And, just a reminder that Red Hot Makeup is having a crazy awesome sale right now. Buy any product of $8 or more and get a free blush and free kabuki brush ($24 value)! You don’t need a promo code – all orders qualify. Hurry though – quantities are limited.

Lisa’s Red Hot Tip:
Hey ladies, always apply your foundation to clean, moisturized skin. This will ensure a more flawless finish and even coverage. Using your Kabuki brush dip into the powder gently, tap it and swirl around in circular movements over your entire face. Start lightly – you can always add more. It’s also important to wash your foundation brushes every so often to avoid spreading bacteria and getting a breakout YUCK!

Check out the other Red Hot video tutorials on Concealer, Blush/Highlights, Eyes and Lips!

During my recent trip to NYC, I naturally paid a visit to one of my favorite retailers: Sephora–a beauty junkie’s paradise!  With so many exciting cruelty-free products to sample at once, how could I resist the urge to splurge?!  You know me too well….

My favorite new purchase happens to be TEMPTU’s Retouch powder.  This brand–renowned among pros for its ability to create an air-brushed effect–was first developed in 1981 as a temporary tattoo and body art process to be utilized on film: Cape Fear‘s makeup team used it to paint antagonist Max Cady. (You didn’t think De Niro sported permanent tatts, did you?  Apparently, grinding his teeth for the role was modification enough.)  For us regular consumers, the AIRbrush system was released in 2009; however at $225 to start, it was a bit out of my budget.

Having said that, I’m anything but disappointed with my Retouch experience.  For a not-entirely unreasonable $43, this powder lives up to its promise: shine-free skin that is also natural-looking and satin-soft.  Since my skin hasn’t been breaking out lately, I can get away with wearing it sans foundation–instead I apply on top of my Pomega5 Green Tea moisturizer and DERMAdoc Tease Zone.  Even on humid days, my face has remained relatively shine-free.  What more could I ask for?!

Good news for all makeup aficionados: Retouch is hypo-allergenic, dermatologist-approved, and suitable for all skin types.  Key ingredients are:

• mica: a naturally-occurring mineral whose name is derived from the Latin root micare (“to reflect”); adds an age-defying, light-diffusing quality to cosmetics
• kaolin: a naturally-occurring form of clay, and the raw material from which porcelain is made; acts as a natural absorbent that lifts excess dirt and oil from the skin
• caprylic/capric triglyceride: a natural extract of coconut oil; imparts cosmetics with improved glide, texture, stability, blend-ability, and penetration

All TEMPTU cosmetics are available online from temptu.com and sephora.com.  Again, I highly recommend splurging on Retouch!

Jen#2

Product image and info courtesy of temptu.com; movie tidbits from the Internet Movie Database and Wikipedia.

When I shop for foundation, I usually go straight to the fairest skin tones section. As a melanin-challenged individually, I was very happy to find out about Purely Cosmetics. They sell a light mineral makeup that’s perfect for me – called Peaches N Cream. It goes on with just the right consistency to give me light to medium coverage without looking heavy or making my pores look huge. I’ve never had problems with it caking or looking smudged throughout the day either.

I usually put on concealer and then dust it on with a big brush (or you can use a kabuki brush). I like to use the swirl and tap method – swirl the brush and then tap the handle of the brush on a flat surface with the bristles facing up. It distributes the makeup evenly, so you don’t put too much on. See more on how to apply mineral makeup here.

And BEFORE the foundation, you can even add a primer if you have oily skin. For normal to oily skin, use the Silk & Pearl Primer. For oilier skin, use the Oil Absorb. It keeps the shine away! Purely Cosmetics also has a ton of great mineral foundations for darker skin tones, eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers and powders. I tried their Lightly Bronzed powder, which gives a nice glow and makes me look less ghostly. A little bit goes a long way here.

