I've been using this as a setting powder for years with the best results. The powder is very fine milled and so the cake is super hard which means you need so little to do the job. I swipe a big powder brush over the powder and it's enough to set foundation. Looks very flawless and natural. Pricey yet worth it as it lasts forever.

I figured I would put a review for this stuff up since I heard it's being DC'd. I knew I should've gone and picked some up before it's demise! Let me say, this stuff is amazing. I took one lippie off for packaging and also the price (it's a little on the spendy side for such a small amount, really). I've tried countless powder foundations, none compare. From MAC to various DS brands, to many MANY MMU products. I'm not sure why I ever strayed - smooth texture, great coverage (my skin's a little beat up from acne battles for a while), keeps oilies at bay, doesn't show any dry patches and best of all, I had a great color match (Aster, which IIRC is/was the 2nd lightest color). If you are a fan of this product, go snatch some up now. If you're thinking of getting this product, go snatch some up now!

My all-time fave powder foundation. It does provides light-to-medium coverage and most importantly does not cause breakouts. While it doesn't keep my face super matte, compared to other powders, it does help with the oilies.
Would definitely recommend.

I won't be buying again. It's just too expensive, the packaging stinks (too bulky) and I feel like other products will last longer and look better. It's not the owrst product I've ever tried: I haven't broken out, color is nice, finsh is ok, but far from what spending this much has me expecting.

Loved the formula, ease of use (my first time using powder foundation--never switching back), and environmentally friendly packaging. Didn't like the limited color selection--everything looked too pink on my South Asian skin. I might have lived with all this ... but during nap time my toddler kissed me and said, "I don't like how your face smells"! The light fragrance is nice for the first 2 minutes, but really stressed my (and my daughter's) olfactory sense later. If they came out with a fragrance-free, color match formula, I'd get it again. I've turned to Laura Mercier foundation powder.

This product changed my entire approach to makeup. My complexion is the sort that that any type of overall foundation, no matter how lightly applied, will feather and crack. I am fortunate to have had a rather fair and even skin tone, such that just omitting foundation all-together never bothered me. As I've gotten older I've noticed a greater need for a basic overall coverage. BareMinerals was close, but gave a too powdery over-all appearance. This product was the perfect balance of opaque coverage with powder application. Depending on how much coverage I need, I apply wet or dry - works flawlessly either way.
Although I love Aveda products and I commend their "green" mentality, their packaging really leaves something to be desired. I actually leave my Dual Base in the original plastic case rather than transferring it to my refillable Aveda compact. The plastic case absorbs more impact [and I am constantly dropping my makeup!] and also keeps the powder fresher.
PROTIP: The sponge does get caked quickly and will work much better if you periodically clean it with a little baby shampoo and let it air dry.

Some pros and cons: I love the way this foundation looks and feels. It gives a flawless, fresh, baby skin look to my uneven, combo skin. I love the natural ingredients and fresh scent, also it doesn't transfer to clothing which is great. I've received many compliments while using it; BUT it takes too long to apply as it is a tiny little square cake and the clumsy sponge applicator cakes up/clogs quickly. It takes many swipes to cover the entire face. If you have a lot of patience this is a great choice but for me, time in the morning is a luxury! Also you have to buy a magnetic compact to put it in. I use the Aveda compact and sometimes the cake tin slides around on the magnet when I'm in a hurry and swiping quickly, it has even popped out a few times which resulted in broken bits of foundation everywhere! Also the 2oz at $20 doesn't last very long, about two months for me using it once a day, every day. After 5 years of using this I've switched to L'Oreal Cashmere Perfect Creme Powder Foundation. It looks almost as fresh and is so much easier to work with and not so harsh on the wallet.

I wish they still made this. I totally love it! I used a brush to apply, and the color Cream was a perfect match. It had great coverage and blendability, and it stayed looking great all day. I haven't tried the new version of this, but I loved the old. ARGH! Why change a good thing?

