[winnipb]

I have been using Bare Minerals for years and I am looking for something new. I don't think the Bare Minerals covers that well. I want something with good coverage that will last all day. My skin is not that oily just slightly in the T Zone. I keep checking here to get info on Mineral makeup but keep getting confused. I really want something better than Bare Minerals. Thanks Bev

[Jiro]

You're going to get 1000+ recommendations of the "best", because what is great for one person may not work for another and vice-versa. Check the Sticky posts above (such as The Official Mineral Makeup Thread ) for helpful information, but really your best bet to find what works for you is to get a few samples here and there of reputable brands, and try them out. Good luck in your search!

[seymour5000]

I hear you, girl! I'm changing from MAC to MMU and below are my first trails and thoughts (in no order). The thing I hate about MMU is that you can't go to a store or trade show to try all the brands. Yes, there are samples you can order form just about everyone, but it can get overwhelming picking a foundation color from a PC screen.

Everyday Minerals
pros: quickest shipping; cheapest foundation; lots of skin tones; no Bi83.
cons: no lasting power; just ok coverage; foundation in matte looked cheapish and unflattering; foundation in intensive looked best but still a bit cheapish.
Lot of ladies swear by this brand, so no disrespect to them...but I don't get it and I'm not feeling it. I broke out during my trails too, can't say it was from the EDM, but that just was the last step to pass for me.

Bare Minerals
pros: mineral veil; primer; kit delivery; comes with brushes and bonus extras; available at sephora & ebay; good staying power; radiance & warmth to blend skin tones; light reflecting; with all the things you receive, it's not a bad price; great customer service; video by dvd or online tutorial.
cons: just ok coverage; will not cover redness, mild acne, mild sun spots unless you apply wet and use a lot of product; brushes are bad for people allergic to animal hair; foundation contains Bi83 bad for people allergic to Bismuth Oxychloride.

Meow
pros: lots of foundation colors; great pricing for volume of make up; great customer service; great coverage; feels great and looks great; covers all problem areas; primers; radiance like products; bonus extras; no Bi83.
cons: bit slow on shipment (~8-10 business dates from online order).

Aubrey Nicole
repeat review of Meow. Equal on all points. Difference would be all samples came in very nice little pots as to Meow came in baggies.

Monave
pros: great coverage; crazy sweat-proof long lasting staying power; great pricing for volume of make up; additive colors for best skin tones; beautiful dewy look (better than BM or BE); foundation tones; great customer service; video and online tutorials; feels and looks great; cover all redness and problem areas; spa like skin care; no Bi83.
cons: got the sample eyeshadow all over my face...my have been my application (tick i learned later is to use old or collected business cards under your lower lashes to 'catch the fallen glitter or MMU shadow).

L'Oreal
pros: great coverage; great staying power; cost; looked great and felt good; at all major retailers.
cons: broke me out; smothered by skin so was sweating a lot around hair line and under & upper lip. test on animals. need i say more?

Monave, Meow & Aubrey Nicole are my favorates. I think Monave is winning but it's close!! Just to note, I like coverage and don't mind an airbrushed look. I want flawless look not a nude, translucent look. So my picks are for coverage.

Between us, I wanted SO BAD to love Bare Minerals foundation. But I don't think it's in the cards for me. Heard Sheer Cover and BM are equal.

Also seen on this board that Aromaleigh, Lumiere, Pureluxe, Jenulence, Motives.

[jangmi]

I like Meow. Before that, I wore BE. I loved BE the first time I wore it, but now it doesn't seem to last on my skin at all. Like after 2 hours I was oily.. had to blot all the time. Not fun

[magosienne]

i have the same problem on my nose with BE. i ordered some stuff from Lily Lolo and hope i can write a review about it soon the reason why i ordered there is because Becky (Sirvinya) seems to love that brand and because i thought being a french girl i would probably receive it soon in my mailbox, sooner than an US brand.

i agree you will probably have to order samples everywhere. what helped me pick colors on my pc screen is the sticky about the MMU shades. i picked everyone wearing fairly light in BE, and i know i have a light skin with pink udnertones, so with those infos i picked cool and neutral pale foundations. hoping one will be my perfect shade.

good luck !

[monniej]

has anyone heard of mineralogie and what are your thoughts?

