Wow. I was reading my last entry dated February 28 and realized how I did not even write a single entry after I promised to blog more often. Talk about being busy. =P Anyway, since I’m on research leave from my usual hospital routine, I decided to spend time and try to do some reviews of the purchases I accumulated over the months.
First up is this two-way cake powder from Professional Artist Cosmetics by Martha Tilaar. 
I never heard of this brand until I came across their beauty counter at Watson’s at the SM Mall of Asia. I was looking for a powder foundation that can double-up as a face powder when I chanced upon this. With all honesty, I initially mistook it for another brand and realized my mistake when I was already talking to the beauty consultant. Of course, when I got home, did some research on them but there is not much I could get from their website which is in Indonesian. LOL. But I did find a feature from a beauty blogger Celline Reyes. Things that I learned:
1) They are not new in the business. PAC was created in 1997 to cater specifically to the needs of Asian women.
2) They have a wide range of products which are high-quality and waterproof perfect for the various needs of professional makeup artists.
3) Professional Artist Cosmetics by Martha Tilaar is a top brand in Indonesia.
Funny how I also learned that there is another company selling make-up with the same name which I found off the internet: Professional Artist Cosmetics. While doing my research, I first came across this site and found it weird that I couldn’t find the exact item that I bought. It was then I noticed how the logo weren’t the same.
Professional Artist Cosmetics from http://paccosmetics.com/
Professional Artist Cosmeticsby Martha Tilaar from http://www.pacbeauty.com
The first one is based in India while the one below and the one I am doing a review on is based in Indonesia. Hmmm. I wonder if there are copyright issues involved here with the use of the same brand name?
Anyway, out with legalities and in with the review. 
I am a big fan of Maybelline’s New Super Mineral 24 with Perlite Two-Way Cake Foundation. It’s a staple inside my makeup kit and I’ve lost count how many compacts I broke and how many refills I had bought. I just love how it covers all the imperfections you can find on my skin: pimples, dark undereye circles from all that zombie-mode duties and all the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The application is perfect and despite the fact that I can use it with a wet sponge for an even better application, using it dry already does the trick. But when I used up my last pan, I decided to embark on a journey to find a good alternative. It was when I found this two-way powder cake foundation by Professional Artist Cosmetics by Martha Tilaar. Here are my thoughts:
Packaging
Not exactly a fan of how it looks. The base is a square and there is a circle pan placed on top of this base. The circle pan on top actually houses the powder and the square base hides the powder puff inside. I find it really awkward to hold. I can’t figure out why they needed to combine two geometric shapes in one packaging. Perhaps they can’t make up their mind if they wanted a round powder compact or a square compact. LOL.
Powder
It has a smooth, velvety texture typical of powder foundations. I like the consistency of Maybelline’s Mineral powder foundation better though because it’s smoother and softer to the touch and 
when applied. But of course, there is no point in comparing since the other is mineral makeup. =P
Puff
Just a typical sponge applicator. Nothing much to say about this.
Application/Finish
Okay, so they claim that this can give you medium-to-maximum coverage. My verdict? The powder was velvety and easy to apply. It blends well on skin – so well that it virtually disappears once spread. Good? Bad? I was expecting it to provide good coverage just like Maybelline’s but I was disappointed because a single, thin, application using a dry sponge did not cover much. It took me more dabs on the pan to get that coverage I was looking for. It was not even medium-coverage. The coverage is so light that it wasn’t able to cover my imperfections just by using it alone whereas I can go without concealers with my trusty Maybelline mineral powder foundation. 
However, it has a better coverage when used with a wet sponge. You can achieve the medium-coverage it promises with the right amount of water and powder. Despite its not-so-good coverage when dry, I must say its staying power is quite remarkable. I’ve used this dry (albeit, with multiple layers on initial application) at the hospital where I work and despite the humidity, I didn’t have to reapply after about 6 hours of working straight. Yes, my face had some oiliness after a few hours but not as much trouble as I used to have with Maybelline. The staying power when applied wet is even better perhaps because it settles better on your skin. From the blog I mentioned earlier, this product is supposedly waterproof. I don’t know about that but a portion of my face powder was taken off when I accidentally touched it while putting on my contact lenses with half-wet fingers. And besides, how can a product claim to be waterproof when you can use it both dry and even better when wet? *confused*
This two-way powder is available at all Professional Artist Cosmetics counter for Php 849. Refills are priced at Php 750. Palettes with three shades perfect for make-up artists is at Php 2499 each. It’s pretty expensive but despite its flaws I recommend it to those who like a long-lasting base. Perhaps it will even have a longer staying power with the right face primer. Just don’t expect to be able to wear it without concealer if you have many imperfections to hide. =)
Shall I buy this again? Perhaps. I cannot say for certain because I keep on looking for my old Maybelline compact still. =) I know. I’m such a loyal customer!
Well, that’s all for now. I didn’t notice how this turned out to be quite long. See you in my next review!
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