Messin with Me by Northen Faces
I know ... I have a ton of powders but, lately with a few new foundation additions (don't judge) I've been feeling kinda ashy. If you haven't noticed already I have a mild paranoia about looking ashy. Basically, I don't want to look casket ready before my time and for me, any and every waking day on earth is not the day, to start looking like a castaway member of the walking dead. I'm not sure how deep dark-skinned beauties get away with dashing baby powder on the face but, trust and believe unless the filters be a lie I'm not sure how this process can work for me. I'm not hating the game or their extreme skills but alas I must berate this player (myself) for playing in a kitchen that has been just far too hot. 
this is an example of just one of the transparent face powders I've accumulated listening to those with great makeup skill/good filters
Abstract talk aside. I find that when I use any product with SPF I get an ash-gleam around my skin that to my eyes subtly screams "help me!". Most of the powders I now have (since I've finished some or they broke) more or less fit my skin tone which is great but, when paired with an ashy primer (Hourglass), SPF lotion, or a foundation slightly lighter than my skin tone the results are, well - ashy. Alas, what worked for Vampira on a Sunday night does not work for me.  Naturally, no one wants to go around walking like an SPF-victim soo, I deciphered that I'd find a pressed powder to counteract the  "oh no I'm ashy! halo" effect.

 Pictured examples of the "halo effect" in motion
Halo effect from an SPF primer. I had just removed some powder from my skin in the cleansed photo with Simple Micellar water in blue which explains the dirty cotton pad. 
Halo effect from a lighter foundation and translucent powder. The foundation is 3.1R by the Ordinary in Full Coverage - it workable for me but, I think 3.2N would suit me better. The translucent powder is Coty Airspun translucent extra coverage face powder. I've tried it sparingly on darker foundations and it works really well to combat oil/shininess and doesn't give me a halo effect.  Plus, don't use so much as in the picture and I really buffed it off for the last photo and I would use a spray to 
Alright perhaps, the halo effect ain't that bad and I still have not given up finding a good translucent powder but, while I get to the grips with using SPF products on the daily I thought it best to invest in a powder to correct and counteract the ashy-glow or at least quiet my mind. Thankfully, I remembered Ruby Kisses might be a good option for a dark skin gal in need. 
Ruby Kisses No more blemish powder and Mineral powder
At the shop I went to, there were two options for pressed face powder - one being mineral and the other blemish preventing powder. I really liked the old school vibes of the blemish powder but it was out-of-stock in the shade I wanted (Chocolate) which meant I opted for a similar shade-match in the mineral range and bought Chestnut home with me. Long story short, Chestnut is the perfect "ash-be-gone" setting powder for any lighter foundations or SPF applications gone wrong for my skin tone. 

Do you see a difference? I know the pics can be a tad washed out but I think there's a difference *squints*. I applied the primer, foundation, and powder the same as the other routine above.
According to findation Chestnut is one shade darker than what I would get if I wanted an exact skin tone shade. I know its early days (I only bought it yesterday) but, I thought it would be nice to get you up to speed with my current makeup shenanigans. 


Take this as a first impression post.
Ruby Kisses Mineral Powder comes in a thick clear plastic packaging. I think the no-frills minimal design is pretty neat and reminds me of "& other stories" makeup line. I admit at first sight I was concerned that the packaging might be a bit "cheap" but it's not flimsy at all, the closure snaps really well and has already survived a handful of knocks and bumps. 
This powder is marketed as "talc free, hypoallergenic/non-comedogenic and fragrance-free" ... Maybe I'm just particular but to me, this does have a scent, not a fragrance but a pigment smell that immediately reminded me of L.A Colors Talc-Free Mineral Powder. I checked the ingredients and whilst they are somewhat similar they are not the same. Ruby Kisses doesn't have any mineral oil but it does have kaolin (clay to absorb oil) and squalane (a skin lubricating oil similar to sebum) which impressed me. I mean it's not natural because it still has parabens but, it's always nice to see ingredients with some "skin benefit" in makeup products. 
RMP14 Chestnut is a deep warm brown shade. I love its warm but neutral undertone which blends into my skin seamlessly especially on the darker areas of my face (around my mouth/chin) which can be tricky for a powder to play nicely with - without darkening my lighter areas or making my darker mouth area look ashy. 
Ultimately, this powder matches my skin perfectly - that it really is hard to tell where my skin starts and the powder ends. Forget Maybelline! Looks like I was born for Ruby Kisses/Chestnut mineral powder. 
Focusing on a mole/blemish area of my skin to show how this powder can cover as well as the tone it creates. I didn't bring it down under my neck to show how well this powder works with the deeper tones in my skin. 
Pushing aside the fact that this shade match is pretty perfect the formula for this powder is light, smooth and pigmented. It glides effortlessly on the skin and blends in smoothly. I've applied it with my fingers, the fake Nars ita brush and some Primark dupe toothbrush (Artis) brushes and I find that this powder works well with them all. However, a compact brush like the dupe toothbrush one in the photo can pick up a lot of product and distribute it evenly and quickly with minimal effort and pressure on the skin. The finish is soft to the touch, powdery but not extremely matte as it doesn't zap all the life out of the skin. The powder is pigmented but unless you apply it with a sponge/cushion or pat it directly on each blemish it won't cover them completely but softly blur them out. The powder feels light and undetectable on my face that even I'm surprised by how much product is on my face when I remove it. 

End thoughts for my first impressions: I pretty much love it. 

Where to get it? Ruby Kisses products are not widely available in the UK and online the prices can be all the e's (extortionate and evil etc.). However, if you live in or near the U.S.A the average price is a sweet $4.99. I paid £7.99 for the privilege to take it home with me and yes I did winch because the conversion rate does not compute yet, I am happy I did as this powder is really good.
Ingredients *click the picture to enlarge* 
Ingredients: Mica, Dimethicone, Silica, Diisostearyl Malate, Cetyl Ethylhwaniate, Zinc Stearate, Kaolin, Squalane, Methicone, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Truethoxycaprylylsilan. May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 774942, CI 77499).  
One last thing ...
Not sure if you noticed but, I've been on a bit of a Korean makeup binge so I'm happy to report that this powder is made in Korea. I guess this shows two really important things; Korean cosmetic factories can make dark face powders/ makeup since they already have an export market they already cater to and that the rumours about Korean powders being good may indeed be true. I haven't tried a "Korean powder" myself but, I kinda have I guess since this is made in Korea and its good. 

I thought this would be an interesting topic to bring up as the lack of shades for darker skin in Korean makeup is pretty bad and I guess this product shows that it really doesn't have to be. However, I'm not saying "the will" should be there or that I'm even pressuring Korean markets to include darker skin (not my fight - just don't paint your hands) - as I impressed with the way dexterous companies that already cater to black women (those who in the majority have dark skin) have for a long time worked with companies around the world to bring us great products and celebrate our beauty! So yeah Beauty Peoples cushions do look really cute but Diba to me looks better! Check out the promo video - one and two. Plus swatch videos by Kennie J.D and MissDarcei. 

As of now, this will be my main go-to powder. Don't worry I'll update you a couple months maybe from now to see how it goes. In another post because this is already way too long😌.


Have you tried anything from Ruby Kisses?
What's your go-to powder?
How do you counteract an SPF-halo?
Do you like detailed posts or short n' sweet ones?

Your comments are always welcomed!