Mineral makeup has exploded in popularity in the last couple of years. Have you jumped on the bandwagon? With more and more cosmetics companies offering mineral makeup at a less expensive price, now may be the time. Here are some of the pros and cons of this new trend in cosmetics:
Pros:
- The foundation coverage is heavy and long-lasting.
- A little goes a long way, allowing you to use less product (this goes for the foundation as well as blushers and eye shadows).
- The foundation can be layered in areas that need more coverage, but still has a lightweight feel.
- The minerals are actually good for your skin—some companies even advertise that you can sleep with their makeup on.
Cons:
- The selection of colors is more limited to colors that occur in nature, so some women of color may not find the right shade for their skin.
- The powder is very fine and may settle in lines and wrinkles, so it may not be good for women with those skin issues.
- Many (but not all!) mineral powders contain bismuth oxychloride, which can irritate very sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin and want to try mineral makeup, look for one that does not list bismuth oxychloride as an ingredient.
I’ve been using mineral makeup for about a month now and I love it. The coverage is amazing and it feels so lightweight! Another benefit I’ve found is that it is much quicker to apply than liquid foundation, and as I mentioned earlier, I can use smaller amounts of both the foundation and the color products. Higher-end cosmetics companies sell their mineral foundations for anywhere from $30 to $60, but now many drugstore lines such as Nautrogena, Physician’s Formula, and Maybelline are selling them for $8 to $15, and Mary Kay has recently introduced a mineral line priced from $6.50 for eye shadows to $18 for foundation.
