Stila • Illuminating Powder Foundation • Powder

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CallistoLuna on 5/2/2008 10:07:00 PM more reviews by CallistoLuna

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I don't know why Stila is calling this a foundation...It functions better as a powder! Yes, the initial cost for the package is expensive, but at least it is reusable (one tick for the environment). It's a pity that Stila didn't make the illuminating powder pans the same size as the sheer pressed powder pans, then girls like me who use it as a powder could've put it in the sheer powder compact instead...Or maybe that's why they made it that way???? Pity, because I would've liked a slimmer compact for toting around and I don't like the holes in the bottom of the compact where the sponge lives.
I'm just into my third pan of this stuff, and I like using it as a setting powder and for touch ups during the day. It has a nice level of opacity (which is not much, but enough on my slightly uneven skin tone) and dampens down shine across my nose without looking overly powdered or matt. I end up with a seamless finish and just a hint of radiance which looks quite natural (the powder has a slight shimmer, hence the name illuminating!). It also has an SPF12 rating, which gives it a big tick from me. This would've got higher marks if the packaging was more sensible for a powder rather than as a foundation, because that is really how it functions best.

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blacklittlepig on 4/24/2008 6:40:00 PM more reviews by blacklittlepig

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I bought this stuff a couple days ago..i actially wanted to buy the sheer pressed powder instead, but they were out of stock, so I was talked into buying this one instead. It WAS REALLY expensive since i had to buy the compact separately.!!!! and i thought i could refund it because i thought the powder could fit into the sheer pressed powder compact. but it doesnt fit! so i couldnt return it after all. really really expensive! (1 lippie off)why couldnt they just include the powder into the compact all at once?!........
anway... i bought 30watt with my shade c..... it matches pretty good. Not sure if it gives a glowy face since i use natural finish foundation underneath. But my face does look glowy (but not sure if it was the foundation or the powder)... but it doesnt control oil. that's for sure~

when i applied this, it first looked little bit powdery, but after awhile, it does melt into the skin... and also, stila always has a nice packaging.~

EDIT: (March 22) doesnt control oil at all.. have to blot in mid day.

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kimmie578 on 4/3/2008 7:20:00 PM more reviews by kimmie578

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I have been using this for like 2-3 years now. Although it does not provide a huge amount of coverage, that is why I like it. I think it does provide an illuminating effect and looks very natural. If you need to cover up a lot of skin problems, then this powder will not work for you. I use a primer first which seems to keep the powder on all day. The refills are pricey and seem to not last very long, but I love how this product makes my skin look so to me it is worth it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* WenchMartha on 3/27/2008 2:12:00 PM more reviews by WenchMartha

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

If this is powder foundation, I'll eat my expensive Stila case I had to buy separately for this product. I have great skin too--just a little redness here and there and this, on me, is nothing but a powder. Granted, I haven't tried applying it wet so maybe I'm selling it short but seems it doesn't cover much. I also don't see the "illuminating" here and, when applied over Stila's Illuminating TM, it actually takes away the glow. Also, the separate compact packaging SEEMS like a good idea but only if you plan to re-purchase the refills over and over. Otherwise, it's a waste of one wad of cash and isn't all that sturdy. I've had heftier Cover Girl compacts. Won't purchase again.

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piinkxheffalump on 3/24/2008 4:54:00 AM more reviews by piinkxheffalump

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

This Stilla Illuminating Powder is a pretty good product. It gives good coverage and it has a SPF 15 which is always a plus :) One problem I have with it though is that the shades don't really match my skin tone. I have a more yellowish hue to my skin and whenever I used it, my skin looked kinda ashy. I don't think the shades matched my skin perfectly. Another thing is that you have to buy the compact seperate form the powder! The powder refill itself is already around $24 over here and spending another $20+ for a compact is kinda pricey. Btw, if you're planning to get this, make sure you watch the sponge regularly or buy a pack of makeup sponges. It can really spread bacteria if you consistently use the same sponge over and over. I would say this product is pretty good if it matches your skin tone. I've bought it twice but I don't think I'll buy it again because it just doesn't match my skin tone.

