Review – Mattify Ultra – Amazing Powder for Oily Skin!

Stop Oily Skin with Mattify Cosmetic’s Ultra Powder

As a girl with oily skin, the ongoing search for makeup that will control the oil was starting to seem like a never ending task. It was consuming my days – searching endlessly for something that might control the oil. Hell, I have such oily skin, I even started a blog about it! My search ended about a year ago when I discovered this wonder-product that I can’t imagine living without.

Ultra Powder for
Oily Skin.
Photo Credit: Mattify Cosmetics

 

What is my # 1 beauty product?

Mattify Ultra Powder for oily skin! You have probably heard me mention this product in several of my other posts. The reason is, I never EVER apply my makeup without also using the Mattify Ultra Powder. If I forget to use the powder, my face is an oily mess within minutes.

 

 

How did I discover Mattify Ultra?

While reading random beauty blogs, I stumbled upon a stellar review about this amazing face powder, and decided to add it to my list of products to try. Yes, I seriously did have a LIST! Since this was one of the least expensive items on said list, I decided to try it first. Including shipping, paid $14 for it online at www.mattifycosmetics.com .

How to apply Mattify Ultra Powder?

When I first bought it, I didn’t realize that you could use it both under AND over your makeup. So, for the first few days I used it as a setting powder over my liquid foundation. In the morning, I used a big powder brush to put it on. It looks white in the container, but when you put it on, it just blots into your skin and becomes completely invisible. For touch-ups during the day, I used a powder puff.  I was totally amazed at how poreless my face looked! Not only did my face not get greasy for 3 whole hours, but it looked like an air-brushed photo.

Apply Mattify Powder

Now 3 hours may not seem like much to the average person with normal skin. But for me, it was nothing short of a miracle. Before I started using the Mattify Powder, all other products I had tried kept me oil free for maybe 1 hour max.

After returning to the Mattify website to look more closely at their other products, I discovered you can use the Mattify Powder underneath makeup as a primer. Really?? That was such exciting news. I have searched the world over for a primer that doesn’t feel greasy and doesn’t contain silicone – which gives me huge breakouts. I was about to give up on primer all together when I found this powder.

 

Mattify Ultra Powder
reduces acne

I started using the Mattify Ultra underneath my makeup, and again over the top of my foundation. It extended the oil-free situation to about 3.5 hours, but what’s more exciting is that it stopped me from breaking out. My pores get clogged so easily, and I was used to 6-7 breakouts every week. Beauty advisers and dermatologists have suggested using only mineral powder makeup, since liquid makeup is often a culprit for causing breakouts. But, mineral makeup does not provide nearly enough coverage for my face, so I am stuck with using a full coverage foundation. Much to my surprise, after a few weeks of using the Mattify Ultra under my foundation, I was only getting about 3 breakouts per week! Seriously. Amazing.

My skin produces more grease than an oil rig

 

 

The Mattify Cosmetics line has since become one of my favorite brands. When you have oily skin, you know that your beauty products must be either waterproof or designed to absorb a truck-load of oil. While I don’t think any of the Mattify stuff is waterproof, it does last all day and stops my face from having that nasty coating of oil.

 

 

 

Other Products from Mattify Cosmetics 

As long as I use waterproof mascara, foundation, liner, and brow filler, the rest of my face is good to go with the oil absorbent Mattify products. I also use their blush and eye shadows. Will swatch some of those and do a review soon! I have collected almost all of their eye shadows, because they only cost $5 each. The colors are crazy gorgeous and don’t get all creased like most other eye shadows do after a few hours on me. Here is a pic of some of their shadows, from a review on the She Scribes website:

Mattify Cosmetics Long Lasting Eye Shadows on She Scribes Blog

Basically, if you have oily skin, this is a brand you must try! And if you have a tough time getting your foundation to look fresh and oil free all day, trust me… the Mattify Ultra Powder will be your savior!  I haven’t seen the Mattify brand in drugstores, but am not sure if some salons might have it. I just buy mine online at their website www.mattifycosmetics.com and it usually arrives about 5 days after I order, so shipping is pretty fast.

I Hate BB Creams! A Rundown of Why Beauty Balm Blemish Creams Do Not Work for Oily Skin

BB Creams Do Not Work for Oily Skin

Just in case the title didn’t get my point across… I HATE BB Creams! Whoever decided they should be marketed toward those with acne prone skin as a Blemish Balm should be slapped for false advertising.

