Review: Marc Jacobs #Instamarc in Mirage Filter

Remember my beauty wishlist I posted a few weeks ago? Well, I’m absolutely thrilled that I got to tick about half of it off this weekend! And today I decided to review the most exciting (and pricey) product of the bunch, the Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder in the shade ‘Mirage Filter’. Quite a mouthful, eh? Well, if you want to know more about this stunner, keep on reading.

So let’s start with the obvious. The gorgeous, elegant, glossy black but also large packaging. It’s almost the size of my hand and I can barely hold it in it. It may seem impractical to travel with but on the contrary. The pan is so thin you can fit it in any makeup bag. Plus the mirror is HUGE! Because it’s round you can comfortably see your whole face in it and do your makeup very easily. So you will never ever need to bring a separate mirror.
(By the way, on the photo below I used Nars Laguna bronzer for a comparison of the size.)

Now to the inside of the compact. Mirage Filter is one of the three contouring duos from Marc Jacobs Beauty line and it appealed to me the most because of its cool toned darker part.
So obviously, it contains two colours for the perfectly sculpted face. The yellow powder might look too strong in the pan but it’s almost undetectable on my fair skin. However it does have a bit of coverage and a brightening effect so I like to use it under my eyes, on my nose, in the center of the forehead and most of all I apply it under the contour on my cheek bones to create a sharper, cleaner edge.
The brown powder is definitely not a bronzer. As you can see on the swatches below, it lacks the warmth every regular bronzer has. On the other hand, it isn’t very ashy either so I would say it’s a very neutral brown with a hint of taupe. For me it might be the perfect shade for everyday contouring because it’s sculpting but doesn’t look too fake in the daylight. I apply it under my cheek bone, near the hairline on the forehead and under the jawline.

However the most curious thing about this product is the texture. The powders are so fine and buttery they almost feel like a cream. They look completely matte in the pan but once applied they have a bit of a satin, skin like finish. They blend so seamlessly it’s almost surreal. But I would say they even blend TOO easily. If you try using with the contouring shade anything bigger than a tip of something like Zoeva Luxe Highlight or Real Techniques Contour Brush, you will end up using too much product because the brush on its own will blend it all over your face. And trust me, it’s not a good look. The skin will look muddy and not at all sculpted. What I would recommend is using a round fluffy eyeshadow brush for a really precise application and maybe after all the pigment is applied where you want it you can use something larger, but I don’t think it’s necessary. It really does blend like a dream.
And one more additional tip, please don’t swirl your brush in it. The powder is so soft there’s A LOT of fall out if you do that. Just press the brush lightly and it will pick up enough of product without wasting more than is needed.

Another very impressive feature of the #Instamarc compact is its staying power. I tend to have problems with “my cheekbones” disappearing at the end of the day so I was pleasantly surprised that the product was still there, on its place, and with only a bit of fading after 10 hours of wearing.

So, to conclude everything I mentioned, Marc Jacobs Contour Powder sure is a product worth a try. It’s not as easy to use as marketed but once you find the right brush and the right amount of product the results are gorgeous. For everyday sculpting I’ve tried nothing better. It is on the pricey side but I think you get what you pay for. The texture really is “jet-milled” and very long-wearing. Plus the packaging is just beautiful and so handy for traveling.

What’s your favourite contouring powder? Have you tried this MJ duo?