Mineral Makeup - The Natural Choice

You’ve heard about it, maybe you’ve tried it, but what is it?

 

Mineral Makeup is not new. People have been using it for ages. Men and women alike have been painting their bodies with "earth colors" since ancient times. In more recent years, conventional methods have led to the development of not-so-natural cosmetics full of chemicals and unhealthy, often carcinogenic, ingredients. Mineral makeup gets back to basics, using naturally occurring, safe minerals, ground to a fine powder, as the makeup base.

 A plethora of different companies have come out with their own line, namely Sephora, Jane Iredale, BareMinerals, SheerCover, PurMinerals, and many more. Each company has formulated its own bases, though all are very similar in basic composition. Prices, however, vary widely, and in many instances, price goes up with the name on the label.

Though many big name makeups have flooded the market, we have come up with our own formulations.  Why would we want to reinvent the wheel?  We don't.  We want to improve it.  Our formulas contain up to 20 times the amount of color in each product.  That is a huge difference.  What does that mean to you?  It means you pay less for our product, and our product will last you twenty times as long.

Serecite, Titanium Dioxide, Kaolin Clay, Zinc Oxide, and Serecite, along with a few others, make up the majority of the base ingredients. Ok, now you ask, "What do they do?" Titanium dioxide and Zinc Oxide provide sunscreen properties to protect delicate facial skin from the sun’s damaging rays, while Zinc Oxide also acts as an anti-inflammatory. Drawing impurities from the skin without removing natural oils, Kaolin Clay also absorbs fats from the skin, refines pores & helps clear up breakouts. Serecite feels silky to the touch and reflects light, reducing the appearance of pores and wrinkles. You gotta love that!

While these base minerals make up the bulk of the product, other minerals, pigments, and dyes are added to differentiate the products. Silk powders or mica spheres impart a silky, velvety feel when present in the makeup. Various colorants, in the form of dyes and pigments, provide you with a magnificent line of colors that rival any designer cosmetic palette.

Now, here is where you need to take note. Colors can be manufactured, or natural, depending on the source. Natural substances are more likely to produce subtle colorings, greens, browns, greys and the like, mostly taking the form of OXIDES and MICAS. Synthetic dyes and pigments must be used to produce bright reds, blue, and purples to accent any look. There are way too may possibilities to list here, so do your research and know what you are buying. Not all colorants are good for you. Reds almost always have some type of Lake dye in them, if they carry any vibrancy. These things should all be specified on the label.

While quite different from traditional makeup, mineral makeup is very versatile and easy to use. The products, in their purest form, arrive at your makeup table as a loose powder. Apply it according to your preference, using a brush, sponge, or puff. Wet the eye shadow in a separate container, to create a matching eye liner. Amazingly, when kept dry, the minerals will not spoil since they are basically a bunch of rocks!! Layer or mix your colors to suit your mood. If the product is not a loose powder, manufacturers will have to sneak a preservative in, or there would be no shelf life of that product. Scrutinize labels to know what you are putting on your face.

As was touched on earlier, mineral makeup contains natural sun screens. But, it gets better! Mineral makeup is actually water and sweat resistant, ideal for all skin types and skin tones, covering rosacea and blemishes. It’s hard to believe it is lightweight while providing full coverage. Most mineral makeup products are free of preservatives, oil, fragrance and other chemicals. Of course, being non-comedogenic (translate: will not clog pores) you can even sleep in it without worrying about damaging your complexion. Here again, scan the labels for anything you don’t recognize, and get explanations to be sure you are getting what you want, and nothing that you don’t!

Mineral makeup comes in an impressive matrix of products, so your makeup bag won’t be on a diet. Mineral cosmetics include lip gloss, lipstick, blush, eye liner, bronzer, foundation, concealer, setting powder/veil as well as naturally formulated facial skin care and natural hair care products. Your head will spin with the dizzying array of choices!

It is said that a leading cause of wrinkled skin is the heavy and constant application of makeup. Many years of makeup use turns your lovely face into - well, let’s just say your skin ain’t what it used to be. Wrinkles are a product of heavy abuse due to harsh makeup products, laden with chemicals and preservatives that damage the largest organ of your body - your skin.

