Mineral Makeup Brand Spotlight : Valerie Beauty

It was like reading the children’s bedtime story *The Three Bears* , “This one’s too heavy, this one’s too light, this one’s too shiny, this one’s too matte” and so on. MineraI cosmetics are very subjective; everybody’s taste is different, and everybody’s skin reacts differently to different formulas. I decided that the only way to get what I wanted was to do it myself. I spent over a year learning, experimenting, trial and error, dozens of failed batches (failure meaning it wasn’t what I was looking for), until my “Eureka!” moment happened.

- Valerie Tukey

Another mineral makeup brand that’s been making waves is Valerie Beauty. Valerie Tukey, the beauty behind the brand, is here to share to The Mineral Makeup Blog readers her story, and her products!

Valerie’s background with cosmetics is very broad – touched and played with cosmetics as young as age two, as her dad made her play with her mom’s bagful of cosmetics to keep her distracted and make her dad watch football in peace ( Haha! ), giving an improvised facial of washcloth and a bowl of water to the nextdoor neighbor at age seven, managed sales for cosmetics brands and doing freelance makeup for a period of fourteen years, and finally, opening a business for her Aesthetician services ( facials, chemical peels, etc. )

Valerie’s mineral makeup journey began when she became aware of the pore-clogging effects of the makeup that her customers had been using, that they’d rather “cover” their problem skin rather than trying to clear it up. One of her ( and her customers’ )huge gripes is bismuth oxychloride, that is said to be irritating and makes some skin break out. It’s not that bismuth oxychloride is a bad thing for her, since she tells us that there are alot of satisfied customers who are using mineral makeup with bismuth oxychloride – she simply wants to cater to the market which would want bismuth-free products, namely, her customers. With her concern for her clients, she formulated a cosmetic line of her own that would address the skin issues rather than cover, and just hide them forever. I think that’s a better way of taking care of your skin! Thus, voila! Mineral Makeup!

Valerie Beauty Cosmetics is a mineral makeup brand sold online. She has mineral makeup, skin care ( The Green Cream! ), and some Youngblood cosmetics for sale there. Her customer service has been widely raved about for Val giving her clients the personal touch. Her noteworthy products are Cover Deluxe- famous for giving flawless coverage on the heavier side, and her green cream, which is highly raved at the Mineral Makeup Mania Forum (Wow. ) I have tried some of her products (product review, to follow! ) and I must say, I am really overwhelmed by Cover Deluxe. I love love love it! Oops, I sort of got carried away! Anyway, she also has a forum at Delphiforums for her customers who interact and ask her questions. She holds some contests, and there are also customers ( and her ) posting FOTD pictures of using Valerie Beauty Cosmetics.

I asked her some interesting questions that you might want to know, coming from a mineral makeup brand owner. I mean, don’t they live and breathe ( and cook! haha! ) mineral makeup?

Here’s one question :

Some are turned off by mineral makeup because of the “messiness” and “wrong application”. Can you teach us how to “correctly” apply mineral makeup in such a way that it would look good? How do you control coverage in mineral makeup application?

Yes, the powders have a mind of their own sometimes, don’t they? I think the challenge with minerals is that we need to “re-learn” how we work with cosmetics. Many of us are used to pressed cosmetics, which are loaded with undesirable ingredients that are needed to keep the makeup in a pressed form. Did you ever notice the oils and buildup that can happen in your powder compact? Yuck!

But, the advantages of minerals outweigh the small inconvenience of having a little powder on the bathroom counter. For instance, I think back to my days on the makeup counters. So often I would have a customer looking for a foundation match and there wouldn’t be one! So, she’d have to go with “the next best thing” as far as a color match. While mineral foundations tend to be very forgiving as far as color goes, you can easily mix a couple of shades if you can’t find a match, sometimes it only takes a sample of another color to tone your jar of foundation to what you want! Custom blends can be done too. If you get a tan in the summer, you might want to just add a little of a darker shade to keep your foundation in line with your summer skin.

Another advantage of minerals is that they are so incredibly versatile. You can apply them in many ways. The key is to experiment and find what method you like best. Some skins look and feel better when the minerals are mixed with a moisturizer, or even a gel like aloe vera, before applying. In your palm you can mix a little mineral foundation powder to your cream, lotion, or gel, and make it like a tinted moisturizer. The more you add, the more coverage you’ll get with your mix. So, it’s adjustable! You can then just apply with your fingers, a makeup sponge, or a foundation brush.

