Dream World Minerals Haul

I’ve read quite a number of reviews and raves about Dream World Minerals crème toppings and I would agree that these finishing powder are great. This is my second order from them and I just can’t get enough!

Foundation:
Theia (Cloud Formula)
Hebe (Cloud Formula)

Cloud -- is the first of the mica free formulas. It is a medium to heavy coverage that is matte and light feeling. It is perfect for those who live in the environment where they don’t want anything heavy and for those with oily skin. The rice powder helps those who need oil control, by soaking up the excess oils, so their foundation stays nice all day long. There is a limited amount of zinc in this formula. This formula also runs a shade darker than the others.

Pele (Luna Formula)
Themis (Luna Formula)
Chang O (Luna Formula)

Luna – is the heaviest coverage of the 3 formulas. While offering wonderful coverage the Lunas do not cause a cakey look and will feel soft on the skin, while having a long lasting effect. Luna offers the highest amount of Zinc and is wonderful for those who have acne and rosacea. The zinc helps to diminish redness and inflammation caused by these problems.

Creme Toppings:
Angel Creme
Butterscotch Creme
Butter Creme
Whipped Cream
Peach Creme
Banana Creme
Butter Creme (full size 30g)

Butter Creme Topping has been one of my top faves that's why i bought the big jar. It works two ways: as a makeup primer and a finishing dust. Clay and silk formula provides heavier coverage than the silk formula, but some experience allergic reactions with the silk formula. Luckily, i didn't have any problem with any of them so i also ordered the other variants in silk and clay/silk formulas. They are all good and works just as fine, now i realized that Banana Creme in silk formula tops m y list because the shade is just sheer and not matte unlike the clay/silk formula.

Product Review: Ocean Mist Cosmetics (MMU)

Hi there! take a look at my haul i got from Ocean Mist Cosmetics:

I bought a full size of their Lightly Tinted Mineral Finish (it's a rice powder, actually)

and samples of the following:

Foundation:

Lilia

Dandelion

Wheat

Blush:

Sea Fan

Finishing Powder:

Silken Perfection

Concealer:

Sea Foam Green Color Corrector

Eyeshadows:

Tiki

Rose Red

Pretty N Pink

Blue Aquatica

The Lilia shade was the closest match i got, it is a golden fair color as it was described. Coverage is medium to heavy, depending on the application. The finish is somewhat matte, which is not my favorite.. i prefer dewy, and sheen but not "glittery".. I reserve this mmu for occasions that requires me to wear matte and heavy coverage.

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The green color corrector is a good product, and helps to cover those areas that need a little extra touch up.
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Sea Fan blush is a sunny apricot color with a slight shimmer. It also has warm undertones. This has become one of my favorite blushes so far.

Btw, if you intend to shop at Ocean Mist, they have an ongoing promo for this month-- SAVE 25% off all products from June 1-30, 2009. Just enter the promo code "june" when prompted for the promo code.

Product Review: Milan Minerals

Here are the items i ordered from Milan Minerals months ago. I took advantage of the 30% discount they had via promo code "30off". You know it's hard to resist the urge to shop when there are tempting promos especially huge discounts. ;)

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Perfect Presentation- Original Formula/ Untinted
(10gram jar)

Mineral Foundation in Lana shade (25 gram full-sized jar)

and i also got eyeshadows:
Appletini and Teal Me No Lies

They charged me US$5 for shipping, computed by weight. It's not a standard shipping fee you can choose in the usual drop-down menu option. I haven't visited their site recently, so i am not sure if their policy is still the same.

Oh, by the way, if you will only order samples, the shipping is free worldwide. However, samples do not qualify for discounts and there's a limit of 2 shades per sample for every order.

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Two extra items (Kiana foundie & Perfect Presentation) for my friend

were included in this package.

