BellaSugar

BellaTV: Our Mineral Makeup Must Haves!

BellaSugar — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:00:00 PST

In this week's Bella Beauty Tip, we learn how to apply mineral makeup with ease, and our editor, Annie, recommends some of her favorite mineral makeup brands: Lancôme, Alima Pure, and Youngblood. Now, go forth and powder!

BellaSugar's Mineral Makeup Must-Haves!

BellaTV — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:25:34 PST

In this week's Bella Beauty Tip, Annie gives us tips on how to apply mineral makeup and recommends some of her favorite mineral makeup brands: Lancôme, Alima Pure, and Youngblood.

Making Mineral Makeup

BellaSugar — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:00:11 PST

Ever wonder what's actually in your makeup and how it's made? Then you've come to the right place, especially if you're curious about what, exactly, is in that wondrously effective mineral makeup of yours, and how it's put together. It's actually extremely simple, and easy enough that you could make it on your own if you felt like it. So to find out what goes into making mineral makeup, just read more

Make Your Own Tinted Moisturizer - It's Easy!

BellaSugar — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:00:00 PST

There's nothing fancy about this idea, but it works. If you use loose powder mineral makeup, you can make your own custom-blended tinted moisturizer by blending it with whatever face lotion you use. Most mornings, I put a bit of La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 ($24.41) in my hand, and then I add a bit of Alima Pure satin matte foundation ($20, less 20 percent off through the end of the month). A little mixing creates a smooth tinted moisturizer that I can adjust for more or less coverage as needed. See? Easy.

Here's the Buzz on Lancôme's Vibrating Foundation

BellaSugar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:00:31 PST

If any brand is into shaking things up - literally - it's Lancôme. After last year's successful debut of Ôscillation mascara, the brand has recently rolled out Ôscillation Powerfoundation ($48), a vibrating mineral foundation whose applicator vibrates 7,000 times per minute. The idea is that these microvibrations make for a smoother and more even finish, all while creating softer skin over time.

But how well does it work? To find out, just read more.

What's Your Take on Mineral Makeup?

BellaSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:00:30 PDT

Mineral makeup isn't as new as you might think. After all, people have been using minerals to paint their faces for hundreds of years. But it wasn't until the 1970s that the concept took off with the granola crowd, and in the past 10 years, Bare Escentuals helped turn this niche segment of the cosmetics industry into a multi-million dollar phenomenon. Now, it seems that almost every beauty brand is in on the trend, from drugstore lines to high-end collections.

Here's the thing, though: mineral makeup seems to be a love-or-hate thing. Personally, I can't get the foundations to look right on me; my complexion seems a little too perfect to look believably skin-like. But other friends, like Jolie Nadine, swear by it. (Nadine, who appears in commercials for Bare Minerals, does look about 10 times better in mineral makeup than I do.) Clearly, mineral makeup has moved beyond being a trend to being a healthy category on its own. Are you a fan, or not so much?

Source

Reader Review of the Day: Jane Iredale PurePressed Base Pressed Mineral Powder

BellaSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:01:32 PST

When you spend beaucoup bucks on a beauty item, you want to be overjoyed, elated . . . even giddy about your purchase. So when I saw that MissTiffany reviewed a $48 powder, I took notice. She even thinks that Jane Iredale PurePressed Base Pressed Mineral Powder in Autumn is the best mineral makeup around. I'm glad she's found a product that works. So now, take it away, MissTiffany:

"I think Jane Iredale is the best mineral makeup out there. This PurePressed Base is wonderful. It blends beautifully with my skin. I haven't experienced any breakouts and my makeup lasts through the whole entire day. I can't say enough."

Would you like to see your opinion on here? Just go to our product reviews site, review to your heart's delight, and you might featured on this daily post.

New Product Alert: Mode Cosmetics Natural Skin Mineral Powder Foundation

BellaSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:00:26 PDT

Mineral makeup just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Mode Cosmetics has just released its first-ever Natural Skin Mineral Powder foundation ($8). The texture is weightless in feel yet rich in pigment, so a little goes a long way. The result is a flawless, matte airbrushed effect. The formula contains cocoa, a powerful antioxidant, which happens to also makes it smell really good.

And hey, just in case you wanted something to talk about at an upcoming Passover Seder, why not mention that your makeup is certified kosher!

Additionally, it's noncomedogenic, fragrance free, oil free, and suited for even the most sensitive skin since it contains only three pure (and vegan) ingredients. Natural Skin Mineral Powder Foundation is available in 10 colors ranging from ivory to chocolate and can be found in supermarkets, pharmacies, and online.

To see swatches of all of the colors,

Bella Brand: Mixology Makeup

BellaSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:00:03 PST

I predict that this will be the year of mineral makeup. The huge success of Bare Escentuals has prodded bigger cosmetics brands to launch their own mineral collections, but there are a few smaller ones worth noticing as well. I've recently discovered Mixology Makeup, a Phoenix-based brand that sells its goods on Etsy.

Mixology will appeal to the tree hugger in you: It's a vegan, organic line without synthetic dyes. Like most mineral-makeup lines, it's able to provide a natural look; unlike some others, the eye shadows are very fine and highly pigmented. They're also well priced at $8.50 each, or you can join the shadow of the month club to receive a surprise shade every four weeks.

To see some color swatches,

From left to right:
Pirate is a dark-matte eggplant shade.

Trench is a twiggy, not-too-chocolatey brown.

Fray is one of my favorite colors. The brown is slightly shimmery, but not in an over-the-top Donna Summers way.

Bones is my other big favorite. Although it's described as a matte highlighter, the color isn't flat, so it still catches light. It's a good choice for using on the brow bone.

Dune is a shimmery beige with a hint of moss green.

Doing Drugstore: Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Blush

BellaSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT

I know a lot of you love mineral makeup (and if you do, don't forget to enter this giant Bare Escentuals contest. As for me, I've had some mixed results. Mineral makeup sometimes makes me feel like I'm a little too "done." So I was excited to try Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Blush ($12.99), in hopes that this would be the product that pushed me onto the bandwagon.

One thing I like about this product is the all-in-one packaging. The container holds the blush and brush together, which saves time when you're in a rush to get ready. To release the brush, you slide a clear plastic sleeve down. Then, you flip the blush upside down and give it a little shake. (Because I am a dork, I kept thinking, "It's Shake and Bake. And I helped!")

For the full review,

At first, I got crabby because the blush didn't come out evenly. It was concentrated in one tiny spot, which left me with odd sweeps of color a la the Misfits (Jem, not Danzig). I tried again, this time shaking a few extra times and rubbing the brush in my hand. Ah, that's the ticket. The color then went on my cheeks evenly and sheerly, making it look like I had a rosy glow. Unlike a lot of blushes, these aren't shimmery, so they're ideal for those of you who like a more natural look.