Mineral is the new black (Maybelline Mineral Foundation)

Member Name: Emily_09

Product:	Maybelline Mineral Foundation
Date:	26/09/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice even finish, good for skin, doesn't block pores

Disadvantages: Bit pricey, some gets wasted

My skin is extremely unpredictable and seems to have a mind of it's own. Some days it won't look too bad and I can actually leave the house without foundation and other days I feel like going out with a paper bag on my head! My skin dilemmas include blemishes, excess oil and dry patches which makes finding a foundation that suits my skin a mammoth task.

I first discovered the concept of mineral make-up when reading a magazine and after learning that it is specially formulated to be kind to your skin and let it breathe, I thought I'd give it a go. After deciding this, the hardest decision was choosing which foundation to buy but this was made slightly easier by the fact that Maybelline Mineral Foundation was on offer in Boots for about £7. At the time, the foundation was new and so was this price to introduce it to the range but now unfortunately it has gone up to £9.78 in Boots. This seems quite a lot for a foundation but mine has lasted over a year (I know you're probably supposed to throw it out after a while but while it still works I don't bother!) and if it suits you then it's definitely worth it.

The foundation is a very fine powder and comes in a round pot with an unscrewable lid. Inside the pot the foundation is separated from the lid with a plastic cover that has holes in it so that you can tip out a small bit of the foundation into the lid instead of getting too much on your brush when you dip it into the pot. Personally I haven't found that this works too well as when you tip the foundation out too much still comes out and you end up wasting quite a bit as it spills out of the pot or falls off the brush.

The foundation comes with a Kabuki brush which is specially designed to be used with this type of make-up. The brush has very hard bristles which feel quite scratchy if you press too hard on your face. It also needs to be cleaned quite regularly as particles of the foundation stick in the bristles of the brush not to mention that bacteria from anywhere that it touches will then be transferred to your face! I usually just wash mine under the hot tap and leave it to dry.

The foundation comes in five different shades and I chose the closest match to my skin which happened to be Rose Ivory which is Number 2. As soon as I tried the foundation I loved the way it felt on my skin, or didn't feel should I say! The particles were so light that I couldn't even tell that I was wearing foundation and I was also really impressed by the even finish that the product gave me. I can honestly say that this foundation is completely different to any other that I've tried and I love the way it makes my skin look.

To use the foundation I usually use plenty of moisturiser to give it a smooth base and then apply the foundation by using circular motions with the brush all over my face. It's surprising how little foundation you actually need to cover up any imperfections and I have often made the mistake of making my face orange by using too much. The best thing to do is just use a tiny amount and add more if you need to, which you probably won't!

Another thing that I love about this foundation is that it dries out my skin just enough to leave it looking matte and doesn't allow half as much shine as other foundations. It's also non-comedogenic which means that it doesn't block pores so this is a good choice if you suffer from spots.

The only problem that you may have with this foundation is if you have very dry skin as because it is a powder it tends to sit in any dry patches and look a bit unnatural. If you do have dry skin you're better off sticking to the liquid version of mineral make-up.

Overall I was really impressed with this foundation as it was especially suitable for my spot and shine prone skin. It can be a bit pricey but mine has lasted for a year even though I use it every day and so it's well worth the money.

Summary: 5 stars