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Lana Foundation (Medium to Heavy Coverage)

As their website suggests, Lana is recommended for those with yellow skintones (Asians). The shade is comparable to Joppa Minerals' Ginger. I find this Milan shade too yellow that i have to mix it with mineral foundie with olive shades or those lacking with yellow tones. I also like the dewy finish. But like most of the mmu i tried, the shade is forgiving and my skin can adapt to the color even if i chose not to mix it with other shades-- it is by applying just a thin layer of this foundie followed by the Perfect Presentation finpow. ;)

Perfect Presentation (Original Formula)

"Airbrushed look, anyone?" I saw this line on their website and got intrigued. They have three shades to choose from: Light, Dark and the one i chose-- Original Formula (untinted). They can be used as either a primer or as finishing powder. The texture is comparable to Earthen Glow Mineral's High Definition finishing powder. They're almost the same for me. Both control the oilies... i love them both!

Elegant Minerals

This is another long overdue post of my mineral makeup haul i ordered months ago. This one is from Elegant Minerals,a trusted and verified online merchant located at Corpus Christi, Texas.

I ordered three sets of their foundation samples in Light Warm shades, they include the following:

Light Bisque- for light skin with peaches & cream complexion, with pink undertones.

Golden Wheat- a shade for light skin with slightly yellow undertones & some pink.

Cornsilk- for light-medium skin, with neutral and yellow undertones. (for Asians and Latins)

Beige- light-medium shade. Great balance -slightly darker than Golden Wheat.

I also ordered passion glow blush & pink glow bronze, pale roses lipstick, setting powder in sheer neutral shade and a small spatula for scooping and measuring mmu.

They have the tiniest sample jars i've ever seen, much like a size of a peso coin. So cute!! Although they don't have sifters, each jar is sealed and properly labeled. Each sample foundie is good for 2 to 3 applications only. (Now i have empty little jars to fill in with some eyeshadow samples.)

I asked them to have one of the sample sets gift-wrapped. It's one of the options they offer with no extra cost. It looked like this, wrapped in metallic red ribbon, and i gave it away as a small present.

The foundies are weightless and considerably long-wearing. And their customer support is remarkable, i was able to chat with one of the representatives online thru Yahoo Messenger before i finalized the shades i want.

They claim that their products are free of preservatives, bismuth, talc, dyes, parabens, carmine and fragrances. And most of all, just like most mineral makeup companies, their products are cruelty free- and no animal testing. =)

Product Review: EARTHEN GLOW MINERALS

Earthen Glow Minerals is a promising mineral makeup store launched at the last quarter of 2008. I ordered two sets of Get Acquainted Sample Kit. Each kit contains my choice of 3 loose mineral foundations, 1 finishing powder and 1 blush. My orders took only less than two weeks to arrive.

It’s fun browsing the color chart but because of the many shades available to choose from, it could also cause you headache in selecting a foundation that is most suitable for you in every way, color, texture, and coverage. But one good thing about mineral makeup stores, they allow us to order a sample or better yet a sampler kit. This way, it allows us to select several foundation colors and more with minimal investment.

Price:
Sample Kit (in jars): $5.00
Sample Kit (in bags): $3.50
Shipping (First Class International USPS): $2.50
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Total (payment thru Paypal): $11.00

Plus $0.75 (P35.00) Philippine Postal Fee (grrr..)

All samples in jars (foundie, finpow and blushes) came in a round sample jars with black covers and sifters. But three of the samples arrived with loose caps. I tried to tighten the cap coverings but it seems that the cap and the jar don’t fit together. I wished that the sifter holes were sealed so the pigments shouldn’t have spilled. It turned out that the cheaper samples in bag ($3.50) contained more pigments than those in jars ($5).

BLUSHES:

Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide, Premium grade serecite (colorless mica), Iron Oxide.

I got Blush of Youth and Peaches n Cream. A little dusting of blush in the apples of the cheeks gives a lil color and depth (not flat!) The blushes have enough sheen for a radiant glow. For me, Blush of Youth is a reminiscent of my favorite blusher/bronzer- E.L.F. Glow, but the former is a bit darker.

FOUNDATION:

Earthen Glow Minerals offers four (4) Mineral Foundation formulas:

• Youthful Glow- Offers medium coverage with a natural and Youthful Radiant Glow.
• Cover Me- Heaviest mineral foundation, providing a beautiful, natural finish with the slightest Glow.
• Light & Natural- Feather light coverage, Mineral foundation. Rice Based Formula. Light coverage, Matte finish, good for oily skin.
• Liquid Minerals- A natural liquid mineral foundation that contains Primrose oil, it provides medium coverage with a matte finish.

