Stila • Illuminating Powder Foundation • Powder

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*TOP REVIEWER* Xxkonixx on 5/4/2013 2:41:00 PM more reviews by Xxkonixx

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I really wanted to like this powder because it gives beautiful finish and that glowy look that i want.....i agree with most of you of this being just a pressed powder with light/ medium coverage which i was looking for......but then after an hour or two my face became very dehydrated with it..........i think maybe it's the corn starch that sucks up every bit of oil on my face.........not sure but it doesn't work out for me.......

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*TOP REVIEWER* Quilley on 11/4/2012 2:59:00 AM more reviews by Quilley

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I bought this on sale for under $4.00, so it's not such a loss. I'm not buying this as a powder foundation. Setting powder, yes. Blotting powder, maybe. Foundation powder? No. I used it wet, dry, damp. Kabuki brush, wedge sponge, foundation brush. The coverage is just not there. This is a hard powder. It cannot stand up to MAC's Studio Fix.

I don't own very many Stila products, but imo these are products that are made for a specific age group, maybe 15-24. This market keeps getting younger and younger and their products truly reflect this. I'm middle aged which means I need a foundation that at the very least delivers the illumination it claims to contain. There is nothing illuminating about this product.

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*TOP REVIEWER* cgw1 on 11/4/2012 1:46:00 AM more reviews by cgw1

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This powder was too sheer for my liking. I was looking for something that could be work by itself or over foundation. It was just wayyy to sheer to wear by itself. It is "luminous" though instead of being super matte which I did like a lot. Also, I really hate how I had to buy it in the plastic packaging. Not cute. Overall it's not that bad, just not what I was looking for. The finish is really pretty and has a slight sheen to it (nothing obvious..just kind of glowy). I have found my HG powder though..it's Fresh Face Luster. Sort of like the amped up version of Stila's illuminating powder. I would recommend the Fresh powder of the Stila's

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missmelsie on 11/4/2012 12:22:00 AM more reviews by missmelsie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium Brown, Cool   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I use this powder to set my liquid foundation and to touch up throughout the day. For this purpose, it's amazing. I love the finish, it's definitely the best powder I've used!

In terms of using it as a foundation, it's far too sheer and doesn't stay on bare skin at all. Only occasionally have I managed to apply enough to even me out and keep me looking natural but "better", but it doesn't last long and wears off very quickly. Even using the sponge doesn't really help.

I haven't bothered to purchase the compact, as the plastic case does the job and it doesn't seem worth the money!

I'll continue to use it, as it works well on top of my NARS Sheer Glow and MAC Pro Longwear Foundation (I use 70 Watt and it works perfectly for NARS Sheer Glow Syracuse and MAC Pro Longwear NC42), but I'm still on the hunt for a good powder foundation to wear on its own.

4 lippies for the beautiful, soft finish I get. I just wish it lasted longer on my face!

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bohodo on 7/11/2012 12:52:00 PM more reviews by bohodo

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have purchased this powder over and over. I use it in Shade 30 even though I'm usually the lightest color in everything. This is probably the best powder I've ever used. I use a big fluffy brush with it and use it as a setting powder in the winter AND summer. I love that it has SPF. It looks natural and it doesn't make me look cakey. I have oily/combo skin in the summer and dry/combo skin in the winter. It never dries me out. Honestly, I think it adds a nice glow to my look while keeping me dry. I've already gone through 3 of these and I'm about to buy my 4th! It's the perfect setting powder for me.

Overall, I would say you would like this powder if you want a nice setting powder with a glow to it and it brightens up the color on your face (not lightens, I said brightens.) It looks natural, doesn't dry me out, keeps me pretty matte. It doesn't oxidize, it has SPF for your skin, it doesn't cake or settle into any lines. I'll keep coming back to this. (PS- I hate that you have to buy the case for it separately and I keep avoiding buying it. I might eventually purchase it though if I am going to keep buying this powder.)

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cowgirldownunder on 7/10/2012 10:13:00 AM more reviews by cowgirldownunder

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Absolute garbage. Like many other reviews here the tester pan was awesome, soft, smooth and blendable. But the one I received is dry and very difficult to blend and get decent coverage both wet and dry with both sponge and brush. My sensitive skin is red and irritated after trying to apply it and as the coverage is dismal the result is blah. Definite waste of money....shame on you Stila.

