Bismuth Oxychloride is quite controversial. Most people don't understand what it is or what it does in makeup.
There are two "camps" of mineral foundation manufacturers...
1. Those that include it for its seemingly creamy, shimmery feel
and
2. Those who don't include it NO MATTER WHAT, due to its reputation as an itchy, irritating ingredient.
So what IS this ingredient:
This is an element (number 83 on the periodic table), with the symbol: Bi. It is a form of metal.
Chemically, it resembles arsenic and antimony. It has a very high shine, thus giving mineral makeup a shimmery effect.
Companies that choose to use it in their makeup do so because it is cheap, makes a great filler, and by refracting light, gives the appearance of fewer fine lines and imperfections.
It also has the ability to cling well to your skin, thus giving great adhesion of the mineral makeup. The buffing method was developed to help buff this ingredient INTO your pores, creating the adhesion effect.
The main downfall of it is that many women itch when sweating, while wearing this ingredient. If you find this is the case, you might wish to switch to a brand of mineral makeup that doesn't include it.
I personally prefer to NOT use this ingredient at all. It really does make my skin itch and many find it is quite irritating on sensitive skin.
The sheen and light-reflective properties can be easily duplicated by a softly-glowing mica.
Try various samples from companies to determine the sheen of the powder.
Mineral makeup ranges from matte to super shiny, so there is something available for every desire...
Friday, September 10, 2010
Mineral Blush Techniques and Looks
Tricks for Applying Mineral Blush for a Natural or Dramatic Look...
You gotta love cheek color!
It is so easy to apply, and yet gives such a great result.
It perks up the look of your skin for a healthy glow!
I recommend at least some form of color on your cheeks. If you have rosacea or a sunburn, then you have built in color. Simply apply less foundation to your cheeks and voila...beautiful, colorful cheeks! (aren't you special? :) )
Choosing Colors:
With the multitude of colors available today, you might be hesitant to buy a rouge color. If you simply can't decide, go with a pinky/peach in a medium tone (not too dark, not too light). That type of shade works on just about everybody.
Now, if you know you have cooler, pinker skin, I recommend a pink , mauve, raspberry, cocoa brown, red, or plum color. Anything that has cool, rosy undertones will work. Stay away from strong peachy or orange tones. And don't even look at warm, golden browns. They will look dull on you.
If you have more yellowish or peachy skin, go with a warmer blush, such as peach, golden brown, mango, tangerine, or warm pink. Warm pinks just have more of a peachy hint to them. Stay away from cooler pinks (these can have almost a blue undertone when very cool.) Colder shades will look stark and harsh on you.
It is simply best to try many samples till you find the color you love. And feel free to switch around!
I do all the time.
I rarely stay with the same cheek color for more than a few weeks. I love to try out new shades!!!
I get bored easily. Can you tell?
:)
TO APPLY:
I like to start at the temple (by the hairline, next to the outside corner of your eye). Using a large, fluffy, loose-bristled powder brush (meaning that the bristles are NOT densely packed), pick up a TINY amount of mineral blush.
Swirl it around in your makeup jar lid till distributed evenly on the bristles. Then tap the brush on the lid, with the bristles pointing toward the ceiling. This settles the powder deep into the brush for a more even application.
Now, sweep or tap or do little circle movements with your brush, beginning at your temple and ending about an inch and a half from your nose. Don't get too close to your nose. You'll look like Raggedy Ann.
And please... please... don't apply TOO much blush and especially not in little cute circles just on the cheeks... Unless you want to look like you're a clown, of course. But that is a whole other topic!!!
Apply thin layers till you achieve the look you like. It is better to start with too little and build up, then to apply too much and have to correct it.
BUT....if you do apply too much, you can fix it.
Just apply more foundation or concealer on top and buff till smooth.
Sometimes if you apply way too much and keep buffing with your powder brush, it will just be a lost cause. You'll need to wash your face and reapply everything. It is better to do that than to go all day feeling like a rosy posy.
I've done that and it is so embarrassing! Chances are, nobody noticed, but I knew and I felt ridiculous!
Natural or Dramatic?
99% of the time, I say go with a sheer, natural look. You want your rouge to simply accentuate your natural cheekbones, not appear garish.
