Powder room

SPRING cleaning is not something I enjoy. But now as I stand on the cusp of summer I think it’s time I did something about my rather unpleasant, rather outdated, and thoroughly unnecessary collection of pressed powder.

Powder is a beauty product I’ve been hooked on since about the age of 20 when I spent all my disposable cash on Clinique’s Superpowder Double Face Powder.

It has come in and out of fashion since, but it’s something that I’ve always used. I love it’s translucence - the way that it puts a very natural, very imperceptible veil over the ruddy bucolic bits of my face. It’s barely there, and you should never ever be able to see it. Never. If you can see powder on your face, then you’re using the wrong powder.

But lurking in my make-up bag are a lot of powders that should have been chucked long ago - they’re the wrong colour, the wrong formulation or just plain wrong. This year I’m determined I will use only one perfect powder at a time.

A couple of years ago, I stumbled across the perfect powder, Prescriptives Magic Powder. It made my skin look simply amazing, but then Prescriptives went and withdrew its lines from stores and now the powder is only available online, in the States. And that’s not very convenient.

The first place to start is deciding whether you want pressed or loose. I find loose is better because it gets used up quicker. Otherwise, you can end up finding your pressed powder hanging around your make-up bag for years, getting all dusty and laden with bacteria.

Loose is easier to apply, too, although best to make sure the lid is on tight before you use it. But apart from one being handier to throw in your handbag, and one being prone to a little more mess, I don’t find there’s any difference between them.

It’s really key to go for a light, imperceptible type of formulation. Ones that have light reflecting particles can really pep up your skin. It is a double-edged sword, though, because if your skin is very wrinkled then they can make your skin look not so great, so watch out.

I like to go for very translucent shades - don’t bother with anything darker than your normal skin tone, that’s what bronzers are for. Instead you should stick to your skin tone or slightly lighter. And a good brush if vital here - I know, good ones are expensive, but they are an investment - swirl it around in the powder (tapping it off lightly before application if it’s a loose powder) and dab it all over the skin. If you’re a powder virgin you might want to just apply it to areas of your face where you have shine, or redness. But I like to apply it all over. And then again, a few hours later.

Mineral powders are a good option if you want to get out of the routine of foundation/tinted moisturiser and powder. They have slightly heavier coverage than regular powders, and are better if you’re looking for something natural for your skin, or if you’re prone to allergies. The problem is that many of them can look chalky and are not suitable for drier skin tones.

So have I found the perfect powder yet? Nope. The search continues, but I am becoming rather fond of Mac’s Beauty Powder. It’s light, flattering and it goes with me everywhere. A good start, I’d say...