Blue eyed Bell - Beauty & Cosmetics Message Board

eyeris · 04-11-2004, 11:53 AM

It seems like you're the board expert on Mineral Makeup so this one's for you, but others are more than welcome to respond

I really want to try these products but it's so confusing. Right now, I use a liquid foundation with spf (covergirl) followed by a loose powder than a little blush. I have type I skin with a bit of rosacea on my cheeks and some dark circles under my eyes. I tend to use nuetral colors in sand/beige/tan tones. However, I do use sunless tanners during the summer so my skin color changes to a light bronze. I also really love a very subtle shimmer - or more of glow that's not an obvious "sparkle" but haven't found anything that looks natural. My hair and eyes are brown.

I was wondering if you can suggest some mineral makeup that would be good for me to start out with. I was also curious if there are any department store makeup counters with decent mineral products that i can test at the store. And last but not least, the brushes - how do I know what to use? Do I need more than two? How do I know what's good quality and what's not?

Thanks so much for any recommendations you make!!

PS - I don't have tons of money to spend and since I don't really know if I'll like the products yet, I'd prefer to spend 25 or less on a variety of samples. (geez, I'm picky, aren't I...lol)

Blue-eyedBelle · 04-11-2004, 12:56 PM

Well, thanks for your vote of confidence! LOL! I have tried quite a variety of mineral makeups over the past several years & I have tried a variety of application techniques, so I do have some experience that hopefully will help others.

I know there are a lot of loadies with rosacea that use Aromaleigh & they are very happy with it. They do have a place where you can ask questions and the ladies there are very helpful.

Aromaleigh has several products that can add a shimmer. They have Pure Bronze in 3 shades, but to me, that is more of a sparkle than a shimmer. They also have illuminating powders - but those don't really add any color. They have a new product called Perles - these have the sheen of a pearl. They are quite lovely & can be used on cheeks, eyes, lips - and all over the face. There isn't one that's *brown*, but they could definitely be added to foundation to get a nice sheen. I love them & use them frequently.

Since you have rosacea, I would avoid any mineral makeups containing bismuth oxychloride - it can be irritating to some & also cause itching. Since your skin is already ultra sensitive, you don't need any extra irritants.

I have to leave now - but when I get back I'll answer your other questions & give you more info.

Blue-eyedBelle · 04-11-2004, 02:47 PM

OKay, I'm back! LOL!

Anyway, some mineral makeups that DON'T contain bismuth are Aromaleigh, GeoGrafx, Botany 101, & Monave. There may be more. But you'll want to avoid Bare Minerals/Escentuals, Youngblood, Sheer Cover, & Jane Iredale. You can get samples of AL, GG, & Monave for reasonable prices. The samples from Botany are reasonable but it can take up to 6-8 weeks to receive them - to me, it's not worth the wait - but they are available.

Also - I use sunless tanners, too, & don't have any problem matching my skintone! :-)

I know BE has their own stores in some cities, but again, I wouldn't recommend it because of your rosacea. You're probably going to have to order samples online.

Brushes - the type of brush you use depends on the type of coverage you want. With rosacea, you're going to want something super soft. I have a baby kabuki that I got from Aromaleigh - it is SO soft & is awesome for a flawless application. You can also use a flocked sponge - this will give you heavier coverage. You can get these at Sally's for a few dollars. A good foundation brush is going to be dense, but soft to the touch. The *hairs* should be silky & pliable, natural - not stiff & plastic, or spread far apart. A good foundation brush is not cheap - but it will last for years & years.

I'm happy to answer any questions you have!!

eyeris · 04-11-2004, 06:59 PM

Thanks for all the info!! I'll do a search on the products you recommended.

However. I'm afraid of chosing colors. I don't know what to chose. There are some sample sets that look interesting but I don't know what's best. I think I'll do a search first and then post them to see what you think would be a best buy for me.

I'm a bit skiddish about buying makeup online and could use all the help I can get. Also, My rosacea is very mild. Just a couple patches and mostly on my left cheek and none on my right cheek. So far, nothing has irritated it or made it worse. I would just like to cover it and/or make it go away.

Thanks again for your input. I'll be back with some samples and prices to get your opinion. I really want this to work for me!!!

eyeris · 04-14-2004, 10:40 PM

hi belle,

i spent a couple days researching this whole mineral makeup thing and asked a bunch of questions on aromaleigh and other sites. i decided to try samples from cory cosmetics which got huge raves from gals on another beauty site. i ordered a bunch of samples which are dirt cheap, but take awhile to deliver.

have you ever tried cory cosmetics?