Review: Mineral Makeup by Coastal Scents

When I found out that mineral makeup is best for acne, I went to one of my favorite makeup stores, Coastal Scents, and ordered their mineral makeup.

 

This post is my unbiased review of the Coastal Scents mineral makeup. I like the quality of Coastal Scents makeup. Plus, their prices are reasonable, even the shipping cost, even though I’m all the way in Canada.

The Good

• Excellent choices of colors and formulations. In fact, you’ll spend quite some time finding the shades and “texture” you think will match your skin tone. You have four choices of mineral foundation: Silk Cover Mineral Foundation, Honey Glow Foundation, Honey Matte Foundation or Exotic Skin Foundation. And then there are several shades for each type of mineral makeup.
• You can order trial sizes of the makeup for $2 each. It’s 1/2 teaspoon of makeup, but can last for weeks. I’ve wasted lots of money before by buying makeup that ends up not matching my skin tone — yes, even when I did test the product in the store. Colors look different under different lights, so the lights inside a store may not accurately show how a particular makeup looks on your skin.
• Coastal Scents mineral makeup doesn’t contain talc, bismuth (which some individuals are sensitive to), cornstarch, preservatives or fragrance. So if you’re a stickler for purity, you’ll get it with Coastal Scents.
• This mineral makeup feels very good on my skin. It’s not heavy. It doesn’t settle into lines on my face. It’s very light and doesn’t feel like I have any makeup at all.
• It doesn’t make my skin break out.

The Bad

• It’s complicated. If you are to follow the mineral makeup regimen of Coastal Scents, you need four different products for the total package: (1) Diva Defense Primer (to minimize lines and pores and help your makeup last longer); (2) mineral foundation; (3) mineral concealer; and, (4) Veil Effect Mineral Powder (to set makeup, and reduce shine).

I don’t know about you, but I like to keep my makeup routine simple! I don’t like the idea of using four different products just to get my face ready for the rest (eye, cheek and lip colors).

• It doesn’t last long. Even though I used the Diva Defense Primer and Veil Effect Mineral Powder along with the actual mineral makeup, I still couldn’t count on the makeup lasting longer than a couple of hours.
• It doesn’t cover up very well. This makeup is great for giving a more even skin tone, but if you have dark scars, serious blemishes or hyperpigmentation  to hide, the Coastal Scents mineral concealer will not do the trick.
• It doesn’t travel well. I can’t imagine applying this makeup in the car, or bringing four different products plus two kabuki brushes (one for the foundation and another for the primer and veil) in my purse for mid-day touch-ups when I’m outside the house.
• It’s messy. This makeup is very finely milled. After a few days, my dresser is covered with a fine layer of dust. It looks like I’m a lazy house keeper (ok I am a lazy house keeper, but I don’t need my makeup to make me look worse!). The makeup will show on your clothes, too. Note, however, that all loose mineral makeup is probably like this.

The Bottom Line

Coastal Scents mineral makeup is a good choice if you’re looking for pure mineral makeup without bismuth, talc or fragrance, and don’t mind the mess and inconvenience that’s inherent in any loose mineral makeup.

As for me, I’ve decided to simply use up the samples I purchased. And then I’ll be in the market for mineral makeup in compact form. You can bet that, as soon as Coastal Scents makes compact mineral foundation, I’ll be one of the first to buy it.
PS: Coastal Scents is better known for its highly-pigmented eye makeup (which I love!):
 

 

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