PP12: Bourjois Java Rice Loose Powder

~ stashy

Today I’m showing a product that sat collecting dust in my makeup drawers for years:
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The Bourjois Java Rice Loose Powder:
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I got mine in 2013, in an Anniversary set that contained a bunch of products, and it stated that it was limited edition:
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But I guess this product proved to be popular because it’s now available alone, for about $16 for a 3.5g jar.

The Java Rice Powder is one of Bourjois oldest products and for their 150th anniversary, they reinvented the product with an updated packaging based on the original vintage style:

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Source.

Bourjois claims:

A delicately scented feather-light powder that lights up and smoothes complexion in one step. Its radiant and velvety finish immediately creates a youthful glow. One translucent shade is universal and lights up all skin tones.

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I got this powder specifically to use as a setting powder for under my eye area since it has a tint of pink and a slight iridescence to it. It’s great for highlighting but doesn’t perform too well in preventing concealers from creasing.
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Lately I’ve been mixing a bit of the e.l.f. HD Powder with the Bourjois to set my under eye and the combination has been working really well. The e.l.f. HD Powder is basically a really finely milled silica powder. But, it can leave the skin looking dull and flat. The Bourjois powder adds a luminosity back to the skin.
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I use the Clinique Eye Shadow Brush to apply this to my under eye area.
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Side note: The Clinique brush is way too big to use for blending eye shadows on my eyelids. See it how compares to the MAC 217. It is quite soft and fluffy so it’s good for use under the eye area.

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It’s difficult to swatch powders like this. I took probably 10 photos trying to capture the sparkle.  The e.l.f. HD Powder is like Photoshop for your face.

The Java Rice Powder is only offered in 1 shade, and even though Bourjois claims this is universally flattering. I don’t think it would work on olive or dark skin tones – it would look ashy since it does have a pinky white base.

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My last ditch effort to show the sparkle. Please don’t pull some CSI wizardry and steal my fingerprint.

I have tried to use this as an all over powder on my face but I find it too glowy. It’s better served as a highlighter for targeted areas – I especially like this for inner eye corner and cupid’s bow (upper area of the lips). Note that this has no oil control properties whatsoever despite it being called a rice powder (unlike the cult product Palladio Rice Powder paper). I honestly don’t understand the name of this product… java rice? It does contain rice powder, but java? But, it was named 150 years ago, so who knows…
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One of the best things going for this powder isn’t actually the product itself – it’s the container that it’s housed in. It has a sifter that can swivel and close up the holes. I have it set so that only one hole is exposed, so very little product dispenses (and even then, it’s way more than I need!) I’ll imagine that I could travel with this container if I wanted to. You bet that once this powder is finished, I’d reuse this jar! 😀

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To use this, I tilt the closed jar upside down to get some of the product onto the lid. Whatever is on the lid is how I much I need to set both eyes.

Another thing I really like about this powder is purely superficial – it smells so nice! Apparently the Java Rice Powder has the same fragrance of the Little Round Pot blushes. To me, it smells soft and floral… “Powdery Rose” is what I’d describe it as.

Ingredients:
Mica, silica, talc, CI 77891 (titanium dioxide), boron nitride, caprylyl glycol, phenoxyethanol, p-anisic acid, CI 77491 (iron oxides), parfum (fragrance), potassium sorbate, hexylene glycol, oryza sativa (rice) starch, caprylic/capric triglyceride, CI77492 (iron oxides), lauroyl lysine, CI 75470 (carmine), hydroxycitronellal, tin oxide, cinnamyl alcohol, eugenol, benzyl salicylate, linalool, evernia prunastri extract, citronellol, geraniol, amyl cinnamal, alpha-isomethyl ionone, hexyl cinnamal, rose extract, 12BMT010-1

For vegetarian / vegans out there, this product does contain carmine which is crushed beetle scales. Yup. YUM.
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This product is made in Italy.

Pros:
• Subtle finish
• Blurs lines and adds luminosity
• Vintage looking packaging
• Well designed dispenser
• Soft scent

Cons:
• Messy loose powder
• Colour may not be universally flattering
• Not suitable for those who are sensitive to fragrance

Stash worthiness: 7/10

I’m not sure what happened between last week and this week but I weighed this 6 times and still got this measurement, which is 0.002 less than last week. I didn’t eat any of this, I swear. 😉
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I’m so pleased to see the MAC eye shadow quad went down again! 😀
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Please check out my Project Pan Pals for their updates:
• Ingrid of Curly.Spring.Blossom
• Jodi of A Brash Attitude
• Chanelle of Chanelle Hayleyyy

Do you set your under eye concealer? What do you use?

61 thoughts on “PP12: Bourjois Java Rice Loose Powder”

    1. I think you’d really like their lip stuff… however, I’m not 100% sure that they’re CF.
      I still haven’t tried any banana type powders – I worry it will look too obvious…

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    1. Yay, FINALLY a Bourjois item that you can buy!
      I’ve got a ton of loose powders / face powders on the go in general. I don’t have any qualms about having multiple ones open at once!

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    1. I hear you on the loose powders. I was against them for ages but I do find that they’re more finely milled and more “pure” so they do not require binding ingredients to press them into a pan.
      I do like the MAC mineral powder – yes you should blog about the MAC powder, concealer and the foundation!

