PRESCRIPTIVES: All Skins Mineral Makeup
Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Foundation
Prescriptives has jumped on the bandwagon and introduced a mineral makeup line. It goes one step further than the others out there by adding semi precious gems such as rose quartz and amethyst to its formulation. According to Prescriptives, the latter two ingredients, plus the mineral calcite, give the skin more radiance. But all mineral makeups claim to make you “glow from within.” I’m not sure if additional minerals and gems enhances that ability or not.
Prescriptives offers warm and cool options for this foundation. Women with yellow or peach undertones should try the warm shades while those with pink, bluish undertones should look to the cool shades. There are six levels of shades in each section and, as usual for Prescriptives, they will work for a wide range of women of color. The ingredients content is another matter. Personally, I would try this product on my hand, but I could never put it on my face since it not only contains Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide but Squalane as well. I’d be a pimply mess within the week if I used this.
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 12.00%, Zinc Oxide 4.90%
Other Ingredients: Squalane, Lecithin, Quartz , Amethyst, Calcite, Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate, Silica, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol. [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (ci 77891), Iron Oxides (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (ci 77163)]
Cost: $32.50
PRESCRIPTIVES: All Skins Loose Powder
Prescriptives All Skins Loose Powder
Unfortunately, there seemed to be some mysterious ingredient(s) in this that broke me out. Now it’s perfectly possible that the problem was caused by a previously used product. But my experience with this powder and the Virtual Matte foundation has made me a bit leery of the Prescriptives line.
Ingredients: Silica, Polyethylene, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Nylon-12, Benzophenone-3, Urea, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Allantoin, Water Purified, Bisabolol,, Lauroyl Lysine, Acylates Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sorbic Acid, BHT, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Methylparaben, Proplyparaben, Butylparaben. May contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $26
BARE ESCENTUALS: Tinted Mineral Veil
Bare Escentuals Tinted Mineral Veil
A few years ago I discovered mineral makeup and became very excited about their unique combination of natural ingredients and sun protection. One product I wanted to try was Bare Escentuals’s Mineral Veil because I tend to get oily in the T-zone, particularly around the nose area. Mineral Veil is a finishing powder that prevents the oilies from breaking through, keeping the skin relatively matte for the day.
Initially, Mineral Veil only came in a cream colored powder that would look ashy on anyone who doesn’t have pale skin. The company later released Tinted Mineral Veil, a warm color that looks a bit better on women of color. The product worked fine in terms of oil control, although I found Jurlique’s now discontinued Silk Dust worked best for me, especially during the hot and humid summers. Also Tinted Mineral Veil contains Zinc Stearate and corn starch, which can irritate or clog the pores of some people.
Ingredients: Corn Starch, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Stearate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Mica
May Also Contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $19
VALANA MINERALS: Stardust Luxury Foundation
I’ve mentioned Aromaleigh and Bare Escentuals as two popular lines for women interested in mineral makeup. There are also mineral makeup lines formulated specifically for women of color. One, Valana Minerals, received a mention in Women’s Wear Daily’s Beauty Biz magazine in August.
The line was created in 2007 by Valerie Reed, who was frustrated by the limited range of choices for women of color, the product ingredients that made her face break out and the disrespectful treatment she received when she went into high end stores to purchase makeup. She also had family and friends who were vegan, and she wanted to make products that they could use. Apparently there’s high demand for the natural and vegan products she’s producing. According to WWD’s Beauty Biz, the company’s sales last year totaled an estimated $1.4 million.
The line looks spot on with the color selection. Shades run from yellow to dark brown and cater to women with yellow, olive, red and neutral undertones. Like most mineral makeups, the ingredients are fairly simple. Unfortunately, I can’t use it because of my personal sensitivities, but I’d love to hear other people’s experiences with the line.
Ingredients:
Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, and Iron Oxides.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $28
BECCA: Fine Loose Finishing Powder
Becca Loose Powder
I’ve long been impressed with Becca’s wide range of shades. It overcomes the fact that this Australian based makeup line can be difficult to find (some Sephoras carry it) and high priced. Unfortunately, all of my personal encounters with Becca makeup have ended sadly.
This powder has very few ingredients, but somehow it still ended up breaking out my skin. It also contains fragrance, which can aggravate sensitive skin. Great color selection though.