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ethnicdoll on 6/7/2012 7:46:00 PM more reviews by ethnicdoll

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have been using this product for 3 months now and it has not once broken me out. Please note I have combination/oily t-zone type skin and am sensitive to certain ingredients on foundations therefore I break out in lots of small flesh coloured bumps on my forehead mainly if I choose the wrong foundation. Mainly Mac products have done this to me so I am hesitant in trying new. This powder foundation I bought because I wanted a heavier coverage powder over my Bobbi Brown Natural Skin Finish foundation which is quite a light coverage. The result is beautiful flawless finish. The texture of the pressed powder is crazy smooth and does not sink into pores or fine lines and keep in mind I apply this with a sponge for the ultimate in flawless coverage yet it does not look the slightest bit cakey. It's an amazing product, I am very happy with my purchase and would gladly buy again.

The biggest CON about this is the price. I bought mine at Mecca Cosmetica (Australia) powder and case together was $95 AUD. That is ridiculous considering it's the same amount you get with other powder foundations. Since they sell the case and the powder separately I was charged $20AUD just for the case....That price would put anyone off!

But other than that, I'm satisfied :) (I bought 75 Watts btw)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* 2ksmom on 5/29/2012 9:06:00 AM more reviews by 2ksmom

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I’ve never been a big pressed-powder or powder-foundation user, but I actually hit pan on this, which really must be saying something! I lucked out and got this in a ‘mystery bag’ of Stila products; little did I know it would become one of my ‘staples’. The shade number has rubbed off the bottom of my compact, but I’m guessing its probably 20 Watts (it’s a pretty light shade) and it’s an excellent match for my fair skin. The texture of this is almost like a creamy powder, if that makes sense (not too dry). It seems to blend in with my skin’s natural texture, instead of sitting on top of my skin. I love the versatility of this product. I can apply with the included sponge for fuller coverage. I can apply with my finger or a concealer brush for spot-coverage. But most often I apply with a big fluffy brush all over (after my usual TM or liquid foundation) to ‘finish’ my look. This keeps my skin looking fresh for a good 8-10 hours. I might touch it up late in the afternoon, if I notice any ‘shiny’ spots (my skin is pretty normal, though). For an ‘illuminating’ product, I don’t notice any shimmer in this, which is good (I don’t like all over shimmer, anyways). It just makes my skin look fresh and my makeup look polished. This is the only face powder I’ve ever hit pan on, and I just purchased a backup (on eBay, I didn’t pay full price).

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EmJay31 on 1/26/2012 8:16:00 AM more reviews by EmJay31

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This is a pretty decent powder...I use it over my liquid foundation (Revlon New Complexion) to set it and stop my face becoming oily and shiny throughout the day. It does, for a few hours keep my skin looking matte, and as per it's name it does have a bit of an illuminating effect. I have it in 20 watts, which is a pretty accurate match for my fair skin tone. Overall, it's good for what I use it for, but it isn't very long lasting and it doesn't have enough coverage to be used on it's own as a powder foundation. I won't be buying it again, as I'm sure there are better alternatives out there.

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*TOP REVIEWER* MrsTefee on 1/17/2012 11:39:00 PM more reviews by MrsTefee

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

So far I do not like this powder foundation. I dont really understasnd why they call it a foundation on the compact but on the makeup refill packaging it says it gives "transparent" coverage which really doesnt make any sense...and the coverage IS transparent. The foundation sampler at sephora was very soft and glided on well but when I actually bought a new one and took it home it was very hard and I couldnt get much out of the compact.. is that just because it was so new? I dont know..

So far this has ZERO coverage and kinda just sunk into my pores.. Ill keep trying it but idk... seems silly to have to wait for something to work when you just want it to work right away. Meh. TBH I might go back to my mac fix plus powder foundation and its also cheaper and provides medium coverage.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

blondetoadie on 1/4/2012 11:11:00 PM more reviews by blondetoadie

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I wanted to love this based on the great reviews I have read but it just didn't work for me. The color made me look a bit jaundiced and a little washed out. I ended up getting 30 watts because ten and twenty were just too light for my liking. The finish was also a little weird, it pooled up in my laugh lines around my mouth, which are only there with this powder :/ and accentuated my pores. It wasn't terrible, but not what I wanted when I purchased this powder. I also don't like how you have to buy the compact and powder separately. I bought the powder first and waited to buy the compact until I knew I loved the makeup. back to Sephora it went.

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touchofgrace1 on 12/28/2011 12:52:00 PM more reviews by touchofgrace1

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I'm Chinese American, and my skin is very pale - not quite yellow and not quite pink - somewhere in the middle. My skin is pretty normal with dry patches on my nose. I am low maintenance, so I wanted to find a good product that I can just simply put on and be set for the day. I went to Sephora and sampled almost everything! Most foundations and powders look too pink or too yellow on me. But STILA 10 WATTS is perfect!!!! I have been faithful to Stila as Stila has been faithful to me for the past 4 years. The great thing is that I order it on Amazon for only $11 and it lasts me for more than 6 months!

