Avoiding ponytails and updos because you're less than happy with your hairline is officially a thing of the past. "Hair makeup" is here — temporary options that fill in sparse areas. And far from being annoying or fussy, the latest crop of hairline makeup is supposed to be pretty good.
But just *how* good? I decided to find out by testing hairline makeup that comes in the most unexpected format — a powder puff.
The product was the Quick Hair Puff in Dark Brown by The Face Shop ($14, Amazon).
I was a immediate fan of the sleek brown packaging that had a small mirror on top, which could come in handy if you ever need to touch up on the go.
When you first get the compact, you need to remove the plastic stopper inside so that the brown loose pigment can start making its way through the puff.
I've seen hair stylists use eyeshadow to snatch a hairline so I was very curious to see how this product compared.
I tapped the puff onto the inside of my arm to get the applicator saturated in the powder. I was pleased with the cool undertone, which seemed perfect for creating the illusion of fuller hair.
To see if the product really worked, I gathered my hair in a ponytail with a side part that exposed a little more of my scalp.
I tapped my head into next week — you have to use a little force to keep the powder going — and saw that it actually made a difference.
The change is almost imperceptible since the color builds gradually on your skin, but when I compared the shaded side to the unshaded side, it definitely looked fuller!
But I could tell I that I needed some practice with controlling the placement of the powder when I was done. "Perfecting" my hairline created the illusion that I pushed my hairline down, and the result didn't look natural.
A smaller applicator would have been a better option for me.
On the bright side, I liked that it didn't feel like I had something heavy or tacky on my scalp. The powder felt as light as an eye shadow.
I was able to wipe some of the excess away with a tissue, which is a good thing if you go a little overboard... but not so good if you're worried about getting it on your pillowcase.
Overall, The Face Shop's hair powder is useful if you have large sparse areas along your hairline that you would like to conceal in a hurry.
The large applicator helps you cover areas quickly. However, I still feel like you could reach for an eyeshadow to take care of small areas.
Because The Face Shop's powder can transfer onto your sheets, this is something I would only recommend for special occasions — unless you really want to do extra laundry.
I personally do not have severe thinning along my hairline, and I don't feel like this is something I need at this time. But I am glad that there is something that can help with that if I ever experience significant hair loss.
