While I was in New York for Fashion Week, Megan over at Clinique made sure I had a sample of Clinique’s Almost Powder, a new foundation, that also comes with build-in SPF 15.  This product utilizes new technology in pressing and processing that ends up making production take twice as long as a normal powder would.  It’s even produced exclusively in Japan!

I’ve been wearing Almost Powder for the past week or so, and I have to say, I do like it.  I don’t think it is going to replace my holy grail Studio Fix Fluid (liquid), mostly because I like liquid foundation and the coverage.  However, there are many days where SFF is just a tad too heavy, or I’m not really needing a foundation of that nature.  I find Almost Powder perfect for everyday, incredibly natural-looking skin.  The powder is incredibly silky, and it feels lightweight.  The compact includes a sponge, but I also tried Clinique’s powder brush ($30.00) with it.  I found the sponge was better at reducing any “powdery” spots, and it was a lot faster.  I’m personally not a fan of sponge technology (just seems like it is a bacterial growth zone!), so I tend to opt for the brush method.  The brush was SO soft, and I liked it for initial application and buffing later with a buffer brush.

The coverage you get is lightweight to light-medium coverage.  It basically gave me natural coverage, so I didn’t look cakey or really like I was wearing any foundation–which is always a plus.  I would definitely need to look into concealers if I wanted to wear this on more acne-prone days, though, since it covers, but not quite enough (though not many lightweight foundations do this, so it’s not really a negative).

What sells this foundation is how soft it is and how nicely it settles into the skin.  If you’re looking for a more polished look, without looking like you’re wearing makeup, this is right up your alley.  This is perfect for those on-the-go, and anyone who wants to keep foundation light, minimal, but something that works and really evens out skin tone.

Availability: March 2008 at counters and www.clinique.com, but currently available for preview at QVC.