I brought this to a wedding trial for a bride who sweats through Laura Mercier in two hours. She left with zero shine—and zero flashback in photos.
The real kicker? It made her $60 Armani Luminous Silk look exactly the same—just matte. No texture, no caking, no ghost-face.
💸 **Three Things It Does Better Than It Should**
Catrice calls this “All Matt Plus Shine Control Powder.” I bought it for $7.99 at Ulta expecting chalk. I was wrong.
10-second absorption
Tap a brush in, press onto T-zone—shine gone instantly. No waiting for it to “set.”
Invisible on dark skin
I tested it on a deeper complexion—zero white cast. The translucent shade actually disappears.
Doesn’t dry out your under-eyes
Most mattifying powders turn concealer into crust. This one? Stays silky. Weird, but true.
Photo: Karly Jones / Unsplash
✨ **What’s Actually Inside (Not Just Silica)**
The first ingredient is talc—which usually makes me nervous. But they’ve layered in silica for oil absorption and vitamin E so it doesn’t suck your face dry. No fragrance, no B.S.
- Silica: Soaks up oil without looking powdery
- Talc: Gives that blurring, filter effect
- Vitamin E: Keeps skin from feeling tight
- Parfum-free: Won’t irritate reactive skin
Photo: Katie Harp / Unsplash
📸 **Day 1 vs. Week 3 — The Real Talk**
First dip-in: it feels like baby powder—soft, almost too fine. I panicked. Then I swirled it on and my pores literally disappeared. Not “minimized.” Gone.
By week three, I noticed something annoying: it settles into fine lines if you use a damp sponge. Use a fluffy brush, and it’s magic. Also—it’s not fully translucent on NC45+. There’s a slight white sheen if you over-apply.
Photo: Evangeline Sarney / Unsplash
🔄 **Did It Actually Change My Face?**
My nose stayed matte for 6 hours. My forehead? 4 hours max—then a gentle glow, not a grease slick. No breakouts, no cakiness by 5 PM. It did not, however, survive a humid subway commute.
🏆 **The Honest Bottom Line**
For the price, it’s the best translucent mattifying powder I’ve tested under $15. It’s not a miracle worker—but it’s damn close for eight bucks.