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Light-medium warm (MAC NC30)
Setting powder: LANCOME Absolue Radiant Smoothing Face powder because it’s finely milled, doesn’t emphasize wrinkles and doesn’t leave me with a shiny t-zone (I have combo skin)
Fiinishing powder: Guerlain Meteorites.
Primer: Too Faced Hangover Primer. I’ve had no luck with silicone primers, maybe because of my combination skin? My make up ends up sliding around and my skin feels greasy and dirty. But the Too Faced Hangover Primer is amazing under the Born This Way Foundation. I don’t usually use a primer with any of my other foundations.
Your skin tone/coloring: Porcelain
Favorite setting powder? Besame brightening setting powder in violet.
Favorite finishing powder? Blackbird Cosmetics del sol (which was discontinued and now she closed up shop, boo) or Guerlain meteorites pearls.
Favorite face primer? Mary Kay foundation primer, MAC prep + prime skin.
Your skin tone/coloring: MAC NC 20
Favorite setting powder: Chanel poudre universelle libre
Favorite finishing powder: Guerlain Meteorites perles
Favorite face primer: Clarins Instant light complexion perfector in 02 champagne
Coloring: light, neutral-ish undertones, brown hair, brown eyes
Favorite setting powder: I have a very hard time with setting powder due to the fine lines in my eye area and my skin’s tendency towards dryness… I have better luck using setting sprays like UD All Nighter to keep things in place. But I think I’ve had the best luck so far using Milani powder foundation (of all things) as a setting powder for my undereye area.
Finishing powder: I don’t typically use it because I don’t like my face to be completely matte…And due to my fine lines.
Face primer: I don’t use it every day. I’m still looking for one I like, since I also have pores the size of moon craters, and am currently using NYX Pore Filler…But nothing so far has been a match for my pores. Some primers make my skin texture less obvious photos, but I have rarely seen much improvement in real life.
(I welcome recommendations on any of the above products from anyone at least in their mid to late 30s with both fine lines and large pores to deal with… Especially if your skin tends to be dry!)
I’m so glad I saw this! I feel your frustration. I have dry skin, lines, pores that are like caverns and I am in my early 40’s. I found hydrating primers that were nice but the whole pore filling thing mystified me. People would talk about porefessional or the nyx pore filler or some other product and casually mention how it filled in their pores and made their skin smooth and I’d be virtually pulling my hair out wanting to scream HOOOOOW?!?!?? Lol ok I exaggerated there. Anyway I had tried so much stuff and wasted so much money when the miracle happened. I found a primer in my stash that had come in one of those Qvc kits. I didn’t need primer so I’d saved it then forgot it and it turned out to be the best primer ever. It’s by Tarte and it comes in a nice size, well made jar. It’s called Timeless Smoothing Primer. It’s amazing! Even without foundation, just when you put it on alone it actually makes a large visual difference! It’s thicker than other primers probably why it’s in a jar and the texture is different but a little goes much farther than you think and you just press it in. Actually Sephora has a lot of reviews that explain the application better than I just tried to do but it’s different for a reason. It works!!!
Bonnie, I know you were responding to Stephanie, but I’m also going to take your advice. Thank you.
I am using Bioderma Sebum which is pretty good
My skintone/coloring: pale/warm aka MAC NC15
Favorite setting powder: Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder-Translucent
Favorite finishing powder: Do not use this.
Favorite face primer: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
Your skin tone/coloring: warm, fair, blue eyes, light brown hair w/copper highlights
Favorite setting powder? Laura Mercier translucent loose (works well for me)
Favorite finishing powder? don’t use
Favorite face primer? Laura Mercier radiance primer (love this)
Your skin tone/coloring: Dark/Deep NW50
Favorite setting powder? All over face – MAC Pro Long Wear Pressed Powder…Under Eye – Laura Mercier translucent or Sacha Cosmetics Buttercup
Favorite finishing powder? MAC Prep and Prime Powder
Favorite face primer? MOM or Becca Ever Matte Primer
Your skin tone/coloring: Very fair with neutral undertones; magenta/red hair; hazel/green eyes.
Favorite setting powder? E.l.f. HD Powder in Sheer
Favorite finishing powder? Guerlain Meteorites (though usually I don’t use a separate finishing powder)
Favorite face primer? Silicone based — Nyx Angel Veil; Water based — Too Faced Hangover RX
Your skin tone/coloring: Light/Fair with neutral undertones
Favorite setting powder? I have only ever used NYX HD Finishing Powder (pressed, translucent) as setting powder. It works fine, nothing too special.
