Loose Powder or Pressed Powder? Ask IMBB

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Teena Asks :

I want to know the difference between pressed powder and loose powder. how & when to use both of these? Is the pressed powder same as compact?Whenever I tried to apply the compact, it gives very different look like i have something on my face, I mean it does not give me a natural look. And if we are using a mineral foundation then is there a need to use loose powder?

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64 thoughts on “Loose Powder or Pressed Powder? Ask IMBB

  1. I think it totally depends on the texture and finish of a powder – be it loose or compact. I usually keep compact powder in my purse to do touch ups as it is difficult to carry loose powder for that. At home while getting ready I use Loose powder.

    Whether the finish you get is natural or not, is completely dependent on the powder’s consistency, coverage and texture. I’ve used compact powders that give excellent finish to my skin along with coverage without looking cakey. The glow looks natural and stays for long too. With loose powders too I’ve experienced almost similar effect. It all depends on your skin type and what brand you choose for the both. Even loose powders can make you look cakey if they don’t have good texture and finish.

    For other details I trust other beauties here to answer!! πŸ˜›

      1. Hi Aditi,

        As of now using Mattify’s loose powder and it is really amazing for my oily combination skin…

        For compact I keep on switching between Revlon’s Touch and Glow and Essence compact powder!! πŸ˜€

            1. Forgot to tell Catrice mineral compact powder!! :smug: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup: :makeup:

            1. Me planning for River rafting at rishikesh :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: but it all depends on the weather u c :methinks: :methinks:

  2. Teena Thanks for asking this query….even i want to know…
    My derma had once suggested it is best to use loose powder instead of a compact, as compact can clog ht epores and irritate acne-prone skin.

    1. that happens in case of pressed powder foundations. Also women tend to keep using the same powder puff without even washing it. So anyway you are inviting bacteria on you face. πŸ™ one should always invest in spare powder puffs . easily aviable at all cosmetic shops and new U. πŸ™‚

      1. Thats true Rati..I usually make it a habit to wash my puff every week, but that makes it harsh over subsequent washes. So I use my kabuki brush only for applying the compact too!! πŸ˜›

        1. Rati/Cali, Can you recomment a good “Indian” brand ka loose powder. Well, not necessarily Indian, but atleast available in India… ?:)

  3. hello cali πŸ™‚
    wat compacts do u use
    currently I use chambor compact and its quite good doesn’t give cakey look and maintains the glow for atleast 5-6 hours
    it looks good on my mom too πŸ™‚

  4. teena a lot depends on how you apply.

    If you want some coverage on top of your foundation , apply loose powder with a puff. if you want just for setting, use a fluffy brush and apply.

    if you feel that the compact powder is giving you that cakey look but you still want a bit of a coverage. just press loose or pressed powder with a puff in your skin and move a clean powder brush very lightly all over your face. this would take off the cakiness.

    don’t use loose powder on top of a mineral foundation. it would just get cakey.

    the biggest advantage of compact is that you can travel with it. Loose powder is not travel friendly it tends to get all over the place.

    if you are using mineral foundation, it would give you a bit of the coverage while the loose powder when applied with a brush might not be able to give that kind of a coverage.

    i hope it’s not too confusing. πŸ˜›

        1. Excellent tips Rati, you and Cali cleared most of the doubts, Rati should we use mineral foundation after using face primer ? and can you suggest a good kabuki brush and price?

          1. tapaswini, yes you can definitley do that

            bodyshop make sthe most awesomest kabuki brush. i have it more more than a year and not even a single bristle has come off and it is damn soft. the only suggestion is that you purchase it during the sales. it is quite expensive.

            a budget one would be bourjois . it costs around 300 is quite nice. πŸ™‚

  5. I think compacts r easier to use than the loose powders.. both does the same on ur skin.. to blend ur makeup or remove excess oil frm the face.
    if u choose a gud compact matching ur complexion & skin type then tht can also luk as natural as a loose powder. thts true… loose powder gives a mr natural lukk.. better option in summers.. hope i’m rght here.. :whistle: :whistle:

  6. i also usually use loose powder at home – (The body shop mineral loose powder which is the only loose powder i finished the whole dabba of). When i go out, I carry a compact (NYX)also becos it has a mirror which I can use to see if my lenses are in place etc. Some compacts also give the option of the dry to wet look.

