LA Minerals Diva Digest

Sensitive Eyes

2011-05-30T16:33:00.001-07:00

I've finally come to the conclusion that I have very sensitive eyes. My first clue was horrible itching from brand name eye shadows containing bismuth oxychloride. That's a distant memory since I've been using our brand for 4 years now.

But, my eyes are now rebelling against drug store brand mascara. I've tried 3 brands, all of them make my eyes itch and water. Soooooo since I'm probably not the only one in the world with this problem, I'm determined to find a solution. My quirky skin and sensitivities have set me on a new course....find a formulation for a suitable mascara.

We will be testing some formulations out from different labs/manufacturers. Once we have a winner, you'll see it on our site!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Neon Eye Products and Other FDA VIOLATIONS!

2011-03-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

Your Vision Depends on Being Informed!

I'm writing this post in response to a lot of bad press lately for some cosmetic sellers that are selling eye makeup products that include unsafe ingredients.

The FDA regulates the cosmetic industry, and manufacturers are required to comply with the regulations, and why not? It's for everyone's safety! However, it seems there is a TON of confusion and misinterpretation of products, ingredients, and the FDA regs.

Neon eye shadows are very popular, believe it or not. Yet there are NO FDA approved neon (black light responsive) ingredients. The ingredients required to glow in the dark are not eye safe, and can cause eye irritation, swelling and loss of vision. Dyes are responsible for this effect. There is only 1 dye per color group that is FDA approved for eye use: FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, D&C Black No. 2 & 3 (subject to limitations). Please refer to this handy FDA chart. Mineral colorants are not considered dyes. They are in a separate section of the chart.
Multi Minerals or Pigments sold by very popular HUGE companies are often used for the eye area although not approved for the eye area. People assume that these pigments are eye safe and a great deal. Read the ingredients and READ THE INSERT! It is not very well displayed and often overlooked.
If the company you are buying makeup from does not declare the ingredients for each shade of every product they carry....BUYER BEWARE! The FDA requires ingredient declarations either on the product, the outer container, beside the product on the display, or displayed online or by request via the mail.
Per FDA regs, a company can use the "may contain" clause for similar products whose main ingredients are the same, and the colorants vary. I'm sure you've all seen products labeled with that clause. There are a few reasons manufacturers do that: it protects their formulas from being duped, it reduces the cost of labeling in some cases. However, as a manufacturer, we choose NOT to do this. Why? Well were not that worried about our shades being duped, and haven't found a savings in the label since the color name changes. The biggest reason? WE WANT YOU TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS IN THE PRODUCT! If you happen to be allergic to XYZ ingredient, why would we want you to wonder if it's in all of our products if its' only actually in a few?

It's not just small companies that violate the labeling laws on a daily basis. Take a walk through your local drug store and pick up a few eye pencils or lip products. Chances are there are no ingredients listed or displayed. So you are virtually trusting the company for your safety and compliance with the law. You should be able to trust. But unfortunately there are many companies out to just make money and don't really care about the customer.

At L.A. Minerals we declare every products ingredients in the "details and enlarge" link beside every product. The only exception is our sample page, where the customer is referred to the main product page for that info.

Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay Beautiful :)

~Lorraine
Founder & CEO
L.A. Minerals

Why does some Makeup turn Orange?

2011-01-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

Ever feel like you look like this Orange faced Barbie? LoL! We've seen the complaints all over the internet: "My makeup looks fine when I put it on. Then over the course of the day it turns orange! Why? "

Well we thought we'd take a few minutes to explain this phenomena. There are numerous contributing factors, and it's not necessarily your fault!

Orange face morphing most commonly effects those with normal to oily skin tones. The ingredients in the makeup look great when you put it on, then as your skin oil is produced throughout the day, the oils mix with the ingredients in your makeup. Sometimes this is a bad thing for you, and those looking at you!

Makeup ingredients are the perpetrator of this crime against your face! With almost infinite ingredients available to formulators, you'd think they would get it right. Untreated pigments or base ingredients account for the morphing. Take mica for instance. Mica is one of the most common base ingredients for loose mineral makeup. For formulators, it's known as Sericite Mica. It's a white, super soft and finely milled powder and a great substitute for talc. It's commonly used as a base to disperse the other ingredients and pigments into, since you can't just smear pigment around on your face and look like anything other than Rainbow Bright.

