More FAQ on mineral makeup (MMU)
Do you have any recommendations for liquid MMU?
Monave makes many excellent liquid MMU foundations. They are all natural and they offer 3 different formulations. I haven't tried them, but did try their base (which you can use to miy) and several of their creams, which are excellent. Their powder mmu foundation is pretty good too.
Real Purity also makes one. I haven't tried this one either but it's gotten many good reviews. But I've tried some of their other products like their shampoos and conditioners and they are very nice.
Miessence makes an organic, all natural one. Their skin care is excellent.
Burts Bees makes a tinted moisturizer, however, it only comes in four colors. I used to use it and from what I remember of it, it was pretty moisturizing. I really liked it as a daily use cream but the color wasn't a perfect match.
To MIY: add a small amount of your favorite (powder) mineral makeup foundation to either aloe gel or your favorite all natural cream. Note: Be sure to use an all natural aloe vera (versus the synthetic green stuff a lot of companies sell) like from Aubrey Organics, Garden of Wisdom, or Mountain Rose Herbs. Apply with finger tips, a taklon foundation brush, or a flocked sponge.
What can I use as a setting spray for MMU?
It depends on your skin type. You can use hydrosols, toners, or aloe (juice or diluted gel). Hydrosols are very moisturizing and also have herbal properties similar to essential oils (but are gentler). They are all astringent (to various degrees) but are non-drying. Some (but not all) toners may contain alcohol, witch hazel extract (not the hydrosol) or apple cider vinegar, which would be great for oily skin but may be drying for dry skin. Aloe juice is good for all skin types especially with blemishes, but some people find it drying. Plain water is great too! (Make sure it is distilled or spring).
I tried MMU foundation. It made my skin look chalky and dry, and settled into my lines. Is that supposed to happen?
Mineral makeup is not cakey at all! It creates a very smooth finish. I have pretty good skin but it makes it look flawless. I have dehydrated skin and many brands do not dry out my skin (but a couple brands of the heavier brands do). I don't have any lines so can't say if it settles in lines or not, but it shouldn't since mineral makeup is usually very light weight (though some companies provide heavy coverage formulas).
Five reasons why MMU may look cakey:
The main reason MMU looks cakey is that people apply way too much product. You only need to apply a small amount, a lot less than what most people are used to (compared to conventional powders). For example, most companies that provide samples, provide sample baggies or 3 to 5 gram jars containing about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of product. I apply with a very light hand (1 very, very light layer), and samples last me around a month and a half or two. Most people find they like to apply 2 to 3 light to heavy layers, so samples usually only lasts them 2 to 3 weeks. During application, be sure to use only a very small amount of MMU (much less than you think. When I first started using MMU I used what I thought was a small amount (I had always used a small amount to apply conventional loose powder), but it looked very chalky and emphasized my pores (which are small, so I was shocked!)). After experimenting, I reduced what I was using to literally a few grains, and it blended beautifully into my skin.
The second reason is that the color may be wrong. If the color is too light, it may look chalky. And if it's too dark, your skin will look muddy. Also using the wrong color can emphasize pores and fine lines, etc.
The third reason is that some companies provide heavier formulas than other companies, and the formulation may be too heavy for your skin. For example, I have tried about eleven or so different foundation formulas (from five companies). My skin tends to do well with formulas that are light or light-medium coverage, but I can not seem to wear the heavier or concealer foundation formulas. They seem to be way too dense for my skin, and it looks cakey on me (though many other women do not have this problem). My suggestion is to sample like crazy before buying full size. Some people seem to think once you've tried one mineral makeup company, you've tried them all. This is simply not true; though many companies use similar ingredients, formulas from one company vary greatly to the next (it's like making chocolate cookies, or any recipe really. You may start out with the same ingredients, but the end product varies greatly from one recipe to the next).
Another reason is that your skin may be dry or dehydrated. Your skin may be naturally dry or dehydrated, your skin care may be stripping your skin too much of its natural oils, or sometimes using minerals made with certain ingredients can dry out your skin. If the 'canvas' of your skin is no longer as smooth as you think, the minerals will get caught on flakey skin. Be sure to moisturize really well before applying MMU. I personally prefer all natural serums or creams (made with carrier oils) which has really balanced my dry, flaky but oily skin. It may sound ironic but giving your skin some natural oils can actually help balance your skin. After cleansing and before moisturizing spray your skin liberally with a setting spray to help reduce dryness. Also make sure to exfoliate. A gentle and great way to exfoliate is to use a brown sugar scrub, an almond scrub, or an oatmeal scrub. (Just add a carrier oil or aloe vera to either brown sugar, almond, oatmeal or all three, and maybe a few drops of essential oil). Many people also like to use microfiber.
Last but not least, sometimes using a different application tool helps. Most people prefer using a kabuki or a flat top brush, but some people also like using flocked sponges to apply MMU, and others like to use a liquid MMU. I like using a synthetic kabuki brush. Not only are they soft, don't shed, and pick up minerals better, but they are truly cruelty-free!
How do I wear intense, highly pigmented shades? They look too intense.
For intense shades, I like using them on my lids (but then again I like intense shades). If they are too pigmented for you, try applying less to the lid, apply a little over lighter colors to tone them down a little, or apply to just the crease. I also love using them as eyeliners. They make my eyes pop without making me look too made up. Or you could add mix in a little serecite (uncolored mica) to lighten the color a bit.
I am Asian/Asian-American (or African American, Latino/Latino American, etc) but have trouble finding foundation colors that match my skin. Help!
If you are a women of color, MMU is your friend :). While few mainstream/conventional companies have colors for women of color, most MMU companies have yellow and golden toned shades, olive, and dark deep tones (as well as the usual pink and peach, and every shade in between).
I know how hard it can be to find a good match (I'm Chinese American with light-medium skin), so here is a list of what I use :) (yellow/golden based) I have also listed suggestions for other skin colors too.
Everyday Minerals: I currently use 'light winged butter' which is a perfect match. EDM comes in 3 different formulas, and you can get free samples on their site (just pay shipping).
Meow Cosmetics: To my knowledge, their assortment is the largest currently on the market. They have so many different shades, in three different formulas. I wear their abyssinian (yellow beige), angora (golden yellow), and korat (beige yellow) breeds in the light/frisky shade. I like abyssinian the best. Some asian/asian americans also like the breeds manx (yellow peach) or chartreux (peach yellow). (Each 'breed' has many different tones/shades). Note to vegetarians: some of their other products have carmine in them, be sure to read ingredients carefully (Their foundations are carmine free).
Jlynne Cosmetics: I used to wear 1.5 ivory golden. But my skin has become more drier in the last year so it's been drying me out a bit. It used to be my holy grail. I also think it's a tad too golden for my skin now.
Monave: I can wear either the colors caroline or hyeyeon but these are only available in the concealer formula (so is a tad too heavy for my skin).
If you are African American, Monave has many great colors (half their customers are African American). There is also this company called Ada Cosmetics which is a line specifically created for African Americans. Ada Cosmetics is from Botanical Skin Works. Meow also has many colors for deep, dark skin tones.
Latino/Latino Americans probably want to try olive based shades. Meow has an olive/beige breed called Ocicat. Sevi Cosmetics also sells several olive shades, and Monave sells 2 or 3 colors.
Alima Cosmetics also has a wide selection of colors.
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