  7. I prefer loose powder over compact to avoid the cakey feel. My compact always gives a cakey look as I have oily skin whereas when I apply loosepowder specially with a buffer brush it absorbs the oil and gives nice finish. πŸ™‚
    If you using a mineral foundation then u might want to give just a light brushing with loose powder to set everything. Again depends on coverage and texture.
    I sometimes use Oriflame GG mineral foundation and top it with GG mineral loose powder to give a nice matte finish.

          1. here too its very humid since few days :((
            yeah just got the news about heat…..bf going Jalandhar for marriage and complaining about the heat on phone πŸ˜›

    1. Me too, :handshake: the answers completely changed my view and opinion, so me go for loose powder now, I already have lakme one, bourjois I will prefer!

  8. hey rati..i have an urgent query..today its ma friend’s engagement..i was jst mixing ma habibs cnditioner wid gulab jal and sme aloevera gel as i alwz do..bt i realized dat habibs cnditioner has finished,,so i added ma total repair cnditioner wid it..is it ok to use to cnditioner at once..nd i dnt hve apple sided vinegr so can i use d plain vinegr frm tops..plz rply asap..den i ll go to shampoo ma hairs.. :thanks:

  9. Even though the question has been more than properly answered, I just want to say that Lotus compact/pressed powder gives a great non-cakey finish and it apparently doesnt contain talc, they use rice powder! how good is that! πŸ™‚
    After facing the changing sponge problem, even I ve shifted to using a proper powder brush to apply and the coverage seems better this way! πŸ™‚

  10. This is such a useful discussion! When I started wearing makeup, compacts and powders didn’t really attract me much and I was more into eye and lip makeup but few months down the line I ‘ve realised that for a combination-oily skinned girl, compact/loose powder is the best friend!!
    I have observed that using the same compact (Silver shadow compact) with puff gives a cakier look but using with a soft fluffy brush brush gives a natural look that stays longer too. While puff sponge are good for touch ups while u’re travelling, using a brush makes a lot of difference to how the pressed powder appears on your skin.
    If your skin feels nicely matte after using mineral foundation, skip the powder but I find my skin still looking a bit dewy after applying mineral foundation(L’oreal one) (if I’ve used a heavier sunscreen/moisturizer) so I do apply a little powder on my T-zone to combat the oiliness.
    Also, when u want to apply very little powder, just tap off the excess from the brush at the back of your palm, you can never go overboard with powder products when u do this. I do it for eyeshadows too πŸ˜€

  11. my own two bits to the problem, one mineral foundation is somethng that you should almost not bother powdering over. we generally put powder over our foundation to set it , but mineral foundation is known for how effortlessly it blends and how quickly it sets.

    Loose powder , largely is often transclucent as in it does not give you much coverage, just helps in setting makeup, and as rati said, if applied with a puff , gives you a light coverage.

    Compact generally gives more coverage than a loose powder. It can be applied with a sponge for better blending (minimising the cakey look). Applying a compact with a brush is the best for perfectly blending it into your skin. A very simple tip to avoid looking cakey or patchy with compact is to spritz some water or toner on your face. If you are not sure of how to do it , just take some toner or even ice cold water will do on a cotton pad squeeze out the excess, and dab this all over your skin. This takes off the powdery look some compacts can give you

    So far I have loved the Chambor Silver Compact for coverage. Lakme has Sheer rose powder which is very reasonably priced and creates awesome results.

    1. thank u so much supriya. just one doubt.. water or toner shud be applied before or after applying compact to avoid cakey look. :headbang:

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