Aveda • Inner Light Dual Foundation • Powder

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cubbiejules on 5/18/2013 10:34:00 AM more reviews by cubbiejules

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I'm in LOVE with this foundation!!!

I have a friend who works at an Aveda salon and her skin always looks so fresh and flawless. I asked her what she uses and I was amazed that she said Aveda, I never knew Aveda had makeup! I asked her to get me 2 colors (I use #5 when I'm not-so tan, and #7 when I am lol) and they both work flawlessly. I used to use Bare Minerals for the longest time, but got so frustrated when it would slide and just fade away a couple hours into my day. Not this mineral makeup! Like other reviewers said, it can get a tad shiny by the end of the day, but a quick dab into your palette and you're done.
The sponge gives you the fullest coverage, a brush gives you bendable, medium coverage, and wet the powder for more dewy, light coverage. Use it with a concealer and it covers so beautifully. I find that I don't need a primer with this which is huge. It makes my skin feel really soft and airbrushed-looking.
Only downside is if you have any flakiness, obviously a powder will make that show. You can still use it with a regular foundation or tinted moisturizer if you have dry skin, and bonus, you'll get even fuller coverage! Overall, I love this stuff. Good for your skin, earth-friendly packaging, and great staying-power. What could be better??

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enydonus on 4/22/2013 9:25:00 PM more reviews by enydonus

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Coverage: Medium - Full. This is what I know I can rely on when I'm breaking out, i.e. the past couple weeks of skin hell.

Application: The sponge can leave lines/streaks so I use a dense angled face brush to apply this to the high points of my face (mid forehead, down nose, sides of nose to upper cheekbones, above the lips, and lightly on the chin) after I've applied liquid concealer to circles and around nostrils, then use a very small dense pencil brush to conceal blemishes completely with this powder. The result is very natural and fresh regardless of how hagard looking I was previously. Super fast to do, which is great because if I'm worn out, exhausted, breaking out, and in pain, I definitely don't want to be standing in front of a mirror looking at myself to pile on makeup for 30+ min. Bonus: my skin is visibly healing.

Wear: 4-5 hours. Amazingly doesn't settle into lines! !!! It gets a little shiny and starts to go a little sheer but that's all. Unlike other higher end powder foundations I've use, this one doesn't become discoball shiny, doesn't start to itch, and doesn't slide or feel gross. Easily fixed with a blot and light reapplication. It still looked pretty good after a long day at the hospital followed by a workout followed by a run. Fixed it within a few seconds before dinner. It does last longer and stays more satin-matte if set with a finishing powder.

Prep: If you're still worried about pores and lines you could use a primer but honestly it's not necessary. Just about everything settles into my fine lines but this doesn't. I find this works well over a light moisturizer. A heavy moisturizer would cause it to break down and go shiny faster.

Amount: I've owned this foundation for a little over a year and am still on the same pan (I don't wear makeup every day, aside from lip balm and mascara). The price isn't bad at all considering the only comparable powder foundations are Fresh Face Luster, Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation, and Dolce & Gabbana powder foundation, which are all roughly double what this costs.

Flash photography: Nope. Ghost face. Use a liquid or cream without SPF. This is definitely more of a natural every day, day-time foundation.

Packaging: I LOVE refillable packaging! If only more companies did it I'd have a lot less gorgeous compacts and rose gold tubes laying around. It's so annoying to run out of a great product and have to rebuy the entire thing, packaging and all. Definitely appreciative of being able to buy the product alone sans expensive compact.

Colour selection: Meh. It does range from very pale to somewhat dark but .... the fair shades lean somewhat pink. My skin tone ranges from NW15 up to NC25, right now I'm somewhere in between and still using 01Cream since Aster is a bit too pink. Hopefully when the summer hits I'll be able to use one of the darker neutral shades. If you have golden undertones, you may have to look at MAC, LM, Bobbi Brown, or Dolce & Gabbana for a decent match.

Ingredients: Amazing. Nice clean list of ingredients. My highly reactive skin is not sensitized further by this. No itching either from drying out. This is why I prefer it to all other powder and mineral foundations.

Overall this is a godsend for sensitive skin, fine lines and all, that's freaking out in all the colours of the rainbow.

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cecedaily on 3/24/2013 1:06:00 PM more reviews by cecedaily

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

LOVE IT!

