This is my favorite foundation ever. You have to apply with a primer under, because if you don't it wont stay on long at all. I find that this gives a really nice natural finish, and i think it's mineral foundation, so it won't make skin break out and does not have any harsh chemicals or parabens. The coverage can be build up, and even used as a concealer. At around 20$ a compact, this is a really good foundation, but it does not last an extremely long time.

I just recently purchased this on a whim ... because of how many great reviews it has received on here, and I have to say - this will be another one of those. This will now, and hopefully forever be my HG foundation! Which I must give Aveda props for ... I have been searching for such an amazing product for many years now. It's frustrating trying to find a foundation that covers extremely well, doesn't cake, wears all day, doesn't produce shine and goes on like a dream - and this one does it all. I did read that people complained about the packaging - which I don't understand. I was advised to just use it in its plastic packing it comes with - and so far its been fine, and saved me 35$ CDN on one of their fancy compacts. Just don't throw away the sponge that comes with it (if you choose to not use it) and keep it inside the packing with the foundation so it doesn't move around and potentially crack. I will say however, that I bought the lightest shade 01cream, and in the salon it looked pretty darn good with matching my skin tone - but once I got home .. I find it to be a tad too light, which is nothing to fret about - I just had some bronzer. So once I run out of this I will probably purchase one shade darker. Definitely give this stuff a try! It's a great foundation! Good job Aveda!

I just recently discovered this and I really like it. I was in the market for a nice powder foundation, but wanted to avoid MAC Studio Fix and go for a more natural line.Glad I stumbled into the Aveda shop.
This provides nice even, smooth coverage. I am pretty fair and went for the Cream shade. The only thing I do not care for is the packaging, I wish it would come with the compact for an introductory offer. And then you can buy refills after to pop in your compact. Other than that minimal complaint this is a very nice powder foundation.

Out of all the mineral foundations I've tried this is THE best so far. BE, Laura Mercier, Merle Norman and Physician's Formula all left my skin feeling itchy, uncomfortable, and irritated. By the end of the day (sometimes not that long) I would look splotchy, greasy, cakey, or washed out. I also never found a great color match with any of the previous brands.
The obvious plus for Aveda is that it does NOT itch or irritate my skin. It's feels very comfortable, as if I'm wearing nothing at all. And it hasn't broken me out. In fact, I think it has improved the condition of my skin; breakouts aren't as frequent and my skin tone seems more even. This might have something to do with the *mostly* natural, plant based ingredients. I also found a perfect color match: 03 Linen, which is on the fairer end of medium. These features alone are huge for me and outweigh all the negatives (which I'll get to in a minute). But first I'll address the rest of the positives:
+No shimmer. I prefer to add shimmer (or extra glow) with products other than my foundation.
+Packaging. The powder compact makes for easier, faster, less messy application than other brands. I feel like I waste less than I did with the loose powder formulas.I know some people might not like the small powder compact and minimal packaging. No it isn't fancy or glamorous packaging. But I'm over all that.
+Great texture/application/blendability. The powder has a buttery soft feeling. It's very fine, and melts right in with my skin and blends quickly and evenly. Even on top of heavier moisturizers. It's also very buildable coverage minus the cake, and never settles into fine lines or pores even when I wear heavier coverage.
+Never greasy or shiny. Ever. This might be because it lacks shimmer or mica.
+Price. I think $24 is pretty reasonable.
Ok there are some negatives...
-Can accentuate dryness. Sometimes it can feel a little heavy and cakey if I apply with the sponge. But this problem is remedied with my skin care; I've noticed that if I exfoliate and moisturize I don't have this problem.
-Doesn't provide enough covereage for undereye circles. But again, I think this problem could be solved by other means, like a better eye cream (which I have yet to find). Or I probably just need to find another product for concealer, since I battle the undereye problem more often than not these days.
-Isn't very long-lasting. I have to re-apply mid or late day, especially if I have a particularly knarly blemish or redness. And although I think it is reasonably priced, I hit pan on this pretty quickly. I buy a refill roughly every month-month and a half.
Sooo to sum up, if you are looking for a mineral makeup and you have dry or sensitive skin, I would definitely suggest this product. There is no bismuth, talc, or mica, and no parabens or synthetic ingredient I've found to irritate my skin so far. And I've been using the product for about 5-6 months now. Or if you've tried other mineral formulas with no luck (as I did) and are looking for something a little different, try this!