These foundations cover a wide range of complexions, and it is interesting to note that Earthen Glow Minerals have more than a hundred shades available that are categorized into four groups:

• Beige - Neutral Family
• Cool - Olive family
• Yellow Family
• Warm - Peach Family

Here’s what I got:

Youthful Glow Foundation:

Medium coverage with a natural youthful glow, producing that beautiful natural look.

Ingredients: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Oxides, May contain Ultramarine Blue oxides.

Adya (Yellow Family)







Mailee (Yellow Family)





Sung (Yellow Family)






Janelle (Cool and Olive Family)

Light & Natural Foundation:

Light coverage foundation. A rice based formula that is good for all skin types and naturally effective controlling the oil secreted by oily skin.

Ingredients: Rice Powder, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Oxides, May contain Ultramarine Blue oxides.

Kelly (Yellow Family)

Melissa (Yellow Family)

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The texture and feel is not chalky, instead, it glides smoothly and I feel like it melts onto my skin quite nice, it reminds me of Lumiere (one of my HG foundations). It’s just the way I want the finish: dewy, radiant, and with “youthful glow”. However, use a proper concealer if you need to cover up blemishes. It caters those who prefer medium coverage. It is not that longwearing but I think a makeup primer would solve this.

Light and Natural on the other hand, is more concerned on controlling the oiliness. The rice powder ingredient is an important ingredient if you desire light coverage with a matte finish.

Up to this writing, I still haven’t found my exact shade without mixing. But Mailee is a favorite, and a close match. Also with Sung + Janelle. Kelly is almost like a second skin too. I can also wear Adya. Well, I really can’t figure out because they are all so nice.

FINISHING POWDER:

High Definition Pro
Ingredients: Silica Micro spheres, Micas.

”High Definition Pro Finishing Powder is excellent for those with oily skin who may need a little additional power before and after applying the foundation.”

-from EGM website

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I have never seen any loose powder so finely milled as this powder. It feels like I am touching cornstarch when I swipe the colors. It's that fine and smooth. There is hardly powder flying around unless I swipe it hard. Using a stippling brush, it just glides onto the skin effortlessly and evenly. I can use it solely over moisturizer and concealer, but I find better outcome when used with Earthen Mineral foundation underneath. It doesn't offer coverage nor does it change complexion much. But I don’t regret choosing only High Definition Powder for my two kits, as I was not that tempted to try the other variants (Silk Botanical and Soft Focus)- guilty about my Dream World Crème Toppings that I haven’t been touched.

According to Earthen Glow Minerals website, their formulas are kept as natural as possible and do not contain artificial fragrances, colors, waxes, preservatives or fillers in loose mineral cosmetic formulas. The ingredients/ agents mentioned are believed to often lead to skin irritation.

Furthermore, their mineral cosmetics have no organic materials in them except their rice powders such as the Silk Botanical finishing powder. These organic ingredients have indefinite shelf lives provided they are kept in cool, dark, dry areas.

Shelf Life:

Ordinary Foundation: 6 to 12 months
Mineral Foundation: No expiration date as long as kept dry

Traditional Blush: Powder: 2 years, Cream: 1 year
Mineral Blush: No expiration date as long as kept dry

Traditional Eye Shadow: 2 years, Cream: 6 to 12 months
Mineral Eye shadow: No expiration date as long as kept dry

Mascara: 3 months
Lipstick: 2 years

CONCLUSION:
No bumps or allergic reactions were experienced with the foundation and finishing powder. Despite the spillage experience, Earthen Glow Minerals has become one of my favorite mineral makeup available online.

My MAD Minerals Mini Haul

I had the chance to try Mad Minerals mineral makeup thru MMU swapping with my friend Jessica. In return, I sent her samples from Coconut Bay Cosmetics & Ellana Minerals. Look what i've got:

Ingredients:

Mica (CI 77019), Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77491), Ultramarine Blue (CI 77007)

I got three shades of foundations: Olive Light Medium, Light Golden and Olive Light.

