~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.