My skin is very blemish prone, and also very oily. I have some freckling, and some little scars from past acne breakouts. Every day for the past 3 years, I have worn Estee Lauder Liquid Foundation along with Mattify Ultra Powder for Oily Skin. With this combo, I now get fewer breakouts, my skin isn’t nearly as oily looking, and just a tiny bit of the foundation covers all of my flaws. After getting such amazing results with these products, BB Creams had high standards to meet – and they all failed!

What I’ve discovered is that Most BB Creams are nothing but a tinted moisturizer. So, with the added moisture (even if the products are labeled “oil-free”) my skin turns into a grease factory. Several of them also made me break out more than I normally do. Some of them clogged my pores and caused blackheads. ALL of them made my skin produce more oil. ALL of them failed to provide enough coverage.

The first BB creams I tried were the easily accessible drugstore brands: Garnier Skin Renew and Olay Fresh Effects. These did absolutely nothing positive for my skin. I tried both with / without concealer, and both with/without my trusty oil absorbing Mattify Ultra powder. End result: my skin never stopped looking oily and there was zero coverage from either of these BB Creams. They both felt greasy and heavy, like a gooey moisturizer. Someone with dry skin would probably love these.

BB Creams

Then, I decided to obtain some samples from Sephora & Macys for the higher end brands. At Macy’s I tried Estee Lauder’s Day Wear, which is intended for oily skin. This is the ONLY BB cream that did not make my face greasier than usual. However, it didn’t cover any imperfections, and it looked like I was wearing next to nothing. I also tried Clinique Age Defense, which felt waxy and heavy, but did not cover and certainly did not control oil.

At Sephora, I took so many samples home, I will just list them below with the results.

Too Faced Beauty Balm
Of all I tried, this one provided the most coverage. It at least minimized the appearance of my freckling and redness from acne (but still nowhere near what my regular liquid foundation covers). Unfortunately, it didn’t help with the oiliness & my skin felt sticky within an hour of application.

Smashbox Camera Ready
This one claims to control oil. Om, no. I actually looked shinier after I applied it, and it made my face itch. I had to wash it off after only 20 minutes because of the itching.

Bobbi Brown BB Cream
At first, it provided a bit of coverage – similar to the Too Faced Balm. But even though it felt dry to the touch, it made my face look shimmery. Again, the oily problem popped up after only 1 hour of wear,  then the pigment to the cream seemed to fade, and coverage completely disappeared.

Boscia BB Cream
Gave my skin a healthy looking glow, but didn’t really cover any imperfections. It actually did give my skin nice coloring, but I would need to use a ton of concealer underneath for a flawless face.

Stila Stay All Day
Provided a semi-matte finish, but it only lasted about half an hour and didn’t provide any coverage. It looked like I was wearing no makeup at all.

In short, here is why BB Creams are NOT ideal for oily, breakout-prone skin:

• Too hydrating for combination or oily skin
• Leave skin feeling and looking sticky all day long
• Promote even more oil production than usual
• Feel heavy or greasy, and some brands clog pores
• Most contain no ingredients to actually fight blemishes
• Do not contain enough pigment to cover even light freckling or tiny acne breakouts

My experience with BB creams has been all too similar to my trials with Bare Escentuals Mineral Makeup. I tried to use their mineral foundation for weeks before discovering I was allergic to Bismuth Oxychloride. Since so many people with acne prone skin swore by these products, I wouldn’t give up on them working for me. I ended up with tons of zits, my face itched, and I looked horrible every time I wore it. That goes to show me that not all products work for all people.

BB Creams – NOT For Oily Skin

I have completely given up on BB Creams until some company comes up with a truly pigmented formula for blemished oily skin that does not make the face look shinier. Some blogs do state that brands from Japan are better & have more pigment than the ones in the states. If I decide to give BB creams one more shot, and order a Japanese brand from Ebay, I will post an update. In my opinion, BB Creams should only be marketed toward people who have flawless, dry skin with nothing to cover, and no oiliness to deal with.

Check out more blog posts from MakeupGuru4u!

