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Mineral Make-up for the Uninitiated

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Dec 17, 2009 in Hair & Beauty

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So, I'm probably one of the last to hop on the bus here but I decided I would try mineral make-up instead on my normal MAC foundation. I'm very pale so the first thing I tried was Eyes Lips Face's kit for mineral make-up. Even their palest shade made me look like I had a tan, and the brushes the kit came with were scratchy and uncomfortable to use, it did however come with a pretty blush color. The second thing I tried was the Bare Escentuals bareMinerals starter kit which was on sale from $60 for $45, I bought the fair and found it to be a good match for my skin tone. The only issue I had with it was if I apply it to heavily by accident I look like a sparkly vampire from Twilight. Here's what I would say about the kit, I don't think it is worth $60, I'm okay having paid $45 because it came with 3 brushes (a foundation brush, another one for the 'warmth', that I'm using for blush, and a concealer brush) that are okay, not fantastic to apply the color on with but it also came with pots of color I don't use. A concealer called "illuminizer" which just makes me pink and more sparkly and a slightly darker tone, in case I'm not actually fair but another tone they call fairly light (both are trial sizes) and a really dark pot of what they call warmth which I think you are supposed to use for shading-- but it's way to dark. It also comes with a primer which doesn't seem to do anything. If I were going to do this again just try to figure out my shade and buy the full size pot of foundation at $25 and buy either their application brush for $22 or maybe Sephora's own kabuki brush for $24. I wouldn't pay $60 and if you aren't sure of your shade, since Sephora accepts used product returns for store credit I would buy the two closest and return the one I didn't like. I also went to Sephora and bought their actual concealer in a shade called Bisque which made me really pink, and ended up returning it, and tried as well their matte foundation which is $28. The matte foundation is super matte and makes me look like I'm wearing a lot of powder, not no makeup, it also goes on a little darker than the regular foundation. I'm thinking of mixing the two to see what results I get. If anyone hasn't tried this product yet and is thinking about it I hope I helped.

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Comments (23)

