Face Powder: How to Choose the Right One?

Face powder behaves differently depending on the skin type and the desired effect. As a natural setting agent, loose powder is generally recommended for oily skin types to achieve a matte finish. Compact powder, on the other hand, is more commonly used on dry skin for makeup touch-ups.

• The loose powder, the ally of oily skin.

  Light, airy, and sometimes translucent, loose powder mattifies the complexion, providing a subtle finish with a natural coverage. It helps to set makeup. Typically containing targeted active ingredients like talc, this type of powder absorbs excess sebum, thus reducing shine throughout the day. Moreover, its "dry" texture helps counteract the sometimes shiny effect of foundation or tinted serum applied just before. Loose powder is applied with a suitable brush. Compared to pressed powders, loose powders are often more difficult to measure and apply. It is quite common to soil one's clothing during the application of this type of product.

• The compact powder for dry skin

  Often tinted, compact powder is more recommended for dry skin. Used for touch-ups, it provides makeup and sculpts the face while offering additional coverage to pre-applied treatments. This powder is ideal for concealing minor imperfections, redness, and dark circles, providing a unified and natural result.

• The complexion

  Similar to foundation, face powder should be chosen based on your skin color in order to naturally "blend" with it, without leaving any streaks. When you choose the shade of the powder, always select the one that corresponds perfectly to your skin color. A lighter shade will give your skin a gray and ashy appearance, and a darker shade will not flatter it. Apply a bit of powder on your cheeks or jawline to find the closest shade. If you're having trouble finding the ideal shade, you can opt for a transparent powder. For instance, our transparent loose powder is suitable for all skin types.

• The texture

  As previously discussed, loose powder is more suitable for combination to oily skin as it mattifies shiny areas. However, it may dry out dry skin types, which would benefit more from choosing a compact powder.

• The coverage

  If you're in search of a covering powder, it's recommended to choose a formula that offers both opacity and color. Oily skin types using a luminous foundation should opt for a color 1 to 3 shades lighter than their foundation. The level of pigmentation in a powder also influences its coverage. It's worth noting that pressed versions contain fewer pigments. A tinted, pigment-setting powder is therefore ideal for finalizing your beauty routine and achieving the perfect coverage.

• The composition

  Avoid purchasing powders that contain oils and/or mineral waxes derived from petrochemicals. Their extraction process (refining) is harmful to the environment, and these synthetic oils provide no cosmetic benefits. Mineral substances can be identified on INCI lists by the following terms: Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum, Cera Microcristallina, Ozokerite, Ceresin, Mineral Oil, words with –methicone or –siloxane, polybutene... Additionally, we also advise against using face powders that contain colorants in the form of nanoparticles like thetitanium dioxide (I.N.C.I.: CI 77891). In 2006, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified titanium dioxide (TiO2) in the group of substances "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (group 2B): when inhaled, regardless of the particle size (nano or not).