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compact setting powder

Favorite Body Cleansers And Body Scrubs

favorite body wash and shower gels

 

Hi guys, I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas soon and I’ve been busy prepping my home and doing some last minute gift wrapping for my friends and families. This year, I’m playing Santa so I’ve got several presents to hand to. Oh, the joys of the holidays! Anyhow, as promised on my Insta, I’m sharing you now my personal favorites in body scrubs, cleansers and shower gels.

 

This post is a continuation of my roundup review of some of my favorite body lotions and body butters, seen HERE, as well as my fave dry body oils, HERE.

 

I love body cleansers and body scrubs. I always look forward to using them everytime I shower instead of the using the good ‘ol soap bars which are kinda messy to use. I not only like the convenience of using shower gels, but I also love to buy them in different scents so I could alternately use them depending on my mood, the season, or what my skin currently needs.

 

These are my faves so far.

 

Korres Shower Gel review

 

Korres Shower Gel (13.53 oz: $21 Korres site, $38 Amazon) – These have been my favorite go-tos because they come in several scents and they remind me of that nice fresh Mediterranean shower. My favorite scent so far is the Japanese Rose, Cassis Fig, Yogurt, and I still want to try the Guava one. These shower gels don’t foam as much but each bottle is large enough and can last a month or two. I love how these don’t dry my skin and it’s great to use everyday.

 

Philosophy Falling In Love Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel (16 oz: $26) – My newest love from Philosophy and it has a sweet warm vanilla scent. The bottle is huge and the cleanser itself has a light lavender shade which looks cute with its message of Falling in Love with yourself. This lathers well and it leaves my skin thoroughly cleansed.

 

Philosophy Falling In Love Shampoo, Bath & Shower Gel, Kiehl's Creme de Corps Smoothing Oil-To-Foam Body Cleanser

 

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Smoothing Oil-To-Foam Body Cleanser (2.5 oz: $12.50, 8.4 oz: $29) – If you love the Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Nourishing Dry Body Oil reviewed HERE, then you’re gonna enjoy this unique body wash. It first starts as oil then it transforms into a foamy body cleanser as soon as you rub it a few times on the skin. It is so moisturizing and perfect for those with dry skin. I tend to use this around this cold winter season to protect my skin from dryness.

 

Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Bath & Shower Gel (10 oz: $20) – This is one of my most favorite body washes of all time. This smells so fresh, so invigorating and just so good. I also have the body lotion version of this cleanser, reviewed HERE. I like using this shower gel all year round even though this has a Summer-vibe scent. I just love how this awakens the senses and it’s definitely foamy, energizing and just perfect in every way.

 

Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Cleanser (8.5 oz: $20) –ย  Another personal fave of mine and one of the first few body washes I’ve ever loved and even keep using up to this day. This smells like fresh bursts of oranges and clementines. The only drawback is that this doesn’t foam much, so it’s costly to use without using a scrub or a loofah.

 

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash

 

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash (18 oz: $8.99) – My favorite drugstore body wash along with the other Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Yogurt Body Wash with Apricot & Honey. This is inexpensive, easy to find anywhere and this has a nice clean mild scent that lathers well. The texture of this is gel-like and it’s super moisturizing for daily use.

 

Scrubs

 

I haven’t experimented on several body scrubs since I tend to use them once or twice a week at most just so my skin won’t dry as much. Currently, there’s only two that I keep coming back to and these are from Aesop and Dove.

 

Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub

 

Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub (6.1 oz: $35) – This is a pricey body scrub that is super grainy and totally exfoliating. I love the fresh green scent of this that’s just spa-like and it leaves the skin soft and smooth after every wash. Further reviewed HERE.

 

Dove Exfoliating Body Polish (10.5 oz: $5.99) – A well-made inexpensive body scrub that is loaded with moisturizing ingredients and it leaves the skin supple with a nice variety of fruity milky scents. My fave one is pomegranate. See some of the other scents reviewed HERE.

 

 

Have you tried any of these body cleansers yet? What’s your go-to body wash?

 

 

Favorite Compact Setting Powders

 Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Matte Powder Foundation in 100 Warm

 

Hi guys! A few months ago I did a roundup post of my favorite loose setting powders, you can check it out HERE. This post is a continuation of that, but this time, we’ll be talking about my favorite compact powders. Some of these powders may be meant as compact powder foundations or as pressed powders, but I tend to use them as my setting/finishing powder since I mostly rely on liquid or cream foundations for good coverage. Yet, there’s also a few that I really like to use which are good as worn-alone sheer everyday foundations for whenever I have good skin days.

 

Excited to see which products made it to my list of faves? Read below.

