can perk up winter dull skin but it also cancels redness. It doesn't change the color of your makeup or add color to skin that's visible .

Adjust

I love the CC and the loose powders best. The solid powder I found a little too thick for lack of a better word. It's nice but just not as light feeling on as I'd like  it to be. The CC Cream here is lightweight with just a touch of moisture , has SPF 30 and will act as a primer under makeup or can be worn on it's own .

If you want to explore the other shades, Illuminate ( lavender) is the most brightening and gives skin a bit of a non shimmer  translucent glow.  Adjust is a great shade to bring some warmth to dull skin  as it has a just a little color to it and Recharge is the shade deeper skins  might want to look at  for an overall warmth as well as perfecting, as it will add color to the face on anyone pale . This shade could also be used for contour.

The full MAC Prep and Prime CC Colour Correct Collection is at all MAC locations in the permanent line.

MAC Prep and Prime CC Cream SPF 30 is $ 30
MAC Prep and Prime CC Loose Powder is $ 24
MAC Prep and Prime CC Compact Powder is $ 24

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder

It's no secret I love powder foundations. Not everyone does but if you are also a fan there's a new one in town from Laura Mercier- Smooth Finish .

This is a very dry powder. Mercier  lists shea butter in the ingredients for some moisture which surprised me , as I can't tell it's there. Smooth Finish is definitely for normal to oily skins, with oily probably liking it best. It works really well over a BB or primer as that gives it something to adhere to as well as some moisture.  Laura Mercier  has a new lightweight primer out that has SPF , handy to use with this as the powder itself has no SPF.

Smooth Finish wears really well. On a more humid day when I was, we'll call it dewy, I got oil breakthrough on nose/chin ( not unusual) but the rest of my face looked as good as just applied. That lasted all day and there was no oxidation either.

This can be used wet or dry ( I've only done dry so far)  as an all over foundation or for touch ups later. The coverage makes it a good one for touch ups if you tend to have makeup melt midday or anytime . It gives a nice flawless finish  with medium coverage but I think will settle into lines if you have them. You'll definitely want primer first on them.

Overall I really like how my skin looks in this. I do feel though that in  winter when I go from oily to normal I won't find myself reaching for it much. For summer and warmer temps, it's nice.

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Powder Foundation is $45 at Sephora  in 20 shades 

Shade shown is 04- Light Beige w/Yellow Undertones . 

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Powder SPF 15

I've taken to sometimes calling this The Year of Powder, owing to a good number of amazing powder releases so far in 2013 both face and foundation ones.  This , to me, is thrilling as I am a very much a powder fan. I know  some people aren't or they have fear of powder. The  ones that have come out this year should help to fix that .

Chanel's Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour  is the newest powder to come along and it's one I've been waiting for since reading about it early this winter.

#10,#20,#30

Chanel knows powder . Their main compact powder compact Poudre Uuniverselle  is one of the best and quickly makes you look better . Rose Mervielle  is a staple of mine  but was an  LE release .  

Les Beiges Healthy Glow continues in their tradition of  finely milled powder  and  takes the look better idea  even further. It's meant to impart what they call a belle mine , or bonne mine as I've often heard it, look. In other words, you but better aka a healthy glow. It also has a huge rarity in powder- SPF.

The SPF is 15 and that makes Les Beiges great for not only a topper of extra  sun protection but an easy way to brush on more SPF as a touch up.

The powders have a large range of shades and can be used on a bare face for polish,  over makeup, as contour or as bronzer, which Les Beiges excells at being mainly matte, no shimmer and with subtle color so  you won't overdo it.

No matter which way you use them, these truly do make you look better. I swished the fair #10 all over, used # 20 to contour, and #30 for  a deeper bronze on cheeks and I was darn happy with the results. I look smoothed , polished with some color but  not overdone. The powder is light  and almost undetectable. Also with shea butter as an ingredient you don't have to worry about dryness, it floats on skin.

A half moon brush comes along in the compact , which also has a cap over the powder cake to keep them separate. This is one of those times when the brush is well worth using. It contours on cheeks and brushes on lightly over the face. I still also used a puff and will use a larger brush, but the one that comes with is quality.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder is $ 57.50 and comes in 7 shades from #10 to # 70.

On counter in August. Pre- order available at Chanel here