Covergirl Advanced Radiance Pressed Powder: Natural Beige

Covergirl's Advanced Radiance pressed powder was one of the failed candidates in my mother's "mission" to replace her discontinued Neutrogena Fine Fairness compact. (She has since found an alternative in one of Revlon's powders, but I don't know which one.) She passed this on to me because I was running low on Etude's BB Magic, my go-to powder at the time.

It's definitely "one man's trash is another's treasure" for this product! This cakes a lot on mother dear (and on a lot of other girls at the Makeupalley forums), but it's absolutely perfect on me! I don't think I'll be actively searching for any more powder products after this one!

Price: P545.00
Location Bought: a Covergirl counter somewhere (from what I know, Covergirl can be found at Watsons, Landmark and Robinsons Department Stores)
Approximate Date Bought: December 2010

Packaging: I can't decide whether I like the compact design or not. It looks bulkier than it really is when photographed.

Haha yes, I've hit pan. XD

One thing I can definitely decide on, however, is that it looks great next to my favorite makeup base. Total color coordination!

The sponge is also an undecided thing for me. While it is able to pat the powder onto my face nicely, I don't like the "leathery" protective top covering because it greatly slows down drying time. I always wash the sponges that come with compacts after purchase (or in this case, after my mom gave this to me), and it normally takes a day for them to air dry. The CARPP's sponge on the other hand, took one and a half day to dry.

Color: I am thankful to have the same skintone as my mother! Natural Beige is the middle shade in the Advanced Radiance range, and it blends beautifully on my skin - even if I accidentally overapply.

Formulation: The product is scentless, lightweight, and gives me flawless coverage. Paired with Hydro Splash, it lasts for half a day (5-6 hours) on me. The powder looks coarse in the pan but it goes on smoothly once applied. I have absolutely no complaints with the formula, which is why I've been using the powder almost every day since I got it. (I think the fact that I already hit pan is evidence enough! XD) Since I started using this last December 2010, I estimate the product's lifespan to be around six months with daily use.

In Action: I don't know why this cakes on some and doesn't on others, but if it doesn't cake on you at the counter, definitely get it!