The Body Shop Mineral Makeup

I had $25 in points to redeem at the Body Shop so I took the opportunity to try out their new Nature's Minerals range of mineral foundations and blushes. The line also includes loose mineral eyeshadows but the shades were not that outstanding so I skipped those. The Body Shop also had a promotion whereby you can buy one of the new brushes for 50% off with purchase of a mineral makeup product so I ended up getting both the foundation brush (S$33.90) and the blusher brush (S$29.90).




I got the Mineral Foundation SPF25 in the lightest shade #1. I wear MAC NC25, Stila B, GA LSF #4 and OC-B in Kanebo and Kose foundations. The shade matched my skintone very well and was extremely lightweight, so it didn't feel like I was wearing makeup at all. However, I found that it was severely lacking in its ability to cover up redness in my skin. My skin gets quite splotchy at times as it's prone to clogs and small acne bumps. I also tend to have a lot of redness in my cheeks so I need a foundation that can cover up the redness as well as inflamed acne spots. Another drawback was its poor oil control. I put it up at 7.30am and by 10am, my face had oiled up and was shining like a disco ball. Not good at all!



At S$42.90 for 5g of product, this is not cheap and definitely did not perform up to my expectations. I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it but still I'll probably try to use it up, but maybe on top of a compact powder foundation as a finishing powder instead. It is probably more suitable for ladies who have normal to dry skin that is not prone to acne or redness, and who like the natural, no makeup look. Although it has SPF25, if it doesn't last well on my skin, I doubt I will get the full SPF25 protection.

The good thing about it is that it has only four ingredients (titanium dioxide, mica, kaolin and illite) and does not contain bismuth oxychloride, which is a common ingredient in many mineral foundations and is known to be problematic for skin as well as giving a unnatural glowy finish. The Body Shop mineral foundation has a soft matte finish. It would have been perfect if only it could provide better coverage and oil control.

The Cheek Color in #1 Pink Quartz worked out better for me, but it's still not holy grail material. It gives me a nice rosy flush of color. The color payoff is decent, and only requires a couple of brushes to show up. It has some micro-shimmer that is visible in the pot but not really noticeable once applied. The overall finish is a natural semi-matte, with no obvious sparkle.



As for the brushes, they get a big rave from me! These are incredibly soft, plush and caress your skin without any scratchiness at all. The bristles are densely packed and feel as luxurious as similar brushes from more expensive brands like MAC and Bobbi Brown. I'm glad that I picked up both at a great discount as I can see myself using them for many years to come. I've also washed them once and there was absolutely no shedding, which was very impressive.