REVIEW: Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Glow Powder
I've been very interested in trying more Sonia Kashuk lately. One of my favorite fall/winter palettes, the Jewel Of An Eye palette, is from her and the quality is completely on point, so I figured recently that it was time to get my hands on a few more things and see how they pan out. I don't remember where I heard or read about this powder, but I do remember someone making the claim that the finish could be considered a dupe for an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. Now, if you've ever read anything resembling a wishlist from me, you'll know that I am desperately wanting to own those powders (and, to be honest, will be purchasing the palette of them literally tomorrow), but something dupable at a fraction of the cost definitely sounded like it was worth a try. It ended up in my cart at Target moments after I noticed it on the shelf.
I've been using this pretty consistently for the past couple of weeks, so keep reading to hear my thoughts...
From the Sonia Kashuk website:
Sonia introduces a new illuminating formula that perfectly captures light for a smoother-looking complexion and lit-from-within glow. The croc-embossed pressed translucent powder combines the best features of baked, powder, cream and fluid formulas to awaken and refresh the skin for a bright, naturally polished finish.
Sounds pretty good, right? I thought so too.
First, you know we're going to keep it superficial. I actually really like the packaging of this product. It comes in simple matte black packaging with a sturdy plastic window. When you open the top, there are two layers, one for the product and a compartment underneath that houses a brush and a surprisingly nice mirror. One nice feature that makes this packaging stand out from others that are in the same style is that there's a very easy plastic piece that allows you to lift the top layer easily without having to fuss or fiddle with it at all. The powder itself is pure white, embossed with a croc pattern and has a kind of wavy shape in the pan. It's a small detail, but I actually quite like it both esthetically and practically. The dip in the middle is a perfect place to run your brush to pick up product.
Usually, for me, when there's one of these kind of flat
brushes included with a powder product it ends up almost immediately
just being tossed. The quality just never seems any good and it rarely
makes sense for the product that it's included with. This is not like
that at all. In fact, I don't really have any desire to apply this
product with any brush other than the one included. I suppose I
shouldn't be all that surprised, since Sonia Kashuk also makes brushes
that are of pretty solid quality, but I still was. While this isn't the
highest quality brush ever, it's head and shoulders above most other
brushes included with powder products. The bristles are soft and
flexible, which allows a soft sweep over the skin, and the shape of the
brush is flat and curved along the tops which I find allows for a
concentrated application if you just want a light wash. Overall, I'm
super impressed with this brush.
Now, for the important part. The product itself.
This product
is interesting in texture and actually makes me wonder if a more
accurate dupe than the Hourglass powders would be the NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder. The powder is quite dry and can actually sometimes feel a little bit difficult to get out of the pan. I actually
don't find this to be a bad thing, although I can definitely see how
some people might be frustrated with it. I think it keeps you from applying too much product to the face. This powder is pure white with a sheen rather than a shimmer to it. I wouldn't recommend this as an all over powder for people with deep skintones as it could end up looking ashy, but I do think it could still work as a slight sheen if applied very specifically to the face. I have found that if I'm not careful and don't warm up my pale skin with bronzer, this can end up making me look a little lighter than what I'd like.
I've used this powder in a couple of different ways in the time I've been testing it out. The first way is as a highlight to the tops of the cheekbones and other higher points on the face. I think that for me this gives just enough glow to the face, but I absolutely prefer a very subtle highlight. For people who prefer a much glowier look, I think that this powder would end up being far too subtle when used in that way. I've also used it to set the concealer under my eyes. This is, by far, my favorite way of using this product. I prefer to use it after a corrector that has neutralized my dark circles, as I don't like to use white powders over that kind of blue discoloration generally. As an undereye brightening setting powder, this works amazingly well. It really locks the creamy products in place while bringing light to that area. I've also used this as a setting powder all over the face and I like it this way as well. However, it does require a light hand when used it that way and I would only recommend a very light dusting to lock everything in place without giving too much white glow.
Overall, I'm really impressed with this product and actually quite want to try the loose powder version and see how I like it. I'm actually really impressed with everything that I've tried from Sonia Kashuk and haven't found a dud yet. Look for more reviews to come!
XO.
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