“You may have found the perfect shade in the makeup counter, but it looks different after stepping out of the store or after having your picture taken. There were just so many things to consider. That was only about finding your shade, applying them is another story entirely! There’s the possibilities of looking like you put on “cakeup” instead of makeup and chances of irritation, just to name a few. I practically gave up on foundation. That is, until I discovered mineral makeup.”

I’m starting a new series called Mineral Makeup Chronicles - inspiring, real-life stories of mineral makeup converts. For those who would want to share their stories, please do email me at themineralmakeup at gmail dot com. I’m sharing mine in a bit, but I’d like to introduce you to a good college friend of mine. To give you a background, she’s naturally gifted with great skin, and is a low-maintenance girl that she doesn’t need makeup. Perhaps alot of you can relate yourself with her. She’s also a new contributor in this blog! Let’s hear it for Crissy
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Sometimes, the task of choosing my ideal shade of foundation is like judging a reality TV show. You’re faced with dozens of contestants (the foundation shades) who undergo rigorous challenges (trying them on), deliberations (determining if the foundation suits you), and elimination rounds before picking the winner. In beauty terms, it is called the Holy Grail.

With the number of brands, variants under each brand, and shades under each variant, the possibilities are endless. At least once in your life, you experience the frustration of not finding your exact shade, especially with foundation. I’ve had so many skincolors - from to pale to fake tan - until I finally found my perfect match.

When I started using makeup almost eight years ago, lippies were my item of choice. I didn’t like buying foundation. Since then, in fact, I’ve bought no more than 10 concealers, powders, and foundations. I hated scouring through several compacts, bottles, and sticks. Once you’ve chosen a formulation, you have to test the product on your jaw and see if it disappears instead of leaving a streak. While that method may be effective, it doesn’t include other factors like lighting and camera flashes. You may have found the perfect shade in the makeup counter, but it looks different after stepping out of the store or after having your picture taken. There were just so many things to consider. That was only about finding your shade, applying them is another story entirely! There’s the possibilities of looking like you put on “cakeup” instead of makeup and chances of irritation, just to name a few. I practically gave up on foundation. That is, until I discovered mineral makeup.

Some of you may have already tried mineral makeup and were astounded by the results. I also happen to be a mineral makeup convert. Because of mineral makeup, I find that searching for the perfect shade is half the fun. Several brands offer samples so you can find the one that suits you before purchasing full-sized ones. No matter how many foundations I’ve tried, I don’t worry about irritation, because I know that it will not harm my skin. Best of all, there’s a very little chance that it will cake up. Several mineral make-up brands have made shades to suit several undertones, unlike some traditional non-mmu brands that have general fair-medium-dark shades that don’t flatter everyone.

Now comes the search for the ideal foundation shade:

One of the reasons I couldn’t find my ideal shade was that I saw my skin color differently from others. When I was a kid, I liked playing outdoors so I would usually get tanned. Having a sister who was fairer than me, I was considered the darker one. I grew up thinking that I was so much darker than I actually was. By the time I started buying makeup, I would buy colors a few shades darker than my actual color, thinking I still had the same skintone when I was a kid.

One of the first mineral foundations I tried was Monave in Saturnina. On an online forum, I read that shade often complimented girls who had medium warn skin like me. While I liked the coverage, I felt that the shade was too light. So I bought samples of Canela, which was more yellow brown and suited medium tan skintones, and Cecilia, which was a shade darker than Saturnina. Cecilia was way too yellow, while I thought that Canela was a good choice for summer.

I then tried Oceanmist after reading the raves and viewing the pretty FOTDs of my online friends in the mineral makeup forum. I bought Sandstone and Almond; the former was a better match. But after using up the sample and buying a travel pot, I realized that Sandstone might be a little dark. I recently bought a sample of the next shade lighter, which was Fawn and two shades under its Golden variety.

I tried the famous Jane Iredale afterward. The distributor suggested I try the pressed minerals in Warm Silk, the lightest shade in the warm family. I loved the coverage of Jane Iredale, but the shade was way too light. Then I applied the loose minerals in Amber, which was one shade darker than Warm Silk. It was a better match, and people noticed that it was more flattering than Warm Silk. I got a sample of the pressed minerals in Amber. The pressed minerals in Amber ended up being too light on me. For some reason, the pressed minerals of Jane Iredale are lighter than the loose variety.

Next brand was Valerie Beauty. Other girls with similar skintones to mine usually buy W4 or Honey. I tried using both, but none of them matched my skintone. So I tried Y4, since I have strong yellow and golden undertones. It was a pretty close match, but it was a little dark. Y3 is my closest match so far with this brand.

Even if I’ve used mineral makeup for several months, I just started trying Bare Escentuals six weeks ago. I tried Light and Medium first. Light was too light for me while Medium was not warm enough. When I got hold of Medium Biege, I felt that this will be a perfect match. My sister asking why I was applying makeup before leaving for guided tour of seven churches? I said it’s for added sun protection In the tour bus, my sister would rub my cheeks and say your skin looks flawless. That’s the first time I heard my sister say that. She’s one of my worst critics.

Out of the foundations I’ve tried so far, my top three are:
1. Bare Escentuals Medium Biege - I am proud to say that this is my HG
2. Valerie Beauty Cover Deluxe in Y3
3. Oceanmist Minerals in Sandstone

I’ve learned that even if you and someone else use the same shade under one brand, you may not use the same shade in another brand. Don’t judge a shade by its picture. When you have the chance of seeing the shades in person, don’t be afraid to try it on your face. The color of the foundation in the pot can be misleading. The color will look difference once it’s on your face. Know your skintone, particularly if you’re warm or cool. Aromaleigh has some simple guidelines to determine your skin undertone: http://www.aromaleigh.com/whatcolarewa.html. When viewing mineral makeup forums, look for a file named MMMColorComparisonChart. While it may offer possible matches with other brands based on the experiences of those who contributed to it, you are still the best judge on finding your perfect match.

I have found a few shades that I can work with, but the search is far from over. There are other brands I have yet to swirl, tap and buff. Better prepare my swirling bowl and brush for my next search.

So, how’s your search doing?

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