MAC Semi-Precious Swatches: Eye Shadow, Mineralize Blush, and Mineralize Skinfinish

The MAC Semi-Precious collection offers twelve very well pigmented mineralize eye shadows,  three blushes, and four Mineralize Skinfinish luminizers/blushes/bronzers. In the past when MAC has done mineralized eye shadow I found that some of the shades ended up a bit muddy at times, but this collection  generally didn’t have that problem among the eight shades that I swatched, with the exception of one dark green shade, Dark Indulgence (which I think still looks OK, but the green doesn’t show at all) .

MAC Semi-Precious Eye Shadow Swatches

Below are Semi-Precious Eye Shadow swatches of eight of the twelve shades. From left to right with notes in parenthesis: Unsurpasssable (this is more luminous than the picture shows and is a gorgeous light turquoise/teal), Quartz Fusion (lots of glitter in this one that doesn’t show as well in photos), Dark Indulgence, Blue Sheen (particularly well pigmented), Rare Find (my personal favorite), Faux Gold (more luminous than the photo really depicts), Jade’s fortune (another really pretty and interesting sea green shade), and Mineral Mode (this was more pinkish than I thought it would be).

MAC Semi-Precious Blush Swatches and Mineralize SkinFinish Swatches

Neither of the blush shades that I tried thrilled me, but that is only because they wouldn’t personally work well for me, they actually are rather pretty shades. I also noted that they have pretty decent pigment to them. I also tried three of the skinfinish shades. Here are  swatches of the blushes and skinfinish. From left to right: Pearl SkinFinish (probably the best shade for my rather pale skin), Rose Quartz SkinFinish (has a very pretty pink to it), Goldstone SkinFinish, Pressed Amber blush, and Warmth of Coral Blush

The collection also includes brushes, mascara, face and body lotion, mineralize charged water, mineralize satin finish foundation, and  new lip shades. I swatched the lipsticks and cremsheen lipglasses over on Girl Gloss. You can see them here: MAC Semi-Precious Lip Swatches.

This  collection is available July 7, though August 21, 2011. Sometimes the collections show up for sale a few days early.

Disclosure: This review is based on products provided by a representative of the company. For more, please see our disclosure page.

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Elizabeth Arden has a set of new Pure Finish Mineral Tinted Moisturizers.  These tinted mineral makeup moisturizers have SPF 15 protection and give medium coverage. Many, if not most, tinted moisturizers  are very sheer, so it is refreshing to come across ones that actually provide some real coverage, and these are more akin to a liquid mineral makeup than to a standard sheer tinted moisturizer. Four shades are available.

Below are swatches of the Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish shades. They do blend in pretty well, so even though they might stand out on the skin in the swatch, they do blend in to match quite well with any skin tone that is generally close to the shade. I added powder over mine as well, which blended things seamlessly.  For example, I actually wear the second level shade, even though it looks too dark or too yellow in the swatch.  Once blended though, it matches me perfectly.

From left to right: Fair, Light, Medium, Deep:

I found that the product wore quite well. It give the skin a luminous look and provides a comfortable, light moisture.  Ingredients in Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Tinted Moisturizer include:

• Microlight Minerals – Natural mineral pigments that  incorporate Mineral Mica, which acts as an optical diffuser to soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Antioxidants and Vitamins A, C and E – Moisturize and provide antioxidant protection.
• Dionysis Extract – An extract of the Sea Campion Plant which acts to slow the effects of free radicals and provide strong antioxidant protection.
• Squalane – Botanically derived from olives, this ingredient brings back the natural feel of your skin’s own moisture.
• Jojoba Esters – Act as a barrier for water loss to keep moisture in the skin.
• Sodium Hyaluronate – A powerful skin moisturizer.
• Oil free, talc free and fragrance free.

You can buy these at the Elizabeth Arden website linked above or look for them in department stores and at specialty makeup stores. Most of those do not seem to have them online yet.

Disclosure: This review in based on products given to me by a representative of the company. For more, please se my disclosure page.