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      1. sparkle is the meaning of life – xo i watched a crazy movie last night – Google “The Lobster” most dystopian movie I have ever seen – ….. You and i would have a field day discussing THAT XO

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          1. YOU SAW IT TOO ? i spent an hour last night reading some stuff on it – comparing it to Dante – mind blowing movie ……………. i sure hope you wanna be on the podcast one day – I would love to pick your brain ………… xo

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              1. Okay xxxx yeah – “absurdist” a genre for us ……… Lol xxxxxxx ❤ i actually am laughing out loud as i write this – Podcast description – ABSURDIST ….LOL XO love

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          2. My SO convinced me to watch it and I had absolutely no idea what it was about. I was so engrossed in it that I did not expect the movie to end at that particular point – just black screen – ugh!

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  5. Love the packaging of this and that they’ve tried to keep to the original style. I use just a general setting powder for absorbing oil/mattifying but this sounds great for adding glow. Setting powders can zap any glow fron your skin x

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    1. I find sometimes the regular face powders can look a bit dull. That’s why I like something with luminosity. Previous to this, I was using Nars and it was a bit dull looking. My favourite so far has been the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening powder. 🙂

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  8. Overall this powder sounds decent! I quite like the glowy look so I think I would use this all over my face but I can imagine this would be nice just to highlight certain areas too. One of my PP products is a setting powder and one thing I’ve realised is that powder isn’t a necessity for me. My skin can get dry (not that the powder accentuates it) so I find I don’t really need to powder. I don’t set my under eye concealer because I don’t apply concealer there 😛

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    1. I think then this product would be well suited for you. Since I have combination skin I do need some oil control in my t-zone. I think this powder would be great for the winter months when my skin is drier and I want some glow.
      So you don’t wear concealer under your eye ever? Wow! 😮

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    1. Was it cheaper to buy Bourjois in LV compared to here? I’ve pretty much liked every Bourjois product that I’ve tried. 🙂
      I do get a bit worried about having my fingerprints stolen LOL.

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          1. I converted a few items and yes, the prices are slightly cheaper compared to here! Especially the eye makeup remover (only €5,99 which converts to C$8.90). At Shoppers, this costs C$20! Also the mascaras are cheaper there. I really like Bourjois mascaras too, I’d forgotten about that. The foundations are also cheaper there. Yes, I say you should stock up when you visit home! 😀

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  11. Hey, good idea mixing two powders – that’s actually something I never would’ve thought to do, haha. Love both the smart packaging and the vintage look of it!
    Good job catching that shimmer in the powder! That fine detail is so hard to photograph sometimes.
    Do you tend to prefer powders with a little bit of a sheen to be used to set the undereye? I’ve been curious about the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, but the shimmer in that scared me off.

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    1. I’m like a makeup chemist LOL. I’m always game to mix up stuff to try to improve something. I haven’t had any explosions in the “lab” yet… 😉
      Yes, I prefer to have some sheen for the under eyes, I find really matte powder accentuate fine lines. You could be 16 yo and the matte powders will bring out invisible lines! 😮
      I used to use the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder! It’s my favourite under eye setting powder that I’ve tried to date. The shimmer isn’t as apparent once applied since you only need so little. When you see it in the jar, that’s a ton of product. I wrote a mini review of it in my Nov 2015 Trash Stash if you’re curious:

      Trash Stash: November 2015


      I still miss it… but I’m trying to be good an use this elf and Bourjois combo to use them up. I’ll probably go crawling back to the LM one soon enough.

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      1. Actually, I think your Trash Stash post is where I first heard about the LM Secret Brightening powder! Then I went to see it in stores and got scared off by the shimmer. But I guess that’s why I feel like my under eye area looks cakey, because I use a matte powder underneath! :/

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        1. You should get them to try it under your eyes at Sephora! Then you can decide if the shimmer would bother you. I know the only time the shimmer was apparent was when I was in direct sunlight. Actually I remember once I was at a Blue Jays game and the sun was shining on me and my friend said, “Whoa your under eye area looks so shimmery! What do you use?!” LOL the things you remember.

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          1. Good point – yes, I do worry about it looking particularly sparkly in sunlight, although it shouldn’t really matter as I’m indoors most of the time anyways?! Haha, so funny you remember that specific instance of a friend commenting on it, and where you were when it happened!

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  12. OMG, I have recently tried out baking with MAC Studio Fix powder but bad idea; major creasing! I guess a loose powder is the way to go… Setting the undereye with a powder that has shimmers, I really wonder how that would look with flash photography….

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    1. I find loose powders to be more finely milled because they don’t have fillers / binders like pressed powders do. I prefer loose for under eye area and reserve pressed for the rest of my face. I’m not exposed to much flash photography (no paparazzi following me around) but I suspect there could be flash back!

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    1. I just did a search to see if I can find a perfume that smells like their products! Someone suggested Guerlain My Insolence, which I actually own. It does smell similar but a lot stronger compared to the Bourjois products.

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  14. Love that container, what a great idea! I don’t think I’ve used anything from Bourjois… Hmm, I’ll have to check them out! For setting my undereye I use the same Maybelline Matte + Poreless Translucent Powder that I use all over my face. If I’m not using that then it’s usually the Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Powder.

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    1. I think you’d really love Bourjois’ lip products. Their Rouge Edition lipsticks are very well reviewed.
      I’ve heard so many great things about the Laura Mercier loose translucent powder – it’s on my radar to try!

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  17. I was considering this one. So many raves review in France 😂

    Perhaps ‘java rice’ sounds more exotic for the French 150yrs ago? 😂 who knows lol French are just really good at chic-ing up thing wahaha

    Congrats on your PP progress 🎉

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