I love this foundation. It gives such a nice finish. I apply this over the TM by Aveda. Just lightly if any in the summer but a little more during the rest of the year. I use this dry with the Sephora #55 brush and it lasts all day.

I have, after ALL these years, finally found my HOLY GRAIL foundation! I can't tell you how great of a feeling that is! I used to wear Aveda, even before it was called "Aveda" (I think it used to be INDRA), and they had a dual powder foundation in Alabaster, which was my favorite and this was many years ago, like 20. Well, in the meantime I used everything from powder to liquid to cream, never finding the true match for my NW20/fairish/neutral to cool skintone. Everything either broke me out, was gone by the end of the day, or was not a color match. I had Body & Soul, Versace, Nina Ricci, Armani, Mac, La Prairie, Covergirl, the list goes on. I TRIED everything but nothing was like my dearly departed Alabaster. I even tried Aveda's powder foundation when it was the Dual Base Minus Oil in Aster, which I liked but I preferred Studio Fix instead, as it never gave me that polished perfect skin look from the olden days of Alabaster. Since they discontinued Dual Base Minus Oil and reformulated with Tourmaline and called it Inner Light, I picked up a pan and it was MAGIC! OK that's the history behind me and Aveda.
This powder is the most beautiful, perfectly matched for my skintone foundation I have ever had. It leaves a totally flawless face in seconds and covers any imperfection with gusto! The color Aster is totally perfect for my complexion, and I look like I'm lit from within as soon as I swipe on my face. The color is absolutely spot-on and just a gorgeous neutral shade with no overly yellow color nor any hint of orange. Just pure neutrality and the color of my skin! The only downside is that it's a little tough to work with when your face is damp (from moisturizer) so make sure you give it about 10 minutes for sunblock or moisturizers to dry before application. I use a sponge, but also love the finish when I use my Ecotools Bronzer brush when I'm in a rush for a lighter coverage look. Either way it's totally natural looking and really melts into the skin. In fact, I have received compliments such as "your skin looks great," and "you look good (from a guy)" when I wear this foundation. I have never received compliments on my skin ever before!
I HOPE, hope, hope this is never discontinued, I absolutely adore this foundation and look forward to the mornings when I can make myself up due to this foundation!! Try it! It's absolutely excellent! continued >>

I LOVE this powder, the absolute best I have tried. It looks very natural, it has great coverage and it matches me perfectly (which is always a problem). The only bad thing is that I can't buy it in México and I'm already addicted to this thing. I will buy this again, and again and again.

I love this stuff. Very expensive in Australia, but still. Worth it. I also love the refillable packaging.

Super great coverage in a compact powder formula...totally renders face powder unnecessary, since it's like a foundation and powder in one. Love it! I just wish the packaging was a little sturdier.

Just got this yesterday....I'm looking for a replacement for Sheercover which I've been using for about a year (I decided it might be the reason I get itchy red spots throughout the day, not a nice look). I applied over spots as a concealer with a damp q-tip, and then used a kabuki brush for foundation coverage. Gotta say, the coverage seems great, and it feels good so far. I'll wait until I see if my sensitive, acne-prone skin breaks out to give it a full stamp of approval.

This is my HG foundation. I like that it comes in a small little plastic flap so it fits in the purse easily. Use a good brush to apply, or the sponge when in a pinch...just not wet. The wet application is uneven and strange. I've tried every powder foundation out there, and this one is THE ONE.

