Do you remember the golden age of mineral powder foundations? That was in the late 2000s early 2010s - at least in France, it may have started earlier in the US - when everyone was abandoning liquid or cream foundations and turning to these "miraculous" powder replacements that were supposed be all-natural and so safe for the skin that you could skip the makeup removal at night... That was also when bareMinerals became huge and a multitude of indie mineral makeup brands experienced instant success. The truth is that some of the claims made at the time were seriously exaggerated: mineral foundation isn't the one answer to everybody's needs and the daily use of powders can be drying for some skin types.

Mineral makeup isn't as trendy nowadays, but it's still a good option besides your usual liquid foundation. I've recently had the opportunity to test Studio Gear Dual Identity, a mineral powder foundation that can be used dry, the classic way, but also wet for custom coverage. Let's take a look!

I've already talked about Studio Gear on the blog before: this makeup brand makes affordable professional products, including brushes, base products, and a large color collection. I got the Dual Identity mineral foundation in Linen, which looked like a good match for my skin tone on my screen, but turns out to be little dark. It works fine dry, but it's really too deep for me when wet.




I hadn't used a mineral powder foundation in a long time, but trying Studio Gear Dual Identity reminded me why I used to love them so much back in the day. The powder is so smooth, soft and finely milled that it basically turns into a cream that disappears on the skin when used dry, leaving behind no sign of powderiness but a nice buildable coverage with a beautiful natural finish. I used both a classic powder brush and a flat top kabuki to apply it, and as expected the kabuki yields more coverage. It's buildable to medium-high, although I had a little bit of cake-yness on my nose when I tried to go for the highest possible coverage. I also received Studio Gear #3 Domed Foundation Brush, a synthetic brush that works with both powder and cream products. It works fine to apply the foundation dry, but I prefer a larger brush that covers more surface at once - I'm lazy and I like when things go fast! - so I like it best to precisely apply blush or with cream and liquid products.

The Dual Identity Mineral Foundation has quickly become my go-to base product for day wear when I'm pressed for time and I want a natural look. It mattifies my skin really well but it doesn't dry it out, and I've noticed that I get a lot less shine on my T-zone by the end of the day than when I use my classic liquid foundations. It also leaves my skin super soft and the velvety finish looks amazing!

What makes this mineral powder foundation different is that you can also use it wet, by mixing it with a few drops of water, a mixing medium such as MAC Fix+, or a serum for a custome-made foundation that also addresses your skin concerns! The more powder you add to your mix, the more pigmented and opaque the finish, so you can really play with the concentration to find your perfect balance. I received the Revitalizing Day Serum from Studio Gear and I used it to create my custom mix (look at that frosted glass bottle it comes in, it's really pretty!). I found that the powder foundation gets darker when wet, so it wasn't really a good match for my complexion, but I really liked how smoothly the mix went on my skin.




I'm by no means a clean freak but I don't like when things get messy, so I wasn't sure that I would enjoying mixing my powder foundation to get it wet. I don't even use my eyeshadows wet for that reason! However with the very functional jar the powder foundation comes in, the mixing was a breeze and I didn't get my bathroom all dirty. The transparent plastic jar has holes on one half and an inner-lid that allows you to cover those holes when you transport the jar. The outer black lid offers the perfect surface to mix the powder with your choice of liquid, and it's easy to wipe with a paper towel or a cotton pad with a little micellar water.

Studio Gear Dual Identity Foundation in Linen: wet on top, dry on bottom

Studio Gear suggest more ways to use this mineral powder: as a setting powder to add coverage to your regular liquid or cream foundation, using different shades for contouring, etc. You can take a look at the Youtube video they created showing the different possible ways to apply it!



Studio Gear Dual Identity Mineral Wet & Dry Foundation is a great medium coverage foundation with a gorgeous, natural velvety finish when used dry. It's also a great pick if you like to DIY your makeup or create your own custom mixes!


Available on Studio Gear's website, the Dual Identity Mineral Wet & Dry Foundation retails for $28.




The product featured in this review was sent by the brand's PR for consideration. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post does not contain affiliate links.