However, there are a plethora of Mica choices. There's the basic untreated/plain Sericite Mica, then there are treated Micas. Treated Micas are coated with another ingredients, like jojoba, magnesium myristate, silica, etc... This not only makes the mica feel better on the skin, but it gives it stability. The stability to maintain its pigment/shade even when your skin starts to get oily. You won't suffer from Orange Face Morphing if the formulator has gone to the expense of using treated base ingredients.

Unfortunately, the customer has no way of determining by the label, if the company has used treated or untreated ingredients. Why? Because the FDA does not require that disclosure, and they require the ingredients be listed in order of predominance.

Take our Valley Girl mineral foundation for example. Our base mica is jojoba treated sericite. Mica is the main ingredient. Jojoba, being a coating is less than 1% of the formula, so it gets placed towards the end of the list. So reading the ingredient list for our Valley Girl mineral foundation, there is really no way to tell that we use the more costly, treated sericite mica as our base:
Mica, Zinc Oxide, Boron Nitride, Silica Microspheres, Titanium Dioxide, Kaolin Clay, Magnesium Stearate, Silk Powder, Allantoin, Iron Oxides (colorant), UltraMarines (colorant), Jojoba, and Dimethicone.

So what's a girl to do?

Give the products you use a test run! Buy a makeup sample, or have your makeup done and wear it for the day. Pay close attention to how it looks at the end of the day compared to how it looked when it was applied.
Ask the company if they use treated/coated, premium base ingredients. If they don't tell you they do, then I'd guess that means "No" they don't!

EOTD Contest

2011-01-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

Get this look
Julisa is using the following shades:
1st Boyfriend on lid
Naughty on outer V
Espresso as eyeliner

SEE TUTORIAL BELOW

Its a new year, so Happy New Year!

We thought we'd start this new year out with a bang. First we launched L.A. Minerals WET. Our newest foundation combining minerals with organics in a creamy/mousse type formula.

Now, we'd like to introduce you to a really FUN FUN FUN contest.
Winner gets a $75 Gift Certificate. All participants submitting qualifying photos will get one full size eye shadow of their choice :)

Eye Of The DAY (EOTD) Look Contest.

Here's how it goes:

REQUIRED: Submit 2 photos (one eye shut, one eye open) using at least 2 L.A. Minerals eye shadows to customerservice (at)laminerals.com. Use jpg format please. This will earn you 1 entry.

FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES, DO THE FOLLOWING:

Post your EOTD look on our facebook fan page (you can host your photos free using photobucket) =1 entry
Tweet about this contest with @laminerals and a link to this blog =1 entry
Comment about this contest here on our blog =1 entry
Comment under "Discussions" tab on L.A. Minerals Facebook Fan Page =1 entry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Small Print (aka rules)

Must submit 2 photos using 2 L.A. Minerals eye shadow shades. One with eye open, one with eye shut.
Include the name of the 2 ES shades you used in the photos.
Must be 18 years or older to participate without signing a waiver. (contact us for a waiver if you are under age)
By submitting your photos you agree that L.A. Minerals can use your photos on our website, blog, facebook page or other promotional venue without monetary compensation.
Last day of contest is January 31st.
Drawing will be held February 3rd, using Random.org. Winner will be posted on our Facebook Fan Page, here on this blog, and possibly in a future newsletter. Winner will be notified by e-mail.
1st Prize is $75 gift certificate for L.A. Minerals products. All participants will receive one eye shadow of their choice.

Custom Formula or Repacked Mica?

2010-12-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

There's a baffling mystery in the mineral makeup world. How to tell if an eye shadow is a custom formula, or if it's just repackaged mica? For the customer, it's really hard to tell. A color can look exactly the same from one company to another. However, the ingredients may vary tremendously. For re-packagers, it can mean easy profits with little knowledge. For formulators, this mystery can cause doubt and loss of profit.

We're hoping to clear up this mystery and help you determine what companies may be just re-packaging micas, and what companies are actually formulating cosmetics.

Mica is a mineral. Mica is used in the production of pearlescent pigments. Many metallic looking pigments are composed of a substrate of mica coated with another mineral,to give it shine and or color. By itself, it is not generally suitable for cosmetic purposes, but is intended to be used as a PART of a formula. Pure micas will appear beautiful on the skin, and when applied as an eye shadow. However, most will not have much longevity and will creep into creases or just disappear.

