What They Say: "Mineral Power Naturally Luminous Blush with micro-minerals provides a soft, healthy glow to cheeks.

• Blends naturally with skin tone for a fresh flush of color
• Skin looks healthy and fresh
• Talc-free, lightweight formula
• Fragrance-free
• Oil-free

Melissa Says: This finely-milled powder goes on a little bit sheer and looks pretty and yes, a little bit luminous! Don't worry, it won't make your face shine...the luminosity is subtle and not shimmery. It also blends into the skin with ease and lasts well.

User Tip: A little goes a loonnnng way, so you only have to tap a bit into the lid before swirling your brush around. Fortunately, the way the interior is designed, not a lot of loose powder will get lost along the way.

Retail Price: $8.99 (at drugstores everywhere)

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What They Say: "ColorStay® Mineral Blush & ColorStay® Mineral Bronzer contain skin loving minerals that are good for your skin and ColorStay® longwear technology that lasts for up to 16 hours. This innovative mineral baked powder technology applies easily and blends seamlessly for natural looking, sheer, soft radiant color that won't streak or fade all day.

Formula is non-irritating and fragrance free.

Available in 3 Blush and 2 Bronzer shades."

Melissa Says: Though I tested this in one of the Bronzer shades (Golden Bronze), I think I can sufficiently give you the basic things you need to know about those as well as the Blush shades. First of all, the teeny-tiny little brush in the case is ridiculous, unless you're going to try putting the blush on a Barbie. However, we don't really expect ideal-sized brushes in drugstore compacts most of the time these days. When moving to one of my own, larger, brushes I began to realize just how quickly the blush would disintegrate into lots of excess loose powder on the edges of the compact. Sadly, within only slightly over two weeks of use, I started to see the bottom of the compact already!

Though the color goes on pretty, sheer, and stays true, it's a shame that I could only recommend this as a worthwhile purchase if Revlon finds a way to make the product last longer or just goes ahead and makes it a loose formula to begin with.

Retail Price: $13.99 (in drugstores everywhere)

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What They Say: "Loose powder foundation that combines pure, lightweight minerals that are good for your skin and ColorStay® longwear technology that lasts for up to 16 hours. This medium coverage foundation provides a color that won't fade all day making your skin look both healthy and flawless, no matter how long your day is.

Makeup is oil-free, fragrance free and non-irritating.

Provides medium coverage in 8 beautiful shades, with SPF 10 protection."

Melissa Says: I wasn't all too excited about this when I first opened it up - the brush inside seemed a bit too short, and the whole dispensing concept seemed questionable. However, I found that with a little practice, this isn't all that hard to a) get on the brush and b) apply to your face.

The key is to shake the bottle upside down for a few quick taps, then twist the cap to elongate the brush handle inside the top. You should tap and/or blow off any excess, and then buff it onto your skin. Now, I do think this could be a little more mess-proof, though I have to give them credit for trying to create something that would control the amount of powder that comes out at once.

On the skin, I was actually quite impressed with both the coverage and the finish this provided. It looked very natural and not cake-y (I should note that I think these shades run light, and it might be better in this case to lean toward the darker of two shades you're considering so as to avoid a too-light powdery look). Unlike some less expensive mineral powder foundations I've tried, this actually provided some real coverage! It also stayed true and didn't wear off all day, and kept my sometimes oily t-zone pretty well in check. I didn't think it dried my skin out through use, either.

This foundation has good coverage, staying power and a nice finish. However, it can be a tad messy before you get the hang of it, and you need to be careful not to choose too light a shade. (I tried Light/Medium and I really think I could have even gone up to Light Medium/Medium - see shades here.)

Retail Price: $13.99 (at drugstores and superstores everywhere)

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What They Say: "As the first purified mineral makeup in a compact, new Neutrogena® Mineral Sheers ™ Powder Foundation enhances your skin through dermatologist-selected pure and gentle minerals. This convenient pressed powder foundation creates a naturally radiant and glowing complexion.