I have been using this product off and on for 11 years and I keep coming back to it because it works really well with my combination skin. I have left it to try less expensive versions and because I'm always looking for that "perfect foundation", but this one really has a lot going for it in my opinion. I really dislike liquid foundation and those powder/cream ones that are more thick sludge than actual powder foundation and Aveda's is the only I've found to be a dry powder that won't dry out my skin which has always been a problem for me especially during winter months. Also, it is versatile in the fact that you can apply it either wet or dry, but I've found applying it wet makes for too heavy of coverage. It is also very good at masking imperfections and minor skin discolerationns and gives my skin an all over even color and when I wear it I get lots of compliments that I have perfect skin and believe me I don't! The only problem I've found with it besides the packaging is if you're not careful you can apply too much and make it look cakey, but if you take a clean sponge you can easily blend that away.

Cost: Refill-$22.00 CAD
My coloring- Linen and Aster
Coverage- Med-Full, Buildable
Finish- Powdery, Ashy/Grey cast in natural light.
Side Effects- None
I still prefer La Prairie Powdery and Clarins Express. My major dislike is even with/without primer/or sunblock, color still smudges .

I have combination skin with the occasional break out and uneven skin tone....this product is the best I have used so far but you have to make sure that you chose the correct color for your skin (I ran out of my color and so were they so I tried the next color and it was soooo not the same)! Out of all the foundations I've used I like this the best...and beleive me I've tried them all pretty much. I use the concealer first then apply this with a soft bristle powder brush and it's like WOW. I like it waaaaaay better than bare minerals. the one thing i liked the most is my skin liked it. When ever I try a new foundation, they usually always cause my skin to react in a negative way ie: dryness, breakouts, slipping away with oil development, I have not had problems with this product. I will not use anything else ever again.

Ok, here is the good, the bad - and ultimately the ugly about this product. Good: great coverage - excellent shade choice, goes on smooth, can layer it without too bad of a chalky effect, and scentless - which when you look at all of Aveda - practically everything has a heavy smell, so this is a plus in my book.
The Bad: the amount you get for the price is poor for one, and its such a small square its really hard to work your sponge into the area to get enough on the sponge, its rather awkard. Packaging could be better - you buy the compact part seperately - which I think the design could be better. Mine constantly popped open which was annoying (and messy.)
.. and now the Ugly: If you get ANY facial oil on the sponge - which then touches the compact - the whole disc cakes up and becomes unusable unless you decide to scrape away the hardened part. SO lets say you touch up your T-zone mid day, that oil that hits your sponge then hits the compact, and the makeup has this very weird reaction becoming hard. - this effect usually happens about 3 weeks after buying a refill. So the truth is you can even use all of the makeup - which is already very expensive- end up really costing a fortune for how short it really lasts-
I switched to MAC - and have never looked back! (was Aveda Linen - and now MAC NC30)

I can't make up my mind on this one. On the one hand, it doesn't break me out, and it's near impossible to find a powder foundation that doesn't. Yet on the other hand, the pearlescent finish makes my skin look very shiny. It wears pretty well and the color selection is ok. But the compact that you have to buy to house the tiny pallete is a rip off.

Good quality, and good coverage... but the color matches are not great, and this powder foundation has the tendency to turn me orange by the end of the day.

I love the texture of this product but unfortunately it made me very oily! Other than that it provides about a medium coverage and if you can find your color match and you are not too oily then this is a good choice. Stay away if you have oily skin though! Did I mention stay away if you have oily skin?!!!

THIS HAS BEEN REFORMULATED!!!! HERE ARE THE NEW INGREDIENTS:
Alcohol Denat.
Aluminum Myristate
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Diazolidinyl Urea
Dimethicone
Fragrance (Parfum)
Geraniol
Iron Oxides
Magnesium Myristate
Methylparaben
Mica
Propylparaben
Sandalwood (Santalum Album) Oil
Squalane
Talc
Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)
Tocopherol
Tocopherol
Ultramarines
Zinc Stearate