Ingredients: Talc, Magnesium Myristate, <emParfum [May contain: Iron Oxides, Yellow 5, Ultramarines]
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Price: $25
AROMALEIGH: Voile
Love the idea of a foundation made out of a few simple ingredients that also protects skin from the sun. In fact, that idea has become so appealing, brand names such as Laura Mercier and Physicians Formula have delved into the mineral makeup game.
Nevertheless it remains difficult to find a mineral foundation line with powders that complement the skin of women of color. If you do find a color match, you may discover that the foundation wreaks havoc on your skin because of its zinc oxide (ZO), titanium oxide (TO2), mica and/or silica components.
Aromaleigh offers a wide range of foundation colors, but trying the powder is the only way to find out what kind of effect it will have on your skin. I used Voile during a trip to Australia. The added sun protection provided by the TO2 and ZO combined with my regular sunscreen made me confident as I faced the blazing Australian sun. But I broke out during my trip. At the time I didn’t know whether the zits were caused by the use of an inadequate face wash (mineral makeup can be difficult to wash off) or if the foundation’s ingredients were the culprit. I’m now pretty sure that ZO and TO2 clog my pores.
Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Silica, Iron Oxides.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $15.75
Write your own review of this product in the comments section.
JURLIQUE: Lavender Silk Dust
Jurlique Lavender Silk Dust
The oil controlling face powder in this Australian beauty line is pale and white enough to scare off any person with tanned to brown skin. But – surprise! – the powder is translucent if used with a light hand. It keeps the face shine free amazingly well.
According to cosmetic lore, the rose version is best for dry skins and the lavender one works best on combo to oily skins. Be careful, though, corn starch and silica can clog pores on some skins. This caused blackheads to develop on my face when I used it. Try before you buy.
Ingredients: Corn Starch, Rice Starch, Silica, Lavender Oil; Herbal Extract Mixture from Calendula, Arnica, Witch Hazel, Daisy, Sage, Rosemary; Orris; Lauroyl Lysine, Rose oil.
Price: $28
BARE ESCENTUALS: bareMinerals Foundation SPF 15
Bare Minerals
This is one of the best known mineral foundations on the market. You can even buy it at Sephora.
Bare Escentuals offers a wide range of colors that should suit most skin colors. In the past few years the company also significantly expanded the shades on the darker end of the spectrum. The staying power is fantastic and it looks quite natural on.
Just a few warnings: If you’re not used to powders, like me, application can get a bit messy. And watch out for the potentially pore clogging ingredients. Also some people can’t tolerate the bismuth oxychloride in this foundation. There are other mineral foundations that don’t contain the ingredient.
Ingredients: Bismuth Oxychloride, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Zinc Oxide and Iron Oxide.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $25
Write your own review of this product in the comments section.
LA BELLA DONNA: Loose Mineral Foundation
La Bella Donna Mineral Foundation
This high-priced loose powder foundation fails to justify its cost. Yes, the company does have shades for women of color: Honey, Sophia, Umbria, Caffe and Whitney (supposedly created for the singer Whitney Houston). But some of the shades look orangey and/or ashy on real skin. Whitney would not have been pleased!
Also just because the product is natural doesn’t mean it’s better for your skin. Titanium Dixoide, Zinc Oxide and Bismuth Oxychloride break some people out. But again, this is one of those foundations with a very simple ingredients list, so it’s worth a try if you’re not breakout prone.
Ingredients: Micronized Titanium Dioxide, Bismuth Oxychloride, Zinc Oxide, Iron Oxides
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $50
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T. LECLERC: Loose Powder
T. LeClerc Loose Powder
This pricey loose powder from France is loved by many, but it contains talc and zinc oxide, ingredients that don’t agree with some skins. It broke me out, as most products with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide do.
But if you’re looking for a loose powder with a short and simple ingredients list, this is definitely one to try. Women of color should find complimentary colors in Banane, Abricot and Cuivre.
Ingredients: Talc, Rice Starch, Zinc Oxide, [MAY CONTAIN: D&C Red 6, D&C Blue 1 Aluminium Lake, D&C Yellow 10 Aluminium Lake, FD&C Yellow 5 Aluminium Lake, FD&C Yellow 6 Aluminium Lake, Manganese Violet, Chromium Oxide Green, Yellow iron Oxide, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Mica (CI 77019)] Iron Oxide Yellow W1802, Iron Oxide Red W3801, Iron Oxide Black W9829.
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $50
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MultiFACEted Cosmetics 