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bossanovaville on 3/21/2008 10:05:00 PM more reviews by bossanovaville

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

I really like this powder. Enough that it has succeeded in knocking my mineral powder off of the top tier of my train case! The texture is incredibly silky and light. Upon initial application, I was a bit disappointed, seeing how lightly it goes on. But after getting in the car and checking my face in the rearview mirror, I was surprised to see that it covers flaws and evens out my skintone very well and doesn't look the LEAST bit powdery or dry. I also like the design of these types of compacts, with the sponge in a separate compartment under the powder tray. Not only that, but the case is sold separately from the powder trays, so that one can just buy refills instead of a whole new compact. Covers flaws, rids me of shine, looks natural, feels light and stays put. Also, it's long lasting. My mineral powder provided good coverage, but that's because my sponge would pick up a LOT of product and I would end up going through a compact in 6 weeks time. This one doesn't wear down as fast, and yet a small amount of powder is all that's needed to get a nice, natural result. I highly recommend this!

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Lola_Bear on 3/20/2008 1:16:00 PM more reviews by Lola_Bear

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I've been wearing this product off and on for eight years. After experimenting with countless mineral and other powder foundations, all of which disappointed, I keep coming back to this. It provides just the finish I am after -- a luminous, natural finish, not too matte, not too shiny -- without looking like a "mask." It does not dry me out or irritate my skin. It provides the perfect amount of coverage, and 20 Watts is a perfect match (I'm a NW20 in MAC). I've tried wearing it with a silicone-based foundation primer, and from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. the next day, it did NOT budge. I've also tried it over Dr. Denese's Foundation Faker, and it complements it perfectly. I'm not sure this would work for someone who needs heavy coverage, as it provides light to medium, buildable coverage.

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*TOP REVIEWER* redheadjane on 3/17/2008 7:23:00 AM more reviews by redheadjane

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Normally I cannot wear powder except on my nose and forhead, it just ends up looking cakey. Recently I realized that less is more despite my imperfections. I ind that using a tinted moisturizer (Tarte is my favorite) with a very fine milled powder over it seems to work better. So I picked this up at ulta. I only bought the refill, so I can't comment on the compact itself. It's cheaper o buy the refill only. This is a very finely milled powder with a slight shimmery look but not glittery. I'm too old for glitter and shine just makes all your imperfections stand out.

I use both a kabuki brush and the sponge method. Kabuki on the whole face and the sponge on the areas I want to hide. This made the pores on my nose disappear. Cut back on my shine and just looked marvelous. I tried other powder foundations and found they did nothing to me but dry me out. This one does not. Thank you MUA'ers for steering me toward this product. It's going to be great now that the warmer months are near. No breakouts so far, but I've only been using it for 4 days, so I'm not sure if my pores are getting clogged yet. So far so good. I'll update later to let you know if I still like it.

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dxgirly on 3/15/2008 12:06:00 AM more reviews by dxgirly

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I love this powder so much. I have really fair skin and this is the only powder I've ever found that doesn't make my skin a shade different from my body. Everything usually looks off, but this is dead on. I use this both as a foundation and as a powder top-off over foundation. It smooths everything out nicely and doesn't feel heavy on my skin.

The container it comes in is really cute, but I found that with it being replacable, it falls loose of the compact, especially if you carry it around in a purse. A big chunk got knocked out of the center of mine and I was kinda bummed.

A bit expensive, but worth the money if you're a pasty girl searching for some sort of match.

