Finishing powder – the final flourish.
The last dusting of make-up before you decide to face the world. Swirled on to a thick brush or old-fashioned powder puff, it's one of the cosmetic world's last remaining theatrical acts, a slice of old-school Hollywood glamour.
Yet finishing powder no longer seems to be at the top of the modern woman's make-up list. Instead we prefer the latest blushers and mascaras to decorate our looks. Powder, whether pressed or loose, has largely been replaced with bronzer (otherwise known as cosmetic catnip for the modern fake tan-obsessed beauty customer).
Hollywood legends such as Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly knew the power of finishing powder. They, along with millions of women of their generation, probably had compacts of it in their handbags. Back then powder was seen as a quick way to look polished, banishing blotches or shiny spots around the T-zone.
I haven't taken a straw poll, but I'm willing to bet few women have a compact of pressed powder in their handbags today. It's not fashionable to look that polished, so we don't. Instead we apply our make-up for the day and, in most cases, hope for the best. If we do touch up, it's more likely to be with a lick of lipstick than a light dusting of skin-coloured powder.
Polish, though, is coming back into vogue. In these austere times, when buying a new wardrobe every season seems outlandish, making the best of what you've got is the name of the game. In that spirit I'd thoroughly advise investing in a finishing powder this autumn. My favourites? Clinique Stay-matte Sheer Pressed Powder (£21); Estee Lauder Double Wear Pressed Powder (£27.50); and Clarins Face and Blush Powder (£30).
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