pressed perfection

I was in the market for a new powder foundation so my logical move was to head to Sephora. I have been a loyal fan of MAC's Studio Fix in C2, but after getting a lecture from my aesthetician regarding the evils of their ingredients (not sure exactly what, but she was serious enough to scare me into trying something new), I was willing to venture into unknown brands to get the coverage and comfort I desired.

I like this trend toward mineral makeup but I used Bare Escentuals bareMinerals in Fairly Light a few years ago and it ruined all my birthday pictures as a result. I looked like a ghost, it was awful! Their colors just don't seem to match my skin tone; they are either two dark, too yellow or too white. Also, I wanted my powder in pressed form, since it is the only thing I carry with me, well, that and lip gloss of course! I needed something that would compliment my fair yet reddish skin and be able to cover up just enough of my imperfections without looking like heavy foundation.

I found my answer in Tarte Cosmetics Provocateur Pressed Mineral Powder SPF 8 pressed mineral powder and compact in Light - $28. It matches my skin tone pretty damn well, and has the buildable quality I loved about Studio Fix. I apply it with a brush in the a.m. and do touch-ups during the day with the included sponge. If I have a nasty zit, I dab it over my concealer and it blends right in. It feels great, no chalky feel at all, and doesn't look like heavy powder makeup. My only complaint is the packaging, which right now is a "layered leatherette compact," pictured on the Tarte website. It gets messy really easy and the shiny purple leather is already scratched after a few weeks. Hopefully, they will return to the plastic-like compact pictured on the Sephora website after the fall collection is sold out. Its pretty, I'll give them that, but impractical especially if you are toting in around in your purse! If they change the packaging, I'll definitely buy this again, even if it is on the pricey side.

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