as far as mineral makeups go, ive only tried BE. at my work, women who are total strangers to each other will hover at the display and have a pow wow about the mu.
i find the coverage to be comparable to the powder foundation i use- mac studio fix. BE can be applied really lightly, or it can be applied with a heavy hand for some maxiumum coverage that doesnt look thick or cakey.
i demonstrate it every day i work, and about 99% of the women who try it end up buying it. it would seem that the shades available wouldnt match everyone, but ive never had a problem finding a color match for people who are very light, very dark, or very yellow (that would be me!)
i also thought that i would take issue with how shimmery it seems to be. once its on, it does give that flawless look that the infomercial blathers on about. its suitable for all skin types, too. i apply a moisturizer to dry ladies, and blot oily ladies before hand. the oily ladies do come back for more, as they report that it doesnt gunk up in the creases around their noses.
i dont much care for the mineral veil, and i think that anyone over 30 looks silly with that amount of shimmer.
ive had people come in who dilike the warmth (bronzer) they have, saying they can apply it naturally. i discovered that the secret is to mix it with the foundation. it can then be applied all over the face with a bit extra over the areas where bronzer is usually applied. i find that theyre using too heavy a hand when they do it at home, which is why they dont like it.
it can also be applied wet with a synthetic brush to cover everything from really dark circles to acne scars and freckles. the coverage when wet is amazing. it looks extreme when applied, but a bit of blending fixes that.