Makeup is a hobby and passion of many people. It’s used to enhance features, to play around with colours and to develop your creativity. The base onto which you apply all of your makeup is your face- the so-called canvas. For this you use, foundation, which evens out your skin tone and covers imperfections. It can be confusing to categorise makeup products, which is why we’ll go into detail on the different types of products:
- Foundation: this is the base product of every makeup look, and it’s used to prepare a beautiful even complexion for this rest of your makeup. It also smoothes out the skin and comes in different finishes (matte, illuminating, hydrating).
- Concealer: it’s used to cover up dark under eyes and blemishes. It’s brighter, lighter and not as heavy in consistency as foundation, while also covers blemishes. They tend to be thicker and have better coverage.
- Primer: it’s applied before your foundation and concealer and provides a smooth surface for your foundation. It also helps keep your makeup stay input and blurs out the appearance of pores. Depending on the formula, it can mattify the skin or even give it a nice glow. Primer also helps reduce redness.
- Powder: it’s used to set any wet products such as foundation and concealer and gives the skin a smooth finish. It’s also mostly used to mattify the skin. Powders come in different formulas (pressed or loose).
- Contour powder: this product sculpts and contours the hollow parts of the face while also helping your face appear slimmer. It also gives your face some colour.
- Bronzer: it’s typically used when it’s warmer to give the face a warmer complexion and a healthy glow.
- Blush: blushes come in many different formulas and colours. They’re typically applied to the cheeks and can be in powder, loose or cream form. They are usually pink or peach in colour and give the face a healthy, youthful look.
- Highlighter: it’s applied to the highest points of the face: the tops of your cheekbones, the cupid’s bow, the bridge of the nose and under the eyebrows. It gives a beautiful glow and makes the face more youthful looking.
- Mascara: mascara is one of the most popular makeup products and is used to elongate the lashes while attaching tiny fibres from the brush to them. It mostly comes in black and dark brown and in many different brush shapes.
- Eyeliner: it’s used to shape and bring out the eyes. It also outlines the natural shape of them or can be used to draw on a totally different shape. It is typically black or brown.
- Eyeshadow: eyeshadow comes in hundreds of colours and finishes. It’s used to create different eye looks and can be used to make your eyelids colourful. It’s also used to bring out the eye colours and to outline the crease.
- Eyebrow products: they vary from pencil products to creams and pomades. Eyebrows are one of the most important elements of the face and frame it. They shouldn’t be overlooked. A lot of people prefer a natural brow, while others like a bold look.
- Eyelash/brow gel: this is used to hold hairs in place and can come in a clear colour or colour of someone’s natural eyebrows or lashes (brown, black, taupe).
- Eyeshadow primer: primer creates a smooth, even layer of product onto which eyeshadow is applied. It also helps keep it stay in place throughout the day.
- Lipstick: it’s an essential element of a completed makeup look. It’s quite popular to use a red, pink or nude lipstick on a daily basis. Lipsticks also come in different finishes and formulas and can be matte, creamy, glossy or sheer.
- Lip gloss: gloss is similar to lipstick, except that it always gives a glossy finish of course. It tends to be more sticky and shiny and is a lot more moisturising than regular lipstick.
- Finishing spray: this is the final touch of every makeup look. It sets the look in place and helps it stay all day. It also gives the face a less powdery look and gives it a nice, healthy glow.
Ingredients to look out for
Most cosmetics available on the market contain many harmful ingredients that aren’t the best for your skin. Since your skin is your body’s largest organ, it should be treated with care. Here are some things to look out for when checking the ingredients of products:
- Parabens: these preservatives are used to prevent the growth of bacteria and germs in cosmetics. The skin absorbs them, and they are then transmitted into the bloodstream. This can be extremely dangerous and can cause early puberty and even breast cancer.
- BAK: this is found in many eye products such as eyeshadow and mascara. It’s a preservative and can be toxic to the epithelial cells of the eyes.
- Ethanolamine compounds: these substances contain chemicals called nitrosamines that can cause cancer. Try to look for the letters TEA, DEA and MEA in ingredients lists.
- Heavy metals: nickel and chrome are two heavy metals found in makeup, especially metallic colours. They are linked to brain damage and lung cancer.
