A couple of weeks ago I discovered they had discontinued my regular foundation.
It was one I’d been using for years. And I mean YEARS. It was a mineral powder foundation and worked as foundation and powder in one and was suitable for my pale but pinky toned skin, which is a rarity in a foundation. I was very sad.
I spent a lot of money trying several different new fancy pants foundations, all of which I hated, until I suddenly remembered that Max Factor Pan Stick in Fair is a brilliant foundation that I had been using for years for extra coverage and had somehow forgotten about. But I needed powder to go with it and the one I was using wasn’t giving me quite the finish I was after. Anyway, all of this is a somewhat long winded way of getting around to telling you that I bought myself a Besame Violet Brightening Powder to see what it was like.
I adore all the Besame products I already have. They’re not cheap, but they earn their money by being long lasting, effective and down right beautiful on your dressing table or in your handbag. So I therefore had high hopes for the brightening powder.
The packaging certainly didn’t disappoint. The box is so beautiful that it took me 4 days just to bring myself to throw it away once it started to look battered from my make up bag, and inside the box is a cute little plastic pot in Besame’s red and yellow colours, with pretty lid and the cutest little velour powder puff inside.
When I first used it I did what, from subsequent conversations and reading, it seems a lot of people do and used it as a sort of finishing powder. I did all my make up, including pressed powder, and then expected this to lift my complexion. It didn’t really and considering the price I was disappointed.
Then someone suggested I try using it INSTEAD of my regular powder, and it was a revelation! The difference it makes is subtle, a before and after photo probably not enough to pick it up, but it gives my skin a delicately brightened, matte finish, and suits my pale skin perfectly. It also smells lovely, not highly perfumed, just enough to be pleasant. It is a translucent powder, but because it has no flesh toned tint it doesn’t add any orangeyness to my skin, rather the violet tones calm redness and make my complexion feel more delicate.
The other problem I had at first was getting enough product out. The powder comes with a plastic sifter and a hinged plastic lid to stop the powder falling everywhere. I first tried shaking some powder up through the holes in the sifter, like I used to with my mineral foundation, but not enough came through because of the hinged lid. I tried shaking it with the lid open, but the powder went everywhere, and you don’t want that with a £22 powder!
Finally I tried using the powder puff, slipping my fingers through the ribbon, and just tapping it on top of the sifter. Not gently, with a little force behind it and that seemed to leave enough powder on the puff. I then press and roll the powder into my face over my foundation, reloading the puff occasionally. I finish with a big fluffy brush, swept around the top of the pot to pick up any excess, and then brushed over my face to even it out.
There’s no getting around it, this is an expensive product, it’s £22 for a fairly small pot. But I will be buying it again. My previous foundation cost £16, and that’s a fairly standard price for a half decent foundation. The Max Factor Pan Stick I use under this costs £6.99, meaning the total cost for my base is now about £29 instead of £16. The Pan Stick does last a lot longer than my old mineral powder, but I haven’t been using this powder long enough to know how long it lasts. All I can say is that after 2 weeks of daily use it’s not showing any signs of getting at all low.
Having given it a good try if I need to sell important body parts to buy myself a new pot I’ll at least give it very serious thought.
Besame Violet Brightening Powder costs £22 from What Katie Did
Comments
19 responses to “Retro Chick Reviews: Besame Violet Brightening Powder”
RT @Retrochick_uk: Retro Chick Reviews: Besame Violet Brightening Powder : http://t.co/r4DH18XAgI
I continue to be intrigued by this product. I don’t use foundation so would use it on its own as a general finish…will have to try to visit the WKD shop at some point to try out. Just out of interest, what was your discontinued product?
It was L’Oreal True Match Mineral Powder foundation. They still make the foundation, but the shade I used I can’t find anywhere, including the L’Oreal website! I even had Twitter on the hunt and I looked on Amazon and eBay, but it’s nowhere to be found!
Every review I’ve seen for this has been nothing less than glowing, I really want to try it myself!
I keep reading such good things about this product, will definitely have to give it a try!
Abigail Lucy Bruford liked this on Facebook.
I do love max factor foundations, I always end up going back to them mind you having said that I think pan stick is just about the only one I haven’t used!
I always go back to Cornsilk face powder, I love the finish it gives. It’s damn hard to find these days though.
Great review, Ive been considering this myself as a fellow pale girl
Pearl Westwood liked this on Facebook.
Have you ever tried Max Factor’s Creme Puff? It’s cheap as chips but it’s one of my favourite powders, and vintage to boot! They only sell refills these days though, to be inserted into cute vintage compacts.
Annie Tigwell liked this on Facebook.
It’s very pretty looking! I might give it a go but I’m totally addicted to Coty Airspun, never used anything so good, I bulk buy from the US on ebay, I say bulk buy, 3 at a time ;o)
I love Besame products and have this one as well. I also have a hard time getting enough powder through the sifter–so I just remove it (carefully–over the sink) and dip the puff directly into the powder. It definitely tones down redness.
I’d recommend Lily Lolo who do amazing mineral foundations and lots of different colours, I’m death white and the palest suits me to a tee! 🙂
I can’t throw away the boxes from Besame! You are brave. I love this powder so much so I also bought the refill of the compact and kept it in the container when I travel to have it handy for touch ups. I have the Besame compact but use another powder for it.
Gigi Elaine liked this on Facebook.
Fiona Phillips liked this on Facebook.
I agree with you on all counts, but they really need to address how you grt it out of the pot, it’s a grade A pain in the ass!!
I just pat it hard and I get plenty on the puff! It’s a bit of a pain, I’d prefer a higher lid so I could shake a little through the sifter, but it works ok for me