There are a few times when you might need to apply a little more or apply in more of a slanted angle...
You gotta love cheek color!
It is so easy to apply, and yet gives such a great result.
It perks up the look of your skin for a healthy glow!
I recommend at least some form of color on your cheeks. If you have rosacea or a sunburn, then you have built in color. Simply apply less foundation to your cheeks and voila...beautiful, colorful cheeks! (aren't you special? :) )
Choosing Colors:
With the multitude of colors available today, you might be hesitant to buy a rouge color. If you simply can't decide, go with a pinky/peach in a medium tone (not too dark, not too light). That type of shade works on just about everybody.
Now, if you know you have cooler, pinker skin, I recommend a pink , mauve, raspberry, cocoa brown, red, or plum color. Anything that has cool, rosy undertones will work. Stay away from strong peachy or orange tones. And don't even look at warm, golden browns. They will look dull on you.
If you have more yellowish or peachy skin, go with a warmer blush, such as peach, golden brown, mango, tangerine, or warm pink. Warm pinks just have more of a peachy hint to them. Stay away from cooler pinks (these can have almost a blue undertone when very cool.) Colder shades will look stark and harsh on you.
It is simply best to try many samples till you find the color you love. And feel free to switch around!
I do all the time.
I rarely stay with the same cheek color for more than a few weeks. I love to try out new shades!!!
I get bored easily. Can you tell?
:)
TO APPLY:
I like to start at the temple (by the hairline, next to the outside corner of your eye). Using a large, fluffy, loose-bristled powder brush (meaning that the bristles are NOT densely packed), pick up a TINY amount of mineral blush.
Swirl it around in your makeup jar lid till distributed evenly on the bristles. Then tap the brush on the lid, with the bristles pointing toward the ceiling. This settles the powder deep into the brush for a more even application.
Now, sweep or tap or do little circle movements with your brush, beginning at your temple and ending about an inch and a half from your nose. Don't get too close to your nose. You'll look like Raggedy Ann.
And please... please... don't apply TOO much blush and especially not in little cute circles just on the cheeks... Unless you want to look like you're a clown, of course. But that is a whole other topic!!!
Apply thin layers till you achieve the look you like. It is better to start with too little and build up, then to apply too much and have to correct it.
BUT....if you do apply too much, you can fix it.
Just apply more foundation or concealer on top and buff till smooth.
Sometimes if you apply way too much and keep buffing with your powder brush, it will just be a lost cause. You'll need to wash your face and reapply everything. It is better to do that than to go all day feeling like a rosy posy.
I've done that and it is so embarrassing! Chances are, nobody noticed, but I knew and I felt ridiculous!
Natural or Dramatic?
99% of the time, I say go with a sheer, natural look. You want your rouge to simply accentuate your natural cheekbones, not appear garish.
There are a few times when you might need to apply a little more or apply in more of a slanted angle...
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Cat Eye Makeup
is so awesome! It can completely change your look!
You can use various colors and eye shadow shapes.
The general characteristic that makes eye shadow a cat eye, is the slight flare you create with your upper-lid eyeliner.
Here are the basic instructions:
1. Prime the entire eye area with foundation.
2. Apply your lighter color to brow bone and eye lid.
3. Apply your darker eye shadow color in the crease of your eye and blend down onto the eye lid if desired. You can really have free reign here... Use sparkly colors or matte shades. Either is fine. Use bright, bold colors or subtle, soft shades. Go for a natural look or a more intense appearance. Apply the classic eye shadow look of a shaded color in your crease, OR go wild and crazy and apply streaks and patterns!
4. Now for the actual cat eye look. Take a thick, dark eyeliner. You can use powdered, pressed, pencil, gel, liquid... whichever type you choose. The liquid and gel versions will give a more defined look, which you might prefer for this.
Apply liner very softly to lower lash line. Then apply the liner to the upper lash line: Begin at the INNER corner of the eye with a thin, delicate line, and build the line thickness as you reach the other corner of the eye. At the outer corner of the eye, sweep the eyeliner up and out. This mimics long, gorgeous lashes.
5. Finish with black or brown mascara.
You can use various colors and eye shadow shapes.