So how can you tell the difference? Here's some clues:

Price: if the company is selling jarred "eye shadows" for $2-3 each, chances are it's a re-packaged mica. They don't have much invested in it, hence lower price point.
Does the company also sell matte eye shadows? Matte eye shadows have to be formulated from base ingredients, with pigment added to the base. We have yet to see a wholesaler offer bulk, matte eye shadow.
Does the company also sell foundation, concealer and other makeup products? The formulating requirements of a skin toned foundation and other skin toned products are also a great indicator. If the company has no formulating skills, chances are they won't be offering foundation.
How long has the company been in business? Re-packers come and go by droves. Most don't bother to go to the expense or trouble to have their own website or brick and mortar store.
Ingredients: Look for ingredients like Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Myristate (increases adhesion), Boron Nitride (increases slip and shine), Silica or Silk Powder. These are ingredients that increase the adhesion and feel of the product. Not necessary for EVERY eye shadow, but look for it in SOME of their eye shadows.
NOTE: ingredient lists are the LEAST reliable way to determine a re-packer from a formulator, especially if you are just looking at one product. A mica may consist of: mica, titanium dioxide and iron oxide, straight from the supplier. A formulator may add additional iron oxides, but that would not change the ingredient list! At times this is all that's needed to make the mica suitable for a beauty product. So be sure to check for the other signs above ;)
Try samples: even if it's re-packed mica, you may love it and want to buy it! But why be stuck with a slew of shadows that look pretty, cost hardly anything, and don't stay on your eyes?

At L.A. Minerals, we offer our customers unique, custom formulated cosmetics. All of our items we offer for sale have been crafted from base ingredients, designed for function and beauty.
We have years of experience formulating and selling our products, around the globe. We care about the reputation of reputable companies in the mineral makeup world. And we care about our customers.

Is Cover Girl friends with Maybelline?

2010-11-20T06:03:00.000-08:00

This may be a very unusual topic for many of you. In today's back stabbing, pension robbing, eat or be eaten business world, believe it or not were not all like that!
In the picture to the left is Valerie Reed of Valana Minerals, and me, Lorraine Pierce of L.A. Minerals. Yep, we're both in the same line of work. And nope, we're not enemies. Were the opposite. We're friends who have cheerfully helped each other out for the past 3 years, and continue to do so.
We both started our business' online presence in 2007 and met virtually via a suppliers forum, where we met other women makeup business owners. We are also both Indie Business members, an organization that brings together small business owners, with a slew of services like webinars, insurance, and forums. Within these forums I've met women in various stages of business development and formulation, the conversations and help topics range from "where to get labels" to "how to emulsify this with that", and everything in between. What I really learned was that we all have knowledge, skills and strengths that can help each other. Valerie seems to always have perfect, logical, detailed answers to complicated issues. I tend to pitch in with links and a one line addendum to Valerie's in depth answers!
Besides sharing knowledge, I learned that we could relax and share our ideas and resources, wins and losses, good times and bad, personal and business. We became friends.
Several years ago Valerie helped out another lady in our group, who's products were featured at an Oscar event in Los Angeles. Valerie manned the table, representing a product line that was her competition!
This past month, it was my pleasure to help Valerie out at her Whole Foods in store makeover and spa event. I sat through Val's training class, and proudly donned the Valana Minerals T-shirt the next day, doing makeovers with her products, all whilst supporting a worthy cause, Vitamin Angels. The Vitamin Angels program provides vitamins to children around the world who do not have access to a well balanced diet.
I had a blast doing makeovers. It was great to finally meet Valerie in person. Valerie was gracious and grateful for the help. I am grateful for the experience, as I learned a lot. So perhaps by alleviating some of her nervousness, I have alleviated some of my own if I ever have an in store demo! That's what its all about. Being human. Helping each other. Supporting each other.
After the event, Valerie told the manager and her videographer about me, and how I owned a mineral makeup business. They exclaimed "she's your competition?!" to which Valerie replied "No, she's my friend, and we celebrate each others successes."

I get it now

2010-11-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

From the beginning, when I started L.A. Minerals, I often wondered why companies use so many chemicals in their products when there are natural alternatives.

Now I get it.