Here’s why you should try Purely Cosmetics:

• Purely Cosmetics powders are free from skin irritants like talc, corn starch, preservatives, oils, FD&C dyes, and is recommended by dermatologists.
• Zinc oxides and titanium oxides act as natural suncreens without clogging pores.
• Ideal for sensitive skin, or those with acne, rosacea, or eczema.  The same oxides have proven to be soothing in addition to SPF properites, so you’re healing your skin while you’re covering up your imperfections.
• NO BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE - a skin irritant for many, and contained in many of those “other” mineral makeups.
• No micronized ingredients, which are easily inhaled, troublesome for asthmatics or other repiratory problems, and provide less coverage.  The health safety of micronized particles is controversial.
• Diminishes the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
• Gives your skin a natural looking luminosity, and provides even coverage.
• Lightweight, and feels like you’re not wearing anything!
• Purely Cosmetics has voluntarily registered with the FDA for product safety, so you can rest assured that you are receiving only the finest quality.

Jen

Minerals are mined from the ground and, when crushed, become a silky powder containing compounds such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, bismuth oxychloride and iron oxides.

Mineral makeup is usually marketed as loose powder in jars, but is also sold in pressed or liquid form. Currently, there are no set regulations for what constitutes a “mineral” makeup; therefore, any product containing minerals as a primary ingredient can be marketed as mineral makeup (even if it also has other, less natural ingredients. In addition, mineral pigments are not organic, because by FDA standards, organic products must be derived directly from plants or animals.

While some mineral makeup formulas avoid synthetics (like paraben preservatives and other fillers), there are others with minerals plus fillers, colors, binders, oils, fragrances, preservatives, and chemicals that can irritate skin.

Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 42,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety. But, even natural things can be potentially harmful. When some molecules are dramatically reduced in size to the level of a nanoparticle, they can have different and more irritating properties than these molecules would have in their conventional size, especially when applied to damaged skin, or when inhaled.

Those who love pure mineral makeup cite a number of benefits. Minerals are gentle, won’t cause breakouts or clog pores. As the skin warms the minerals, they liquefy slightly to form a sheer, luminous, natural finish that feels light on the face. They allow skin to “breathe,” making them ideal for those with sensitive skin or skin conditions, and even for those who have had laser or surgical procedures. They are water-resistant, making them longer lasting in cosmetics, and they can have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antioxidant properties. Due mostly to the high content of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (two ingredients commonly found in sun screens) mineral makeup can offer some SPF protection.

Detractors say that mineral makeup can be hard to apply and can be drying and accentuate wrinkles. To get a good result, minerals require a different application technique than traditional powders. Color is layered and buffed on the face, usually with a fan or duster brush. Mineral makeup generally refers to foundation, but minerals can also be created as primer, powder, bronzer, blush, eye shadow, liner, and lip products, offering an ancient and yet thoroughly modern way to apply color to one’s face.

*Skin Deep, a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products created by The Environmental Working Group, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization whose goal is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment, offers an online Cosmetic Safety Database called “Skin Deep” about pairing ingredients in more than 42,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases.

Credit: Beautypress.com

Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe to the My Beauty Bunny newsletter.

Each pack contains 5 mini glosses. They are separated by style.

Glittering Green Goddesses: natural, muted tones
• Sheer nude-peach, sheer beige, sheer sweet pink, sheer cotton candy pink, sheer shimmering cinnamon

Dazzling Divas: glittery colors
• Dazzling warm sand, dazzling gold, dazzling orchid, dazzling violet, dazzling coral-pink

Twinkling Trendsetters: bright, bold colors
• Twinkling strawberry, twinkling melon-pink, twinkling fuschia, twinkling brick-red, sheer raspberry

The lip glosses are made with natural mineral pigments, jojoba seed oil and Tarte’s “t5 Super Fruit Complex” – goji, acai, maracuja, acerola and pomegranate. There are no parabens, phthalates, petro chemicals, preservatives or GMOs, and of course all Tarte products are cruelty-free.

Love it!