[winnipb]

Originally Posted by magosienne

i have the same problem on my nose with BE. i ordered some stuff from Lily Lolo and hope i can write a review about it soon the reason why i ordered there is because Becky (Sirvinya) seems to love that brand and because i thought being a french girl i would probably receive it soon in my mailbox, sooner than an US brand.

i agree you will probably have to order samples everywhere. what helped me pick colors on my pc screen is the sticky about the MMU shades. i picked everyone wearing fairly light in BE, and i know i have a light skin with pink udnertones, so with those infos i picked cool and neutral pale foundations. hoping one will be my perfect shade.

good luck !

Can I order Lily Lolo here in the US. I checked out the site but I didn't notice if it could be sent to me here in the US.

[entipy]

What Jiro said is definitely true. You'll get so many conflicting opinions on what works. It just depends on a lot of things. For instance, Meow didn't give me good coverage at all and had crappy staying power whereas Everyday Minerals gives me great coverage and lasts all day long.

Right now, my favorite foundation is MAD Minerals.

Whichever brand you choose/end up with will depend a lot on what you want to achieve with your make-up and what your skin type is. Also, moisturizers and facial care routines can change how certain MMU reacts on your skin.

I would suggest grabbing "free" sample kits from those who offer them.

Everyday Minerals - Mineral Makeup - Foundation, Eye Shadow, Concealer, Lip Colors, and Blushes by Everyday Minerals
Signature Minerals - Signature Mineral Makeup

These both have free kits to try. There may be other companies who offer free kits, but I can't think of them.

Here are some other companies I hear the most about:

MAD Minerals - MAD Natural Bare Minerals Makeup Beauty Cosmetics
Pure Luxe - Flash Intro Page
Lumiere - Lumiere Cosmetics - Mineral Makeup
Meow - Mineral Makeup by Meow Cosmetics No Bismuth No Parabens
Cory Cosmetics - Welcome to Cory Cosmetics
Lily Lolo - Mineral Cosmetics | Mineral Foundations | Mineral Powders | Mineral Makeup » LilyLolo
Alima - http://alimacosmetics.com/
Aromaleigh - Aromaleigh Mineral Cosmetics & Aromatics: Pure Mineral Makeup: Creatively & affordably formulated with the finest quality mineral pigments.
Aubrey Nicole - Aubrey Nicole Mineral Makeup and Skin Care
Ocean Mist - Ocean Mist Cosmetics
Fyrrinae - Fyrinnae

[madamuhma]

its true, what works best for one may not be for another... i recently was introduced to mineral makeup and started with bare escentuals, its only been a month, but have received samples from joppa, lumiere, and meow. so far, i really like the consistency and feel of the joppa line, but found that the color was not the best... i like that meow has so many color options, but i've not been so keen on their formula... i'll be playing with the lumiere this week...

good luck in finding the right formula/color combination!

[seymour5000]

winnipd, this is what makes this board great and frustrating at the same time. it's nice to have options, opinions, feedback, disagreements, ect. i really love to review all the pros and cons but each can be very different. some peeps like it natural and are low key and others (like myself) like to rock colors and don't want a natural/nude look.
the only way to see what you like is to take $50 and start going from site to site and order samples. entipy listed several. on the main MMU board is a list of mineral sites too. good luck.

just got my AN in today so i'll update later!

[jencc]

personally, i love love love monave. great coverage, great value for money

[dialmee]

Good list of pros/cons Seymour!!! Thanks for sharing!

[seymour5000]

Originally Posted by dialmee

Good list of pros/cons Seymour!!! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Lady! There are a lot of reviews on this board but a lot of NO reviews either. I know it's taste but I wish some would explain more.

For everyone else, I updated another brand: AN. Love to hear from anyone else that has details as to why they like something.

[allyoop]

Nice summary Seymour
I hope EDM works better for me, I have ordered samples from 4 or 5 companies. Now, I'm rethinking the color choices :-(

[seymour5000]

Originally Posted by allyoop

Nice summary Seymour
I hope EDM works better for me, I have ordered samples from 4 or 5 companies. Now, I'm rethinking the color choices :-(

Thanks! I was totally where you are at 3 weeks ago. Best wishes!!
I'm going to stop with the sampling because I have 3 I really like and 1 that blows me a way on look, feel and coverage (Monave). I'm so in love I'm thinking about opening a business to sell it...I'm that serious!