PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: JAMES COOPER MATTE LOOSE POWDER IN 1 TRANSLUCENT

Here's an initial review on JAMES COOPER MATTE LOOSE POWDER IN 1 TRANSLUCENT

PRICE: 799PHP
PLACE BOUGHT: WATSON'S, SM DEPARTMENT STORE, MAKATI CITY
OTHER LOCATIONS: PROBABLY IN WATSON'S SECTIONS INSIDE SM DEPARTMENT STORES

THE VERDICT:

I was thinking of getting a loose powder from Kryolan. But Kryolan's translucent powder has the tendency to leave a tinge of color. So after two trials with TL5 and TL4, I decided to embark on a search for the perfect or at least a good translucent powder.

Cinema Secrets is too expensive. In fact, I'm not even sure if it'll work well, since their concealers disappointed me a lot. CS is not cheap so I can't afford to waste money on something that won't be any of use to me in the coming days.

I was a bit curious with the James Cooper line. James Cooper used to be a famous name in T.V. and magazines. If I'm not mistaken, I think he's a hairstylist and a make- up artist. And now, I'm still wondering where he is and what he has been doing lately.

I was surprised that he actually has a cosmetic line for professional use. I came up to the counter one day and the kind saleslady had a little chit chat with me regarding a bit of info about the brand. She even claimed that Maricel Soriano uses the brand for her T.V. shows and engagements.

James Cooper is a PRO cosmetics line. Their eyeshadows are nice. Has good pigment pay- off, and frankly speaking, quite hard to rub off when I tried removing the swatch from my hand. This line might have promise.

Since I was looking for a translucent powder, I decided to get their Matte Loose Powder. It comes in two colors. Translucent and Brown.

TIP: If you're planning to save, get a translucent powder so it'll encompass any foundation color, so you don't have to spend again on powders to match every single foundation that you have.

Let's now review the packaging.

Remember my endless rants regarding cheap packaging of PRO cosmetics? Well, by far, this is the cheapest. EVER. It comes in a quite sturdy plastic glass jar. But the labels are horrible. The box is horrible as well. Cheap fonts and color. It doesn't even have a description. But at least, the ingredients are listed.

Check out the James Cooper logo. That is not engraved or printed on the container. It's a sticker with the icon's name. It's like, they decided to save because jar printing can be quite costly. Ugh! Totally cheap!

Remember how I also said that almost 90% of the packaging of the Filipino Brand cosmetics are imitated from international brands? Well, this one is no exception.

The jar reminds me of Cinema Secrets' loose powder jars. The size, type of plastic, and all. If you tear off the label from this one and I claim that this is a rejected Cinema Secrets powder because it didn't pass the labeling standard, you would actually believe me!

Check out the label at the bottom. Upon first glance, you can already recall the cult make- up brand MAKE UP FOR EVER PROFESSIONAL. Well, kudos to James' Cooper's originality. He called his company line, MAKE UP FOR LIFE, plus he imitated the font of MUFE. I'm pretty sure someday, another Filipino pro cosmetic line will release a company line called, MAKE UP FOR ETERNITY.

It comes with a puff. But as always, loose powders are best used with a powder brush

As the saying goes, DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. And the same goes for this powder.

Here's the actual product. It is quite starchy, which is an innate characteristic of translucent powders so it won't leave any color on your skin.

Here's a swatch of the product on my skin.

The powder, when blended evenly, disappears into a matte and colorless finish.

True to its name, it really did keep my make- up matte. I've used this under harsh performance conditions where I sweat profusely. And it really did seal my make- up! The foundation and powder ran a bit but it didn't melt completely at all! It does blend well and evenly.

This powder is unscented, so you don't have to worry about perfume harming your skin.

It stayed for hours. And a once to twice of retouching does the trick. This is even at par with my Kryolan translucent powder!

So for make- up artists out there who are on a budget, make sure you always have translucent powders on hand, so you don't have to spend a fortune on setting powders. This is cheap, yet very effective. Totally PRO!

Will I buy this again? Of course! I finally found a cheap, but impressive translucent powder. :)