bareMinerals (by Bare Escentuals)

Just an excellent, ground-breaking line of cosmetics. The foundations go on just as smoothly and quickly as the infomercials describe.

Warmth is awesome. I do use it as a blush, even though they say it's not a blush. The color is the most natural of any blush I've ever used - although I use a lot of peach and apricot tones. It's definitely not in the pink category.

Well Rested. I haven't yet figured out how to use this to its best advantage. So far I'm using it as an eyeshadow base, although the foundation works better for that.

The Eye Shadows are good. Lots of colors to choose from, and they stay on well during the day (but you must use an eye shadow foundation). As with many of the Bare Minerals, you only need a little bit on your brush. It's easy to over-do. My favorite is "Cashmere" - a soft camel color. For a darker shadow, I use "Java" or "You Can Never Be Too Rich Brown." Recently I tried "Meet the Browns" - a set of 3 neutral browns (light, medium, and dark), and they look great.

Mineral Veil is their finishing powder. It's silky smooth and works well to soften shine and set the foundation. My problem with it is that I like to apply A LOT of finishing powder, whether I'm using mineral makeup or liquid makeup, and the Mineral Veil comes in a very small jar - which I used up very quickly. I'm using Burt's Bees finishing powder instead, because it's less expensive and I can slather more of it on.

Jane Iredale - by Iredale Mineral Cosmetics

I adore the Iredale line, although the coverage is a little bit lighter than Bare Minerals' coverage. Many dermatologists recommend this line.

Amazing Base is their foundation. Like Bare Minerals, it brushes on sooooo smoothly and feels wonderful. I like to let it set for a few minutes before applying any finishing powder. It lasts all day, and covers everything. Flawless. Lots of colors to choose from. It seems to be more matte than Bare Minerals.

Pure Pressed Blush. I'm using "Warm Apricot" right now - it's natural and young-looking. I put it on after the foundation and before the finishing powder, but it can be applied after finishing powder too. A little container lasts for a long time.

Pure Pressed Eye Shadow. The colors go on easily and blend well. I'll never be without the "Ecru/Cappuccino". It's neutral and perfect for every day. If you prefer a dark brown, I've found "Walnut" to be dramatic but not over-the-top.

Monave Minerals

A full line of richly pigmented, smooth-looking cosmetics.

Loose Mineral Foundation. The word that came to mind after I applied the foundation mineral base was: velvet. I tried "Ashlie" and "Paula," and they both worked well on my light skin. Monave pictures and describes their colors very well on their site and has colors for all skin tones. The coverage is natural and concealed my rosacea. Some foundation fell into a laugh line as the day wore on, but I just rubbed it lightly with my finger and that diffused the problem.

Afterglow Cosmetics

A complete mineral line, with everything from lipsticks to foundations and more. It's fun just visiting their very glamorous site. I've ordered many items from Afterglow, and the products arrive quickly and without any problem.

Organic Mineral Foundation. Glides on smoothly and evenly, and stays put no matter what. I've been through hot, humid Texas days and the foundation stays true. They currently have 17 shades. I use "Pearl," which is light with yellow undertones. Covered my rosacea and gave me a natural look. Tried it in sunlight, incandescent light, and flourescent, all with natural-looking results.

Organic Setting Powder. You all know I'm a setting powder maniac. I love a matte finish. Afterglow's comes in 3 shades plus a "Translucent." Keeps oily t-zones from shining.

Organic Mineral Blush. Comes in 8 colors, some matte, some shimmery. I use "Tickle," a subtle, easily-blendable apricot.

Organic Lip Love Lipstick. I'm currently using "Moxie" (shimmery finish) and "Autumn" (matte finish). These lipsticks double as gloss and keep lips from getting chapped. The colors look darker in the tube than they look on your lips with one coat - so you can make your lips as subtle or as dark as you want, simply by applying more coats.

Brushes.  Afterglow is now selling vegan makeup brushes!

Suncat Natural Mineral Makeup

I was delighted to see how many foundations they have. I should say she, because all the cosmetics are made by hand by Oregonian Shelley A. Hobbs. She does a beautiful job; any of her minerals can be blended to create new colors at home; she uses minimal packaging.

