Have you ever wondered what the difference between translucent powders is? They're all just glorified talc powder right? Wrong!
This post comes after I tried my first loose setting powder - Vichy Dermablend which led me to try the cheaper alternative once it had ran out - NYX HD Studio Finishing powder. With never using one before I didn't see the fascination or if they even worked as well as they claimed, never mind if there was any difference between low and high end as they were all just white powder to me.
I've now been using only loose setting powder for over a month now so I thought I should share my thoughts and opinions as well as a comparison between the two mentioned.
Firstly, this powder is contained in quite a large pot - of which includes an applicator sponge/puff which may not be of any use to some but I did use it occasionally. The pot has small holes in the top so that it comes out with a little shake (I put the product into the lid). The texture of the powder is really soft but quite thick - quite similar to the feel of talcum/baby powder.
After a few uses of this I was totally converted, I began 'baking' my under eyes and highlighting my face with it - something which I'd never tried before. It left my face wonderfully soft and really flawless looking. I found it also had a little extra coverage and particularly worked well around spots, not building up or making anything look unsightly. It didn't require much topping up as it left my skin soft and matte all day.
The down sides to this was that it got a little messy shaking the product out of the pot which led me to lose a little bit of powder each time. I also noticed on a few nights out how white it would make my face look in pictures taken with a flash.
I found myself questioning it as it was becoming empty, was it worth the price? Are cheaper alternatives just the same? Which is what brought me to the next product.
Now the first thing I noticed with this is that it came across as a cheaper alternative as it's half the price, but you actually get over 4 times the amount of product in the Vichy powder, which correct me if I'm wrong works out that the Vichy one is actually cheaper according to weight. The pot was noticeably smaller, lighter and obviously less product included. This one did not contain any sponge inside, which may please some people but I was a little disappointed. The holes in the top of the pot are larger than the ones on the Vichy, meaning the product easily falls out and is much more messier. The texture of the powder was noticeably different, as it felt really light and a little dry and chalky to touch.
As soon as I tried to use the powder I noticed how light it actually was as most of the product would blow away just by moving my brush. I found it really hard to 'bake' my under eyes as it didn't press down or stick to the skin as well. Once my whole face had been done it felt really dry and tight. It didn't leave my face feeling nice and it didn't look particularly great - it was actually kind of patchy.
When it came to topping up, it didn't really do anything as I said it just kind of blew away, which is something that didn't happen with the Vichy powder. Also the remains seemed to go up my nose and in my eyes and it didn't smell very nice.
The only pro point I could say about the powder is that it did stay matte all day, but that's really it. I couldn't comment on the flash back with this as I gave up on it pretty quickly.
My conclusion to the battle of the powders (as you may gather) is that the Vichy one wins hands down. It's so much softer, gives a noticeably better finish and feels so much more comfortable on the skin - not drying what so ever.
I feel like I wasted my money on the NYX powder and was really disappointed as I thought I was going to like it. It's actually the first NYX product that I've not liked so far. I also can't quite believe that the Vichy one is actually cheaper in terms of weight - I got it on offer too at the time for £11.
My advice for anyone trying loose powder for the first time is to go for the Vichy Dermablend, but maybe wait until it's on offer if you don't wish to pay the full price. You will not be disappointed!
Have you tried either of these products or both? Which do you think performed better?
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