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Makeup Forever Powder Foundation is my new favorite! I have been looking for some time for the perfect pressed mineral makeup foundation. Then I branched out into looking at powder foundation in general, without focusing on whether they were classified as “mineral makeup.” That is when I found MAKE UP FOR EVER Duo Mat Powder Foundation.

Makeup Forever has really been impressing me lately and their duo mat foundation is the best pressed powder foundation that I have tried yet. I liked Amazing Cosmetics Mineral Foundation (link is to previous review) quite a bit, but Makeup Forever tops it for three reasons: First, it covers better. Second, it wears longer. Third, the included applicator is actually pretty good. I highly recommend Makeup Forever powder foundation for melasma sufferers and can pretty much guarantee that it will appear on my year-end best products list.

Makeup Forever Duo Mat Foundation comes packaged in a mirrored compact with a sponge applicator. Coverage from this foundation when applied with the sponge applicator is medium to full. Use a brush for a more sheer look. Because this powder foundation covers very well, it is perfect for those with melasma,  hyperpigmentation, or redness, who have difficult areas to conceal. It is also oil free, and I have had no problems with it on my acne prone skin. In fact, as discussed below, I particularly recommend this one for people with oily skin becasue it contains mattifiers.

The look from Makeup Forever Duo Mat Foundation is also nicely matte. I often get annoyed with mineral foundations because mineral makeup tends to be on the shiny and shimmery side, especially if it contains bismuth—an ingredient that can also cause skin irritation in some people. Makeup Forever Duo Mat Foundation is not just oil and bismuth free, it also contains ingredients to absorb oil and sebum to retain a  matte look.  However, the product does not feel drying, thanks to an anti-dehydrating agent.  Those with oily skin will likely appreciate this powder foundation the most, but it certainly would be wearable by those with normal and even dry skin, especially if a moisturizer was applied first. People with dry skin would likely be happier with a liquid or cream foundation though.

Makeup Forever powder foundation is not streaky and wears most of the day for me without needing reapplication. Frankly, it is the best powder foundation that I have tried yet and I imagine it will be hard to find one that beats it. It gets excellent reviews online at Sephora as well.

You can find Makeup Forever at Sephora stores for $32. I bought mine in the store. If you shop online, the color names are pretty accurate (e.g. my ivory is a standard ivory), but the shade swatches there look pinker than the actual product is. Sephora does take returns of open products if you order online and end up with the wrong shade.

Note, this article uses affiliate links, for more please see my disclosure page.

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I prefer pressed mineral makeup and also like to avoid bismuth, but finding a bismuth free pressed mineral makeup can be difficult! My favorite had been Sephora Brand, but when I went to refill mine, they told me that it was being discontinued!  Awhile later, I was at Ulta and walked around checking the ingredients on all of the makeup brands and found one, just one, that had a pressed mineral makeup without bismuth. That was Amazing Cosmetics Velvet Mineral Pressed Powder Foundation. The Amazing Cosmetics rep happened to be at the store, so I had my whole face done, which allowed me to try a few other items as well.

Coverage with Amazing Cosmetics Mineral Makeup was pretty good. Apply it with a brush for sheer coverage, use the included pad for medium, or as the rep showed me, try a makeup sponge for more full coverage. It builds pretty well too, so I can apply it sheer to medium on most areas and then put extra over my areas of melasma. The selection of shades is not huge, but is OK, and the packaging is nice, with a mirrored compact. I found that it wears very well. I get most of a day out of it, which is more than I often get from powder mineral makeup. So, this is a winner, which is good since it is one of the few bismuth free pressed mineral foundations out there (Neutrogena and Jane Iredale also make bismuth free pressed mineral foundations and if you want a good bismuth free powder mineral makeup, check out Purely Cosmetics).

