Mineral makeup is the purest kind of makeup. Not only is it free of dyes, and preservatives, it also provides maximum results, giving a flawless, airbrushed finish.

Mineral makeup reacts differently to each and everyone of us. As no two people have exactly the same skin characteristics, one mineral makeup might work effectively and give a flawless finish for one, but would deem ineffective on another. Thus, we must set some criteria on how to choose the mineral makeup that is right for us. Here are some of the criteria that can help you identify if that certain brand of mineral makeup is right for you.

COVERAGE :

May it be light, medium, or heavy, you must be satisfied with the coverage that your mineral makeup provides. Mineral makeup is usually in loose powder form, and the beauty of it is that you can always start with a light layer, then apply more layers until you achieve the coverage you desire. Concealing is another important thing, for mineral makeup can definitely cover up flaws, and make them look like you never had that blemish in the first place. Make sure that your mineral makeup can give you whatever coverage you desire, as well as hide well your imperfections.

STAYING POWER :

Another factor that you might consider is how your mineral makeup stays on your skin. Does humidity cause your mineral makeup to slide or fade off in a matter of minutes? If your skin is dry, make sure that your skin is properly moisturized before applying mineral makeup, for mineral makeup to stay well. For those with oily skin, a primer or mattifier worn under mineral makeup is beneficial to make it stay. Nonetheless, the mineral makeup must independently have good staying power on your skin. If not, then the purpose of mineral makeup is totally useless, as mineral makeup is supposed to be like second skin, only better. There are mineral makeup brands that have their foundations specially made for oily skin and dry skin. That would make it easier for the users to choose their right mineral makeup.

SHADES:
To achieve a natural finish, it is a must that your mineral makeup shade must exactly match your skin tone. Thus, a variety of shades would really help you pick out the closest, or if not, exact shade of your skin tone. Some brands offer mixing of two or three shades to achieve the closest match to your skin tone. If a brand has limited shades, chances are, its customers would “compromise” and stay in a shade somewhat close to them, but it somehow compromises the natural finish that they want to achieve. Makeup done too light, or too dark, is definitely unnatural and unpleasant looking.

FINISH:

The aim of mineral makeup is to create a natural-looking finish that looks like you don’t have makeup on. Does your mineral makeup look natural on you? Or does it look cakey, as normal drugstore brand makeup would look like? Do you want a matte finish? Or do you want to have a dewy, or shimmery finish? Those factors are all to be considered. Chances are, cakey-looking finishes often occur in overapplying mineral makeup without tapping the brush, or the mineral makeup brand just being inferior, using inexpensive fillers such as talc, which is not only a comedogenic ingredient, but also does not give a smooth/fine finish on skin.

COMFORT:

Last but not the least, it is your skin, so what feels good on you must be right for you! If it feels itchy, then you might be allergic to something that was used to manufacture that certain product that you are using. You might want to consider switching brands, but it all depends on you. Some people choose to tolerate discomfort because they love how the makeup look on their skin.

picture credit : www.merriweathers.com

About the author: The Mineral Makeup Girl is the resident blogger of The Mineral Makeup Blog (http://www.themineralmakeup.com) This article may not be published without permission from the author. Please do ask first. Thanks.