Brushing Past the Surface

Maybelline: Shine Free Oil Control Loose Powder (Light 01)

Makeup brands seem to promise a lot of things on the back of packaging. Such and such product lasts 24 hours! This product is waterproof (sometimes questionable)! Not to mention all of the times a makeup product claims it’s matte, but throughout the day it becomes an oily mess! It’s hard to know the truth behind a promise just based on a label and how the product looks in its packaging.

I’ve almost reached the two-month mark of using the Maybelline: Shine Free Oil Control Loose Powder. The main reason why I bought it was because it was under $6, and I needed a lighter shade of loose powder for the fall and winter (because that’s around the time when I start to lose my tan).

When I bought it at ULTA, I was surprised to find out that Maybelline only has two shade options for this particular product; Light and Medium. According to back of the packaging, the light powder shade coordinates with foundation shades Light 1-5 and Medium 1-4. This seemed a little confusing to me, given that there are a lot of foundation shades out there by Maybelline. My best guess would be that it is referring to foundation numbers 100-500 and 100-400, but even if that is true, I still feel that they need more shade options in this loose powder. (If anyone knows the answer, please comment below!)

When you open the product, you’ll notice that it comes with a powder puff. I highly recommend that you use a brush instead. The puff tends to pack on too much product and creates a cakey appearance. A few of the things I’ve noticed when using this powder are that it clings to dry skin patches and you need to tap off any excess powder on your brush before applying it. If you have dry skin, it’s best to moisturize your face before using this product.

For purposes of the photograph, finger swatches are layered several times to show the pigment.

Below, I’ve listed some of the promises that Maybelline lists on the product packaging, pros, cons, and my final thoughts.

Promises

• The oil control powder keeps skin shine free for hours
• Powder applies smoothly and evenly with a matte finish
• The product won’t cause blemishes or overdry skin

Pros

• Finely milled powder
• Is more of neutral shade that isn’t cool toned
• Has a matte finish
• Lightweight
• Oil control works for several hours
• $5.99 at ULTA

Cons

• Needs a larger shade range
• Light coverage
• Clings to dry patches of skin
• Slight oil around nose
• The inside shaker lid is glued on

Final Thoughts

While I wish that this powder had more of a medium to full coverage, I still enjoy using it on days when I just want to wear minimal makeup. In comparison to one of my favorites, Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder, the Maybelline: Shine Free Oil Control Loose Powder actually feels more finely milled (which was a shocking discovery). As for the claim to not cause blemishes or overdry skin, that’s harder to determine. Acne could be caused by a number of factors like diet, skincare routine, or even hormones. There have been times where I haven’t had acne when wearing this product, but there have also been times when I’ve had a couple of acne bumps near the forehead while wearing this powder. By the end of the day, it’s important to note that there is a light amount of oil that may form on the face around the nose area (which is hard to avoid with a lot of makeup), but it still does a decent job at staying matte around other areas of the face.

 

Have you tried the Maybelline: Shine Free Oil Control Loose Powder? If not, what’s one of your favorite matte powders?

 

FTC: Not sponsored.