Mineral Makeup Powder Foundation Comparisons / Swatches

I have never used mineral powder makeup before. I did look into them a bit when I was a teenager, but I felt like they weren't so readily available and quite pricy. Also, I was quite shy to try new things with my oily, acne prone skin... but the joke is, mineral make up possibly could have helped me!

Shortly my reasons for trying mineral make up products now:

1. Mineral makeup could still help me with my problem skin. The less extra ingredients, the less guessing game if something helps or causes problems.

2. My T-area is still oily so a powder product could still work for me.

3. A powder product doesn't expire so quickly. If taken a proper care of at least (no moisture, light, heat).

4. My skin tone and difficulties to find the right shade. I actually could mix some powders together to help create the shade I want, as long as they are the same kind of powders, I think. I don't know if it really works though but experimenting could be fun!

5. Travelling with powder products is easier than with liquid. They are not so heavy, they won't make a mess or take space in that tiny 1 liter plastic bag. They are also easier to decant in smaller jars.

6. So surprised how many brands do offer samples. I don't mind paying for them at all, just give me a chance to find my shade.

7. I have never tried mineral makeup powders and I am so curious! I thought they all would be the same stuff basically but there are so many different variations from loose to pressed and infused with skincare to just bare basics.

Reasons for hesitation:

1. Some people and their skin just don't deal well with mineral makeup powders. The powder doesn't set in or they can be sensitive to them. Don't really think this is going to be a problem for me though.

2. The shade matching. The most frustrating task. Can someone just do this one for me. Except that if someone would do it I would probably disagree just out of habit, I have been matched so many times badly.

3. Finding the formula I like the best. I know, I will feel like I have to test them all in case there's something better out there!

4. I have to decide what brush/brushes to buy. I don't have anything dense enough or a right size.

5. Availability, still. I don't think they are that pricy compared to how long powder products last, but the fact that I have to order everything, sometimes from abroad. But I don't mind as long as the customer service is great and the website works well.

6. How to buff the powder foundation on my face so that it doesn't rub all the sunscreen away?

Some brands I looked into:

Flow Cosmetics

8g/19,90€

Korento

10g/35€

Lily Lolo

Mineral Foundation SPF 15 10g/19,50 €

Sample size 0,75g/2€

18 different shades, different undertones: neutral, warm, cool, olive

Everyday Minerals

4,8g/24,90€

Bare Minerals

8g/33 €

Alima Pure



Lily Lolo Swatches

I decided to order the next Lily Lolo samples for a neutral/warm/light-medium skin: Blondie, Barely Buff, In The Buff, Warm Peach and Popcorn. I also ordered finishing powder samples in Translucent Silk, Flawless Silk and Flawless Matte.

I'm not actually sure which shade is the best for me! Blondie is too light but I think I could make all the others work. Barely Buff and Warm Peach are probably the best matches? When I do the other side of my face with Barely Buff and the other with Warm Peach, I can't tell the difference, really. Warm Peach is actually a surprise winner, it is peachy, not yellow (not like Popcorn at least).. Barely Buff has a lot more pink in it, when you look at the sample.

In the Buff has the most orange hue. Popcorn is the most yellow. Blondie is very neutral light and probably all people a shade or two lighter than me could use it.

The finishing powders all seem very pretty. The silks have this slight shimmer that is not shimmery when it's on my face, just looks natural and glowy. The matte one is actually matte.

Numis Med Urea 5% Shampoo 200 ml Review

Ingredients:

Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Urea, Coco-Glucoside, Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Lactate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydroypropyl Guar Hydroypropylitromonium Chloride, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Piroctone Olamine, Sodium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Packaging was sealed with tape.

Thoughts:

- Doesn't feel like the shampoo cleanses my scalp properly, it's clean but still oily, the heck.

- Makes my hair feel stringy - I don't even understand how it is possible, but it's not nice. Is it the urea?

- After some weeks of trialing this shampoo and not using anything else in between, my scalp got all the time oilier and itchier! Took some time to reverse that.

- Smells like glue... you know, the unfragranced cosmetics smell. So unpleasant.

- So thin liquid shampoo, actually a bit difficult to get everywhere on scalp and between hair evenly. Doesn't foam much.



