Review: Clio - Kill Cover Highest Wear Pact SPF30/PA++ No.2-BP (”Lingerie,” Blooming Powder)

Packaging: The product comes in a black plastic compact (12g) with a little divider to house the puff. The packaging surprised me a lot in that it felt extremely cheap. And by looking at the photo of the puff you can see that my nails cause indentations just by holding it to apply the product. They do disappear after some time has passed, but either way, I would recommend to use a large fluffy brush to apply the product instead. While it is possible to blend out the circular rings left behind from the puff when you use it on your face, a fluffy brush applies much better (and evenly) without causing any stimulation to the face.

Price: I bought this on sale for about $22 USD on Jolse. With daily usage, this product should last three months at the very least. And considering that this product does not clog my pores, I think the price is right for what it is (but not as far as the case goes; the case still sucks).

Consistency: It feels so beautifully smooth. It surprised me, actually, because it felt a lot like a light translucent powder. I was expecting it to feel heavy on my skin because of its coverage, but it really feels like nothing is there. That is not to say there are not some downsides, however. As with most powders, I find that the powder will go on patchy if your skin is damp. It seems that the best time to use this is when your face is completely dry. You are able to build this product, but if you have oily skin, it is not advisable to layer the product later on in the day when your shine starts coming through because it is going to look patchy and cakey (even though it is so light). And if your skin is dry, or you have dry patches, it is going to cling – but not overwhelmingly so. As long as you have moisturized well and let your skin absorb everything first, it should go on just fine. It also looks great when applied over a BB cream because it does not darken your skin, but instead it adds to your coverage while at the same time removing any shine.

Scent: It has a somewhat light scent that is reminiscent of a kind of floral perfume. It also does seem to linger a bit, but it is not overwhelming.

Ingredients: A CosDNA analysis revealed that the only two ingredients to look out for is talc and dimethicone (emollient) – both of which only scored a 1 as acne triggers. Admittedly, as far as the ingredients go, there does not appear to be anything really special in this product aside from the fact that it is more pigmented than regular powders (and that was why I bought it). So, I do not have a lot to say in terms of the ingredients when it comes to this particular product, but I did decide to look into talc and silica, which appear in many powders.

According to the FDA:

Talc is an ingredient used in many cosmetics, from baby powder to blush…  [Its function is] to absorb moisture, to prevent caking, to make facial makeup opaque, or to improve the feel of a product.

Who knew? Talc tends to be portrayed as some kind of evil ingredient that should be avoided at all costs, but in actuality it is so helpful when you have oily skin like I do.

Silica (or silicon dioxide) is an ingredient that also seems to show up often in powders (this one included). I had no idea what use it had until I found a 2016 paper published by Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia (the Brazilian Society of Dermatology), which established that

silicon is important for optimal synthesis of collagen and for activating the hydroxylation enzymes, important in the formation of collagen network, improving skin strength and elasticity. 

Overall Review: As you can see from my face photo above, this product is not full coverage by any means, but it effectively lessened the severity of my redness/pimples, made my tone appear even, effectively hid my pores, and removed all shine on my face. If I am to judge the actual product on its own, I would say that it is a great formula that provides ample coverage without clogging my pores/causing breakouts, but I do think it is a “high maintenance” sort of product. What I mean by this is that it seems as though it takes a lot of work to apply it perfectly. I would not want to use this on the go in fear that it might appear patchy if I used the puff. Even BB cushions require less work than this! The packaging is cheap and the puff it comes with is just useless, but still, I do like the powder itself. Will I be rushing to repurchase this product when it runs out though? Probably not. From my experience, it is better to use a BB cream/cushion for coverage, and then apply a translucent powder on top to control shine without getting cakey. 3/5.

Review: Missha - Fitting Wear Sebum-Cut Pressed Powder No.1 (Clear Mint)

Packaging: This product is very similar to the packaging of a BB cushion. As such, it is housed in a compact case (11g) with a clear, plastic tray that holds the accompanying puff.

Price: I bought this from MisshaCA for about $20 CAD, and for a long while it was also available on MisshaUS for about $15 USD, but it appears to have been taken down, unfortunately. 

Consistency: This product feels very light and almost silky-smooth when pressed onto your skin with the accompanying puff. It never feels heavy nor does it make my makeup cake up at all, even after multiple applications. As you can see from the photos above, it effectively makes my skin appear matte and removes any shine I may have. I chose #1 (clear mint) because I wanted to worry a little less about my redness peeking through my BB cream, and thankfully it does this quite well, although in person it looks more white than it does “mint.” And when applied, it does not appear to accentuate dry skin patches very much (unless severe, I imagine). Last but not least, there is no ugly flashback when worn during flash photography!

Scent: Absolutely no scent!

Ingredients: According to CosDNA, there are only three ingredients that may be acne-triggering (which all scored a 1): talc, dimethicone (emollient), and squalane (moisturizer + antioxidant + emollient). The ingredients that stand out the most to me are:

• Squalane, which helps seal in moisture and provides a barrier between your skin and environmental detriments like pollution.
• Honey Extract, which heals the skin and provides anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties (which makes this product great for those with acne issues).
• Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, which heals and brightens the skin, but also keeps your makeup from becoming dark/oxidizing.

Now, I know what you must be thinking: “Isn’t coconut notorious for clogging pores?!” I am thankful to report that it has never, ever clogged my pores, nor has it caused any breakouts even though my skin is rather oily most of the time and acne-prone. I think the very small amount of coconut extract that is present would not be enough to actually contribute to clogged pores, especially since this product does so well at absorbing the sebum on the skin. Of course, if you have a sensitivity or allergy to coconut or coconut-derived extracts, you may want to practice caution and avoid this product.

Squalane, on the other hand, is well-tolerated by most and I do not think it should be any cause for concern unless, again, if you have a sensitivity or allergy to it. Something important to note is that this ingredient is “squalane,” not to be confused with squalene, which is different. According to The Dermatology Review:

[Squalane] oil, which occurs naturally in the body, is also found in olive oil and in the livers of certain sharks. Squalane is not to be confused with squalene, which is the non-hydrogenated form of shark liver oil and which tends to quickly oxidize when exposed to the air. 

Thankfully, Missha is a brand known for being against the testing of products on animals. The squalane present in this product comes from olive oil! And furthermore, The Dermatology Review also mentions that: 

Many skin care experts and other medical professionals assert that squalane has a number of positive effects on uneven skin pigmentation, scars, and age spots. Much like retinol, this oil is believed to fight free radicals in the skin that are caused by the sun’s UV rays. This is an important consideration, because dark spots on face and hands are often caused by the skin’s reaction to long-term exposure to the sun, which creates more melanin in those areas to protect it. 

Overall Review: I do not think this product receives as much love as it should. In the Asian beauty world, people are quick to point us shiny-faced sufferers to the Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Pact, but when I used that powder, it personally did not seem to last quite as long as this one does. In actuality, this product also seemed a lot more smooth and less grainy than the Innisfree one. And oddly enough, I seem to breakout a lot less when I wear this product daily, probably due to its amazing ingredients and ability to absorb excess oil. It is, without a doubt, one of my holy grail items that I hope will never become discontinued. 5/5.