Applying Make Up: the Butterfly Look

This tutorial was put together by one of our beautiful and talented customers named Silja, hailing all the way fom Europe. She is a mineral makeup guru, and and quite willingly shared her expertise with us. Enjoy this step-by-step tutorial on using our mineral loose eyeshadow. This look is fun and flirty, with lots of shimmer, and color. Stay tuned for more of the same!
1. I start with my face and eyebrows done:
2. First, apply a white base colour to your lids:
3. Start applying Champagne from the inner corner on inner 1/3:
4. Apply Eternity to the middle of the lid:
5. Now use Tsunami on the outer 1/3 with an angled brush:
6. Now all the colours are applied in a row:
7. Now draw a bow in your crease with Ice Princess, and blend:
8. Take a Chisel Deluxe Fluff and dab Simplicity on the whole lid:
9. Under bottom lashes, apply Champagne on the inner half and Eternity on the outer half with a small brush:
10. Draw a thin line with an eye pencil:
11. Use your mascara of choice on upper and lower lashes:
12. Apply Damask Blush  in a triangle form:
13. Use a lip gloss on your lips, and dab a bit of Simplicity powder on the middle of your lips:
Done!
Close-Ups
Eye close up:

With all mineral makeup a little goes a long way if your foundation appears pasty, here are a few possibilites:

1. The brush! Unfortunately, the right brush is an absolute necessity when applying loose mineral foundation. Our brush is especially made to have a very high density of hair, short, firm, and soft to boot. Think of how hard it is to spread cold butter on untoasted bread with a plastic knife. This is what is happening when you're using the brushes ( however expensive and high-quality they may be), that you already own. Even bronzer brushes that look similar may not have firm, or dense enough hair to accomplish the task. The result? Too much makeup, not well spread, sticking in all of the wrong place, definitely not natural-looking!

2. Too much product on the brush: Mineral makeup is very concentrated. It is made up of pure pigment; the same pigments that cosmetics companies use to add color to pressed and liquid foundations. Because there is little if any 'filler" in this type of powder, it is imperative that you put just a little bit of powder on your brush and use that on one cheek. Buff it in well in a circular motion before applying more. How much is enough? If you follow the basic mineral foundation instructions found on the loose mineral foundation product page, you should get the right amount on the brush: Basically, you press the head of the kabuki, or flat-top (our favorite) directly against the holes of the sifter, tip the whole unit upside down, tap the jar a bit, and then lift the brush off of the sifter. There should be a light dusting of powder on the brush head, and that amount is sufficient to cover at least one cheek, if not the whole face. You can always add another layer, so start with less.

3. The wrong shade: This is especially an issue with women of color. If you have a golden undertone, and the color you apply has a blue or neutral undertone, your face may appear grayish, or pasty. It is not necessarily that the product is too light, or has the "wrong" formula for your skin, just the wrong undertone. Don't assume that mineral foundation doesn't "work" on ethnic skin. Be persistent until you find a shade that at least comes close. Blending loose mineral foundation shades together is as simple as shaking the jar, and blending one color with another may achieve that perfect shade that you're looking for!

4. Not enough "buffing": Have you ever watched someone (usually a guy!) buff a coat of wax onto their car? They buff for a loooong time! This creates a smooth, silky appearance, that simply applying the wax would never achieve. Do the same with your mineral foundation. Buffing with the brush actually brings out the qualities of the minerals. Use a firm (Don't be afraid to be firm, our brushes are very soft) touch, and in a circular motion, blend, or spread the makeup around the cheeks, down the jaw line, over the nose. Do this several times, and you will begin to see your face glow and your skin look flawless, and utterly natural.