This really helps. I wanted to try this and I haven't because I usually don't throw down (60 is def too much for me). I've actually heard really good things about pur minerals, but there are def way too many options out there. It seems like things look pink on me too because pale shades are always made for people with cool undertones. Really great review Report Spam Posted by naominh at 10:01 AM on 12/17/09
I used mineral makeups for awhile but they didn't react well with my skin. It would kind of coagulate on the surface after a couple hours. I tried several brands, but never Bare Escentuals because I have such a hard time matching my skin tone. Good review. =) Report Spam Posted by lynnie482 at 10:12 AM on 12/17/09
Very interesting product review. Thanks for sharing! :) Report Spam Posted by jolieznor at 10:23 AM on 12/17/09
I used the ELF and had a decent result with it. I am pale as they come, I honestly could be a twilight vampire in the movies without any makeup, I swear, but didn't notice that it made me any more pale. I did kind of feel it on my face though, and the brushes are indeed scratchy. I am using TRUblend by covergirl, and I'm really liking their foundation and blush. Soft brushes, very light feeling coverage. They container design isn't the best, hard to put the brush back in the cap with pinching all the ends. Haven't noticed any over sparkly issues with either. Though some people don't like the TRUblend based on online reviews I've seen- some feel it doesn't cover enough. But my skin tone is fairly even, so I don't need foundation much for that purpose, so I like it. Maybe I'm just too easy to please :) Report Spam Posted by agauthier79 at 10:30 AM on 12/17/09
thanks for the honest eval! i was thinking of jumping on this bandwagon, too, but i think i'll stick with my physician's formula..... Report Spam Posted by nurselynds at 11:33 AM on 12/17/09
Helpful review. Thanks for sharing :] Report Spam Posted by hirschfelder at 4:25 PM on 12/17/09
This was very helpful, There is a BE store near me (actually right across the street from a Sephora) and I've thought about going in - but I doubt I will now. I tried L'Oreal's mineral makeup but it just looked cakey. I'll stick with tinted moisturizer and concealer as needed. Report Spam Posted by luluknows at 4:54 PM on 12/17/09
Great post - I always wondered about these. Thanks! Report Spam Posted by berbur at 8:03 PM on 12/17/09
The Bare Minerals foundations are harder for me. I'm between Light and Fairly Light. They definitely take some practice in getting them on right. I personally really like the Bare Minerals. it's the only foundation I've tried that doesn't look cakey of show dry skin and other skin issues I have. Thanks for your input on the Matte. I wanted to try it but was scared to! : ) Report Spam Posted by adri_ba_dadri at 10:44 PM on 12/17/09
I ♥ Bare Minerals. It definitely took me a while to learn how to apply it, how much to use, and even to find the right color, but now I would not go back to anything else (it's been about 5 years since I started using this). I have super sensitive skin with large pores that break out with anything remotely heavy. Bare Minerals feels so light and gives me just enough coverage without irritating my skin. I don't like the brushes they come with, but I fell in love with MAC's kabuki brush (it's SO soft). I use an angled fluffy Sephora brush when I apply warmth and then use a regular fluffy powder Sephora brush when I apply Mineral Veil (very lightly). Report Spam Posted by mamor at 10:51 PM on 12/17/09
i think i'm going to have to give this stuff a try. i'm the same as @mamor, my skin is really sensitive and i'm always afraid to try most makeup in fear of breaking out like in the past. thank you for this lovely post! <3 Report Spam Posted by t33n0rz at 10:55 PM on 12/17/09
It's not like I wear makeup often, usually just as a cover-up, like for pictures (like my profile pic), or when I need to cover up my stubble -- something I hope you ladies know nothing about, and if you do, I don't want to know about it. :-) So I always used to wear Clinque, since like @mamor and @t1n0r, I have really sensitive skin. A couple years ago though, Clinque changed their formulations, and now it's really no better than most main stream cosmetics. This left me with a problem when I couldn't find my foundation (like I say, I don't wear it often). A friend recommended the mineral makeup, based on what she had heard rather than personal experience, so I picked up the Physicians Formula set at Target. It was really odd at first since it felt so oily, I thought, "Great, I'm going to break right out." But I didn't. So I'm really quite happy with it. Report Spam Posted by zow at 7:20 AM on 12/18/09
I tryed it I didn't like it at all!!! : } Report Spam Posted by kelsjax at 11:06 PM on 12/18/09
hmm.. what about Sheercover, i was thinking about tryin that one Report Spam Posted by atalina_08 at 11:04 AM on 12/19/09
Great review. I can't wear mineral foundation because it makes my skin look flakey no matter how much I prep my face but I was still curious about the quality of the ELF mineral stuff in general. I sometimes use the BE mineral veil and like it pretty well. I know what a pain it is to get a good match on pale skin, so I hope you find your sweet combination! Report Spam Posted by alicatstrut at 11:13 AM on 12/19/09
I liked Bare Minerals a lot when I used it last winter. The price tag kept me from buying it again although I feel like I should because I think it actually made my skin look better. I too got the Get Started kit which was just so so. I agree that the warmth powder is incredibly dark if you have fair skin -- I wish that Bare Escentuals would have included a different color bronzer for the moon tan peeps!One mineral makeup brand that I use religiously is Physician's Formula. I've tried a bunch of other drugstore brands and it's the best. Report Spam Posted by raebot at 1:33 PM on 12/19/09
Thanks for this review, which indeed is very helpful. I'd been thinking about trying the ELF fair starter kit, but wasn't sure if it was too pink, and the light looked too dark for me. It sounds as though getting the right color is generally very difficult with mineral makeup. Report Spam Posted by lauriera at 1:56 AM on 12/20/09
Great post, I usually just get the indiviual pots and mix to my skin tone. I've tried Sheercover and returned it, it seemed like it made me break out but I liked the bronzer. My favorite mineral product of all is Bare Escentuals Essential Brow Kit. Report Spam Posted by soofaye at 6:42 AM on 12/28/09
I have worked for bareMinerals...you need to know how to use it...once you start buying the foundation seprate you will be MUCH happier! It lasts FOREVER!!! SOOOO worth it! Report Spam Posted by ksmithmh at 5:14 PM on 12/28/09
I've heard bad things about the E.L.F brushes. and my thoughts on primer, I honestly don't really know it's use. I don't feel like it doesn't anything, maybe I'm using it wrong? Bare Minerals is supposed to be a great brand. But you're right I don't think I'd pay that much for that set. Then again, I'm a newbie at face makeup. So I'm not even all that sure on what's a great price. Thank you for the info ! :] Report Spam Posted by xominou at 10:26 AM on 03/16/10
I've tried the Bare Minerals before and I hated it. It just didn't work with my combo skin, and like you said, I found it a bit too sparkly. I found out about Everyday Minerals via makeupalley.com and fell in love with their matte formula. The semi-matte is really nice too if you want glowy (but not vampire sparkle) skin. I also love that they offer so many colors because I have really pale skin too. The sandy fair matches my skin perfect. OH, and it's freaking CHEAP ($12). I use this brush: http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P188220&categoryId=S4600&shouldPaginate=true for applying the powder. It's a nice size, soft and well made. Report Spam Posted by hophead at 2:32 PM on 02/08/11
I used bare minerals for awhile and got it 'everywhere' hahaha but I did like it on occasion - my only issue was that I found it to look a little cakey sometimes especially on or around my nose - I've heard of a few other brands I want to try- keep reporting on your experimentation results - I love to hear all of them! Report Spam Posted by sweetshorty at 4:20 PM on 04/01/11
Um, I'm like the only person who hasn't tried this stuff. Let me know how it goes. Oh, I'm obsessed w/ butter nail polish too. lol Report Spam Posted by ice_skater at 3:58 PM on 04/26/11