While formulating our new L.A. WET formula, we sought a water dispersible pigment. Our suppliers had a lot of choices. However most of them included chemicals, a lot of chemicals. After talking with our rep, and letting her know we didn't want all those chemicals, she said "well we do have a line that's oxides and silica. We just don't have it on our site because it's SO EXPENSIVE!" My response was send us some samples and a quote!

So yeah, now I get it. Now I know why most of the big companies make so many products overloaded with chemicals.

Oily Skin - Pros, Cons and Solutions

2010-09-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Oily skin can be a blessing and a curse. Your skin produces sebum/oil to keep the sensitive facial skin moist. Your face is the most often exposed to the sun, hence most at risk for drying out.

Pros=
▻The oilier the skin, the longer it will retain its youthful appearance
▻Oily skin wards off wrinkles till later in life
▻Oily skin tans easier

Cons=
▻We may not like the oily look
▻ Many cosmetics slide off of oily skin
▻Oily skin tends to be more acne prone

There are numerous face washes designed for oily skin and/or acneic skin. However, over washing, using harsh cleansers sends a signal to your skin to produce more oil! The secret is to wash your face daily, removing excess oil along with accumulated dirt and airborne crud. Then use a non alcohol toner, like simple witch hazel, and a moisturizer that is not oil based. I prefer the ones water or aloe vera based moisturizers.

It is much better to soak up the excess oil during the day, rather than trying to prevent it's production (which ends up drying out your skin, and making more oil). There are numerous products for this, including blotting papers, and Oil Control Powders. Many oil control powders contain chemicals, but there are natural makeup ingredients that do a fantastic job of soaking up excess oil. Our Oil Control Mattifying Powder contains Kaolin Clay, a centuries old solution for clarifying and mattifying the skin. We also include a special silica that is designed to absorb seven times it's weight in oil! This ingredient acts like a million little sponges at work all day, keeping your skin smooth and matte :)

Additionally, since oily skin can be acneic, we include Allantoin, a natural antiseptic and skin soother. Silk powder is also one of our ingredients, and it functions as a natural moisture balancer (it also feels great against your skin).

The powder can be applied before or after your foundation. We recommend using a mineral makeup foundation combined with our Oil Control Powder.

For only $2 you can try a sample of our Oil Control Mattifying Powder with no obligations, no risk, and no auto-ship commitments.

Stay Beautiful,

Lorraine
CEO & Founder
L.A. Minerals

SPF and You

2010-09-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Some of you may wonder why not all makeup products claim a specific SPF rating. At LA Minerals, we choose not to claim a specific SPF rating for various reasons:

1. Once an SPF rating is claimed the cosmetic becomes a drug.

2. As a drug, SPF ingredients are limited. For instance Titanium Dioxide, as an active ingredient, is limited to 25%, which is the level used in some sunscreen with very high SPF levels. In a cosmetic, the FDA does not limit inclusion percents!

3. It costs thousands of dollars PER SHADE for SPF testing. As a young and growing company, it would be cost prohibitive to do this, without passing the cost along to you, our valued customer.

4. The accuracy and reliability of SPF testing is controversial. The amount of product used varies from one person to the other. There is no way a lab can determine how much you put on. I recently watched a news clip on this, and to achieve the proclaimed SPF, the person would have needed to use about a 1/4 c of lotion, on their arms!

But just so you know, we do include Titanium Dioxide, and High Micron Zinc Oxide in most of our mineral makeup foundations-Hollywood, Valley Girl, and our new Wet foundation, at the following percentages:
Hollywood: Titanium Dioxide = 14%, Zinc Oxide = 7%
Valley Girl: Titanium Dioxide = 19%, Zinc Oxide = 14%
LA Wet: Titanium Dioxide = 10%, Zinc Oxide = 5%

Armed with this knowledge, it's pretty easy to look up other makeup brands active ingredient percentages and get a rough idea of our products approximate SPF. However, I strongly recommend, that if you spend a lot of time in the sun, it's best to also use a moisturizer with SPF ingredients.

We are registered with the FDA under their Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP). The VCRP helps the FDA in its mission to protect consumers, while also helping cosmetic manufacturers and distributors make informed decisions. This basically tells them we exist, and makes it easy for them to look over our shoulder if they want. It also tells them that we practice their recommended Cosmetic GMP, good manufacturing practices.

