Comprehensive Review: MINERAL FOUNDATIONS

BACKGROUND:
- skin condition = oily, acne prone, very sensitive skin (itches easily), acidic, have blemishes
- preferred formulation for foundation = medium to heavy coverage
- MMU purist

Criteria for deciding if it is an HG (holy grail) material:
a) perfect shade match with my skintone
b) must have long staying power
c) doesn't make me itch especially during hot and humid days
d) will not break me out
e) can cover my blemishes
f) don't have "white cast" and "disco ball" effects on pictures


NOTE: all the brands that I will review are the ones I have tried since I got into the Mineral Makeup bandwagon 3 years ago..majority of them are samples only when I tried them and have used them for a month before deciding if they are for me or not..so all my opinion about the brands are based on that more than 1 month trial stage.


1. Bare Escentuals

SHADE: Medium 

PROS: this is my first ever MMU brand.. I love how light the feeling was and how blooming I look on all my pictures.

CONS: sadly, this made me itch and makes my face shiny if I did not do the "sandwich method" with the mineral veil.

Will I buy it again? NO. Because I itch with this whenever it is hot.

2. Monave

Formulation: loose foundation/concealer

SHADE: Teporah 



PROS: I love the coverage and staying power..I look flawless with this (especially the concealr foundation) and I just need to use very minimal amount of product to cover my face.

CONS: sadly, this made me itch and breakout..can also get a little cakey if applied wrongly.

Will I buy it again? NO. This made me itch so bad whenever it is hot and humid.

3. Larenim

Formulation: Pressed foundation

SHADE: 3wm 

PROS: I love how mess-free and hassle-free it is during application time..I can also bring it anywhere for retouch bec. of its sturdy compact case with mirror and sponge..this also gives a very smooth finish, has buildable coverage and it is very light on the face..did not made me itch and breakout..helps in controlling my oilies and has no whitish cast in pictures.

CONS: much more expensive compared to loose form foundations from other brands..not available locally so there's additional expense for international shipping, and only has 4 shades to choose from..can break easily since the binder used is plant based only.

Will I buy it again? Definitely! If there's a chance that I can purchase this at a much lower price and if budget permits, I will certainly get one for me and my sister coz I haven't found a compact form MMU foundation that can match Larenim's quality yet.

4. Valerie Beauty

SHADE: I forgot my shade hehe..it's been so long

PROS: I love the dewy effect I get whenever I use it..dewy but not disco-ball shiny..nice for picture taking since it has no whitish cast.

CONS: again, it made me itch during hot weather..it is not available anymore.

Will i buy it again? NO.

5. Meow Cosmetics

Formulation: Flawless Feline

SHADE: I don't know yet..but I can wear Naughty Abyssinian and Naught Manx though they look dark on me after a couple of hours..and Frisky Chartreux and Frisky Siamese lacks yellow but I love how they brighten my face

PROS: this formulation is my fave compared to Pampered Puss because this makes me look flawless even if I am not..Can cover imperfections prettily, long staying power and only needs small amounts of product for the whole face and it can last for a day..the shades adjusts to my skintone and looks pretty afterwards.

CONS: I can't find my shade! there are too many choices that I don't know what to choose..I have tried at least 5 shades already..this made me itch sometimes but not always.

Will I buy it again? Definitely! As long as I can find my match, I will get a bigger size already.

6. Lauress

Formulation: Minimalist

SHADE: Pure Yellow 

PROS: this formulation only has 4-5 ingredients and did not made me itch.it has a very light feel on the face, plus Lauress has another formulation that I can use if i need a heavier coverage.. Also, we already have a local distributor so it is easier for me to get some stocks when I finished up my samples.

CONS: this doesn't last long on my face even with a primer..and it is a little pricey compared to other brands.

Will I buy this again? YES. I love how it doesn't make me itch and I can wear it for a natural look..and also, I can purchase this locally.

7. Dreamworld Minerals

Formulation: Luna

SHADE: I haven't found my shade yet..Amenti is dark on me and Freyja and Nimue lacks yellow..

PROS: looks flawless but not totally matte..light on the face even if it is heavy coverage..very good customer service..

CONS: this makes me it sometimes.. and if you are not careful in applying it, you can look "dirty" after a couple of hours..not available locally so shipping is a problem.

