Review: W7 Candyfloss and Africa Boxed Powders (Benefit/Too Faced Dupes)

I hinted at these little beauties with a quick description in my February Favourites and promised a proper review, along with Rimmel Smoked Oyster blush swatches, read on for the full review.

The first I saw of these powders was on a make up retail website, I was quickly drawn to them and noticed how similar the packaging is to the Benefit products like Hoola and Thrrob. A quick google brought up a few reviews and also a few comparisons to Benefit powders. Being in the market for some new face powders, and having a strange obsession with bronzers (and with these having a price tag of £3.99-£4.99) I thought Id give them a try.

To start; the packaging. These little boxes do bare a striking resemblance to those from Benefit with their sturdy bottoms and high sides. Each has ingredients written on the bottom, and the W7 powders also have a little picture of the powder inside. Of course the W7 boxes aren't quite as well made, but we can forgive that for the price and we can also forgive the brush that comes with them which, although it looks pretty with its dip dyed pink and white bristles, is also pretty useless and doesn't pick up much product at all. While I do like pretty packaging, Ive always thought the box designs aren't all that practical when wanting to put a product in your make up bag, although they do prevent messy fall out.

Onto the products; Candy Floss Brightening Face Powder
W7 tell us 'This brightening face powder with its soft silky finish will leave your skin with a healthy natural glow' and I cant disagree! The powder is very soft, not as creamy as others but definitely not chalky,and has very fine shimmer particles that make it look pearly in the pan.

The colour is a soft pastel pink with as much pigmentation as you would want from a powder meant to be used on more than part of the face. Candy Floss can be swiped sheerly on the high and centre points of the face to give a subtle and healthy glow or built up on the cheeks as a girly blush. I think it's the brightening effects of this powder that prevent it looking cakey when built up on the cheeks. I have to say I really love this product and for me it lived up to its description.
As far as a Benefit dupe goes, this powder is incredibly similar to the boxed blush Dandelion (I don't own Dandelion but borrowed my friend's to compare). The ballerina pink colours are almost an exact match, but I think the Candy Floss has a touch more shimmer.

Africa Bronzing Powder
W7 say 'Go wild with this W7 multi bronzing face powder, lightly brush on for that all year round summer look' and I have just one disagreement with this- it isn't quite a bronzer!
I love the look of this product in the palette, it might be because Id just finished watching David Attenborough's Africa series, but I think its a lovely pattern with a girly twist. The powder itself isn't quite as silky soft as the Candy Floss but again definitely not chalky, it does produce a touch more fallout and because it's made of blocks of different colours I did get some unfortunate lost corners when I accidentally dropped the box during swatch photos.

As for the colour, this is a tricky one! Swirling your finger around the outside edges of the pan does give a shimmery pinky brown, but reaching around the edges isn't possible with a normal blush brush and it will pick up colour from the vivid pink centre of the powder. With all shades together, this powder is  quite a bright and shimmery pink- much more Mac 'Well Dressed' than Nars 'Casino' (I'm talking colours not quality!). The colour does look nice on the cheeks, it has more pigmentation than the Candy Floss so delivers a bright pink flush with bronzey brown undertones- definitely summery but not what I was expecting!
As for a dupe- this powder has design very similar to the Too Faced Pink Leopard Blushing Bronzer but a colour more like Benefit's Bella Bamba.


Sunlight L-R W7 Candy Floss, W7 Africa, Rimmel Smoked Oyster

Left- Natural Light, Right- Flash

As the photos show, Candy Floss is a pale shimmery pink which relects light to give a subtle glow. Rimmel's Smoked Oyster is much more of a bronze-y colour than the W7 Africa, even though it's actually a blusher (review here).

W7 do a range of boxed powders (which also includes Honolulu bronzing powder and Double Act bronzer and blusher) and although I cant find much information about the brand its been available in my local independent make up shop for years. I have tried a couple of their products long ago but they seem to have stepped up their game and even have their own BB Cream. Some of their products also have intriguing (but often a bit familiar!) packaging, eg the Light Diffusing Concealer, Kiss Me Plumping Gloss, Carnival Dust and Go Go Go Get Glossed.

In conclusion, I think the Candy Floss is a great product and my go to at the moment when my winter complexion is looking a bit dull, the Africa is a lovely warm toned blush but I think I'll stick to my Bourjois as a bronzer for now. The powder can be found for £3.99 and £3.40 respectively at Xtras-Online.co.uk (just wanted to say, I am not an affiliate of Xtras even though I link to them a lot, I just think they've got a great affordable range!).

What do you think of the look of these powders, and have you tried any W7 products?