I simply put on moisturizer (Cetaphil is awesome), and then a very thin layer of tinted moisturizer (Laura Mercier Porcelain) or BB cream (Missha in #13) and then use a kabuki brush (Ecotools - only $7 and softest brush I've ever used) to put on the Stila 10 Watts IPF on. Then I feel very confident throughout the day!!

That's all I use. And I get compliments about my skin all the time. I don't use anything else on my face. Stila helps me to look young and very natural.

Thanks Stila!!

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Olive143 on 9/21/2011 1:23:00 PM more reviews by Olive143

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I purchased this at Ulta for about $28. Whenever I'm running low of it, the 20% off coupon from them almost always conveniently arrives so it's a great deal. This is a new type of packaging for me since it's a refillable powder you put into the Stila compact case. In any event, I'm so happy with my purchase! In the past the powder foundations I've tried were chalky, oxidized, cakey or didn't match my skin tone. Stila IPF is quite the opposite. The colors range from light to dark and thankfully for leeyao's review and Notepad, it made it easier for me to select my color (60 Watts) for my NC40/C4 skin! The texture is soft, smooth and my 60 Watts has a golden tone that matched my skin color perfectly. Another plus is that it didn't dry out my skin or age me as some powders tend to do. This is light to medium buildable coverage. HG for me!

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afassero on 8/29/2011 6:26:00 AM more reviews by afassero

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

Horrible. Make up looks so cakey when applied. Does not blend into skin. Leaves lines. Doesn't last long at all. Don't waste your money.

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Susie31 on 8/4/2011 4:17:00 PM more reviews by Susie31

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

one of the best things I have ever bought! it makes you look soooooo YOUNG.I am 37. it is NOT "sparkly"it is simply illuminating andnot too much so that youllhave a sheen or anything. even when I LOADED it on for FULL coverage..it wasnt sparkly or shiny just extra HEALTHY looking.and youthful.
it is 100% full coverage for me simply by using a lot
otherwise a light dusting over my normal foundation...and even over my normalfoundation and other powder...is just perfect! always look better while wearing it
I got the 20 watts first I am NC15,more likean NC10! and 20 watts was a bit too dark but workable.. just a different look...but the 10 watts I got later on..I got two.... I liked it so much.id stock up! one of the best things I own and I have like100's of items! this is definately top 5 material here. I have very oily skin. it didnt add to that or effect it.seem in fact less oily. yay

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

niki0315 on 7/15/2011 2:33:00 AM more reviews by niki0315

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I had heard so many good thing about this popular product of Stila and thought I must try it.
It is just not for me. The powder is very dry and would not blend well into my dry skin. The color I got was 30 Watts which was recommended to light medium skin but I still found it is too light for my NC25-30 skin.

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franjipany on 6/13/2011 12:07:00 AM more reviews by franjipany

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love this powder! It gives a wide range of coverage, from light with a brush, medium with a sponge and heavy used wet. There is a wide range of colours to choose from, and the fact that you can buy refills means that it ends up being cheaper when you use the product over and over (also you can just buy a darker shade in summer). I can get quite shiny during the day, but this powder sticks around very well, and only requires a few little blots during the day with the sponge or brush (this is very acceptable for an ILLUMINATING foundation). Even though I am very conscious of my oiliness I keep going back to this, as it just goes 'glowey' during the day. My HG powder foundation for everyday use.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Peaches1027 on 4/25/2011 3:31:00 PM more reviews by Peaches1027

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I purchased this in 60 Watts because it matches my skin tone perfectly. Unfortunately, after applying, it turned dark and orange. I tried using it a second time, this time over a primer. Again, it turned dark and orange. Even over primer it accentuated my pores and made them look huge. It does not cover imperfections at all, and I can't wear this without concealer. I thought about exchanging it for the 50 Watts, but after seeing how it bad it makes my skin look, when in fact I have really good skin for my age, I decided to return it. This cost a small fortune, over $40.00 for the powder and the compact. Also, I did not notice any illuminating effect at all, which is what convinced to pay this outrageous price in the first place. I do not recommend this product.

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etoilenfant on 4/2/2011 5:07:00 PM more reviews by etoilenfant

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Looking for a replacement for Givenchy Prisme Foundation powder since it is no longer available. This is a nice light powder for dusting over foundation. But I couldn't call it a foundation powder. It doesn't last more than a few hours.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

catlover9_9 on 2/10/2011 11:00:00 PM more reviews by catlover9_9

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I was looking for a powder foundation a couple of years ago when going on a trip-- less chance of spilling, no need to take along a setting powder, and so on. I had tried Mac Studio Fix, but the lightest shade in my "color range" wasn't light enough-- besides, it was too heavy and mask-like. I tried this and loved it. Perfect color and coverage, and I also like the fact that the compact is refillable!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No