Concealers can be Tricky

2010-08-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

Getting the right concealer for your skin tone can be tricky. But getting the right concealer for your skin tone that also works with your foundation? Nearly impossible....until now.

Our "Hide It" mineral makeup concealers are designed to work effortlessly WITH your mineral makeup. It's not a cream, that will slide off once your face gets damp or oily, but it's a creamy mineral powder with great adhesion that melds perfectly with your skin and mineral foundation.

We not only have skin toned mineral concealers for porcelain to tanned skin shades, but also corrective concealers to help cover the most difficult skin issues. Our Green Goddess concealer covers redness from acne, rosacea and port wine stains. Our Cinderella Yella concealer is great for covering dark under eye circles with a purpleish cast, and hyper pigmentation (dark spots). And our Just Peachy concealer also covers dark circles with a blueish cast. It's all based on color wheel theory. Opposite colors negate each other!

No need to worry about warm humid weather, or if our concealer is going to last through your busy day or work out! Check out our video demo of our concealers water repellency.

How Many People have Used your New Makeup?

2010-08-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

First a definition of cosmetic:Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and gels.

This is kind of a gross topic, but one I thought worthy of writing about. I was in a large retail store about a month ago, strolling through the cosmetic department. Noticed some gross looking containers of body butter on the shelf. Picked it up. Opened it. Discovered it was half empty with crusty stuff around the lid threading. Abhorred that it was NOT a sample display, but sitting there waiting for someone to pay full price for a USED cosmetic!

I brought this to the attention of the FDA representative during a 3 hour conference call a few weeks ago. Their reasoning for no safety seals is: A)would be too costly for manufacturers, and B)the buyer wouldn't be able to sniff the shampoos and lotions and potions.

I can kind of see his point. I mean, I do open and sniff body wash and lotions. There are some smells that are just plain nasty! And who wants to go back to the store to return things like that?
But...do they really need unsealed bottles of liquid foundation just begging to be tested out on every passerby's arm?

My solution for you all.....buy online! We sell our mineral makeup online only right now, but we have a seal covering the holes, and an external seal to keep the lid snug during shipment. Our products have never sat on a shelf being tested by whoever comes along. And they are made in small, fresh batches;)

Pure Pigments as Eye Shadow?

2010-08-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of buzz about using pure mineral pigments as eye shadow. Some of the buzz is positive, some negative. Most of it confusing and misinformed.

On one side of camp hoorahs for extreme pigmentation and color. Raves about purity and intensity. On the other side of the camp, boos and thumbs down. Videos of ultra marine blue 'dissolving' in water as if they are paints. Horrified responses, totally buying into the demos.

Both sides of the camp need some education!
1. Ultramarines are approved by the FDA for use in cosmetics, except for lips.
2. Ultras that are approved for cosmetic use are lab created in order to be safe and free from naturally occurring toxins. (ultras for paints are not for use in cosmetics for obvious reasons)
3. Ultras, although bright and intense, do not make the best eye shadow. Why? Because they are draggy, chalky, and lack good adhesion. They are a COLORANT, and when used with other ingredients are a PART of a finished product.
4. The FDA Specifically states "(c) Uses and restrictions. The ultramarine pigments may be safely used for coloring externally applied cosmetics, including cosmetics intended for use in the area of the eye, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice."
Note that last part..amounts consistent with GMP.
5. Ultramarines dissolving in water? Well it may look like it, when it's stirred into a beaker or bowl of water, it actually DISPERSES in the water. Let it sit overnight, and you'll find it sitting at the bottom, like sand in the ocean!

Colorants for cosmetics obviously need to disperse or mix with the other ingredients, be it an eye shadow, mineral makeup, soap, lotion or shampoo. If it didn't "disperse" we wouldn't have any colored bath and body products or makeup!

However, dispersing and dissolving are two different things. Recent youtube videos displaying ultras dissolving in water are just fear mongering demos, performed by uneducated or misinformed folks.

2009-11-08T07:06:00.001-08:00

Crumbs of Knowledge...or my 2 cents worth, depends on the topic!

Occasionally I'll pick up some cosmetics that are getting a lot of buzz, just to try them out. Always good to know what the "competition" is offering. Lately I've tried 3 foundations. I won't mention brands here, but it probably won't be hard for you to figure out.

