Mineral Power!

The mineral makeup frenzy continues with Maybelline's offering in this new category of makeup - they call theirs Mineral Power!

There are a bunch of great products in this life - a blush, a pressed powder, as well as a liquid and powder foundation. I'll start by saying that the colours are fantastic - they look natural, the blend well, and they're not at all ashy or grey, so if that's something that you've had trouble with in the past, then you can leave those worries at the door for this foundation.


Lets start with the liquid foundation - this was my favourite product because it looked so natural. It's definitely for dry or normal skin because though the initial application is matte, it does get oily pretty quickly if you've got oily skin. The finish is light and I think it's perfect for minimizing flaws.

There's also a concealer in this line and it's fantastic. It's a matte finish and because it's not overly thick, it looks quite natural. It's perfect for concealing spots and dark circles.
The blush, like so many mineral blushes, is "luminous" which means that it has shimmer in it.
Once again, the colours are fantastic. The blush has a lot of pigment in it and the ratio of shimmer and colour is absolutely perfect.

Finally, the finishing veil. This setting powder is light and airy and again comes in colours that really match a wide variety of skin tones and look amazingly natural.

What I love about this powder is that it's not hard like some drugstore setting powders. It does take away topical shine and lasts a decent amount of time.

Overall - this mineral makeup line is very affordable and has some products that are excellent. If you've been having a hard time finding mineral makeup colours that match your skin, then you can rest easy knowing that you'll find something in this line.

MAC Mineralize Foundation/Loose

MAC has had a mineral foundation in the works for a long time - this much I know is true. In fact, a few months ago, a friend of mine had asked me what brand of mineral foundation she should buy, and I - knowing that she was a die-hard MAC fan - told her to wait because there was something good in the works that would be worth the wait.

The wait is now over - MAC's new mineral foundation. called Mineralize Foundation/Loose, is out on counters and online.

If you're familiar with MAC, you already know what makes their foundations great. It's all about the colour shades. If you're of a darker skin tone and have had trouble finding a foundation that really matches your skin, you should check out this foundation. There are dark colours that remain warm not ashen, and the foundation looks completely natural on the skin.

When you purchase a kit, you get the pot you see above that comes with it's own sponge applicator - you can of course use a brush if that makes it more comfortable, but the sponge gives you heavier coverage.

Check out this newest mineral foundation - there's a colour for almost every skintone!

L'Oreal Bare Naturale Concealer

In the spirit of continuing mineral makeup coverage, I tried L'Oreal Bare Naturale Gentle Mineral Concealer, a product that's available at drugstores everywhere now.

For once, I really liked the brush that this product comes with. It picks up just the right amount of product and if you're wearing mineral makeup, it blends right in. I found that with this, a little bit of product went a long way and if I wasn't careful my finish was slightly thick-looking.

If you wear minimal foundation and usually just dust your face with powder, then this would be a great addition to your makeup bag.

Coastal Scents Blush

A little while ago, I told you about Coastal Scents Mineral Makeup which was finely milled and natural looking.

Coastal Scents also has blush - the quality is still good and the colours are nice, but I am finding that the blush has a little too much shimmer for my tastes and I would use this more as a highlighter than a blush.

Check out the entire Coastal Scents line at their website.

Mineral Makeup Poll Results

I was actually shocked at the results of this poll: 54% of those of you who voted use mineral makeup, and 18% of you will try it. 9% of you want to see more reviews, which means that at least 81% of everyone who voted will be interested in reading about the newest mineral makeup products - and that's where I come in. Luckily, I've got several new reviews in the works, and already this year, I've been trying a lot more mineral makeup.

The one brand that I don't use is Bare Escentuals, so I won't be talking about that one. They just don't have a foundation colour that looks perfect on my skin and I'm afraid they don't do warm tones perfectly. It's disappointing because I've heard great things about their line.

In any case, you can also read my other reviews of mineral makeup products.