- Titanium dioxide: the only same form of this product is in powder form. It’s also known as TiO2.
- Carbon black: it’s quite frequently found in eye products and has been linked to cancer and organ system toxicity. It’s also called acetylene black, channel black or just carbon black.
- Synthetic fragrances: they are found in many foundations and can be extremely irritating to the skin, especially for those with sensitive skin types. It’s also best to choose products without any fragrances or with natural essential oils.
- Retinyl acetate: this form of vitamin A has been linked to reproductive toxicity and cancer.
Mineral foundation
Natural beauty has always been something people strive for. Foundation is also a product that is almost always used in every makeup look. Liquid foundation is the most popular choice because of it’s great coverage, but it is definitely more time consuming and doesn’t look as natural most of the time. Mineral foundation is an excellent option for those looking for a natural finish that takes a few seconds to apply and is just easy to use.
Go organic
The solution to avoiding these harmful ingredients is using organic products. It’s really that simple. They are better for your skin and the environment. Below we listed some recommendations of our favourite organic mineral makeup.
- Bellaphora Organic Mineral Makeup
One of our favourites. They don’t test on animals, are gluten, corn and cruelty-free. Their products also don’t contain any GMOs and consist of only certified organic ingredients. The makeup gives the skin a beautiful finish and is great for everyday use. It also comes in many different shades.
- Ilia Beauty Mineral Foundation
They focus on creating pure, natural products with botanicals in their ingredients that help smooth the skin’s texture. Their product feels super light and soft on the skin and contains aloe leaf and passion fruit.
- Alima Pure Mineral Makeup
Their formula contains the least amount of ingredients and has the best quality. They never use artificial or synthetic dyes. They are also carbon-neutral, use recycled paper packaging, and are cruelty-free. Their powder foundation was created for all skin types and tones.
- Real Purity
They use the highest quality ingredients that are only plant-derived. They are naturally good for you and are extremely affordable. They desire to replace all toxic ingredients with organic ones that work with every skin type, especially sensitive skin. They’re also very eco-friendly, cruelty-free and offer mini samples to try out before purchasing any full-size product.
- W3LL PEOPLE Mineral Makeup
This brand is all for minimalism and cruelty-free ingredients. Their products are very soothing and nourishing for your skin and also offer good coverage. They cover most blemishes and create an even complexion. They are also super affordable and offer various colours.
- INIKA Organic Loose Mineral Foundation
This is the ultimate, buildable flawless foundation with 100% natural ingredients. There aren’t any added unnecessary toxins or fragrances that can irritate the skin. They offer a wide variety of shades and can be mixed and matched to your skin tone. The ingredients are actually extremely beneficial to the skin and over time help improve your complexion.
- Lilah b.
Their brand is all about simple, multipurpose beauty products with clean, natural formulas. None of the products contains sulfates, parabens, or gluten. They are packed with beneficial ingredients such as botanicals and aloe. Their mineral foundation makes the skin feels nourished, luxurious and all around beautiful. It’s also cruelty-free and vegan.
- Kjaer Weis
A cosmetic line that combines minimalism and natural ingredients while also creating makeup that works beautifully on the skin. They use only certified organic ingredients from all around the world in all of their products. Every batch of makeup is inspected by hand and contains zero parabens, synthetic fragrances, silicones or petrochemical emulsifiers. Their mineral foundation works well with every skin type and is super easy to blend.
- Afterglow
Afterglow was the first certified gluten-free makeup line and offers a huge range of natural mineral makeup with pure organic ingredients. They’re perfect for people with sensitive and problematic skin since they are very delicate on the skin. Each product is uniquely blended with natural pigments and minerals. They’re soy-free, cruelty-free, gluten-free and fair trade. Most of their products are also vegan.
- Juice Beauty
This brand creates organic and natural clinically-validated skincare and vibrant plant-pigmented cosmetics. All of their products are vegan and cruelty-free, they utilise sustainable energy sources for production, and they’re USDA certified organic. Their mineral foundation is very well known and loved.
- Vapour
This brand offers mineral makeup that contains only natural, healthy, minimally processed ingredients. They also use only recycled packaging and are cruelty-free. The powders can be used for multiple purposes, not only as foundation, but also on the eyelids or under the eyes.