Mineral Eyeshadow Blending Issues

I recently bought six mineral eye shadows from a company called Black Rose Minerals. I was excited to support a smaller company and to try some new colors. I also bought some that were more shimmery because I wanted to play with some lighter color shimmers.

The problem I have run into with all but one of the colors is that they do not "stick" even on a base when blended, or at least not on the base I used which was a white NYX jumbo eye pencil.

Is this just an issue with mineral make-up? Is it because they are loose and not pressed?

One of the color is a gorgeous rich metallic purple, but when I apply it and try to blend it there is barely any color at all left, and what is left is much lighter, which really frustrates me because I was dying to wear that one. Here is the color and the swatches from the shop: http://www.blackroseminerals.com/product_info.php?cPath=34_33&products_id=545

Am I not supposed to blend mineral eyeshadow? Or not supposed to blend shimmers?

Yes, I do think you should always blend any kind of shadows, but I do know what you mean about how sometimes mineral shadows have a tougher time "sticking".

First, always use and eyeshadow primer, because that really does help.  I do find that "glimmers" are tougher to stick, and that the more matte the shadow, the better staying power it seems to have.  I think that's just because of the product composition.  Matte shadows are smoother, and then the sparklier shadows tend to "fall off" because the sparklier shadows tend to have bigger "chunks" in it. The particles are larger.  

My way of taking care of the problem, other than the eyeshadow primer, is that I just steer clear of glimmers and super frosty shadows.  I lean towards pearlized eye shadows, which give me the shimmer, and tend to stay put much better than super frosts or glimmers.

Yes I agree...I got some awesome samples from Meow Cosmetics. They seemed to be hardly there until I used them over my Milani primer.i

Definitely try a proper primer, I can't recommend any drugstore primer cuz personally I haven't used a single drugstore primer. However I can recommend UD's, Too Faced and Lorac's which are the only ones I have tried. If the color doesn't show, just try to keep on building it up /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> and if you are worried about fall out, apply eye shadow and then the rest of your make up /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I have both pressed and loose eye shadows and I've had no problems blending them. Your problem might be cuz of the lack of a primer, but it could also be that the pigment is not so good. I could be wrong though XD

That is a beautiful purple! I've found that a lot of times with mineral eyeshadows they are in two categories (if they are shimmers/mettalics) they either work over a primer OR they work when applied wet. Experiment with applying the eyeshadow with a dampened eyeshadow brush over a primer and see if the color sticks more then. When it comes to shimmers. I usually use a cream eyeshadow and then just put the shimmer eyeshadow on top. That way it seals, doesn't crease, and the color is true and is also more vibrant. 

Definitely invest in a good primer and perhaps even an additional sticky base over your primer. A lot of people swear by Fyrinnae's Pixie Epoxy, which I keep meaning to try but haven't gotten around to just yet... 

Also, make sure you're patting the color on instead of swiping or brushing it on. I really notice a difference when I do that. And like OhMyCurlz said, a wet (or more like slightly damp) brush definitely helps. Perhaps look up some foiling tutorials? /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> 

That's how I get the color to show up. When I want to blend it, I just use a slightly less damp brush and a bit less patting. Not sure if that's the best or most eloquent technique but it works alright for me.

Mineral eye shadow is very good because eye is very important part of our body. We should take care of it.

thank you all for this wonderful thread.

Kryolan makes a great eye primer that's approximately $8-10 for almost exactly the same amount of product as Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Another great bunch of products to try are Ben Nye's Cream Colors, applied under any type of dry eyeshadow. Including loose minerals. It provides an opaque, easily blended base of color which helps any dry products adhere to the eyes, and keeps my eyeshadow from creasing all day & night. I've been using them quite often lately & am finding I like them a whole lot more than typical eye primers. They provide depth to any eyeshadows I apply over top of them because they're incredibly pigmented & easy to use sheered out or very heavily applied. They're also very affordable & come in quite a few shades. I've got 4 & they all work equally great. The formula is 100% consistent. Much more user friendly than typical cream shadows that often either set too quickly, never set at all or dry out before ever using them up.

Try Pixie Epoxy from an online company called Fyrrinae. They sell full and sample sizes, and it's amazing. But, you need to wear over an eye primer, I suggest Too Faced, it makes your shadow more vibrant, and prevents creasing, keeping your shadow looking good all day or night. Only use a teeny tiny amount of Pixie Epoxy, like the size of a grain of rice on each eyelid. Wait about 20 seconds, then apply your shadow. It will help a lot, good luck!
 

I really like Sweet Libertine: http://sweetlibertine.com/

and Beauty from the Earth: http://www.bftecosmetics.com/

I haven't had trouble with either blending well when used over UD primer. 

Re: The plain pigment issue, very true. Plain pigments often times will not stick well, they really need some additional ingredient (though it can still mineral based) for adhesion. 

I have found that sometimes just foundation, be it traditional or loose mineral type on the eyelid before applying the color makes a big difference. This is especially true if your skin tone is anything darker than super pale ivory. A shadow base of some type is almost always necessary to get the true color or intensity of the pigment. Our natural skin tone is going to alter the shade since most are somewhat transparent.

>>.....  if you see the product contains such ingredients as stearic acid, zinc stearate, glyceryl polymethacrylate or glycerin, the product is not natural<<<  

I totally disagree with this statement. Vegetable based Glycerin, Stearic Acid and Zinc Stearate are all natural. Glyceryl polymethacrylate while perhaps not all natural can be a useful ingredient. Any ingredient that stays on the surface of the skin and acts as a lubricant,  smoothing agent or helps retain moisture is a good thing. Your skin is not absorbing it, it is just protecting your skin and washes away when it has served it's purpose.

People have to get away from the idea that "All Natural" is always all good - and - the only viable options you have.  

Arsenic and Poison Ivy are "all natural" I don't want either of them in my cosmetics.

Be civil ladies. No name calling - name calling is not tolerated on MUT. Please be aware of the forum rules.

That said, to the OP, if you're having issues with blending you might want to check your brushes. There are a variety of reasons why a product won't blend or blend correctly including but not limited to brush type (synthetic vs natural), if the brushes are clean or dirty and type of brush you're using.

As for applying, NYX Jumbo Pencils were not designed to be used as a primer though people (including myself) use it as such. You will need something designed as an actual primer. You could also try foiling it (applying with a damp brush) or apply with a sponge applicator instead of a brush then blend with a big fluffy brush.

Keep playing with it and see what results you get with other bases and primers.

So, after discussion among the moderators who are currently online I've come to the decision to remove the 21 posts revolving around the accusation made for a variety of reasons. I will be sending out a PM to those involved stating why the posts were removed. Please keep to the topic on hand without fighting or posting accusations from either side of the matter.

My bare essential eyeshadows always seem to come off within a couple hours: along with the rest of my makeup on my face. How do I keep my makeup in place all day long without it smudging or fading?

Often times loose mineral eyeshadows are just the mica, with no actual formulating involved. Now I'm not accusing anyone or any company. It's just I've been around formulator forums enough to know that some companies do that.

However, it looks like Black Rose minerals has some good ingredients on the list that should have helped it stick. Like the

Magnesium Myristate. But that could just be the coating on the base Mica...I dont' know.

In the photos, it looks very well pigmented.

I'm guessing OP may have oily skin, and it just soaked it up. Or, the brush you were using actually took off the shadow instead of blending it.

Try just feathering out the edges instead of blending the entire lid. Hope this helps /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I've tried some eyeshadows from Mirabella and I like how the shades blend. They have some pretty bold shades, though I don't know where I would use those. Hey, Halloween's coming up, maybe I can use them there. LOL...