Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder

Earlier this year I was convinced that my new loose powder was going to be Tarte’s Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder. Then I went to a Make Up For Ever event were I was introduced to that company’s Super Matte Loose Powder. I was so impressed by that product that I said sorry to the Tarte powder and picked up this one instead.

So did I make a good decision? Well, I've been using Super Matte Loose Powder almost every day for over a month now and so far I'm very impressed. The MUF artist who introduced me to this product told me that it would be amazing at taming, and then minimizing, shine and she was completely right. A few swipes of this “ultra-fine, ultra-transparent” powder and my face has the “matte and natural finish” that I'm always after.

But then more than a few powders out there can eliminate shine upon initial application; the real challenge is keeping the shine away. And this is where this product really excels. In even warm weather circumstances, it kept oil away for over two hours and then did a better job than any other loose powder I've ever tried at minimizing the shine that did pop up.

MUF points out that this product can easily be worn either over foundation or just on its own and I completely agree. On its own, it does a great job at helping to even out my skin tone while over foundation, it helps to set things without making my skin look or feel heavy or “powdery.”

I have come across some online reviews for this product where people are complaining that this powder has a bad habit of settling into any flaws. I did notice that happening if I was having a dehydrated skin day and I was being a bit heavy-handed with the powder.  Thankfully, I quickly figured out how to avoid this problem on my skin (more moisturizer and less powder) but I can see how this tendency could be problematic for someone else.

While I am impressed with how well this product fights shine, the packaging didn't wow me; it’s just a typical plastic container. It does come with a poof and while that poof is soft, it’s no replacement for a proper powder brush. And the whole packaging is certainly no fancy Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder container.

But then this powder is also a lot cheaper than the Smashbox one. At $32 for a container that could last me a year, this product is a steal.

Speaking of Smashbox, I'm in the process of comparing the Halo powder with MUF’s Super Matte Loose one and hope to post the results early next week. So far I can say that it’s going to be a tight race.

Will I buy this product again: Right now, there’s a high, high chance that I will.

Should you buy this product: I would skip this product if you’re prone to dry skin and/or have wrinkles, fines or enlarged pores. But, if like me, your biggest skin issues are shine and the occasional blemish, then this powder is likely a good match for you.