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November 13, 2008

Product Review: CoverGirl's Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals - Pressed Powder & Bronzer


COVERGIRL QUEEN COLLECTION NATURAL HUE MINERALS PRESSED POWDER $7-8 USD

COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Mineral-enriched formula controls shine 30% better than the leading pressed powder, for natural, even coverage that lasts for hours. Beautifully matches skin tones from Rich Sand to True Ebony-guaranteed.

INGREDIENTS
Talc, Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, PTFE, Lecithin, Methicone, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Silica, May Contain - Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide

WHERE TO BUY
At your local drugstore

Price: 4 of 5
Packaging: 5 of 5
Product Coverage: 4 of 5
Product Shine Control: 4 of 5
Product Texture: 4 of 5
Smell: 4 of 5
Overall: 4 of 5

PRICE
Although it's only a pressed powder and not a foundation, I think it's relatively priced around what drugstore line pressed powders are going for nowadays. I would opt for the $5-7 pressed powder and $7-9 for a powder/liquid foundation, but that's just my personal preference when it comes to budget cosmetic lines that were around before my time.

PACKAGING
The packaging ain't no cosmetic mansion, but it does provide the essentials. It's equipped with a sturdy and secure snap-close feature to prevent the spilling of any contents (but sadly not break-proof), a full compact size mirror, a moderately deep dish of powder, a soft sponge applicator, and a vented applicator holder to minimize the growth of bacteria.



PRODUCT COVERAGE
Considering that CoverGirl's Natural Hue Minerals Pressed Powder is exactly that... a pressed powder, I wasn't expecting much as far as coverage goes. The coverage of the pressed powder was enough for my personal taste, but I would suggest using a concealer to spot treat any blemishes and/or scars, if you feel it's necessary, as the pressed powder has some coverage but not coverage like that of a foundation. In the pictures below, I didn't apply concealer to my face so that you can get a good idea on the coverage and can easily identify areas where concealer could have helped create a more even canvas (helloooo dark circles!).

PRODUCT SHINE CONTROL
I'll admit that the shine control was pretty impressive. I didn't do a very good job of documenting the shine control in using the CoverGirl's Natural Hue Minerals Pressed Powder (as you can tell by the "non-primered pictures" hah!) but on my other test runs with different brushes, the control was much better. It did hold its own pretty well going on 4+ hours. Normal t-zone oils but nothing that would cause someone to mistake me for a mirror. Just a nicely matted appearance and since I DO NOT do touch-ups throughout the day, it was great to not look so worn out so quickly!

PRODUCT TEXTURE
CoverGirl's Natural Hue Minerals Pressed Powder applies rather smoothly to the skin and didn't seem to have any shimmer or sheen to it. I was sent Brown Bronze 2 which I thought would be around my color match, but in reality, it was a bit darker than I was expecting. I was able to blend out the color by just buffing it out more which allowed it to blend more naturally with my skin's natural color and undertones.

I really like that the product was solid in it's application and by that I mean it really planted itself on my skin for longevity, yet it was soft, breathable for the skin, and VERY lightweight!

SMELL
If you've ever owned a compact from any company, that's exactly what the pressed powder smells like. It doesn't transfer to your skin, at least not that I can tell from my experience, but it does have slight aroma in the pan.

APPLICATION METHOD
There are a variety of tools that can be used for application ranging from the provided sponge applicator to your choice of face powder brushes. For the pictures I used a flat top buffer brush which I normally use for my mineral foundation. I don't feel it did as good a job as I was hoping but did see better results when using a kabuki brush.

WHAT I LIKE

  • The ready-to-go compact
  • The spongle applicator vent
  • Being able to blend out the pressed powder with my natural skin color (even though it was a shade too dark)
  • Longer staying shine control
  • The powder was very lightweight on the skin and allowed my skin to breath without clogging
  • Didn't break out from it!

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
  • It might raise flags for some because it contains parabens.

OVERALL
It's a nice product. I really like that it's lightweight and smooths over nicely on my skin. The shine factor is great and I believe delivered on it's promise. The coverage for me was just right but for those needing a bit more coverage that a concealer won't help with, you might find a foundation to be more to your liking. Other than that, if you're in the CoverGirl aisle, it wouldn't hurt to give the Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals Pressed Powder a try.

