Purchased – Affiliate Links

I recently learned that Guerlain has discontinued my very favorite powder – the Illuminating & Mattifying Pressed Meteorites. I am on my third compact, and although I have a backup (thanks to the generosity of a friend!), I know I will need to find a replacement, so I was intrigued by Maybelline’s new Dream Wonder Powder, which is advertised as a “powderless powder” since it is talc-free.

The main purpose of a powder, for me, is to set my makeup / increase weartime and, depending on the foundation I use, give a matte finish. I don’t really get oily – maybe just a touch on my chin during the hottest part of summer. It’s important that the powder does not make my skin look or feel dry, and I prefer powders that improve the look of skin texture.

Unfortunately, the Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder was a total fail for me. The color (40 Nude) is a decent match, but the texture doesn’t work for my dry skin at all. I’m generally not at all concerned about pore size, but this powder really emphasized the texture of my skin and made the pores on my cheeks very noticeable. In the below swatch, you can see the swatch (on the right side of the photo) blends in colorwise, but really emphasizes the fine lines on my wrist.

This texture-emphasis is a total dealbreaker and makes the powder unwearable for me.  However, I don’t know how the powder would work on an oilier – or even just less dry – skin.

Another problem I had with the powder was the texture in the pan – it’s extremely powdery, and even the softest brush leads to powder everywhere. Below, I gently brushed a soft powder brush across the surface.

This kind of powdery mess really bugs me, though it may not be a problem for others.

If you’ve tried this powder, I’d love to hear about it. Did you have the same problems, or did it work for you?

*I purchased the product(s) featured in this post. This post contains one or more affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.