Koh Gen Do’s Maifanshi Natural Lighting Powder ($42 for 0.42 oz/12 g) comes in one shade: a light beige with a finely milled pearl finish. It’s not exactly a translucent powder but the finish is sheer and the color disappears once applied very much like a translucent powder. The pearl particles give a soft glowy look to the skin and while the shimmer is visible, it’s not over the top. The finish is not quite as glowy as Chanel’s Poudre Douce – Soft Pressed Powder, but the concept is similar. I would say this powder is most similar to Armani’s Microfil Loose Powder with the shimmer particles being the same size. This is a beautiful setting powder but the sheerness means that it won’t necessarily even out the skin, but rather set your foundation and add a subtle glow.
The Koh Gen Go powder comes with a puff but I prefer to apply with a loose fluffy brush over a creamy foundation. In the past few months, I’ve tried this with a number of foundations and tinted moisturizers and it works with other brands including Chanel, Guerlain, Laura Mercier. I like that it doesn’t alter the color of your foundation but rather sets it. I’ve used Laura Mercier’s Translucent Powder for years and while I love it, I find sometimes it can look a bit chalky on my skin when I am very tanned.
Here is the Aqua foundation and Powder photographed together for a size comparison. I like that the container is large enough to easily fit a large fluffy powder brush in the top.
I’ve compared the Koh Gen Do powder to a few others. The color is different from others that I own but still sheer enough to work on a wide range of skintones due to the sheerness. Below is Laura Mercier’s Translucent, Armani Micro-fil #2, Chanel’s Naturel 30 Translucent 2.
Here it’s heavily swatched on my arm although they disappear when applied with a brush or puff on the face.
Overall the Koh Gen Do is a lovely loose powder. I personally prefer something with a bit more coverage when it comes to powders and I tend to prefer the pressed kind. I will even set my liquid foundations with powder foundations even though most might find it to be a bit of an overkill. I like my liquid foundations sheer to medium and my powders to be a bit heavier. To date, I think the Chanel and Armani are my two favorite loose powders still, but the limited shade selection make them difficult for many. I think the Koh Gen Do is more universally flattering for a wider range of skintones and adds a pretty glow. Will I ever repurchase? At this time I’m not sure, the tub is so large it seems like it will take quite a while for me to use up. I go through compact powders and powder foundations at least 5 times faster than I do for loose powders.
Have you tried Koh Gen Do’s powders? What are your thoughts? Any favorites?