**Scroll to the bottom for actual face shots**

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COVERGIRL QUEEN COLLECTION NATURAL HUE MINERALS BRONZER $7-8 USD

COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Mineral-enriched formula pampers skin and controls oil, for a sun-kissed glow without the shine. Beautifully matches skin tones from Rich Sand to True Ebony-guaranteed.

INGREDIENTS
Talc, Mica, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, PTFE, Lecithin, Methicone, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Silica, May Contain - Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide

WHERE TO BUY
At your local drugstore

Price: 3 of 5
Packaging: 2 of 5
Product Shine Control: 3 of 5
Product Texture: 3 of 5
Smell: 4 of 5
Overall: 3 of 5

PRICE
This is another personal preference, but I'm not sure on paying almost $8 for the CoverGirl Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer. If it were almost $7, that would probably make me more inclined to impulse shop the item.

PACKAGING
Let's just say that the CoverGirl Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer is a bachelorette with her own pad. No room for a mirror or an included application tool, just the striking dame herself. The simplistic packaging could be partly because bronzer touch-ups are rare... hmm.

PRODUCT SHINE CONTROL
My cheeks are an area that likes to self-promote attention through a method we'll call shine, or oil, if you like. It's really hard to say whether or not my shine was controlled from the pressed powder or the bronzer itself, but the CoverGirl Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer does contain silica which helps in oil control. I'm left to believe that if you don't wear any sort of face coverage, that the bronzer helps to keep the oil in check and added protection for those that do wear some sort of coverage under.

PRODUCT TEXTURE
The CoverGirl Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer has a bit of shimmer to it which gives the appearance of being "sun-kissed". I personally am more of a blush person than a bronzer gal, but for the folks looking to have that tanned edge even when the sun isn't out, might find the bit of shimmer beneficial to their likings. The shimmer is not chunky at all, just a subtle touch of dazzle to enhance the overall facial glow.

SMELL
Another normal compact cosmetic aroma.

APPLICATION METHOD
My brush of choice for applying this product was a moderate head powder brush like the MAC 129. If I happened to pick up a bronzer that was a shade too dark, I'd probably reach for a duo-fiber brush like the MAC 187/MAC 188 so that I could keep the darkness of the color under control, yet wearable.

WHAT I LIKE
  • Didn't break out from it!
  • Simple packaging which means more room in the makeup bag.
  • Subtle shimmer may be great for those are looking for that extra "sun-kissed" glow.
  • Color blends well with skin making it more natural appearing.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
  • It might raise flags for some because it contains parabens.
  • Some may not like the shimmer as it may make darker skintones glisten a bit more than liked.

OVERALL
I don't believe this is a must-get product unless you're looking to have a bronzer on hand. I would say get a nice blush and smile!


The following pictures are using the two products WITH a face primer. The pressed powder is a shade darker than what I am naturally which is why the bronzer is hardly noticeable.





The following pictures are using the two products WITHOUT a face primer. Again, the pressed powder is a shade darker than what I am naturally which is why the bronzer is hardly noticeable.




Enjoy!

Aloha,
Mrs. Lynne

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8 makeovers:

yummy411 said...

great thorough review! glad to see you back mama lynne! i absolutely love and enjoy both of these products. i love the glow from the bronzer and i don't feel orange or red after using it.

MakeupByRenRen said...

hmm i've always wondered about this line, but i'll probably just stick to my elf and mac bronzers, thanks for the review hon! glad to see yah back :)

Mrs. Lynne, MakeupFix.net said...

Hey Mama yummy411! That's great to hear that this product works for you. I'm glad you're achieve great results from it :)

Mrs. Lynne, MakeupFix.net said...

Thanks Sis Ren! I have yet to try any ELF products but I'll definitely keep their bronzers in mind. Hope you're doing well sweetie!

nilla cookie said...

Hiya Mrs. Lynne! As always, great review! I hardly ever reach for bronzer so I might pass on this but it's nice to see you back in action! Miss ya lots!

Mrs. Lynne, MakeupFix.net said...

Hey nilla cookie! I'm also guilty of hardly reaching for a bronzer. Me likes blush MUCH better, haha!

Miss you too, hun!!!!

Anonymous said...

you look so natural, which is what i would love to get from my pressed powder i use black radiance and it makes me look like am wearing a mask no matter what tool i use and it contains some shimmer which makes it better as a bronzer.

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