Originally Posted by
satojoko /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Any blush will have a sheen to it, even powder, if it has those types of pigments/micas in its formula which naturally have a sheen to them. Even if the skin is more dry. And even if you start with a matte powder blush, it can still look very oily later in the day. Our skins are what they are, and nothing will change that. Most of my powder blushes have some shimmer to them, so even though they are powder, they still wind up looking like I've got a sheen on my face if I don't blot. Likewise my matte blushes. Oil alone gives a sheen, no matter what. Apply some to your makeup-free skin without anything else and you will see exactly that.
Something most people often mistakenly think or assume is that powder products are oil-free, when actually many MANY DO contain oils and silicones, including powder blushes, pressed powders, and even so-called 'mineral makeup'. I have had to educate many a skin-care line representative who has claimed when speaking to me that their line is 'paraben-free, talc-free, oil-free, chemical-free, etc'. Most are just parroting what they have been told and do not know the products whatsoever and know nothing about their ingredients. A great deal of MUA also have no idea as to what they are actually selling until I discuss the ingredients on the label with them, after which they get a look of utter stunned confuse-ment on their faces. Using a powder product does NOT automatically mean that it's oil free, or even that it is 'natural, even when the label claims that to be the case. Very often the opposite. Read your ingredients labels and read the fine print. Educate yourself. No offense meant to all the MUA artists on the forums here, but it has been my experience with the MUA here in Canada that MOST do NOT know what they are talking about in regards to ingredients. The majority are clueless, yet are convinced they are experts. My latest trip to the US I also had a chat with an Origins rep, an arrogant-mentally-challenged Micabella rep, and a few others, regarding their liquid/mineral foundations and they ASSURED me all of their products are silicone-free, paraben-free, of the highest quality bs bs bs. They really didn't know that they there was silicone in them and that the parabens in products have been replaced by something even worse in 99% of the product lines which make the 'paraben-free' claim. Micabella is also some of THE cheapest formulated mineral foundation I have ever had the displeasure of trying out. I nearly died when the arrogant twat trying to pimp it to me told me the price after I read the ingredients, and DID laugh at him. He actually believed that this stuff is top-of-the-line. I told him that I have used better mineral foundation made by myself and many other small formulators which sell esclusively over the internet. He didn't have a CLUE what I was talking about. Most women buying skin care products and cosmetics are not aware that they are being taken in by ignorant, undereducated people like this. Proof of that was the many women I saw stopping by the same display and sucking in all the bs these people told them, and then shelling out hundreds of $$ for these substandard products. I walked away laughing and shaking my head as the Micabella twat kept insisting their forumla has 'titanium and iron in it which makes it superior'. MORON.
Anyways, MAC's Brit Wit is completely matte and stays that way, even with my oily skin, and even though I use just the tiniest amount which is all that is necessary. It does not give my skin any more extra sheen than it would have if I never blotted my skin and never fades or streaks throughout the day. It is nothing like many of the slimy silicone blushes - MUF HD crap-blush-in-a-pump comes to mind - which are on the market now. Powder blush or not, oily skin needs a good, non-pigmented setting of high quality powder after applying foundation, which does not mean expensive powder. Look at your ingredients to determine quality. I saw a CoverGirl pressed powder last night - unfortunately it was pigmented - which had oat flour and other great stuff in it. Totally shocked me. That is of far higher quality than the MUF 'HD powder', and far cheaper. In addition, blotting tissues or those Clean n Clear blue blotting sheets which soak up a truckload of oil are enough throughout the day to remove excess skin oils if good powder has been properly applied after initial makeup application. More powder during the day just makes the skin look caked up and pores even more visible on oily skin, even if you're using one of those so-called HD powders, which are nothing but - or mainly - silica. I know this from my own personal experience with oily skin and as a teenager who had acne-prone skin.
Incidentally, all of the products now on the market with 'amazonian clay' (another bullsh*t PR/marketing buzzword, along with 'HD', 'antioxidant', 'paraben-free' and many others) are nothing but products with kaolin clay in their formula, which is a very cheap filler > but not bad for the skin in general, thankfully. Yes, it absorbs *some* oil, but not as much as far better ingredients for oil absorption which last much longer. If you find kaolin is enough for you personally though, you can also use it in a setting powder easily made at home. I personally do not like clay in my powder, whether store-bought or home-made, as the finish is much more heavy-looking and too opaque and also clogs my pores when sitting on my face all day. Besides that, there isn't a powder or blush of any type on the market which will keep the skin completely oil free all day. It's physically impossible as our skin is constantly producing oil as a natural protectant and lubricant/moisturizer.
Yes, I know I rambled, but the info is pretty much all related
The be all and end all is know your product ingredients, do not believe without questioning and checking for yourself whatever the customer service reps of whatever cosmetics or skin care line tell you, and try both formulations from different brands for yourself - cream and powder - to see what works best for you. There are so many different textures and finishes. You may very well be surprised, as I was, that it IS very possible for a person with oily skin to wear cream blush with no problems of fading, or having additional oil on their face, and that it can look very good as well.