Olive Light Medium Foundation
(for a light medium complexion with yellow undertones)

Light Golden Mineral Foundation

(for light complexions with golden peachy undertones)

Olive Light Mineral Foundation

(for light complexion with yellow undertones)

Among the three shades, the Light Golden shade is my closest match. I also got a sample of the yellow corrector:





Loose Mineral Apricot Corrector
(Warms up yellow skin tones and sallow complexions)

The foundation samples went onto my skin easily enough; it controls oiliness and the finish is just alright, but I noticed a little bit of chalkiness that I was able to buff away. Not to mention a few small bumps I had on my face that I thought were just signs that my skin was still adjusting to this brand. But they did not disappear until the 3rd day, so I discontinued playing with the samples. This would be good for people who want a heavier coverage. I prefer light coverage especially during the summer months because in my experience, heavier coverage (in most brands I’ve tried) tends to “cake” at the end of the day. However, what works and does not work on my skin does not mean that the product is not totally worth trying. Remember, we have different skin sensitivities and preferences to consider. So still, it’s for you to find out and decide on what you like, and maybe you could share your stories too. =)

By the way, I’m intrigued with Mad Minerals liquid foundation. As it claims the following with regular use: anti-aging, antioxidant, collagen renewal, hydration, protection from environmental damage and diminishes lines/ wrinkles.

Hopefully, next time I'll be able to try them and make another review.







*Photos of liquid mineral foundation and shade chart were taken from www.madmierals.org for reference.

Aubrey Nicole Mineral Make Up Review

Here's the sampler pack i ordered from Aubrey Nicole, they even gave me free blushes in Rosetta and Sunrise plus a cute little brush:

Aubrey Nicole offers two types of foundations, soft coverage and full coverage. I prefer soft coverage because I have better control over how much coverage I actually get. The foundation applies very nicely for me, and the foundation color is a perfect match for my skin color. The powder seems to melt into my skin, so you can’t tell that I am wearing foundation.

I’m happy with my Aubrey Nicole Foundation for as long as it did not cause me breakouts.

I ordered 5 sample jars of foundation in warm and golden shadest: light golden (soft coverage), light golden (full coverage), light warm (full coverage), medium light golden (soft coverage) and medium light golden (full coverage).

I love their sample jars! Unlike most of the mmu lines i've tried, their sample jars come with sifter and are neatly sealed. The jars are "square" just like the ones i ordered from Lumiere. They are also generous in filling the jars with samples.

I found my not-so-perfect matches in Light Golden and Light Warm.

My Foundie Shades

When i went back on using mineral make up early this year, I finally got hooked! My order with Lumiere Cosmetics was followed by more online orders from other mineral make up companies abroad: Lauress Cosmetics, Aubrey Nicole Cosmetics, Elegant Minerals, Cory Cosmetics, Everyday Minerals, Mad Minerals, Milan Minerals and Joppa Minerals (I haven't received my orders from Ocean Mist Cosmetics yet).

Sometimes, the waiting can be excruciatingly painful, Cory Cosmetics took forever to arrive (6 weeks), while with Joppa Minerals, i got my loot in less than two weeks. However, only with Joppa that i was required to claim the package from the Post Office and pay for a certain fee. The rest of the packages from the mmu companies mentioned were delivered straight to me.

With all the brands mentioned, i must say that I adore each of the product i tried with respect to each own unique quality. Quality-- as for my criteria on the texture, shade and coverage. Here are my foundation shades or the closest shades for me (so far):

• Cory Cosmetics- 50/50 ratio of Absolute Cream and Beyond Cream

• Lumiere Cosmetics- Light Golden in Cashmere Formula; or 80/20 mixture of Light Golden & Fairly Light Golden (Flawless or Cashmere Formulas)

• Lauress Cosmetics- Subtle Yellow in Ethereal Formula

• Aubrey Nicole- Light Golden (i prefer soft coverage formula)

• Everyday Minerals- mixture of Winged Butter and Original Glo Multi-Tasking (i can wear the latter alone)

• Mad Minerals- Olive Light Medium (have to mix with Lana of Milan Minerals)

• Milan Minerals- Lana (this is an all-around shade that i can use to add some "yellow" to other foundie shades i have)

• Elegant Minerals- either Golden Wheat or Cornsilk

• Joppa Minerals- still finding the closest shade or right mixture, tho Ginger in Simple Radiance is a favorite shade so far.

