Review: Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Silk Shine Free Two Way Cake Powder

Hi everyone,

Last Sunday, I went to a friend's wedding and literally had 5 minutes to do my makeup. While I was doing my eyes, I realized I had about 15 minutes to get to the premise before the reception started. Chop, chop, Dao! I had no time to do some fancy foundation routines so I grabbed the best option possible: Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Silk Shine Free Two Way Cake Powder.

Exhale. What a long name for a makeup product. I did have lots of fun at the party and my makeup was simple yet flawless. Also, I learned a lot about this foundation that day, too!

First of all, last Sunday was not the first time I used this product but it was the first time I wore it out. About a couple of months ago, I was looking for a finishing powder since my HG The Ultimate Powder was running quite low. I went to my trusted makeup/nail store and asked one of the sales people there if they had a good finishing powder. They did, but most of them were out of my reach. One girl suggested me to try this Maybelline BB Silk two way cake powder to use as a finishing powder. I looked at the price tag and since it wasn't so bad, I bought it.

At home, I tried it out as a finishing powder and it was a cakey mess! Turned out, a two-way cake powder is not a finishing powder. It is a pressed foundation that can be used wet or dry. Think MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation but with less silicone and way less coverage. I wish to know that back then so I could chalk up a little bit more cash to get a loose powder instead.

However, it was not all lost. As a sheer coverage foundation, it works well when I use a primer underneath. The oil control property was good as I left the party without looking shiny. However, since it does have chemical sunscreen, I did feel some tingling when I did not use a primer. When used wet, it darkened significantly but the coverage did not improve.

Here are some photos for your own perusal:

 I love the soft lavender of this packaging. It's very sweet. Like Studio Fix Powder plus Foundation, it has a bottom compartment to store the sponge. It was made of good quality latex and believe it or not, I got the best coverage when I used it. The powder brush just makes my foundation look too heavy and cakey. This foundation is not the blending type at all!

 My shade is in Nude Beige (shade #2). It looked perfect after I applied to my face but about 5 minutes later, it began to oxidize to a shade darker. I should have bought shade #1 instead but it looked really, really pale. I wish the shop had testers, though. Makeup is non-refundable here :(

 A little bit about the "BB Silk" thing: I guess you guys already heard about BB Cream. It is supposed to be the best foundation/skincare product out there right now. Maybelline also has their own BB cream but I didn't buy it. This BB Silk two-way cake powder is supposed to be the powder rendition of the BB cream, I guess. It is really silky and glides on smooth without feeling heavy unless you overload it. Like BB cream, it is not supposed to give you a lot of coverage.

 The ingredient list.

The swatch. It's the darker area closer to the lower edge of the picture

When I took this picture, everything looked fine and dandy but immediately after I put my camera away, it oxidized into a darker shade. Grrr!

And finally, how it looked on me:

See, no shine at all! I love the oil control power of this thing. However, look how tan my face was compared to my neck. This picture was taken after the party so it had plenty of time to show its true color already. Don't you hate it when your foundation oxidizes?

Overall, I would give this product a B. While it does what it is supposed to do, it also manages to oxidize, which is a no-no to me. I believe this Maybelline BB Silk powder is a product for the Asian market. If you only need a sheer coverage powder foundation, this would do. But remember to get one that is a shade lighter than your skin color as it does oxidize.

That's all for now. Have fun, everyone!

Love,
Dao xoxo

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