Kat Von D Lock-It Translucent Loose Setting Powder

I wouldn't usually post about the same brand one after the other, but I placed a Sephora order a few weeks ago and bought a batch of Kat Von D bits at the same time. I've tested and had to get my thoughts on the blog whilst they were fresh, otherwise baby brain may set in and I will forget (just how long can I stretch baby brain out for? does 10 months in still count?) 

Having oily skin means that I get the dreaded mid day shine, or 10am on most days, so I needed something that will stop the oil slick dragging the foundation off of my face. Cue Kat Von D's Lock-It Setting powder, lightweight, non-cakey, translucent, fix your makeup in place powder.

  

Now I've tried others, but they were either too drying or too heavy resulting in a rather cakey look, think Betty Crocker. I didn't really have high hopes for this powder, but I was buying other items and thought I should at least try.

I paid $30.00 (around £23.00) from Sephora, so not the cheapest, it fits in amongst the higher end powders but not as much as the Laura Mercier/Charlotte Tilbury's of the loose powder world. 

My immediate thoughts were that the packaging is nice with a KVD embossed lid and also that it seems to be a decent size.

Upon opening, the dispensing holes are in the shape of a star, pointless but still pleasing. I played around with a few brushes but I actually preferred to apply with a foundation brush. I just felt like I had more control and no powder dropped down, no mess! I usually give my whole body a light dusting when applying powder - by accident may I add!

I have to say that on first application I noticed straight away that it improved my complexion, it smooths out the bits that you wish you could blur on Photoshop. I wasn't expecting it to improve the finish of my foundation but just to hold it in place, yet it holds up to its complexion improving claims. It does do a pretty good job at holding foundation in place, I don't think I will ever find anything that completely hold makeup all day.

Overall i'm quite impressed with this, it not only doesn't dry and cake but it actually improves the look of my skin. It makes up for the wipes I bought recently (see post below) Kat you've nailed it on this one! 

I filmed a short try on/review vid - click below to watch

x

Kat Von D Unlock-It Makeup Remover Wipes - Review and comparison to baby wipes

Whilst putting together a Sephora shopping basket, I spotted the Kat Von D Unlock-it makeup wipes and without too much thought I added them to my basket. OK yes they are pricey ($10.00 for a pack of 30) but the thought process here was that I could use them on those nights where I am tempted to skip makeup removal all together because I am so tired. You know, those nights when its taken three hours for your baby to go off to sleep and you quite simply can't be arsed to do anything but sit with a cup of tea and a devour half a pack of Hobnobs (OK two thirds, allowing hubby the other third)

So I thought these wipes would fit the bill nicely, they will remove my makeup quickly and as they are good quality, shouldn't do too much harm to my skin - trying to justify using a wipe here. I hear a large gasp of horror from beauty geeks, how could I even contemplate using A WIPE on my face. I am going against the law of skincare here, but fear not, I do actually wash my face after using any wipe, the wipe is purely to remove the five layers of makeup applied in an attempt to look semi-human. I wouldn't use them every night anyway, just those needy times (although they are becoming more common with my toddler) so they will last me a while, there's my justification.

However, it has been known for me to reach for a baby wipe in my time of need (cue the screams of horror from beauty geeks) quite simply to get my makeup off, get it done, get in bed pronto. So even though I had bought my fabulous wipes, one night I grabbed a baby wipe instead. It made me question what the big difference is and if it is worth spending extra money on something so basic, after all wipes are just a convenience item. So naturally I sat down and filmed myself removing makeup, one side KVD wipe and the other with a baby wipe. The vid is below, watch it and we will carry on.

OK so there is no doubt that the quality is there with the KVD wipe, its thick, soft, packaging is nice etc but it really didn't perform better than a bog standard baby wipe. At £0.25 per wipe, compared to £0.01 for a baby wipe, it just didn't do enough to justify it. I think one of the main selling points here is that the KVD wipes are biodegradable, and with the amount of wipes this household uses it would have a significant effect on the environment. However I can not justify the price for the same performance of something so much cheaper, I would pay the price if it worked noticeably better but it just doesn't. I now wish I saved the money and put it towards Tattooliner which I am still yet to try.

For now, I will use up the rest of the pack knowing that I am not harming the environment, using one every few days or so, consciously aware of my usage. Meanwhile I will use a mountain of baby wipes for every other wipeable task....

xxx