Benefit Porefessional Zero Shine Pro Powder: A sneak peek before it's launched!
So what is this Porefessional Zero Shine Pro-Powder? Initially I was a little confused, especially since Benefit already has a Porefessional product that is a primer. Turns out, this new addition to the Porefessional family of products is totally different. The new Porefessional Zero Shine Powder, as the name suggests, is first of all not a primer, but a finishing powder. So unlike the existing Porefessional, which you use before applying makeup, this is used after makeup, for shine and oil control. It promises to banish the shiny, oil-slick look from your face all day long.
Benefit Porefessional Zero Shine Powder: Oil and shine control all day long.
If you don't have the patience to wait until 2014 for this too look, and want a closer look at the Porefessional Powder right now, you're in luck! I've managed to try out this powder, and I do think this is worth checking out.
First of all, the Porefessional Zero Shine Powder is very thoughtfully packaged. Because powder is one of the things most women carry along with them everyday, the Porefessional Powder has a nifty little retractable brush and cap built into the slim plastic case. The cap actually functions as a container that you dispense the powder into. You simply tip some powder into the cap, and pick it up with the retractable brush in the base of the product, and apply! The brush is good, but not great; I mean, it's a in-built retractable brush, so you're not going to expect it to feel like, say, a Hakuhodo brush, but it will do just fine, and it is very handy if you're travelling. I like that the packaging of the product is so geared towards women who bring along their makeup or who travel a lot - it does cut down the number of things you need to carry.
The in-built cap and brush in the Benefit Porefessional Powder.
The Porefessional Powder is a skin coloured light beige powder when you first tip it out of the tube, but it is actually quite sheer and transluscent once applied. When I tried it, I thought it was great for reducing shine without adding colour to your face, which makes it ideal for touchups on specific shine-prone areas. The powder itself feels quite smooth and silky, and spreads on the skin easily. It gives a nice matte finish that doesn't look chalky, even after extended wear. In the photo below, you can see the powder against my skin. And as you might guess, I accidentally tipped out too much powder - you definitely don't need that much for your face if you're just touching up!
Benefit Porefessional Zero Shine Vanishing Powder - a beige powder that goes on transluscent and doesn't add colour.
In the photo below, you can see the powder blended out into my skin. I know it looks like my skin has nothing on, but I swear the powder is there, it's just blended in! One of the PR girls for Benefit told me that when she tested the product out for herself, she never needed to touch up during the day. Of course, her skin isn't as oily as mine, but that is still impressive.
Benefit Porefessional Zero Shine Vanishing Powder: All blended in.
Now you know I like to talk about ingredients, so naturally I will talk a little bit about what makes the Porefessional Powder so shine-absorbing. The two key ingredients in the Porefessional Zero Shine Powder are talc, as well as Nylon-12. Talc everyone knows about - it has been used in cosmetics for a long time for its oil-absorbing and anti-caking properties. Nylon-12 is a little more newfangled although it's also had a long history of use and in cosmetics. Nylon-12, like talc, also functions as an oil absorber, and also adds a nice, smooth feel to the product. The nice thing about Nylon-12 is that it is also able to expand and contract with your facial movements and expressions, so it always appears smooth on the skin and doesn't settle into facial lines. In fact, Nylon-12 seems to be used in a lot of high-end anti-aging skincare brands (high-end as in like Sisley, Peter Thomas Roth and so on) for precisely this reason - if you're formulating a product for an older market, you probably want to make sure that it sits nicely on the skin and doesn't settle into every nook and crevice. So yes, the inclusion of both Talc and Nylon-12 means that you have a great shine reducing powder that feels nice on the skin, and is less prone to settle intl your fine lines and pores as you wear it and go about your day.
The Benefit Porefessional Zero Shine Pro Powder: Awesome shine control, but also wears very well as the day progresses.
So what's my preliminary verdict of the Benefit Porefessional Zero Shine Powder? Overall, I found it to be a pretty good product - it feels nice on the skin, does help to control shine, wears well over time, and does what it says it does on the package. The travel-friendly and touch-up-friendly packaging is a neat touch, too. The only gripe I have about this product is that at 7g (0.24oz), you're not exactly getting a huge lot of powder. If you're on a budget, I imagine that you probably would want to use this strategically for touch-ups for especially oil-prone areas (which is how I'm using mine now). But that aside, if you're looking around for a good shine reducing powder with nice carry-along packaging, then this is one to check out.
(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)
This looks interesting.. although I'm not fond of the plastic packaging, but I do like that it's travel friendly and can control the product usage. Is it refillable? 7g is pretty small :/
ReplyDelete@Ling Yeung: Sadly it's not refillable! I do agree that my greatest gripe with the product is the size - I know if I were to use it for my full face everyday, 7g wouldn't last too long. I use this more as a carry-on for touch ups.
DeleteReally want to try this out for lasting power. Not keen on the packaging though, but still looks good.
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