Face of Australia Pressed Powder - Beige

Powders are one of those products that are essential (at least for those blessed with overactive oil glands in their faces) but to be put simply, are dead boring.

Unlike lipsticks, blush and eyeshadow, powder is terribly boring to shop for and is hard to part money with (after all you never actually see a good powder). I was sent this pressed powder from Face of Australia to review and despite the boring nature of powders, I was rather excited about trying this out.

My first thought was 'Wow, that looks expensive.' Face of Australia is right on the mark with their matte black casing with plain white print. It looks classy, expensive and very eye catching. This is very different to the Maybelline dream matte powder (which don't get me wrong, is quite good) that is a little more 'cheap' looking. The packaging is very sturdy, easy to open and features a large mirror inside. The only problem with this is that once you begin using the powder you will find that the mirror quickly becomes covered in the product. I personally don't use the mirrors in such products, but it frustrates me seeing a filthy mirror covered in powder.

The powder itself is really quite good. At first I thought it was going to look ridiculous on me as it appeared to be a lot darker than my skin tone, however I actually like that about it because it warms up my face without making me look like an oompa loompa. The powder is finely milled and therefore doesn't make me look, well, powdery. It does settle into large creases, but not to an overly noticeable extent.

I don't think it gives any real coverage, despite the fact that it isn't a translucent powder. It feels lovely on the skin and really does get rid of any oily/shiny feeling. It maintains this matte look throughout the majority of the day, although in hot weather my face does get a bit shiny by the end. Even over the top of my Garnier BB cream this powder keeps me oil free (now that is remarkably impressive, I found the BB cream to be ridiculously oily.)

The only problem that I have with this product is that it has a strong fragrance that does linger on the skin. I don't know if I am the only person who has noticed this, but often older ladies use powders on their face that have a strong floral(ish) scent that is quite overpowering. This powder is that exact smell. It does linger on the skin but it doesn't bother me too much because it isn't too strong.

Overall this powder is pretty good - perhaps not as good as my Maybelline one, but a good one all the same. It keeps the oil away, warms up the face and feels nice on the skin. It is also considerably cheaper than the Maybelline one at $11.95 instead of $18.95.

I give this product 7 out of 10.