There was a time, not so long ago, when I shied away from setting powders because I believed powder of any kind emphasized my fine lines and wrinkles. Over the last 6-12 months I’ve had the opportunity to test some powders and application techniques. And I’ve discovered that finely milled, well-formulated powders applied and set properly can actually help to diminish the look of fine lines and age-related texture on my skin. These 2-shade powder palettes from Wet n Wild have become one of my favorites.
Price: $4.99 / for 0.44 oz. (12.5 grams) palette
Where to Buy: Wet n Wild is so at Walmart stores nationwide along with select CVS, Walgreens and other major discount retailers and drugstore chains.
Color Range: 2 shades are offered, both named after desserts – the lighter combo is “Dulce de Leche” and the darker is “Caramel Toffee.” The lighter combo provides a matte ivory highlight powder and a cool-toned contour shade. The deeper combo features a vanilla-toned highlight shade that’s also matte and akin to a pressed version of Ben Nye’s Banana Powder (made famous by Kim Kardashian and her MUA). The darker combo also includes a deeper shade intended for contouring that is a more neutral in tone, containing a nice balance of cool and warm tones. Experts tell us cool tones (with more blue/gray undertones) are more appropriate for contouring because they most closely mimic actual shadows.
Application, Texture and Finish: These powders, especially the lighter shade, can easily be applied with a puff, makeup sponge or brush of any size. These palettes do kick up a good bit of powder when you dip your brush into them, so plan for some fall-out. I find that the lighter shades very similar to a loose powder. It’s very finely milled and incredibly soft, but it’s a talc base so the texture differs from MAKE UP FOR EVER’s HD Finishing Powder (that one’s 100% silica). I find that any excess powder is easily removed with a brush or damp beautyblender® type sponge. And any overly powdered look is easily remedied with a good setting spray.
Coverage: Because the lighter shades are intended as highlight, they don’t provide a lot of coverage. They’re somewhat sheer. However, they do offer sufficient coverage and brightening to perform the intended effect.
I’m not that big into full-on contouring because I’ve never figured out how to pull off that look without looking muddy. I do enjoy using the darker shade for a little light bronzing around the perimeter of my face. And it works incredibly well as a transitional eye shadow shade because it blends like a dream!
Wear: Applied and set these powders don’t budge. My favorite way application is using the lighter shade to set under-eye concealer. It works extremely well for baking – decreasing any creasing you may experience with your favorite concealer and improving the longevity and wear time. I find that I may need the occasional powder up after 5-6 hours of wear, usually only in my oiliest areas or if I’m wearing particularly oily moisturizer underneath these powders that day. On a positive note, I have never experienced any oxidizing or color-changing with these powders even when applied over heavy-duty moisturizers or when set with my DIY Glowy Setting Spray (which includes a bit of oil from the added antioxidants). That’s good news for oily-skinned gals who’ve experienced the dreaded oxidation “orange face” that happens mid-day with some powders.
Packaging: This is where you’ll recognize this as an inexpensive product. These palettes are enclosed in cheap plastic with a basic opaque black base and a thin, clear plastic lid that scratches easily. The palettes have a basic snap-type closure that can break after a while or when dropped. The packaging is obviously not great, and if you plan to carry one of these in your makeup or travel bag, be mindful that the packaging means they’re more fragile. All things considered, I’d rather save money and get a great makeup bargain than spend an $15-20 extra for fancy packaging. But if you prefer beautiful packaging, Wet n Wild is probably not a brand that speaks to you anyway.
Skin Beneficial Ingredients: Minimal. This is not a skin care product so don’t expect it to provide a bunch of antioxidants or skin-beneficial ingredients. These powders are composed primarily of talc, nylon, boron nitride and aluminum starch. Then again these palettes cost less than $5 and for the money you get a ton of product.
Full Ingredient List (per company website): Talc, Nylon-12, Boron Nitride, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Dimethicone, Magnesium Myristate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Phenoxyethanol, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylyl Glycol, Polybutene, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, o-Cymen-5-ol, Methicone (in shade 749A), [+/- (MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR): Mica, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891, Red 40 Lake/CI 16035, Yellow 5 Lake/CI 19140, Ultramarines/CI 77007].
Summary and Daily Beauty Wisdom Rating: These palettes are terrific beauty bargains for anyone looking to experiment with contour and highlighting. And they’re great on-the-go options for anyone who, like me, rushes out the door with their makeup half done (intending to finish in the car or upon arrival at their destination) or anyone needing a fantastic touch-up powder combo. I should add that this is currently my second favorite setting powder, second only to the far more expensive Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($38 / 1 ounce) which is also talc-based and considered among the best setting powders in the industry. Yes, it’s that good! Give these palettes strong consideration. They’re worth the $5.
One final comment, Wet n Wild claims on the front side packaging for these products that they are cruelty free. However, the back side packaging clearly states they are made in China, which some would say negates the “cruelty-free” claims. If that’s an issue for you, be advised.
Additional Reviews:
Makeup Alley ratings https://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=177909/Coloricon-Contouring-Palette/Wet–n–Wild/Contour (4.3 / 5 lipsticks; 83% of Reviewers said they would repurchase).
Stacy Makeup’s Review (spoiler – she recommends these palettes as an all-around beauty bargain).
* It’s interesting to note that many of the more well-known makeup review sites don’t yet have reviews for these palettes. So they’re kind of under-the-radar beauty products that seem to garner positive ratings among those who have tried them.
For more information, check out the full product info and Wet n Wild company page here.
Wisdom for the Day:
“Now we see a reflection in a mirror; then we will see face-to-face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known.” I Corinthians 13:12 (Common English Bible)
Read more here.
