More amazing stuff from Susan Posnick.
Showing posts with label mineral makeup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mineral makeup. Show all posts
A Video Tour of Susan Posnick Cosmetics: Part One
While in Dallas last month, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Susan Posnick's office and studio. You may best know her as the amazing mineral cosmetic line, and I had the chance to get the insider's view, along with a fabulous makeover. There are several videos in this series, and this one begins, well, at the beginning. Enjoy!
Product Review: Fresh Minerals
Last year for the holidays I got my mom a starter kit from Bare Essentials. Everyone was talking about mineral makeup, and I knew she'd love it, and I was right. She loved it, and wanted to share her newfound love for all mineral makeup with me by getting me this Venus Kit from Fresh Minerals.
I've been working with it for about a week now, and I just have to say that there isn't a single thing wrong with this product. The kit includes a regular foundation, a radiant foundation that has a bit of shimmer, a bronzer, and a finishing powder. The three included brushes are of very good quality, although I can't help but wonder why they didn't include a kabuki brush, which seems to apply mineral foundation so much better. But the three brushes they do have are nice.
So what's my beef? Well, it's not with this line specifically, it's more with the whole powdered mineral foundation trend as a whole. I think I just prefer a bit more coverage than a powder can give me. I know that these powder foundations are supposed to be "buildable," but the amount of time it would take me to buff a good coverage would be excessive, when I can just reach for my liquid foundations in about a quarter of the time.
While I'm sure mineral makeups are great for skin, and gives a nice, natural coverage, I just require more out of my makeup. I'll be keeping this and using it for my no-makeup days, though. It just won't be an everyday player in my stash.
Ask Me Mondays: Mineral Makeup and Breakouts
Q: I want to try mineral makeup, but I have sensitive acne-prone skin. I've been told that some kinds of mineral makeup can make me break out. What is the deal with that? Is it true?
A: The double whammy of sensitive AND acne-prone skin. It's a difficult combo, and I imagine you have a hard time with a lot of makeup. Mineral makeup has been marketed as a way to reduce breakouts due to it's more "natural" formulation, but that's not always the case.
I went searching around to find out specifically what was causing problems for some people, and I came up with a few answers that might be helpful. It appears that a couple of common ingredients in mineral makeup could be problematic for people with sensitive skin and/or acne-prone skin. The most problematic ingredient for many people is probably bismuth oxychloride, which is a problem since it shows up as the main ingredient in most mineral makeup formulations. It can be an irritant for many people, causing contact dermatitis. It is more likely to cause problems than talc is, due to it's pearlescent qualities, according to Paula Begoun, author of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me
Another ingredient that can cause problems is zinc oxide (or titanium dioxide). What is problematic about this ingredient is that it is necessary for sunscreen protection. It actually physically forms a shield on your skin providing SPF protection from the sun. It is the same ingredient used in diaper rash formulas. It needs to be listed as an Active Ingredient on your cosmetic for it to be useful as a sunscreen, so make sure to look for that. However, if you are prone to acne or breakouts, zinc oxide could be a problem as it's known to be comedogenic (cause clogged pores).
Bottom line? Hard to say that it will definitively break you out or not. Your best bet is to obtain samples and try it consistently and see which brand/formulation will work for you. I wish I could give you a recommendation, but I haven't had good luck with any of the mineral formulations that I have tried, for various different reasons.
e.l.f. now has mineral line
I know there are a lot of mineral converts out there, and e.l.f. has thrown it's hat into the ring when it comes to mineral makeup, plus, the price is certainly right.
For only $30, you can get a complete starter kit, including a Mineral Starter Kit that includes everything you need to get up and running with the mineral craze. In a nice little canvas case, you get foundation (SPF 15), concealer (SPF 15), mineral blush, total face brush, and a blush brush. Not bad! Not into a full collection? No problem. There is a nice selection of individual products too, including mineral blush, foundation, eye shadows, and brushes. A nice way to ease yourself into the mineral makeup craze and decide if it's for you or not, without investing tons of cash.
Bare Escentuals Get Started Kit
When I was at Sephora in DC with my girlfriends, both of them ended up buying this Get Started Kit from Bare Escentuals. The SA that worked on both of them did an amazing job of showing off how great the mineral foundation can be, and I am still amazed when I see them use it on a daily basis. One of my friends with a few skin issues even noticed a general clearing up. I have not used it myself, although I have tried one or two drugstore mineral makeup brands. I do want to give it a try, though. And it came to my attention that Sephora was doing a free shipping with the purchase of one of the kits. It's a great time to give it a try and see if the fuss is something that is worth it or not. I like the fact that there is an instructional DVD - in fact, I made my friends promise to let me borrow it, just in the name of research! Anyway, pop over to Sephora and see what all the hype is about.
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