Featuring exclusive time-released antioxidants and SPF 20, new Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation formula delivers extra soft and blendable pressed minerals, so you can build your desired coverage from sheer to medium without a heavy make-up look or feel. And, it's great for mess-free, easy touch-ups.

• Dermatologist tested, non-comodogenic
• Oil-free and fragrance-free
• Good for sensitive skin
• .34 oz. compact includes applicator and mirror
• Available in 8 Shades"

Melissa Says: Having tried some of Neutrogena's mineral sheer powder products that were in brush dispenser form (the blush, for example), I was curious to see how this compact foundation would fare. The mineral foundations that I've really liked in the past are all in loose powder formula, so I wanted to see how this stood up.

I use the lightest shade, Classic Ivory, though I think I might have been good to go up one shade (and maybe two in summer months). You can check out the shades available here. I use a light hand when applying with the included sponge applicator (this is important so you can build gradually where needed and not look too powdery), and it softly blends over my skin. Any trace of a powder-like look quickly melts into the skin and ends up looking pretty natural (again, minding that you don't over-apply).

I wouldn't recommend this for someone with very dry skin, but if you have combo-to-oily skin this is an option, and it gives light-to-medium coverage. It's not as "untraceable" as some higher-end mineral powder foundations can be, and ideally I'd like it to be more pore-minimizing, but at an affordable price this may work for you.

Retail Price: $11.66 (at drugstores everywhere)

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What They Say: The perfect "barely there" glow in five gorgeous, natural shades. A mineral based, oil free tinted foundation that moisturizes and protects while skin appears flawless and radiant!

Jamie's Thoughts: I appreciate mineral based makeup just as much as the next person - I love that this product is hypoallergenic, moisturizing, and includes SPF. What I don't love is how it makes a yellow/orange line at the border of my face, regardless of what brush, sponge, or side of my hand I use. Barely there? Not so much, and I was testing the lightest shade! The consistency is a bit too viscous for my liking - once I touched my face, it stayed there. This leaves a very small margin of error for those of you still figuring out liquid foundation.

I also don't love its staying power. It's almost too strong. This stuff doesn't budge, which substantiates their claim of "protecting" the skin. However, it took an entire palm-full of face cleanser to get it all off. When I thought it was gone for good, 2 scrubs later, it showed up on my washcloth and hand towels...and didn't come off. Not cool.

Harsh as it might sound, I just didn't love this product. In fact, I didn't even like it.

Retail Price: $35/ 1.25 oz. (beautyaddicts.com)

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What They Say: "Safe and healthy loose mineral foundations made with pure pigments -- free from artificial fragrances or essential oils, bismuth oxychloride, animal by products (carmine), talc, preservatives such as parabens and FD&C dyes.

16 unique shades, mostly yellow based, without excess shimmer and glow -- our foundation is buildable yet does not require the use of a finishing powder to complete the look. We have many shades that cater to women of color and will be adding a few more..."

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: Since I've begun using this mineral foundation I've been hooked. This is a TRULY non-irritating and non-orangey mineral powder formula. The fact that many of the Sevi shades are slightly yellow-based works to my benefit. The shade I have is actually 715, described as a light neutral olive. It blends perfectly and invisibly into my skin and helps to camouflage darkness under the eyes.

I love the perfect soft-focus look and the fact that there is no glitter or sheen. My skin looks healthy and stays fresh for pretty much the entire day. I don't looked cakey or powdery. My hair stylist even asked me last week what kind of foundation I was wearing as she was washing my hair under the bright salon lights! She said she absolutely loved how CLEAN and natural the finish was.

I also use their angled brush instead of the foundation brush to apply the foundation, but no matter which you use, each brush is incredibly soft, gentle, and provides a smooth even application (AND they are made of synthetic Taklon and thus are animal hair-free).

Retail Price: $25.00 (at sevicosmetics.com - you can also get shade samples for $2.50 each OR $35.00 for one of every shade!)