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MUFE Pro Finish Powder Foundation Review – Great Product for Oily Skin
http://makeupforoilyskins.com/2013/02/27/mufe-pro-finish-powder-foundation-great-product-for-oily-skin/

Best Tinted Moisturizer for Oily Skin – How to Make Your Own Tinted Moisturizer
http://makeupforoilyskins.com/2013/01/17/the-best-tinted-moisturizer-for-oily-skin-how-to-make-your-own-tinted-moisturizer/

Best Products for Oily Skin – 3 Steps to Apply Makeup Like a Professional Makeup Artist

The achieve perfect matte makeup for oily skin, use a mattifying face primer, foundation & powder. People who have oily skin end up with oily break-through very quickly if matte products are not used.  If you’ve ever wondered how celebrities appear to have flawless, shine-free skin, follow these steps to find out!

kim kardashian makeup for oily skin

1. APPLY A MATTIFYING FACE PRIMER FOR OILY SKIN

Begin with clean, dry skin. If you typically use toner, make sure it is alcohol-free. If you wear moisturizers or sunscreens, be sure they are oil-free. If applicable, apply toner, then moisturizer or sunscreen, then primer.

POWDER PRIMER:

These work best, as they are very matte and do not add any oiliness to the skin. An excellent one to try is Mattify Cosmetics ULTRA Powder ($13), because it is very light weight, highly oil absorbent, and will not promote breakouts or clogged pores. Brush it on your entire face, using a fluffy powder brush.

LIQUID PRIMER:

If you insist on a liquid primer, try Korres Silicone Free Primer ($28). It is one of the only cream primers in existence that does not contain irritating dimethicone (silicone). Apply it with your finger tips or a concealer brush.

IMPORTANT

**Those who are breakout prone and/or have oily skin should NEVER use a primer that contains dimethicone (silicone). This ingredient is in almost all gel & cream face primers, including Smashbox, Too Faced, Benefit, Cosmedicine, and Monistat Chafing Gel (often recommended for use as a primer). Dr Brand’s Pores No More also contains dimethicone, although the nasty side effects are lessened because the product contains antiseptic Tea Tree Oil as well.

Watch out for dimethicone, because it will clog the heck out of your pores, make oiliness worse, and can cause massive acne breakouts. It is essentially the same ingredient a construction worker would use to calk the base of your bathtub and toilet, in order to prevent water leakage. Why anyone would want to put that on their face is beyond me!

2. USE THE RIGHT TOOLS WITH YOUR LIQUID FOUNDATION

To get the most even & natural finish, a brush or sponge should be used to apply liquid foundation. Your liquid makeup should be labeled as either “matte” or “semi-matte” and should not contain oil.

FOUNDATION BRUSH:

When using a foundation brush, apply foundation by working 1 section at a time and using downward strokes. It’s very important to sweep downward to avoid tiny hairs on the face from standing up. Dab the foundation brush into the makeup and sweep onto skin. After each section has been applied, dab with a sponge to even out any streaks.

BEAUTY BLENDER SPONGE:

To apply liquid foundation with a sponge, first dampen the sponge and squeeze out excess water. Dab the tip of the sponge into foundation and sweep onto sections of the face using downward motions. Pat (don’t rub) makeup into place until desired level of coverage is achieved.

The most important step to achieving a matte look for oily skin is to use a mattifying face powder and foundation. People who have oily skin end up with oil break-through very quickly if matte products are not used.

3. USE AN OIL ABSORBENT SETTING POWDER FOR OILY SKIN

LOOSE POWDER:

This is the best type of powder for oily skin, because it is light & airy, gives an airbrushed finish, and usually provides optimal absorption. It can be applied using swirling motions to blend, with a fluffy powder brush, kabuki brush, angled brush, or powder puff. Mattify Cosmetic’s ULTRA Powder (the same one used as Primer in step 1) multi-tasks as a transparent loose setting powder. Dust it on over your foundation to create a perfectly matte complexion that will stay fresh for hours. It can be re-applied throughout the day, without adding coloring to the complexion, and without looking cakey.

If you prefer a loose powder with some pigmentation, try Mattify Tinted Powder ($15) or Coty Airspun Powder ($7). These are both up to the task of absorbing oil while setting makeup for long wear.

PRESSED POWDER:

Pressed powder is less than ideal for those with oily skin. Here’s why:

When the powder puff is used to pat the powder onto your skin, the oils transfer from your face to the powder puff. When you place the puff back into the pressed powder contaner, the oils transfer onto the powder. This coats the top of the pressed powder with skin oils, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Also, pressed powder can look un-natural and heavy – as opposed to loose powder.

If you must use pressed powder, be sure to use blotting papers to soak up excess oil before re-powdering, and wash your powder puff once every 2-3 days. Some companies such as MAC and Mark Cosmetics have come up with a solution to this, by creating a larger compact that houses the puff in a separate chamber with air circulation. Even with this system, it is wise to wash or replace the puff once a week.

Viola! You’ve created the perfect matte complexion. Now you’re ready to walk the red carpet…or at least to make an enviable entrance into your next event!