Models Prefer Soft Touch Mineral Powders: Review and Comparison

Hey all! Welcome to my blog!

Today I am going to be reviewing and comparing the new Soft Touch Mineral Powders by Models Prefer, an Australian makeup company with products available in Priceline Pharmacies. As it stands, these are still a relatively new product, and have been given some good reviews so far, so lets get started!

From L-R, Photo Ready, Soft Focus, Luminous Glow, Radiant Bronze

Currently, there are four of these soft-touch powders available in the range, each with a different tone/use. They come in simple black clam shells, which feel nice and sturdy, with a hard plastic lid where you can see the powder. 

L-R, Top Row: Luminous Glow, Photo Ready
L-R Bottom Row: Radiant Bronze, Soft Focus

Each of the colours are very pigmented when swiped on with a finger, with a soft feel to them. While they aren't as soft as the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, they are still quite nice. I found Luminous Glow to be unusually gritty feeling when I initially swatched it -- this has faded with a few uses. As you can see in the photo, Radiant Bronze appears to lose some of it's grey-ish over spray when swatched, but becomes a lovely warm colour underneath. Normally a significant colour change like that would annoy me -- It doesn't here, because the colour underneath is so nice. 

Beneath, there are some swatches. Please bear in mind that when I say swatched heavily, I mean two passes over the same area with a finger coated in product.

L-R: Photo Ready blended out, Photo Ready swatched heavily

Here is the swatch of Photo Ready. Photo Ready is a soft, warm-hued pink highlight shade with no visible sparkles, but a soft, pink sheen. Swatched heavily it is almost champagne-toned in the light, but blended out it makes a beautiful all-over blurring powder. Unfortunately, the sheered out swatch has not photographed very well.

L-R: Soft Focus blended out, Soft Focus swatched heavily.

Soft Focus was my first purchase of the four, and the reason I went back for the others. It is an almost-gold champagne colour with warm/orange leaning undertones. It has the same sheen as Photo Ready, and has no visible glitter. It is a beautiful highlight for days when you are wearing minimal makeup, as it does not visibly glitter on your cheeks, but is just a lovely, healthy glow. 

L-R: Luminous Glow blended out, Luminous Glow swatched heavily.

Luminous Glow is a warm gold-toned almost tan, with some visible sparkles that have not shown up in the photograph, and the same luminous sheen as the others. It is more of a light bronzer on me than a highlight or finishing powder, but can see it working as an all-over powder for those whose complexions are more NC25+. I can see myself using this in place of blush on summer days. As stated above, Luminous Glow does have an odd, gritty feeling for the first few uses that the others don't have -- I don't know if I got a 'bad batch', but the sensation isn't off putting, just something of note if you are wanting a creamy product.

L-R: Radiant Bronze blended out, Radiant Bronze swatched heavily.

I apologise for the messy swatch. Radiant Bronze is a warm tan with a visible sheen but no glitter, with red/orange undertones. As you can see, it blends out to an almost-contour shade on the pale skin of my arms, and will work well as a way to warm up any contour. Swatched heavily it could work alone as a contour. I can see this working beautifully as an all-over setting powder for WOC in Australia who want a soft glow to their faces, without being too shiny. It's nice to see a drugstore product that will work on those with darker skin tones!

I am overall very impressed with these powders. Even without a brush they are easy to blend, and don't leave my face feeling or looking cakey. By building up the colour more you can take them from an all-over setting powder to a lovely highlight or contour colour if you desire. The RRP for these is $17, and you get 10g of product. Not bad!

Comparisons with the Ambient Lighting Palette, Meteorites and Mary-Loumaniser

L-R: MP Soft Focus, ALP Dim Light, MP Photo Ready

Soft Focus is the most like Dim Light in terms of colour, but neither of the powders match the subtle sheen of the ALP. Photo Ready is far too pink toned to be considered a dupe, and Soft Focus is too shimmery, but more able to be used in place of the expensive ALP. 

L-R: MP Luminous Bronze, ALP Dim Light, ALP Radiant Light, MP Radiant Bronze

I thought it was worth considering these as well -- Luminous Bronze is a very close tone to the ALP Radiant Light, but retains more glitter and sheen than the other powder. It is close in tone to Dim Light from the ALP as well, but darker when swatched, and not a very good dupe. Radiant Bronze is far, far deeper than the other colours in the ALP.

L-R: MP Luminous Glow, theBalm Mary-Loumaniser, MP Soft Focus

Just for references sake, I have compared the Luminous Glow and Soft Focus powders with my HG highlight, theBalm's Mary-Loumaniser. Both are a touch darker and don't have the same golden glow, though I think that Soft-Focus could be an excellent 'other' option to the Mary-Loumaniser for people with cool undertones, as they have similar sheen, but the Mary-Loumaniser has gold tones, where Soft Focus is pink.

L-R: MP Soft Focus, Guerlain Meteorites Travel in 01 Mythic, MP Photo Ready.

I decided to compare the Meteorites to the Models Prefer powders on a whim, and am impressed with the results! While neither of the powders are as soft or fine as Guerlain's Meteorites, the sheen and swatch-results are much the same. If you were looking for a more warm or cool undertoned Meteorites powder on a budget, I really think that the Models Prefer powders could be used in their place!

Thank you very much to all of you who have made it to the bottom of my post! I hope some of my review and comparison were helpful to you, and gave you a good look at the products!

~Ashe!

I was not paid for this review, all thoughts and ideas contained in this post belong to me.