Today I’m sharing a quick review of a new powder foundation I’ve been trying out. My go-to recently has been Everyday Minerals Jojoba Powder Foundation, but of course, when it comes to makeup, don’t we all get excited to try one new products in hopes of finding the next best thing? For me, I had my hopes up while testing out Au Naturale’s Semi-Matte Powder Foundation – but will it be knocking out my current HG? Keep reading to find out…
Au Naturale’s Semi-Matte Powder Foundation
According to Au Naturale’s website, their Semi-Matte Powder Foundation provides “extraordinary coverage and an airbrushed finish all without weighing you down or drying out your skin” (which we’ll be testing out below). Besides performance, the powder formula is 100% natural, cruelty-free, vegan and made in the US. It also comes in the most unique packaging I’ve ever seen for a loose powder – a spray pump bottle (versus the typical jar containers with sifters). To apply, you can either spray the powder directly onto a makeup brush, or spray some on the back of your hand first and then pick some up with your fingers or a brush.
Au Naturale’s Semi-Matte Powder Foundation is available in 15 shades, ranging from Porcelain for ‘fairest skin tones with neutral to cool undertones’ to Java for ‘deep skin tones with cool undertones’.
Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides, Micas, Silica, Copernica Cerifera (Carnuba) Wax; May contain: Ultramarine Blue, Chromium Oxide Green
Au Naturale Semi-Matte Powder Foundation Review
I’m close to NC25 in MAC and decided to try out Au Naturale’s Semi-Matte Powder Foundation in the shade Lucerne (the sixth darkest shade, best suited for ‘light to medium skin tones with neutral undertones’), though I’m thinking that Marino, the next shade up (and just one shade away from being at the center of their color spectrum), would have been a better fit for me. On that note, clearly there’s a lot of variety in shade options for those with fair to light skin in this range.
Now onto the application. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of the spray applicator. It spews powder into the air when I go to apply it on my hand, and I lose quite a bit of product in the process. Spraying directly into a brush, however, is 10x easier and cleaner, and it helps conserve product.
Do I prefer the spray pump over a sifter jar? While the spray does cut out about 5 seconds from my makeup routine, I actually prefer the control that a sifter provides, especially when it comes to 1) how much product gets dispensed (the spray tends to spew out rather random amounts), and 2) how much product gets loaded onto my brush (less is more, to avoid a heavy, uneven application).
The coverage is somewhat buildable – I use 3-4 pumps for sheer coverage, and 8-12 for light to medium coverage (i.e. enough to cover all my facial redness, while still allowing some of my skin to show through). Any more than that and it starts to look heavy on my skin, with a very noticeable powder finish.
The foundation sets semi-matte, adding the slightest satiny sheen to the skin which keeps it from looking completely flat and more like real skin.
Personally, it’s been working great with my combination skin (oily T-zone, dry everywhere else). It doesn’t look cakey or emphasize flakes in my driest areas, and it holds up all day without getting patchy in my T-zone.
Au Naturale Semi-Matte Powder Foundation in Lucerne, applied in two layers using ~8 pumps total (in natural light).
When comparing Everyday Mineral’s foundation powders and Au Naturale’s Semi-Matte Powder Foundation, the end results are pretty much identical. Both provide sheer up to medium coverage. Even on my driest areas, the formulas both stay smooth (however, I do exfoliate every day to reduce flakes, which definitely helps). Both also blend together beautifully with the natural oils on my skin, and create a natural-looking, almost imperceptible finish that lasts all day long.
The only difference is EM’s powders provide slightly better coverage, in fewer layers. This, in addition to their very minimal ingredients list, makes them feel a bit more lightweight and breathable feel on the skin as well. Price-wise, EM’s powders are also significantly cheaper, coming in at only $15 for 4.8g vs. $32 for 4g of Au Naturale’s (and yet they’re both all-natural, vegan, cruelty-free, and made in the USA).
For all those reasons, I’m personally going to be sticking with my EM powder foundation. However, when it comes down to it, both are great options if you’re looking for cleaner makeup, and natural-looking, long-lasting coverage for everyday wear.
Available at Au Naturale
Have you tried Au Naturale’s Semi-Matte Powder Foundation? If so, what are your thoughts on the formula? How does it work for your skin type?
Have a favorite powder foundation? Let me know below!
