Reviews and Other Stuff

Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent

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?

 

 

 

Lady Dior Bag Review

 

Lady Dior Rose Poudre

 

It’s been a while since I’ve done a bag review here in the blog. Well, Summer’s almost over, but Fall is coming and it’s about time to change to a different bag that’s more suitable for this upcoming season. But before I do that, I’d like to talk about my most favorite bag this Summer – the Lady Dior. This iconic bag is named after one of the most famous woman in our history, Lady D, or Lady Diana. She used to carry this purse in several of her appearances, and years later, this bag though had been reimagined or reinterpreted several times, has remained to be as beautiful and as elegant as ever, just like the woman for whom it was named after.

 

Lady Dior Bag Review

 

I got this Lady Dior bag when I was in Spain. I’ve been eyeing this bag for a long time, but I didn’t really expect to seriously get it. I’ve looked and tried this bag at different Dior stores but was kind of undecided as to what color to get since most of the shades available were just so beautiful, and that had left me undecided. I sorta had my mind on the smaller Mini Lady Dior with Chain in Lotus Pearly Cannage Lambskin, but that was too small for me and though I love the color, I decided to skip it. Since then, I’ve been thinking about the Lady Dior bag for more than a year, and for some reason, I had the feeling that I may never get this bag after all. However, a year later, I popped into a Dior store in Barcelona and I saw this beautiful Lady Dior in Rose Eclair and I immediately fell in love with it. The size was perfect for me, and I love the light pink color. I chose the patent leather since the color is bright and light, and I didn’t want it to get stained so easily. I’m a fan of patent leathers, and I’ve had good experiences with patent leather bags before, especially the Vernis leather of Louis Vuitton, and I thought the same is true with this Patent Lady Dior Bag.

 

Lady Dior Review

 

This bag’s dimension is 9.5 x 4.5 x 8 inches. This size is considered a standard medium like the original Lady Dior. This comes with a narrow removable and adjustable should strap and with a drop of approximately 23 inches. A signature D.I.O.R metallic letters serve as charms attached to the bag, and the bag itself is sporting its signature Cannage topstitching. There is a zipper closure that secures your things, however, the bag’s opening can be quite narrow, which makes it hard to see what’s inside it. It’s also kinda hard to put your hand inside it since the leather is kinda stiff, but it does get better as soon as the leather softens a little bit. Still, you kinda have to rely on your hands and try to feel the items in this bag if you need something. The bag’s handles are rounded, slim, and flat, which is nice because my arm fits through them so easily. The overall size of this bag is perfect for carrying basic necessities and there’s still room for more. Also, its weight is not too heavy and it’s not too light.

 

The whole look of the Lady Dior bag is just absolutely stunning and a definite head-turner. The design is gorgeous, sleek, and minimal but beautiful. A kind of bag that is very versatile and can withstand the test of time. The stitching is well done and the bag overall looks well-made. You can wear it as a shoulder bag, a handbag or as a crossbody.

 

Price-wise, this bag is expensive, but you’re paying for the name and the timeless yet classic elegant style. For the color, I’ve always wanted my own Lady Dior bag to be something bright since I envisioned myself to be carrying this bag for most of the Summer, and the Rose Eclair shade is just perfect for that. However, in the future, I would also like to have this bag in black which is so perfect for Fall and Winter. Oh, how I wish. Anyway, there are different colors and sizes for this bag. There’s one called “Les Larges” which obviously is a larger version of the bag in this review, another one called “Mini Lady Dior” which has a chain for a shoulder strap, and the other one is “My Lady Dior” which you can customize with badges. For me, the best size is this medium standard Lady Dior, which is not too big and not too small, and it can fit several things without looking overstuffed or feeling too heavy.

 

 

Here are the things I could fit inside this bag, also, these are the items I’ve been carrying throughout this Summer.

