These days, my pores run the show. They drive the car. They’re the CEOs of my face, and every face-related product I use, from foundation to primer and powder, like the one I’m wearing here, new NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder, has to keep the CEOs happy.
And $36 NARS Soft Velvet does.
What is it exactly?
Honestly, it’s a loose powder. It does not exist to bring about world peace, but it will, however, set your foundation and concealer (and it does so without appearing thick or heavy), blur those pores (yea!), smooth the texture of your skin, and soak up that pesky oil patch in the middle of your forehead. You can wear it all by itself on bare skin, or on top of other products.
My skin always gets dry this time of year, so this isn’t the best time for me to assess an oil-controlling product, but I’m guessing that if I were in one of my oily skin phases, like when I could fry egg rolls with the grease on my forehead (throughout my teens and early 20s), this would have laid a decent smack-down, although it probably wouldn’t have gone home with the championship belt.
Before NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder
And after NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder in Beach
Now, please don’t tell the makeup police…but a lot of the time I skip powder, unless I know I’m going to be taking pics.
It’s just another step, and my skin has been so dry lately, so I haven’t felt like I needed the extra oil-control power. When I’m going to be taking pics, though, I do like to use it because it softens the whole face makeup effect and brings my bronzer, blush and highlighter together.
Soft Velvet, which, by the way, is not the name of a dirty Prince song (as far as I know), is totally user friendly. NARS must have done something different with the sifter on the cap, because unlike most loose powders, this one works great. When I use it I don’t end up with powder all over the place.
To apply, I usually dip a big fluffy brush (or a powder puff, or a smaller fluffy tapered eye brush, if I’m using it to set concealer) into the jar, tap off the excess, then lightly dust that on my forehead, nose and cheeks.
It’s available in eight shades ranging from fair to deep. Look for Snow and Flesh for fair skin tones; Desert (light rose undertones), Eden (yellow undertones) and Beach (deep yellow undertones) for medium skin tones; and Mountain (a deep reddish brown), Heat (a deep true brown) and Valley (a deep neutral) for darker skin tones.
NARS also sells another loose powder, a translucent Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder. It has a similarly silky formula that melts right into my skin, but if I had to choose between it and Soft Velvet, I’d go with the latter. The translucent version looks great in real life (it has that magical skin softening quality), but it can be problematic in pics, especially when there’s a flash up in the mix (I get that ghostly white cast).
I got 99 problems but this powder ain’t one, LOL! It beautifully sets foundation and concealer, looks natural and photographs well. It’s getting a place right beside my current (and long term) loose powder love, Chanel Poudre Universelle (I wear shade 40 Dore in Chanel).
I think both of them are great, but my NARS shade, Beach, is slightly more yellow than Chanel’s, which has a little more red.
I’ll probably end up alternating between the two of them, depending on what my skin’s doing on any given day.
PRICE: $36 for a 0.35-oz. jar
AVAILABILITY: Available now online and at NARS boutiques, and coming February 1, 2015, to Sephora and NARS counters
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+/A-
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Agata says
January 23rd, 2015 at 4:10 pmI can definitely tell a difference in these pictures and I like the way this powder looks on you. I agree, Chanel powder is my favorite loose powder too (although I also love my Urban Decay Naked one). Your hair looks so pretty and full in these photos!
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fancie says
January 23rd, 2015 at 10:27 pmI rarely set my foundation but I still kinda want this lol. It looks very natural today
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Charlene says
January 23rd, 2015 at 10:27 pmThanks for this! I unfortunately am a pressed powder gal – just applying with a brush. Using Bare Minerals Ready Veil because it’s a close match and it has the spf that the LM foundation doesn’t have.
angie says
January 24th, 2015 at 12:24 amis it going to replace the old NARS Loose Powder, Karen?
astou says
January 24th, 2015 at 2:35 amI’m more comfortable with pressed powder, i have just 1 loose powder.
But i love the fact that there’s a large range of shades.
Thanks again for the tip 🙂
Lisa says
January 24th, 2015 at 9:37 amI’ve been using one of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders (Dim) to finish off my looks these days, but you’ve got me curious about this one now….*adds to Sephora Love list*
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Icequeen81 says
January 24th, 2015 at 10:18 amnice natural look love it
Natalie says
January 24th, 2015 at 11:46 amYour skin looks great! And in your experience what does actually take the championship? Just curious for a reccomendation!
Nicole says
January 24th, 2015 at 3:59 pmWould you classify this as a finishing powder? Or is this similar to Chanel’s Vitalumiere Loose Powder?
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A Lady In White says
January 24th, 2015 at 4:01 pmI’ve been experiencing some dry skin myself, perhaps due to the cold weather, so I’ve been a little shy on layering up the powder. The right setting powder can work wonders and ensure that your foundation and concealer stays put for the day but I’ve just never come across anything that’ll work for my oily/combined skin. I haven’t got much to lose – other than the money – and I’ve been loving Nars’ 2014 releases so watch me run to Sephora come February.
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Poo@beautyandmakeupmatters says
January 24th, 2015 at 11:53 pmThe powder looks really good.. it looks perfect in pictures.. <3
You are so right about translucent powder and flash.. they are like enemies and could spoil the look! 😛
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Ade says
January 25th, 2015 at 12:41 amHi Karen, which one of these that has the best oil control for oily skin:
– NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder;
– Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder; or
– Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre.
Thanks!
Iris says
January 25th, 2015 at 1:16 amThis looks like a great product. Flesh looks like it’d work out for me.
Kiss & Make-up says
January 25th, 2015 at 5:48 amI might give Eden a try. I dropped my pressed NARS powder yesterday morning 🙁 Reminder to self: doing your make-up on a Saturday morning at 6AM is never a good idea.
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Sara says
January 25th, 2015 at 2:27 pmThank for this post.
Is Snow pink or yellow undertoned?
Alyssa Melanie says
January 26th, 2015 at 3:43 amAwww… and I was really set on buying the light reflecting powder. I mean, I’m happy with my current HG – Chanel loose powder. But with all the good things I’m hearing about the NARS powders, I want to try them too! Will probably go with the Soft Velvet because I don’t want to look ghostly in photos. 😀
It is a bit pricey, though, don’t you think? $36 for 0.35oz while the Chanel powder is $52 but you get 1oz of product. But, who am I kidding? I’m pretty sure I’m still going to buy it. Lol!
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Kim says
January 26th, 2015 at 6:02 amI have a Tarte pressed powder that I almost never use but, lately when I reach for powder (which is not often), I grab my Hourglass Ambients. 🙂
JamieM says
January 26th, 2015 at 8:47 amHey Karen,
How would you compare this to the NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation? I know that one has light to medium coverage. Does this have any coverage at all or its just tinted and better for setting?