With the latest trends for mineral cosmetics hailed as the beauty ‘Holy Grail’, offering good-for-you make up that delivers flawless results, I take a look to see whether they are as good as they sound.
There must be something in the air as a surge of popular US brands such as Afterglow Cosmetics www.afterglowcosmetics.co.uk, Youngblood www.dermapure.eu, bareMinerals www.bareescentualsuk.com and Bare Escentuals www.bareyoursoul.co.uk have all recently launched in the UK. Celebrity fans Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Aniston have been raving about the ‘mineral miracle’ so is it worth a jump on the mineral bandwagon?!
If you are a stranger to mineral make up, try comparing it to a vegan - the simple premise of mineral cosmetics is based on the philosophy of blending 100% pure, high-quality ingredients, combined with cutting edge technology to create hypo-allergenic make-up that is kind to skin but does not compromise on quality and effectiveness. This means that sleeping in your make-up no longer needs to be a beauty sin after all!
Top make up artist Laura Mercier who launched her own mineral-based product line back in 1996 strongly believes in the many benefits of the mineral based cosmetics: “Mineral makeup is more than a trend. It is "make up" product that is actually good for the skin for several reasons. It provides the skin with minerals that promotes a healthy complexion and offers excellent SPF protection. Mineral make up gives the look of radiant and natural skin while not clogging pores and is perhaps the easiest foundation to apply. It is especially nice to wear in the summer because it feels as if you are wearing nothing on the skin but at the same time it remains water-resistant.”
There are many myths surrounding the world of mineral make-up, especially with such a vast surge in launches and general interest. One common misconception is that all mineral make up is pretty much the same – not true! ‘Mineral’ is quite a loose term as any product containing minerals as an ingredient can be labelled ‘mineral make up’. Meredith Osborn, Director Global Brand Awareness for bareMinerals, says the discrepancies between brands occur due to the fact that "mineral makeup formulas generally fall into two large camps - those that take care not to use ingredients such as preservatives, binders and fillers, such as bareMinerals, and those that do add fillers, artificial colours, binders, preservatives, and other chemicals to their formulas”.
The good thing about ‘true’ mineral products is that they are free from pore-clogging, drying fillers such as talc, which often constitute up to 80 per cent of conventional make-up formulations to stretch dyes further. Layers of overlapping mineral crystals prevent excessive moisture loss while still allowing the skin to breathe. The formulation is also free from the top three sensitivities – perfume, chemical dyes and preservatives - and masks any imperfections or redness making it ideal for most allergy prone skins so what more can we ask for?!
As we become increasingly aware of what we put on our skin, more and more people are choosing mineral make-up as an effective, natural alternative so we’ve put a few to the test and picked out some of the top products on the market:
Proto-col
A fantastic range of foundations, concealers, finishing powders, blushers, bronzers and eye shadow kits which are all jam-packed with vitamins A, C and E, for a natural healthy glow.
Becca
Becca has recently added a number of new mineral products to its line such as the Mineral SPF Primer, £33. This ingenious SPF 30+ primer has an oil-free formulation, a silky matte finish and a cocktail of anti-oxidant vitamins to prime and protect the skin pre-makeup.
Jane Iredale
Amazing Base, £35 (€55) is a loose powder of micronized minerals in a jar, with an SPF 20, for a dewy look. It is long-lasting, requiring just the slightest touch-up, making it especially popular with brides. These minerals are available in thirteen colours within three tones - warm, cool and neutral.
020 8450 7111 www.janeiredaleuk.com
Youngblood
The range includes the popular Natural Mineral Foundation, £35, which acts as a foundation, powder and concealer all in one. In sixteen shades from light and medium to dark there is a shade to suit all.
The Body Shop
The Body Shop is also paying homage to nature, with an exciting new mineral make-up range - Nature’s MineralsTM Make-up. Launching in September, the range will consist if pure minerals and a large brus collection of high density to guarantee that the loose powder is held in place between the bristles for smooth and even coverage.
www.thebodyshop.co.uk
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