Hot or Not Beauty

It seems theses days that mineral makeup is the latest and greatest in makeup trends. The last 12 months have seen all the major brands jumping on the band wagon, extolling the virtues of this ‘new and revolutionary’ product. So in the interest of getting to the heart of things, I’d like to take a look at exactly what is behind the hype, and take a look at mineral makeup from Jane Iredale; one of the original producers of mineral makeup, and some would argue still the best.

The basic premise of mineral makeup is that it is a natural product, produced from finely crushed minerals. This product started in the hey-day of the seventies and was held high for the organic qualities of being without chemicals, preservatives and artificial dyes found in many other formulations.

Mineral makeup was initially found to be of particular benefit to those with problematic skin, as this makeup contained none of the fragrances, dyes and other chemicals such as preservatives that are traditionally recognised to be irritants for sensitive skin. Jane Iredale mineral makeup was first introduced onto the market and gained acceptance for its anti inflammatory qualities, making it a great option for sufferers of skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and even for those with skin irritation following skin treatments such as dermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing.

Whilst I am fortunate that I haven’t these above conditions, I have found that the Jane Iredale range is a great option for a sheer coverage, that lets my naturally healthy skin look its best. The powders are silky, and I’ve found once applied they rarely need a touch up. Best of all these powders offer the same skin protections as more conventional products, including sun protecting up to SPF 20 and a barrier from pollutants.

The mineral makeup is great as it allows your skin to breathe and maintains a natural and healthy glow. One added bonus with this particular product is that it truly is water resistant, and this has been tested in an FDA approved laboratory. I found that even on a hot day the makeup stayed put more than other bases I have tried and there was little transference.

Be aware that applying the mineral makeup may require a small change in your routine. After cleansing and moisturizing, you are going to have to really let the moisturizer absorb. This means apply it and then do something else for a bit before you start to apply your mineral makeup base. Personally I dry my hair while I wait, but if you are used to sticking on your moisturizer and then putting your foundation straight on top, you will need to get yourself out of that habit.

Once you are ready then take the brush and apply the mineral makeup lightly and in even layers, brushing the powder onto your skin in even, downward strokes. The initial ‘Amazing Base Loose Powder’ is a great product. It comes in warm, neutral and cool base tones. Great for someone like myself whose skins throws a lot of orange tones with some formulas. This also means that there are formulations that are suited to a variety of skin tones and colors.

As with more conventional makeup this base is complemented by a pressed powder for any necessary touch-ups throughout the day. I’ve found that this makeup generally stays put, but the pressed powder is still a great portable option if you have a long day ahead of you. Using the Jane Iredale mineral makeup has proved a great option, I would recommend that if you have been procrastinating then its time to give it a go!

Take a look at will be one of my suggestions that I will be throwing around, like mini-articles of stuff I use on a regular basis, regard as my staples or things that I definitely consider you should take a look at.

MAC Blot Powder Pressed has been my favourite pressed powder for 3 years now, I go back and forth and try other brands but ultimately this is one of those products that ALWAYS reaches the pan for me. It never broke me out either.

I consider it quite affordable and use it in Light, applying it with a powder brush and gently applying it all over my skin avoiding my eye area so it won’t dry it out or crease my concealer. It also has my favourite pressed powder puff of all time that you can buy a refill for at any MAC counter. If you’re like me and prone to oilies surrender yourself to MAC Blot Powder.

Last, but certainly not least, we’ll go over key items to take with us in order to always look fresh. Once, while looking for a friend’s cellphone at a party, I found 4 lipglosses, three eyeliners, two blushes, two mascaras, two pressed powder compacts and wondered where was the need to bring all this with her. Usually accessories like handbags for more formal situations are of limited size and therefore don’t allow you such freedom of choice.

So here’s what I think you should bring and what you definitely shouldn’t.

Bring it on
Pressed powder or blotting paper - One or the other, if you don’t like to feel as if you’re caking on powder, then opt for blotting paper, the pressed powder should preferably be in the shade of your loose powder or make sure that it doesn’t alter your complexion. I like MAC’s blotting paper, as well as their blot powder compacts.
Lipstick and/or lipgloss - With sipping, eating and so on and so forth, lipstick and gloss (specially gloss) wears off and should be reapplied. Remember to fill in your lips with your lipliner in case you use it, so you don’t distract yourself and end up with just an outline of your lips. I’m not issuing any recommendation, as you should stick to what you applied at home.
Concealer/highlighter in pen format - I prefer Yves Saint-Laurent’s Le Touche D’Éclat or La Prairie’s Light Fantastic Cellular Concealing - Brightening Eye Treatment. You can also opt for Diorskin’s Skinflash, but I’m not crazy about the texture. These allow to bring an instant highlight to a darkened area without disturbing your makeup and without caking it.
Multi-Purpose Stick - If your skin can handle it, or if you have an oil-free version of it, I’m biased towards the NARS Multiples.

