Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Compact Powder Foundation (All Shades)

While undergoing treatment for perioral dermatitis (google it), my dermatologist instructed me to switch to powder foundation only, and recommended Neutrogena as a brand. I was very skeptical at first, because my skin is very sensitive and has broken out with use of Neutrogena cosmetics in the past. After reading reviews on powder foundations here, and price comparing, I chose to go ahead and try the Neutrogena.

I purchased mine at Target for approximately $11 USD. The packaging is unimpressive and utilitarian. As pictured, it is a simple snap-closure compact with a flip up compartment below that stores an applicator (that I never use). I took a total stab in the dark with shade and went with Natural Ivory 20, and it matches perfectly. For reference, I wear Maybelline Fit Me in 120 and my MAC shade is NW25-30 depending on season.

Dryness is of course a concern, as I'm middle aged, and my skin is dry to begin with. I use Monistat anti-chafing gel as primer, then use a kabuki brush to apply this powder, and set my makeup with homemade glycerine/H20/witch hazel setting spray. This combination takes away the dryness and "powdery" look, as well as makes the makeup last much longer than typical liquid foundation.

Coverage is not great. It is sheer to medium, and not really buildable. If you need a lot of coverage, this is not something I suggest you use, or find a concealer to use underneath. I am forbidden from using concealer per my derm, but thankfully the treatments are working beautifully, full coverage is not a concern for me. I have always preferred lighter coverage, and like the natural look this provides while still evening out my skin tone and gently covering small flaws.

I have been using it for almost 3 months now, consistently with no breakouts, on skin that is already "angry" and in a fragile state, so that, to me, is testament that it is gentle enough for sensitive skin. I plan on continuing use of this foundation throughout the summer months, when the heat and humidity tend to melt liquid foundation right off your face. This seems like it might be much more durable. Also, it travels much better than liquid foundation and applies much faster, two little things that really make a difference for someone like me who travels a lot and is always short on time.

Made me breakout so so badly. The packaging is crap, to use it you unscrew it but it's upside down? The brush it comes with is garbage. Good god I've never seen my face break out so badly

I really like this, but it is quite sheer. If you're looking for the coverage of a powder foundation you may be disappointed-it really doesn't cover much of anything and wears like more of a setting powder...which is fine with me as I prefer setting powders and concealer rather than full foundation. Its light and smooth and feels good on the skin, not powdery or chalky or drying IMO. Combats shine for awhile, but I think my skin eats this throughout the day...by days end when I remove it with micelle water theres barely anything on the cotton pad...strange. I have this in Classic Ivory and I find it neither too white nor too yellow nor too beige...probably because its so sheer that its forgiving. Use this only if you have really good skin, or as a setting powder layered over something else

I really LOVE this powder. It doesnt give a ton of coverage but it sets my make up wonderfully and really helps stay put. I had been using covergirl simply powder foundation which I also love, but this one seems to look a little more natural and have better colors. I use neutrogena cream foundation in Classic Ivory but bought this in nude to add just a touch of color and it works wonderfully for my NC 15-20 skin. I highly recommend this powder. Doesnt turn orange and doesnt break me out. i have super sensitive skin. I hadnt tried this sheer powder ever before but I love it . If you go a shade darker, you will get some color but not orange. Nude is a neutral color leaning toward warm. Definitely not pink which I dont want. Not cakey at all and I layer quite a bit on.

Too sheer for me, offered hardly any coverage, even after applying two layers in the color sand beige. On the plus side it goes on silky smooth when I apply with my kabuki brush. Skin did not become irritated. I was looking to try out a light mineral based foundation for use in the hot summertime, this sadly did not work for me.

Back to my Almay smart shade mousse foundation, at least it offers a light/medium coverage i can rely on. I'll just have to blot oily spots on my face in the summer.