This is an amazing powder foundation! The coverage is light to full and very buildable. I have quite a bit to cover as I have oily skin with big pores, acne scars (red and textured) and under eye circles and this is just so beautiful. It is my favourite powder foundation right now. It is pricey ($33.50 CAD) and the packaging is a bit awkward since you either work with the plastic that it comes in or buy one of their reusable compacts. I bought a reusable compact that in Canada costed me $27.50 plus tax. It is an intial investment but it is nice packaging that is good for the environment and you can switch out what you put in there - blushes, powder, bronzer, eye shadows so its quite nice. It is has all day wear, kept my shine under control and the finish truly is like an Inner Light. It just makes you look healthy and youthful, which we all want to achieve. I have skin that is sensative too and this responded nicely to my skin. I am in colour 02 aster, in reference to Studio Fix Powder foundation NW20-25. You can use it as a foundation, which I do with some concealer or you can use it as a finishing powder to get that blurred effect. One warning, if you are dry skined, make sure to moisturize but that is with all powder foundations. Give it a try! You won't regret it! :)

I love this foundation. I have really sensitive skin, that is also quite dry. This covers as sheer or as full as you prefer. I really like the compact idea for it. You buy the foundation in a little package and put it into the reuseable compact. You can apply the foundation dry, with a brush, or use a damp sponge to put it on damp. I have bought this several times, and will keep on buying it. Due to my sensitive skin, I change my foundations around so I don't get sensitized to one, but I keep buying this one.

As many of you who've suffered from acne, people with acne prone skin are in the catch-22 world of needing exceptionally good coverage that will last all day without worsening your breakouts; almost an impossible quest, like finding a 0 calorie cheesecake that tastes good. I've bought a lot of makeup over the years trying to find that balance and I've come to the end of my journey with this product. A lot of other people have mentioned the good about this so I won't go much into detail but I wanted to do my part and share my experience. I use the second lightest shade aster, and it fits my complexion perfectly. Although the packaging is small, it provides amazing coverage. This also layers very well so I find that instead of using a concealer, I can just use a smaller brush to go over blemish areas then overall with a larger brush (like kabuki) to give a very smooth matte coverage. This also lasts for a mineral makeup. I travel for business frequently and end up wearing it for over 10 hours. I don't retouch often simply because of the type of skin I have but I have done so in some situations and it still layers without discoloration. I do use a loose powder to keep the makeup last longer but if it's going to be a short duration I don't need to bother with it. Also, even after awhile the makeup does not "sink" into your lines or flake off after awhile, something I've noticed with other mineral makeups like bareminerals.
I've spent a lot of money over the years trying out so many different products, that this is worth every penny to me.
Something I do want to add is that although this is "dual" I do not really like the liquid part. The Aveda rep showed me how to do this but I found that if I use it as a liquid the shade turns lighter so I look much paler. Also the coverage isn't very good in my opinion although I guess it is supposed to last longer. Maybe I'm just bad at it but the powder form is amazing and I'm sure there are better liquid foundations out there.

If Aveda ever discontinued this, I would collapse into a ball on the floor and sob for a week. Think I'm kidding? Alright, maybe I'm being a little overly dramatic, but that's pretty much how I feel about this amazing powder foundation. It took me almost 19 years to find the perfect foundation. Now that I have it, I feel like my "quest" is over. I'm found my prize. LOL About the product, it is an amazing silky powder that keeps my combo-oily skin matte ALL day, with ZERO touch-ups. It covers flawlessly. I have very uneven skin with slight rosacea and acne scarring and this foundation makes my skin look better than it ever has. I don't even need a concealer with it! The best part is, I can layer it on in certain areas and it never looks cakey or fake. It also takes VERY little to achieve flawless coverage. I use a big kabuki brush (Ecotools bronzer brush) to apply. The color I chose is PERFECT. I ordered the lightest shade, "01 Cream" and was so excited that it was not only light enough, but matched my skin perfectly! For reference, I wear BB Alabaster, MAC NC10. Most makeup brands are too dark for me, so it was exciting to find a product that is healthy and natural-looking and also matches me! Lastly, this foundation does NOT break me out! I feel like I'm finally found my HG!!

This foundation is pretty awesome!!! It comes in a plastic compact and it comes with a makeup sponge the same size as the foundation. I like the sponge, but I haven't really used it that much.
I use Aster, 'cause I'm pale, and it matches really well! I use it with the Aveda Kabuki brush -which is the BEST BRUSH EVER!!!!!- and it has really good coverage and the BEST thing about it is, it makes your skin feel SOOOO SOFT!!!! I dont even know why it does, I tend to touch my face alot and whenever I touch it when I am wearing this, I am like WOAH!!! MY FACE IS SO SMOOTH AND SOFT!!!! I have only used it dry though and I have almost perfect skin as it is and I don't need such full coverage, but I don't know how to use it wet.
Can anyone tell my how to use it wet???!!!! THANK YOU
Edit: IT DOESN'T BREAK ME OUT AND I HAVE SENSITIVE SKIN!!

