My Love Affair WIth Mineral Makeup

   First: if you have already tried mineral makeup and it didn't work for you, it doesn't count if you:
a) Tried something like the stuff from Maybelline or other such brand -- this isn't real mineral makeup (it doesn't contain minerals and a lot of other ingredients as well).
b) Tried Bare Minerals -- this has got bismuth in it, which can be irritating to the skin.
c) Tried only one brand -- there are many different formulas out there, so there is something out there for every skin type. For example I found that Lumiere's Cashmere formula isn't compatible with my skin (too much mica makes me break out), but Cashmere works great.
d) Got a cakey look -- you used way too much!

Why I love mineral makeup:

 

* It gives a no-makeup look -- you skin suddenly looks smooth and even-coloured, as if someone photoshopped away your imperfections, but even from close up it looks bare. My friends are always shocked by thes when I test it out on them.
* Its water-proof, so I can wear it swimming or jogging.
* Very quick to apply, easy to blend. No streaks or anything.
* I can find my exact colour match (for example Meow offers 86 shades!). Also, it was thanks to minerals that I discovered my skin was warm -- I always thought it was cool!
* I can always mix stuff if I want to customise it even more. Mix two shades together, add a bit of bronzer to darken, or a little green corrector to minimise redness.
* It doesn't block pores.

My skin on minerals:

   I'm wearing Medium Warm in Cashmere, Ambrozia Brozner and green corrector from Lumiere, and a touch of concealer from Sweetscents. I prefer using a light coverage base so that my freckles peep through, but mineral makeup can also cover up major stuff. It all depends on which formula you pick, and how many layers you apply.

   You have no idea how many times I tried to get a before and after picture of my face, but I can never get the light and face angle to be the same. I hope someday to kidnap a girl and use her as the subject. In the meanwhile, this forum thread has great before and after mineral makeup photos.

What is mineral makeup?

 

    It is very very minimalistic. Basically just pigments, no filler ingredients (or conservants, perfume, etc). This means you need to use a teeny amount, get great coverage and still look bare-faced. Normal makeup (whether powder or liquid) has a lot of filler ingredients, stuff to conserve those ingredients and so on. So you end up applying way more product on your face, and chances are higher that one of those ingredients will disagree with your skin.
   
    I often read discussions about whether mineral makeup is "natural". Now, first define "natural". Mineral makeup isn't plant based and many of the minerals are sythesised in labs, so it isn't as "natural" as Dr Hauschka's makeup. However, mineral makeup doesn't contain most of the problem ingredients that traditional cosmetics have which block pores, dry out skin or harm the health (like silicones, mineral oil, parabens, etc).
    Remember that different brands of minral makeup have different formulas, which behave very differently on the skin. However, since most mineral makeup has very few ingredients, it is very easy to get an overview of what your skin likes.

How to test mineral makeup:

 

Find a brand that:
1. Has a big range of shades
2. Offers samples for cheap.

    My favourite is Lumiere because they have a lot of shades: they have cool, neutral, beige, warm and golden tones, and each of these comes in shades from very pale to dark. Also, they have sensible, non-fancy names: I prefer "light-medium warm" and "medium cool" to "honey beige" and "buttered tan". And each of these comes in four different formulas -- from heavy coverage to light, from creamy to shimmery. Lumiere sample baggies are really cheap: 5 baggies for just shipping costs! Their makeup brushes are also great. But of course they aren't the only brand out there -- I'd suggest reading the reviews on Makeupalley.
    To find your best shade paint stripes with the shades of your face. The one that is least visible is your best match. When not sure, do each half of your face with a different shade, and see which half looks more alive.


     Do any of you use mineral makeup? Which is your favourite brand? Do you have before and after photos?