First product was a mousse type foundation. Felt wonderful on my fingers. Looked cool in the nice thick glass jar. On my face, covered so so. Instantly felt like a mask though. Over the course of the day, felt like a thick mask over oil that was trapped beneath. YUCK...couldn't wait to get it off!

Second product was a liquid colorstay long endurance foundation. No fancy bottle, not cool looking, so I'm thinking OK..maybe just a good product. Went on nice, looked matte and covered good. Absorbed oil well. No mask like feel. I wore this for about 3 days in a row. Then I started breaking out, really bad! Couldn't figure out why? I washed my makeup off in the shower every night, then used extra face wash, toner and lotion after my shower. So why the breakout? Hmmmm
Well on day 4 I decided to use an alcohol soaked cotton pad on my face in the morning (keep in mind after all that cleaning the nights before). I was SHOCKED to see foundation coming off onto the cotton pad. Think I found the reason for the breakout! Yeah it was colorstay all right. Stayed so good that it won't come off.

Third foundation was the most popular selling mineral foundation we all have seen on shopping channels. Applied nice, didn't cover all that great, WOW at the shine, and by noon I was scratching my face off! I try not to stand on my "NO BISMUTH" soapbox very often. Bismuth can be fine in small quantities like blush or eyeshadow. But at the percent in their foundation, not tolerated well by many. Even if they don't itch, bismuth tends to clog pores over long term use. Why? Because it's a heavy metal, and a very large particle size mineral. Hence it has to be buffed buffed buffed into the skin/pores. Irritates the skin, and it doesn't all necessarily come off or out of your pores when you wash your face, hence breakouts.

Needless to say I was very happy to be done with the competition, and back to wearing my Hollywood mineral foundation! Lasts all day, feels like air, and actually comes off when I want it to with no break outs!

Stay beautiful ladies:)

~Lorraine

Cosmetic Ingredients - How much is in there?

2009-07-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

We're all more aware of what we put on our skin, or in our mouths these days. Choosing cosmetics that are safe and full of helpful ingredients can be a daunting task. First of all, some of the words are only pronounceable by a Doctorate in English or science. But even if we can say the words, what are we getting? And how much of it?

Cosmetics, including cleansers and creams, mineral makeup, lotions and potions, are regulated by the FDA in the USA. All ingredient lists must be listed from greater to smaller percents of usage. In other words, the first ingredient will always comprise the largest percent of that product. (colorants and flavors are the exception and can be listed in the "may contain" area, to protect manufacturers formulas.

So, if you are wanting a product with a lot of aloe vera in it, you'd look for that ingredient pretty high up in the list. If water is the first ingredient and aloe is the 6th or 7th, you can be sure the product is mostly water. This info can be really helpful when you are looking for specific ingredients for your skin or health.

This also helps explain why certain products are more costly than others, even though they have the "same" ingredients. You cannot tell how much of an ingredient is in that product, simply by reading the list!

Normally the last ingredient on the list is either a trace quantity (not enough to require measurement) or 1-2% of that product. Now that doesn't always mean there's not enough to be effective, just because it's last.
Most cosmetic formulators (including us) follow the manufacturers recommended usage rates.

Allantoin, a natural antiseptic and skin soother, is in our Valley Girl mineral foundation. It has a recommended usage rate of .5-2% of the formula. Adding more will NOT be more effective, any less will be ineffective. The FDA does not regulate inclusion rates, therefore formulators depend on information and data from their suppliers, chemists, estheticians and manufacturers.

Lately the market has been bombarded with "mineral makeup". Or powders made "with minerals". Often times promoted as "made with pure mineral pigments". The word WITH is the keyword here. With what else? And how much of it is minerals?

Hint here: mineral pigment is generally less than 3% of the total product. So if that fancy new makeup is made with mineral pigments, it will probably be last or close to last on the list, and be some type of iron oxide.

Hypo-allergenic products - THE TRUTH!

2009-07-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

Some Industry Honesty

(refreshing isn't it?)

How many of you assume that products labeled "hypo-allergenic" or "natural" are going to be perfect for your skin?

Hate to break it to you, but it's not necessarily so! The FDA does NOT regulate the term "hypo-allergenic" or "natural".

Cosmetic companies can and do use the terms for any product they like, no matter what the ingredients!

We use the term "natural", meaning the bulk of our ingredients are from a natural source, i.e. minerals. But shopper beware, it's not a regulated term.