Will I buy it again? YES..I love their products and I love Ellie :)

8. Dayna's Minerals

SHADE: G2 

PROS: I love the medium coverage and the yellowness of the foundation..gives a nice coverage and natural look...this is not matte-matte too but not shiny either..just right :)

CONS: so-so staying power but much better than Lauress.

Will I buy it again: YES! affordable and fast shipping for a great product..what more can I ask for? :D

9. Pure Anada Natural Cosmetics

SHADE: Yukon Gold Rush 

PROS: the shades of foundation blends prettily on my skin, light on the face, covers blemishes effectively, lasts long on my oily skin and didn't make me itch even if its hot and humid..we also have a local reseller so very easy to purchase.

CONS: can sometimes get cakey if you use too much and it's hard for me to choose my perfect shade coz the different shades look the same on me

Will I buy it again? Maybe..I'm not sure yet if it is worth a full size to me

10. Aubrey Nicole

SHADE: Light golden 

PROS: did not made me itch, very light on the face and looks natural

CONS: very light coverage and doesn't have staying power on my oily face

Will I buy it again? No, aside from the fact that I prefer the other brands if I want a light coverage, it would also be hard for me to purchase this.

11. Lumiere Cosmetics

SHADE: I was not able to find my shade with this

PROS: light on the face and gives a smoother finish than other brands I have tried

CONS: this made me itch so I didn't pursue looking for my shade

Will I buy it again? NO. I like other brands better

12. Oceanmist

SHADE: Fawn 

PROS: Light to medium coverage that is very light on the face..I got my sample from a local reseller.

CONS: doesn't stay long on my face and can't cover all my blemishes

Will I buy it again? No. I want havier coverage now

13. Jane Iredale

Formulation: Liquid foundation and Pressed Foundation

SHADE: I can't remember

PROS: easy to blend and light on the face..very flawless finish..it is also available locally

CONS: this made me itch because of the bismuth content and it gave me a "geisha" look when there is flash or flourescent light..I have a white cast on all my pictures when I wore the liquid one.

Will I buy it again? NO. this is very expensive and I'm not into bismuth containig MMU

14. Philosophy Mineral Line (sorry I forgot the exact name)

PROS: available locally (in Beauty Bar), very light on the face, this did not make me itch and it has cute packaging.

CONS: not a pure MMU

Will I buy it again? NO..I'm a purist when it comes to Mineral

15. J. Lynne

SHADE: Light golden 2.5
 
PROS: very light on the face

CONS: doesn't have good staying power on my face..makes me itch sometimes

Will i buy it again? No..I like other brands better

16. Camouflage Mineral Foundation (The Natural Source)

SHADE: I forgot my shade

PROS: Available locally, very light on the face, looks natural, controls oil beautifully even without finishing powder and has good staying power..this did not made me itch that day I tried it even though it is hot.

CONS: expensive and I am not sure if this is a pure MMU or not

Will I buy this? Maybe. I've only tried this (with a bare face) in the mall..I might get this if this is a pure MMU.

17 and 18. Bare Naturals and I Heart Minerals

SHADE: I did not look for my shade

PROS: available locally, affordable

CONS: these two brands made me itch

Will i buy this again? No because I experienced intense itching with these two brands when I used the samples I got.

19. Ellana Minerals

Formulation: Premium

SHADE: I think I am a French Vanilla Latte

PROS: I can easily avail this because my sister is a re-seller of Ellana,.very affordable and availably locally. Finish is matte and smooth. Light on the face and has buildable coverage.

CONS: limited shades to choose from.

Will I buy it again? If I can find a shade match, I will buy again..but if not, hmm probably no since I hate mixing hehe

20. Everyday Minerals

SHADE: i can't remember

PROS: light on the face, affordable

CONS: this made me itch, expensive shipping, and doesn't last long

Will I buy this again? No. the shipping is too expensive and i'm not hiyang with it


So there you have it guys! my comprehensive review on all the brands of mineral makeup foundations I have tried ...This list will keep on growing for sure coz I still have a "to-try" list..I want to get my hands on Buff'd, Earthen Glow Minerals and Adorned with Grace foundations since these 3 have been getting great reviews lately :)

I also plan to do a comprehensive review on MMU blushes and eyeshadows and also primers and finishing powders..but it won't be this week since I am quite busy lately..so just keep on checking my site once in a while for updates..THANKS for visiting and taking your time on reading this blog entry of mine..Till next time! God bless everyone!