Growing up with oily skin, face powders are an extremely important item in my makeup arsenal. When I look for a powder, I am looking for something that is mattifying (obviously HAHA), smoothing on any textures such as problem areas or dry patches and something that offers some coverage. The Australis Fresh and Flawless Pressed Powder can actually be used on its own as a powder foundation - which I do on my lazy days.
(The left one is in the colour "natural" and the right one is in the colour "light beige". It was hard to get a good picture of the powders to show you the different undertones, hopefully you can see it! I tried HAHA)
Colours: Before Australis introduced three new colours into their range, I continuous bought their then lightest shade which was "natural" which was a shade too dark for me in the colder weather and it was also a bit too pink for my pale yellow skin. After I finish with my other two backups of the shade "natural" I'll be moving on to purchase "light beige" - which is a shade lighter than "natural" and also much more yellow. For shade reference I'm around NC15, I hardly ever go darker than that!
In saying that, the shade range is pretty limited - even the darker colours aren't very dark at all.
Pigmentation: The coverage is great! You can use it as a stand alone powder foundation or as a finishing powder. I have problem areas on my face which I like to even out or cover up and I've found that this powder can give you a solid medium-full coverage if you layer it, and it also touches up well throughout the day.
The powder itself is extremely smoothing on my pores but can cling to dry patches - and because I like to wear this powder as a foundation, my face can look powdery when I layer a couple of layers on. But the best thing about this powder is that, give it 30-45mins to be able to mix with your oils and then somehow the powder looks so natural and almost creamy on your face. It gives you a beautiful natural-type of finish that isn't too matte or dewy (once the powder has had time to settle down).
Lasting power: I have to touch up around 4-5hrs in when I use it as a pressed/finishing powder but that's expected with my extremely oily skin. This is the same when I use it as a powder foundation. I don't think the powder transfers that much at all and it tends to break up around the 7-8 hour mark but then again you can just quickly touch up. The powder breaks up with dignity, it doesn't look intolerable.
Where to purchase: You can purchase this easily from Priceline for $12.95.
Overall Thoughts: The powder does not break me out whatsoever, in fact it has ingredients to help combat trouble spots which is a huge bonus! I've been through at least 6 of these powders in the span of around 2 years, and I don't intend to ever stop purchasing it! It looks beautiful and smooth on and gives me the coverage I want! Please don't ever discontinue or change the formula Australis!
Rating: 5/5