The general characteristic that makes eye shadow a cat eye, is the slight flare you create with your upper-lid eyeliner.
Here are the basic instructions:
1. Prime the entire eye area with foundation.
2. Apply your lighter color to brow bone and eye lid.
3. Apply your darker eye shadow color in the crease of your eye and blend down onto the eye lid if desired. You can really have free reign here... Use sparkly colors or matte shades. Either is fine. Use bright, bold colors or subtle, soft shades. Go for a natural look or a more intense appearance. Apply the classic eye shadow look of a shaded color in your crease, OR go wild and crazy and apply streaks and patterns!
4. Now for the actual cat eye look. Take a thick, dark eyeliner. You can use powdered, pressed, pencil, gel, liquid... whichever type you choose. The liquid and gel versions will give a more defined look, which you might prefer for this.
Apply liner very softly to lower lash line. Then apply the liner to the upper lash line: Begin at the INNER corner of the eye with a thin, delicate line, and build the line thickness as you reach the other corner of the eye. At the outer corner of the eye, sweep the eyeliner up and out. This mimics long, gorgeous lashes.
5. Finish with black or brown mascara.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Mineral Makeup Concealer and Corrector
How to use a concealer to cover YOUR specific problems, including acne, under-eye circles, fine lines, age spots, large pores, etc...
You are a rare lucky duck indeed if you have no problems to cover.
Most of us have something. Common complaints that need covering include: acne, under-eye circles, spots and splotches, liver/sun/age spots, rosacea, sunburn, wrinkles and fine lines, brown spots, white spots, etc.
I'll talk about how to conceal first, then later, get into correctors (yes, they are two totally different things).
TO CONCEAL:
I recommend a loose powder mineral makeup cover-up. They cover and last well, without piling junky chemicals on your skin that most cream-based cover-ups can contain. They come in various colors, to match your skin tone.
I normally recommend choosing a shade that is slightly lighter than your skin tone. This way you don't end up with brown spots on your face.
Remember that mineral makeup can deepen just slightly after mixing with the oils on your skin (this happens about 30 minutes to an hour after applying). So choose a shade that is just slightly lighter than your mineral foundation color.
Experiment to find the best way for you to apply. I recommend applying it before your mineral foundation. But some apply it after. Sometimes I will do both.
Acne
Just call me the Acne Queen. I have had acne for years and years and thank goodness it has finally cleared up for the most part.
But I have learned many secrets and tricks for covering it.
I recommend a small, pointed brush. Pick up a small amount of powder on your brush and dab in the jar lid to pack the powders into the bristles.
Dab onto acne, but don't blend. You will now have a bunch of pale round circles all over your face.
Touch up any other areas that need help (under your eyes, for example) and then apply your mineral foundation.
If you find you are wiping off the initial powder with your mineral foundation, just TAP ON your mineral foundation, instead of swirling. This is an EXCELLENT tip that I use every day. It allows you to achieve greater coverage.
Apply everything else, then if you still have a blemish or two poking out, just dab a little bit of powder on them with a q-tip to cover them up.
If you are headed to a special event that you MUST look fabulous for, then take a little bit of mineral makeup with you, along with a q-tip to touch up, should you need it. You never know! You'll feel better having it, anyways.
Another tip is to apply your concealing powder underneath the blemish... Pimples can stand out from your face, causing a slight shadow under them. When you conceal under them as well as on them, you help to eliminate that shadow, thus disguising the pimple better.
Baggy, Puffy, Gray Eyes
Pick up some cover-up powder on a concealing brush and beginning at the inner corner of the lower eyelid, sweep your brush outward toward the outer corner of the eye.
Try to not apply much powder around the crow's feet area, or you'll accentuate wrinkles.
Keep applying a few layers till you achieve the proper amount of coverage.
Dab some of the powder on the inner corner of your eye for a brightening effect.
Sweep a slight amount on your upper eye lid, up to the brow bone, for an excellent eye shadow primer.
Finally, take a small amount of powder and sweep underneath the bag (on the SHADOW of the bag) if your eyes have a puff. This extra step can make all the difference in hiding that baggy eye. I use it every day!
Age Spots
And other blemishes...
Simply apply your concealing powder to desired areas, and top with mineral foundation.Follow the directions for acne above.