Sunshine Foundation. There's a foundation and a coverage-level for every face under the sun. I tried Sunshine F, a light shade with enough yellow to cover rosacea, yet a little pink in there to prevent that ghoul look. It was sheer, so I applied about 3 coats. The finish was like satin.

Mineral Setting Powder. My sample color was labeled "02," and from checking it side by side with the colors on the site, I think it was Sunset Finishing Veil. It gave a soft, semi-matte finish and absorbed oil like crazy.

Mineral Blush. Lovely, natural-looking, and easy to apply. I tried Sun Mauve, Sun Angel (a mauvey beige), Sun Kiss (a salmon shade), and Sun Begonia (pink).

Mineral Eye Shadow. I haven't worn blue in a long time, but I tried "SunAmethyst" and found it to be contemporary and subtle. Of course subtle is not my thing, so I put on 3 or 4 layers and got the depth of color I wanted. It was smooth and glided on oh so easily.

Mineral Eye Liner. I call it eye liner because it's black; the sample was called "SunMidnight." It had subtle flecks of gold in it. Very sophisticated. I used it on top and bottom lashes, and it lasted all day. (Of course I always put an eye shadow base on, and top everything off with a setting powder.)

Mineral Fusion Cosmetics

Now being sold by Whole Foods, the Mineral Fusion line is cutting-edge up to the minute makeup. I love it.

Mineral Fusion Foundation comes in pressed or loose form. I tried the pressed powder, and it went on as easily as loose powders do. Plus, you can carry it in your purse without spills. I tried "warm 1" and "warm 2" and found them to cover flaws very nicely. The final look was velvety. I also tried the loose version of the same shades. Don't know why, but I actually prefer the pressed. It was easier to apply.

Mineral Fusion Bronzer in "Luster" looks beigy in the compact, but once applied it became a peachy-beige, and looked so natural. I'll always keep this product around.

Mineral Fusion Kabuki Brush. Hmmm. It's made of pony hair. The saleslady was convinced that someone sits there and brushes the tails of the ponies, and that's how they get the hair. I doubt that that's true. Safest to buy a known vegan Kabuki brush or a brush labeled as 100% synthetic.

Mineral Fusion Hydration Mist. I've never used a mist before, but this one was awesome. The instructions say to spray it on your face to set your makeup. So I did that instead of using my usual setting powder. And it was really nice! I was surprised. It actually did set my makeup, and it lasted all day. It gave a dewy finish, rather than the matte finish that powder provides.

Makeup Junky

Created by the talented makeup artist Mattie Horsley, this line has colors, textures, and finishes for all occasions. Mattie also does custom blending and gives lessons.

MakeUp Junky Mineral Powder. I felt like a chic runway model, or an heiress out on the town. The finish is a flawless satin. All that and full coverage, too.

MakeUp Junky Mineral Powder in Antique Copper was the perfect dramatic complement to the sophisticated satiny foundation. As a blush, it has a lot of pigment, so you only need a little, but I was surprised at how easily it blended. And when you use a dark blush over a very light foundation, it has to blend if you want to look natural. The beautiful thing about minerals is their versatility. Mattie told me that most people use "Antique Copper" as an eye shadow, but I'll always use it for cheek color. I also tried "Vanilla," which is a sparkly highlight - perfect for under the brows.

MakeUp Junky Mineral Blush. "Sexy Blush," which is a peachy-pink color that would go with most complexions, has lots of pigment, so start with just a tiny bit. Add more as desired.

MakeUp Junky liPP Paint in "Hollywood Hottie". This delicately pigmented lip gloss gives lips a glowing, apricot hue. I put it on with a brush. It's comfortable and not greasy.

Everyday Minerals

One of our readers, Pam Bratcher, wrote in: "I use Everyday Minerals. Their website is everydayminerals.com. ... Besides not testing on animals, it's really good mineral makeup. It's the only mineral makeup I've used. They used to have a free sample kit for only the price of postage... It allowed you to try colors before you spent much money on something you might not like. I don't know if they do that any more. ... I love the foundation and blush. I'm not very good at the eye shadow, however. More winds up in my sink than on my eyes."