I got this in Classic Ivory, which has quite a clear yellow undertone and I'm super glad for that. It's not my perfect match, but it still matches really well. Besides, as the name suggests, the coverage is truly sheer, so even when the shade's a bit off, I can still get away with that. I only use it on my good skin days, when I don't have a lot of blemishes I want to cover, but for under eye darkness and other even mild discolourations, I would have to use a concealer. I still like it, because the main issue that I have is a lot of redness on my face, and the yellow undertone helps cancel it out quite well. So I reckon it's most suitable for people who's got good skin and prefer a light weight, natural, light coverage foundation and prefer to spot conceal over full coverage foundation.
The biggest beef I have with this is first of all, the coverage is literally very sheer. With a buffing brush (I've tried it with both the Real Techniques Buffing brush as well as the Expert Face brush, with both circular buffing and stamping motions), I cannot build up pass a very very light medium coverage. The good thing about it is it doesn't cake up very easily and are quite forgiving. When I first apply it, it may appear a bit powdery, I look flat, which is not something I like at all. But after a while, it soaks up a bit of moisture and oil on my face, and with an extra helping of mist, it completely melts into my skin. The finish is very natural, it just looks like I've got really good, healthy skin. I wouldn't say it's dewy, shiny or even satiny, it just looks like skin, my pores are not covred very well though, but they're minimised to a more acceptable degree. I was quite surprised because this is my first powder foundation ever, and I just could not believe that powder can offer such a finish. However, another problem arises. This foundation is very very very very dry. It feels dry in the pan, it doesn't swatch very well, and I must always mosisturise extra carefully prior to application, or else I would look like a dry overly powdered mess. The issue can be easily resolved by applying with a wet sponge, and I found that way I can immediately achieve the natural, skin-like finish without the setting spray. It's also easier to get the most coverage out of it in this fashion, but even so, since the powder is so dry, even with a damp sponge, I really have to use a bit of strength and scrape into the powder to pick up any product at all, it can be quite a struggle.
Packaging-wise, the powder compact is not compact at all. Due to the compartment for the mirror and the sponge, it's very big and bulky. I originally wanted to switch to powder foundations because travelling with liquid foundation bottles is too much of a pain, and this compact doesn't fulfill that. To make matter worse, the oil control is less than average, even with my usual trusted setting powder, I can see myself getting oily at around 2-3 hours, which means its oil control is even worse than some of my liquid foundations. At 6-7 hours an several blots and even extra sprays, it begins to break down, most visibly between my brows, on my cheeks and my pores look horrible. Double whammy, the powder is too dry for dry skin, and not enough for oily skin (I'm combination). Removing it is very easy though, so I use it on days when I feel quite good, I want to put something on but don't want to bother that much, and don't have the strength or the time to perform the usual rigorous cleansing ritual that liquid foundations would always require.
I got it on sale at a very good price, it's quite a good place to start and learn my ways around powder foundations I guess, so I don't regret it too terribly. But would I repurchase this? No I think not.

I like how this looks on the skin when freshly applied.
I do have issues finding a shade that matches well but they are pretty forgiving.
It did not break me out but my skin seems to be even oilier when I use mineral type foundations/powders.
This causes the makeup to cake up and slip around a bit and not look good.
I have to touch up far too much with this product than I have with others.

I should start by saying I use 80% HE products and so I am picky. This is the best powder compact I have found at the drugstore. I use Janie Iredale pure pressed base for the mornings, which is pricier but my HG, but to touch up during the day at work I keep this in my bag and it's great. It has pretty good coverage I would say medium when you use the pad that the compact comes with, and it doesn't feel cakey or thick at all. So medium coverage and feels light on the skin and doesn't break me out? All for under $10? That's a winner for me. The only thing I don't like is the compact because I only had mine for a few months and the hinge snapped . But I would recommend this product.

I have been using this power for almost 5 years now and I can honestly say that I have no reason to look for anything else! It sets foundation beautifully, has a natural finish, and super build able coverage! I do wish that it looked a little bit smoother on its own (not over foundation or BB cream) but c'est la vie! It drugstore and from a company that does not overload their products with crap ingredients. The packaging is pretty bland, but I buy it for the results! I have combination/oily skin and this keeps my skin pretty shine free (I say "pretty" because in certain areas I still get shine, but I can't tell if it's the powder's fault or the fact that I can get SUPER shiny in my T-zone, so who knows) I will continue to repurchase this product :)

While this powder foundation isn't perfect, I've come to accept that none are. I've been using Bare Escentuals (BE) for the last couple of years, but was never quite satisfied with how it felt on my skin and the color match.
1. Color Match
I tend to fall into the light/medium range with slight golden/olive undertones; my skin is pretty fair/sallow in the winter, but I do also get a significant tan in the summer. In BE, I wore Medium Beige, which I always felt was just a tad too pink for my skin tone. Not too long ago, BE came out with Golden Medium (the same shade roughly as Medium Beige, but a more yellow undertone). Unfortunately, this was WAY too yellow for my skin tone. I found that the color 040 works well for me during the fall/winter/spring and 060 Natural Beige during the summer. Both have just enough of the golden undertones that they complement into my natural tone.
2. Application
I use a kabuki brush to apply this all over my face. Overall, I really like the way this powder feels on my skin compared the BE. The BE always felt cakey and ,honestly, a little irritating. The texture of this powder is quite silky and blendable, yet goes on matte. The coverage is light to medium. I do find myself sometimes needing a (very light) mid-day blotting...I just use the sponge with little to no powder. It's great that it's a compact, because you can cart it anywhere.
3. Acne/Sensitive Skin
So this is why I've really stayed with this foundation. The coverage isn't as good as the BE, but this product works fabulously with my EXTREMELY acne-prone and sensitive skin. I can't use any products with fragrance, harsh ingredients, heavy fillers, etc. I have not had a breakout or irritation from this product. While it doesn't cure my hormonal breakouts, it certainly doesn't aggravate them.

Paula's Choice did a review of this product, which sparked my initial purchase. Here is that review: http://www.paulaschoice.com/beautypedia-skin-care-reviews/by-brand/neutrogena/Mineral-Sheers/_/Mineral-Sheers-Pressed-Powder-Foundation

I purchased mine at target for around $12: http://www.target.com/p/neutrogena-mineral-sheers-compact-powder-foundation/-/A-13653315