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Mineral makeup from the big brands

July 23rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

No longer do women have to shop at special boutiques or resort to mail order to get their mineral cosmetics; recognizable names in the cosmetic industry such as Loreal, Nutrogena, Physician’s Formula, and Avon have joined the mineral makeup revolution. Lines of these mineral infused cosmetics can now be purchased at retailers such as Wal Mart and Walgreens, at the corner drug store, or from the makeup representative who comes knocking at the door.

Long time cosmetics mail order company Avon now offers a line of mineral makeup that includes foundation, eye shadow, and blush. Women who have tried some of the pioneer mineral cosmetics report that Avon’s offerings are ‘just as good or better’. The minerals in Avon’s Mineral line put the legendary porcelain finish on the wearer’s skin because it, like some of its predecessors, contains the smoothing Bismuth Oxychloride. Women who suffer the red rash of rosacea report that Avon’s minerals completely cover the redness without creating oiliness in the skin. Opinions range from “I’d buy this product again” to “I can’t live without it”.

One woman described it as a little powdered miracle in a jar. One of the most attractive things about Avon’s line of mineral cosmetics is the price. At roughly a third the cost of exclusive brand mineral cosmetics, this makeup is much more affordable than other mineral makeup and wearers report that the four gram size lasts roughly two months.

Cosmetic giant L’Oreal offers mineral makeup in a foundation called Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation. L’Oreal markets the product as a a natural makeup that competes with widely used mineral makeup brands like Bare Escentuals.

Although it includes some of the same ingredients as some of the more well known mineral cosmetics, it is said not to be a truly pure mineral makeup like the competition. Women who find many mineral brands cost prohibitive are able to buy L’Oreal’s mineral makeup right off the shelf at retailers such as Wal Mart. These women report that the makeup is applied in the exact same manner as directed on television infomercials for other mineral cosmetic products; the wearer applies the foundation to the face in a circular motion with a small brush after swirling it into the minerals on the top of the sifter jar they come in. Wearers say that they’d never go back to regular makeup, because the product feels so light on their skin, it feels like they aren’t even wearing makeup.

Neutrogena, the cosmetic branch of the Johnson & Johnson conglomerate, sells mineral makeup called sheers. Like many of the others, this mineral makeup line includes Bismuth Oxychloride, a biproduct of lead production that gives a flawless finish to the skin. Users report that the eyeshadows can be worn for 12 or more hours without creasing and that, like most other mineral makeup products, a little goes a long way. Some women who say they normally hate foundation report that this foundation is one they can wear every day. Other women, however, weren’t so pleased.

One reviewer had this to say: ‘I purchased this product because I ran out of my “EL” compact powder. I decided to try it because it had no fragrance and was a natural look. I had never looked so unnatural. It was shiny, dark like muddy finish. I would rate this as one of the worst foundations I have tried. Not to mention how hard it is to take the powder out.’ Like most other cosmetic products, Neutrogena’s line has its fans and those who find they like other brands better. The ones who like it talk about the ’sheer’ coverage. Those who don’t often say the brand doesn’t give enough coverage. The average ‘rating’ for these products on Drugstore.com is three out of five stars.

Drugstore cosmetic brand Physician’s Formula now carries a mineral makeup line that some women have found to be as good as the more expensive boutique brands. Physician’s Formula mineral line is called Mineral Wear. Physician’s Formula’s website says that the line ‘features the finest selection of minerals’. Among these are: Mineral Extracts, including Malachite, Rhodochrosite and Smithsonite which they say ‘help protect skin from environmental stress and enhance collagen production.’ Mineral Water is used in the brand’s mineral cream and liquid formulations. Boron Nitride is included to give the wearer a ’soft, natural glow’. Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide provide natural mineral sunscreens, which are an important part of all mineral cosmetics. Mica is included to provide a smooth, natural coverage.

Even more longstanding makeup companies such as Maybelline and Almay have hopped on the mineral makeup bandwagon. The formulas they offer give the minerals-only companies a run for their money; they are as smoothing and as long lasting as any higher priced competitor’s makeup. And their price tags won’t break the bank.

Women from all economic backgrounds now have a plethora of affordable, or, if they prefer, more expensive lines of mineral cosmetics which can give them the baby soft glow to their skin they’ve always wanted. The user can choose to buy the minerals in a specialty boutique or at their favorite drugstore or retailer. The mineral makeup craze appears to be here to stay.

Colorescience - mineral makeup

July 21st, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Diane Ranger, who is credited with having invented the mineral makeup concept after years of researching the history of makeup left her first mineral makeup company Bare Minerals in 1990 to pioneer another mineral makeup concept she called Colorescience.

Although Colorescience, like it’s predecessor Bare Minerals, contains Bismuth Oxychloride, a biproduct of lead production that some women associate with itch and rashes, the general word on this makeup line is that it’s lightweight and fresh and can actually improve the condition of the skin.

Craig Kaffert, M.D., a Board Certified Dermatologist, wrote a glowing review on this line of mineral makeup. One of his first points is that it’s important to check the purity of any mineral makeup. In order to do this, Dr. Kaffert recommends placing a small amount of mineral makeup into a beaker or clear glass tumbler. Add water and shake. If the makeup clouds or muddies the water and doesn’t rise to the top the way Colorscience makeup does, it contains impurities. The impurities are what cause the cloudiness. Dr. Kaffert emphasizes that good quality mineral makeup should float on clear water.

Colorescience, under the guidance of Ms. Ranger, has created formulas that set trends in the mineral makeup realm. Colorescience’s Sunforgettable SPF 30 sunscreen was also packaged in a male friendly ìRock and Roller Ballî roll-on bottle, so that men could reap the benefits of the sun protection without feeling that they were using ìmakeupî. As of 2005, Sunforgettable was the only mineral powder suncreen to receive the seal of approval from the Skin Cancer Foundation, an international foundation dedicated to combating the world’s most common form of cancer. Sunforgettable, SPF 30 is listed on the foundation’s ìrecommended productsî for makeup, along with some other brands of mineral makeups with high SPF factors that followed Colorescience’s lead.

Colorescience’s lip products, which are dye and chemical free, contain palmitoyl oligopeptide, which is a patented lip plumper. In 2006, the company created a ìtrial packageî of sorts that they called Pursed Lips. This package contains four lip colors in a little purse. Also for lips, Colorescience offers a three piece lip restoration system that includes a lip exfoliator that, according to Colorescience, ìRemoves all trace of color while soothing and smoothing lips.

For people who are susceptible to rosacea, a skin condition that causes persistent redness in the middle third of the face, as well as those who have sunburn, age spots, uneven pigment, and dark circles, Colorescience has created a line of products called Camo Ammo. These products contain a camouflage kit that has two taklon concealer brushes and five colors, a camouflage brochure that gives step by step instructions on how to use makeup to camouflage skin imperfections, pressed mineral compacts, a line tamer, corrector brushes, and concealers.

All of these products contain the same minerals that have given millions of women the healthy glow they were looking for, as well as light reflectors which act to soften the features.

Dermatologist Craig Kaffert, M.D. Goes on to say this about Colorescience’s product line: “I believe Colorescience is the next rising star in mineral makeup. The products are innovative and high quality. The brand is exclusive and integrity oriented. Diane Ranger has a long and very successful history in the mineral makeup industry and is well known and respected by all the key people in this industry. Thus, it is my prediction that Colorescience will be the next big hit in mineral makeup.”

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