Dry applications can be customized too. The type of tool you use will determine what coverage you get. The fluffier the brush, the lighter the coverage. I find flat top brushes give a more full coverage, while a large powder brush gives a more sheer application. Using a makeup wedge or flocked sponge (velvety makeup puff) can give medium to full coverage. Kabuki brushes are also very popular. Personally, I prefer to use a Kabuki that contains a blend of squirrel hair, as many kabukis are the less expensive goat, or capra hair. The cheaper hairs tend to be more stiff and scratchy, and sometimes these brushes can sensitize your skin and make it itchy. There have been cases when people thought it was their mineral foundation that was making them itchy, only to find it was their brushes that were the culprit. Using high quality brushes can make a difference in how your makeup goes on and how it looks. Don’t scrimp on the brushes! You wouldn’t buy a cheap brush to paint your house interior, would you, because it would affect the way the paint goes on, right? Same with your face. I think you’re worth it, and so should you.

Don’t forget that you can apply multiple layers of your foundation if needed. Again, you really need to experiment with your application tools to find which one works best with your skin. I’m constantly amazed at how a mineral foundation’s look can change, simply by changing the tool.
Remember that mineral foundations can easily be “overdone”. So, if you’re looking cakey or ghost like, you probably used too much. Many people find a gentle swirling technique with their brush gives a nice, even application. When you dip your brush into the minerals, don’t whip the brush in the air, or it will be all over the place and you’ll be wasting precious makeup! Just give a gentle tap and release the excess powder back into the cap or container. I often remind clients that minerals tend to look better 30-60 minutes after applying, when they’ve had a chance to adjust to the skin, warm up, and absorb a little oil from your moisturizer. So, don’t dispair if your face looks a little too powdery at first. Wait a while and see if the look of it changes. This happens a lot for people.

Another factor that people overlook is the condition of their skin. Too often I find people are trying to make their makeup responsible for the appearance of their skin, instead of addressing the skin itself. If your skin is flakey and it’s showing up through the makeup, don’t try to mat it down, exfoliate! You should always try to perfect the “canvas” as best you can before applying color. That means cleansing, exfoliation when necessary, and then applying your treatment products like serums, moisturizer, and always SPF. You can never have too much SPF. Although mineral foundations do offer a certain amount of sun protection, unless the SPF has been determined through extensive and expensive testing, no SPF claim can be made.

A nice finishing touch is to lightly mist the face with a hydrating toner or moisturizing setting spray. This step is recommended for people who don’t like a powdery or matte look to their makeup. A light spritz to the face will instantly give the skin a more dewy and natural look. Again, some sprays are more moisturizing than others; some contain emoillients and oils which appeal more to dry skins. Check to make sure your spray will be right for your skin type.

And another one :

What is the difference between handmade cosmetics and store-sold mineral cosmetics – quality wise? because for sure , they’re way pricier. What do you think are your advantages, and disadvantages in this “ball game”?

One of the disadvantages of being a small mineral makeup company is that we don’t have the marketing budget of the large companies. We run don’t spots on television and infommercials, we don’t have slick ads in the top beauty magazines, nor do we have incredible web sites. We also don’t have the fancy packaging like glossy boxes, brushes with hot stamped logos, and pretty boxed gift sets.We rely on our own promotion and word of mouth from our satisfied customers. The prices you’re paying with the big commercial lines (they’re more expensive) do go towards the advertising which can cost millions of dollars each month, as well as the other operation and distribution costs of running a company that size. I don’t think that just because a company has ads everywhere, they have THE superior product. Here’s an analogy to demonstrate my point – we all know of several multi-billion dollar chain burger restaurants; they are on every street corner. Do you feel that they produce the best food available, simply because they’re a big company and can afford to bombard you with ads? If you had a choice would you eat there, or would you rather eat at a locally owned restaurant with homemade, handmade food? Biggest isn’t always best, in my opinion.

Another difference, as we discussed before, is ingredients, such as Bismuth. Most of the commercial mineral lines contain this ingredient, and it’s an ingredient that many consumers are choosing to eliminate from their mineral cosmetics. Some minerals even contain paraben preservatives. It’s been said that some lines are eliminating the parabens due to customer demand.

I think an advantage that we have is that being a small company, we can communicate directly with our customers, and provide a level of personal service that is often lost these days. My customers can email me and get a direct reply from me. I do my best to remember my customers, and I often do things to show my appreciation for my customers in the form of free gifts and generous sampling. I listen to my customers and take suggestions for new products, colors, and requests they make. I value my customers and find that maintaining a close relationship with them benefits us both!

Wow. That got me enlightened! and, speaking of enlightenment, did I mention that she is a Reiki II practicioner? Reiki is a form of healing tht utilizes what is known as the “universal life force”, an energy that is all around us. It’s some sort of healing. Let’s all hope she heals our skin via mineral makeup! ( Val, do you transfer some of your good vibes/energy to the mineral makeup? We hope you do! )

Okay, for the best part. Let me have the honor to introduce the absolutely beautiful spokesperson for Valerie Beauty…

Val!! I’m speechless. All I can say is, wow.