powder

Today we'll be taking a much needed break from all the shiny and new colorful items to talk about a hardworking perennial staple: Laure Mercier Undercover Pot. This 3-in-1 multitasker is travel-friendly both is size and sturdiness and offers two concealers (one for dark under-eye circles and one for other facial imperfections) and a loose setting powder in a double decker format.

In the left pan at the top there's Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage. The oil-free and rather dry formula is mostly intended to cover blemishes and other unsightly issues. I use it to hide discolorations and the annoying redness that occurs around the nose, but since it's a bit to dry for comfort I mix Secret Camouflage with other substances according to need: cream, lotion, liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer. It gives a very good coverage without caking or looking too obvious. Using a concealer brush and blending carefully is essential, but that's a given.

Secret Concealer, the emollient substance in the right pan, is designated to hide under-eye darkness. It's more pigmented than one would expect and much darker than your Touche Eclat-style brighteners. As a result I use it in a somewhat different way- not so much to highlight the area but to blend and even out the part where the dark circle merge with the rest of the face. It makes any discolored areas disappear and gives an even look.

It's important to blend and work both concealers into your foundation or tinted moisturizer to make your face really polished and flawless (and not resemble a calico kitten). A technique I learned from the wonderful makeup artists of Le Metier de Beaute is to mix different ratios of foundation and concealer before applying to various parts of your face. This way you have maximum control over color, texture and coverage. Obviously, this  works with any brand.

The bottom of the pot contains Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder. The one that comes in the #2 shade has just the right hint of yellow to it, so it doesn't turn an olive complexion into an ash-covered mask. It melts right into the skin, giving it a natural finish and keeping everything in place. The pot is really small, so full size powder brushes aren't ideal here. What I use instead is the mini Kabuki brush that comes with those Bare Escentual trial kits.

Bottom Line: A staple in my travel bag.

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot ($34) is available from most decent department stores as well as from Sephora.

Photos are mine.

Disclosure: I purchased the Makeup Forever HD powder myself, and the ELF powder was a PR sample.


Makeup products bearing the High Definition moniker have become more and more common in the last year or so, supposedly because of the need for products which help the skin to look flawless and natural even through high definition cameras.  For normal consumers, this doesn't apply quite so much - our skin isn't filmed and broadcast on the big or small screens, we have significantly less close ups - so HD products are becoming more synonymous with ultra natural, ultra flawless finishes.

Both ELF and Makeup Forever make HD powders, which are transparent, fine powders designed to set foundation and give a soft focus finish.  The major difference between the two is the price point - the ELF powder retails for £6, and the Makeup Forever powder costs £22.50.  The question is, does the Makeup Forever product offer enough more to justify the price difference?



Formula

Both powders are very simple in formula, with similar ingredients.  The Makeup Forever powder is 100% silica powder, and the ELF powder lists its ingredients as Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer and silica.  So, not much difference between the two there.

Packaging


In my opinion, this is where the big differences lie.  The Makeup Forever powder is contained within a small glass pot.  The powder sits beneath a sifter with a couple of holes in it, and the small diameter of the pot makes it slightly difficult to swirl a powder brush in it.  It's pretty easy to dispense powder though; turning the pot upside down with the lid on allows a small amount of powder to flow through the sifter, which is plenty to cover the whole face.  This makes it slightly more portable than the ELF, as the amount of powder dispensed is smaller.

The ELF powder comes in a larger, squared off plastic pot, which is less weighty than the MUFE offering.  It's also got a much wider opening, which makes it easy to dip or swirl a powder brush as necessary.  There are also more holes in the sifter, which conversely makes it quite hard to get powder out of the pot without making a big mess; turning the pot upside down causes a very large amount of powder to fall through.  Not only does this make it harder to control how much powder ends up on the brush, but it also causes powder to fall onto the shoulders of the pot - which is very messy indeed.

Neither powder is particularly portable once the sticker is removed from the sifter - a prolonged period upside down will result in lots of powder being dispensed.  However, the MUFE is just a little bit too small in diameter, so the ELF powder wins this round.

