How oily are you, on a scale of one to ten? I have combination skin but in this weather, I'm quite oily most days! During normal weather I'd say I'm a 6.5 in oiliness, but this season's deadly combination of heat and humidity makes me feel like I'm an 8! Ugh. Good thing I managed to grab the Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder (P1,050 for 3oz / P700 for 1.5oz) from Digital Traincase early last April. It really helped me manage the extra oil, and gives my skin a super smooth finish to boot.

Here's a rundown!

What I love about the product

• Helps me control oil on my face longer. I usually oil up in two hours, but if I wear a layer of Ben Nye on top of whatever foundation I have on, I delay the oil for at least two hours.
• The translucent, slightly yellowish coverage allows me to wear it with any base makeup. In fact, I can wear it by itself and it would still smoothen and somehow brighten my skin (due to the yellow tint).

Hello Liz, first up, thanks for providing us, your readers, so much info on make-up, fashion, etc, etc! Love love LOVE your blog! Anyway, I hope you can help answer my question.

My sister told me that I need to use finishing/setting powder after I put on my make-up so I finally bought one - Laura Mercier translucent setting powder. After a few days into using the product, I noticed that my skin became dry and flaky especially in the cheeks and forehead area. I use a fluffy powder brush to apply it (I even tap the brush to make sure that I don't get too much powder on my face). I was hoping there's an alternative product that I can use to set my make-up as I've never had this problem with my skin before. Is a finishing/setting powder a must or can I skip this part altogether?

I hope to hear from you! - Kaya

Thanks for reading my blog, Kaya! ;) Your flaking and dryness may be an allergic reaction from the product. That is, there might be an ingredient in your new powder that's causing the dryness. It's best to stop using it for now and observe! If you're still using it and the reaction has stopped nonetheless, it could be that your skin was just adjusting to the new product and is a-ok now.

So is it absolutely necessary to use a loose setting powder? Yes, if you're using wet makeup (liquid or cream foundation, BB cream, tinted moisturizer etc.) underneath! The powder helps the wet makeup solidify and settle better, the way sand was used to dry up ink in handwritten letters.

The Palgantong Theatrical Powder (P600/10 g from Beauty and Minerals) is a loose powder that's made of ultra-fine particles which deliver a smooth, photogenic finish. I've read that it has a quiet fan base among makeup artists and those who know makeup! True enough, Sophie and Brigitte (makeup artists and beauty blogger friends) are huge fans of this powder.

After using it for a few weeks, I can see why! 

What I love about the product

• This is the clincher: this loose powder delivers a super smooth, flawless finish. Doesn't matter what foundation you're wearing - it looks smooth even close up.
• Looks great in photos! I imagine that this is perfect to wear to events when you have heavy coverage foundation on. It helps your foundation look more natural.