Lady Dior Bag review and contents

  1. Louis Vuitton Key Pouch in Damier Azur Canvas – this where I put my coins and some other little stuff I hoard (LOL), so they won’t scatter inside my bag.
  2. Marc Jacobs Enamored Hydrating Lip Gloss Stick in Candy Bling (swatched HERE)
  3. Tom Ford Ultra Shine Lip Color in Nubile (seen HERE)
  4. Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight – my go-to stick highlighter of the moment, love this for the soft fine shimmers
  5. Nest Citrine Rollerball – one of my favorite scents this Summer (reviewed HERE)
  6. Tom Ford Liquid Matte Lip Lacquer in Pussycat (swatched HERE)
  7. Parker Pen – you’ll never know when you need to sign or write something or when somebody needs a pen, oh, and this pen writes smoothly (once a girl scout, always a girl scout, LOL)
  8. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Macadamia
  9. Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm – favorite hand and body moisturizer, mostly use this for my hands, and can’t get enough of the scent (Aesop products reviewed HERE)
  10. Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm (reviewed HERE)
  11. Atelier Cologne Iris Rebelle Perfume Travel Spray – love the lightness of this scent
  12. Supergoop! Super Power Sunscreen Mousse Broad Spectrum SPF 50 – an easy to apply Spf that is super lightweight and non-greasy (more details HERE)
  13. Purell Hand Sanitizer
  14. Louis Vuitton 6 Key Holder
  15. Shiseido Oil-Control Blotting Paper – one of the best blotting papers I’ve ever tried (more on favorite blotting sheets HERE)
  16. Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist – to refresh my skin during the day

 

what's inside my Lady Dior bag

 

  1. Saint Laurent Monogram Card Case in Grain de Poudre Embossed Leather in Shocking Pink – love this card case so much, it’s very sturdy and it looks so pretty with the interlacing golden YSL initials on it. The leather is a bit stiff at first but it’s scratch-resistant because it’s grained.
  2. Tom Ford Illuminating Powder in 01 Translucent– my current on the go blotting powder to illuminate my dark undereyes and reduce shine off my face. Been testing this for a few weeks now and will review this thoroughly soon.
  3. Gucci GG Marmont card case in Dusty Pink Matelassรฉ leather – a very cute card case with a soft cushy leather. Love this color, very matchy-matchy with my Lady Dior bag, LOL.
  4. Pop up Folding Pocket Hair Brush with Mirror – I cannot emphasize how convenient and important this is and it’s very easy to toss inside your purse, also, this doesn’t occupy much space.ย 
  5. Compeed – used to hoard packs of this when it was only available in Europe, thank goodness this is now available here in the USA. This is literally the best blister cushion/plaster in the market. Love this because this is a lot thicker than most blister plasters I’ve ever tried, and guess what, I still hoard several packs of this even to this day because this is so useful.

 

Lady Dior

 

I really love this Lady Dior bag and it’s one of the most beautiful bags I’ve ever owned, however, this beauty requires extreme care; First, I find the patent leather to be too delicate, compared to LV’s Vernis leather. This seems prone to color transfer especially when it gets wet or when it comes in contact with darker colors. Since this bag is in light patent leather, I have to be careful not to put this close to any dark clothing, especially dark jackets, sweaters, jeans, or coats. But it can be easy to clean with a damp cloth if the color transfer hasn’t saturated that much on the leather. Second, the patent leather can get easily scratched, so you have to be really careful when carrying this bag. For those reasons, I almost decided to sell the bag since I was doubting myself whether I could really take care of such delicate purse. I contemplated for a while, but the bag is just too beautiful to get away, so I talked to some S.A.s at Dior and followed their advice to buy a Dior Mitzah with my initials and wrap it around one of the bag’s handles in order to protect it from wear and tear, as well as from the color or moisture transfer from either my clothing or from my hand. Also, I just really have to be extra careful when handling this bag. Speaking of Mitzahs, the first Dior Mitzah I bought with my initial “L” on it has an animal print of white and green with purple and blue trees. I love it and it reminds me of Hermes Twilly only with a letter written on the end. Later on, I decided to buy another Dior Mitzah with the same ABCDior style. I was told that they now have some new designs of the Dior Mitzahs ABCDior which are inspired by the work of the French Poet and Surrealist Artist Jean Cocteau. I bought one, and though I’m not a fan of the scarf’s shade which is a little too neutral for me and too close to my bag’s color, I fell in love with its message and its very symbolic and very touching illustration, which is a woman crying inside a cage (literally the scarf has a word “Cage” on it) but then was freed and had found freedom and happiness. As of the moment, Dior also carries different colors of Mitzahs without initials, and they only carry the updated ABCDior Mitzah designs online, which are inspired by Jean Cocteau’s work. You might still be able to find the older Mitzah designs/colors in select Dior Stores.

 

dior scarf

 

Overall, this beautiful iconic bag is one of the easiest purses for me to carry. It’s versatile and comfortable, and it’s not too heavy and not too light. You can carry this purse in several different ways, and it matches with any outfit. This is definitely the perfect bag for a petite frame and will also look good in just about any body type, size, or height. This bag not only elevates one’s look but can also make one appear elegant and polished. A true classic that won’t go out of style.

 

Lady Dior

 

The Lady Dior Bag, as well as the Dior Mitzahs, are currently available at Dior Boutiques or in-store at select department stores.

 

Are you also a Dior lover?