Is all mineral make-up dry and powdery?

[BonfireOfKleenex]

Just wondered - I'm having a go at ditching foundation as I'm getting increasingly blotchy, veiny and spotty (poss rosacea).

This morning I cheated a bit by using Lily Lolo powder as concealer on the worst bits, but although it looks okayish I'm getting that dry tight 'caught in a dust-storm' feeling on my skin. Apparently mineral products are better for rosacea, but I can't do this dusty thing - are there any liquidy ones?

(I'm going to try and persist with no foundation for a bit anyway, I think my skin has been better over the last couple of days.)

No.

It's all about the preparation and application. You need a good moisturiser and that has to settle for 5 mins before you start Mineral makeup. Then it's about using a tiny amount (a dusting) and swirling it into your skin. If it feels dry after that either...

1. Your moisturiser isn't good enough
2. Your are applying too much MM
3. You have dry skin and that doesn't suit MM at all, regardless of above.

HTH :) (am a HUGE Lily Lolo fan - had changed my make up routine 100%)

I never use powder as concealer, use cream concealer under eyes, and mineral powder everywhere else;
if your face is still dry try Inika Liquid Mineral make up which is creamy, or Organic Pharmacy Fluid Foundation (both mineral)

and ps if you have any flakey skin then yes, MM will show it up, in this case you need to exfoliate and use oil at night, good luck!

I have dry skin and mineral make-up has been a revelation for me (thank you Mumsnet ).

Personally I prefer BareMinerals to Lily Lolo - I do find LL a little more powdery looking and feeling. But mostly, I agree it's in the application. Make sure your skin is well moisturised and give it plenty of time to sink in. But the real trick is in the buffing. BM has a powder consistency but is actually creamy - but you have to break it down and work it into the skin for it to stop being powdery. So I swirl in the brush, then tap off all the excess, then buff it onto my face for really quite a long time (someone on here recommended singing Happy Birthday to You twice, and that's about it). I stop when my skin starts looking sheeny and glowing rather than powdered.

BareMinerals also do a Mineral Veil (that you put on over the foundation) in a hydrating formulation.

Devora that was me recommending the Happy Birthday twice! :)

Estée Lauder do nutritious make-up, which is a liquid mineral foundation. Very light coverage though, but buildable.

Ah yes, MmePinot, so it was! Well, it works, and my 2yo sits next to me and mimics the entire routine, muttering "swirl swirl - uff uff - appy birfday to oo" with great concentration. From now on we'll send you a little wave every morning as we sing to ourselves

:o Devora that is SO cute!!

I also used to use LL but have gone back to BM, but now use their Matte, not original which is totally fab, it just looks v natural.
Also now use tinted mineral veil, as original MV is too chalky for me - I tried the hydrating MV and it's nice HOWEVER it is shimmery so beware!

Thanks all And to Devora's DD, v cute!

Hmm - I think I'm doing it right - moisturise well, leave to sink in, buff for a long time... my skin is a bit dry maybe.

It's not actually too flaky at the moment (for a change) - I do OCM at night and use Avene anti-redness moisturiser in the morning.

I'll have a look at the other suggested products, thanks.

I suffer with 'vanilla' acne (not rosacea) and Lily Lolo mineral make up made it flare up to angriest levels in years - also made my skin itch.

The setting powder stuff is nice though, just not the foundation. I would have thought that the necessary buffing into the skin would be quite unpleasant on rosacea - is it not? MAC do a 'mineral' foundation that's liquid (Mineralise) but not a huge fan of that either.

Sorry that sounds unhelpful - I just don't personally find mineral makeup to be as skin-friendly as it's touted to be.

oh and btw I dont use the BM brushes nor do I buff......
I use large brush and apply in downward strokes

emsy - that is interesting, thanks. My rosacea is mostly 'under the surface' so it's not too uncomfortable to apply products, but I just don't like the effects of the buffing. It seems to give a 'matt yet shiny' effect on my skin, a bit like a marble statue, if that makes sense? And a dry feeling as if I have been in a really dusty environment, which is why I was wondering about a more liquid moisturising version of them.

Well liquid foundation is just the same stuff as mineral foundation but with something in it to give it 'slip' whether that be water, silicone or oil. The 'minerals' are the same things that give liquid foundation its coverage and colour (according to Estee Lauder...)

I alternate between MAC Studio Fix and Estee Lauder Double Wear at the moment as I like the coverage and neither of them seem to irritate my skin. I think the dry sensation you're feeling is more irritation than dryness per se - I have very oily skin and powder mineral foundation makes my skin feel as though it's sort of shrunken.

I think mineral foundations are like marmite - you either love them and swear allegiance to them for life, or you recognise see them as emperor's new clothes and move on!

If you want a more 'airbrushed' finish and a quick application, I can highly recommend a flat-topped stippling brush to apply liquid foundation - I have the one from www.makeupgeek.com and it's reasonably priced and very soft. It takes less than 30 seconds to do a full face of liquid foundation with one of those brushes and you get a nice even and natural finish.

I must admit that the thought of mineral make up didn't really appeal to me until a make-up artist used it on me for a photo shoot for Woman & Home magazine this month (I wouldn't mention it but for the fact that you can take a look at the mag and see how it looks!) I even wrote the details down for future use - the site is cosmetics a la carte and the the product is called Cover Tint. I would definitely recommend it if you are thinking of going down that route (ps the article is on p72).

Ooooh StyleGuile just stalked your profile and see you're a lawyer turned stylist - I am currently attempting to morph from a lawyer into a makeup artist!

(Will go and have a nose at the magazine tomorrow...)

emsy - lol at marmite, maybe I should try that instead, might shock my zits into submission

And weirdly, Studio Fix and Double Wear are the exact foundations I have in my make-up bag at the moment I have days where I like one or the other, but they each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Studio Fix - good coverage, bit waxy and-moist looking but moisturising. The shade I have makes me look 'healthy' but is probably slightly too orangey in some lights.

Double Wear - good coverage, bit cakey and dry on the finish. Colour a bit pinky and pale.

I have a feeling the Studio Fix may be causing the zits, as I've had it for more than a year, that's bad, isn't it?

That is interesting re mineral content of foundations. So - if you use moisturiser and primer anyway, there's really no additional benefit to using mineral foundations as such?

Yeah I am a bit unsure about both Studio Fix and Double Wear for the reasons you mention - I can't seem to get a true colour match with either and I'm too tight to buy two shades and mix. The Studio Fix isn't truly oil-free I don't think - which is why it feels a bit more moisturising. I think next time I am going back to Chanel to buy the Vitalumiere Aqua - the coverage is less, but I will sort out any glaring issues with concealer instead. You might try a Chanel foundation instead if you have the same colour issues as me - their shades are much truer for my skin so might work for you? NW20 in MAC Studio Fix is orangey in some lights and Double Wear 'Fresco' is almost grey in some lights on me - despite both being the salesgirl choice for my colour match . Chanel 'Clair' 20 in the old Teint Innocence (now sadly discontinued) was much nicer on my fair skin - and it has no trace of pinky or orangey tones.

Chanel have just revamped their entire foundation offering - I bought my sister the new Vitalumiere Aqua for Christmas and she is really impressed with it, but says the coverage is quite light. If you want more coverage the original Vitalumiere is a full coverage, and it's silicone based so will have plenty of slip to blend - I've only ever tried samples of it and from memory it does need to be set with powder (I prefer a foundation to dry to a mattish finish on its own personally).

I wish I could turn the clock back 15 years and buy 20 bottles of Estee Lauder 'Enlighten' - it was the PERFECT foundation and they bloody discontinued it bastards.

Re: the Studio Fix, did you buy the pump for it? If so, I can't imagine it will be unhygenic after only a year - if it's an open bottle that you're poking fingers into then that's less good!

Re: mineral foundation having no advantage - I would say absolutely no advantage whatsoever, they are just the same colour & coverage ingredients as in a normal foundation without the liquid - so you put the liquid on first in the form of moisturiser and primer, then the powder element. In fact, most of the big name mineral foundations contain bismouth which is a known skin irritant - so actually more chance of a reaction to it than to a standard foundation. I really don't get the appeal of them at all, but clearly they suit some people - I have a good friend who is a total convert and she keeps trying to persuade me to switch to Bare Minerals (only tried Lily Lolo) but BM definitely contains bismouth so I am unwilling!

Hmm I tried it and liked it for a bit but it did make me feel dried out. Also v pale colour

The brushes were too scratchy and I find my No 7 compact foundation gives me more natural coverage

BUT I do like the Rose radiance face colour whichi perks me right up

Boots do a cream mineral foundation which is very good

emsy: only the BM original has the Bysmuth in it, the matte doesnt, it's fab!
Honestly, get a sample, especially if you liked LL
Also, I dont use primer (as avoid silicone) and have combination skin, so minerla powder is def a good option for me

emsy - NW20 is the colour I have too, and the Double Wear is the palest one, just called 1.0 I think. Sorry - got the name of the Mac one wrong, it's Studio Sculpt I have at the mo (in squirty tube), I had the Studio Fix before that. I think they are pretty similar in texture though, from memory, the Sculpt is maybe a bit thicker.

The best colour match I have ever found was Prescriptives Flawless Skin in Rose - my one and only foundation purchase from Prescriptives, just before they disappeared!

I have used Vitalumiere before (years ago) and liked it, maybe I'll revisit Chanel when / if my skin calms down.

That is interesting what you said about mineral makeup feeling tight even on your oily skin. tbh I'm not sure whether my skin is oily or dry, it's usually got so much gunk on it during the day!

I started using BM a week ago, it requires a lot of moisturising before make up but I have to say it's AMAZING. The finish is lovely and light, covers red blotches and stays on for ages. I was using bobbi brown but it was sliding off.

horses for courses.

minerals work for some not others as everyones skin is different. Arrogant to say otherwise IMHO.

Minerals have made me love my skin again after years of hormonal acne and self confidence issues. I am now confident that my skin looks covered and not like a pizza topping. Emoerors new clothes? Pfffft. Walk a mile in my shoes, thanks.