by Marie N. Riddle

Created on: February 08, 2009   Last Updated: July 04, 2009

Everyday Minerals is a web-based cosmetic company that offers earth-friendly and natural make-up and skin care products. They specialize in mineral cosmetics, which they offer at a fraction of the price of many other mineral make-up lines.

Their foundation comes in four different formulas: Original Glo, Matte, Semi-Matte, and Intensive. I chose to try the Intensive formula, because my skin tone is not very even and with my fair complexion, the red spots left over from breakouts really stand out. This formula promises extra coverage with a smooth, light finish.

The first thing I noticed while browsing their site was the sheer amount of shades available, they really do have a product for almost every skin tone. This was very important to me, because I have yet to find a foundation shade of any brand that is right for me. I have very fair skin, but with an olive undertone, and even the fairest shades of every other brand I have ever tried always appear too pink against my face. Even when I pick "warm" shades, they are either too dark or they just look orange.

But shade searching is not a problem on their site, because they offer a free sample kit, complete with 3 foundation shades and formulas, 1 cheek color, and one concealer. You can pick any of these products they have available and completely customize your sample kit, and the only thing you pay is shipping. You do not have to buy anything else ever (although I chose to also order their baby kabuki brush), and you do not have to pay for your samples, even if you like them. The only thing they ask is that you do not order the same shade in sample size twice.

When my sample kit arrived (I chose to try Olive-Fair, Golden-Fair, and Olive-Light for the foundation colors, along with Soft bronzer and Intensive Fair concealer), I was ready to try it. On my first attempt, I admit I was disappointed. I had not previously tried mineral foundation and it looked thick and cakey, not smooth as promised. I did try it again the next day after reading up a little on technique, and I'm glad I did.

If applied correctly (in light layers, using a circular motion) it looks amazing. The coverage is phenomenal, it covered everything and it still looked like skin, not plaster. It wears even better about thirty minutes after you apply it, before that it still looked a little powdery. But I have since tried several other brands, and I have found this to be the case with all of them. And even though it does smooth out during that time period, it was very long-wearing; I can go all day without reapplying, and this was NOT the case with other brands.

While I did try other brands out after I tried Everyday Minerals, I was dissapointed with all of them and decided to purchase Olive-Fair, the shade that worked best for me. None of the other brands performed better, and most performed worse, including one of the most expensive brands available (it made my skin sparkly, and I sent it back for a refund). The price is very reasonable and you will not find a better mineral foundation, even if you spend a lot more.

As a bonus, the foundation shades blend very well with the concealer, and if you don't like loose powder you can also get some shades in pressed powder form. And this company is even eco-friendly, just read the enviro-facts section on their about us page if you want motivation to try them out. Overall, this is an outstanding product, with quality, selection, and value, and I will continue to buy it.

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