Favorite finishing powder? I don’t really use one, but technically my setting powder is finishing powder.
Favorite face primer? Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield. I got it as a sample, but I don’t think I will buy the full size 🙁 $65 is too much for a primer for me.
Your skin tone/coloring: Fairest neutral. Current foundation is Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation in L41. Great colour!
Favorite setting powder? Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Powder in White for pressed and MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder for loose. I love and use both, mostly the loose at home in the morning or at night if getting ready to go out and the pressed during the day for touch-ups.
Favorite finishing powder? Guerlain Météorites in 02 Clair. It perfects the skin and I don’t notice any of the shimmer on my face after applying, just a lovely finish.
Favorite face primer? Laura Geller Spackle Hydrating Makeup Primer. I’ve tried tonnes of primers and this works the best for my oily and dehydrated skin. My skin only gets oily because of the dehydration so adding moisture actually combats it. I also find that the Too Faced Hangover Primer is similar, as is the Kat Von D Lock-It Hydrating Primer.
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair, cool
Favorite setting powder? I never know the difference between a setting powder and a finishing powder – to me they are one and the same. Favourites – tough to choose, as I love all of: MAC Prep+Prime pressed (and loose); Laura Mercier Translucent, a powder from an IT Cosmetics CC palette, Hourglass Ethereal and Guerlain Meteorites
Favorite finishing powder? See above! 🙂
Favorite face primer? Becca Backlight Priming Filter (or whatever the name is) but now I really want to try the new one they’ve come out with (I think it’s sort of lavender coloured). Lise Watier also makes a fabulous primer but I guess very few have access to it, which is a shame. I used to love Hourglass Mineral Veil (and it is gorgeous) but I have such a bee in my bonnet about that company now!
Skin tone/coloring: Fair/pink undertones
Favorite setting powder? MJ Perfection Powder (discontinued)
Favorite finishing powder? Dior Nudeskin Shimmer Rose/Pink (discontinued) or Guerlain Meteorites
Favorite face primer? Hourglass
Skin tone: Pale with olive/yellow undertones
Favorite setting powder: NARS loose powder in translucent VERY sparingly. Most setting powder tends to accentuate my dry skin.
Favorite finishing powder: Hourglass Ambient Light powder in Ethereal light
Favorite face primer: Smashbox primer oil or I just spray my face liberally with Mario Badescu Rose and aloe mist before and after makeup.
Your skin tone/coloring: Between fair and light; cool, blue undertones with warm dark hazel eyes.
Favorite setting powder? Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, in Dim Light, Ethereal Light, Diffused Light, Mood Light, or Luminous Light. But for my undereye area in winter, I set with a tiny bit of NARS Light-Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder first. For setting makeup on someone with younger, oilier skin, who prefers a more matte look, I like RCMA no-color powder.
Favorite finishing powder? Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder.
Favorite face primer? Hourglass Mineral Veil. In the coldest months of winter, Hourglass No. 28 Primer Serum; or, under my Dr. Jart Black Label BB cream, First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer or Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47 Protect + Perfect.
Your skin tone/coloring: Light/medium with yellow undertones
Favorite setting powder? Sisely Phyto Poudre Libre in Irisee 01
Favorite finishing powder? Nope. Don’t use it. If Sisely is a finishing powder, I don’t use it that way. 🙂
Favorite face primer? Two steps. BB Cream and Becca Backlight Filter Primer (whatever it’s called)
Coloring–Light neutral leaning slightly cool
Favorite setting powder–Laura Mercier translucent loose
Favorite finishing powder–Laura Mercier Candlelight pressed, although I tend to use KvD powder foundation for everyday, and I carry IT Cosmetics pressed Pores No More in my purse for touch ups.
Favorite primer–Laura Mercier original and Smashbox Light
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair/neutral
Favorite setting powder? It Cosmetics CC powder SPF 50
Favorite finishing powder?
Guerlain Meteorites
Favorite face primer? Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer. Best Primer ever by leaps and bounds.
Skin tone: Fair with neutral undertones
Favorite setting powder: NARS Light-Reflecting Setting Pressed Powder
Favorite finishing powder: Revlon ColorStay Aqua Mineral Finishing Powder in Translucent– which is discontinued now. I’ll be sad when I finish it.
Favorite face primer: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. It does amazing things for the longevity of my makeup!
I’m porcelain, NW10, black hair and eyes.
Favorite setting powder: Laura Mercier, though after seeing several people here say they use Coty Air Spun I bought it to try.
