How to Deal with Mineralize Eye Shadows

One of the complaints I have with mineralize eye shadows and also some of my clients is that they're too sheer and they don't last that long on the eye. Actually, mineralize eye shadows are sheerer as compared to the traditional eyeshadows we buy individually. I've been trying to work my way around them as to how to sell them when I'm in the store or when I review them.

Actually, a few days ago, I was playing with my new toys at home when I decided to use just purely MES on my eyes. I figured that a pigmented look is also possible. So here's how to make use of the MES and make them stay longer:

I use a base. As an alternative, I use an eyeshadow base in a cream formula. Shown here is MAC Cream Color Base in a neutral color like Shell. Although this is no longer available locally here, try a neutral-colored cream eyeshadow, an eyeshadow primer, or a base. I use little only of the cream color base because too much of it causes my eyeshadow to crease, which isn't a pretty sight.

Anyway, for tools, I use a densely-packed brush to deposit the product on my lid. I like the MAC 239 brush (left) and my The Body Shop eyeshadow brush (right). This brush is from the Nature's Minerals collection, since the bristles are dense and stiff enough to grab the color from the pan and effectively deposit it on the lid. What I do is just pat the brush on the color, then pat on my lid, layering for intensity. Just deposit, deposit, and deposit.

Now, since depositing does give better color payoff than sweeping, it also leaves harsh demarcation lines. What I do is that I get a fluffy brush to blend the edges of the color, making the eye makeup seamless, so there are no harsh demarcation lines.

Let's compare the intensity of color with two swatches:

The color holds so much better with a base(left) rather than without (right). Without base, there's hardly a hint of color and the product comes out rather powdery.

I'm glad that with a few experiments, I could maximize the use of my products. Actually, I figured that the MES can be great for bridals or daytime looks or in combination with our traditional shadows since they give a healthy amount of shimmer if used properly.