Performance


As you might guess, with such similar formulations, both powders perform to the same standard.  I've used both for a good few months now, and am equally pleased with both products.  Applied over foundation, the powders provide a pretty semi-matte finish, and do indeed make the skin look flawlessly smooth.  They both last very well, with shiny nose only occurring after about 8 hours, which is pretty good in my estimation.  The best thing, for me, is the silkiness of the powders, which really translates across onto the skin - the finish is very smooth, and very silky.  So long as you don't overapply, you don't get any ashy or whitish tone either.  No winner for this category.

Verdict


To all intents and purposes, I think these powders are pretty much the same.  The ELF has the edge in terms of the packaging, provided you don't want to carry it around with you, and is definitely better value for money than the more expensive MUFE version.  I will definitely be repurchasing the ELF product in the future - silica powders have now become my favourite foundation setting loose powder, and the ELF product represents the best value for money.

If you'd like to try either product, you can get the Makeup Forever HD powder from the Guru Makeup Emporium in the UK for £22.50, and the ELF HD powder from ELF's website for £6.

I have several pressed powder compacts on my holy grail short list. All of them are of excellent quality- the finest texture that gives an airbrushed finish. The only issue is portability, because they are so delicate they crumble and break easily. On the other hand, a protective packaging that actually prevents damage can be much too heavy or bulky to fit into an evening clutch or even the inside pocket of a purse.

Chantecaille Voile de Rose is the perfect answer. The light as air powder is pressed into a miniature metallic compact that is sturdy enough to keep it safe but so small it really is ideal for a night out or your carry-on bag. The packaging is as elegant as the product inside and the embossed rose is beautiful. It looks like a lot of thought went into the size- it's tiny, but not too small to use with a good powder brush (there's a small flat sponge that comes in the black pouch, but I prefer to apply it with a fluffy tool like Edward Bess Luxurious Face Brush).

I don't have much experience with other face products from Chantecaille's regular line, so I can't compare them to Volie de Rose. All I can say is that this powder is top notch and gives my face a natural looking finish of a delicate glow with no shimmer. It settles on the face immediately and melds with anything I've used underneath with no caking.

Bottom Line: I hope it would be added to the regular line. It's too good to be a limited edition.

Chantecaille Voile de Rose Pressed Powder ($36) is currently available from chantecaille.com and at top department stores (though most of them are sold out online). I bought mine at Neiman Marcus.

All photos are mine.

A couple of incidents with a broken compact resulting in a powder spillage inside a makeup train-case (ugh) and in my purse (double ugh) had made me super picky about the makeup that goes with me everywhere. Add to that a bunch of felines who get into absolutely everything and you'd see why I'm a fan of sturdy makeup items. While the original Guerlain Meteorites powder in pearl form and a cardboard box was very cute, it's not meant to leave the house (or live anywhere that cats can find it and drop the box off the shelf).

Enter the new (reformulated) Meteroites Voyage press powder. The refillable metallic compact is as heavy as it's chic and elegant. It comes in a velvet pouch that protects it from scratches (it really is so pretty you'd want to keep it as pristine as possible inside your makeup bag) and looks very luxurious (it'd better be, considering the price tag). The powder inside is silky and air-light. The texture is certainly more refined than what I have in pearl form, though it also might be because Mythic is the translucent, glowy option, while my pearls are in Beige Chic which is more pigmented.

If I compare Meteorites Voyage to my other holy grail pressed powder- the one from LE Metier de Beaute, I'd say that the Guerlain is lighter and works more as a subtly highlighting veil, while the LMdB melds with my skin and other makeup to look completely natural. That's not to say that Meteorites Voyage is shimmery or adds too much glow- it's actually almost matte and very daytime friendly. It's just has a little something extra in the finish, for better and for worse.

The different colors blend on your brush as you swirl it and apply evenly. I've had great results with every face brush I own, so there's no need for an extra brush to use with the powder.

Guerlain Meteorites Voyage Pressed Powder Refillable Compact ($170, the refill is $55) is available from most decent department stores. I bought it at my local Bloomingdale's.

All photos by me.