After discovering the joys of mineral makeup a couple of months ago, I was excited to test out Purely Cosmetics, a line recommended to me by professional makeup artist and blogger Melissa Street.

According to the brand’s website, the premium mineral makeup is developed with “nothing but the purest elements from the earth” and “won’t cake, gives excellent coverage, and lasts all day.”  Free of skin irritants like talc, corn starch, preservatives, oils, FD&C dyes and bismuth oxychloride, all Purely Cosmetics mineral makeup foundations, blushes and eye shadows are registered with the FDA in accordance with the Voluntary Cosmetic Registration.

Sounds good, right?  But of course, I needed to put the products to the test before making any judgments of my own.

Products Used

• Silk & Pearl Powder Primer - A primer made with pure silk and pearl powders, designed to hide pores, absorb excess oils and moisturize skin to leave a matte and velvety texture
• Skin Smoothing Foundation (Olive Beige; Sunkissed) and Pure Mineral Foundation (California Blonde) – Lightweight, loose mineral powder free of commonly-used irritants
• Blush (Blushing) – A pearlescent baby pink mineral blush
• Bronzer (Lightly Bronzed) – A warm mineral bronzer with a subtle hint of mica shimmer

I began by sweeping my entire face with a light dusting of the Silk & Pearl Primer using a Kabuki brush and was pleasantly surprised to notice instant results.  My pores virtually disappeared, and my face looked smooth (albeit a bit wan, so don’t stop there!).

Next, I mixed Olive Beige, Sunkissed and California Blonde mineral foundations until the color matched my jawline and buffed a dusting on  my face (note:  I have a difficult-to-match skin shade with yellow/blue undertones, so most people should be able to work with just one color). On “trouble spots” (aka blotchy blemishes), I used a stiff-bristled concealer brush to pat on a more concentrated dose of product.  Finally, I dusted the bronzer on my chin, cheekbones and the outer edges of my forehead, and blended the blush on the apples of my cheeks.

Before

Like any diligent beauty sleuth, I wore this exact combination on several different occasions to test out different scenarios (i.e., the products’ effectiveness if I was cold, dry or “glistening with perspiration”).  Regardless if it was rainy, cool, or 90 degrees (which all occurred over a span of two weeks in Boston), my makeup stayed put and looked fresh all day.  It felt like I wasn’t wearing anything at all.

The Bottom Line
Judge for yourself — the proof is in the pics (I kept my eye makeup bare to focus just on my complexion).  Purely Cosmetics primers, foundation, blush and finishers give smooth, seamless coverage – even for problematic skin.  And they’re good for both everyday wear (for a matte look) and special occasions like weddings or professional film sets.

After

My only word of caution?  Don’t apply too much, or it can dry you out or settle in lines (I put way too much on my forehead once and found out the hard way).  Rule of thumb:  a small brush-full (tapped to remove the excess) covers about half your face.

So buff away and enjoy your new, smooth complexion!

Learn more and purchase Purely Cosmetics at www.purelycosmetics.com.

Photo Credit: BeautyXpose