Clinique Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15

After my initial experiences with Bare Escentuals powder foundation, I promised myself that I would never use any type of powder foundation again.  As more and more powder foundations were released over the past few years, I decided to try and rethink this and decide what I disliked the most about the Bare Escentuals ritual.  I honed it down to the formulation of the product and how messy the powders were to apply and work with.  The major reason that I decided to try and re-evaluate was that I was interested in the pressed powder foundations that have been released by Clinique and all the raves that I had heard about them on Makeup Alley.

Several months ago, Clinique was having an event at their counter in Macy's so I decided to have one of the makeup artists try this product out on my skin.  She stated that it could be used as a foundation or as a powder on top of a liquid foundation.  I still thought this product was a foundation instead of a powder so that is how I requested that she use it.  The Clinique website states that this product gives sheer to medium coverage so I can see where she was coming from in terms of coverage, if you needed a heavier product than this alone is not near enough coverage for you. 

Clinique's website provides the following product description, "More than minerals.  Skin looks, acts happier.  Long-wear formula helps keep pores out of trouble.  Antioxidants and SPF protect skin.  This natural, perfecting "no-makeup" makeup is so lightweight, you'll never even feel it.  So foolproof, you can apply it with a sponge, a brush - and almost with your eyes closed."  This product is available in eight shades that are suitable for all skintones.  I purchased the palest shade that this product is available in.

Clinique provides a sponge with this product but I prefer to use this product with a Bare Escentuals brush (best part of the kit!).  I first tried it with the sponge and found that it provided the most coverage but was also the hardest type of application.  I tried this foundation with two different brushes to see what type of finish and coverage that I got from them.  The Kabuki Brush from Bare Escentuals provided another medium coverage but I dislike this brush overall since it is hard to get into smaller areas of the face (side of the nose, around the eyes).  I prefer larger brushes for loose powder application instead of pressed powders.  My favorite brush to use with this product is the Flawless Face Brush, it gives a sheer-medium coverage and makes the product very easy to apply.

I still use a cream concealer over this product and so far I haven't had any problems with blending or caking.  Laura Mercier Secret Camoflage applied with a flat concealer brush works quite well with a powder foundation which is good since I have never used a powder concealer.  The powder foundation lasts all day, however after about four or five hours, shine on my nose began to break though.  I have used this product with both Lancaster pressed bronzer and Make Up For Ever HD Loose Powder and have the same results with both products. 

This pressed foundation works much better than what I had experienced in the past when using powder foundations.  It provides a sheer, natural coverage on my skin and doesn't make my pores look much larger than they really are.  It is quite easy to apply with a brush and the coverage can be altered depending how my skin is looking that day.  I prefer this product in the warmer weather since my skin is dewier that time of the year.  I haven't used it when my skin is very dry in the winter because I am afraid that it will highlight the dry patches on my cheeks and forehead.  I recommend this product if you would like a foundation that gives a sheer to medium coverage and is more low maintence than many liquid formulas.  Am I done with liquids?  No, there are days that I still prefer liquid foundation coverage and I can't use the powder formula in the winter. But I like that I have finally found something other than just liquid formulas and have made a powder work for me.

photo courtesy of Clinique