So I had a P&G (Proctor & Gamble, the company that owns Cover Girl) coupon for BOGOFREE any Cover Girl Face product. I got this from the Sunday paper several weeks ago, but thanks to Lisa at Drugstore Divas, I knew that I had to hold on to it and wait patiently for a BOGOFREE sale at one of the drugstores. Thankfully, this week Rite Aid is running a BOGOFREE on all Cover Girl products, so I was able to snag this powder (and another product that I'll be giving to my mom) for free after sales tax. If you want more details about how to use BOGOFREE coupons during a BOGOFREE sale, click here. Lisa does a great job of breaking it all down for us, in terms that even I can understand. Remember: treat all BOGO coupons like gold and clip them the minute you see them. If you can pair them with a BOGO sale, you're looking at free products after sales tax!
So let's talk about this powder, shall we?
So let's talk about this powder, shall we?
Cover Girl Oil Control Clean Pressed Powder in Buff Beige (retail: around $6.99)
The first thing I noticed about Cover Girl Oil Control Pressed Powder is the new, sleeker packaging. Such a HUGE improvement over the old brown compacts. This is a compact that I would not be embarrassed to pull out and use in public. Nice going, Cover Girl!
While the Cover Girl site states that the only thing that's changed about these products is the packaging, I beg to differ. I very much remember the strong, signature "fragrance" of Cover Girl powders, and I have to tell you that the fragrance of this powder is SO much softer. It still smells like "Cover Girl" but it's not going to knock your socks off like the old compacts. In fact, I hardly smell it at all when I use it. So that's another huge improvement.
One more improvement in the new packaging is the closure. I guess Cover Girl listened to consumers complain about how the latch on the old compacts was very weak and caused compacts to open up inside our purses, gym bags, backpacks, etc. I remember that this was a huge pet peeve of mine in high school back in the 80s, and I can only imagine that it has frustrated thousands of other girls and women over the years as well. So thanks, Cover Girl, for finally fixing this problem. And not only did they fix, they REALLY fixed it. In fact, if you try to open this new compact the wrong way, you'll never get it open. The trick is that you have to turn the compact sideways when you open it. If you try to open it while the compact is horizontal in your hands, it might never open. So remember: turn it vertically when you open it, place one thumb on one side, the other thumb on the other side, and you're good to go.
While the Cover Girl site states that the only thing that's changed about these products is the packaging, I beg to differ. I very much remember the strong, signature "fragrance" of Cover Girl powders, and I have to tell you that the fragrance of this powder is SO much softer. It still smells like "Cover Girl" but it's not going to knock your socks off like the old compacts. In fact, I hardly smell it at all when I use it. So that's another huge improvement.
One more improvement in the new packaging is the closure. I guess Cover Girl listened to consumers complain about how the latch on the old compacts was very weak and caused compacts to open up inside our purses, gym bags, backpacks, etc. I remember that this was a huge pet peeve of mine in high school back in the 80s, and I can only imagine that it has frustrated thousands of other girls and women over the years as well. So thanks, Cover Girl, for finally fixing this problem. And not only did they fix, they REALLY fixed it. In fact, if you try to open this new compact the wrong way, you'll never get it open. The trick is that you have to turn the compact sideways when you open it. If you try to open it while the compact is horizontal in your hands, it might never open. So remember: turn it vertically when you open it, place one thumb on one side, the other thumb on the other side, and you're good to go.
Once you open this compact, you'll find that nothing much has changed in terms of how things look. the powder looks the same (Buff Beige, pictured above, is a decent match for my MAC NC20 skin) and the powder puff looks the same as well. Using this powder puff brought back a lot of memories! It's still exactly as I remember it: it's stiff at first, but it softens up with use after you "break it in". It's funny how right as you get it to the perfect consistency, you've hit the pan and it's time to buy another one. Well, at least that's how it always seemed to work for me.
Even though Cover Girl says they did not change the actual formula, I feel like this powder is a little bit better than I remember it. It wasn't as chalky as I remember it from back in the day, and it did a decent job of keeping my oily skin at bay for a few hours (even longer if I used foundation primer that day). The powder itself is not very pigmented, so think of this as more of a blotting powder. I wouldn't recommend it for use in place of foundation because it just doesn't have enough pigment to make your skintone appear more even. Its main purpose is really to reduce shine.
If your skin is oily and you need a light powder that's good to whip out for touch-ups, I might consider giving the newly repackaged Cover Girl Oil Control Clean Pressed Powder a whirl. It's not life-changing, but it's certainly better than I remember it, and that's really saying something. Usually when I revisit a product from my youth, my memories of it are SO much better than the actual product. So I was very pleased to see that this product surpassed my memories for a change!