My best advice is to understand and learn about makeup ingredients and their typical reaction on YOUR skin. By shopping online, you can easily look up ingredients in wikipedia or other reliable sources. I bolded reliable for a reason. There are a lot of sites and blogs trying to use scare tactics to gain traffic and interest and MONEY! Yup...they earn money when you click on their sponsored ads.

Example: Silica- there's scare info going around that it's dangerous. This is totally blown out of proportion. OSHA does have a warning for this ingredient as an inhalant risk if you MINE IT as a career and breathe huge dust clouds day in and day out.

But some like to take that warning and scare consumers. We don't expect you to know all this, but we've done our homework/research;)

We do consider our mineral makeup to be as "natural" as possible, and for the most part hypo allergenic. Because most of the ingredients we use are minerals. Yes, some minerals are "mined from the earth," but they are required to be cleansed to remove naturally occurring trace elements that are not good for you. Most cosmetic pigments are lab created to insure safety and compliance with the FDA.

The 5 minute makeover

2009-07-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

We all get busy. With kids, jobs, school, husbands and the constant demands of a house that just won't stay clean, sometimes we just don't feel like we have time to take care of ourselves.

So, I decided to share my 5 minute makeover trick with you. (P.S. That is NOT me in the photo. I only wish it were me!)Here's my process:

1. Apply mineral concealer - 1 minute

2. Apply mineral foundation - 1 minute (really once you get good at it that's all it takes)

3. Apply our Lit Up bronzer to cheeks, sides of forehead and little on the eyelids - 1 minute

4. Apply LA Minerals Veil with our dual length veil brush - 30 seconds

5. Apply eyeliner, mascara, lip balm. - 1.5 minutes

And TADA you are DONE!

You'll end up with a nice all over sunkissed, natural look that will carry you through your busy day.

Quest for the "Natural Look"

2009-07-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

It’s a given that a lot of us strive for the “natural look” in our makeovers. But what exactly achieves that look?

Answer: It all depends on your skin tone and age!

Other than brights and neons, there’s a plethera of color options that will look “natural” on various skin tones.

The basic idea is to enhance your natural beauty and good facial qualities while diminishing flaws, all whilst not ending up looking like Elvira, mistress of the dark;)

Here’s some basic tips for a natural look.

Lips= use a color that is close to your natural gum color. If you’re lips already have a nice tint, then clear gloss is fine.
Eyes=use a color that has the same undertones as you do. If you are cool/pink wear light pink or mauve eyeshadows. Warm skin tones-peach, golden, and brown eyeshadows.
Face=mineral foundation closest to your natural skin tone. Applied with a kabuki or mineral powder brush. Why mineral foundation? Well not just because we sell it, but because it melds with your skin really easily and generally does not leave a “base line” along your jaw bone.
Eyebrows=don’t over pluck them for one. You’ll regret it when you get older. Those thin little brows on young girls look OK…kinda…but on an older woman (which you’ll be one day) they look horrible. You don’t want to have to draw them on do you? OK…so pluck the unibrow and any strays, but try to keep just a nice arch. If you have sparse brows, fill them in with a pencil and then brush over your brows with an eyebrow brush to blend it in.
Blush or Bronzer=a color that your cheeks normally turn to when you get too much sun is the best “natural” choice for you. I use the Lit Up shade of bronzer myself. It’s the perfect sunkissed look when applied to the apples of my cheeks. And by the way…that’s another tip for the “natural” look. Apply your blush or bronzer where the sun naturally kisses your skin. Blush applied under the cheekbones looks great if you’re going for the model or professional jet setter look. But for the everyday natural look, apply it to the apples of your cheeks and a little on the sides of your forehead.

More tips for the natural look quest:

Stay out of the tanning beds! Pale people with deep dark tans look leathery, not natural. If you don’t get naturally a little more tan in the summer, then you probably aren’t meant to be tan. A little sun is good for you. Too much isn’t good for you. You will not only seriously age your skin, but are increasing your chances of skin cancer.

Ditch the red lipstick. Unless you’re a vampire, you probably won’t look natural with red lips!

