Ten Things I Love About Mineral Makeup

Mineral makeup has been so popular recently. We all know that it gives a natural finish, is made or all-natural ingredients with no preservatives, has sun protection, is good for your skin, and all that jazz. But from my experience, there's a lot more to celebrate than that!

1. It's cheap, IF you do your homework, research, and try out different brands. If you're interested, check out Makeup Happy's contacts on Multiply. We've got a bunch of local sellers there.

2. Most companies sell sample sizes. This way, you don't have to commit to a huge tub of a foundation that makes you look dead.

3. Loose powders = mix your own colors. I love making my own eyeshadow and foundation shades by mixing different colors and putting them into empty containers. You can find some in stores like PCX, but Landmark is so much cheaper. They even have plastic spatulas if you don't want to use Q-tips.

4. Coverage is buildable, from very sheer to full coverage. The key here is to apply in layers. Don't dump a lot of powder on your brush, stick it on your face, and hope for the best. Apply a small amount at a time, and really buff it into the skin.

5. Versatile! You can use eyeshadows as nail color, use the foundation as concealer, turn a shimmery blush into a lip color, tons of stuff. In this way, one product can have several uses, allowing you to save money!

6. Highly pigmented (most of the time). You only need a tiny bit in order to see the effect. This means that a 10 gram jar of foundation can last you several months.

7. Can mimic liquid foundation! Either my mixing it with your favorite moisturizer to make a tinted moisturizer, OR by spritzing your brush with a bit of water before getting the powder on it, mineral makeup can look as smooth a liquid foundation, with the weightless feeling of powder. As the great Miley Cyrus once said (HAHA I bet you laughed), you get the best of both worlds. I HAVE TRIED THIS AND IT ROCKS. Just make sure you put powder into the cap and swirl the slighty damp brush in that. This is to prevent contaminating and wetting the rest of the product.

8. Finish can be adjusted, as long as you know how. For a dewy finish, mix some liquid highlighter with your moisturizer then apply. Let dry, then apply MMU. You can also spray your face with a tiny bit of water after applying all your powders, to set the makeup and help it melt into the skin. For a matte finish, layer extra foundation on the areas where you get the most shine, and buff in lots of finishing powder. Make sure you exfoliate and moisturize, so that you don't get flakes. You can also use a mattifying lotion or primer after moisturizer and before MMU.

9. Gym proof. I know this one is a bit weird, but it's so true. I've gone through running around on a hot day, and exercising in a stuffy room with barely any ventillation, and when I looked in the mirror the MMU was still there! Note, this is without foundation primer. Also note that not all brands have this power (Bare Minerals and L'Oreal are good). It also washes off really quickly.

10. I leave this up to you. What do you like about your mineral makeup? What brands do you think are best, and what other tips would you like to share with those interested in trying it?