Avon's Smooth Minerals Pressed Foundation / Review

For a little while there I sold Avon. I did it for close to 2 years as a past-time. What I find sad about this company is that they have such a huge turnover that it's hard to keep track. Every year they bring out truck loads of new products and discontinue the same amount. This means that if you "fall in love" with one of their offerings, it doesn't mean you'll be able to repurchase it. This is the main reason why I've almost given up on the brand. Almost.




Years before that I was a national beauty advisor for them and having had the chance to travel all over Canada, meeting Avon reps, I know that it's not for nothing that they're one of the biggest beauty corporation in the world. They have a strong following and many, many, good dedicated people working for them.

$12.99 at avon.com

When Avon first introduced mineral makeup they did so with a loose powder version foundation. Quite similar in finish, I did like it but found it a little messy to use. Unlike loose powder, if you get some on your clothes it can be hard to brush off and so I was very happy when they came out with a compact.

This foundation is amazing for combination to oily skin. If you have dry skin you may find it slightly drying but it would still be worth having for those special occasions when you want full coverage.

How I use it...

I'm quite fair so the shade I use is T03, Light Beige. It is a little darker than my complexion but any lighter and it might look ghostly especially since I use a translucent powder over it. For light coverage I use a big powder brush and apply like I would any powder. For full coverage, I use the little sponge-like applicator. This is it's only defect, the applicator is a quite small and a little cheapish so you might want to get a larger one. It's super fast and easy to get a perfect finish. If you don't have a lot of time in the morning to get ready, this is a great option. Avon is right when it writes on their website, "Perfectly portable for easy touch-ups." It has a faint shimmer, barely noticeable in fact, perfect for a luminous, very natural finish.

Contrary to a liquid foundation where you would apply first and finish off with loose powder, here you have to use powder first, otherwise  application will not only take longer but may be uneven. Once your done, it can look a little cakey (that's if you where going for full coverage) but this will fade fast. If you want a dewy finish quick, simply do a light spray of thermal water like Avène or Evian at the very end of your makeup. I personally rarely do this since I find that finishing off with both bronzer and blush works well for me to get a natural look.

Would I recommend this foundation? Yes!

Like I've mentioned in my Bourjois' Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation review, I don't wear foundation very often and so I don't see the point in spending a lot of money for one. Now believe me when I say that I have used some pretty expensive ones in the past but don't plan on going that route again any time soon. These two foundations are just perfect for my needs at the moment.

Reviews:

MakeupAlley: 4.2 / 5 lippies for 11 reviews. I am stunned that there are so few reviews. People clearly don't know what they're missing.
Beauté-test: weird, it's listed but there are no reviews.

Avon products are often either on sale or have interesting promotions. See their website for more info. For the price, it truly is worth a try. I can only hope that it will be on the market for a long while.

One last note. I have no more ties with Avon. This review is based entirely on my personal experience and the product was purchased by me.