Anyway, like I said, I had the rest of my face done, and I liked Amazing Cosmetics overall. Here is the look, using Amazing Cosmetics Suede Eyeshadow Collection in Wheat, a couple of fabulous lip products, Amazing Cosmetics Lipcolor in Oliva and Amazing Cosmetics Lipgloss in Kathy, and a new favorite blush for me, Amazing Cosmetics Blush Matte in Pink Chocolate. All wore wonderfully, and I ended up buying the lip products and the blush to go with the mineral foundation. You can read more about the lip products in my review here on Girl Gloss: Amazing Cosmetics Lip Products. This picture also ended up being used for my Open Sky Store.

Overall, I was quite glad that I tried the Amazing Cosmetics brand. They have quality products all around.

You can find Amazing Cosmetics at Ulta and Sephora.

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Looking for bismuth free, high quality mineral makeup? Purely Cosmetics is the place to go. I gave several of the foundations a try and found that I got the some of the best coverage and overall look from them that I have ever gotten from a lose powder mineral foundation. The foundations are also actually pure. There are no irritants in them, and in particular, there is no bismuth—an ingredient that is present in a large number of mineral foundations, including many that use words such as “pure” in their name or advertising.

Pure Mineral Foundation provides smooth coverage with some decent oil absorption—it is recommended for normal to oily skin types. I tried the version with silk powder added, which made for great oil absorption, plus some extra sun protection. I sometimes get a bit shiny by the end of the day with some mineral makeup brands, but not with this foundation.  Coverage was also lovely. The foundation goes on smooth, sits nicely on the skin, and is buildable. I added extra to cover areas of melasma and pigmentation with great success. The foundation lasted all day.

Purely Cosmetics Skin Smoothing Foundation contains silk for hydration, silica to blur fine lines, jojoba, and boron to reduce pore visibility. It is not recommended for very oily skin. It wore pretty much the same for me as the Pure Mineral foundation and  had bit silkier feeling to it. It happened that my skin was being rather oily when testing it though, so the Pure Mineral Foundation worked better for me because it absorbed the oil better, although the skin smoothing foundation still worked pretty darn well for me.

Another Item I really liked was the Silk and Pearl Primer. This interesting powder primer does a bang up job at absorbing oil. I played with it both by using it with mineral makeup and, despite its marketing as a primer, with using it on top of liquid foundation. It  worked well for both.  Purely Cosmetics also has an interesting looking finishing powder, but I didn’t give that one a try.

Purely Cosmetics also has a nice line of brushes (the flat top foundation brush works great), brush covers ( a great travel accessory), eye shadows, and more. I will discuss the eye shadows in a later review. All products are affordable and of better quality than a number of more expensive brands. Starter kits and samples are also available. I highly recommend them!

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Awhile back, I was searching and searching for a pressed mineral foundation that did not contain bismuth.   I was already using Neutrogena’s pressed foundation (read previous review), but wanted something with a  bit more coverage.  I also found Jane Iredale PureMatte Finish Powder, but it is advertised as being sheer. After I had given up, I was in Sephora wandering around, and low and behold, they had one! Turns out that I really like it too!

Sephora Brand Mineral Double Compact Foundation SPF 10 is a medium coverage pressed mineral foundation with a bit of flexibility—included is a sponge that has different textured sides. One side gives a sheer to medium coverage and the other provides heavier coverage. I also got medium coverage applying the foundation with a brush, but I prefer the sponge with this one.  It is available in a number of shades, and best of all, there is no bismuth!

Here is what the company says about it:

This silky foundation provides buildable coverage and protects skin with an SPF 10, while the long-wearing formula creates a luminous finish. Tested in order to minimize the risk of allergy, our mineral foundation is talc-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, oil-free, and noncomedogenic. Use the dual-sided sponge to achieve your desired look: the fuzzy white side for light coverage, or the black spongy side for full coverage.

Good pressed mineral foundations are hard to find, so if you are looking for one, particularly if you want it to be bismuth free, check out Sephora’s offering!

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Like many mineral makeup companies, Pur Minerals offers a starter kit. I gave one a try, and was generally impressed.

