La Prairie Cellular Treatment Foundation-Powder Finish In Beige Rose (And a FotD)

I've mentioned before how enamoured I've become lately with compact  powder foundations. I have some from Laura Mercier and Lancome, but this here is the true reason of my infatuation: La Prairie Cellular Treatment Foundation-Powder Finish. It's the texture, the finish, the versatility of use, and the very adjustable coverage. It also doesn't hurt to have a very good color match, in my case Beige Rose, which is of medium intensity and a neutral undertone.

At their best, powder foundation in a pressed compact form have an almost creamy feel when you drag your finger across their surface. They're ready to be used in multiple ways: dry or dampened, all over the face or just on problem areas, and as a touchup powder after a long day. This La Prairie foundation is exactly that.  It comes with a thin flat sponge that will become your best friend (wash it along with your brushes and Beauty Blenders with your favorite cleansers), because it does it all. I've tried other methods of application, including various brushes (looks uneven and dry), and said Beauty Blender (picks up far too much product and covers the face like a mask). My conclusion is that the good people of La Prairie knew what they were doing, so stick with their own sponge. The compact has a perforated bottom so it can breathe and dry between washings, so it really works well.

My skin is generally dry, but La Prairie Cellular Treatment does not highlight this fact (except when I tried to buff it in with a flat top brush. Big mistake). The powder melds with the skin and feels soft and kind to it, creating a very natural and healthy looking finish, that's mostly matte just without the typical flatness. Using the sponge dry gives a light-to-medium coverage that cancels any redness or an even skin tone such as a light hyper-pigmentation on top of the cheeks. This method is also great to supplement coverage if you're using a sheer tinted moisturizer all over the face but need just a bit of extra help on certain areas, and a touch-up tool to carry with you on a long day, knowing that eventually the light base might give up the ghost.

The other way to go is to dampen the sponge (soak, then squeeze all the water out), and use La Prairie Cellular Treatment as a full-on cream foundation. This gets you some serious coverage, which again you can apply all over or just for designated areas. In the photo below I concentrated most of the coverage on the sun spots I have in the middle of my left cheek and the discoloration on my top right cheekbone, as well as the area around my nose. I did not use any powder (n need when using this type of formula, and the only other base product I employed was a touch of MAC concealer on a questionable spot on my forehead.

My shade, Beige Rose, is far less rosy than the name implies. It's just not quite so yellow as some of the other medium tones. The swatch on my arm is extremely heavy to show said undertone. I swatched it dry, just to show how much you get from the smallest amount of product as is. My face, obviously, has more redness and uneven patches than my arm, and that's where you see the true performance.

Bottom Line: Best in show.

La Prairie Cellular Treatment Foundation-Powder Finish ($95, 14.2g, made in USA) is available from select department stores as well as from Osswald NYC (by phone only, 212-625-3111, which might be the better option if you need assistance determining your shade and/or if the formula is suitable or your skin, as well as some real expert guidance about application).

I forgot to move away a small mirror that was standing on my dresser reflecting light, hence my neck appearing as a striped extention to my top. Sorry.

Here's what we have:

Face
Sephora Smoothing Primer (from a sample. It's alright for what it is, a plain silicone thing).
La Prairie Cellular Treatment Foundation-Powder Finish In Beige Rose applied damp mostly to the center of the face and sheered out considerably outwards.
MAC concealer palette (medium), two shades mixed together to cover a blemish.

Eyes 
Kanebo Sensai eyelid base. Almost worth the ticket price to Japan. Or to London, as there's a Sensai counter at Harrods.
Chantecaille cream eye shadows in Seashell and Starfish.
Laura Mercier Espresso Gel Liner, which I only used to tightline, not on the lid.
Lancome Grandiose Extreme mascara on curled lashes. I think I prefer the regular Grandiose, but I have to determine exactly why.

Cheeks
Le Metier de Beaute Blushing Bronzed Duet in Romeo & Juliette (available at Neiman Marcus, for those who wondered if it's still in production), swirled together.
No.7 Shimmering Palette in Rose as a highlighter, used sparingly by patting with a Hakuhodo S116 brush.

Brows
A little Suqqu Moss Green powder haphazardly combed through with a spoolie.

Lips
Urban Decay Liar lip pencil
CoverGirl Nude Attitude lipstick (from the Queen collection).

Other Stuff
SotD: Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque.
Top: Asos
Vintage earrings