+ Hmm... The bottle has a nice shape. Nice packaging as well.

+ Includes a lot of good moisturizing and conditioning ingredients, like panthenol, betaine, bisabolol, allantoin...

* This was an impulse purchase while grocery shopping. I thought a shampoo with urea would be a great addition to my scalp care, despite the bottle saying it's for a dry scalp. Weeell, here I learn that impulse purchases are not always worth it.

* If urea as a scalp treatment also makes the hair ends stringy even though I don't rub the shampoo into them, I don't think I can/want to use urea products for my hair care... maybe I test some other product sometime.

Price: 

I paid 5 € / 200 ml

Bought from: 

Supermarket

Buy again? 

No.

Worth the money? 

Numis Med's Urea 5% Shampoo just did not work for me. At the same time it manages to leave my hair ends stringy and dry, while not cleansing my scalp properly. I must admit I like the basic Head & Shoulders better. For a dry scalp, yeah maybe it works, but what about the stringy, dry, uncomfortable hair ends then? I'm puzzled. I wonder if I should just "hate pan" the shampoo or throw it away? Maybe I'll try to use it every now and then and see if anything changes.

Cien Anti-Dandruff Smooth & Silky Shampoo 300 ml Review

Ingredients:

Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Stearate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Zinc Pyrithione, Cocamidropropyl Betaine, Parfum, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, PEG/PPG-14/4 Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate, Sodium Hydroxide, Linalool, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Alcohol, Triethylene Glycol, Limonene, Propylene Glycol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Cellulose Gum, DMDM Hydantoin, Magnesium Nitrate, METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE, Magnesium Chloride, METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE, Hexylene Glycol.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- I'm not 100% sure but I think this shampoo irritates my face afterwards (burning sensations). The sensations stopped when I stopped either using shampoo or was very, very careful not to get the shampoo water on my face. But of course my skin may have had some troubles otherwise as well, I don't know.

- The consistency is like melted mousse, doesn't foam strongly so must really work it to get it to scalp properly (I have thick hair).



+ Leaves hair and scalp quite clean, washes off well. I can wash my hair every 3 days.

+ Pleasant scent. Not strong at all.

+ Good price and easy to acquire.

+ Doesn't leave hair ends dry even if I don't use conditioner.

* Another find from Lidl, obviously as Cien is their brand. I've been using Head&Shoulders for a while and been quite happy with it but wanted to try something else on the side as well. And at 2 € per 300 ml, Cien Anti-Dandruff Shampoo is quite a deal. H&S Classic is around 3,5 € per 250 ml or 5,9 € per 500 ml. So it's not like H&S is expensive either but hey... cheaper is always cheaper, right?!

* If I compare Cien Shampoo and Head&Shoulders, they both cleanse hair and scalp very well, especially compared to many other market shampoos... Both allow me to wash my hair every 3 days. Even though both work well, they do leave a slightly different feeling on scalp/hair and my hair gets dirty slightly differently but I can't put my finger in it how! I'll update if I figure it out.

* H&S is thick in consistency and foams better than Cien that is like melted mousse.

Price: 

2 € / 300 ml

Bought from: 

Lidl

Buy again? 

Maybe? Yes?

Worth the money? 

Yes, probably the cheapest shampoo that has worked for me. Must take extra care when working it in my hair and scalp but the results are good. Cien Anti-Dandruff Shampoo is so affordable that I would recommend to try it, especially if your scalp is normal-oily, despite the possibility that it could irritate someone's skin. 

Happy Shopping

I feel zero guilt. But I did check back my older shopping posts, and I bought new things about a month ago. So I'll have to keep an eye on this habit. On the other hand, I'm getting more comfortable with wearing make up, especially when I actually start to slowly own things that suit me. I have started to practise doing make up even on days when I'm not really going anywhere.

I don't think much when I'm swatching! The messier the better... also wipe nothing away to see everything in outside light as well... The blush is also pretty.

Maybelline New York Puma Matte + Metallic Eye Duo Stick in 05 Heat + Flash

Maybelline New York Super Stay Ink Crayon in 15 Lead The Way

They were -40% and absolutely worth buying. The Eye Duo Stick is so creamy and easy to work with, also the shades are super flattering for blue eyes. Suddenly my eyes look bigger and I look like I'm awake. Makes me question if I should just buy more eye sticks and forget about the powdery eye shadows! Maybe I should get also blush sticks.