Do you use any Cover Girl Clean products? What do you think of the new packaging? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even though Cover Girl says they did not change the actual formula, I feel like this powder is a little bit better than I remember it. It wasn't as chalky as I remember it from back in the day, and it did a decent job of keeping my oily skin at bay for a few hours (even longer if I used foundation primer that day). The powder itself is not very pigmented, so think of this as more of a blotting powder. I wouldn't recommend it for use in place of foundation because it just doesn't have enough pigment to make your skintone appear more even. Its main purpose is really to reduce shine.
If your skin is oily and you need a light powder that's good to whip out for touch-ups, I might consider giving the newly repackaged Cover Girl Oil Control Clean Pressed Powder a whirl. It's not life-changing, but it's certainly better than I remember it, and that's really saying something. Usually when I revisit a product from my youth, my memories of it are SO much better than the actual product. So I was very pleased to see that this product surpassed my memories for a change!
Do you use any Cover Girl Clean products? What do you think of the new packaging? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Hello darling! OMG, you just brought back H.S memories with this post on Cover Girl compacts :) I have not used CG since then. I used to love how it smelled, but I hated how the clutch would break, and I got annoyed at how fast you had to replace the powder puff. lol. Well it's good to know that it's a good touch up powder, so I might just give it a try. Thanks for the memories doll =D
ReplyDeleteyeah im glad they got rid of the brown almost black compacts. they were ugly! I got the advanced radiance spf 10 and used it for the first time yesterday. it felt like a nice tint moisturizer i liked it!
ReplyDeleteI got this a few sales ago, and I absolutely loved it. Like the PP mentioned, I HATED the way the puff from the old compact would fall apart so quickly. I'm almost done with my first powder and the puff is holding up very, very nicely. Sometimes the compact gets stuck and it's a bit hard to open, but at least it hasn't fallen apart in my hands like the old compacts. Although, those would make me feel like the Hulk ...
ReplyDeletethe packaging looks better now, but i havent tried their powders yet, only the liquid foundations. I have their restorative cream foundation in buff beige =)
ReplyDeleteI do remember the "smell" of those powders. Which is weird because I used the CG Queen collection makeup and it didnt have a smell. *shrugs* Oh and I am holding on to my precious BOGO CG coupon! LOL
ReplyDeleteMissGoLightly: Hi honey! You are so welcome! Glad I could you take a stroll down memory lane! lol. :) I'd love to know what you think if you revisit this powder!
ReplyDeleteMaria: Glad you agree about the compacts--these new ones are so much nicer, right? :)
lisa: LOL at feeling like the Hulk!! OMG, that is the perfect analogy!! I'm so glad you're liking this new version. :)
Khymm: I'm glad you like the new look too! I'd love to know what you think if you try one of these. :)
adorepink: Oh wow, so the Queen stuff doesn't have the signature Cover Girl scent either? That's very good to know! And I can't wait to see how you work that BOGO coupon, honey! :D
thank you for doing a review on this! If you've tried Maybelline Dream Matte, how would you compare them? Dream Matte never did a thing for me but I'm hoping that this will keep my oily skin matte a little longer
ReplyDeleteJust for the heck of it, I wonder if you guys had heard of using milk of magnesia as a mattifier? I decided to try it and it has dramatically reduced the need to use blotting powder later (thank GOODNESS.) I also recently learned of using ylang-ylang essential (not fragrance) oil as the first layer on your face to hold the oilies at bay. Gonna be looking for some of that pretty soon.
ReplyDeleteStephanie: You are so welcome, honey! And you know what? I am ashamed to say that I have yet to try the Dream Matte powder. I've heard a lot of good things about it, but I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Do you use a foundation primer first? For me and my super oily skin, a primer works wonders underneath my foundation and powder. :)
ReplyDeleteDenise: I have heard the MoM tip many times, but I just haven't worked up the courage to try it. I'm thrilled to hear it's working well for you--do you apply it with a cotton pad? And how much do you need to use? And that is very interested about ylang-ylang EO. Wow, you are such a wealth of information! I love it! :D
Hey R - at age 49 I'm just sick and tired of oil-slick face and willing to do anything to get a handle on it. MoM goes on sooo easy. I poured some up into a smaller travel bottle, squeeze about 3 drops into the palm of my hand, and pat it all over my face, concentrating on the t-zone. If you get it a little thick in some places, it leaves a white streak, but it buffs right off just by rubbing it a little bit. It seems like it tightens up the crepe-y areas a little bit, so I go-lightly over crow's foot area, after tinted sunscreen/moisturizer on light-makeup days.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I think you can find a bottle for a couple of dollars and throw it away if you don't care for the way it works.
Speaking of sunscreen, have you ever reviewed them for us oily-skinned gals?