If you are looking for that flawless weightless feeling and look when you apply makeup, then mineral makeup is for you. It goes on very easily and covers everything you want covered while letting the real you show through but with better looking skin. It never cakes or creases and if you chose the right colors you won't have that makeup line around the edges and between your face and neck. You look like you have a wonderful natural complexion without looking or feeling like you are wearing a mask.

There are many brands to choose from. Bare Minerals is probably the most well known but there are others as well. Everyday Minerals is a great choice as is Sheer Cover. There are many more and I don't want to imply the three I mentioned are the only ones available or are better than other brands, it is just that they are the ones I am familiar with at this point. If you are a seller of another brand or a buyer of a different product, please don't feel left out. I just want people to try minerals regardless of the name brand. Even though your particular brand may not be mentioned, if buyers do a search for mineral makeup which is what I suggest, they will find yours too. I plan to try some of the others soon myself.

In my opinion, they all have one thing in common,  they all give you that perfect looking, almost air brushed finish and are pure enough that you can wear them all day with virtually no reapplication needed. Some claim they are pure enough to sleep in. Though I don't sleep in makeup, I believe that statement to be true as there is nothing unnatural in the products and they are very pure.

They are usually available in starter sets which commonly contain one or two base colors you choose depending on your natural skin tone. Example, if you are very fair, you will get one or two light shades. If you are like most women you'll probably choose medium and will receive one or two different medium shades or if you are tanned or are a woman of color you will receive one or two deeper shades. The two color kits are great because you can can mix and match the bases for a customized color to perfectly match your natural skin tone. Then you will receive a finishing powder which is neutral and helps give you that soft defused air brushed look while setting your makeup for the day. Finally you will probably receive a blush or bronzer-like cheek color and a brush or two for applying the minerals to your skin. The brushes are usually luxuriously full and made of natural soft fibers. They feel wonderful against your skin.

Most brands offer larger kits that also contain eye shadows, several blushers, shimmering face and eye products for evening, lipsticks and more,  or you can purchase these separately as you desire.

Most brands have sample sizes you can buy to try, just make sure you realize that sample sizes are small, just enough to try for a few days or even a bit longer considering that less is more with mineral makeup since it is highly pigmented. I have had sample sizes last as long as a week or more. Sample sizes are also perfect for travel as they are smaller and take up very little room in your makeup kit.

I have never found any makeup I like better. It covers flaws, birthmarks and uneven skin color with very little effort and very little product needed to look natural without that heavy caky feeling you get with traditional makeup.

If you have very sensitive skin and find that a mineral makeup is causing some itching, look for one that does not contain bismuth. Some people find that irritating or "itchy"  if they have very sensitive skin. Also, make  sure that the mineral makeup you choose is free of talc which can also be irritating to some skin. Mineral makeup is usually free of fillers or oils which could clog your pores so you will likely see your skin improve when you make the switch to minerals.

In addition to complete yet sheer cover, the minerals can be used in other ways. Darker colors and eye shadows can be mixed with a drop of water and used as eyeliner when applied with a thin brush. Blushes can be used as eye shadow as well,  either dry from the jar or mixed with a bit of water for a deeper color.You can also apply a light dusting of blush under your lipstick to give it a whole new look! I have dipped my lipstick into a small amount of blush and applied it as I normally apply lipstick and get two or more colors from one tube of lipstick. Mineral makeup is versatile and saves you money in the long run.

Most brands carry concealers that work wonderfully for dark under eye circles or blemishes. The results are remarkable. It always amazes me to find uneven coloring disappear with mineral concealers.

Again, if you have sensitive skin, you may want to try a sample first before investing in a larger set just to be sure you like it. Once you try it, you will likely fall in love with it. You won't want to wear liquid or cream bases again as they tend to settle into the creases and lines on your face actually making them more noticable.

Mineral makeup floats on the skin and doesn't magnify  pores or fine lines. It does the opposite, it minimizes the look of those lines and pores to make you look younger, more healthy and well rested. You look like you were blessed with great skin and a natural youthful-like radiance. Even women who don't like to use makeup find that once they try mineral makeup and see the difference for themselves, they wouldn't be without it.

If you are a woman of an age where small lines and wrinkles are forming, applying heavy makeup to cover these only serves to make them more visible. With mineral makeup, you will notice a much more youthful look. As we age, where makeup is concerned, we need to learn that less is more. I can speak from experience. My life long friend and I used to laugh that when we were 16 we put on makeup to look 21. Now in our fifties, we still put it on to look 21. Of course we know that isn't going to happen, but after discovering mineral makeup, I can take off a good ten years when I apply my makeup now because of the way minerals work. I wouldn't be 21 again for anything, I am perfectly happy with my age, but why not be the best fifty something I can be rather than looking older than I am because of the way traditional makeup settles into the very lines I want to diminish?

It is easy to remove with cleanser or mild soap and water, what ever you use, and most product lines even carry very nice accessory products like cleansers, moisturizers, lipsticks, mascaras and more.

A little goes such a long way that you will find you are saving money. Liquid makeup can go bad after a while. Minerals have a very very long shelf life. Another plus is that you are not dipping your fingers into a jar which can be a problem for the formation of bacteria over time. So mineral makeup is safe and pure to the bottom of the jar.  

