Back when everyone was going crazy for mineral makeup and every brand seemed to have one, my favorite one in the drugstore was from Physicians Formula. I loved it and I went through several of them. I tell you this because I feel like it was probably a bit of nostalgia mixed with curiosity that led me to picking up the new Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Loose Powder SPF 16 when I saw it on the shelf recently. I'm actually not sure if they've just repackaged the old formula or if this is a new formula, but I felt like it was worth reviewing either way!

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I want to take a minute and talk about the differences in this packaging vs. the old packaging, because I feel like this is a huge improvement for several reasons. This jar is really sleek and modern in design and is also incredibly functional. One problem I always had with the old packaging was actually being able to dispense the product, because there was a sort of lid that pressed right against the sifter cap that stopped a lot of product from coming out. This jar has a fairly deep space between the sifter and the lid, which is where the little included sponge thingy lives, so that you're able to shake out a fair bit of product quite easily.

The product does come with a little sponge thing... but I feel like it's kind of a throwaway. I suppose you could try to use it to press powder into the skin if you're using it to bake, but I feel like it's too firm and awkward to really use effectively to apply the product. I threw mine out.

I really, really like the texture of this powder. It's really finely milled and smooth, almost buttery in texture, and has a very silky texture on the skin. I think the claims of it being a soft, satin finish are really accurate. I've actually applied this pretty heavily and it never ends up looking powdery or cakey on me. I personally like to apply it with a flat top brush that's not too dense because it really works well to buff the powder into the skin and leaves a nice finish. For setting the undereyes, I've also used a smaller, fluffier brush and I find that it applies really well there with that technique. I haven't tried baking with it... because I don't bake. 

In testing this out, I've tried it in two ways. First, because I wanted to use it the way I used it back in the day, I applied it on its own on bare skin. I would definitely say that the sheer to medium coverage claims are accurate when applied this way. It helped to even out my skin tone and make everything look healthy and balanced, but it didn't pack a lot of coverage and I could definitely still see my skin through it. When using it this way, I really loved how it looked when it was first applied, but it definitely wasn't a long wearing option. I'd say that I got between 4 and 6 hours out of this product before it started to disappear. By the end of the work days, I found that it didn't look like I was wearing any complexion product.

The second way I tried it is actually over the Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation, which has been my go to this winter and is probably my favorite foundation of the moment. For me, this is basically a dream pairing. When I use this to set foundation, it does add a little bit more coverage and a more perfected look, but it doesn't look or feel heavy or cakey on the skin. I actually don't usually set my foundation because I don't like anything heavy, but dusting this powder over it helps to extend the wear and gives my skin a really smooth, healthy look. 

When it comes to setting the undereyes, I feel two ways about this product. I really like the finish and the fact that it doesn't add weight under there that my 30-something undereyes definitely don't need, but I do feel like it maybe oxidizes a little bit, so if you're going to use it for that purpose it might be a good idea to get the translucent version. 

Overall, I really think this is a great product - but I don't think it lives up to what I remember the old Physicians Formula Mineral Wear being (though that could be entirely due to faulty memory or changing preference.) I really think I'm going to get the most use of this in the summer months when setting my foundation is more of a necessity. Personally, I think I'm actually going to pick up the translucent version of this powder for use under the eyes, because I really, really like it for setting my concealer but I need a shade that isn't going to oxidize.

When it comes to recommending this, I definitely do and I hope the content of this review can help you decide if this might be a good fit for what you're looking for! 

The Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Loose Powder is widely available now and I picked mine up at Shoppers Drug Mart!

Thanks for reading!