♥♥♥

Joppa Minerals

I received my Joppa Minerals loot today! I'm hearing a lot of nice feedbacks regarding the coverage and the texture of their foundation so i gave in and ordered some sample sizes.

So, fresh from the post office, i'm sharing you the pictures:

I placed my order on their website last August 26, and was shipped on August 28

via USPS First Class Int'l. Mail

I can't wait to try them if it's worth to get full sizes. I'll post my review soon!

czel

CORY.... finally!

After, more than a month of waiting, our pooled orders from Cory Cosmetics arrived this morning. Woohoo! It is really a good news to my fellow mmu lovers i pooled order with.

And as i promised, i'm posting the pictures i took as soon as i get hold of it. I just want to share the happiness and excitement i felt when this package finally arrived. (i know you know how it feels, right? ). So here they are:

USPS Priority Mail

Opened...

We ordered only 2 fs jars and a total of 195 sample pigments from Cory, but sadly, sample baggies came all together in one plastic container and still needed to be sorted..

Scattered pigments.. =P

So now you know it's party time! =D

SHAKE- SWIRL- TAP- BUFF

Here are the basic steps in applying mineral foundations:
(It is recommended to clean, tone & moisturize first for a better & flawless result)

SHAKE the foundation jar with cover on, turn upside down and find a small amount of its contents that have sifted to the top/cover of the jar; OR tap a small amount of foundation to a separate swirling bowl-- this option is most likely preferred.

SWIRL the face brush (I suggest to use kabuki brush) into the contents on the lid/ bowl;

TAP the brush onto the side of the lid to take off any excess powder;

BUFF the foundation into your skin in a circular or downward motion starting at the outer edge of your face and move towards the center of your face. Apply light layers to evenly blend the pigments. It is better to apply several applications to get the desired effect than it is to remove and start over. Once you feel the coverage is what you want, buff your face with your kabuki or broad-based brush to get off any excess mineral powder.

Addicted to MMU =)

MMU is a must-try!
WARNING though: It can get very ADDICTING.

Once you've been hooked in wearing mineral make up, there could be no turning back.

There are so many mmu brands especially online that you just want to try more and more. And they’re actually cheaper to use than traditional make-up/ non-MMU brands, imagine, these stuff do not have expiration dates and you just have to use very little amount of pigment. With proper application, you'll only be needing a pinch or so at a time.

I have tried brands such as Blusche, Coconut Bay Cosmetics, Ellana, Lumiere, Lauress, Everyday Minerals... and the list goes on.... It is important for me to try different MMU brands to find the perfect shade and brand for me. Ordering online is not always hassle-free, especially on finding the proper shade and choosing the right formula. That's why it is really important to start in ordering samples before committing to full sizes.

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My LHK is Here!

Yipee! Happy mmu day again!
The Air21 boy just came to deliver my EDM's Original Glo Multi-Tasking and my so-much-awaited Long-Handled Kabuki.

Thank you Kitz! *mwah!

*still waiting for 3 more packages: Cory, Aubrey Nicole & Elegant Minerals*

Lauress Samplers

It's a happy mail day! i received my Lauress package this morning.

Will soon post updates here!

Elegant Minerals

It should be a *no-buy* mode for me but was tempted again to try another mmu brand.

Good thing my friend wanted to try mmu too, so we divided the shipping cost for our orders.

I hope mmu will work for her VERY sensitive skin. (*crossing-fingers*)

**waiting for my Lauress, EDM, Cory, Aubrey Nicole + Elegant Minerals packages**

Holy Grail

Still roadtesting my Lumiere samples. . i receive good compliments while wearing cashmere & luminese formulas.. and i ask myself: "Did i find my HG this early??" Parang i'm still not convinced coz i still want to try MORE brands pa.. haha.. adik.

