681 Barry M Ready Set Loose Setting Powder

I’ll be honest with you, I only bought this because of the size, it was quite compact for a loose powder pot. I was going away for a couple of days, but I didn’t want to take my big one, so I walked around my local Boots and just found the smallest loose powder I could find. In general, loose setting powders are quite big because the powder takes up more room and you need a compartment to dip your brush or sponge into the product. I typically use the No7 one and have done it for a couple of years now. That one doesn’t travel well because it is a big pot, it has never got out or exploded it just takes up a big space in my makeup bag.

The first note I found is that the pot is quite hard to open (it might just be me, I have trouble with my wrist now and struggle to open many jars and packets). I would avoid opening it in a car, over your clean outfit and around any dark-coloured fabrics unless you want to cover them in loose powder. Maybe try to open it over a sink or a bin, I tend to do my makeup and then get dressed so I don’t mind getting the powder on my bedclothes.

My second note is the translucent quality of this one, most of the loose powders you can buy in the shops have a tint to them. Again, this could be fine for you, but it does change my makeup a lot. I have fair skin, so I struggle to find a good shade of foundation, if the powder has a colour to it, then it will also be the colour of my foundation. If there is no tint my foundation shade remains the same. I prefer the completely translucent ones.

I’m not sure about the product, for me (I have oily skin) it didn’t seem to have the best performance. I had to top it up a couple of times throughout the day, it was good enough for the time I needed it, but I can’t see myself including this in my everyday makeup. You can find better ones, well I don’t like the word better, you can find higher quality powders. It’s not awful or useless but I prefer the No7 one for my skin. If you are on a tight budget or just starting with makeup, then this would work but I would keep a pressed powder in my bag to touch up during the day. I would even get this as a backup to have in my collection, you know when you haven’t planned, and you run out unexpectedly or if you only want your makeup to stay on for a couple of hours.

The packaging is a real nail breaker if you know what I mean. You can take comfort in the fact that it won’t spill in your handbag and go everywhere. That hasn’t happened to me yet, I haven’t had any of my makeup explode but I bet it will happen now, it would be an excuse to get a new handbag though which I could work with.

Overall, I didn’t hate it, but I don’t love it. I don’t think I would put it in my daily routine, but I might get one to have in my collection as a backup for quick outings or as a gift to someone just starting in makeup. It could be the foundation I like; I prefer quite high coverage so maybe this just doesn’t have the power to cover the foundation well. Let me know how you get on if you give this one a go. If you would like to try this product, head down to your local Boots or Superdrug, alternatively if you would enjoy staying in the comfort of your own home, click this link in the button below.