Updated: 28 Sep 2009

---

Introduction

Find out which of 10 mineral foundations our triallists preferred.

Minerals have been used in cosmetics for decades - whether they’re called mineral make-up or not, many cosmetics contain minerals. But it’s only relatively recently that loose-powder mineral foundations have become popular, with most major brands coming up with a product.

Our panel of 29 women tried out the foundations - and there were two favourites.

What is mineral foundation?

Mineral foundation is basically finely ground minerals such as mica, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide blended into a powdery substance that’s applied with a brush.

"Pure and natural"

The makers of mineral foundations argue that the minerals used in their products are unique, natural, and good for skin. One brand – i.d. bareMinerals – claims its products are so pure you can sleep with them on. Unless you fancy waking up to a make-up stained pillowcase, we don’t recommend this.

Mineral foundations are claimed to be good for sensitive skin as they contain “pure and natural” ingredients. But the ingredients aren’t “straight from the earth” as the advertising material would have you believe. Many of the ingredients found in mineral foundations are highly refined before they’re added.

Are they for you?

Mineral foundations are powder-based so they tend to be “absorbing” rather than “moisturising”. If you have dry flaky patches on your skin, mineral foundations can make them more obvious.

If it’s long-lasting cover you’re after, you’ll be better off with a liquid- or cream-based product. The mineral foundations in our trial generally lasted 5 to 8 hours, but you may be able to extend this by applying a primer first.

Try before you buy. Ask a sales assistant to apply the product for you and then wait several hours to see how the foundation feels on your skin, how long it lasts, how it looks in natural light and – most importantly – whether your skin gets irritated.
 

About our trial

Twenty-nine women took part in our user trial of mineral foundations, and rated the following products:

• Bloom Pure Mineral Powder Foundation
• Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation
• i.d.bareMinerals Foundation
• L'Oreal Paris True Match Minerals
• MAC Mineralise Foundation Loose
• Max Factor Natural Minerals Foundation
• Maybelline New York Mineral Power Powder Foundation
• Natio Mineral Loose Foundation
• Revlon ColourStay Mineral Foundation
• The Body Shop Nature's Mineral Foundation
   

Products ranged in price from $23 to $75. Each brand was used for three consecutive days then rated on coverage, concealment of blemishes, appearance, ease of application, and ease of using the brush.

Triallists continued with their daily skin-care and make-up routines throughout the trial without using any other type of foundation, concealer, powder or bronzer at the same time.
 

What we found

Two products topped the test:

• Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation ($59 + brush) 
• MAC Mineralise Foundation Loose ($70 + brush)

These two products were among the most expensive products in the trial - and their brushes had to be bought separately, which made them even more expensive.

Max Factor Natural Minerals Foundation was the lowest-scoring product overall. It was rated “only OK” for ease of application, concealing blemishes, and appearance on the skin.

Coverage

All products provided adequate coverage. The Elizabeth Arden foundation rated “very good” for coverage. All other products were rated “good”.

Concealing blemishes

No product stood out at concealing blemishes. But as they’re all reasonably lightweight, they can’t be expected to work as both concealer and foundation. As one user commented: “You could still see blemishes through the foundation; it was not as good coverage as a liquid foundation.”

Appearance

Elizabeth Arden was rated highest for appearance on the skin, followed by MAC. Most of the other products were rated “good” except for Max Factor and Maybelline New York Mineral Power Powder Foundation. They were “only OK” for how they looked on the skin.

Ease of application

Mineral foundation is applied by brushing on in a circular motion with a soft fluffy brush. It sounds simple enough, but products varied in how easy they were to apply. The Elizabeth Arden foundation was rated the easiest to apply. It came in a “grinder” compact that you twist to shave off the amount needed – so you can’t accidentally spill it. It was closely followed by the MAC foundation which was rated “very good”.

All other products apart from Max Factor rated “good” for ease of application. One comment about the Max Factor foundation was: “It's very messy and leaves powder on your clothes and sink.”

All the products were easy to remove.

Ease of using brush

Manufacturers claim their products perform best when applied with the recommended brush. Some products come with a brush while others require you to buy it separately.

Brushes sold separately were rated as easier to use: the separately purchased Elizabeth Arden mineral foundation brush and MAC buffer brush were rated the easiest.

Brushes can be pricey. Some cost as much as – or more than – the foundation. If you already have a suitable brush at home, try that first and see if you’re happy with the results. Only buy the "recommended" brush if you have to.

Natural vs synthetic brushes

Film and television make-up artist Debra Ashton uses i.d. bareMinerals Foundation and has tried both its recommended brush and a cheaper synthetic one to apply the product:

"The original horse hair kabuki brush was good for application – it picked up the powder well and the condensed bristles enabled quick and heavier coverage. But I found the bristles quite scratchy on the skin – not good!

"I now use a cheaper, synthetic brush that is similar but a lot softer. Coverage isn’t as quick and heavy the first time round, so I have to swirl the brush in the powder a second time. This is probably because many synthetic bristles are softer and don’t have cuticles to carry powder like horse hair does. Synthetic brushes that replicate natural hair are becoming more widely available, so if you’re after the perfect brush that would be the best combination."

Trial results

Guide to the table

 Our user trial was conducted by the Australian consumer organisation Choice.

• Price is based on a July 2009 survey.
• Overall score comprises coverage (40%), ease of application (30%), concealing blemishes (10%), appearance on the skin (10%), ease of using brush (10%).
• SPF rating ns = not stated.

 

Best in the trial

These two products were most popular in the trial and are worth considering:

 

Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation

• Price: $59
• Good points: Very good overall score. Excellent scores for ease of application and appearance on the skin. Very good coverage.
• But: Expensive. Brush sold separately ($39).

 

 

MAC Mineralise Foundation Loose

• Price: $70
• Good points: Very good overall score. Very good scores for ease of application and appearance on the skin. Good coverage.
• But: Expensive. Brush sold separately ($98).
• Comment: Available from MAC stores and counters in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.