The Super Stay Ink Crayon is also very creamy, very pigmented. The shade is perfect, brings some brightness to my skin color almost. Has some brown and mauve-ish hue in the shade, still surprisingly quite neutral I feel. Suitable for everyday but still pretty glamorous. But it is very drying.


Lumene Eye Contour Brush No. 10

Ok, so I've been looking at this brush before as well but it costs 10 € and I felt cheap. I have been looking brushes online and noticed that I was always looking for something resembling this one in shape. So I gave in, especially because my current Essence eye brushes feel scratchy and my eyes are sensitive... I think Lumene is discontinuing their brushes?


L'Oreal Paris Matte Signature Eyeliner in 03 Brown

Very neutral brown, actually matte and the brush is so precise! I have been looking for a brown eyeliner for a while. I'm not comfortable with black, it feels too harsh for me. I do still use black ones but it's not the everyday look, it requires a full face to balance it.


Isadora Build Up Mascara Waterproof Mini Size

I'm currently using or... err... tested Isadora mascara that I received maybe 5 years ago and it definitely has gone bad. As in, the product is very thick and almost glue like now and sticks to the wand etc, but it doesn't smell bad at all and didn't irritate my eyes. (Sorry. I had to test it for science.) I'm thinking it was a good mascara when it wasn't expired. Ha. Too bad it was lost in my drawer unopened all those years. So when I saw this mini mascara for 2,5 €, I wanted to try it. I don't currently own a waterproof mascara. Also the size is super convenient for travelling!

Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primer 02 Bare Pop Review

Ingredients:

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil , Diisostearyl Malate , Trioctyldodecyl Citrate , Lanolin Oil , Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride , Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax\Candelilla Cera\Cire De Candelilla , Castor Isostearate Succinate , Silica , Octyldodecanol , Ozokerite , Polyethylene , Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2 , Hydrogenated Polydecene , Ethylhexyl Palmitate , Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Extract , Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Extract , Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Bran Extract , Microcrystalline Wax\Cera Microcristallina\Cire Microcristalline , Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter , Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil , Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) , Cholesterol , Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract\Extrait D'Orge , Ceramide 2 , Palmitic Acid , Squalane , Lauryl Pca , Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer , Linoleic Acid , Tocopheryl Acetate , Glyceryl Stearate , Oleic Acid , Butylene Glycol , Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate , Sodium Hyaluronate , Potassium Sulfate , Alumina , Silica Dimethyl Silylate , Barium Sulfate , Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate , Calcium Sodium Borosilicate , Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate , Synthetic Fluorphlogopite , Aluminum Hydroxide , Tin Oxide , [+/- Mica , Iron Oxides (Ci 77491) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77492) , Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850) , Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090) , Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891) , Yellow 6 Lake (Ci 15985) , Red 33 Lake (Ci 17200) , Red 6 (Ci 15850) , Bismuth Oxychloride (Ci 77163) , Iron Oxides (Ci 77499) , Carmine (Ci 75470) , Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360) , Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140) , Red 22 Lake (Ci 45380) , Red 28 Lake (Ci 45410)].

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- A bit too shimmery finish for my taste when the lip product is used on its own but it's not horrible so I can live with it

- Not that long lasting, I think it lasts about 3 hours or so, doesn't last through eating

- Not smudge proof either

- If your lips are in a total disaster dryness mode, even Clinique's Pop Lip Color is not moisturizing enough, it will turn patchy. But that's to be expected, I just had to test it.



+ Perfect "my lips but better" shade

+ Like a lipstick meets a lip balm, soft, moisturizing, almost creamy consistency

+ Versatile, I can use it on its own or pair it with anything. It makes more dry and matte lip tints look natural and brings not so flattering shades closer to my comfort zone. Also stops my lips from cracking by providing just enough moisture without ruining the other lip product's durability

+ Even though the lip product doesn't last that long, it fades beautifully. Maybe thanks to the MLBB shade, or could it be the formula?

