I've been interested in mineral makeup ever since I saw the first Bare Minerals TV spot, and I've been stoked to try out new products lately.  I'm very picky about makeup, and as a result don't end up wearing much foundation.  I'd much rather have some visible redness and a few blemishes than have a 'mask' that doesn't match my skin tone.  I also hate to worry about makeup caking through the day and can't be bothered with the 'ordeal' of removing foundation before bed.  Mineral makeup promises to have the solutions to all of these dilemmas, and for the most part I've found them to come through on those promises.

First up, the drugstore brand.  The first mineral makeup I tested was a liquid - Maybelline's Mineral Power Foundation.  In all fairness, I got this product from the internet, so I wasn't expecting a perfect color match.  When I put the product on, however, it was actually very close to my skin tone - just a very orange version of it.  This is the reason I don't buy most drugstore foundations, liquid or otherwise.  This product did a decent job of hiding redness in my face but only smoothed out once I set it with a different brand of mineral powder (to be named later).  Even after the powder, my skin remained dewy, which can be a good or bad thing.  Overall, this product confirmed that I've been on the right track in avoiding drugstore foundation.  All of the [good products] get discontinued anyway.  Sigh.

(I did read a good review of Maybelline mineral powder.)

Keep in mind, no mineral makeup on the market is completely natural or organic - synthetic ingredients are added to prevent irritation some natural ingredients can cause, and also added as preservatives.  Even so, drugstore products generally have the least raw ingredients, at least according to the ingredients I've found listed, and according to their advertising.

Next on my list:  Not to be confused with Bare Minerals, RAWminerals claims to be better than the infomercial favorite.  I had the opportunity to review a few (again, internet-picked) powder foundations as well as a palette of eye colors - Sand, Camel, and Spice.

Even though I had a few shades to pick for my face, none of them seemed to quite work.  Even when my skin was very well-moisturized this foundation appeared to just sit on top of my skin.  When applied to bare, non-moisturized skin, it caked up to an extent that I had to remove, apply a moisturizer, wait awhile and reapply.  Eventually I completely gave up on the foundation.

Luckily, their eye palette is a different story.  Not only is it some of the smoothest eye color I've ever used (their eye brush is great as well), the range of color is perfection.  The Sand color hides any stray eyebrow hairs I haven't plucked, the Spice shade is great in the crease of my eyelid, and the Camel color can be used either as eye shadow or as my perfect shade of bronzer/highlighter.  While I do not recommend their mineral foundation, I highly recommend their versatile eye color sets, especially for a natural summer makeup look.

This last mineral makeup is actually the first brand I tested - Beauty by Saria.  She sells her makeup through her Etsy store, and I won some samples via a contest on a beauty blog.  She is the reason why I am so critical of other mineral makeup because her mineral makeup is exquisite.  When I first tried out her mineral powder foundation, my boyfriend said "Wow, your skin got really clear," not knowing that I was wearing a lick of makeup.  In one swoop - one swoop with my crappy MK & Ashley brand makeup brush, even - of this product, the redness in my face was instantly gone and bumps settled invisibly into the background.  The color was a bit off (another online color pick), but not in the least big orangey.  This foundation also appeared to improve the condition of my skin the more I wore it, and caused no breakouts or other problems when I slept in it (something this company as well as RAWminerals actually advises).

Saria's eye colors are insanely vibrant.  As I explained here, they can be blended in various ways for different looks, from extremely bold to light pastels, and she offers some more neutral colors as well.  Her shadows (many of which are vegan-friendly) start at $7.  Her site also features vegan-friendly makeup brushes.

Some tips:  No matter what mineral makeup you choose, I suggest taking a look at the ingredients, especially if you are making the change for health or environmental reasons.  Also important is to invest in a good foundation brush for the best possible makeup finish.  Eye makeup applicators are important as well.  I've applied plenty of eye makeup with fingers an Q-tips, but a few good brushes will save you money on wasted product and give you way more control over your look.

What has your experience with mineral makeup been like?  Do you think this is a passing trend, or where makeup is headed from now on?