Beauty, glam
Happy Thursday, everyone! I feel like my makeup clients ask me this a LOT – so, I finally sat down and wrote this out for you guys to have as a good resource when deciding which powder is the best for you. There are two main types: loose and pressed, and both of them definitely have their place in the beauty world. HOWEVER: one may be better for you than the other. Let’s dive into the difference so you can make the choice (+ check out two of my favorite powders from Physicians Formula).
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Pressed Powder vs Loose Powder: Which Is BEST For You?
This post is sponsored by Physicians Formula. All opinions are mine and mine alone.First off: let’s get this out of the way. Your personal skin type is going to determine which powder is better for you – so there isn’t a one size fits all kind of situation happening here. It’s definitely going to be a mix of personal preference and dry vs oily skin. It is also going to depend on what type of makeup you like to do, and how long you want your makeup to last during the day. Are you a super natural BB cream kind of girl? A full face of glam for the grocery store lady? These are all factors we are going to consider today.
LOOSE POWDER
Loose powder isn’t typically something that is used all on it’s own. It’s more of a “setting” powder. It’s most often applied after a liquid or stick foundation to set the product so it doesn’t move during the day.
It’s extremely fine, much finer than pressed powder. This can be a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because it truly does set your makeup better than pressed powder, and you can achieve that “baked” look that all the YouTube and IG gurus do. BUT – the curse is that because it is so fine, it tends to settle a lot more into the fine lines around your forehead, mouth and eyes.
Loose powder is the best option for oily skin typically because it is a lot more dehydrated of a product (vs pressed powder). You can achieve a very transleucent look by using a large fluffy brush and just dabbing it all over your face, and you can achieve a light-medium coverage by using a powder puff and pressing gently into the skin.
The Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Loose Powder SPF 16 is a talc-free and paraben-free formula, and SPF 16! The active ingredients Titanium Dioxide & Zine Oxide help to set makeup, keep the formula lightweight, helps reduce the risk of sunburn and skin damage and helps reduce irritation on your skin. Win, win, win, win!
PRESSED POWDER
Pressed powder is great because it’s WAY less messy than loose powder – especially if you are traveling. I’ve had more than one disaster happen with loose powder in a makeup bag on long flights. A small compact is easy to carry with you during the day for quick touch ups.
Pressed powder has more pigment than a loose powder, so you can more easily cover hyperpigmentation and blemishes (but not nearly as much coverage as a stick or liquid foundation). This also comes with pros and cons. Pro? You could use a pressed powder as your only foundation if you have pretty even skin, and it wears well on dry skin. Over top of liquid foundation, you can achieve a REALLY natural skin finish. Con? It can turn into a sticky mess for oily skin and you aren’t going to be able to bake your face like you do with loose powder.
The Physicians Formula The Healthy Powder SPF 16 pressed powder is pretty great because it has a satin finish (not matte so you don’t look dry – it definitely looks more like skin). It’s got a brightening complex and hyaluronic acid, which aid in hydrating, brightening and improving the overall appearance of your skin. PLUS A, C + E vitamins that provide a healthy and super flawless coverage when used alone or overtop of foundation. I also personally love that it comes in 12 inclusive shades.
IN CONCLUSION:
If you are someone who is doing your makeup a lot, I’d go ahead and keep both on hand. If you don’t do a ton of makeup and want to pick between the two, start with whether or not you have oily or dry skin. That should be your first question. From there, decide whether you want something with light or medium coverage, and if you plan on wearing it alone or overtop of a cream or liquid foundation.
I personally love pressed powder overtop of liquid foundation, and that is typically how I always do my makeup. During the summer, I will often run a loose powder on my t-zone with a fluffy brush just to set that part of my face a little bit extra since I tend to get more oily during the summer months. Physicians Formula has awesome loose AND pressed powders to choose from – and they are so affordable. They are easy to use and the loose powder container isn’t impossible to open (like so many are).
Shop my favorite Physicians Formula pressed & loose powder below:
I hope that you guys found this post to be super helpful when it comes to making the decision whether or not to buy loose or pressed powder. I honestly think you probably can’t go wrong with having both on hand, but you could definitely get away with one or the other!!
Let me know what you think in the comments below – pressed or loose?!?