Laura Mercier: I know this will sound strange considering we’re talking about powders, however the Laura Mercier powder feels more moisturizing and disappears with ease. It’s great at providing an even veil over the skin, with the added bonus of performing really well under the eyes too. How the powder looks after hours of wear is usually the same as how I first apply it. It doesn’t dry out my skin, it doesn’t collect or get patchy and it doesn’t settle into the creases or highlight fine lines. Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder has been holding the No:1 spot for the best setting powder category for quite some time now. Recently however, another powder has been challenging its spot: RCMA No Color Powder Mix a bit of your base shade with each of the others: your under eye and spot coverage shades. “Straight colors—for highlighting, blush, concealing, etc.—will often look too bright or stark on skin. Getting a bit of base color into those neutralizes that effect,” according to Justin Raleigh, makeup artist and CEO of the special effects studio Fractured FX. That way, when you apply them, it’s easier to blend and achieve smoother transitions between different shades you’re working with. As for the disadvantages, Zinc Oxide is also not cosmetically elegant. It leaves a disturbing whitish tint on the skin , although , according to a 2000research paper by Dr. Pinnell, it's slightlyless white than TiO2. Still, it's white and disturbing enough to use Zinc Oxide nanoparticles more and more often. As the final step, set your makeup. Pour a little of the No-Color Powder, which is totally translucent, into your palm, and lightly dip a powder puff into it. Use a light patting motion to apply the powder all over your face.

I would still recommend RCMA No Color Powder, especially considering the price and the generous size. I just find it performs better with oily or excessively oily skin types which can be restrictive and hit and miss in terms of overall performance. Before you start, pour a bit of toner on a cotton ball or pad, and swipe it over your face to get rid of any excess oil. (We used Korres Pomegranate Toner.) Setting powders can be a real challenge; not so much in finding one but finding one that performs well. This powder is also widely used in “baking” the face – meaning it’s applied as a heavy layer over highlighted areas of the face (mainly the center), left for a few minutes to settle in and the residue dusted off with a powder brush. I personally don’t use the baking technique so my findings/opinions are based on lightly dusting the powders over the skin with powder brushes. I have them both and use them both so I thought I’d do a comparison post and give you all the info you need if you’re wondering which one really deserves the top spot…Next, use a concealer brush to apply under eye color to counteract any darkness. We used shade CS-2 (from VK Palette #11), which has a peachy-orange undertone perfect for concealing any blue-ish discoloration. Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder is possibly the most talked about and hyped about setting powder in the beauty world. So much so, that it’s featured in just about every makeup tutorial and most makeup artists have at least one pot in their kits. Looking at the initial comparisons, what stands out is the fact that RCMA offers triple the amount of product at a fraction of the cost to the Laura Mercier powder. This is where many people jumped on the RCMA band wagon cos lets be honest, who doesn’t love a great product that’s also budget friendly. But of course there’s more we need to cover about each… In my personal experience, the most obvious difference between these two powders is the finish – which in turn affects performance.

The first main difference is that while TiO2 gives a nice broad spectrum protection, Zinc Oxide has an even nicerand even broader spectrum protection. It protects against UVB, UVA II, and UVA I almost uniformly, and is considered to be the broadestrange sunscreen available today. It'salso highly stableand non-irritating. So much sothat Zinc Oxide also counts as a skin protectant and anti-irritant. It's also often used to treat skin irritationssuch as diaper rash. Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder: As per the picture above, the Laura Mercier powder is slightly tinted compared to the RCMA powder. Don’t let this tint fool you though, as it does not translate onto the skin at all. The powder is super finely milled, applies really smoothly and disappears pretty much right away leaving behind a silky flawless veil. Below is a swatch picture of the two powders “somewhat” blended. Keep in mind, neither of them would look this obvious when applied properly. I left some residue on the skin to highlight some of the differences between the two powders: Can be used for all powder purposes. Since it has no filler or pigment it will not alter the color of foundation bases.Despite the substantial price and size difference, I’ll have to crown Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder as the winner. From application to finish to overall performance, I can vouch for it being an all-round great product for all skin types and tones.

Ingredients: Boron Nitride, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Silca, Mica, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Vinyl Diphenyl Dimethicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Lauroyl Lysine, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa)Seed Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Quercetin May Contain(s): Blue 1 Lake CI 42090, Iron Oxide CI 77491, Iron Oxide CI 77499, Red 28 Lake CI 45410, Red 6 CI 15850, Red 7 Lake CI 15850, Yellow 5 CI 19140, Yellow 6 CI 15985, Chromium Hydroxide Green CI 77289, Chromium Oxide Green CI 77288, Ultramarine CI 77007, Iron Oxide CI 77489, Iron Oxide CI 77492, Zinc Oxide CI 77947. Lets take a look at the differences between the two powders, discussing the pros and cons – based on my personal experiences with both: Apply NCP loose setting powder before eye shadows, blushes, highlighters to help blend out pigments. RCMA No Color Powder: This powder has a very “corn-starch” look and feel to it. You know that really smooth, almost silicone-like softness which feels like silk to the touch. It leaves the skin with a matte, even finish which is great specifically for those with oily skin. Again, the swatch picture is an extreme case to highlight the differences but Laura Mercier definitely diffuses better over the skin, whereas the RCMA is more apparent.RCMA products are always made with at least a 50 percent pigment-to-filler ratio (the filler in this case is comprised of waxes and oils). To compare, most commercial liquid makeup products contain 18 to 23 percent of pigment-to-filler; typically, theatrical foundation brands have higher pigmentation, in the 35 to 40 percent range. What this means is, when you go to use RCMA—especially for the first time—it’s going to work differently than the foundations you’re use to. With this product, you only need a tiny bit, even for full coverage and serious lasting power. An extremely lightweight, silky, sheer setting powder that leaves skin with a flawless finish…contains the finest French “cashmere” talc and a unique light reflecting ingredient that that creates a “soft focus” appearance for fine lines and imperfections. Delivery Costs & Services are automatically calculated as you shop (because they are dependent on the products, weight, country & delivery service). The only differences I found – one minor and one more defining – is that the translucent powder is more finely milled and does a better job at oil control. The latter difference is the reason why I think the translucent powder is a superior product, especially for those with oily or combination skin. I found that my skin was more shiny on the side with the RCMA powder within a couple hours of wear. And, that conversely, the translucent powder made my skin look more luminous rather than oily. With that said, if you’re trying to decide between the two and you’re budget conscious, I would try the RCMA powder first and see if it works for you. It’s a great product, and I think that as far as how it looks on the skin, I can see no difference in person or in flash photography. RCMA, as a brand, is more famous in the professional makeup world. RCMA has been around for years and their No Color Setting Powder is one of their most renowned and widely used products.