4.15.2014

EM Michelle Phan Love Me for Me Powder Compact Review, Comparisons, Swatches



I own and collect all varieties of base makeup products, but powder compacts are an essential part of my daily routine. I usually wear a sunscreen and powder on the day to day when I am not testing new liquid foundations or filming videos. So today, I will be reviewing one of my favorites — the em michelle phan Love Me for Me compact — and provide shade analyses between em powder compacts and similar shades from popular mainstream brands. I hope the side by side visuals of the em vs. MAC, Lancome, Estee Lauder, and Clinique powder foundations will allow you to find your foundation match within the em cosmetics range! Please refer to the guide after the jump!



The Love Me for Me Flawless Finish Powder Compacts are "inspired by the girl who wants an everything powder to take everywhere." The powder can be layered for natural medium coverage while maintaining a smooth, flawless finish. It feels much creamier than I had anticipated and does not accentuate large pores. Wear it alone over moisturizer as a foundation or dust it on with a brush to set liquid foundation. It can also be used for touch-ups on the go since it does not cake up. The versatility of the powder is undeniably convenient, and the best part is that each sturdy, white plastic and acrylic compact only costs $25 USD! A quality product at an entirely reasonable price.




  • MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural is $30 USD
  • MAC's Studio Fix Powder Plus is $27 USD
  • Estee Lauder Double Wear is $38 USD
  • Clinique's Superpowder is $23 USD
  • em Love Me for Me is $25 USD
  • Lancome's Dual Finish is $38.50 USD
  • Dior's DiorSkin Nude Compact is $50 USD
  • Laura Mercier's Smooth Finish is $45 USD
  • When I am not using my em powder, I most often reach for my Koh Gen Do Triple Lighting Powder ($58 USD) and Armani Lasting Silk UV Compact ($59 USD). I adore the Dual Finish, but I only use it occasionally because the fragrance overwhelms my nose. 



  • The Love Me for Me powder initially has a satin-matte finish, which lasts about 4 to 5 hours, depending on the heat and humidity. Once my normal skin's natural oils break through after 5 hours, the powder still looks somewhat velvety but gives my skin a flattering glow. My nose does not get shiny until nine hours later. It wears well on properly prepped oily or dry skin as well. If you have oily skin, make sure to wear a primer and pack the compact for touch-ups while on the go. If you have dry skin, make sure to use a hydrating moisturizer if you plan to wear it alone. Feel free to spritz a finishing spray like Lancome's Dewy Mist or MAC's Fix Plus to remove all traces of the powder for a truly skin-like, radiant finish!


    A thick, dense sponge like Lancome's (one of the most outstanding in my experience) will offer the most coverage. The thin sponge-puff that is provided with the em compact is best reserved for touch-ups, not full face application. I find that the em powder blends effortlessly, feels soft, and looks smooth whether applied with a brush or sponge. Even the sweet Clinique Sales Associate was inquiring about the powder during our swatching session because she was surprised at how silky it was! The lightweight texture and buildable coverage is reminiscent of Chanel's Double Perfection, though less chalky in comparison, but is most similar to MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. Em's powder, however, is pressed instead of baked, and there is no shimmer.
    P.S. I used the Love Me for Me on my bride over the weekend, and she loved it! The powder photographed beautifully on top of Armani's Luminous Silk liquid foundation, so I can safely recommend this combination for photos and event makeup.



    Powders Reviewed:
    MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus [formerly Light Medium] 

    Makeup Worn:
    Ardency Inn Americana in Light Golden and
    Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk Foundation in 6 [mixed]
    Cle de Peau Eyebrow Pencil in 204 and Holder
    EM Michelle Phan Waterliner in Ro's Gold
    Velour Lashes in You Complete Me
         *Use promo code RAEVELOUR to receive 15% off your order!

    Nails:
    Dior Gel in Tra-la-la and Front Row [accent]

    Hair:

    Sweater:
    Vince


    And before jumping into the individual shade break downs, here are all 24 shades of the em powders!