Know of a brand you think I should try, let me know in the comments.

Oh, and if you're sticking to regular foundation, I want to know why.

L'Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Makeup

So: I thought it would be fitting if this week ended with my review of a popular and easily found brand of mineral makeup - L'Oreal Bare Natural Gentle Mineral Makeup. It's been on the market for a long time now, and to tell you the truth, I couldn't review it because I had a hard time finding the perfect shade. But now that I have... I have to say that most days I reach for this over my regular foundation. I can get just the right amount of coverage and because it's a powder it looks very natural on top of my moisturizer. They say that mineral makeup is for oily skin, but I think that if you're wearing a moisturizer beforehand anyway, then this will look pretty great on your skin. It is indeed very natural looking, even the darker shades go on without a grey tinge, and there's no shimmer at all.

Also, I don't like the accompanying brush that much, but I have to admit that it's an awesome containing to throw in your purse or suitcase for traveling.

Coastal Scents Mineral Makeup

This is going to be the year that I try a whole bunch of mineral makeup - I can feel it.

One of the best ways to try mineral makeup is by ordering sampler sets online. These sets are one of the best ways to find your perfect shade. You get little jars of foundation in every colour and you can take your time to figure out which works for you. You can even try combining two colours and then order those if that's what works! All in all, it's a cost-effective way to find your perfect colour.
To that end, if that's the way you want to go, you should check out Coastal Scents mineral makeup. It is finely milled and feels almost like a loose powder going on. That means that there's minimal caking and once on the foundation looks pretty natural. Plus, there are enough colours for every skin tone, and a variety of finishes to choose from, something that most mineral makeup brands don't offer.

If you missed it, I wrote about the brushes you should use to apply your mineral makeup. Application is half the battle, so check the link out.

Brushes to Use With Your Mineral Makeup

Changes are that if you haven't tried mineral makeup already, you will in the next year, and that means that if you don't own some already, you will, and then you'll wonder how you can put it on properly.

The trick, my friends, lies in the brushes. So, here are the brushes that you could use with your mineral makeup and the effect that you get with them.


I'll start with a Kabuki brush because it's the most common and chances are that whatever mineral makeup kit you're buying, you'll get one of these brushes free with it. The brush has densely packed natural hairs. Because there are so many hairs in such a small space, you pick up more pigment and can't play with it as much. This means that you get medium to full coverage when you use this brush. The handle is usually short so that you can sweep it all over your face easily. If you try the makeup on in the store, 9 times out of 10 the makeup artist will use this brush and make your skin look flawless. Once you leave the store, however, you may realize that this is too much for everyday, and if you have dry skin it may look overly powdery. It's all a matter of taste. A kabuki brush might really work for you too.
Kabuki brushes also come in retractable varieties which seem great for travel but aren't that great for application. They simply lack the heft and ease of use that regular brushes have.

And then there's this guy...


Commonly known as a skunk brush or stippling brush. This brush gives medium to medium-light coverage. This is the brush that I actually use to put my mineral makeup on because I like the control that it gives me. My coverage is not too heavy and I can always layer on more if I want to. I would recommend that beginners use this brush to play with their mineral makeup. It's better to start off with less foundation than with too much. You can also blend nicely with this brush and make sure that it doesn't look like you're wearing a mask.

Or you could use a brush that you probably already have and have had for a long time.And that's a powder brush. Yep, don't knock this one, because it works too. The rule is that the fluffier and larger the head of the brush, the more lightly it will distribute powder. For this brush more than any other, look for something that is super-soft against your skin. A powder brush will give you light coverage. That is for people who don't need to wear a lot of foundation but just want something that will make them look finished and put together. I sometimes use this brush to put mineral foundation on top of regular foundation to give it more lasting power. You can also use this one for blending your mineral foundation.

You could also use a foundation brush but this will give you heavy coverage. Yes, that's what some people want, and so I'm putting it out there. A foundation brush is great if you have problematic areas that you really want to cover.

