NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder

Price: £2.99 from Amazon (plus £2.29 packaging)

Website: New York Color

Colour: Translucent

Rating: * * * * *

I'd spent months looking for a makeup that would match my skintone and wouldn't make me look too orange and cakey. After enduring this frustration and spending a small fortune, I finally found what I was looking for in the form of a cheap powder recommended by someone on Yahoo! Answers.

The name New Yok Color instantly made me think that this product would only be available in America and so I logged on to trusty Amazon to find it (it was actually the first thing I ever bought off the internet). I later found that it was available in Superdrug at a cheaper price (£2.49) @_@

Upon opening the package and seeing the product for the first time, I instantly knew that it was the right shade for me. I am very, very, very pale skinned, so near white makeup will suit me perfectly. This product is only available in two shades - translucent and natural beige. I use translucent for my pale skin, although it could suit darker skinned people as it really is translucent and is perfect for setting makeup. I use a bit more so that the colour will show through, but it does not make my face look cakey, which gains it one star.

Something that has been highlighted in other reviews that I didn't pick up on straight away was the cheapness of the container. The lid is made from a flimsy black plastic that slides on and off rather that screws on. This product is not suitable for travelling with as it will pop open and spill all over your bag.
Remove the lid and you will find a cheap sponge that is not suitable for applying loose powder. However, I still keep it as it stops the powder from gushing out if the container is accidentally tipped upside down.
Under the sponge is a filter kind of thing with waaaaaaaaaaay too many holes. I tipped the container upside down to get some of the powder out, took off the lid and ended up with a pile of powder in my lap. -__________- To combat this, I covered all but two holes with some sticky-back plastic.

The powder itself is very light and nice to work with; it's so light you can actually forget it's on your face! It does make your skin feel smoother and it does give you a matt finish, however it doesn't last as long as I would have liked it to (duh, it's a powder, it rubs off) and due to the total crappiness of the packaging, it can't be taken with you for top ups on the go. It has been suggested that I should buy the compact powder for when I'm travelling, but I haven't got round to that yet. When I do, I will be posting a review immediately.
NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder is, above anything else, brilliant for setting makeup. You don't need to go OTT with foundation just to get that matt finish anymore, because this powder will complete your look with less. I actually just use a cheek stain, concealer and this powder nowadays as I CAN'T FIND A FOUNDATION TO MATCH MY SKIN TONE! >_<
I definitely recommend this product to anyone who is struggling to find a shade for their pale skin. At £3.00 tops, it really is one of those buys you wish you'd discovered earlier.