**waiting for my Lauress, EDM, Cory & Aubrey Nicole packages**

Lumiere Starter Kit

After reading rave reviews about Lumiere Mineral Cosmetics (formerly Must Have Minerals), I gave in and ordered their popular Try Me! Starter Kit. I was able to avail of their "Summer Sale" offering discounts on most items. The sample kit is on sale for $9.00 (and the shipping is FREE!), from its regular price of $15.50.

Lumiere has 4 different formulas for their foundation to choose from:

• Luminesse - all skin types (normal, oily, dry)
• Cashmere - all skin types (normal, oily, dry)
• Veena Velvet - normal to oily skin
• Flawless - normal to dry skin

I chose flawless, luminesse and cashmere for comparison.. I placed my orders on July 7, received their shipping confirmation the next day, and received my Lumiere loot on July 19.

Here's what i got:

I am so thrilled with the packaging. The samples were neatly wrapped in plastic and vacuum sealed. They also gave me a unique coupon code for a $5.00 off on my next order. Sulit 'di ba?

The kit includes 4 foundie shades, 1 finishing powder, and 1 blush/bronzer, in cute mini square jars (without sifter).

• Cashmere- Fairly Light Golden
• Cashmere- Fairly Light
• Flawless- Light Cool
• Luminesse- Light Golden
• Pearlfecting Powder (finpow)
• Neutral pink (blush)

While all the formulas in my starter kit provide a "not-made-up look" and flawless finish, my favorite is cashmere because i find it more creamy but blendable. I was so right in choosing fairly light golden and fairly light shades. They match my skin tone perfectly, while light cool and fairly light are okay too.. i think i need another mmu shade with deep yellow undertones and experiment in playing with these shades.

My Lumiere Loot

Surprise! I received my Lumiere loot today.

You should witness how happy i am! Ang saya saya After i placed my order online two weeks ago, i started counting the days. I read a lot of good feedback, and convinced with the recos from my fellow GTers for this mmu brand. I'm itching to try ASAP.

Will post some reviews soon!

Blusche

BLUSCHE (pronounced blŭsche) is Middle English of blush which means glow,

gleam or glimpse..
--copied from their website

What i like about this Canada-based mmu company is their friendly customer service. Thanks to Monica (she's a pinay!) who patiently answered my queries on selecting my shade before i placed my orders. I also got my orders fast. By the way, they recently opened their Blusche PH Store to cater their many customers here.

I bought Blushing Pink blush/bronzer in a 10 gram sifter jar and also got the following foundie shades to try:

• Colombian
• Butterscotch
• English Toffee
• French Vanilla (in OLD formula)

I find Blusche foundies creamy except for the old formula (in French Vanilla) which is a bit chalky. They offer medium coverage and felt light on the skin. It controls oiliness and the matte finish is just alright. I have achieved my perfect mix with English Toffee and Butterscotch on a 60:40 ratio.

Photo copied from

www.blusche.com

ELLANA Minerals

When they opened their store in Manila last year, i received a few samples from Coney, one of the people behind Ellana Minerals. The sampler set includes foundation, finishing powder and a blush. The shades that i got were the following, all in their Premium Blend* formula:

• French Vanilla Latte (foundation)
• Hazelnut (foundation)
• Toffee Mocha (foundation)
• Espresso con Panna (finishing powder)
• Heaven (blush)

*one of their two foundation formulas, the other one is Glow Enhancer Blend.

French Vanilla Latte is a light shade with warm golden undertones;

Hazelnut is a medium light shade with warm golden undertones; while Toffee Mocha is a medium shade that suits those with olive undertones. Among the three, French Vanilla Latte is my favorite. The foundation shades offer full coverage and matte finish, really good for those with oily skin.

I wish i got Glow Enhancer Blend instead, i just saw in their website that this formula provides a light to medium coverage. I prefer to have that look with sheen, not glittery but natural glow.. and long lasting coverage at the same time.

I like how the finishing powder (Espresso con Panna) helped in keeping my make-up lasts the whole day. It works like a concealer too, it minimizes the appearance of small imperfections and fine lines. For oily skin, it can be used prior to putting foundation.

I got a nice shade Heaven, a matte, deep muted pink shade with a hint of lavender. Very pigmented that the sample size will last a long way.

Photo copied from

www.ellanaminerals.com