Kat~I have not found a mineral makeup that works for my temperamental skin, but there are some good brands out there. Alima is a popular, and it comes in a nice range of shades. Illuminare is a liquid mineral makeup that also receives good reviews and is popular with makeup artists. It doesn’t come in as many shades, but the colors are on the forgiving side.

GingerLeigh~Have you tried Kryolan’s Anti-Shine Powder? That seems to have a little more oomph when it comes to controlling the oilies. Primer helps too; Cinema Secrets makes a good one, and some sunscreens, like Shiseido’s SPF55 lotion, have excellent oil-controlling properties. Also, blotting papers are very helpful (Palladio makes great inexpensive papers with rice powder on one side), either in lieu of a powder touch-up or before re-powdering. These soak up the oil so that the powder doesn’t clump up on the skin.

Cate~I have heard of this line–it was created by Carmindy of “What Not to Wear” fame. The foundation isn’t quite light enough for me (I’m nearly paper white, sigh), but it is an excellent product, as are her powders and blushes. I’ve heard good things about the eye shadows, too, and you certainly can’t beat the price!

Not sure if you’ve taken notice of it yet, but there is a fabulous new foundation on the market by Sally Hansen. It’s called Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Your Skin Makeup, and can be found at CVS and Rite Aid. It has the loveliest finish and feels so good on your skin. It even seems to improve the look of your skin, nourishing it with natural botanicals. It gives medium to full coverage, and has a creamy, velvety finish. The lightest shades (Porcelain and Ecru Beige) are perfect for the fair of skin, and they have a luxurious loose powder that really perfects the ’40s look.

Warmest regards,
Cate

I adore the scent of violets; I may have to look into Guerlain’s powder

The nice thing about the pro cream foundations I mentioned is that they are not drying or heavy mattes, and can be powdered down as much as you like to achieve the right finish.

Thanks doll,
The Glamorous Housewife

I adore Guerlain loose powder as it smells of violets!!

xx

As a fellow member of the “Casper” crowd, I do have a few foundation recommendations for our readers!

My current foundation favorite is NYX Twin Cake in Pale, a very light neutral cream powder foundation (the next shade, Shell, is the same intensity as Pale, but cool or pink-based.)

Graftobian Hi-Def Foundation in Graceful Swan and Cinema Secrets cream foundation in 601-18 are both fantastic neutral to slightly yellow-toned cream foundations, and both are very high quality products, too.

Ben Nye Color Cake in Bisque is also a fantastic pale option in pancake form.

And MAC offers their Full Coverage Foundation in W10 (a very pale pink-based color) through their Pro store.

The above are my top picks (I’m very hard to match), but other brands worth looking into for a possible match are LORAC, Nars, MUFE, Illuminare, Alima, Bobbi Brown, and Laura Mercier.

I hope this helps!

Hey Amanda Lee- One Question though…do you have a brand that you prefer for those of us that are pasty white. As in casper colored. We have found the right coloring to be very difficult to find.

Thanks!
~Kat~