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*TOP REVIEWER* zhenya on 3/5/2008 1:23:00 PM more reviews by zhenya

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I picked this up while traveling because I had forgotten to pack my usual HG Chanel loose powder, which is not very portable anyway. Although this Stila powder is technically a powder foundation (Stila makes another product for pressed powder), I really like it as a setting powder. Even with a liberal dusting over my face, it doesn't look cakey or obvious. As an added bonus, it provides a little bit of flattering, sheer coverage. I haven't tried using it wet, so I can't comment on how that works out. 20 Watts is a good match for my fair NC20ish skin. A little pricey ($14 for the refillable compact and $26 for the pan), but this might be the nicest pressed powder I've tried in a long time. The compact came with a thin foam applicator that I don't use -- I prefer to apply with a face brush. I'm not usually a big fan of Stila, but I'm pretty happy with this purchase and will keep this around for portability.

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pinkiiish on 2/23/2008 1:21:00 AM more reviews by pinkiiish

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I sort of have a love-hate relationship with this product. I am only 15 years old and I started using the Stila IPF last year when i was 14. It is perfect for a natural look.

PROS:
Very easy to use
I feel really safe with this product.
Nice, soft coverage
Doesn't look cakey
Looks good on top of concealer
One lasts me 6 months, so thats only 2 per year :)
Shade matches me :) I have Asian Skin and I use 70 watts in the summer, and 60 watts during the rest of the year.


CONS:
My face will get SUPER oily by the end of the day.
It is pretty expensive ($24 at my local Sephora plus tax)
Compact is expensive and sold seperately
A powder brush will not give good coverage. I use the sponge that came along with the powder . (I wash it every week to keep it clean)

& that's pretty much it :)
I feel pretty safe with this product <33 It's my first love. I'm running out though so I have to go back to Sephora and get another one.
-___- I can't believe I didn't sign up for a Beauty Insider Card yet.

Oh and btw, whenever I first apply this, my first looks really matte and made up. However, after about 10 minutes, the powder will sorta "sink in" to my skin and give a more natural look.

=)

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violetkat22 on 2/14/2008 5:51:00 PM more reviews by violetkat22

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This product looks nice and natural, and I usually apply it two times a day, morning and late afternoon. It gives a nice finished look when I put it on over my liquid moisturizer/foundation. The only downside of this powder is that if my skin is not exfoliated or moisturized, you can see every bit of dry skin because of the powder.

Update--I'm going to replace this with a loose powder. I don't think the staying power of this powder is worth the huge price tag on it. However, I would buy it again if it were cheaper, and I applied it with a brush instead of the sponge it comes with.

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*TOP REVIEWER* conogirl on 2/3/2008 10:04:00 AM more reviews by conogirl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

Generally o.k. if you have great skin and like to have that "no makeup" feel. It didn't provide enough coverage for the slight rosacea I have on my cheeks, and tended to buildup around my nose and chin creases about 3 hours into the wear. The packaging is ridiculous because you have to buy their $23 compact to have protection for the pan. It's cheaper just to de-pan a used powder compact and place the Stila pan into it.
Will not repurchase due to the poor coverage factor.

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navarre on 2/2/2008 5:57:00 PM more reviews by navarre

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

Finally. Something light enough and neutral enough (i use 10 watts) for my skin that feels like skin and not makeup. Where has this been all my life? Yes, it's on the expensive side but i've wasted so much money on foundations I'm just happy to find one that works. I use the sponge that comes with it and kind of gently buff it in, over concealor for the "bad" spots. It's not full coverage, just makes your skin look better. Will repurchase. Will tell all my friends. ;-)

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shopgirl087 on 1/27/2008 4:00:00 PM more reviews by shopgirl087

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have been using this product for over two years now, with the occasional "break-up" to try another product ... but I keep coming back! I love it because it does not wear off. I did take away one lippy because when my eyes have had a bad day (crying, sleepless night, etc.)basically, it shows the dry skin etc... it definitely has no mercy under my eyes on those days, so basically if my under eye skin isn't doing well, it will show, so I'll apply moisturizer on those days to keep the application smooth! But that's not it's job, it's job is to provide coverage, and it does. I love wearing it because it is semi-sheer and does seem to make my skin glow! It also has great staying power as you go through the package...no matter how old the powder is, it doesn't change color or texture. The sponge does have to be replaced after a couple of months...But in trying different means of application, you can use a brush to spare the sponge and it will look just as great. Overall, I'm guessing this powder is something special if I keep coming back! By the way, other powders I've tried include Jane Iredale, BE, Alima. (only one that came close to it was Alima).