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samrnemtp on 1/23/2013 1:54:00 AM more reviews by samrnemtp

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

Used this for the first time today. Went on so easily with a brush and a little goes a long way! Did not feel heavy at all. Only thing I didn't like is it started to cake a bit around my nose after 5-6 hours so i may need to try to apply less in that area? Over all I loved it. I have the lightest shade called Cream

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marsi23 on 12/4/2012 4:55:00 PM more reviews by marsi23

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

You don't even feel this foundation on. It is easily applied with a brush and you don't need a lot of time to do so. I apply it with the Prescriptive's round brush.This foundation is very natural and barely noticeable. It definitely evens out your skin tone and its difficult to detect you have it on. This foundation has not broken me out. It doesn't accentuate the flakiness either. However, I would say if you have mostly clear skin this product is a gem. If you have acne or dark discoloration it won't cover it up. You will need a concealer. I use the color Aster for my NW20 skin. The packaging sucks and I don't want to pay extra for the case - minus 1 lippie. If I wasn't such a product junkie I would stick with this foundation. At least when my skin is clearer it looks amazing. By the way if you do have large pores this will not make them appear bigger. Also, I am sure you can even cover them up using the Clinique pore refining product. However, I believe that a product is only good if it can deliver results by itself and I refuse to add additional products to make it work. Particularly since I am acne-prone. For reference: my skin is combination/oily with dry patches, large pores, breakout prone, and easily congested no matter how much I exfoliate or moisturize (Glytone lotion works for this). I also have been told by my dermatologist to only use powder foundation. For those of you with similar skin conditions I hope this helps.

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smashlers on 9/26/2012 8:51:00 AM more reviews by smashlers

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This is by far my fav foundation! I am allergic to TONS of makeup (including MAC, Stila, Clinique and almost every Sephora brand I have tried- they all make me super itchy) and I had finally found Laura Mercier powder foundation, however they do not have enough colors to ever get a good match for your skin tone. I decided to give Aveda a try, and it is by far the best foundation I have ever tried! They have lots of colors to choose from, I find it cheap compared to a lot of other brands and it goes on smooth and seems to stay on very well (even on my oily skin) when I use it over some primer. The only thing I do not love about it is that you re-use the compacts and buy the makeup as a refill, and the compact is very deep and once the makeup gets low, its a bit hard to get the last bit out with the sponge and tends to make a mess. And, it is hard to find somewhere to buy it. I went to 4 salons that used Aveda products before I found one that would SELL it to me. It is still my fav and I will continue buying this stuff from the salons for sure!!! If you are having any problems with foundation definitely worth giving this a try!

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

berned_you on 6/24/2012 8:40:00 PM more reviews by berned_you

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

This is THE BEST foundation EVER! It's so easy to apply with just a swipe. The coverage blends so well and looks fresh and dewey but not shimmer or greasy. I barely even need a concealer for my acne with this foundation because it covers so nicely. I'm so in love with it that I'm telling everyone I know. I'd be devastated if it ever was discontinued. My bare minerals can't even compare to this stuff.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

BoandChica2 on 6/6/2012 11:58:00 PM more reviews by BoandChica2

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

Really liked at first, but I wore it over a liquid foundation. Too expensive for what you get. Then you have to buy the compact to put it in?? Please! By itself it doesn't do much. Over another makeup it works at a setting powder and looks nice, but then it gets oily on me. It's alright, nothing special for me.

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oliviaaa16 on 2/25/2012 4:45:00 PM more reviews by oliviaaa16

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

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.

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

dauncey07 on 2/13/2012 3:08:00 PM more reviews by dauncey07

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

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!

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*TOP REVIEWER* EmbalmerBabe on 12/27/2011 6:48:00 PM more reviews by EmbalmerBabe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

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.

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KyChic on 11/11/2011 11:16:00 AM more reviews by KyChic

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

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!

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

kimdburns on 10/27/2011 10:04:00 PM more reviews by kimdburns

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

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.

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

michelle888 on 8/21/2011 1:32:00 PM more reviews by michelle888

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

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!

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

lylalies on 8/19/2011 11:59:00 AM more reviews by lylalies

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

This is a very good powder foundation, it doesn't make you look flat or cakey, just natural. It has great coverage; depending on the finish you want you can get light to full coverage. I use mine with an ecotools kabuki brush and it looks great. The lady at the store told me you can use this foundation wet, but I don't think the results are good with this method, but it can be just me. The only bad thing is that I can't buy it in México, but if you have an Aveda near you, you should definetly try this one out.

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

lauramvig on 8/19/2011 1:55:00 AM more reviews by lauramvig

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

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

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ebabeba on 8/13/2011 2:33:00 PM more reviews by ebabeba

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

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.

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jkostosky on 7/15/2011 1:24:00 PM more reviews by jkostosky

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

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.

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lroberge on 7/3/2011 7:41:00 PM more reviews by lroberge

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

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.

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

stars80 on 6/27/2011 12:24:00 PM more reviews by stars80

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

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! :)

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