Mineral Foundation Review
I have been a fan of mineral foundation for about 2 years, now. I was very skeptical about how something that looked like powder could possibly offer the coverage of a liquid foundation, but a girlfriend of mine encouraged me to give it a try after she has success with it. I gave in and ordered some Bare Minerals (a place where many people start), and pretty much never looked back. The makeup, in my opinion, is of a very high quality. Unfortunately, the price tag is also high (I know that more expensive makeup definitely exists, but when you are used to paying drugstore prices, $25 for a month’s supply of foundation totally stinks).
I know that part of what you are paying for when you use Bare Minerals is the name brand. They spend a fortune on advertising, and pass those costs right along to the consumer. I tried some of the drugstore versions of mineral makeup, but did not have any success with that venture, as I personally found the quality to be seriously inferior. I knew that there had to be some company out there that offered excellent mineral makeup but for a more reasonable cost than what I was paying. Friends, I found such a place!
Let me introduce you to Tiara Minerals by Colorful Designs, an etsy store run by a fabulous woman named Gail. This company, which also has a website, offers a really large variety of options for anyone looking to try out mineral makeup, or anyone who is looking to spend less on their makeup but maintain the great look they are currently achieving with higher priced brands. Gail is a huge fan of mineral makeup, and her love of it as a consumer turned into a business. She only uses the highest quality minerals in her products. If you are on the fence about whether or not mineral makeup will work for you, listen to what Gail has to say: “Traditional liquid makeup have oils and waxes in it that can clog your pores and feel heavy on your skin. Mineral makeup is so feather light and pure you can sleep in it.” You heard right, folks. YOU CAN SLEEP IN IT. Any mother out there will rejoice at the sound of this news! This is one less thing for us to do at night on those especially crazy days! Woo hoo! Gail also offers sample baggies so that you can try out some shades before making a commitment.
I was sent a 10 piece sample bag to try out for myself (incidentally, you can snag this sample set for yourself at the sale price of $9.99 right now!). I blended the shades fair and fairest light together, as that is what I normally do with my Bare Minerals to get the right shade for my skin. I did a test by putting Bare Minerals on one half of my face, and Tiara Minerals on the other half. The coverage was equally good, and the colors matched up so well that I was able to wear the makeup out of the house as is (I did put some mineral veil over it just to smooth it out a bit). One thing that really makes me happy about Tiara Minerals is the way the foundation is sold. You can actually buy a few different shades at once so that you can custom blend the colors just for you! With any set that you purchase, be it foundation, eyeshadow or blush, colors can be swapped out in order to best meet your needs. I am especially impressed by this ability to customize your order. Whenever I order from Bare Minerals, for example, I always get a few things that I don’t personally want or need (such as the bronzer), simply because it comes with the set.
One other standout for me was the Clear Luminous All Over Color. Remember that pregnancy glow? This actually returned a bit of that glow to my face, and if I can achieve that look again without having to be pregnant, sign me up!
Overall, I was so pleased with the products I received from Tiara Minerals that I opted to wear the makeup for our Christmas photos. I like a soft, natural look that makes my skin feel healthy, and that’s exactly what I got with Tiara Minerals. I also love how fast the application process is with mineral makeup. Anything that can save me time AND look terrific is a winner with me. I’ll be placing an order in the future, for sure!
Buy It!
Tiara Minerals foundation sets start at $3.99 for a sample bag and $12.95 for a set. Most of the products are available with free shipping to save you even more money! If you are looking for a new makeup to try out, I really recommend that you start with Tiara Minerals! Edited to add: if you aren’t comfortable shopping on Etsy for some reason, Amazon does now offer a really nice selection of mineral foundations. Just be sure to read the reviews before making a purchase!
Win It!
One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a 10 piece baggie set (net wt 14 g) of their choice. Choose from Fair, Light or Tan! The contest will run until Sunday, December 20th at 7:59pm CST, when a winner will be chosen at random and emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be selected. You must include your email address in your comment or make sure it is listed in your profile! You must complete the mandatory entry in order for any subsequent entries to be counted. Open to residents of the United States.
How to Enter:
Mandatory entry: Go check out Tiara Minerals. Come back here and tell me the product she sells that you want the very most!
Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS. Leave a comment with your email address for the subscription (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
2. Become a fan of Tiara Minerals on facebook (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
3. Make a purchase at Tiara Minerals (5 entries, so leave 5 comments)
4. Add my button to your blog and leave me a url so I can find it! (2 entries, so leave 2 comments)
5. Follow me through Google friend connect
6. Enter my pacifier clip giveaway (it goes live Tuesday, December 15th)
Disclosure: I received product samples for review purposes. The views in this post are strictly my own.