A $4 Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder dupe? The Althea Petal Velvet Powder review

Written by Jenny Wu
Jenny Wu

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  1. nur kina says:

    thank you so much for your indepth review!

  2. Out on Catwalk says:

    Love the way you have compared two products to give a better explanation! Althea Petal Velvet Powder looks amazing plus the price is also great! :) Will check it out!
    xx
    Shivangi
    http://www.outoncatwalk.com

  3. I totally agree about affordable make-up products, if they’re good – they’re freaking good! Love the packaging of this powder and glad to hear it is a good one!

  4. Kay (shoesandglitter) says:

    Wow, this is such an awesome and very thorough comparison hun, I really appreciate all the photos included!I haven’t actually tried either of these but the Althea one sounds fantastic, especially for the price. I have tried a couple of expensive powders in the past and really wasn’t impressed especially compared to the more affordable options, that work just as well. Thanks for sharing this lovely review! xoxo

    Kay
    http://shoesandglitter.com

    • Jenny says:

      Thank you Kay! So glad you liked the post! :) The Althea powder is a relatively new launch, but it’s exciting to see brands create effective and affordable products – my wallet is very happy, haha

  5. Janine says:

    I just added your blog to my reader! YAY! So, I have to try this powder. I spent like 40.00 on this tiny little pot of the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder which I burn through like crazy if I use to set my whole face. This is a MUST try for me. I haven’t heard of this line before. SO INTERESTING!

    http://abeautifulwhim.com XO Janine

    • Jenny says:

      Aww thank you Janine, will have to check out yours too! Powders can be super expensive if you use them regularly, which is why this is such a great deal! It is a bit smaller in size, but even when you look at the cost per gram, I think it’s still quite reasonable. Hope you’ll love it as much as I do if you try it!

  6. Kiran says:

    It sounds like a winner, I hope I can get it in the UK xxx

    ALittleKiran | Bloglovin

  7. Emily Vyse says:

    Great review! Both powders seem to perform well, but I love the packaging of the Althea powder.
    http://www.millievyse.blogspot.co.uk

  8. Veronica says:

    I have been wanting to get this ever since Althea launched it this year. I was a bit hesitant though. It seemed to have faired well against the LM powder, and for a much lower price too, which is always a plus. I will consider buying this once my powder runs out. Great review!

    • Jenny says:

      Thank you Veronica! I understand the skepticism when a product is priced so low it almost sounds too good to be true, so I’m glad that this Althea powder was able to show that you can get a great product at a low price :)

  9. Sal UmmBaby says:

    What an amazing dupe! Thank you for such a thorough post with so many great demonstrations of the product performance xxx
    UmmBabyBeauty

    • Jenny says:

      Thank you lovely, so glad you enjoyed the post! It’s definitely an affordable alternative to the more expensive to the oil control powders out there!

  10. becky says:

    LOL I love how you included “If you sniffed really hard you could smell the cornstarch.” The Althea powder really does look chic! I had a small sample size of the LM powder and although it was everyone’s holy grail at the time, it just made me look cakey.

    I actually really love the subtle highlight all over the face look, maybe it’s because I’m very dry and I want to look dewy, haha. Is the packaging of the powder in a box that looks like instagram? It’s cute!

    becky @ star violet

    • Jenny says:

      I’m pretty sure I snorted some by accident, oops! If you have dry skin and like the subtle glow I think you’ll really like this powder! And no, the packaging doesn’t look like an Instagram photo, that was just a photo prop they included, haha

  11. TINA H says:

    Yet another amazing review, Jenny! Love the thorough review and details you’ve mentioned. I have never heard of this brand but man, the Laura Mercier one has been reviewed and raved for the longest time I have yet to even try it out haha. But I might give this one a try (not trying to break the bank here) so thank you for sharing this, dear!

    xo Tina
    IG: @tinasweetheart
    wwww.tinasweetheart.com

    • Jenny says:

      Aww thank you Tina! Althea is actually a K-beauty retailer and this powder is the first product they released, and their success with this makes me excited to see what other products they’ll come out with in the future! But yes, if you want something super affordable, I can’t recommend this powder enough!

  12. Alyssa says:

    I also have that Althea Velvet Powder and I do agree it’s good oil control :) I always wanted to try that Laura Mercier translucent powder, thank goodness you made this side by side comparison because I prioritize more on oil-control than makeup setting.

    xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY

    • Jenny says:

      Same here! I find I prefer using a setting mist anyways, the MAC Fix+ works better than any powder I’ve tried. I just wish the Althea puff was a little nicer!

  13. Nina says:

    Amazing result ! Thanks for the detailed review !

    Nina
    xox
    http://www.thecrispylipstick.com

  14. Kasie says:

    I have absolutely got to try this! I use the Laura Mercier powder and love how much more budget friendly this option is.