 

 

High-End

 

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4.5

 

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4.5 (0.31 oz: $62) – This is the powder version of the award-winning Armani Luminous Silk Liquid Foundation (reviewed HERE) and it’s as good as it gets. This may not have a full medium coverage as the liquid one since this goes a bit sheer, yet this is very buildable it can really stand as a powder foundation alone. This powder is so soft and smooth, oil-free, and feels really creamy and very weightless. I tend to use this as a setting powder and it does a good job at setting my foundation, especially whenever I use the Luminous Silk Liquid. The finish is subtly luminous and quite natural, and it doesn’t make my face look flat. It is pricey though but it’s worth having and it stays on for hours.

 

 Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #4

 

 

 Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #4 swatch

 

Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder in #4 (0.12 oz: $58) – I am absolutely crazy in love with this glowy finishing powder. It is great to use with just about any foundation to achieve that radiant look, and it’s also perfect to balance and set a matte foundation so as not to look very flat. If worn alone, this makes for a perfect glassy skin effect, which is sheer yet glowy, radiant and youthful but not super blinding and over-the-top. I love how this makes my skin look luminous for everyday makeup look.

 

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent swatch

 

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent (0.21 oz: $79) – I was a bit wary when I got this powder because it looks a little too bright and too yellowish for my taste, but this actually goes on as a true sheer and translucent powder with a brightening effect. It’s perfect for the undereyes or to set any type of foundation since this doesn’t leave any flashback and it feels super fine. The finish of this a bit matte so it does a good job of controlling shine on the face as well. The packaging is also TDF.

 

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent

 

Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Matte Powder Foundation in 100 Warm – Been buying this for a long time and this has always been my preferred overall face powder due to its soft sheer consistency with good coverage and soft-matte finish that lasts a long time without making my face look flat and cakey. The packaging also looks luxe and elegant with a nice sponge applicator where you can apply this powder wet or dry. However, lately, it’s been difficult for me to get my hands on this since this compact has been sold out everywhere. I hope this gets restocked soon.

 

 Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Compact Foundation SPF 15 in 30 Beige swatch

 

Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Compact Foundation SPF 15 in 30 Beige (0.45 oz: $60) – This is one of those foundation powders that are just all-around so good in every aspect. This goes on as creamy and smooth and it smells divine. The finish of this is velvety-matte but it doesn’t make the face look flat, and it truly has a buildable medium coverage that feels weightless and simply blurring. It may be perfect as a worn-alone powder foundation, but this also does a good job at setting the makeup and controlling shine for hours while protecting the skin due to its sunscreen ingredient. This also has a nice soft sponge for a flawless application.

 

 

Drugstore

 

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder in 30 Light-Medium

 

 

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Powder in 25 Nude Beige (0.32 oz: $10.99) – This is the drugstore dupe of the Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Flawless Compact Foundation above and it’s also pretty good. I love how this powder incorporates skincare with its salicylic acid ingredient, and this is also oil-free, non-comedogenic with a natural to matte finish.ย  This provides a pretty good sheer to medium coverage and this has a sponge applicator as well, but it’s not as soft as Chanel and it doesn’t wear as well as Chanel’s, so you’re still gonna need a blotting paper after 3-4 hours of using this if you’re the oily type. However, this is the next best thing to the Chanel Compact Foundation and this gets the job done whether as a stand-alone foundation or as a setting powder.

 

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Powder in 25 Nude Beige swatch

 

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder in 30 Light-Medium (0.34 oz: $12.99) – This has always been my go-to drugstore pressed powder for just about anything, from setting my makeup to oil-control and frequent retouches, I couldn’t count how many times I’ve repurchased this ever since I was younger. This actually used to have SPF in it which I love but now it doesn’t, which is a bummer. I mainly use this as a blotting powder for my oily-prone skin and this never caused any breakout, though I still have to use blotting papers from time to time. I love how sheer and light this is and when used as setting powder, this never cakes. The new formula of this compact is now blended with antioxidants.

 

L'oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Powder in 23 Nude Beige swatch

 

Maybelline Super Stay Better Skin Powder in 25 Nude Beige

 

L’oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Powder in 23 Nude Beige (0.31 oz: $12.99) – This is a duo compact finishing powder with the top half being glowy and can be used as a highlighter, while the bottom half is matte-ish and can be used as a setting powder. When combined, they give a nice very subtle luminous effect to set the makeup. It may not have the same glowy and radiant-effect as the Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder above, but this is a nice good affordable alternative.

 

best setting powder

 

When choosing between a loose finishing/setting powder versus a compact setting powder, I think I have my preference towards the compact ones because they’re less messy to use and they travel well. What are your favorite setting powders? Do you also prefer the compact ones?