We recently worked up this chart for our Foundation Workshop as a guide to help you find which cosmetics are ideal for you based on skin type and desired coverage.  Our chart reflects products that we have here at Abundance, and below we have included a loose translation to help you use these guidelines with any cosmetics in your makeup bag.  Of course, there are many other types of foundation available today – creams, gels, mousse, you name it – so there is a lot of room to play.

A word on oily skin… when we refer to oily skin in this chart, we do not mean “I get a little shiny by the end of the day” – we mean seriously oily skin.  Typically we recommend mineral foundation for oily skin types, however you can still use Skin Tints if you use it in place of your standard morning moisturizer for light, non-greasy hydration (follow with powder or mineral foundation as usual…).

A note on concealing the under-eyes… We now offer both TRUE’s creamy under-eye concealer which is a trio (illuminator, salmon & yellow) as well as PRIORI’s CoffeeBerry Perfecting Concealer (in powder form).  Both are great to have in your makeup kit, but if you want to start out with just one, then I would pair creamy concealer with Skin Tints or powder concealer with mineral foundation.  If you wear both, then I would choose creamy concealer for more problematic under-eye circles, or the powder concealer for general brightening around the eyes.  PRIORI’s CoffeeBerry (powder) concealer is great on the eyelids too!  It evens out color nicely so that you look awake and wide-eyed.

Skin Tints = tinted moisturizer, or a very hydrating sheer liquid foundation formula

Mineral Foundation = mineral foundation (!)

Finishing Touch powder = a fine setting powder (non-mineral) that minimizes pores and reduces shine

Mineral Mist = a fine mist used to liquify and set mineral foundation, and hydrates with hyaluronic acid (do not attempt with water which is drying to the skin)

Our newest addition, PRIORI Coffeeberry Perfecting Minerals, is marketed as “sun protection” — rather than “mineral foundation” — acceptable not only for women, but for men and children as well.  And recently, a couple of clients have shown us the new powder sunscreen they’re using, which got us thinking about the idea of foundation versus sunscreen. We want to hear from our readers:  Would YOU put mineral powder on your toddler?  Teenage son?  Husband?  Here’s my personal investigation into the matter:

On a sunny weekend day, my family was going to walk the Los Gatos Creek Trail, a perfect opportunity to use minerals (instead of sunscreen) on my five-year-old daughter, Shannon.  As I prepped her face with a little moisture (Epicuren’s CXc, a Vitamin C serum), I wondered if I had stumbled into Pageant Mom territory.  What was next?  Spray tan for my Kindergartner?  She giggled as the brush tickled her face, and I realized that, unlike creamy sunscreen, the mineral powder won’t get in her eyes (from clumsy application or sweating).  Plus one for mineral powder!  I inspected the results and was pleased that the color was a perfect match and the powder was totally undetectable.  Two points!  By the end of the day, I no longer felt like a morally impaired makeup artist forcing cosmetics upon my family; I felt good about Shannon having breathable, chemical- and paraben-free sun protection with antioxidant protection to boot.  Plus, if you can share your mineral powder with other family members, then it’s cost effective, too.  Mineral powder for kids is definitely a winner in my book!

But I wasn’t done yet:  what about men?  Surprisingly, my SO NOT metro-sexual husband says he would wear mineral powder, but not “the liquid stuff” (a.k.a. liquid foundation).  Mineral powder, one – traditional sunscreen, zip.  While he says he would wear it, he is under the assumption that I, his wife and professional makeup artist, will be applying it for him.  Every day.  Sorry, buddy, not very practical.  And we have a tie.  Besides, mineral powder tends to have a radiance that emulates a youthful glow, something that women love but may look unnatural on a rugged, five o’clock shadow kinda guy.  If you use the Finishing Touch Powder over the mineral powder, it will yield a matte finish, but I just can’t imagine my husband knowing what to do with two powders and two brushes.   I think traditional sunscreen for men is the winner here.  Remember to look for a chemical-free, mineral sunscreen with zinc and titanium dioxide.

We’d love to know what your guy thinks about wearing mineral powder, or if you’d use it on your little tikes… leave us a comment!