I really love this stuff. I attended an Aveda institute for their esthiology program and all of my classmates used this powder. I never saw what the big deal was until I tried it. It covers incredibly well and it makes my skin look flawless. It has tourmaline in it, which is a mineral that helps increase skin's radiance. I like to apply this with a sponge over my liquid foundation for heavier coverage. It's great by itself too. On my drier days, I have to make sure to not use too much because it does accentuate dryness (but so do most powders). However, I don't like that this foundation doesn't come with a compact. I have two of the environmental compacts but I find that they are so big. I just wish they made a slimmer one just to keep this powder in. That's a small price to pay for a really great powder. I will definitely repurchase this.

The Aveda Dual Light foundation looks absolutely gorgeous. I remember the first time I wore it before going out clubbing my girls all stopped in their tracks and were wowed by how flawless I looked. I always get compliments on how perfect my skin looks whenever I wear this whether I lightly dust it over my face during the day or apply more heavily at night. It is amazing coverage for a powder foundation and I didn't need to use liquid foundation underneath to give me that perfect canvas skin look and yet you can use it during the day as long as you use a light hand with a largish powder brush as it is very build able. It is very finely milled and doesn't break me out even though i've slept in it a few times after a couple drunken nights out lol (which needless to say I do NOT suggest) You have to buy the separate case if you'd like b/c it doesn't come with but I just use it in the plastic container it comes in.
Cons: It doesn't look great in flash photography. Which I think is because it contains SPF 12 and as we all know, anything with spf will give you a whitish cast in photos. It's the only reason why I give it four lippies instead of five. If you are going to put spf in this, why not bump up the spf much higher? If you don't plan to take much photos in this though I highly recommend this.
Overall I really like it! I think i'm going to use it as a daily powder and try to find something else that I can wear at night on the weekends because when I go out I tend to take a lot of photos.
update-----------
It is so finely milled that you hit pan very quickly so don't keep swirling it around with a huge brush like i've been doing like an idiot and just dab and buff it on your skin.

I've been using this foundation for several months now and I love it! I have very sensitive, acne-prone skin. For a powder foundation, this product has amazing coverage! It also keeps my skin from getting too oily or breaking out. The only issue I have with it is the price. I pay about $33.50 Canadian...and the product doesn't last that long. I cringe every time I have to buy it, but once I start using it I realize it is worth the price! This product has a light natural scent. It can be applied with a sponge or brush. I prefer to use the sponge because it gives a bit more coverage. I'd recommend giving it a try!

For ref. my skin is NW15, sensitive, always some spots and I hate that silicone fealing that my face can't breathe (Hmm... Chanel Perfection Lumiere).
However, I have been using this foundation now for 4 years and I can tell you that I ALWAYS return to this powder foundation because it has everything I want in a foundation.
I am shocked by how much liquid foundation girls use because it is so bad for your skin.
Pros:
a) This powder foundation covers equal or more than a liquid foundation, it has full cover. I only need a tiny amount.
b) It doe NOT contain talc! It also has some really nice ingredients....
c) The colour selection is perfect for my fair skin!
d) The price is good, specially compared to another of my favorite powder foundation from Laura Mercier and each case of this powder lasts me for about 3 months.

Cons:
a) I love all the ingredients except for the dimethicone and the seed oil... I think the oil is the cause of some pores clogging and I dont like silicones on my face, but I can tolerate it.
b) I seriously dislike the casing. It comes in a plastic container with the pan inside and a sponge. I always have to use a pin to get the products out of the corners. Full casings are sold seperatly but they are so bulky!
c) Only 7gr. in a pan!

Tips:
a) When the product is almost finished, i scrape the corners and put it in the plastic container around the pan. Then I can dip a brush in and use the rest.
b) MAC 109 brush is great for this powder, or MAC 187 if you want a sheerer coverage or use it wet.
c) I ALWAYS set this foundation powder with a translucent powder!!
i) Aveda Loose Powder
ii) MUFE HD Powder
iii) Shiseido translucent pressed powder