Japan is a candy land for those who love pressed powder compacts. They are not only affordable but come in cute cases, especially by brands like Coffret D’Or, Maquillage, Aube, Esprique and the like.
These brands, although drugstore, are usually 3-4000JPY (USD36-49) for a pressed powder compact and very often the case is sold separately so you might even be set back 5-6000JPY (USD61-73). They are worth it though but luckily for those who don’t want to spend too much, there are more affordable compacts to be found.
Also, before you read on, I’m using the words “pressed powder” very loosely and define it as any powder compact. I’m aware that some brands have a pressed powder compact and also a powder foundation compact. The only difference I see in the two types of powder is that the powder foundation probably has higher coverage. But I quite like using powder foundation compacts as a finishing powder, especially with a big fluffy brush, so the end result is not too matte or chalky.
Anyway, onto the two Japanese drugstore pressed powder compacts which I think are excellent that are below 2,000JPY.
Kate Mineral Powder Foundation SPF15PA++ is a dream come true for those with sensitive skin. There are no parabens or fragrance and it is non-comedogenic. It also has olive oil, jojoba oil, and almond oil in its ingredients list.
This compact is 1,500JPY and the case is 400JPY which comes in just under 2,000JPY at 1,900JPY (USD23). I actually like the packaging and the simple white design with black words doesn’t look too bad at all. There is a mirror and the sponge is actually placed on top of the powder but I never use the sponge so I tossed that out. Those who prefer using the sponge may find this to be problematic as you don’t want a used sponge to be directly on top of the powder.
My skintone suits Ochre-C which is slightly more yellow than I’d like it to be but I just tend to pair this with foundations or BB creams that are a bit too light for me to balance things out. I really love the finish as it’s on the natural side and the skin looks slightly dewy within an house or two.
The one downside to this compact is that I do need to blot about three to four hours later. For other powders, I tend to blot at the six or seven hour mark so for me this powder doesn’t provide good oil control. This would probably work very well for those with drier complexions.
I still think this is a good pressed powder because it’s got a lot of plus points considering the price tag and you would usually have to pay more for non-comedogenic, paraben-free etc. type of products.
Coincidentally, the other drugstore pressed compact that I love is Rimmel’s Pure Natural Powder Foundation SPF25PA++, which has almost the same promises made by Kate’s version, except that it isn’t paraben-free. Still, both are made with mineral foundation and the finish silky and natural.
The Rimmel compact is better as it is more matte and controls oil better so I don’t really need to blot very often when I use this pressed powder.
My shade is OC-2 and it suits me to a tee. It costs 1,400JPY for the pressed powder and 500JPY for the case which makes it the same price as the Kate one.
The only downside to Rimmel’s compact is the case itself. It always tends to open up to reveal the sponge layer (which I do not use) so I have to use my fingernail to flip down the pressed powder layer which is on top. But if you prefer to use the sponge, this could be a good thing actually. I’m not a fan of the colour and design and I’m not proud to take this out with me.
However, I find these to be superior to Revlon’s ColorStay Pressed Powder which is more chalky and not as finely milled so you need to be more careful to avoid using a heavy hand.
Do you like any drugstore pressed powder compacts? Do you think the design of the compact is important?
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