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A couple of months ago, I was watching one of my favorite YouTubers, Jackie Aina, mention a new loose powder in her tutorial. She wasn’t allowed to say who made this new, translucent/subtlety tinted powder but I immediately knew it had GLOSSIER written all over it. The marketing, explanation and overall vibe that Jackie was hinting at made it obvious to me – someone who has tried nearly every Glossier release. Glossier’s WOWDER is a translucent loose powder that provides a matte-not-flat finish… but is it really anything special? Let’s delve into my Glossier Wowder review…
If you haven’t heard of Glossier yet, it’s the brainchild of Into The Gloss founder/editor, Emily Weiss. She slowly has built up a collection of beauty products for the minimalist makeup consumer. All of the skin care focuses on a glowy, hydrated look and the color cosmetics target those who like sheer, natural coverage with hints of color/ glow and an effortless finish.
Since its launch a few years ago, the collection of skin care includes ~eight* core products and ~eight* color cosmetic items. (*as of post publish date)
Some of my favorites include Super Bounce, Coconut Balm dot Com, Generation G Tinted Matte Balm, and Cloud Paint (Beam is a must have).
Upon initial thoughts, Wowder ($22; $35 with the brush) is different because of the shades. It’s not a one-shade-suits-all translucent loose powder. It comes in three shades – Light/Medium, Deep/Dark and Rich. The formula itself is air light, with a matte, not flat finish. Wowder’s infused with Diamond Powder for light-reflecting properties, Kaolin Clay to absorb oil and Vitamin E for a silky texture. It’s also talc-free, which is important to many for allergy reasons.
The packaging is efficient in that it has the mesh/trampoline inside so powder doesn’t come out quickly, yet I do foresee this being difficult as you get to the last bits of the product.
I wanted to talk for a second about the shade options. For me, I’ve teetered between Glossier’s deeper colors for their concealer and skin tint and I’m not a woman of color. Right now, I’m probably a MAC NC40/NC42 and in the winter, I’m a comfortable NC35/NC37. When I saw Wowder’s shades, I had to buy both Light/Medium and Deep/Dark. My thoughts were correct in that my skin tone falls in between these two shades, unfortunately. I think if Glossier released four shades of Wowder, they would have hit the nail on the head with options because their darker shades definitely cover a breadth of skin tones previously ignored, yet they only really have ONE light shade.
I ordered the Wowder brush because it came as a set and I am a sucker for soft, synthetic brushes. I like this brush. In fact, I hope Glossier releases more brushes because not only is it functional but the design is very pretty. I would love to see a stippling brush for their Cloud Paints or Haloscope, maybe a concealer brush for Stretch Concealer? Just an idea. I’d also love to see Glossier come out with a beauty sponge. I would love a Glossier Pink Beauty Blender 🙂
After playing with Wowder for a couple of weeks, I like it. Am I blown away? No. Do I hate it? No. It’s a very refined powder that doesn’t enhance texture and sets down my makeup without giving a flat look. I don’t see any light reflecting properties at all (for those who worried there would be sparkles/glitter). I also feel it’s priced fair.
Personally, I think this is a fabulous powder for those with normal/dry skin (or more mature skin) who would love to ‘set down’ their concealer or foundation but always felt like it was too drying/made them look crepey/cakey. I also think this is an amazing setting powder for those with deeper/dark skin tones, as I don’t feel many brands have catered to these tones very well. My biggest qualm with Wowder is the shade range within the mid tone spectrum.
My favorite way to apply it is with the Wowder brush or with a damp beauty blender.
If you’re interested in Wowder (without brush ($22) / with brush ($35)), I recommend picking it up with the Wowder brush and if you haven’t ever ordered anything from Glossier, feel free to get 10% your entire order by shopping through my affiliate link (you get 10% off; I get $5 Glossier store credit).
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Have you tried Wowder yet? What are your thoughts? Please share this if you found this post helpful – I appreciate the interweb love!
-Steffanie