Full size starter kits can cost anywhere from around thirty dollars or a bit less,  to sixty dollars or more depending on the size, brand and the number of products in the kit.  Of course you can buy the products alakart and pick and choose what you want. Minerals can even be mixed and matched. You may find you like one company's base and another's eyeshadow etc. Versatility is a huge benefit of mineral makeup.

Not born with great cheek bones? No problem, the darker shades of base allows you to create great contouring,  while hiding virtually any flaw and still keep you looking perfectly natural.

As with any product, the more well known the brand name the more expensive it may be.  Having tried three of them, I found that they are all pretty much the same as far as coverage and staying power is concerned. I did have to switch from a very famous brand to a lesser known brand as the bismuth in the more expensive product was causing some itching particularly on my eyelids, but now that problem is gone. Usually a good seller will have the ingredients listed so you can tell what is in the product or if they don't list the ingredients, they are usually happy to inform you if the product contains bismuth if you ask. Again, most women are fine with it, only the very sensitive may find some itching with the bismuth ingredient.

If you are skeptical about mineral makeup, don't be. It truly performs as promised and so far I haven't met anyone who has tried it and wasn't happy with it. If you are new, I do urge you to try the sample sizes first, then you won't  be stuck with a product you can't use or are unhappy with,  for which you paid more than the sample price.

It may take a bit of practice to apply it to your satisfaction but practice makes perfect and it is well worth the effort in more ways than I can list. A very good friend of mine hated it when she first tried it because she couldn't get the hang of it. I went to her house, we had a little make over session and now she uses nothing else! It just takes a little time to get used to applying minerals since we are more geared to using liquids or creams applied with our fingers or sponges.

When you have given samples a try and are ready to order your full size minerals, make sure you are ordering full sized sealed products. Read the description carefully to insure you are getting the larger full size jars.

Applying the product is as easy as one, two three. Simply cleanse and moisturize your skin as you normally do. Then add a tiny bit of the base to the lid of the jar. Most jars have shaker tops. Take your brush and swirl it around in the product to make sure it gets deep into the bristles of the soft brush. Tap the brush on the edge of the jar cap to remove any extra product then simply begin to brush it on your face. I like to use a circular motion starting on the cheek first, going over the forehead on one side, down the nose, around the upper lip and chin, reload my brush and do the same on the other side of my face. If I haven't achieved the cover I desire, I simply repeat the process. It is better to apply two or three thin layers for the coverage you want than to put on too much in one application.

Over that, I put my blush or bronzer and my eye color. Then I use the finishing powder (different brands call this different things like veils or finishers) and apply it all over my face just as I did the base color. Then a little eyeliner if desired, some mascara, a touch of lip gloss and I am literally set for the day! If you need to use a concealer, you can use that where needed before applying the base and I have found too that I can cover a birthmark on my temple by pressing my pinkie finger into the concealer and dabbing it over that area applying a little more than I normally would with a brush then continuing as described above. The benefit I get from doing it that way is that I get a little more cover on the birthmark and it doesn't brush off when I apply the rest of the makeup. Sometimes, if I am very tired and have circles under my eyes, I apply the concealer twice. Once before the base and again before the finishing powder. I use a brush for that so it blends and I don't wind up with whitish areas under my eyes. Spending a little time and working with your products, you will find what works best for you.

Mineral makeup has a built in sunscreen provided by mother earth. This is a big plus because it is natural.  You will find that if your skin is sensitive it won't cause any itching or burning like some stand alone sun screens can and it doesn't require another heavy product to put on your face before applying your makeup.

Mineral makeup only takes a minute or two to apply once you get the hang of it and it will always look perfect once you've mastered the technique.  It is easy to take with you and it lasts a long time because you only use a little bit to achieve that beautiful finish you have always wanted from your makeup. Instead of noticing your makeup, people will notice you only better!.

There are many fine dealers of mineral makeup here on EBay and many choices of types of mineral makeup.  I know it can be hard to decide which one to try. Sample sizes give you an inexpensive way to try several different mineral make up products to see which ones you like best. You can always mix and match too. You may like a base color from one line and the finishing powder from another etc. Again, using samples to start, you can decide which ones are to your liking.

I hope this has helped you if you are thinking about trying a mineral makeup. I am writing this guide as a consumer not a seller, so I have nothing to gain or lose if you decide it isn't for you, but I wanted to share my positive experience with mineral makeup to encourage you to at least give it a try.

In my particular case, the real clincher was when my husband actually commented on my skin! I think I could change my hair color and length, change the carpet and maybe even get new furniture and he wouldn't't notice, but he did notice the way my face looks. He didn't say he liked my makeup, he said, "What ever you're using on your skin, keep using it, you look like you did when I firt met you." That was 18 years ago!  Quite a complement for a 56 year old woman who was in her late thirties when we met.

Give mineral makeup a try. You have nothing to lose except the price of a few samples and everything to gain if you decide you love it as I do. Another positive about mineral makeup is that the sellers here are some of the nicest people you will ever deal with. They are helpful, usually very much the expert in application and are happy to assist you if you have questions or want suggestions for a specific problem or a look you wish to achieve. They are proud of their products and it shows in the way they treat their customers. I think these sellers are just great!

Happy Shopping!