DeLush Rating:

What They Say: "Mineral Gem Lights illuminate and enhance eyes. With colors that gently gleam to colors that sparkle like diamonds, you will find the perfect gem to define your beauty.
(colors reviewed)
Mallard – Deep emerald green
Opal – Creamy undertone with opalescent violet highlights
Mesmerize – Silvery lavender with prismatic flashes of green
Envious – Rich chocolate brown with a glistening green highlight"

Jamie’s Thoughts: Eye shadows are a big obstacle for me – I tend to stay safely within my tried and true line of neutrals and browns. I was both frightened and excited to test out these 4 gorgeous colors from LaurEss’ “Gem Lights” line of mineral-based shadows. Opal and Mallard are deeper, shimmery hues where as Mesmerize and Envious are downright sparkly.

I originally thought Opal would be a great all-over-the-lid neutral, but I was wrong. The purple undertone becomes really noticeable once you start spreading it around – the more you put on, the less it looks like a neutral. My pale skin was just too thin for this color…I suggest this for darker skin tones and olive complexions.

Envious, a sparkly-spangly-makes-me-want-to-do-a-jig-in-my-bathroom brown, is by far my favorite. (Shocker, I know, I am SO predictable) It went on smooth, application was easy, and the color was even almost immediately! This is definitely going into my everyday rotation. Added bonus: It’s not too sparkly for the office.

Mallard, a beyond gorgeous emerald green, looked the most intimidating. In the end, it turned out to be shimmery, smooth, and lovely – not nearly as frightening as it looked in the jar. It’s a bit drastic for my skin tone, but would look AMAZING on someone with darker skin and brown eyes.

I think Mesmerize surprised me the most by being a tasteful sparkler with icy blue tones. It would be great for a night out, but is far too glittery for everyday use. Where was this great shadow when I was in college, huh?!

(on the left: Mesmerize; right: Mallard)

As always, be careful when applying mineral shadows. They are sort of like Thanksgiving dinner – you can always go back for seconds. Don’t dump a big load of it on your eye at first, because 90% of that shadow will end up sitting on your cheekbone in big clumps. Also, the more sparkly shadows will impart some teeny shadow particles in/around your eye – eye rubbers and sensitive eyes, beware.

Retail Price: $13 (available at lauress.com or go here for more information about international orders, retail locations, and more)

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What They Say: “It’s makeup that feels like you’re wearing nothing at all – just a natural glow of bare, healthy-looking skin. Flawless, skin-perfecting coverage blends seamlessly with a brush. Essential vitamins and minerals nourish skin. So light and gentle, it’s safe for sensitive skin and won’t clog pores. Natural SPF 19.”

To use:
1. Swirl brush in sifter, embedding bristles in powder.
2. Shake brush to remove excess product – a little goes a long way.
3. Apply powder to face in small, circular motions. Start in the center of your face and work your way out toward hairline, continuously blending powder into skin.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until desired level of coverage is achieved.

Toya’s Experience: Mineral make-up is all the rage nowadays and I feel it’s important to be up on what’s going on in the world of beauty. So, I’ve been on the lookout for a mineral make-up product that will work for women of color. Since I’ve been really happy with L’Oreal’s True Match line of make-up – liquid and powder foundations and blushes – I decided to give L’Oreal’s new mineral foundation, Bare Naturale, a try.

I’m a little disappointed, to be honest. I’d heard from some others that various mineral foundations had been a bit irritating to their skin, causing some itchiness, so I don’t know if I had some kind of make-up induced hypochondria, but I felt that there were certain spots of my face, like right around the bottom of my nose, that became quite itchy as the day went on. The make-up is easy to apply, if you follow the instructions correctly, but I’ve found it to be a bit messy. Loose powder has a way of getting all over everything, no matter how careful you try to be with it. This product has great oil control – after 7 hours of church yesterday, there was no breakthrough shine and I’ve worn it through a 9-hour workday today, complete with an hour of exercise and a shower and haven’t had to do any touch-ups – just pat off any excess moisture and it instantly “re-powders” itself. However, this isn’t necessarily a plus, in my opinion, because I like to see a bit of a glow on a woman in the summer months. Bare Naturale also offers good coverage, if you’re willing to keep applying in thin layers.

