If putting ground-up rocks on your skin seems a little unappealing, we're right there with you. Switching from your trusted face powder to one made of minerals extracted from the earth sounds like one of those crunchy trends (crystal deodorant, anyone?) that can't possibly work as well as tried-and-true drugstore staples.Except that when we talked to women who have tried the stuff — now being sold by everyone from L'Oréal to Neutrogena — lots of them raved. Fans (some of them so un-hippie they'd never heard of quinoa) repeatedly volunteered praise: It feels incredibly light. It won't melt off your face when you're out for a jog. It contains natural sun protection. Add in cosmetic companies' claims that the products can actually calm irritable skin and it all sounds too good to be true. xxx
A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid. Graphite in pencils is a mineral. So is a diamond. Humans have used minerals to paint their skin for ages: Traces of the pigment red ocher, an iron oxide, have been found in Neanderthal burial sites. Of course, the concept has evolved dramatically since those cave ladies were getting dolled up. Today's products contain a range of minerals, including aluminum, gold, iron oxide, kaolin, magnesium, malachite, mica, silica, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide — all ground up and processed into fine, silky powders. Okay, slapping on makeup that came from the earth may sound like wearing asphalt, but the powders are lightweight, breathable, and often undetectable — much more comfortable on a hot day than any blacktop highway. "Mineral makeup offers more coverage than
alternative commercial options, yet feels light and looks natural," says Ava
Shamban, M.D., a dermatologist in Santa Monica, California."
So there you have it; the benefits of using mineral makeup are infinitely more than using traditional makeup that has chemicals, additives, fillers and preservatives that clog pores and irritate skin. Mineral makeup is slowly but surely making its presence felt and invading cosmetic stores, beauty and fashion magazines and even makeup message boards online. The most popular and the trailblazer in mineral makeup which successfully entered the mainstream beauty industry is Bare Escentuals ("BE"). This brand is most women's first foray into mineral cosmetics, myself included. I really fell in love with BE because of the amazing coverage, the flawless finish, and most of all, it acted as a catalyst in healing my acne-prone skin. I have a very oily t-zone and I used to have a zit farm on my chin. After using BE, the zit farm had miraculously disappeared. I have been hooked on minerals ever since. I had been using BE for a year when I started to experiment with small, women-owned mineral makeup companies that offer the same high quality of minerals as BE but without the bismuth ingredient (a known irritant). These companies are also owned by incredible, gifted women, who have been nothing but angels in my quest for my holy grail mineral products. These women also offer top-notch customer service, women who bend over backwards to please their customers, who answer questions via e-mail in a heartbeat, who are always pleasant, helpful and accommodating. I've found these qualities in the women who own and operate Monave Cosmetics, Valerie Beauty, and Lumiere Cosmetics. These are great mineral makeup companies that have outstanding customer service, with equally outstanding products that I will patronize again and again. I plan to write a review for each one of these, but so far I've only written one for Monave. Here it is:
My love affair with Monave began a little less than a couple of months ago when I excitedly ran over to our mailbox in the hope of receiving a couple of discontinued mineralized skin finishes from a popular makeup brand that I’d ordered online. I was disappointed when what was waiting for me instead was a hefty Priority Mail box that piqued my curiosity. I then remembered that my friend Sophie told me to expect some samples from Monave Cosmetics, and I let out a silent groan. I really didn’t want to test another mineral makeup brand as I was happy with the three brands I’ve been interchangeably using.
I opened the box and out came 6 different foundation shades in two finishes - the Original Formula and the Concealer Formula, 2 kinds of blushes, 2 or 3 kinds of eye shadows and a sheer lip glaze in Honey. Despite the foregoing, I was impressed with the package and the amount and variety of makeup it contained, and it made me determined to try out the products.
Not only did they not disappoint, but I was floored with the results. Their foundation was the creamiest-looking mineral makeup I’ve ever tried and has absolutely the longest staying power ever. I used to spritz my kabuki brush with a moisture spray like MAC’s Fix+ after swirling my brush in the minerals because it makes the makeup last much longer, but I didn’t have the need to do that with Monave. All I do is tap a really small amount of foundation onto the lid, swirl my fluffy powder brush into it, then apply on my face. I then repeat the process if necessary. Voila! Creamy, flawless, beautiful finish that stays put until you wash it off at the end of the day. What also amazes me is the fact that I don’t have to use as much minerals with Monave as I did with other mineral foundations to achieve the coverage and staying power that I want; thus it turns out that Monave is much more economical than the rest of the brands I’ve tried. I also fell in love with Honey lip glaze. This is one of the best lipglosses that I’ve ever tried. Consistency is not super sticky and goopy, but is slick enough to provide a luscious, juicy lip look. I love Honey lip glaze because it is the perfect My Lips But Better (MLBB) shade – berry-ish but ultra-wearable sheer gloss that is perfect for everyday use. It is my staple lipgloss at work and even on weekends. I really do need a backup of this! Their eye shadows and blushes are beautiful, as well. I was pleasantly surprised when the blush they sent me was an almost dupe of the effect of the mineralized skinfinish I was waiting to arrive in the mail
Sampling the products spawned an outrageous buying spree on the Monave website. I was thrilled when the foundations and a few other items were on sale, and I was even more enticed to purchase the products after I exchanged a few friendly e-mails with Monave owner, Deb. She was so nice and helpful with my questions and very appreciative of compliments thrown her way. I’ve never encountered a CEO as laidback and friendly as Deb. In a span of a month I had bought full-size foundations in Hyeyeon, Caroline, Teporah and Paula (just to ensure I got the right shade – and no, I wouldn’t settle for samples in order to take advantage of the on-going sale), mini lipglazes in Pinkberry, Antique Brick, Silver Rose, full-size lipglazes in Mango, Petticoat, Maple, Pinkberry and Butterscotch . I virtually have a mineral makeup mine in my house, and I can’t seem to stop! I was even more thrilled when I read on the Monave makeup board that the lipglazes and foundations do not technically have an expiration date – but with the way I’m hoarding, I am more likely to expire before the products ever will
What made me turn into an absolute Monave fan is the amazing staying power of the foundation. I liked my previous mineral makeup brands but they seem to slide off my face by mid-day unless I use a trick like spritzing moisture spray on my kabuki before buffing. Monave totally lets me skip that tedious process. A little goes a long way, as well, and a full-size pot of the foundation is very economical and will last you ages. Coverage is buildable and can range from sheer to full. It must be noted that a fluffy brush and a really miniscule amount are all you need to have great coverage with Monave. If you have been using mineral makeup, apply only half the amount of minerals you would normally use with other makeup brands when you try Monave; using too much can lead to disastrous results. Once you master it, though, application is a cinch, and finish is creamy, beautiful, flawless. I am so happy to have stumbled across this brand, and I will continue to recommend Monave to women looking for mineral makeup that is truly worth their money.
I am wearing Monave foundation in Teporah and sheer lip glaze in Honey:
This review has also been featured in the Monave website (still there!) and the mineral makeup queen Sophie's blog.
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