My acne-prone skin has always made me a little reluctant to try new powders, foundations and concealers, for fear that they’ll make me break out - but on the other hand, I’m always willing to give the benefit of the doubt to Neutrogena. (I had a dermatologist tell me that their cosmetic products are the most reliably skin-safe out of all of the drugstore brands.) Since I’ve had great luck with their Mineral Sheers line in the past, most notably the Concealer Kit (which I love), I decided to give the Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation a whirl.

Here’s what I love about this product: It’s so portable! Everyone who’s ever tried loose mineral makeup understands what a pain it is to transport, and this is actually quite easy to throw in your purse. When you’re ready to use it, take off the cap, slide the clear plastic that surrounds the brush down, and shake it a little to dispense the powder. That’s it. I was also fairly pleased with the quality of the brush. It’s not amazing, but it performs better than you might expect.

Unfortunately, I noticed a few flaws as well. First, while I appreciate the portability of the built-in brush, I don’t really like how you can’t access the powder any other way. If you want to use your own brush, you’re out of luck. I also think the “shake to dispense” method leaves something to be desired, as specks of powder always end up all over my bathroom counter - how wasteful! And, although the product is good, I can never build it up to a suitable intensity. It’s just way too sheer for my tastes. If I’m going to wear Neutrogena powder foundation, I think I would prefer to stick to their Powder Foundation Compact, which offers similar results but allows for more coverage than the loose powder. All in all, a decent product, but I doubt it will become one of my everyday essentials.