How To Apply Mineral Makeup Like A Professional.

Are you struggling with applying your mineral makeup? Are you getting a patchy, uneven look, rather than that flawless, natural finish that you desire? That’s okay, as I am now here to help you.

I will teach you my professional makeup artist tips and tricks on how to apply mineral makeup easily and quickly.

On a professional level, I have polished and refined my work with loose mineral powders, since converting my makeup kit over to minerals nearly a decade ago.

*The photo left is one example of my work with Elusyion Minerals .You can see more of my cruelty-free hair and mineral makeup work here – my online portfolio.

Many people start out with the best intentions when swapping over to mineral cosmetics. They have decided to follow the healthier, safer and natural cosmetic path, but then they throw in the towel, after struggling with using the loose minerals and soon find themselves reverting back to their old trusty, yet toxic, synthetic based and animal tested cosmetic products.

There is definitely an art to applying mineral cosmetics, especially the loose pure grade mineral products, but you can achieve a look like the one pictured, without too much effort or expertise. Here’s how..

Which Mineral Makeup To Choose

My first bit of advice is to choose a pure, nano-particle free mineral cosmetic brand and to make sure the brand has been accredited as cruelty free by Choose Cruelty Free. Read why this list is so important here. If you are not in Australia then I recommend use first look at Choose Cruelty Free’s list as many cosmetics are sold internationally. Alternatively check out the Leaping Bunny list.

There are a few very good, certified cruelty free, mineral cosmetic brands that I choose to use professionally and these are, Livinia Natural, Adorn Cosmetics, Ere Perez and Zuii Organic.

Mineral makeup is definitely better for your skin, as well as being safer and healthier, purer alternative to conventional, synthetic makeup. Read Why Mineral Makeup Is Better Than Synthetic Makeup.

Applying Mineral Makeup Professionally

Applying Loose Mineral Foundation Tips

Before you begin, your skin must be absolutely clean and dry. A primer, or a light, non-greasy, all natural, organic based, moisturiser is fine to use, (I like using the Savi Organic Moisturisers) provided you allow it time to sink into the skin and so long as it doesn’t leave an oily film on top of your skin. Loose mineral powders will stick unevenly, looking very blotchy and pasty, when applied to damp, or oily patches on your skin.

You can choose to use a big vegan, Kabuki brush to apply your mineral foundation, but personally I find this very wasteful, as a lot of product ends up all over you and your surroundings, rather than on your face. Using a brush to apply mineral powders is also a lot harder to control.

I prefer to use a latex sponge, as this allows you to directly control the amount of product you use and where it ends up. It also allows you to build of coverage gradually, by gently layering more mineral powder over your first coat if you so desire. Always remember, less is more, skin should never look caked!

To apply your mineral foundation shake a little loose foundation powder into the lid of the foundation pot and dip half of one side of your latex wedge sponge into your foundation powder. Then with firm, short strokes, going both across and down and also diagonally in direction, blend your mineral foundation powder over your entire face, including eyelids, hair line, over and under your jaw line. Be sure to blend thoroughly down your neck and around and even behind your ears if you wear your hair up.

I like to set the mineral foundation with a natural, cruelty free, hydrating facial mist. Spray lightly and at 2ocm away from the face and then blot with a clean end of your latex sponge. DO NOT RUB, as you will remove your foundation.

Applying Liquid or Creme Mineral Foundation

If you really have problem skin and need a heavier coverage, or you have very dry, flaky, skin and you find that loose mineral powders don’t sit well on your skin, then you can choose a liquid or cream based, mineral foundation – such as Livinia Mineral Creme Foundation. or Ere Perez, Zuii Organic or Adorn Liquid Foundation

For those who require a heavier foundation coverage, first apply a sheer coat of liquid mineral foundation with your sponge or fingertips, then allow a few minutes for this coat to completely dry. Now apply over the top a similar shade of loose mineral powder foundation. It is best to blot your powder foundation on gently with your sponge, so you don’t drag across your skin the now dried, liquid foundation, causing it go patchy.

As liquid mineral foundations are all natural and don’t contain synthetic emulsifiers and petrochemicals, they tend to dry very quickly and so therefore you need to apply them relatively quickly before they set. If you go over an area that has already dried, you will drag the product off that area of skin, leaving a blotchy look.

How To Use Mineral Foundation As Concealer

For dark circles and blemishes, simply use a small vegan makeup brush and gently dab either the same shade, or one shade lighter if necessary, of your loose mineral foundation powder over the top of your foundation, making sure it is thoroughly blended and not sitting noticeably on top of your foundation base. You can also press it into the skin with a clean fingertip, or with the pointy corner of your latex sponge.

How To Apply Loose Mineral Powder Blush

Once you have finished applying your foundation, it is time to brighten up your complexion with some mineral blush. Shake a little of your chosen blush colour onto your palette and using a clean end of your latex sponge, or a vegan blush brush, gently buff the colour onto the apples of your cheeks. If you went too heavy handed, then just buff the colour back using your sponge with a touch of your mineral foundation.

How To Apply Loose Mineral Eye-shadow

To ensure your mineral eye-shadows stay put throughout the day, make sure you have first applied a layer of mineral foundation powder to your eyelids before applying your eye-shadows.

Mineral eye-shadow can be applied both dry and wet. Wet mineral eye-shadows become stronger in their pigment and shimmery shades will become a gorgeous metallic paste, when mixed with a tiny bit of water, or a natural face mist like , Savi Pomegranate & Passionflower, (see image above – I used a shimmery goldish/tan colour called Tantalize, wet to create a strong goldish, metallic eyeliner). Wet black and darker shades of mineral powder to create a liquid eyeliner.

It is important to NEVER get any moisture into your pot of dry, loose, mineral powders, as they can go rancid. So a little trick is to pour a tiny amount of your chosen colour into a spare old makeup pot lid and then wet your vegan eyeliner brush, or a pointy tip cotton bud and dip it into the product on your spare lid to create a paste.

The beauty with mineral eye-shadow powders is that they are super easy to blend and if you make a mistake in your application, it is very easy to correct, even if using your mineral powders wet. Simply wait for the product to dry and gently buff away using either a clean side of your latex sponge, a clean vegan brush, or a cotton tip. Then apply a little more of your foundation base and start again :)!

The Importance Of Using Accredited Cruelty Free Mineral Makeup Brands

Always choose to use certified cruelty free mineral cosmetics, ones that are certified cruelty free by Cruelty Free List by Choose Cruelty Free or the Leaping Bunny List if in the USA/UK/Europe, but only Leaping Bunny listed companies provided they are not owned by a parent company that are not certified cruelty free e.g Body Shop is owned by L’Oreal. I personally will not recommend such companies on the basis that the parent company receives the profits..

You can not trust that a company may write on their products, or advertise that they are cruelty free, as any company can use clever loopholes to claim this, when in fact they are still animal testing. See more in my article Animal Testing do your part to stop it.

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