the Hannah Hardy

I will never stop buying and trying new powders. Powder and dry skin are a tricky combo. Not just any primer, foundation, and powder combination will do. I have some go-to products that I know work and I’d love to add some of these to the list.

When trying these powders, I tested them for a few ways over a few days. I wanted to use a foundation and a primer that I knew I liked and knew how they performed.

Primer
–CYO Illuminating Cream + Colour Pop Pretty Fresh Hyaluroinc

Foundations
–Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define in F0.5
–Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid in 00 Alabaster

Powders Tested
–elf Halo Glow
–Catrice HD Baking & Setting
–Smashbox Halo Fresh
–Sephora Collection Baked
–Bare Minerals Mineral Veil
–No7 Lift & Luminate
–Fenty Pro Filt’r
–Coty Airspun
–Laura Geller Illuminating
–Revolution Pro CC

I applied all the powders with a velour powder puff from Amazon.

elf Halo Glow

Claims–Dreamy, blurring, soft-focus finish :: help smooth the appearance of fine line and blur imperfections :: keep shine at bay :: ensure makeup looks and feels fresh throughout the day

Price– $8 at Target, elfcosmetics.com

Shade Range–3
My Shade–Light

Pros–Cruelty free :: vegan :: affordable :: packaging :: shade options :: doesn’t contain talc :: gives a gorgeous, all over flow :: lives up to all claims :: luminous finish with no glitter :: sets and locks makeup in place

Cons–None

Final Thoughts–This is the best luminous setting powder I’ve ever tried! It’s an overall glow with no glitter and your skin looks naturally radiant. I was worried it wouldn’t lock and set makeup in place, but it does. It worked with both foundations. I agree will all the claims as well. It you have dry skin and struggle with setting powder, try this one.

Catrice HD Baking & Setting Loose Powder

Claims–Waterproof :: silky smooth :: sets makeup resulting in a flawless, airbrushed finish :: second skin effect

Price–$11.99 at Ulta

Shade Range–5
My Shade–Warm Ivory

Pros–Vegan :: cruelty free :: fragrance free :: affordable :: shade range :: mess free packaging :: shade match for me :: didn’t cake or cling :: face looked smooth and flawless

Cons–Availability (Ulta exclusive) :: no true translucent shade :: contains talc :: chalky texture :: expensive for Catrice

Final Thoughts–I love the packaging, the netting in the top helps it not make such a mess. It didn’t cake or cling to any dry spots. It worked with both foundations. My face looked smooth and flawless. However, I didn’t love the chalky texture. I like, but don’t love this product. Most Catrice products are $10 or less so I feel like this is pricey for the brand.

Smashbox Halo Fresh Perfecting Powder

Claims–Light-coverage :: soft, natural, airbrushed finish :: long-wearing :: smooth :: won’t crease, cake, or settle into fine lines :: color-true

Price–$42 at Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom

Shade Range–10
My Shade–Fair

Pros–Cruelty free :: vegan :: powderizer grinds the perfect amount of powder and is mess free! :: ingredients–goji berries, gold, and peptides :: no talc :: shade range :: set makeup in place :: didn’t cake :: all over glow without glitter :: shade match for me

Cons–Expensive :: availability (specialty stores only)

Final Thoughts–I received this product complimentary from Influenster to test. When I opened it, I thought the shade was going to be way too dark. It set my makeup, didn’t cake, and gave my skin a nice glow. I really love the packaging and it applied well with a powder puff and a brush. It worked with both foundations. I will use it, but I don’t know that I would purchase it because that price is STEEP. There are more affordable options that I like just as much.

Sephora Collection Micro Smooth Baked Foundation Face Powder

Claims–Ultra-light foundation with micronized pigments that blur imperfections for a natural finish :: gives the appearance of healthy-looking skin :: formulated with mineral water and green tea extracts

Price–$22 at Sephora

Shade Range–8
My Shade–05 Porcelain

Pros–Not tested on animals :: fragrance free :: no parabens :: lightweight on the skin :: I used as a setting powder, not a foundation and this doesn’t add much (if any) coverage :: smooths the skin :: doesn’t cake or cling to dryness :: natural, slightly radiant finish to the skin :: skin looks healthy and not dry

Cons–Doesn’t work with more matte foundations (on me) :: contains talc :: not the best powder for longevity :: Sephora exclusive :: shade range

Final Thoughts–If I really want my makeup to last, I will use another powder and then use this on top. Just using this as a setting powder won’t lock your foundation for all day wear. It’s a great powder if you have dry skin as it doesn’t mattify the skin and just gives a radiant, healthy glow. It looked horrible with matte foundations, it was a cakey mess. I like this best as a finishing powder too add radiance/slight sheen to my face.

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil

Claims–Gives your skin a soft, airbrushed finish :: minimizes pores and fine lines :: absorbs oils :: soft-matte finish :: works for all skin types and tones :: locks makeup in place :: weightless :: never cakey :: no white cast

Price–$25 at Ulta, Sephora, Nordstrom

Pros–Talc free :: vegan :: phthalate free :: non-acnegenic :: didn’t cake :: face looked smooth, flawless, and filtered :: cruelty free :: paraben free :: non-comedogenic :: dermatologist tested :: worked with matte and radiant foundations

Cons–Expensive :: availability (specialty stores or online only)

Final Thoughts–I found this at TJ Maxx for $6. The powder looks pink tinted and I was worried it would alter the look/color of my foundation, but it didn’t. It worked like a traditional translucent powder. My face looked FaceTuned. I was shocked! I used it with foundations I’ve worn tons of times and the powder completely changed how they looked on my skin.

Come back next week for part II!