collection 2000 pressed powder > Reviews (7)

I have tried many face powders over the years, as I just can't seem to find one that is suitable for my incredibly pale skin. You'd think that as a nation of pale folk there would be tons of pale powders knocking about, but that just isn't the case. In addition I am unlucky enough to have combination skin, with dry cheeks and an oily nose, forehead and chin, which complicates matters somewhat.

I had been using a Boots 17 powder that was just a shade too dark for a good few years before I saw a friend of mine using this one. I actually exclaimed aloud as I had never seen a powder that pale before! She told me that it was Collection 2000 pressed powder so off I went to the shop to try it for myself.

Collection 2000 makeup is available in many stores including Boots and Superdrug, and in my opinion is one of the best budget makeup brands. I am reasonably familiar with their products so I could not believe I had been missing out on this powder for so long!

Sure enough, I found this powder on the stand and was thrilled with its bargain price of £1.99 - cheap even by Collection 2000 standards. The pot is very basic, as in the picture above, with a navy blue base and plastic lid: there is no mirror or applicator included but then again I wouldn't have expected one for the price.

My powder was in the lightest shade available: Ivory, which is much paler than any other powder I've ever used! The pack says: "An ultra fine powder enriched with Silk and blended with moisturisers. Contains Silk, Vitamin E, UVA & UVB sunscreen". I must say I certainly wouldn't rely on this, or any other powder, to provide sunscreen on it's own; then again, if I did I'm sure I wouldn't be wanting the palest shade!

My preferred method of application is to sweep a large brush through the powder and dust over my face. I find the coverage is good and the powder blends well (both over foundation and on its own), however sometimes it does dry my cheeks out a little. The powder only seems to last half a day on the oily parts of my face, so I carry it round to reapply.

As the previous reviewer said, the powder does break up when it is beginning to run out, and not just the powder but the plastic top, the last one I had cracked into bits before I had finished with it! Intriguingly, on the underside of the compact there is a tiny hole (presumably to push the metal powder container out through) and the words "Push pin in hole to remove refill". So perhaps this powder isn't designed to be carried around by itself at all, but to be put into a reusable compact? If any folk on Ciao could advise me as to whether there is a compact somewhere in existence which could be used for this purpose (perhaps the other Collection 2000 compact with the flowers?) I would be very grateful!

Overall, this powder is a good product and absolutely fantastic for the price. However, I have to say that if more powders were available in my skin tone I would be willing to pay a little more money for something that didn't dry out my cheeks and didn't need to be applied on my nose every few hours. I wouldn't mind a sturdier compact either. What I would really like is to try some mineral powder but there isn't any available in my skin tone. I don't understand why Collection 2000 don't do this shade in their other foundation and powder - I'd certainly try it!

Of course, I could always jump on a sunbed and solve all my problems but until that day comes (and pigs might fly) I will continue to use this powder.