Why does setting powder make my makeup look worse?

Mar 9, 2016

Shengmin L.

I've tried both loose and pressed powder to set my makeup, it always makes my makeup look so fake and obvious. I feel like my wrinkles and pores are more noticeable and my skin looks dull instead of glowy. Also, when I layer it on with powder blush, powdered highlighter, and bronzer, it makes it look even worse!! Could it be because I have dry skin?

Mar 9, 2016

Jah-Jah R.

I just recently stopped setting my makeup with powder and my makeup looks a LOT better. I use a liquid foundation and just set my makeup with Mario Badescu rose water. Sometimes I don't even set my makeup and it still doesn't transfer. I'm pretty sure I'll have to set my makeup with powder when it starts getting hot again. But for the winter months I look like such a cake face! Another thing is if you must set your powder only use a tiny bit in the areas that you are most oily.

Mar 9, 2016

Shengmin L.

Thank you girls!! My skin is weird. I get super dry skin in the winter then it changed to oily skin in the summer...sometimes it confuses me whether I have oily or dry skin 😂😂😂. Also Jacqueline, I have heard of the RCMA translucent powder but is it really that good?

Mar 9, 2016

Marleen B.

You probably don't have actual dry skin, you probably have surface dehydration. Switching to balmy or oil cleansers , a more hydrating moisterizer and sheet masks can help with that. As far as powder goes, I only wear powder to give my skin a smooth, slightly dry surface just so my blush, bronzer and highlighter goes on smoothly and not patchy. I don't like a matte look and I don't have a problem with my makeup wearing off. So I only apply the most minimal amount of powder either with a small brush which I've knocked off most of the powder, just want the the thinnest veil of powder. If I use a puff, again, the most minimal amount starting at my nose and sides of nose and working my way out without adding more powder. I want the most powder at the center of my face where I want to blur pores. Then I'll use a powder brush with no powder on it (there will always be a tiny amount of residual powder from the last time I used it) to lightly dust over it just in case I missed a spot. Again, I just want a smooth slightly dry surface for other products I'm going to layer on it. I use Eschiko loose powder, supposedly the finest milled powder in the world (don't know about that). Then, again, I'll use the thinnest veils of bronzer, blush and highlight, then spritz with a hydrating setting spray.

Mar 9, 2016

Shengmin L.

Thank you Jacqueline! For facial oil what do you recommend?

Also Marleen yes I do feel like I don't have completely dry skin. Sometimes when I use matte foundations it gives me flakes, if I use dewy foundations it makes it so shiny...I have the worst skin ever. But yeah thank you I think that's my problem!(:

Mar 9, 2016

Marleen B.

I use the Born This Way foundation and although it is for dry skin, I still need a more moisterizing foundation for the winter. So I switched to Loreal Lumi. Bit sometimes I mix the Born This Way with the Lumi to get the best of both worlds. I also like the Smashbox Oil Primer. So I'm killing two birds with one stone, because it's a primer plus skincare. You could possibly use that primer the way I do, as a primer. But then in the summer when you're skin gets oily, you can use it as a nighttime skin treatment. Or an after too much sun  treatment.

Mar 9, 2016

Roz X.

I love Ms. Jacqueline's and Marleen's approach of addressing the skin and not just the powder.
I also think Marleen is right that the Smashbox Oil Primer is a nice mix of facial oils. I use it myself as a primer some days because of her success with it. (It serves to hydrate, but it won't make pores look smaller if that's an issue; not in my own experience, anyway.)

I feel like sometimes people use powder because they feel it's a must, but for some skin types, skipping powder often is fine. I rarely use it myself and if I do, it is just a whisper of it on a particular spot. I agree the RCMA is nice! Such a bargain as well.

Mar 10, 2016

Esther G.

Had exactly the same as you! Thanks 😊