Helping you stop your makeup from melting with the Smashbox Photo Set Finishing Powder

So, the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is just around the corner now, and its the time most of us meet up with relatives (love it or hate it!) and spend time with our families. This is also the time we go around to visit friends, to catch up over the year that we never bothered to stay in touch. It was more fun as kids when I’d have lucky red packets to collect (cash FTW!) but now I don’t get it anymore, its a chore 😛

But if there is one consistent thing about Chinese New Year, it is the weather. Over here in the tropics, it tends to be boiling hot at this time of year. So much so, we call it “Chinese New Year weather”. And if you try traipsing around houses in this heat, you will inevitably find your makeup melting. Well, I have a solution! 😀

I discovered the Smashbox Photo Set Finishing Powder in the Behind The Lens set that came out at Christmas, and I swear by this to keep melting makeup at bay. I think having a face primer under the makeup helps some, but the icing on the cake is really the Photo Set Finishing Powder.

I wore this one day, trudged around the city in the hot hot sun and still looked pretty much pulled together by the end of it. It somehow just managed to hold foundation without running or melting, blush colour looked pretty vibrant and the only thing I might see melting somewhat was eyeshadow.

The Smashbox Photo Set Finishing Powder is really mostly just silica powder. It comes in a screw top tub with a plastic filter so you do not dispense too much product. So is the theory.

In reality, you can end up shaking out too much product and if you were to slap all that on your face, it will just look off. You see, you are putting on a setting powder that is essentially white on your face and silica reflects light; so you may end up looking terrible in photos if you pile it on.

However, if you use it sparingly, what you will get is a lovely smooth look all over, and importantly, your makeup will not melt!

What I do is just gently shake out some powder, dip my powder brush into the powder, swirl it around the cap to disperse the powder more evenly on the brush, tap off excess and only then, apply to my skin after foundation and concealer. The idea is for this powder to set your makeup and hold everything in place.

And boy does it do it beautifully! It seems to even out my foundation so I get a lovely smooth look, and it controls oilies so even if I go traipsing around in the sun, I don’t look like an oil tanker ran aground on my face. You can also apply this after you’ve done all your makeup, to set it all.

You only need very little of this powder and a 1.5g tub like this travel sized one will last pretty much forever. I don’t use it everyday though. I don’t have very oily skin and I do like a bit of natural “glow”. However, if I have to be out where I know my makeup may melt, or perhaps, at an evening event where I want my makeup to last and look good all the time, this is what I’d use. Pairing it with the primer as the base will of course help, but I don’t quite like the feel of primer on my skin, so I make do with just this one, and I love it 😀

In a nutshell

A silica based finishing powder that blurs lines, gives a smooth finish to the skin and helps keep oiliness at bay. With this one on, I don’t have to fret that my makeup will melt under the sun and heat and it stays looking good all day long. Use only a very light dusting of it all over after doing your makeup, or after applying your foundation. It helps set the makeup and keeps it set.

Pros: Only very little is needed, Helps keep makeup set all day long even in heat, Prevents makeup from melting off oily skin

Cons: If you use too much, it can reflect off your face in photographs

If you can find the Behind the Lens kit leftover from Christmas, I think its worth picking it up because the travel size is pretty much sufficient for normal use. However, if you can’t find it anymore, the Photo Set Finishing Powder retails separately as a larger full sized tub. Its US$28 individually so I’d guess it should be about RM100 or so locally. Not too bad because you won’t need anything else to hold your makeup, once you have this on 🙂

Have you tried the Smashbox Photo Set Finishing Powder before? I’d tried the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Concealing Powder but I didn’t like it. It felt dry and chunky but this one feels velvety and comfortable. I’d make sure I have this on before I go visiting this year 😉

Paris B

Smashbox Photo Set Finishing Powder Price: Behind the Lens set RM149. Powder sold individually US$28 Local price unknown Availability: Smashbox counters at Parkson Pavilion, 1 Utama and Sephora Permanent: Individual powder yes