/How-to/ Arrowroot Finishing Powder

i bought these
I promised I'd do a post about the diy powder I used from my Valentine's Day look and here it is. I know it took a few months to do it (sorry, things happened and I'm a full-time procrastinator), but I really want to make a guide on how to make this because it's super easy and just as effective as finishing powders used to set make-up.

I found out how to make this on Pinterest. I don't remember how I eventually found this particular pin, but I'm glad I clicked it. I was led to Vegan Beauty Review which is the source of this diy powder recipe. All you need is arrowroot powder (a plant starch which is gluten-free, more info here), which can be found at health food stores (I got mine at Whole Foods for $6) and cinnamon/cocoa powder/tumeric powder depending on your skin's undertones. I would even say the if you're pale enough, you can simply use the arrowroot powder by itself. Depending on the powder sifter size you have (mine was a 2 g/.07 oz one), customize the amount of product you need to fit the container. I measured out about a teaspoon of the arrowroot in a bowl and sprinkled in some cinnamon until i thought it would match my skin close enough. I then transferred the mixture into my powder sifting container.

homemade finishing powder!
I wondered how well this would blend because it's not a traditional finishing powder that's finely milled. I tested some of this powder in my hand to see what it does.

unblended


blended
I was surprised by how well is blended and almost disappeared into the skin without being chalky. It does feel a little gritty at times and doesn't apply as smooth as normal finishing powder. Here's the most important question: How does it look and work on the face? Let's take a look:

natural light, before arrowroot powder


natural light, after powdering
In the after picture you can see how the shine on my nose and a bit on my cheeks is diminished. It works as well as any other powder in respect to mattifying the skin. Does it do anything to prolong the wear of make-up? Let's find out. So, here's a picture of my face 5 hours later on the same day:

natural light, no touch upt
The only part of my face that looks shiny is my nose, but the rest of my face is pretty decent. Another great thing about this powder is that my face doesn't look white and covered with powder in flash photos. I'm not sure if this works for everyone, but it certainly works for me. You can see how it looks with flash in my Valentine's Day post.

I would say this diy powder works as well as other finishing powders (if not better) that I've tried. This is a much cheaper alternative as you can get 1 lb/16oz/450 g of the arrowroot powder for about $6, which is also natural and edible, as opposed to the 1 oz/ 30 g for 5x the price. If you can find arrowroot powder I would recommend you try this because it's so easy and effective. And you'll save lots of money.