But what if you have those areas and they're really small?

Do what I do. Dip a concealer brush into your mineral makeup and put it on the areas that need more coverage - under the eyes, beside the nose, any spots you might have. Then take your face brush of choice, and use it to put the mineral makeup on the rest of your face. Don't skip the problem areas - just blend the foundation over them too. This way, you get heavier coverage where you need it and light coverage where you don't!

And yes, you may have already guessed that I've been playing around with mineral makeup quite a bit over the last little while and I'm going to be reviewing some brands very soon!

Bella Pierre Cosmetics

It seems that I can't walk through a mall these days without getting attacked by a Bella Pierre Cosmetics sales person. Mineral makeup is iffy - you have to do it right and so much depends on the lighting. It's also very easy to put on too much, and you might not realize that you have because the heavy coverage just makes your skin look flawless.

But, as I found, the colour might be all wrong, and the heavy coverage might not be for everyday.

All those problems can be fixed yourself, but the makeup itself is a little too shimmery. Shimmer is fine for highlighting and shading, but as a foundation all over your face or to cover blemishes or dark circles, it just doesn't work.

I'm sure many of you have come across the booths selling the line but if you're looking for mineral makeup there are better brands and formulations out there. Take the time to try a few brands before you settle on your foundation of choice. From everything that I've tried and learned, it seems that once you find a formulation you like (and a colour that suits you) you may never go back to regular foundation again.

Mineral Fusion at Whole Foods

Whole Foods now has a mineral makeup line exclusive to its stores. Watch the video to see a mineral make-over using the new Mineral Fusion line! I should also let you know that Whole Foods will be selling a Fresh Face Starter Kit by the Mineral Fusion line for $20. The kit includes base in two shades, a duo bronzer that has a shimmer and matte shade, a kabuki brush, and hydration mist. The price makes the kit a real steal. It makes it worth it to try mineral makeup if you haven't already.

Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup

If you haven't been able to find Jane Iredale cosmetics, it could be because you haven't been looking in the right places. This line of mineral makeup is found mostly at spas here in Canada.

In any case, I recently had a chance to try some of the products from Jane Iredale. I tried their foundation, bronzer, and blush.

Like most mineral foundations that I've tried, the colour match was a bit off. It looked fine in the container but it went on slightly light and was not an exact match. The next colour up was much too dark, but no matter. It was fixed up with a bit of bronzer swept across the face and followed by a touch of blush that was extremely natural looking.

The makeup does have shimmer in it, but I was quite pleased to see that once the makeup was on, the shimmer wasn't that noticeable on my skin, even out in the sunlight! I also loved that I could use this as a concealer - I just layered some extra foundation under my eyes and the look was natural.

The makeup lasts all day, and resists sweat and oil for the most part. Because I'm used to the way that my skin looks, I thought that there was too much product on my skin, but I know that from a distance, my skin looked perfect. It was flawless and if that's the look that you want, you'll be able to get it with Jane Iredale.

What I love about this brand was the colour selection available for all the products and its absolutely weightless feel.

This brand is sold at salons and spas and you may also be able to find it at a dermatologist's office.

Mineral Foundation

Those of us with medium to dark skin tones often have a difficult time finding any foundation, let alone mineral ones. Still, mineral foundations pose a unique problem - the inclusion of titanium dioxide often means that the foundation shades are too cool to look natural on darker skin tones.


Enter Alison Raffaele. Her line produces products that suit a variety of skin tones, so it's a great place to find foundation. Product to check out? Her Mineral Powder Foundation. I was able to quickly find a colour that looked natural on my skin without too much blending! The foundation looked completely natural, absorbed oil throughout the day, and never caked.

If you'd like to buy products from the Alison Raffaele line, check out Sephora, Pir Cosmetics, and other fine cosmetic retailers throughout Canada.