Product Review: Body Shop Mineral Makeup

Hello guys and dolls! Welcome to 2009, I hope it's off to a great start for you! With a New Year comes all sorts of resolutions and promises. Some of them are ambitious and noble ("Will volunteer at homeless shelter once a week!"), and some are perhaps less lofty, but no less important ("Will use hand cream daily!" -- hey, scaly dry hands are no joke).


Typically though, our resolutions fall somewhere in between, and often have to do with improving our bodies. Whether it be to eat better or exercise more, getting healthier is high on many priority lists. As for me? You can count me in for both. Not because I'm keen on resolutions (I'm not), but because a) it's always a good idea to eat more veggies, and b) I'm going to Cuba in 6 weeks, have bought a white bikini, and dammit, I want to look decent in it!

But this is not a diet and exercise blog, worthy and interesting though those topics may be. This is a makeup blog, and if you're like me (unfit, vain, and yet motivated), you might too be wrestling with an all-important question: How do I look pretty post-workout?

Okay, okay. Obviously I'm not advocating a face full of products while you're working out. But what about after the fact? That fresh-faced glow (neon, in my case) from your cardio session might be good enough for some, but for me (see again: unfit and vain), I have to at least put foundation and concealer on before I head out into the real world.

Since I pretty much exclusively use mineral foundation, this is problematic. Those sifter jars can be a messy affair, and dumping powder all over the gym change-room is not my idea of a good start to the day. But with the Body Shop's ingenious new Nature's Minerals makeup, my worries are over!




You can't see it in the photo, but one of the best aspects of this new line of mineral makeup is the packaging. Instead of the usual "salt & pepper" type sifters that let powder out whenever the jar is jostled, these babies come with a mesh sifter that only releases powder when you tap it. This means there won't be a pile of powder waiting for you when you open your jar, threatening to spill everywhere. Rather, you just tap out the amount you need -- no fuss, no mess!

This travel-friendly packaging makes Nature's Minerals an ideal product to take to the gym (or on any trip, really). The foundation offers sheer, natural looking matte coverage, which is just enough to get me home after a workout. Shade 03 is just about right for my warm skin tone. The coverage can be built up a bit, but if you're looking for a medium or higher coverage, it might not be enough.

The line also offers blushes and eye shadows. The blush shade I got, Golden Terracotta, is a warm bronzey pink. It is very pigmented -- so much so that it's too dark for my medium-light skin in the wintertime. With a light hand, it would be great for a summer glow. I received the shadow in Pink Opal. It is described as a pale pink, but on me it shows up more as a medium pink. It's a nice, neutral pink with subtle shimmer... no chalkiness or overly cool tones. I can't wait for the line to launch in Canada so that I can check out the other colours!

Look, dragging yourself to the gym is not the easiest thing, whether it be at 6am or after a long day at work. And if you've got the willpower to do it, why not have flawless skin afterward, to go along with that exercise-induced endorphin rush?