Rave of the Day: The Best Mineral Makeup I've Found!

Lumiere Cosmetics
I've been using mineral makeup for almost 5 years, using everything from Bare Escentuals Minerals to Jane Iredale to Alima. Hands down, the best mineral makeup I've used is Lumiere Cosmetics because it provides natural looking coverage, it lasts all day, AND best of all, it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin.  I love that it just looks like I have great skin, not that I have on great makeup. 

 
I found this line during an online search for "best mineral makeup".  I came across a forum and several people were raving about this all natural mineral makeup (it does not contain bismuth oxychloride like some other popular brands, which left redness on my cheeks), and because they are a smaller company, their prices are low - i.e. you're not paying for marketing - and Kim, the owner, is amazing. 

 
Lumiere offers several foundation formulas customized for different skin types. I've tried all of them, and my favorite is Cashmere.  Samples are available for as little as $1, so I recommend trying them all and see which formula and shade works best for your skin.  (My skin is dry and sensitive, and I like the really subtle glow Cashmere gives. Some formulas provide heavier coverage, others help control shine and all of that is outlined on the website to help you figure out which type will best suit your skin's needs.)

Here is the best advice I'll probably ever give on this blog...are you ready for this?  Really, it's brilliant. Brilliant! My personal tip for finding the right makeup shade for you, based on my own accidental aha! moment: 

I took a digital picture of myself with no makeup on, and uploaded it to my computer.  I compared that picture to the foundation shades on the monitor to try to find the closest match, and narrowed it down to 4 shades; (I originally thought I was Warm tone, and was going to just order the two lightest shades, but when I compared my picture, the Golden tones were a better match.)  The picture didn't lie, when the colors arrived, I experimented, and it was clear that Fair Golden is my shade. Now, anytime I'm looking to try new makeup shades - blush, eye shadow, all-over face colors, anything really - I have a recent digital picture of me up on the screen and compare that to the color swatches.  I only go with colors that *pop* with my coloring.  This has introduced me to colors I would have otherwise never considered trying, like deep red blush, coraly pinks, lavender eyeshadows and I ALWAYS love the results! (Lumiere makes this easy, because they provide HUGE color swatches on their site, and they are accurate, at least on my monitor.)

Here's a picture of me from a couple of weeks ago: all Lumiere makeup, except my mascara.  Excuse the poor quality of the picture, but hey, it's better than nothing, right?

I exclusively use Lumiere for my primer, foundation, blushes, all-over color, bronzers, etc.  (Basically, if it touches my face, it's Lumiere makeup.)  I've used their eye shadows too (which are great), but like all mineral-based eyeshadows, I've found they work much better when used with a sticky eye primer like Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion or Too Faced Shadow Insurance to keep the color rich and avoid creasing.  

So, if you're looking for some new makeup, check out Lumiere Cosmetics.  You won't regret it.  A jar of foundation lasts me 9 months (and I wear makeup pretty much daily), and costs $18.00.  Seriously: $18.00 lasts 9 months.  It's the best makeup I've used, and I've tried a lot of high end brands. How can you beat that? Sales! Kim is usually offering a discount or free shipping, and she often posts the code(s) right on the site.

What's your favorite makeup?