Leave at home
Foundation - Leave it at home and don’t cake it on, you won’t look better, you’ll look heavy
Mascara - I don’t think mascara should be reapplied, it will cake on your lashes and make them heavy and icky.
Eyeshadow - If you prime it well and use good products, you won’t need to reapply your eyeshadow, so leave it behind.
Eyeliner - Same as eyeshadow, if it has enough staying power, no need to clutter your purse or handbag

When touching up, always remember that less is more, it’s not a matter of how much you apply, it’s how you apply.

Being still in August, one thinks that it’s still time to look shimmery, bronzed and glistening with sun, the Fall look is looming in fashion magazines everywhere, so, here go a few tips for this years overall Fall options.

Superb polished skin finished with powder, matte is in.

Defined eyeliner application, preferably liquid eyeliner.

Bold, well defined lips as well as full and bold brows.

Highlighters continue highly popular, applied along the nose bridge, over cheekbones and everywhere you would like to enhance areas of your face.

Softer cheek colors in shades that slightly evoke a healthy flush, pinks, peaches and light tones for a hint of healthy glow, but never emulating a Summer complexion or exaggeration.

Smoky eyes and bewitching gazes are also a part of the season (considering by my recent reviews, well duh) and one of MAC’s Fall lineups will include the ever so classic contrast dark eyes/soft lips or vice versa.

Frankly, I am more of a Fall/Winter person than a Summer one, I like the look of polished skin, well groomed lips and most choices that are in this season’s look. One thing is for sure, sweet and girly as well as “just-woke-up-with-makeup-on-from-last-night” are definite no-nos, this season calls for being polished and picture perfect, no matter how casual you are.

Enjoy the Fall, I know I will.

A compact of pressed powder is one of the most iconic items in makeup, the expression “to powder one’s nose” or similar are ages old and in some cases like Edo Period Japan used as code words for geisha and oiran and we always associate a pressed powder with a touch of elegance and sophistication, it comes very hand for “product placement” in movies or tv series, the one that comes to mind is Sonia Braga in “Alias” with a MAC compact checking her makeup.

Estee Lauder is also known for its collectible compacts, Chantecaille will on occasion create special edition compacts (ouch, wallet), it is probably one of the most used makeup items when creating limited edition items.

Loose powder has the glamour of a beautiful package and a luxurious powder puff softly by a vanity or armoire.

Powder can be used for two goals:

Slightly evening out your skin tone and still keeping your look natural and created the illusion of smaller pores, it also reduces excess shine in the T-Zone or other areas.

Setting foundation and concealer (specially in fluid/cream formulations) keeping them “stable” and preventing them to migrate to other areas on your face.

Preferably, loose powder is applied to set the face makeup and ensure a proper blush and pressed powder application making color and pigment application a lot easier because the foundation or skin’s natural oils don’t adhere to the powder product that is being put on top.

Pressed powder on the other hand is preferably used in a shade closest to your skin tone as an alternative to foundation or for touch ups to reduce the shine. It can be also used in darker shades than skin tone to contour and reshape the face. While some makeup artists (like Kevyn Aucoin) would regularly use contouring techniques to beautify the face, others like Bobbi Brown avoid contouring altogether believing that it makes the woman (or man) look unnatural. In this case, the lighter shade to enhance areas like the nose bridge can be of a more pearly finish to attract light and the darker shade is matte to create a shadow effect.

In my opinion, if I decide to contour it’s in evening makeup where light is more forgiving and you can get away with it more easily.

Both loose and pressed powders can be matte, pearly or iridescent (be careful with shimmer finish powders, some are too glittery and look weird and almost circus like) and achieve a wide variety of looks.

Since I’m prone to an oily complexion, I will wear MAC’s Blot Powder in pressed format during most of the year and will use Chanel Le Poudre Universel Compacte at the peak of winter.

The usage of powder requires some extra care with your skin, as powder will absorb sebum and oil and residual moisture, if you don’t exfoliate on a regular basis you might end up with dry patches and flaky skin that isn’t all that flattering, so remember to exfoliate if you like to apply powder in your face.

Powder can be applied with a powder puff or a large brush, a puff ensures a higher coverage of product and a more matte finish. Using a brush allows a more sheer application resulting in a more natural look. If you use a powder puff, then slightly sweep with your powder brush to remove excess product.

Loose powder can also be used with a large eyeshadow brush as a “safety net” under the eyes to catch falling eyeshadow or mascara, specially very dark colors that can stain your under eye area and make you look like you’ve been hit.

For more mature skin, avoid very dry matte powders as they will make your skin appear very dry and emphasize fine lines, specially under the eye, so it’s best to avoid powder in this area unless absolutely necessary or opt for a more “moisturizing” formulation.

One of the biggest myths is that translucent powders are suitable for every complexion and I disagree, they work for light to medium complexions, but in deeper skin tones it will end up making the complexion look ashy or dull and you require a certain amount of pigment to make sure the color doesn’t change. Other brands will always have yellow tones in their powders to maintain the looks natural and balanced.

While some resist to the application of powder, I believe it to be essential to ensure a proper blush and eyeshadow application and there’s always a pressed powder compact in my backpack.