    Now, I painstakingly scoured every counter to find the closest matches to em's Love Me for Me Powder possible. It was a huge undertaking and more time consuming than imaginable! I first attacked the MAC counter, since I always get requests for Studio Fix color comparisons, and then I moved on to other brands until I found matches for all 24 shades. The em shades do jump around, so do not expect to see the order of their coloring align with their given numbers. I could not find exact matches for certain shades like Honey 15 and Cafe 20 — which were the most difficult to match — but the majority of the em powders will look essentially identical to their counterparts when worn sheerly on the face.


    em's Ivory 1 is a very fair, pink-toned powder and is comparable to the MAC Studio Fix N3. The Lancome Dual Finish Matte Porcelaine I is very similar as well, though a smidgen fairer.


    em's Porcelain 2 is a fair, warm powder and is comparable to the MAC Studio Fix NC15.


    em's Alabaster 3 is a fair-light powder with pink-peach tones. It looks like the MAC Studio Fix NW20 in the pan featured in the photo above, but Alabaster is a more accurate match to NW10.


    em's Bare 4 is a neutral fair-light powder and is comparable to the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus. Bare is not quite as warm as Light Plus, but I included the Medium MSN in the photo above to demonstrate that Bare is not quite as pink as Medium.


    em's Flesh 5 is a light-medium powder that leans strongly pink-peach and is most comparable to the MAC Studio Fix NW20.


    em's Natural 6 is a uniquely light powder with very strong peach tones and is comparable to the MAC Studio Fix NW18. Natural is also similar to the Chanel Double Perfection in Beige Rose 12, but the Chanel is brighter and more pink. 


    em's Nude 7 is a neutral medium powder and is comparable to the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus.


    em's Linen 8 is a warm medium powder and is comparable to the Lancome Dual Finish in Matte Nu III, though Linen is a touch darker and more peach-orange. I also included the MAC Studio Fix in C4, which is more orange and less peach.


    em's Shell 9 is a neutral medium powder and is comparable to the Clinique Superpowder in 02 Matte Cream.


    em's Vanilla 10 is a slightly warmer, medium-tan powder and is comparable to the MAC Studio Fix in NW35.


    em's Bisque 11 is a salmon-toned medium powder and is comparable to the MAC Studio Fix in NW25.


    em's Sand 12 is a warm medium powder that appears comparable to the MAC Studio Fix in NC40. This was also a tough shade to find a match to because sand is a yellow shade with a hint of olive. Many medium powders I tracked down were too orange or significantly darker. I currently use a mix of Bare 4 and Sand 12 on my light-medium skin. MAC NC40 reads unexpectedly very orange on the skin, so I tracked down a lighter, slightly more peach-toned version of Sand. Please refer to the last set of swatches at the end of this review to see em Sand vs. LM 08.  


    em's Buff 13 is a medium-tan powder with peach undertones and is comparable to the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark.


    em's Neutral 14 is a medium-dark powder. The Clinique Stay Matte in 03 Stay Beige is a lighter version of Neutral, about one or two shades down. The Clinique Perfectly Real in 130 is more comparable, though Neutral still pulls more pink.


    em's Honey 15 is a super pink-toned, medium-dark powder and is comparable to the Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo in Medium 54. This was one of the last matches I found, since pink tones are so rare in medium-dark powders. 


    em's Golden 16 is a medium-dark, orange-toned powder and is most similar to the MAC Studio Fix in NC43. All my local counters are out of stock, however, so I purchased NC50 for the purpose of this review. Golden is more orange and less brown than NC50. Golden will be similar to the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Deep as well.


    em's Suntan 17 is a medium-tan powder with neutral undertones and is comparable to the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish in 12. 


    em's Tawny 18 is a warm medium-deep powder and is comparable to the Lancome Dual Finish in Matte Wheat II. 


    em's Sable 19 is a warm powder for tan to deep skins and is comparable to the Dior DiorSkin Nude in Mocha 60. Sable is a bit lighter, but they have similar orange undertones. Similar shades in the MAC Studio Fix and MSN ranges were significantly more orange.