I was discouraged by the lack of shades appropriate for darker skin tones. I bought the darkest shade available – Classic Tan – and it works for my skin, but it would be awful and ashy-looking on anyone darker. Also, the attached brush is just a bit scratchy. I was told today that my make-up looks great, which is a wonderful compliment, but I’m not sure whether I should be pleased, since it’s supposed to look like skin, not make-up.

However, if you’re into mineral makeup and are looking for a less expensive alternative to products like Bare Escentuals, Bare Naturale is worth a try.

Retail Price: app. $15 at drugstores and superstores

DeLush Rating:
Because of the mess factor, the itchiness, and the lack of shades appropriate for darker skintones.

What They Say: "Bella's make-me-over finishing powder leaves the skin looking radiant and refreshed. Gently infused with lavender oil and natural sunscreen, this mineral powder hides imperfections and fine lines for a youthful glow that's as easy as a brush stroke away. Available as a setting powder, bronzer, pink shimmer and gold shimmer."

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: I tested the setting powder, bronzer, and pink shimmer versions of Bella's powders. First of all, there's one thing that applies to all three: it's kind of hard to control how much powder gets on the puff and how evenly. Now, I didn't find this a problem with the setting powder or the pink shimmer so much as the bronzer, which is dark enough that you definitely don't want to get any on your face in a big splotch. Unfortunately, that's what happens pretty easily with the way this dispenser and puff work, so I had to be EXTREMELY careful when applying it and then be careful again when trying to smooth it out without going over areas again and making them even darker.

The setting powder, because it is of course lighter, is much easier to work with. I would say if you are very fair this won't work for you, because of the tint. Used sparingly though, this creates a nice, even look with lasting freshness for medium-fair to medium skin tones. As far as I can tell it only comes in one shade.

The pink shimmer powder (also when applied sparingly) is a fabulous highlighter. Added to the upper cheekbones, brows and temples and you've got a subtle glow. If you're more fair, use the pink. If you've got tan or darker skin, use the gold.

Retail Price: $25.00 (bellabeauty.net)

DeLush Rating:
Bronzer
Setting Powder
Pink Shimmer Highlighter

What They Say: "This sheer, mineral powder foundation soothes and calms the skin, and is 100 percent oil, fragrance, dye- and talc-free. This light, mineral-based formula is suitable for all skin types, particularly oily/acne prone skin, thanks to the sheer, natural-looking, matte coverage that evens out skin tone and blurs minor imperfections and the high mineral content that helps balance excess oil production. Micronized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide provide natural protection against UVA/UVB rays.

To use: Simply sweep on with a large powder brush or a velour powder puff until the desired coverage is achieved. May be used in conjunction with concealer for additional coverage. Darker shades can also be applied as a wash over the face as a bronzer."

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: I've tried some other mineral makeup lines before and was less than impressed with the way they looked VERY orange on my skin and/or made my face feel itchy. So I was hesitant to say the least this time. What a relief it was to find these problems didn't occur when I used this foundation.

I use a brush when applying this, and the light to medium coverage is exactly what I look for. I simply apply concealer first to cover red areas or undereye circles. This powder foundation does a wonderful job giving a soft-focus look to pores, and really evens out my complexion. As you know, I have a heavy tendency (especially in warm weather) to get oily in the T-zone area, and I noticed that my skin looked fresh and oil-free for hours (it even looked good after a half-hour walk outside in the blazing sun). My skin wasn't irritated at all, which was another plus.

I'd say one thing to keep in mind is to estimate LIGHT when choosing your color, if you're buying this online. I was using Skintone 3, and while I find that works for me, I definitely wouldn't have wanted to go any darker, unless I did want to take their advice and use a darker shade as a bronzer.

Retail Price: $29.50 (sephora.com or find out more about Skin Alison Raffaele products and locate retail stores in the US, Canada, and the Phillipines here)

DeLush Rating: