Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Mineral Makeup: Elemental Beauty

It was in 1970s San Francisco that mineral makeup first became available, in sawdust-strewn health-food stores. The timing was no coincidence: "1976 was the year makeup companies were required to print ingredients on their labels," says Diane Ranger, who created Bare Escentuals, then developed a new line, Colorescience. As a result, pioneering companies stripped makeup of unnecessary talc, fillers, and preservatives. Today, mineral makeup is big business, and the range of formulas has exploded: No longer limited to loose-powder foundations, minerals can be found in everything from foundation creams to pressed powders, lip glosses to eye shadows, cheek colors to mascaras.

Why go mineral? Fans cite the bright pigments (iron oxides are commonly incorporated for their wide range of shades), light-reflecting properties (minerals like mica give skin luminosity), and mattifying benefits. If you've dismissed mineral makeup in the past, it might be time for a second look. "Formulas used to be heavy, but new technology has allowed us to refine the way the minerals are processed, so they're smaller and lighter, and feel smooth on the skin," Ranger says.


... watch for more mineral makeup posts coming soon and don't miss out on Batty's Bath mineral makeup concealing powder!


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