Please join us in welcoming PRIORI Coffeeberry Perfecting Minerals to our cosmetics line-up!  We’re excited to introduce you to our new addition which boasts Coffeeberry extract (a skin-lightening antioxidant) and eco-friendly packaging and brushes.  We would also like to take this opportunity to address some of the questions our clients have  regarding beingTRUE cosmetics… such as Can I still get my TRUE cosmetics at Abundance? Yes!  Can I use my TRUE brushes with the PRIORI minerals, or vice versa? Yes!  Can I use the TRUE Mist with PRIORI Minerals? Yes!  Rest assured, our TRUE cosmetics aren’t going anywhere (we could never part with TRUE Skin Tints!) and you will be able to use the cosmetics interchangeably.  So why add PRIORI minerals to the mix?  It comes down to providing our clients with MORE.  More color selection.  More options.  More variety.

There are a few attributes that differentiate the two lines – namely, the antioxidant protection (natural vs. bio-engineered) and  the finish (powder vs. mist).  Please take a look at the chart below for a side-by-side comparison.  PRIORI brings something new to the table with its Perfecting Concealer (a powder concealer for allover use) and  brushes (not only are they eco/animal-friendly, they’re affordable too!).

PRIORI has proven to be an industry leader in advanced skincare (we ship PRIORI all over the world, and people often stumble upon Abundance in their search for PRIORI products), so when they released their mineral line  we just knew good things were in store.  We’re happy to report that it passed our trial period with flying colors.  Come to our next complimentary makeover event to try Coffeeberry Perfecting Minerals for yourself!

Questions?  Concerns?  Can’t wait to try Coffeeberry Perfecting Minerals?  We welcome your comments!

~Maureen

1. Prep

Your face should be freshly moisturized, giving the powder something to adhere to.  If it’s been over an hour since your a.m. moisturizer/SPF routine, it’s a good idea to put on a little more moisturizer or Skin Tints before putting on your mineral foundation.  Your skincare has everything to do with how your foundation looks!  Using the Clarisonic brush smooths and tightens skin, and the right serum and/or moisturizer will fill pores and plump fine lines.  I find that Epicuren’s CXc (Vitamin C complex) keeps my foundation matte better than any foundation primer I’ve tried.

2. Dip

A small step, yes, but it is important to emphasize that you need very little powder.  The idea is to build thin layers to achieve desired coverage.  If you’re using the pressed powder, swirl your brush a few times and tap off excess powder.  If you have loose powder, swirling the brush in the lid is usually sufficient.  You should never have so much powder on your brush that a small mushroom cloud forms when tapping the brush!  When your loose powder is brand spanking new, rather than peeling away the clear sticker on the sifter, poke 4-5 holes in the sticker/sifter hole to better control the amount of powder coming out (thus minimizing powder spills all over your bathroom counter!) – a tip we picked up from PRIORI.

3. Sweep + Swirl

Apply the foundation with long, sweeping strokes (across the forehead, across both cheeks, down the nose,and chin) to distribute the powder evenly, then swirl the brush in small circles over the area to buff and blend foundation over the entire face.  If you prefer to start buffing in circles and working in one area at a time, just remember to keep the brush moving to avoid a patchy finish.  Reapply to reach desired coverage… dip, long sweeping strokes, then work in little circles.  Normally 2-3 light applications is sufficient (if you’re wearing Skin Tints, you should only need a single application).  Feel free to apply to your neck and decollete as needed.  The TRUE brushes feel so good, people usually lose themselves in the “swirling” part.  It’s okay.  We get it.

4. Mist / Set

Okay, so now you’ve got the level of coverage you like and it’s time to seal the deal, literally.  You’re going to spritz the Transforming Mineral Mist all around your face 4-8 times (like the face of a clock at 3, 6, 9, 12), and use the TRUE sponge to lightly press-and-roll all over to set the mist and foundation together.  The sponge is not used to blend (the buffing took care of that).  Please, don’t skip the mist!!  This is the step that makes your foundation last day-to-night, and keeps skin hydrated thanks to the hyaluronic acid in the mist.  The mist is also key in correcting a heavy-handed dry or powdery finish.

** Since the original blog post, we have introduced PRIORI Coffeeberry Perfecting Minerals which offers another option to finish your mineral foundation application.  Their Finishing Touch Powder is more of a traditional setting powder which reduces shine and fills pores beautifully.  Finishing Touch works with any foundation, minerals or traditional liquid and cream foundation (it pairs perfectly with TRUE Skin Tints).

