PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: COVERGIRL CLEAN PRESSED POWDER IN SOFT HONEY

Here's an initial review on COVERGIRL CLEAN MAKE- UP PRESSED POWDER IN SOFT HONEY

PRICE: P425.00

PLACE BOUGHT: WATSON'S, SM MAKATI CITY

OTHER LOCATIONS: WATSON'S STORES, SM MALLS

Photo Credits: celebrityendorsementads.com

Clean lets your skin breathe, for a fresh, natural look that lasts. Our sensitive formula is free of fragrance, giving you a gentle, fresh finish that lasts. Also available in Original and Oil Control formulas. (Clean Pressed Powder for Sensitive Skin definition by covergirl.com)

THE VERDICT:

For Spring 2011, Covergirl offers the CLEAN make- up line. The formulation is lightweight, and texture is sheer which makes it perfect for summer wear. It is also hypoallergenic, non- comedogenic, and talc- free, which makes it great for people sensitive skin.

I've been using my MAC Studio Fix powder plus foundation as my setting powder when I ran out of Sephora's mattifying compact powders. I hate it because it makes the overall finish quite thick because technically, I'm using foundation on top of foundation! But alas, no moolah to buy a high- end setting powder for now.

I'm on the look - out nowadays for a cheap face powder since I use it up ever so quickly. Covergirl seemed like a good option because I know for a fact that it's one of the trusted, not to mention pretty affordable drugstore brands. I was thinking of getting their translucent powder, but I didn't like it because it has glitters. Fortunately, the Clean line had none of it, and has a shade that's close to my skin tone. That shade is Soft Honey.

Jeez, as far as I can remember, my last drugstore face powder was from Maybelline! Drugstore brands will always have this cheap quality when it comes to packaging. But yeah, price- wise, 'tis cheap, so what do you expect?

Here's a new gimmick. I've never encountered this in any drugstore brands before. You can open Covergirl's compact covers to see the actual shade of the powder. Of course, you can't try it. It's only meant to give you a clear idea of what the shade looks like. At least you don't have to guess if a particular shade will fit you by relying on the carton or box drawing/graphic. I know you'll all agree when I say that almost all powder/foundation shade representations are inaccurate!

Ingredients. Talc- free? so why is there a TALC ingredient listed there?!?

Even if it claims that it's good for people with sensitive skin, conducting a patch- test will always be good before purchasing anything, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Description of the product

It comes with a puff encased at the back of the compact. Sorry, I forgot to take a pic.

Packaging is quite bulky, and takes a good amount of effort to open it up. At first, I was having a hard time opening the compact, and I just recently got the hang of it, and opening is now a breeze. I've read online that Covergirl fans and consumers alike totally hate the packaging because of the size and non- user friendly compact. So if you want to get this, you better practice opening the compact once you're at the counter so you won't end up dissatisfied with you're purchase. Have an SA assist you.

At least, Covergirl is considering reverting the packaging back to the old style, since consumers and brand loyalists alike loved it so much.

Soft Honey is the darkest shade in our local Covergirl counters. The shade is medium dark brown with a pink undertone.

I didn't blend the powder in here. It somehow fits the skin tone on my hand. Looks promising.

Here's a pic taken under artificial lighting. Coverage looks decent and natural. It seems like the shade matches the tone of my neck and body.

My initial observations are: For a pressed powder, coverage is quite thick. The thick coverage is meant to cover your pores, thereby making your skin look flawless. But it doesn't look cakey, at least on me. And I love it because it's unscented. There's minimal fall out, and it looks kinda' dark on my skin. Good thing my foundations are yellow- toned, so at least they balance out the weird pink undertone of the powder.

Here's a pic taken under natural lighting. Oddly, it turned a shade lighter. I don't know if the sunlight was hitting my face directly, or this is the result if pink and yellow tones are combined. However, in actual, the tone of my face looks perfectly fine and tolerable. But for pictures, the powder can be a bit unfriendly. At least, the “natural finish” is a promise!

Regarding oil- control, it does keep my oilies at bay for a maximum of two hours. Not good, but it's okay for a cheap face powder. I think I got the "Natural" formula. Wish I got the "Oil- control" one.

Overall, this is a pretty good buy. For 425php, it's quite cheap, considering that the pan is quite huge. The main problem would be the undertone of the shades. Covergirl is specifically made to match caucasians with ivory to tan skin with pink undertones. For Asians, the shades can look a bit weird, but quite acceptable to a certain degree. You just have to spend more time finding which shade suits you best. I'm pretty fine with it. I see myself repurchasing again, since it's the only brand with a shade that kinda' suits my tanned skin.