Rosacea, Sunburn, and Other Large-Area Problems
If you have a large area that needs covering, like your cheeks and nose, I recommend simply using your kabuki brush for this. Apply as you would mineral foundation.
You can leave it as is, if the color matches your skin tone well, or top with mineral foundation. This is your choice.
CORRECTORS
Now, correctors are different. They are not meant to match your skin tone, but rather correct certain discolorations.
Green correctors help to cancel out redness.
Yellow correctors help to cover up blue/gray circles under your eyes.
Lavender is great for yellowish bruising or correcting olive skin.
Pink brightens dull, sallow skin.
Apricot is nice for warming up olive skin tones and giving a punch of color.
Blue covers up that orange color you can get from sunless tanning.
Green and yellow are the most popular.
So how do know whether to use a corrector or a regular concealing powder that matches your skin tone?
It's simply personal preference.
I recommend the correctors for helping out large areas of your face and extreme conditions. (for example, if you have severely red skin and need to tone it down, then a green corrector would work well for you).
If you are mainly trying to cover small blemishes, then I would say a regular concealer is fine.
You are a rare lucky duck indeed if you have no problems to cover.
Most of us have something. Common complaints that need covering include: acne, under-eye circles, spots and splotches, liver/sun/age spots, rosacea, sunburn, wrinkles and fine lines, brown spots, white spots, etc.
I'll talk about how to conceal first, then later, get into correctors (yes, they are two totally different things).
TO CONCEAL:
I recommend a loose powder mineral makeup cover-up. They cover and last well, without piling junky chemicals on your skin that most cream-based cover-ups can contain. They come in various colors, to match your skin tone.
I normally recommend choosing a shade that is slightly lighter than your skin tone. This way you don't end up with brown spots on your face.
Remember that mineral makeup can deepen just slightly after mixing with the oils on your skin (this happens about 30 minutes to an hour after applying). So choose a shade that is just slightly lighter than your mineral foundation color.
Experiment to find the best way for you to apply. I recommend applying it before your mineral foundation. But some apply it after. Sometimes I will do both.
Acne
Just call me the Acne Queen. I have had acne for years and years and thank goodness it has finally cleared up for the most part.
But I have learned many secrets and tricks for covering it.
I recommend a small, pointed brush. Pick up a small amount of powder on your brush and dab in the jar lid to pack the powders into the bristles.
Dab onto acne, but don't blend. You will now have a bunch of pale round circles all over your face.
Touch up any other areas that need help (under your eyes, for example) and then apply your mineral foundation.
If you find you are wiping off the initial powder with your mineral foundation, just TAP ON your mineral foundation, instead of swirling. This is an EXCELLENT tip that I use every day. It allows you to achieve greater coverage.
Apply everything else, then if you still have a blemish or two poking out, just dab a little bit of powder on them with a q-tip to cover them up.
If you are headed to a special event that you MUST look fabulous for, then take a little bit of mineral makeup with you, along with a q-tip to touch up, should you need it. You never know! You'll feel better having it, anyways.
Another tip is to apply your concealing powder underneath the blemish... Pimples can stand out from your face, causing a slight shadow under them. When you conceal under them as well as on them, you help to eliminate that shadow, thus disguising the pimple better.
Baggy, Puffy, Gray Eyes
Pick up some cover-up powder on a concealing brush and beginning at the inner corner of the lower eyelid, sweep your brush outward toward the outer corner of the eye.
Try to not apply much powder around the crow's feet area, or you'll accentuate wrinkles.
Keep applying a few layers till you achieve the proper amount of coverage.
Dab some of the powder on the inner corner of your eye for a brightening effect.
Sweep a slight amount on your upper eye lid, up to the brow bone, for an excellent eye shadow primer.
Finally, take a small amount of powder and sweep underneath the bag (on the SHADOW of the bag) if your eyes have a puff. This extra step can make all the difference in hiding that baggy eye. I use it every day!
Age Spots
And other blemishes...
Simply apply your concealing powder to desired areas, and top with mineral foundation.Follow the directions for acne above.
