Review: ZA, Kate & MAC - Powder Foundations

Let me start off by saying I don't have that many different brands of foundation - I've never been picky about them since they more or less have the same function. I'm all about eye makeup - shadows, liners, ALL THOSE COLOURS. Hence, I only have three powder foundation compacts and one bottle of liquid foundation in my makeup arsenal.

The powder foundation compacts I own - the silver case is ZA Two-way Foundation (the case is a limited edition from 2010), the black case with many fingerprint smudges is Kate Lasting High Coverage Powder Foundation and the round black compact is MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation.

Decided to do a little comparison for the powder foundation, and here are my findings!

ZA Two-way Foundation (Foundation Case: $10.20, Refill $18.50 @ Watsons)
I have been using the ZA Two-way Foundation for as long as I've started using makeup, which is at the age of 15. It's a drugstore product and thus, was affordable for a secondary school student with little pocket money. It wasn't cheap, mind you. Priced at about $23 for a case and the foundation, it was almost a week's allowance. However, compared to the other foundation compacts on the market, it was still relatively affordable and had great reviews!

I have used it for about 11 years now and even though I've ventured to other brands, I always have this in my stash as it's still my go-to foundation. The shades are numerical - I'm a 22 when I'm fairer and 23 when I've got a bit of a tan.

The website claims that it has micro fine powder which aids in a natural finish, that it helps to make pores unnoticeable and it has SPF20.

Let's see how it fares.

I like how the powder makes my skin looked looked flawless in the morning. I didn't blot at all throughout the day and after 11 hours, there was hardly any shine! The foundation did kind of wear off a little so my blemishes and hyper-pigmentation showed a little but no shine!

Eyeshadow Primer: e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer
Base Highlight: Virgin (from Urban Decay Naked Palette)
Lid: Gunmetal (from UD Naked Palette)
Outer V: Creep (from UD Naked Palette)
Middle: Half-Baked (from UD Naked Palette)
Eyeliner: Clio Gelpresso Waterproof Pencil Gel Liner in Golden Black
Mascara: Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara
Blusher: MAC Powder Blush in Springsheen

Kate Lasting High Coverage Powder Foundation (Foundation Case: $14.50, Refill $34 @ Watsons)
I purchased this after glowing reviews on Makeupalley and wanting to try something new, I snagged it at Watsons at a 20% discount. However, the case and the foundation are sold separately so when you buy both, it can be quite pricey.

Off its website, the powder is said to 'cover visible pores, redness and pimple marks'. It also has SPF20. My shade for this is OC-C.

You can't see it but there's a bit of shine on my cheeks. Nothing too serious but the foundation has also faded a little, although not as much as the ZA Two-way Foundation did. I do like this foundation a lot - it's finely milled and has great quality but for its price, I would still reach for my ZA Two-way Foundation anytime.

I also have an issue with the glossy packaging that the Kate foundation comes in - it's black and sleek, yes, but it scratches so easily and the high shine means LOADS of fingerprint smudges.

Eyeshadow Primer: Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer
Base Highlight: L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Hourglass Beige
Lid: L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Sassy Marshmallow
Outer V: Creep (from UD Naked Palette)
Eyeliner: Bourjois Regard Effet Metallise Metallic Eyeliner in Bleu Clinquant
Mascara: L'Oreal Curl Impact Collagene Mascara
Blusher: Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation ($51 @ MAC stores)
Another lengthy name for a compact! The website claims that the powder 'provides a smooth, flawless, all-matte full-coverage finish'.

I was in a MAC phase and purchased this together with their Blot Powder. I'm NC35 by the way.

Please ignore strange figure in background - husband got into my picture. -__- Anyways, what I really like is their high coverage. It does cover the pores better than the other two foundations, and it does a good job at staying put throughout the day. However, my chin was looking a little bit oily but taking into account the fact that I did a lot more walking about in heels on a really humid day (stayed in air-conditioned office the entire day for the previous two pictures), I can't fault it. It's not like my entire face was shiny and generally, my blemishes were still nicely covered up! Doesn't have SPF though so slather on your sunscreen!

Eyeshadow Primer: UDPP in Original
Base Highlight: Virgin (from UD Naked Palette)
Lid: Buck (from UD Naked Palette)
Contour: Smog (from UD Naked Palette)
Outer V: Hustle (from UD Naked Palette)
Middle: Half-Baked (from UD Naked Palette)
Eyeliner: Clio Kill Black Pen Liner
Mascara: Christian Dior Diorshow Iconic Waterproof Mascara
Blusher: Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy

Note: I did all 3 looks using the sponge applicators they come with. However, I prefer to use my Sigma F82 Round Kabuki Brush to swirl on powder foundation as I find it helps to erase pores better. Also, all done without my staples of face primers and Urban Decay De-Slick/All-Nighter Makeup Setting Sprays for better comparison purposes!

So, here's a summary:

ZA Two-way Foundation: Love it, foundation fades throughout day, many pretty limited cases to choose from each Christmas!
Kate Lasting High Coverage Powder Foundation: Good but a tad pricey for drugstore product, finely milled to cover blemishes, foundation fades a little throughout day.
MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation: High coverage and fills in pores nicely, oil shows through mildly, foundation stays put.

What is your favourite powder foundation?