Mineral Makeup Virgin

[unaspenser]

Okay, everybody, I've been hearing about mineral makeup willy-nilly on LHC and now here. I'm finally at the point where I just want to know: what's the deal? What's so great about mineral makeup, and what the heck does MMU stand for? I usually just stick with my Clinique (and I'm so glad they're cruelty-free), but if anybody wants to sell me on mineral makeup, I'm open for conversion. Let's hear it!

[wonderlywroughte]

MMU stands simply for mineral make up, I believe. :grinhappy: I've never worn any other kinds of makeup but it gives me very nice, even, sheer coverage while looking extremely natural. It has sun-screen properties as well, and will not clog the pores or contribute to breakouts if you've got 'em. (well, unless you're allergic or sensitive to mica or bismuth or anything.) Plus, they're natural so you don't have to worry about any iffy chemicals sitting on your face all day and seeping in.

[SunCat]

MMU stands for Mineral Makeup. Mineral makeup is all natural powder makeup made from crushed minerals taken from the earth.

The standard ingredients for mineral makeup are Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Mica and Iron Oxides. Some companies add other ingredients.

Mineral makeup is good for your skin, provides a natural SPF and filters out UVA and UVB rays, lets your skin breathe, won't clog pores, provides a weightless coverage, naturally water and sweat resistant, helps clear problem skin, gives a natural glow to the skin, reflects light, helps minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles and minimizes the look of pores.

[Delila]

Mind if I digress to ask what eye shadows you're wearing in your "trying to survive without LHC..." photo. ??? Very pretty!!

[justgreen]

Another good thing about MMU, it won't melt off your face and it doesn't rub off on your clothing. :lafhard:

[kimberlily]

I want to try MMU other than BE. It sucks. Any recommendations for my oily skin?

[justgreen]

I want to try MMU other than BE. It sucks. Any recommendations for my oily skin?

I have oily skin and I love Suncat's MMU. I also use PureLuxe, (http://www.pureluxecosmetics.com/) they have a great primer.

[Shermie Girl]

MMU is also very buildable. If you don't need much coverage, you can apply it very light and sheer. If you need more coverage, it is just a matter of using a little more and building the coverage to where you need it.

I have some problem areas where I need pretty heavy coverage and others where I need very little at all. I am able to customize the coverage in all areas and it all blends together seamlessly. Never looks heavy, cakey or like a mask.

I could never do that with a liquid or cream makeup.

And, In the middle of a steaming, hot Arizona summer when all the other women around me are coping with a melting, sliding face, my face looks fresh, dewey and isnt sliding down my neck. :whoohoo: :whoohoo:

[kimberlily]

I think I'm going to order some Pure Luxe samples. I have $10 in my PayPal account to spend................

[kimberlily]

Okay, I don't have $10 in my PayPal anymore. I'm just hoping that the samples I ordered are enough to do my whole face at least once ;)

[Phantasmagoria]

Ooo, mineral makeup sounds wonderful! Do the makers of mmu make concealers?

[justgreen]

Ooo, mineral makeup sounds wonderful! Do the makers of mmu make concealers?

Yes, they do and they are really good. I have been applying the concealer after I put a bit of foundation on, it seems to cover better.

[justgreen]

Okay, I don't have $10 in my PayPal anymore. I'm just hoping that the samples I ordered are enough to do my whole face at least once ;)

PureLuxe has very generous samples. Enough to last a couple of months if you just shake or dip out a very small amount each time. It does not take alot to cover and you'll be very surprised, I was.:geek:

[peripheralvisionary]

Will mineral make up work for extremely dry skin also, or is it better for oily/normal skin?

[kimberlily]

Yay! Thanks Justy. It says 1/4 teaspoon samples, which doesn't seem like much. I'm excited :D I got two foundations, two types of concealer, and two eyeshadows. All for $10 including shipping.

[justgreen]

Yay! Thanks Justy. It says 1/4 teaspoon samples, which doesn't seem like much. I'm excited :D I got two foundations, two types of concealer, and two eyeshadows. All for $10 including shipping.

You will be amazed at how little you actually use. I scoop a tiny bit into a round flat tin and swirl my kabuki brush in it lightly, then buff your whole face with it. For the blush and concealer, you can use normal make up brushes. This is making me want to go play in the make-up and it's almost 10PM.:gurn:

This lady (http://stores.ebay.com/VOILA-BARE-MINERAL-COSMETICS)is nice and sells MMU. I've ordered stuff from her. It's not bad, but I still like Suncat's better. :lafhard:

[unaspenser]

Oh my! This sounds fantastic. I feel a spending spree coming on...

So what's a kabuki brush and why do I need one? I have plenty of lovely makeup brushes...

Oh, and Delila, here's how I did my eyes:

I used Loreal on the loose powder in hyper space (a deep gold) from eyelashes to the hollow below my browbone (and just a tad on the bone to make it shimmer), and below my lower lashes too. Then I added curfew colors eye dust (it's pink, and actually says it's just mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, iron blue, and carmine... does that make it mmu?) to just above the crease and in the hollow part above the crease on the outer half of my eye. I also swept it up into a cats' eye and used it as an eyeliner below my lower lashes. CG smoothers eyeliner in onyx inside my lower lashes, and above my upper lashes and swept out into a cat's eye shape. Then I curled my eyelashes, and used clinique's double-ended mascara with lash-building primer and lash doubling mascara (one of those white/black deals) on both the upper and lower eyelashes. Very glam!

[SunCat]

Will mineral make up work for extremely dry skin also, or is it better for oily/normal skin?

Mineral makeup works well for all skin types. Since you have dry skin make sure you use a moisturizer before applying the mineral makeup.