Conceal

If you have a blemish or mark (or redness in the nose folds, etc.) you’d like to conceal:  fold your sponge in half, dip the tip of the sponge into your mineral foundation, gently pat on your hand  to “load” the powder onto the sponge and prevent loose powder “fallout”, and tap the tip of the sponge over the area you wish to conceal.  The key here is to use a very light touch.

** We have since introduced PRIORI Coffeeberry Perfecting Minerals which offers a mineral concealer for eyes and face.  It’s silky smooth and doesn’t cake under the eyes like most powder concealers do.  For concealing more challenging imperfections:  before applying foundation, pat Perfecting Concealer over the area to achieve 50% coverage, then apply foundation, then touch up areas with Perfecting Concealer as needed.

Please comment if you have questions or additional tips to share, or just to let us know you stopped by!

All mineral foundations are not created equal! Everyone makes a mineral foundation these days, but our goal is to educate you as to how being TRUE is ahead of the game. Here are some of the most common questions asked at our makeover events. If you have additional questions, please comment or contact us!

I don’t like the look or feel of makeup.

Neither do we. Some of our clients have been traumatized by a visit to a department store makeup counter. Properly applied, you should not see or feel your foundation. Think of it as skincare (SPF and antioxidant protection) that coincidentally evens and brightens your skin-tone.

I already wear mineral foundation – how is TRUE different?

TRUE cosmetics are truly good for your skin (sorry, couldn’t resist). It contains a powerful antioxidant, idebenone (ee-dee-bun-own), which helps to correct (not just cover) redness, sun damage, and fine lines. Idebenone is a synthetic and more stable version of Co-Enzyme Q10.  TRUE foundation is triple-milled, or French milled, and is much finer than other mineral powders.  This means lighter and more natural looking coverage that evens skin-tone beautifully.  TRUE’s Transforming Mineral Mist is totally unique. In the old days, we set liquid makeup with a powder. With TRUE we’re setting the powder with a fine mist. The result is a natural and long lasting look.  Read on for more benefits of using the mist…

Won’t powder settle into fine lines?

Because the foundation is so finely milled, and since we set it with the mineral mist, the product shouldn’t settle anywhere. The right tools make a difference, too – if you’re consistently getting a heavy powdery coverage, you may consider applying with a different foundation brush.  If you’re a little heavy-handed applying the powder, try another round of mist, or tap a very small amount of face cream along the lines (this is great on the forehead, laugh lines and around the eyes).

I have the Mineral Mist but I’m not using it. What does it do?

A little part of the makeup artist inside me dies when I hear that people are not using the mineral mist. Okay, I’m exaggerating a little, but the mist is a key player in your TRUE mineral foundation application. The mist does a few things:

It Lasts -  the minerals in the mist and foundation form a bond which is what keeps it in place.  All day.
It Hydrates -  the hyaluronic acid in the mist is a humectant which draws moisture in and holds it at 1,000 times its weight.  Wonderful for dry skin and climates.
It Liquifies the finish so you don’t look powdery or dry, and leaves you with a natural “second skin” finish.

I prefer medium-to-heavy coverage…

You can absolutely achieve stronger coverage with TRUE mineral foundation while maintaining a natural look. The key is to build light layers of powder by continually applying small amounts and misting after every few applications. We recommend using Skin Tints underneath for a little boost in coverage.

What are Skin Tints?

In Fall 2008 TRUE introduced Skin Tints to the line. Calling it a liquid foundation doesn’t do it justice – we think of it as a tinted moisturizer. Skin Tints are very sheer and lightweight, paraben-free, and hydrate big-time with hyaluronic acid! It’s great for normal skin, and a must-have if your skin is on the dry side, seasonally or year-round. Used under your mineral foundation, it gives a beautiful, velvety radiance which is especially great for dull skin. You can wear Skin Tints alone or under your minerals – if you wear them together, you’ll need less powder.

Do I really need the brush for the Skin Tints?

I highly recommend it. In the salon we take great care to use sanitized brushes (rather than our fingers) on each guest, but at home there are some products I apply by hand:  Skin Tints is not one of them… using the liquid foundation brush feels great and saves product (approximately 40%), plus you can use the soft tips of the brush to “stipple” product into lines, pores or nose folds.  It is very important that you use a synthetic hair brush which is easy to clean with a mild soap (facial cleanser or baby shampoo works great).  TRUE makes a brush for the Skin Tints, and their slightly more firm Cream Blush Brush works just as well.