I purchased this in New York after reading a post on The Non-Blonde about how she likes to use powders in the summer to keep herself fresh as a daisy. Knowing I was going to a hot and humid land (though not nearly as humid as NYC, contrary to what anyone might tell you), I decided to pick up a jar of LUSH Vanilla Puff Powder and give it a try.
Have you tried any body powders? How do you keep yourself from feeling gross in less-than-ideal climates?
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| via LUSH |
The packaging is pretty stupid, for a body powder. There's no sieve, only a pop-top bottle that, if squeezed too hard (which is anything above a light contraction) sprays out far too much powder. I would squeeze out a little, or not so little, into my palm, and then transfer smaller portions into my other palm for application. Having a top with holes would have made it much easier, allowing me to pour it onto my body directly, and now that I am home I plan to transfer it to a better container.
In spite of the application issues, though, I really like this powder. It smells like vanilla, but a really nice, natural vanilla, not too sweet or strong. I don't tend to like sweet scents, but this one was mild enough for me, even in the heat. I originally applied it only around my undergarment areas, as those tend to get sweatiest fastest, but I took to applying it everywhere (especially around my joints, like elbows and knees, and up my chest and neck) once I realized it is very effective for preventing that gross sweat-sticky feeling that comes from being in hot places for hours on end. The trick is to apply just a light dusting, as too much can pill up and get grainy; I don't find it to be the silkiest powder ever. I found it kept me relatively fresh and comfortable for multi-hour visits to ruins and mosques. I had no problems wearing perfume with it (though I did tend to opt for the florals I'd brought over the citruses). One thing to note: I tried applying it over sunscreen one day, and that did not work out. It does best on dry, bare skin, in my experience, though they do recommend putting it on over their vanilla lotion for extra scent––I can't say I would recommend that, but your mileage may vary!
After using it for about a month (2 solid weeks all over my body), there's still at least 80% left, so while the bottle seems small, it should last a couple of months, at least.
Bottom line? It smells nice, works well, but the packaging needs improvement, and it's not the most divinely textured powder. I will gladly use up the rest of the bottle, but probably wouldn't repurchase, at least not until I try other varieties (and live in a hot, humid place, since there's not a whole lot of need for it here in the PNW!).
It's priced at the rather reasonable $6.95 for 60 g/1.9 oz; as it's a powder, that's quite a lot of product, even with the inevitable loss on the carpet/clothes that occurs due to the applicator. If you like gourmand scents and live in a hot/humid place, it's certainly worth checking out––especially if you have access to different packaging to transfer it into! Available from LUSH
Have you tried any body powders? How do you keep yourself from feeling gross in less-than-ideal climates?