    em's Cafe 20 is a perfectly olive powder for tan to deep skin tones, and in the pan, it appears comparable to the Estee Lauder Double Wear in 4W2 Toasty Toffee. Cafe is one of the only true olive powders on the market and is perfect for Middle Eastern and Indian/Asian complexions, as well as honey-toned dark skin. A must-have for make-up artist kits! EL Toasty Toffee, however, oxidizes almost immediately upon contact with the skin, losing the gray-green undertones, and turns into a dark bark brown. Cafe 20 is the most unique Love Me for Me shade, and there is no mainstream high-end or designer brand that makes anything quite like it!


    em's Almond 21 is a warm dark powder and is comparable to the Lancome Dual Finish in 470 Suede C, though the Almond is more golden and less red.


    em's Caramel 22 is an orange-toned deep powder and is somewhat comparable to the MAC Studio Fix in C6. Caramel is warmer, so the Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Dark will be an even closer match. 


    em's Mocha 23 is a deep-dark powder with a strong orange undertone and is comparable to the Lancome Dual Finish in Matte Miel Fonce IV. 


    em's Chocolate 24 is a warm, dark powder and is comparable to the MAC Studio Fix in NW58. Chocolate is more golden and less ashy.  

    This guide should give you a fairly accurate idea of what em Love Me for Me compact shades to order and try! Here are the comparison swatches, but please bear in mind that these were done with a heavy hand. Like I have already stated, when worn sheerly or dusted on to set liquid foundation, the differences between many of the pairings will be negligible.


    Now, below are additional swatch comparisons I wanted to share to supplement the original set of swatches above. I hope you will find them helpful!


    The Love Me for Me lineup offers a variety of undertones, but many of the fair to medium colors in this range tend to veer pink or peach. I do hope that more warm, yellow-toned shades for light to light-medium complexions will be added in the future! The darker half of the collection, from Neutral 14 to Chocolate 24, are much more olive and yellow-peach (which is rare and very positive) as opposed to the strongly orange and red tones in many deeper MAC powders. If you have medium-tan to dark skin and have had difficulty finding a color match in the past, definitely check out these powders!


    Bottom Line: The multi-tasking abilities of the em Michelle Phan Love Me for Me make it an affordable essential for powder fans and even working professionals.
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    11 comments:

    1. This is an amazing comprehensive post! Thank you!! I think I have too many powders right now, but I'm definitely looking forward to trying it.

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    2. Amazing review Rae! Great pictures as always. :)I think I'm a Nude in the EM line.

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    3. very comprehensive! I still don't want to try the em powder without trying it out but this was informative regardless.

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    4. Super extensive review Rae! Very impressive! I really enjoy reading your reviews and you totally influenced me to buy the Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation! Can't wait for it to be delivered.

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    5. Thank you for this review! I originally bought linen 8 thinking it would match me, but it's a little too yellow for me. Now I know what to compare it with :)

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    6. ohhhh rae this is such an amazing review! super in depth i love it! i've never tried any of her products yet.. but thanks to your fantastic review i may have to purchase her powder lol!! you look beautiful hon love that red lippie on you!

      www.lisalovescoco.blogspot.com

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    7. Thanks for the detailed blog post, as always Rae! What shade do you think will match well with my NC30-NC35 skin tone? I'm thinking Vanilla, but if it's comparable to a Mac NW then I'm afraid of the mismatch. Thank you so much!

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    8. Hi Rae,

      Love your reviews and tutorials. I am an NC20 in Mac and a 115 in MUFE, what do you suggest my shade to be in Armani Lasting Silk Foundation as I do not I have a Armani counter in my country and have to order online and I can't go to counter for colour matching. Thanking you in advance.

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    9. Wow, I appreciate the time and effort (and money) that went into this review. Great post.

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    10. this is a very fantastic and helpful review. thank u thank u thank u

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    11. Depending on the look or foundation i'm applying it to I definitely need to look into getting both EM 16 and 21.

      ReplyDelete

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