The Mineral MakeUp Experiment

Several months ago when I bought my first mineral makeup from a mall kiosk, I was hoping that it would be an end to my never ending quest to find the ideal foundation, makeup that was natural and light while providing the coverage that I needed. The sales lady had selected the skin color that closely matched my skin and meticulosly applied it to my face and the results were amazing! It looked and felt so natural like second skin. However, when I got to my vehicle and looked in the mirror, I almost screamed at the ghastly pale image in the mirror. Under the mall lights, the makeup had blended flawlessly with my skin but in natural light, my skin appeared ashy and very unnatural, like a bad bleaching accident.

I purchased other popular brands and experienced similar issues. I did research and discovered that there are two main reasons for the ashy appearance, the first is applying makeup that does not match the skin's undertone and the second reason can be attributed to the presence of the popular ingredients titanium dioxide and bismuth oxychloride found in many mineral cosmetics. Titanium dioxide is often added to mineral makeup for sunscreen and light reflecting effect and bismuth oxychloride is added for the shimmer effect and to reflect light as well. The ashy problem lies in the proportion of these ingredients used in the makeup. A well blended mineral powder targeting chocolate toned women should match the skin's undertone and look flawless and natural.

Two brands to check out are Valana Minerals and Ada Cosmetics, both brands carry mineral powder foundation formulated to naturally match the colors of darker skin tones. There is also the completely vegan line, crushgroovecosmetics formulated by African American cosmetic artist, Jenique Bell.

I tried Valana Minerals and I fell in love with their colors, it went on a smooth and the color blended very naturally with my skin tone. Please share other mineral makeup brands formulated for darker skin tones or testimonials of any of the brands mentioned above.