makeup

(ck Calvin Klein Subliminal Purity Mineral Based Loose Powder
in 001 Ivory)

Today, Beauty Anonymous and I are bringing you reviews of items from the brand new ck Calvin Klein Beauty! We hope you will enjoy reading about our thoughts on the items that we picked up.

Nearly a year ago, I wrote a post on the previous Calvin Klein beauty line to start my “Bring It Back” series. Soon after that, I learned that it was indeed coming back. After it launched in Italy, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the new cK Calvin Klein Beauty finally launched in the UK and US.

In the US, the line is available on the Sephora website besides other retail points. In the UK, it is available in House of Fraser on London’s Oxford Street. (It will also launch in the new House of Fraser store in Belfast in May.)

The London counter was launched on March 31st, and I went over to have a good look earlier this month. The sales assistant, also the counter manager, told me that the ck Calvin Klein line is now owned by a Japanese businessman, who saw tremendous potential in Asia. I think this might be one of the reasons why it launched in Asia before the US and the UK.

The line currently features foundation and color makeup items. (The skincare products will debut later.) Whereas the previous lineup featured mostly neutral tones for the eyes, the new range has a few slightly more vibrant colors. The eyeshadow powder is quite smooth and blendable. There are three ranges of lip glosses, and I like the sparkling shimmer of the Delicious Pout Flavored Lip Gloss and the glassiness of the Fully Delicious Sheer Plumping Lip Gloss (with almost no shimmer).

However, packaging-wise, I still prefer the previous line. I know I am being fussy here, but I prefer the clean angular edges of the previous compacts to the round edges of the current products.

I decided to take home the Subliminal Purity Mineral Based Loose Powder. There are four shades available (but only one shade, Translucent, is available on the US Sephora website). At the counter, Translucent was the only one that didn’t have a tester, but I was told that it was sheer and matte. It sounded like what I would like, but I didn’t want to take the risk. I chose 001 Ivory, the lightest of the other three shades.

I like the container. It has clean and slick edges and the lid is quite thick and heavy.

First of all, the name of the product indicates that it is mineral-based. Looking at the ingredient list, I take “mineral based” to mean “talc-free“. (Otherwise it is just like any other loose powder.) This is only based on the convention in beauty marketing, since talc itself is a mineral ingredient. (Most mineral makeup lines regard talc as a cheap filler ingredient. However, talc is a key ingredient in many foundations and other makeup products in creating the smoothness and silkiness that many mineral foundations don’t have.)

However, the powder had the matteness that really appealed to me when I tested it at the counter, so I was willing to give it a go.

#001 Ivory is a pale beige shade that goes on slightly lighter than it looks in the container. It doesn’t have visible shimmer and has a natural matte finish that should appeal to people with combination or oily skin.

One thing very different from some other loose powder is that it has considerably more coverage and that it adds extra coverage to the ZA Two-Way Foundation that I have been using. The two together create a medium-to-full coverage. (But if you are using a foundation that matches your skin tone perfectly, this loose powder is very likely to alter the shade of your foundation applied beforehand.) What I also like about this loose powder is that it does have a fairly good efficacy in controlling shine.

However, it only conceals pores minimally and it doesn’t create an optimally smooth finish. (To me, the texture of the powder seems relatively dry.) Also, when applied with a puff (not the enclosed puff in the container, which is slightly stiff), the powder does not move or blend as well as some other loose powder I have tried.

I have to contribute these less-than-desirable qualities to the lack of ingredients like talc which add smoothness and a bit of movement during application. Using this loose power with a large powder brush will solve some of the movement issue, but this will cover pores even less effectively.

I think this loose powder will suit people with combination or oily skin who want shine control but don’t need pore coverage from a loose powder. Also, since it does have a bit of coverage, it can be used simply as a foundation if you like a light coverage. (In both cases, again, do use a powder brush, not a puff, especially not the one included in the container.)

Overall, from the items I tested at the counter, I still like the new ck Calvin Klein Beauty line. Also, the prices are lower than many other high-end products. (The loose powder costs £17 and a mascara costs £10.) I will definitely be on the lookout for new items. Most important of all, I hope it stays around for much longer this time!

Now, please do head over to Beauty Anonymous for reviews of Tempting Glance Intense Eyeshadow in Sensuous Taupe and Delicious Luxury Crème Lipstick in Henna.

Enjoy!!

(Please also have a look at another joint review that Beauty Anonymous and I did on Chanel’s Ombre D’Eau Eyeshadow.)

More loose powder!

Crème de la Mer The Powder

Paul & Joe Face Powder

Lavshuca Face Powder

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