The only drawback to the makeup is that it takes a bit getting used to.  You do need to be careful not to inhale the powder.  Once you spend some time getting the technique down, it becomes second nature.  Even ladies with the most sensitive eyes have used our makeup with no irritation whatsoever.  Ladies with rosacea have come back after a few weeks to show us how their redness is clearing up.

So, is it really the miracle that it is cracked up to be? Try it and decide for yourself. It is not your grandma’s makeup, so just give it a whirl, and you will feel beautiful, naturally.

 

Pam Keller, owner of THE GOLDEN GOAT, LLC, Oshkosh, WI, has a B.S. in Microbiology and Chemistry. Her FEEL BEAUTIFUL line of mineral makeup is just one of the exciting products she has in her product line. She hand formulates and produces goat milk soap, lotion, bath salts, scrubs, and much more, focusing on natural products. Visit her store to test colors and find ones that suit you.

 

 HOW TO APPLY MINERAL MAKEUP

don't get frustrated

learning to apply makeup is a learning process,

and it will come with practice

Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize

Skin that is gently cleansed, and moisturizes helps makeup blend easier.  Use a toner to close pores and create a firm palette.  Moisturize only if necessary.  Combination or oily skin don't always need a moisturizer - only apply if your skin is dry.  Wait until skin is dry to continue.

Mineral Foundation Shade

Most women don't realize that a foundation should match the skin PERFECTLY.  If you can see the color, it is not the right one for you.  Foundation should cover blemishes, not change the skin color.  It is important to match your skin tone exactly.  Don't use your wrist, use your face.  If you must use your wrist, use the inside as a test spot.

Cover flaws

Your best flaw coverage comes from wetting your foundation in a separate container, or the lid of your foundation.  Lightly dab the wet foundation onto problem areas.  Don't apply too much coverage, you will be adding dry powder on top of the concealer.  Try green mineral makeup for red spots and yellow for blue under eye circles.

Partial coverage

You don't necessarily need to cover your whole face with foundation.  You can just apply the foundation to areas needing coverage with a small brush or sponge.  Tap it on gently, then blend into surrounding area.

Full Coverage

After dabbing the foundation in areas around your face, gently blend with a brush or sponge in downward and outward motions.  Be gentle to your skin, don't scrub or irritate.
A little goes a long way as mineral powders are highly concentrated and contain no fillers. Do not "over work" the minerals. They can become uneven looking or even shiny from too much manipulation.  Apply foundation in thin layers. Continue adding layers until the desired coverage has been reached.

Setting Powder

Setting powder is optional.  It helps to blend your overall look and reduce shininess in oily areas.  Apply mineral face setting powder with a big puff, just like you would any loose face powder, and press lightly into skin. 

Flawless Complexion

Blend, blend, blend, blend.  I really want everyone to understand the importance of blending with a large fluffy powder brush.  A kabuki is good, I really prefer a long handled, long bristle, natural hair powder brush for this.  Just blend in a down and out motion.  Your skin should look completely natural and if it doesn't, then you have too much product on and will need to take a clean unused powder puff or tissue and tap areas to remove excess.
Blending is the key - blend your foundation under the jawline, into the hairline, on the ear lobes. Look closely at the corners of the nose, corners of the mouth, over and under the eyes. If you need to retouch a spot, re-apply lightly and blend.

Add Color

Now it is time to apply eye shadows and blush as you wish.  Apply colors lightly, and add more as necessary to get the color you desire.  To use the minerals wet, place a small amount of powder into a separate container and add a drop of water.  Never introduce water directly into your powder container, this can cause spoilage.

Eye Shadow

Sweep the lightest shade over the entire area from lash line to brow. This shade will be your base color, acting as a foundation for your eye color. It will hold your color and prevent creasing.
Next, apply a medium shade on the lower lid. Blend into your base shade.
To create depth, add a darker shade along the lash line, and at the outer corner of the eye, emphasizing the crease of the eye and brow bone. Blend well. This is your accent shade and when used can create a more defined eye.
How you apply this contour shade can help eyes look bigger, smaller, wider set or closer together. The key is to blend so well that attention is still drawn to your eye, not your eye makeup.

Blush

Start applying your blush from the highest point of your cheekbone.  Lightly fade the color in toward your nose, but stay along the cheekbone.  The color should be darkest near your eye, and barely visible near your nose. 
To minimize a double chin, brush some blush along your jawline.  This creates a shadow to enhance the shape of your face, but keep it light.