How to Apply Mineral Make-Up

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Lauren Dunn teaches the basic principles of applying mineral make-up for an everyday make-up look that's great for acne-prone or sensitive skin.

Our real woman model is Katie, 41, who is an editor.

How to Apply Mineral Foundation

There's a knack to loading the brush with a loose powder mineral foundation. Jane Iredale, president of Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, always starts the ritual by turning the jar upside down and shaking it six times to loosen the powder particles so they fall into the lid. You want to apply the powder from the lid as this way it's easier for you to build up coverage. Start with a small sprinkling and build up as necessary.

Take your blending brush, swirl it round the lid into the powder and tap off any excess. You're then ready to apply the foundation onto your skin.

Start at one side of your face and start buffing the minerals onto the skin using circular motions. This will warm up the minerals and you'll start to see the effects immediately. You can be quite firm when you're buffing and this will give you a really even and flawless finish. Just remember to buff in circular motions all around the face.

If you want more coverage just take some more powder from the lid and buff on another layer.

Lauren's Mineral Make-Up Tips

Mineral make-up is good for sensitive and acne-prone skin because it doesn't contain harsh chemicals. It also includes the ingredient zinc oxide, which has healing and antibacterial properties. Minerals are non-comedogenic, which mean they don't clog up the pores but instead let the skin breathe.
Mineral make-up has great staying power - especially the foundation. Use your normal moisturiser first but make sure it's fully absorbed into the skin before you apply the mineral powder.
Mineral foundation has amazing coverage. You can apply a thin layer if you want to keep it minimal, or really build up the layers for a more flawless coverage. It's a fine powder and will never feel heavy on your skin.
If your skin is prone to dryness, mineral make-up may not be for you. Powders make skin look drier and that can be ageing. You're probably more suited to cream and liquid-based products that will sit better on the skin.