The starter kit comes with the following:

• 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup:  What I liked right off about this item was that it was pressed. Pressed mineral makeup is much easier to apply than loose powder and it makes much less of a mess. Pur Minerals’ foundation also has fairly high coverage, making it good for covering melasma, acne, or redness. I thought the coverage was much higher than Bare Minerals or Everyday Minerals (including Everyday Minerals’ heavier coverage items). The makeup wore well for me for an entire day and never felt dry or cakey. It also wasn’t obnoxiously shiny like some other brands (especially Bare Minerals) can be. The mineral makeup is free of oil, alcohol, talc, fragrances, preservatives and chemical dyes. It also includes shea butter and vitamin E. However, I did notice bismuth in the ingredient list, so people who are sensitive to that will want to avoid it.
• Mineral Glow:  This is a basic mineral bronzer that looks and wears quite nice. For those who like a bit of bronzer over blush, it is a good choice.
• Universal Marble Powder in Pink: This is a multi-purpose mineral makeup that can be worn as a blush or highlighter. It has a nice flattering pink tone to it. Because it is pressed, it is easy to use and carry.
• The Chisel Makeup Brush: Pur Minerals makes brushes of OK quality. The chisel Makeup Brush is the right size and type for good application of the mineral foundation. Mine occasionally loses hair though, which I would not normally expect in a brush that is sold individually at $22. Regardless, it still is a good applicator.

Pur Minerals starter kits retail for $35 and are a good way to try out the company’s products at a decent value. You can purchase Pur Minerals online at at ULTA Beauty stores.

Shop for Pur Minerals

Comparison Shop for Mineral Makeup

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I have been enjoying a number of Pur Minerals products lately. One in particular is the Luminous Eye Palette, which until December 28, 2008 is available under a buy one get one free special. So if you are looking for last minute gifts, you can get two!

This palette has a great range of pretty shades, and at $25, it is a wonderful value. I wore a number of the shades to work and found that they wore well and lasted for the full work day.  I highly recommend this one!

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Maybelline has done an impressive job entering the mineral makeup market. Their Mineral Power liquid foundation (read review) is one of the few liquids branded as a mineral foundation in the drugstore price range. With its Mineral Power Powder Foundation, Maybelline has done a nice job of providing a good basic powder foundation in a wide variety of shades.

Maybelline advertises their mineral makeup as talc free, but they do not mention bismuth. I did not see it on my ingredient list of the one that I purchased, but I have seen others report that they saw it listed as one of the “may contain” ingredients.

The number of shades is quite nice. Women with pale skin like mine up to dark brown skin shades will find something that works for them in this line. The range really is quite impressive.

The downside to the powder seems to be for those with oily skin. For example, Makeup Moxie tried it and found that it didn’t quite cut it–she got oily not too long after applying it. I too found that it didn’t really absorb oil well when I wore it on an oily day.

However, when I used Mineral Power on my drier days, it worked quite well. I did not experience issues with it settling into lines and wrinkles and it never looked flaky.

Coverage with this one is light to medium. I found that it covers redness fine, but it didn’t really hide my areas of melasma and hyperpigmentation. So if you have pigmentation that you want to hide, this one might not be quite enough.

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Alima Pure is a mineral makeup company that boasts 60 shades of foundation! I’ll be writing more on that in the future, but today, I am looking at their eye shadow.

I tried out four shades from the limited edition sweater set collection.  Swatches are pictured below:

Alima’s makeup is 100% certified natural, which is good news for those who get itchy from the bismuth found in many brands of mineral makeup. You won’t find that or other fillers in the Alima products.

The eye shadow is smooth and well pigmented.  Thanks to the mica in it, It has a nice luminosity to it that I particularly liked. The shadow can be applied wet or dry. I suggest using it wet as a liner.

The set is available for $25, and $2 from the sale of each set will be donated to the Global Fund for Women. So not only can you get some great eye shadow, you can also help a great cause!

I have some more Alima reviews in the pipeline, so keep an eye out for more.

Comparison Shop for Mineral Makeup

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