I know … it sounds like the makings of cake batter or some thick formula. But applying translucent powder as a base/primer for foundation has become a viral sensation.

It’s a technique used to primarily tackle oily skin, close pores, last up to hours and give an overall flawless finish. If you have naturally dry skin, this technique wouldn’t be for you since you wouldn’t have excess oils that’d need to be soaked up.

You’d begin the process by applying your moisturizer first, and then as I mentioned before, you’d follow up with a translucent powder, then foundation.

After applying the powder, it should remain untouched for a quick minute so that it has the opportunity to soak up the excess oils, especially in the T-zone areas where oil tends to accumulate.

Makeup gurus warn to use a translucent powder as opposed to a setting powder because translucent powders are much lighter. But watch out, this makeup process can be a little messy for that same reason; translucent powder is fine and loose — sorta like baby powder, which is actually another trend.

Now that we understand the general process, here’s where the controversy comes in.

It seems to be split down the middle.  Some MUA’s have commented that during the process their skin felt good, while others have reported that at the very beginning of the process their skin felt dry, tight and cracked, and didn’t make them want to continue the process.  Possibly this would be the sentiment of a person with combination skin (both dry and oily).  Applying a raw powder to a patches of skin that are drier than others may result in uneven coverage and distribution of the foundation and would cause some parts of the face to feel drier than others.

On the other hand, some makeup gurus mentioned that this process helps other products such as highlighters become more pigmented, while others say applying translucent powder first soaks up too much of the foundation so it takes longer to cover the face.

Lastly, some MUA’s claimed that their pores were visibly smaller, and that the process helped covers blemishes fairly well.  Other MUA’s however, have said that the process made their face look textured, their pores looked caked/clogged and that photos taken with flash will highlight the powder, making the face appear ghostly white.

The verdict

Fontana Pharmacy’s beautician Keneisha Bryan says this makeup technique wouldn’t be ideal for the on the go woman who may only have time for a quick face powder pat coupled lipstick or lipgloss, and needs to be out the door to conquer the world.  It also wouldn’t be a good fit for women who are minimalistic and would cringe at having to apply a lot of product, nor is it the makeup technique to use for night functions.

Have you given this technique a try?  What do you think about it? Comment below and start a conversation with us.