UPDATE - tried yet another foundation in place of this one, but alas, I came right back to Stila Illuminating Powder Foundation ... it's officially my holy grail of powder foundations and I've changed my rating to FIVE STARS!!! Great stuff.

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jomia23 on 1/15/2008 9:32:00 PM more reviews by jomia23

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Sometimes it looked great and perfected my very imperfect skin. Other times, I looked ashy and gray (NC35, using 50 watts). Guess it depends on my skin's condition at various times and lighting? Anyway, I use to use StudioFix and it never looked bad on me, but has bad bad bad ingredients. Oh well. No rebuy.

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xmifaz on 1/14/2008 11:47:00 PM more reviews by xmifaz

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have re-purchaed this product a few times to use as a base powder under and sometimes as a finishing powder over liquid foundation as I like the finish this product gives. It applies smoothly and does not accentuate dry areas. However recently I have found it has irritated my sensitive skin and and my skin has improved since switching to everyday minerals foundation. I don't think this product provides enough coverage on it's own (unless you already have clear skin with no redness etc) so is best combined with liquid or stick foundation or concealer depending on how much coverage you need. If you apply too much of this product your face may appear a bit "ashy" and mask-like so I would say it is only good for light coverage. Because this product contains ingredients may irritate sensitive skin such as Bismuth Oxychloride, I don't recommend it to those with skin sensitivities, otherwise it is a good product to use in combination with liquid or stick foundation. This product is best applied with a big brush, the sponge provided is not very good.

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*TOP REVIEWER* blyss on 12/16/2007 5:16:00 PM more reviews by blyss

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I tried many powder foundations but this seems to be one of better ones out there. It's not perfect but considering the quality, size, and cost... it has earned it's place in my makeup bag.
I'm a MAC NC30, BB Warm Sand, and LM Sunny Beige with black hair and eyes. I have decent skin but I have uneven skin tones around my nose and a decent amount of freckles. I hate anything that is thick and overly matte. I was looking for a natural matte foundation that is easy to apply in the mornings. This is a great fit to use on top of the Illuminating Fluid Foundation. It gives a natural medium-sheer coverage AND a hint of shimmer. I find if you use this too much, it looks really unnatural (like MAC Studio Fix) but a good buffing brush on the cheeks and forehead makes my skin look luminous without the obvious glitter.
I like affordable refill... whether it was thought out to be environmentally friendly, I dunno but I like it for that point. The sponge is ok but I find the finish with sponge is mediocre at best. I highly recommend to use a dense and fluffy bronze brush for that polished finish.

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ILoveGray on 11/13/2007 3:59:00 PM more reviews by ILoveGray

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Tan   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I hate that you have to buy the compact separately. It makes it too expensive. I wouldn't buy it again. It was just ok.

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*TOP REVIEWER* cosmokid on 11/7/2007 3:34:00 PM more reviews by cosmokid

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

I'm not a fan of powder foundations, but this is one of the better ones that I have used. It makes my pores look invisible and although it looks quite pale and chalky when I first apply it, by the time I have finished my makeup it settles down and looks quite natural. I'm fair but I'm 30 watts in this, so this is a great foundation if you're really pale (I'm the palest shade in most other foundations I have tried).
UPDATE 3/12: This is now HG status for me since I started using it with Stila's #24 brush. Gives me a flawless, but natural looking finish, plus it's really quick to apply this way.

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