I just RIS and so far, I am really loving it! I've been wearing it for over a week now. I wore it dry and used a brush to apply, goes on quick and easy! You can also use a sponge and it allows for wet or dry application, I prefer dry. Also can be used over liquid foundations.
On the up side: it has awesome coverage, no concealers needed with it, minimizes pores very well and makes my skin look smooth and even. Super fast application with a brush. Doesn't break me out or leave me with oily T-zone. Some days I must touch up, but for the most part, lasts very well throughout the day.
On the down side: it feels a touch gritty if you get too much on, only a small amount is needed and I believe it can't cling to itself if you get too much on, although clings well to your skin in a single layer. Offers full coverage when dry. In addition, I don't like that you must purchase the compact to hold it in, which brings the price up even more, however I don't mind using it from the pan held in the plastic sleeve.
Even with the downside, this one may be in the running for HG foundation for me. UPDATE: This is now my HG foundation, I really love the coverage, ease, feel and wear of this product and still no breakouts or oily T zone!! I do have to touch it up in places, not the whole face, half way through the day though, I don't mind, but something to consider if you want a longer lasting product.

I find this is one of the only powders that works well for me. It matches my skin. i like how it doesn't smell "make up-y" and looks nice. Has a nice texture and feel. I didn't like having to buy a seperate kit for it but I do enjoy only having to get replacement powder refills.

i have combination (in a word) skin -- my forehead is EXTREMELY greasy (not oily -- greasy would definitely be the operative word, here.), while my cheeks, nose, and eye areas are very dry...oh, and to top it off, my cheekbones and chin are mildly oily. my whole face is extremely acne-prone, and i'm fairly pale. My fair skin emphasizes the acne/dryness, which makes my face reddish in spots. i had sworn off all foundation-type makeup years ago, since it seemed to make my face worse, but i was forced to wear makeup for my wedding. i like aveda's all-sensitive hair conditioner, so i decided to go the route of a higher-quality makeup (rather than the drug-store-purchased types). on my wedding day, i wore the liquid foundation with the powder foundation on top. after my wedding, i had a few job interviews, for which i wanted to look more professional -- SO, i painted my face again. the liquid made my greasy forehead into a clumpy sludge (that's the best way to describe it), so i decided to wear the powder alone. not only did it work well when i sponged it on over zits (it actually worked well as a concealer when sponged on!), but it evenly covered all my redness without looking caked -- even on my forehead. AND, to top it off (quite literally, actually), i used a large brush to finish the sponge application. the makeup looked AMAZING, in a word. To be fair, i've been using Philosophy 'The Present' clear makeup underneath my powder (instead of my usual oil of olay face lotion), which is AMAZING for skin like mine, by the way...i think it makes my face even smoother. either way, i now wear my aveda foundation in 'Dual Aster' nearly everyday (at my new job), with no additional zits to show for it. apparently, it also contains sunblock -- spf 15, i think, and it can be applied with a damp sponge, although i have not endeavored to attempt this as of yet. It rinses off easily at night, too, which is also a bonus. The only thing i disliked was the fact that i had to buy the compact separately, which was FAR too expensive! no matter, though...i think i'll be refilling it a lot. if anybody has any tips for skin such as mine (as far as other powder foundations that are helpful), i'd love to hear it! ******UPDATE***** i ran out of my dual aster, so i went out to buy the next lightest shade (linen, i think), and was hugely disappointed. apparently, aveda has changed their formula for this particular line of makeup. the stuff sat on my face, caked, and never completely blended with my skin (which it should have done, since it was the right color this time). it seems as though the new formula is not as finely milled as the last one, or perhaps some of their new ingredients just don't work well with my skin. either way, adios aveda. continued >>

I am very pale, but need a more yellow tint to a foundation. This Aveda product, like many other foundations made by other companies, seems to overlook pale people who need a yellow tone.
I used to have a color match in a formula that was apparently discontinued years ago. That same color, Aster, used to work for me.
I still try this every once and awhile. Each time I find that the product doesn't hold up very well on me. It seems to get blotchy/uneven very quickly. My skin is moderately oily.
I will try the replacement product for the Dual Base Minus Oil, Inner Light Dual Foundation, with hopes that it is a better color match and that the formula is a better fit. (I miss the early 1990s version, and hope Inner Light might be closer.) I just hope it fits in the Dual Base Minus case. :) I still clicked "no" for repurchase as I would not try Dual Base Minus Oil again.