Stay away from black liquid eyeliner. I’ve yet to see anyone look natural with black liquid eyeliner. On young women it can look ver striking, but on older wome it tends to make them look hard and older. Try to stick with brown eyeliner, not liquid. Many of our mineral eyeshadows make a great, natural eyeliner. I use the Stoked color a lot for eyeliner. Applied wet with visine it lasts all day. Smudge it a bit with your finger, or a q-tip.

Mascara=Black or Black/Brown or Brown look the most natural. I’ve never met anyone with blue or burgundy eyelashes, so I’m betting that those colors shouldn’t be in our “natural look” quest.

Cosmetic Ingredients. Need an Interpreter?

2009-06-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Our skin is our largest organ. It is not impermeable. Stuff you apply to it is absorbed by it. What’s on your skin? Do you really know? I’ve been on a mission for years. A quest of sort, to find healthy and functional cosmetic and beauty products. Granted, the FDA requires ingredient disclosure on full sized products either on the product itself, or on the packaging, or included along with mail order cosmetics. Great! So we have a list of words most of us cannot pronounce much less recognize as safe or unsafe, natural or chemical, organic or inorganic, acne causing or non-comedogenic, etc. Big hint here: if it's hard to pronounce, then it's probably a chemical, not that all chemicals are bad, it's just good to know the difference!

Thankfully we live in the age of lightning fast info at our fingertips, here at our internet connected PC. Research has become a bit easier, as far as individual ingredients are concerned. There are numerous sites that rate ingredients based on the above mentioned criteria. One I love to keep on hand is “Become An Acne Detective” By Barbara Strickland, Certified Para-Medical Esthetician. If acne is a concern of yours, I’d recommend bookmarking this one! You can even print the handy chart and bring it along with you when you’re shopping and dissecting the ingredient label.

Paraben preservatives are a huge concern lately. Traces of parabens have been found in cancerous tumors. There is no conclusive test results stating that the parabens are responsible for the cancer, yet there are no test results saying the are NOT responsible either. If this is a concern of yours, I’d recommend searching out paraben free health and beauty products. This is quite a difficult quest, as most preservative systems include parabens. BUT preservatives are not necessary in products that contain NO water (like mineral makeup). Preservatives are also not needed in products made of oils, butters and waxes. Most store brands throw it in anyway, so you’ll need to shop the net to find un-adultered beauty products.

When you are shopping for mineral makeup or bath and body items on the net, look for the ingredients. Are they hidden? If so, ask yourself why? Usually they are hiding the ingredients for a reason. They really don’t want you to see them! Walking through our local –Mart store the other day I picked up a jar of Revlon and Maybelline “mineral” makeup. First ingredient on the Revlon? Talc. Which, although talc is technically a mineral, it’s cheap and clogs your pores. And the Maybelline? First ingredient was Titanium Dioxide. GREAT! But the rest.. sorry couldn’t pronounce them, much less remember them or how to spell them! But I can assure you most of the ingredients were NOT minerals. Oh and did I mention it was microscopic? Who can read this stuff?

We believe in full product disclosure and prominent display of every products individual ingredients for everything we sell. We’ve even included a page on the site describing every ingredient. When you are creating a quality mineral makeup there is nothing to hide! Now you may be thinking natural means dull and boring. If you do, you are in for a surprise!
Yes, you can have fun with color and still be safe, knowing you are putting something good on your skin. Our mineral makeup is made with premium minerals and pigments. There are various grades, even amongst natural ingredients. You will NOT be able to discern this on any ingredient list. In other words, premium sericite mica and regular untreated mica are both required by the FDA to be listed as “mica” on the ingredient declaration list. Untreated sericite mica often times will result in an ashen look or other color change a few hours after application. Treated sericite mica is much more expensive, but is a more stable product. Many of our products are made with Sericite treated with Magnesium Myristate, which offers numerous benefits. I won’t duplicate our “About Ingredients” page here. You can take a look if you like on our site. But let me assure you that we could be buying our ingredients at much lower prices and you would never see a difference on the label! BUT you would likely feel the difference, or suffer the loss of added benefits.

Numerous mineral makeup sites state the following: “natural minerals mined from the earth”. Well kinda… but not really. Almost all minerals have to be treated and “cleaned” in order to be considered safe for cosmetic use. Trace chemicals of various harmful types are almost always found along with mined minerals. So they are “cleaned” before going on your face.

http://www.laminerals.com/
http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/acnedetect.htm

Hey There Hi There!

2009-06-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

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