Last week, I posted a review of Sleek’s One Finishing Powder. In short, I like that powder for under the eyes, but not the rest of my face. I was surprise that a couple of my brown-skin followers shared their frustrations with finishing powders that leave them ashy, or just fail to impart a promised glow. Today, I am sharing two under-hyped finishing powders that deliver for all complexions.

The first is in the photo above. Illamasqua’s Loose Powder (15g, £19.50) and Pressed Powder in 005 (10g, £19.50).  The formulation for the powders are pretty much the same, the difference being the convenience factor. Don’t let the curious pink colour put you off, as this will not intensify cool, pinky undertones or look strange on warmer undertones. I admit that I was a bit scared of this powder when I first saw it and therefore stayed clear. My jaw dropped, however, when I saw how undetectable the powder was once applied to dark skin (Skin Base #17, MAC NW48)! After that I started using the pressed powder in 005 to freshen up my face during the day. The pink hue adds a brightness to the skin without leaving an ashy effect.

Laura Mercier’s Universal Finishing Powder is another underrated invisible powder that I like. It looks very similar to powders like MUFE’s HD and MAC’s Prep & Prime finishing powders. LM’s white powder has a very fine, smooth texture that is truly invisible when applied. The recommended way to apply the Universal Finishing Powder is with a duo-fibre fan brush, after swirling it in the product’s lid. A tiny bit is plenty.

Here’s how the powder looks on my skin (Skin Base 15/RL 240+325/NW43/NC45+50/MUFE Mat Velvet #70) in natural light. Apologies for the mean look on my face and earphones.

Do you own any of these powders or want to rave about any other finishing powders? Feel free to leave your comments below .