[justgreen]

Oh my! This sounds fantastic. I feel a spending spree coming on...

So what's a kabuki brush and why do I need one? I have plenty of lovely makeup brushes...
!

Here's (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.a-squirrel.com/images/opttwinkabscreen.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.a-squirrel.com/kabuki-brush-set.html&h=339&w=550&sz=58&hl=en&sig2=xMUTFLiFa7BPxe1fSWlr5w&start=3&tbnid=-CdACa3j-Bzu0M:&tbnh=80&tbnw=130&ei=8JKPRKH4GpTSigG0nJCUBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dkabuki%2Bbrush%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den %26lr%3D%26sa%3DG) a pic of one. You can probably find a less expensive one on ebay. They are great for buffing the make-up on your face.:lafhard:

[Stephanie]

I still can't get over this, but my skin is actually better in the morning if I dust some MMU over my nighttime moisturizer/serum. MMU rocks my happy little world.

[justgreen]

I still can't get over this, but my skin is actually better in the morning if I dust some MMU over my nighttime moisturizer/serum. MMU rocks my happy little world.

OOOHHHH good idea! Thanks for posting it.:flower: Can you tell us the difference in using/not using the MMU at nighttime?

[SpiralingWaves]

Will mineral make up work for extremely dry skin also, or is it better for oily/normal skin?

I have very dry sensitive skin and I find that MMU works much better for me than the *regular* bottle type of foundation. I never found a moisturizing liquid foundation that looked natural. MMU looks natural and helps my skin stay calm and clear.

If you have dry skin, make sure to use a good moisturizer for your skin type first, let it soak in for a bit, then buff the MMU over it. You may want to avoid any MMU that has Kaolin Clay as that could be too drying.

ETA: I've used Bare Escentuals MMU which I found very moisturizing. I liked it a lot, however some of their foundations/makeup have Bismuth Oxychloride which is irritating to sensitve skin. I've also used SunCat's MMU and like this alot. However, her SunSet has Kaolin. I could not use this during the winter, but am finding that I can use it now (a very light dusting) in the hotter weather. I only use it on my *shiney* spots (forehead & chin). It works great for that! Oh and on my oily eyelids as well.

[Stephanie]

Certainly! It helps balance oil, calms, and helps pull out impurities. If I'm getting a spot, I can wash my face, apply my moisturizer, apply a dusting of MMU, go to bed, and it will either be gone in the morning or will be remarkably smaller. I usually do this around my period. :)

[SunCat]

I also apply MMU at night. I wear MMU everyday so I just wash my face at night and apply my normal moisturizer then do as Stephanie does and apply a light dusting to my face before bed. If my skin is a little more oily I will use a formula with kaolin clay at night especially in the summer.

[peripheralvisionary]

Thanks for your replies everyone! I definitely want to try it now!

[Delila]

Oh, and Delila, here's how I did my eyes:

I used Loreal on the loose powder in hyper space, curfew colors eye dust , CG smoothers eyeliner in onyx, clinique's double-ended mascara with lash-building primer and lash doubling mascara ... Very glam!


Making a list! Thanks for the details. :happy:

I gather Curfew Colors is a brand I don't have access to. Is that a cotton candy fuschia sort of pink? or something softer? :)

As for a Kabuki, I find it essential for the right sort of application for minerals. Sometimes when I apply my minerals with a damp brush I'll use a regular foundation brush, but I tend to prefer the kabuki type no matter what technique I use in application.

I'm loving Alima (http://www.alimacosmetics.com/), since I've finally found a color that actually matches my skin tones. :) Their foundation samples are very generous, but the others are smaller, just in baggies.

[enitsirk]

This is making me really excited to receive my everyday minerals samples. I decided to sample those because they are free and you just pay shipping and..how could I pass that up??

I really love the sound of SunCats makeup and think that after some playtime with my freebie samples (when they arrive) I'll order a discovery kit of hers..with a couple of add ons.

I've been watching the BE infomercials for years really just wondering if it could be true at all..

:whoohoo: :whoohoo: So excited!! :whoohoo: :whoohoo:

And it's awesome that so many companies offer cheap samples so you don't have to go spending loads of money just to find out it doesn't work for you :calm:

[unaspenser]

I gather Curfew Colors is a brand I don't have access to. Is that a cotton candy fuschia sort of pink? or something softer?.

It's a very bright fuschia pink with sort of iridescent blue undertones. It's a great color, and looks very classy when applied lightly.

[Ursula]

I've been using Cory Cosmetics minerals. Her samples are the cheapest that I've found, $0.35 each, and I like that she makes cool tone colors for her foundations, and clearly lables them as cool. A lot of the minerals out there are either warm tones or "neutrals" that wind up being warm tones once you get them. And warm tones make me look dull.

[enitsirk]

I've been using Cory Cosmetics minerals. Her samples are the cheapest that I've found, $0.35 each, and I like that she makes cool tone colors for her foundations, and clearly lables them as cool. A lot of the minerals out there are either warm tones or "neutrals" that wind up being warm tones once you get them. And warm tones make me look dull.

....

*makes a note of Cory Cosmetics and their cheap .35 each samples*


...

I'll have to try those..I think .35 is the next best price to free :gurn:

Thanks for mentioning it Ursula :whoohoo:

[SunCat]

Cory's mineral makeup does not contain mica so the coverage is heavier than with most mineral makeup lines which do contain mica. Mica is also quite a bit more expensive than titanium dioxide and iron oxides. It is great that they can offer samples at such a good price.

[unaspenser]

Yeeehaw I just got my LOVELY pink kabuki and $20 in Pure Luxe samples yesterday. The colors are just gorgeous and I can't wait to play! Makeup here I come!