+ Easy and fast to apply, no tugging, very good color payoff even with one swipe

+ I have only the sample size, but it closes with such a satisfying click I just want to play with it (yes I am an adult!)

+ No scent

* Here comes the surprise winner! Who would have thought I feel so smitten with a lip product? My Clinique's Pop Lip Colour + Primer is sample I received in set with other Clinique's products. It has become one of my staples lately when I realized I can use it to top off my lip tints and I got over the shimmery finish. It suits my lifestyle, easy and fast to put on and I don't have to worry about it later because it won't turn ugly looking. Usually I'm too lazy to reapply during the day though... Wonder why, it would take only 10 seconds after lunch.

* I am actually a little confused with all the lip products Clinique has, the names and info have so much variation between different websites! I think shades Blush Pop and Mocha Pop could suit me as well.

* I'm not sure how many grams of product the sample size has compared to full size.

Price: 

About 23-27 € / 3,9 g

Bought from: 

Free sample gift

Buy again? 

Yes, but maybe a different shade, or both Bare Pop and a different shade. If they still exist when I've finished this one.

Worth the money? 

Again this question is tricky - for me Clinique's Pop Lip is worth it because it is just so convenient! But I am sure there are other lip products like this, whether they are cheaper or not and how long it would take me to find suitable ones, I don't know. If you want matte and long lasting, no, this is not it... but this lipstick is moisturizing, easy, and comes in many pretty, actually wearable shades.

Essence You Better Work! Gym Proof + Waterproof Eye Primer 10 ml Review

Ingredients:

ISODODECANE, TALC, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, TRIHYDROXYSTEARIN, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA BUTTER), TRIETHYLHEXANOIN, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, HEXYLENE GLYCOL, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, PHENOXYETHANOL, CI 77491 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77492 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES), CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE).

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- I think if used several days in a row without a proper eye cream, can feel drying. Maybe even slightly irritating, but I'm not sure if it's the primer or something else, I've noticed the Essence eye brushes irritate my eye lids a bit for example. :(

- I do wish it would make my makeup last even longer than 6 hours. It's still not the full day.



+ Helps the eye shadow to last about 6 hours before it creases/fades on a normal day, if it's not hot at all and I don't move at all, at least 8 hours.

+ The eye shadow sticks easily to the slightly tacky finish the primer leaves. The primer dries quite quickly.

+ I feel the primer's color disappears well to my skin color, doesn't really "brighten" so it's not necessary to cover the full lid with eyeshadow or do any tricks to make it look more natural. It still does some color correcting.

+ The tube is hygienic and very easy to use. You can squeeze out a very precise amount at a time. No waste. You can cut the tube at the end.

+ No scent.

* If I compare Essence's You Better Work! Gym Proof Eye Primer and Etude House's Proof 10 Eye Primer, Essence is the winner. I don't think it's perfect, but it actually helps. I do wish I could find even better primer for oily eyelids, something that could help my make up last about 10 hours (the full day including trips to work/school and back home and grocery shopping etc), but I can manage with Essence while I'm searching. Also the price point is very good (3,5 €/10 ml) but Etude House at about 5 €/10 g is cheap too. I feel the staying power was slightly better when I used also Innisfree's No Sebum powder lightly to set things. With Etude House's primer, the extra little dust of powder didn't change things at all.

* Comparing Essence and Etude House more, I think Essence feels ever so slightly oilier and Etude House lighter. Etude House dries smoother and faster. Essence is stickier, but the eye shadow lasts longer and feels maybe a tiny bit more intense. For very dry eye lids Etude House is a better choice, Essence is good for oily eyelids and might make very dry eyelids worse. With Etude House the creasing started at around 3-4 hours in and with Essence 6 hours.

* My eyelids are very oily and usually nothing lasts on them. So my experiences are probably quite extreme when it comes to eye make up.

Price: 

3,5 € / 10 ml

Bought from: 

Supermarket

Buy again? 

Maybe? 

Worth the money? 

Absolutely! Especially if you do not have extremely oily eyelids, I believe Essence's Gym Proof Eye Primer helps the eye shadow last 10+ hours. I honestly feel that it's impossible to find another eye primer with such a good performance for the price. Obviously my eyelids are a challenge so I will keep exploring options, but Essence's primer works good enough for now.