Review: Benefit MATTErial Girl loose powder

Ta-da! I caved in and bought this during Christmas time last year (that's not so long ago, okay? XD it's last month.) This time I did not purchase from Benefit counters, I kept hearing from people they have problems with their SAs being too pushy. Anyways, I had been to their counters numerous times and I have to say that I prefer buying Benefit from Sephora.

This product kept appearing on and off the benefit website (US), according to my observation over the past few months, which is why some of you may not have seen/heard about this product before, because originally it was designed to be Asia-exclusive, just like the 'woman seeking toner' they released earlier on. Hopefully they will re-introduce this cute little jar on their website!

Look at the box and the jar, they're adorable! and I am a sucker for ribbons, so I knew I had to pick this up sooner or later XD.

Product description (from the box and website):

Mattify your complexion and set your makeup with this silky, matte-finish loose powder. Dust over face, focusing on nose, forehead and any shiny areas and POOF! You're a matterial girl! Comes complete with a washable puff. Sheer powder glides on to complement all skin tones.

Here's how the powder looks like:

As you may have noticed, although the description said 'complements all skin tones', after swatching, you may notice there is a slight white cast over my hand. BUT! I tell you, this is nothing to worry about, after testing this for a few times. When it was applied over my makeup, it does not make me look like a ghost or geisha of any sort. LOL. It sinked in and looked natural.

What about its oil-control claim?

After a few hours (like 4 or 5), my face did not appear oily. But longer hours (8-9), my makeup still sits, but have a small sign of melting. I do not have oily skin to begin with, but this does a so-so job of settling makeup over a long period of time. If you are looking for loose powder that settles your makeup for the whole day, this may not be for you.

Ease of application?

The powder puff that comes with the jar, is NOT even close to the softy puff I got from Jill Stuart's loose powder (really, that one is HEAVENS.) This puff does not even have a smooth surface to touch, in fact it feels like touching the kind of velvet/Juicy Couture hoodie clothing. Ew. How can you expect a smooth and even application without wiping out your makeup? Bad bad bad. I recommend using a large powder brush.

The texture of the powder, when swatched, did not come close to my experience with other loose powder (light-weight, smooth, velvet). While this is not as bad as you imagine, I now know how airy and feathery the jar of Jill Stuart loose powder I had (and I did not write good reviews about that earlier). This is something very difficult to describe, but I don't consider the texture of Matterial Girl matters much.

Product packaging is?

Aside from the crappy puff, I like the jar. It has a screw-lid, a sifter in the jar. Usual packaging for a loose powder, not bad.

Color?

Although it is said to be sheer, the powder appear milky-white in the jar and swatched. But considering it does not give a white cast over my face, I do not have much to say about the color, except that Benefit can make that appear more transparent.

Scent?

The powder is scent-free.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Being a die-hard fan of packaging, I caved in and bought this. Yet, I remain very honest about whether their products work for me or not. If they don't, I would put it aside in my drawer and let it sit there, lol. I won't regret about hauling things with pretty packaging though.