As I mentioned in my previous Natural Collection review (Blushed Cheeks) I needed to get a few items of makeup as I had left my entire makeup bag at home when I went back to Newcastle for a long weekend. One item I always use is pressed powder as I apply it over my usual foundation to give a more even looking coverage.

One item I bought was Natural Collection's Pressed Powder as this was something I wouldn't be able to live without! One thing I like about the Natural Collection range (apart from the price!) is that they have all the basics you need without going over board with colours, I wear a lot of natural colours and Natural Collection seem to offer this more than quite a lot of other brands who are currently focussing on the neon type shades!

*** Packaging ***

Natural Collection's packaging is really minimal and tends to be all the same across the range. The pressed powder sits in a white base with a clear see through screw lid so you can easily see the colour of the powder. On the bottom of the base you are given the shade colour and usual info about Boots.

*** The Colour ***

Natural Collection's pressed powder only comes in three shades (warm, neutral and cool). This is a slight downside as there isn't much choice but then I guess that this is all part of being part of a cheaper range. I opted for neutral as I found it was the most suitable shade for my skin as the cool was far too light and the warm would probably have made my skin turn slightly orange and no one wants that look!

The neutral shade is exactly what you expect, neutral! It's similar to a warm shade of magnolia if I am trying to be precise!

*** The Result ***

When I buy a powder I like to think it will last all day and to date my favourite pressed powder is Bourjois' as it lasts for some considerable time without having to reapply. To be honest at £1.99 I wasn't expecting too much from Natural Collection's pressed powder and in the end I was right.

Applying the powder is a bit of a chore as the powder is incredibly light and fine so even when you use a sponge applicator you can't really tell that you have applied anything, it's almost as if the powder is translucent. I'm not after a powdery almost fake finish to my skin but I like the smooth finish you get when applying a powder. You can also forget applying it with a brush either as that doesn't work either as it doesn't seem to stick to your brush and more of it will probably end up on the floor.

Natural Collection claims it reduces shine. This I couldn't really test as fortunately I am not prone to shiny skin. It also claims to finish your face without adding colour or texture. This is actually true because you really can't tell the powder is on your face once you've managed to apply it properly.

So does it last? No it really doesn't. It lasts around two hours and then you will need to completely reapply and again because it's so hard to get an even coverage of this powder you will probably end up not reapplying! If you so persevere with it then use a sponge applicator as it is far more reliable than a brush.

*** Cost ***

Natural Collection is only available at Boots and costs £1.99 or if you do what I did you can get three items for £5.00. You can get 4 boots points if you buy the blusher individually.

*** Overall ***

Would I buy again? Definitely not. I would rather spend a little more and get a better quality product. I'm sure some people get on well with this product but I certainly couldn't and I won't be buying it again. It's a shame as I'm quite liking the Natural Collection range! Oh well!