Rosacea, Sunburn, and Other Large-Area Problems
If you have a large area that needs covering, like your cheeks and nose, I recommend simply using your kabuki brush for this. Apply as you would mineral foundation.
You can leave it as is, if the color matches your skin tone well, or top with mineral foundation. This is your choice.
CORRECTORS
Now, correctors are different. They are not meant to match your skin tone, but rather correct certain discolorations.
Green correctors help to cancel out redness.
Yellow correctors help to cover up blue/gray circles under your eyes.
Lavender is great for yellowish bruising or correcting olive skin.
Pink brightens dull, sallow skin.
Apricot is nice for warming up olive skin tones and giving a punch of color.
Blue covers up that orange color you can get from sunless tanning.
Green and yellow are the most popular.
So how do know whether to use a corrector or a regular concealing powder that matches your skin tone?
It's simply personal preference.
I recommend the correctors for helping out large areas of your face and extreme conditions. (for example, if you have severely red skin and need to tone it down, then a green corrector would work well for you).
If you are mainly trying to cover small blemishes, then I would say a regular concealer is fine.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Dramatic Eye Makeup
can be so much fun!
There are SOOOO many options with eye makeup!
Let's break it down:
OCCASION:
Determining when it is appropriate to wear dramatic makeup will be up to you. If you work in a tattoo shop, then wearing intense eye shadow will be perfectly fine and actually expected.
If you work in a bank, however, you might want to consider a natural look for day and keep the drama for night time or special events!
Clubs, parties, and most nighttime events are great occasions to wear your more dramatic looks!
COLORS:
With dramatic makeup, you really can do just about anything you like. I do recommend sticking to YOUR colors... if you have warm coloring, then stay with warm shades. If you have cool coloring, stay with cool shades.
For more of an explanation on this see our Best Mineral Makeup Look page.
You don't have to stick to the traditional brown in the crease, and cream on the lid and brow bone. You can use multiple colors, loads of shimmer and sparkle, layers upon layers of glorious shades... SO EXCITING!!!
There are SOOOO many options with eye makeup!
Let's break it down:
OCCASION:
Determining when it is appropriate to wear dramatic makeup will be up to you. If you work in a tattoo shop, then wearing intense eye shadow will be perfectly fine and actually expected.
If you work in a bank, however, you might want to consider a natural look for day and keep the drama for night time or special events!
Clubs, parties, and most nighttime events are great occasions to wear your more dramatic looks!
COLORS:
With dramatic makeup, you really can do just about anything you like. I do recommend sticking to YOUR colors... if you have warm coloring, then stay with warm shades. If you have cool coloring, stay with cool shades.
For more of an explanation on this see our Best Mineral Makeup Look page.
You don't have to stick to the traditional brown in the crease, and cream on the lid and brow bone. You can use multiple colors, loads of shimmer and sparkle, layers upon layers of glorious shades... SO EXCITING!!!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Eye Brows - Shape and Color
Perfect eye brows are easy to create and maintain if you know the tricks! Find the best shape and color for you...
Each person has a slightly different face shape, skin tone, hair color and eye shape. You need to coordinate all the different factors in order to create the best look for you.
Eye brows are meant to define the shape of your face, and bring attention to your eyes. They shouldn't alone draw attention, but merely be a help to your beautiful eye shape and color.
SHAPE:
How do you determine the perfect shape for you?
It is really SO easy.
There are several methods to doing this:
1. Follow your natural shape and simply pluck side-line hairs.
2. Wing it! Ignore all rules and pluck away! (I'm kidding, of course!)
3. Follow the pencil method:
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Mineral Makeup Ingredient Question?
by Amanda
(England)
Simply click here to return to Do YOU Have a Makeup Question?.
(England)
Hi, I have noticed that once i have made the mineral eyeshadow, it doesn't stick too well to the upper eyelid and the powder slides off making the coverage not fantastic, what causes this and is there any ingredient i can add to stop this, other than the mica, that also won't change the colour? ?
Thank-you ! - Amanda
Hi, Amanda...
Certain ingredients do adhere better to the skin than others.
Boron Nitride
Magnesium Stearate
Kaolin Clay
Titanium Dioxide
Zinc Oxide...
Try adding one or more of those ingredients in and see if the powders adhere better...
:)
Chandi
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