  15. Kate says:

    This was such a useful review! The Althea powder seems really impressive for such an affordable price. x

    Kate Louise Blogs

  16. Marina Rosie says:

    Fabulous review as usual Jenny! Now, I know I say this on practically all of your posts and it’s probably getting SO annoying now but damn, your skin is perfect! xx Now that that’s said, I love the packaging of the Althea powder and, for such a low price, it does a great job at shine control. And yes, I agree, sometimes the powder puff definitely does compromise the performance of a powder! x
    Marina xx
    https://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/

    • Jenny says:

      Thank you so much Marina, and I would never think any comment of yours is annoying! For the great price I can definitely overlook the quality of the puff, and like you said, sometimes a brush is just better! :)

  17. Wow, this definitely controlled oil. So glad you found this and it worked for you. Looks great. I have the Laura Mercier translucent powder and love it. I have really dry skin, so I’m not sure how this would work for me. But the price difference definitely wants to make me try. Thanks for sharing :D
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

    • Jenny says:

      It’s interesting because I thought the Laura Mercier powder would be less drying, but it actually left a dry patch in my under eye area, whereas the Althea powder didn’t dry out my skin at all!

  18. Sam says:

    I’ve never heard of this brand, but what a great contestant to the Laura Mercier one! I will try it out for myself but as I’m one to only use powder to set my makeup, I’m guessing that I’ll still prefer the good old classic. Though, for that price point, it’s worth a shot! x

    • Jenny says:

      It really is, especially at that price! I actually swear by my MAC fix+ to set my makeup, as I find it works better than both powders without changing the finish of the makeup :)

  19. Sabiha says:

    Great detailed review. Both powders work well in their own right. i haven’t tried either but will keep in mind for next time x

    http://www.franklyflawless.com

    • Jenny says:

      Thank you Sabiha! I agree, both have their strengths and weaknesses, but it’s always good to have options, especially affordable ones! :)

  20. Samantha says:

    Wow, you really can’t beat that price. If I was into powders, I’d be snatching up that Althea one! However, I’m lucky in that I’ve never had a problem with needing to set my makeup to control oil, so powders are not part of my routine. I think if I did get one, I would like to try Too Faced Primed & Poreless Pressed Powder! I saw one of my favorite YouTubers use it and her skin looked flawless afterwards!

    Sam / My Beauty Cloud

    • Jenny says:

      Ooo, I’m curious about the Too Faced Powder now! I don’t usually use powder to set makeup either but I do like using it when I prefer a matte finish :)

  21. Deborah says:

    I love a good dupe! I am totally going to go and get this, I need shine control in my life! Haha

  22. The price of the Althea powder is fantastic! Personally I’d be more than willing to use that instead of the Laura Mercier Powder – but I guess it depends on skintypes and what finish you’re going for!
    Great review :)

    • Jenny says:

      Thank you Lindsey! The Althea powder is the winner for me as well, but I can see why people love and prefer the LM powder, it’s still a great product!

  23. I do have a mini size of the Laura Mercier one, but haven´t made up my mind yet. Maybe I´ll go get one of these so I can compare them as well? I do need a lot of oil control, but I don´t mind touching up after a few hours, as long as it won´t be cakey.

    Linda, Libra, Loca: Beauty, Baby and Backpacking

    • Jenny says:

      I actually didn’t touch up at all during my experiment, and I can definitely see the Althea one lasting the entire day. The LM side would need touching up, and I think with a hydrating primer the cakiness can be avoided!

  24. Emily says:

    Wow, there are definitely some positives to this one! It controlled your shine really well. I love how you did the side by side comparisons too. You can totally tell how well it worked! I use the LM one every day, and I really really like it, but would totally be open to trying this one too, especially for the bomb price tag. :)

    -Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com

    • Jenny says:

      Thank you Emily, so glad you liked the comparison! The LM one was my go-to before, and I still think it’s a great powder, so it just comes down to personal preferences :)

  25. I have a deluxe sample size of the LM powder but have yet to use it. I do love loose powders but so far I’m only using HD ones. I will give the LM one a go and see how I like it and then might pick up this Althea version. Must say you have AMAZING skin, Jenny!

  26. Cat L. says:

    Jenny this is an excellent review! Love the idea of tracking the performance of this powder throughout the day. Although the Althea powder may not be perfect, for the price it’s a big winner! Great post!

    ~ Cat L.
    http://www.CatsDailyLiving.com

  27. Cheaper beauty buys usually tend to be a hit or miss for me as well. This Althea Petal Velvet Powder despite lacking a little in the setting department certainly sounds like it’s worth the money if you’re just looking to control shine. The packaging is cute as well. My dry skin gave up on powder a few years ago and now I just rely on blotting papers and setting sprays to cut shine and set my makeup ;)

    • Jenny says:

      I still swear by my MAC Fix+ to set my makeup as well, it definitely agrees more with my drier eye area as well :) I find with blotting paper it actually eats away at my makeup, but maybe I just need better blotting paper!

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