Two businesswomen are on a mission to win converts to their mineral makeup cause.
Entrepreneurs are often a tad evangelical, with passion to spread the word being a driving force behind their business plans. Belief in their endeavours - and the ability to spot a gap in the market - helps determine their success.
Two women who typify this approach have in common their own mineral makeup brands. Miranda Bond of Inika and Melissa Furze of Bella Vi say personal experience led them to think they could offer better, purer products. This sort of crusading message is hardly unusual in the skincare sector, but after only a few years in business, Inika and smaller local company Bella Vi are doing a convincing job getting the word out.
Inika sells in 16 countries, has picked up international awards and has attracted leading makeup artists to use its colourful products in shoots for glossy fashion magazines. It was founded in Sydney in 2006 after Bond's infertility battles led the television researcher to look closely at the health impacts of the West's increasing use of chemicals.
The journey began by chance during a holiday visit to a Wellington organic store where the Englishwoman picked up a book called Hormone Heresy. She adopted a more natural approach to not only her diet, but also her household and cosmetic products. Now a baby and a company later she continues to campaign through a not-for-profit organisation she and others have formed called Thriving, Healthy Women.
Bella Vi has quietly built up its business in New Zealand and now aims to export. It is used in training courses at several polytechnics and is sold in more than 100 salons.
One salon owner who switched to Bella Vi told Viva the fact the company was a local one was a drawcard, but performance was key. Te Puke-based Furze spent a year researching and formulating her products before launching in 2007. In 15 years as a beauty therapist she saw a growing number of clients suffering from skin sensitivities. "I started to become quite aware of the ingredients in skincare, including in some of the bigger natural - or so-called - brands."
Ingredients she avoids include the still commonly used bismuth oxychloride which can cause itching in some people, fillers such as talc and cornstarch, and parabens and preservatives. Being inorganic powders, she says there is no need for minerals to contain preservatives. "Our philosophy is to keep things as pure as we can."
Her other philosophy is around empowerment through appearance, and she supports charities such as Look Good, Feel Better, which provides cosmetics and workshops for women with cancer. Furze says she meets many women who are not confident about using makeup, which is one reason she prefers to sell through salons where trained staff can provide tips and clients can leave with a makeup and colour analysis card with personalised recommendations.
"I love making people feel good, to feel elegant and confident in their appearance."
Some women, especially those with drier skins, aren't keen on the powdery look of some mineral powder foundations. Furze says "not all minerals sit on the skin well, it's important to micro-size the minerals". She spent time comparing and contrasting formulations before coming up with her own, which is made in the US from minerals sourced worldwide. Inika also worked on particle size, avoiding nano-particles.
Bella Vi (Beautiful You in Italian) and Inika (a Hindu word for small earth) are typical of the better mineral makeup brands in that they offer more than just base powders. Both have strong colour collections for eyes, using bold pigments as well as the popular earthy shades.
Inika's Bond said when she began her quest, she had been able to source good alternative skincare, but found the natural cosmetics available were "brown, brown, brown". That made her want to do better, using pure, filler-free pigments. Layering is the key, with powders able to be used over eyeliner pencils and application with a wet or dry brush giving differing colour intensity.
Asked why women who haven't tried minerals yet should consider switching, Furze says: "The feel of it is amazing, it's so quick and easy to use, feels light and it is so much healthier for skin."
More than powder
Purists point out that powders are the only true minerals, but many mineral companies now sell skincare and cosmetics in liquid or cream form, including primers, concealers and foundations. Most have a fairly natural approach but purity varies widely. Lipsticks, glosses and eye makeup pencils and creams now also come coloured by minerals. Here are some of the more interesting options.
1. Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Tinted Moisturiser SPF15 $64
In light of the popularity of the brand's Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation ($69), Elizabeth Arden has just replaced its Sheer Lights illuminating tint with this mineral version. It's oil, talc and fragrance-free, but like those of most big beauty companies the ingredient list is rather long, compared with some specialist options. The foundation gives a sheer natural look, but to cover imperfections better, try the powder, which isn't obvious on.
2. Jane Iredale Mystikol powder eyeliner pencil $47.80
You can make like Cleopatra, but without the heavy metals, with these kohl pencils. At one end there's malachite, amethyst, dark topaz, lapis lazuli or onyx shades and at the other a pearlescent highlighter. The five shades are available as a boxed set for $215.20. Englishwoman Iredale set up her company in 1994 after working in film and TV makeup. (From salon stockists (09) 636 1966)
3. Inika Organic Eyeliner $28.99 and Inika Eye and Makeup Remover $35.99
Certified organic makeup removers are hard to find. This creamy one contains soothing aloe vera juice and plant oils and had no trouble in removing my mascara or Inika's powder foundation (which costs $69). Off came Inika's excellent pewter-coloured pencil too. This pencil draws on easily without dragging and the colour lasts, plus it has the bonus of a sharpener attached to the lid. (From selected pharmacies and health food stores.)
4. Bella Vi Liquid Lip Gloss $37.50
You won't find a true-red lip colour in mineral makeup land, because it needs carmine dye, but you can get coppery and orangey red shades and plenty of pinks and plums from those companies that cater for lips at all. Bella Vi offers a good selection, with glosses in liquid and cream formulas and lipsticks ($36) in 17 colours. (Salon stockists.)
5. Nimue Treatment Mineral Powder $118
A lightweight, loose powder in a handy self-dispensing brush that is talc and fragrance free. Minerals have been chosen to help rebalance skin and for their traditional properties: tourmaline for energy, amethyst for harmony and citrine for rejuvenating properties. Not sure about the mystical stuff, but the finish is nice, non-powdery and bright. (Click the link above for salon stockists.)
6. Youngblood Mineral Radiance Creme Powder Foundation $129.90
This creamy textured compact in five colours offers choice to women with normal to dry skins who aren't so keen on powders. The formula is free of talc and parabens and enriched with marine extracts. Provides sheer to medium coverage. The upmarket Californian company also does a tint and offers a good range of foundations colours in powder form, plus its finely textured Lunar Dust bronzer and its shine-free High-Def Perfecting Powder. (For salon stockists ph 0800 555 630.)
7. Revlon ColorStay Aqua Mineral Makeup SPF13 $40.95
Swirl, tap and buff away with this new powder which comes in five shades, though you'd be best to invest in a decent kabuki brush rather than contend with the fiddly built-in one. The makeup formula uses coconut water for a hydration boost. Unlike some other less expensive brands it's talc, fragrance and paraben-free, though it includes silicone.
