theBalm Sexy Mama Anti-Shine Translucent Powder Review (Holy Grail Product)

As in I can’t explain how underrated theBalm is as a makeup brand because they have really good stuff and a lot of their loot goes unnoticed…

This is Sexy Mama, theBalm’s pressed powder slash anti oil product rolled into one.

I was browsing at Beauty Bar a few months back and was supposedly looking for theBalm’s NudeTude palette. They didn’t have it in stock and I ended up browsing the blushes and powders they have for sale. I got curious about this one because the other products had pinup ladies in colorful attire and this was the only product in the bunch that had a pinup lady in white. 

I decide to pick it up and see what it does. Turns out, it’s their powder. 

The saleslady explains to me that this powder is meant to replace oil blotting sheets. When you use oil blotting sheets when you have makeup, it has this tendency to wipe some of the makeup as well or strip the area of coverage, leaving a spot that looks different from the others. This product was meant to get rid of oil without having to have such awkward spots on the face. You can put it over your oily face and still look human (no cakiness here y’all). 

For those who want to know the ingredients, here you go: 

And just like all the other theBalm products I own, I have yet to scan the tutorial. I also love that the price is quite cheap relative to its place of production. I mean there are a lot of affordable American brands but a lot of the time they outsource from China or Vietnam… tsk tsk tsk…

Just like my other theBalm stuff, the powder comes with a sleeve with the exact same print on it. I love this feature so much because my powder pact has no sticker or tape residue as all the stickers were stuck onto the sleeve and not onto the product itself. 

Twice the sexiness, y’all <3

And this is how it looks like once you flip it open. It comes with this medium sized pan (it’s medium sized as a lot of powder pacts come in bigger pans) and a tiny mirror. I loved this product so much that I showered myself and my clients with it that I actually touched the pan in less than three months. I haven’t actually used the mirror yet as it’s quite small hat it’s not functional, but for checking yourself out, it’s already amply sized.

Up close, this is the powder. It’s got a beige color in the pan, and in general, in terms of undertone, it’s neutral. As in it’s not predominantly yellow or predominantly pink. 

This goes on invisibly on my arm, which is why I didn’t bother to do an arm swatch. 

Another thing I liked about this is that the packaging is not bulky. Almost all the other powders out there come with a dome shaped lid, or come in one side with a sponge beside it. This powder can be applied with the fingers alone, which is why it’s so convenient for travel as you can take this and go. 

Moreover, for those who are just curious again, it’s 0.25 oz. This is more or less a good size already as a good number of pressed powders come in 0.3 oz. sizes. 

And now it’s time to put it to the test! Actually, since it promises to be translucent, this is just a demo on how it goes invisibly on me. I do understand that they indicated the word translucent as this will already be slightly visible on people with very dark skintones. It’s not purely transparent on the skin. 

You can apply this with your fingers, a sponge, or a brush. It gets picked up relatively easily by this fluffy brush, but I can’t deny that it’s easier to pick up with my Sigma kabuki brushes. 

I also liked that it had super impressive oil control! As in I went through periods of no retouches for up to ten hours and my face still looks okay. I still do not look like a cooking oil factory! By far, this is the only powder I have that has withstood such long periods without touchups and has still done fine. The anti-shine promise is true, and if you’re a busy person with little time for touch ups, this is also the product for you. 

I think a lot of you are familiar with that heavy feeling when your powder has already absorbed all the powder it’s absorbed and is already becoming a burden on your skin and feels so heavy. This is one of the powders that does not do that. I was able to go through full days and it still feels lightweight at the end of the day. From application to removal, it’s as if it wasn’t there. 

This is not the powder you’d expect to work on coverage or texture refinement though. Whatever is left out by your foundation or BB cream and concealer will not be covered by this powder either. And it’s also not like MUFE’s HD powder that ‘blurs’ out blemishes or like other powders out there that are very pigmented that they act like a second layer of coverage. Its translucency also means that it offers little to no coverage. I don’t think that this is a bad thing as this product was not meant for coverage and was targeted to oil, but I just wanted to point this out for those people who are also concerned over these properties. 

When I use this for everyday outings, I use this alone. But for evening affairs, I dust on some of this after my full coverage powder for its anti-oil properties. I also like that I can dust this over powder and my face still does not look cakey and all. 

For the everyday Pinay, though, I highly recommend this product because it’s suited to the Philippine climate and for a lot of the girls who want to look fresh and makeup free, this will be a good alternative to the usual Johnson’s baby powder. Given that the Philippines is the pulbos capital of the world, a lot of girls can benefit from this product’s oil control. And since it’s generally translucent and is visible on the lighter half of the skintone spectrum, Pinays who use this can expect that it will go on invisibly, and it will not look like they had just applied powder. 

I think a lot of you can understand what I mean on how a lot of girls are giving away information that they had just powdered up given how white their faces are relative to their necks. The reason why this powder works is because you only need a thin layer to get rid of all the oil that you can put it on invisibly, and the color generally works with a lot of skintones that it will not make the face unusually white relative to the body. 

For those with sensitive skin, you can also give this a try as my mom (with very sensitive skin) has used this product with no problems so far. But of course, patch test first or consult your doctor before trying 🙂

You’ve already seen the price above, it’s Php775 at Beauty Bar. 

In terms of value for money, I love this product a lot and it has addressed my oil problems very well. It’s an excellent product relative to its promises, and if this were to run out I’d be certain to get this powder again. It’s great for the Philippine climate and I have been under the sun with this powder on with no problems. It can really withstand the Philippine heat. I have used this so many times and there’s barely been any reduction to the pan, it’s geared for a lot of applications that you only consume a little each time. You can save money with this relative to other pressed powders as you can apply this once in the morning and expect to still look presentable at the end of the day. This is definitely a good buy and it’s worth it. 

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