Product Review: stila Perfecting Concealer and Pressed Powder
At the request of some readers, I decided to go ahead and review more cosmetics. :-) Two I have recently been asked to review are stila Perfecting Concealer ($22.00, Amazon.com) and stila Pressed Powder ($28.00, Amazon.com). Both claim to keep a control on shine, while disguising your noticeable flaws. But are they really effective? Read on…
A very good concealer
stila Perfecting Concealer contains high concentrations of hydrogenated polyisobutene and talc, giving the formula a thickened consistency. Talc is the softest mineral, and is often used in oil-absorbing cosmetics for its efficacy. Although talc has been speculated to cause skin cancer in the past, this is because older forms of talc contained potentially carcinogenic asbestiform amphibole fibers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers non-asbestiform talc, as in stila Perfecting Concealer, to be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for use in cosmetics. stila Perfecting Concealer also contains silica, which helps skin reflect the light after application.
stila Perfecting Concealer goes on thick and covers extremely well. The best part is that it dries evenly and with a light sheen from the silica particles. Once completely dry (after about five minutes), it can be layered with another coat for those especially hard-to-conceal places.
A light but concealing powder
stila Pressed Powder also conceals well, with a high concentration of opaque talc. It also contains silica to reflect the light, and mineral oil to moisturize the skin. A small amount of vitamin E provides a bit of antioxidant powder, but it is such a small amount (<1%, most likely) that it’s not really a selling point.
What is a selling point in stila Pressed Powder is the way it makes your skin look perfect over stila Perfecting Concealer. I’m usually a big believer in skin care over cosmetics, but these products made my skin look airbrushed.
Bottom line: Makes good skin look better
If you have good skin already, stila Perfecting Concealer and stila Pressed Powder disguise flaws and reflect the light, making your skin look even better.
On the other hand, if you have some problems with your skin, you may want to try a powder with more skin-nourishing ingredients. For instance, if your skin is acne-prone, you may want to try a powder that contains salicyclic acid instead, like Neutrogena Skin-Clearing Oil Free Pressed Powder ($19.98 for two, Amazon.com). Or, if your skin is dry and shows some fine lines and age spots, you may want to try a powder that contains niacinamide, like the new Cover Girl Advanced Radiance Age-Defying Pressed Powder ($16.62 for two, Amazon.com).
Bottom line: stila Perfecting Concealer and stila Pressed Powder are great for a cosmetic cover-up. They don’t contain many skin-benefiting ingredients, but if you’ve been treating your skin right all along, these work like airbrushing! :-) Product Rating: 8/10 (Value for the money: 2/3. Efficacy (at concealing): 3/3. Concentration of effective (at concealing) ingredients: 3/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Ingredients in stila Perfecting Concealer
Hydrogenated polyisobutene, talc, caprylic/capric triglyceride, squalane, dipentaerythrityl hexahydroxystearate/hexastearate/hexarosinate, hydrogenated styrene/ isoprene copolymer, nylon-12, ethylhexyl stearate, stearalkonium hectorite, boron nitride, tocopheryl linoleate, caprylyl glycol, hexylene glycol, propylene carbonate, bht, phenoxyethanol, [+/- titanium dioxide (ci 77891), iron oxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), ultramarines (ci 77007)]
Ingredients in stila Pressed Powder
Talc, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Silica, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Octyldodecyl Lactate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Cetearyl EthylHexanoate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone, Zeolite, Nylon 12, Zinc Stearate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Ultramarines (CI 77007)