Favorite finishing powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in dim light.
Favorite face primer: Smashbox…the avocado green one for redness. I just received a sample of Hourglass Mineral Veil to try. I’ve heard great things, but have been reluctant to try it because it’s so expensive.
Your skin tone/coloring: light and warm
Favorite setting powder? MAC Blot pressed powder
Favorite finishing powder? Guerlain Meteorites
Favorite face primer? Clarins Instant Smooth. I’ve tried a bunch of other primers in the past few months, but nothing’s been as good at making my pores and fine lines disappear. In fact some smoothing primers managed to make my skin look even more textured (I’m looking at you Smashbox!)…
Skin tone/coloring: Light Neutral Olive KA Etherealist Shade #3
Favorite setting powder? Winter = LaMer (the original..outstanding!), Summer = Laura Mercier
Favorite finishing powder? Hourglass Mood light for strategic spots on face and Diffused light for setting under eye area
Favorite face primer? a Love/Hate product. Right now back to Serge Lutens Quant a Soi. It cost stupid so I have to use it up. It’s a good product, but I hate the extra layer and step.
Skin tone: fair, light porcelain with pink undertones
Favourite Setting/finishing powder – I only use one – Laura Mercier Translucent pressed powder – it’s pretty good.
Face Primer: Nude by Nature Minerals Face primer – and you can use it as an eye primer as well.
Your skin tone/coloring: NC15
Favorite setting powder? Either the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder. But if I’m lazy and don’t want to deal with loose powder it’s been the Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pressed Powder.
Favorite finishing powder? I rarely use it but if I do I reach for the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder which is called a setting powder but is SO a finishing powder.
Favorite face primer? Too Faced Hangover Primer.
Your skin tone/coloring: fair with neutral undertones.
Favorite setting powder? I’ve never really distinguished between a setting powder and a finishing powder…I like Bare Minerals Mineral Veil and the Laura Mercier Translucent Powder. The Guerlain Meteorites pearls have been on my wish list for a long time…from reading the comments it sounds like I should try it!
Favorite finishing powder? —
Favorite face primer? Becca Backlight Priming Filter!
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair with warm undertones (MAC NC15)
Favorite setting powder? Ben Nye Neutral Set and NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder. Ben Nye is much harder to come across though, since I rarely order makeup online.
Favorite finishing powder? I don’t really use finishing powder. Sometimes, I’ll use Wet nWild Reserve Your Cabana to dust off bake, since it has minimal shimmer.
Favorite face primer? I love MAC Fix+, Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, and the MUFE Step 1 primers.
Your skin tone/coloring: MAC NC55/ABH Espresso w/ Cool Golden (Foundation Sticks)
Favorite setting powder? Sasha Buttercup (under eyes, chin, forehead and cupid’s bow; Laura Mercier (under contour shade)
Favorite finishing powder? Laura Mercier’s new luminous powder #4 or #5
Favorite face primer? BECCA Ever Matte for T-zone; Smashbox Oil-Free for cheeks
Your skin tone/coloring: Light , yellow undertone
Favorite setting powder? Guerlain Les Voilettes.
Favorite finishing powder? Hourglass ALP
Favorite face primer? Sunday Riley Effortlessly Breathable Tinted Primer -but it’s been discontinued 🙁 🙁
NO! This is the most heartbreaking news of this week!
I LOVE that primer in the summer! I LIVE in that primer!
Oh god, so devastated right now.
Your skin tone/coloring: Medium Neutral MAC NC30
Favorite setting powder? Laura Mercier setting powder
Favorite finishing powder? MAC MSFN or Hourglass Dim Light
Favorite face primer? Too Faced Hangover Rx and MUFE smoothing primer
Ligh-Medium Olive (NC25).
Setting Powder: Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Powder (the tinge of yellow is godsend to my olive skin! I love RCMA’s translucent powder as well, but it’s whiteness is just a tad obvious on my face.)
Finishing Powder: Hourglass Dim Light (their mattest) and Guerlain Meteorites Aquarella (their most shimmery). I like both sides of the spectrum.
Face Primer: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer (the ONLY—and I mean it literally because I’ve tried them all—that has worked on my super weird combination skin.)
Your skin tone/coloring: Fair, pink cool undertones
Favorite setting powder? Dior Forever And Ever Control Loose Powder
Favorite finishing powder? Don’t use that, I’m very combo/oily, so I just stick with my mattifying powder and an illuminating blush.
Favorite face primer? Smashbox Photoready Hydrating