02.Product profiles
Top two
These two products rated highest with our trialists, but are among the most expensive. Their smorgasbord of ingredients includes not only preservatives and oils but also bismuth oxychloride. In fact, both contain similar ingredients to traditional liquid foundations, while Elizabeth Arden also contains nanoparticles. So if you’re thinking about using mineral foundation to avoid the added extras, you might want to give these two brands a miss.
Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Powder Foundation
Trialists’ comments
- “Provided very effective coverage.”
- “Really liked the brush and how it shaves off the foundation when you twist the cap.”
- “Felt like I wasn’t wearing any foundation. Had feedback on how good my skin looked!”
- “Very easy to get a controlled amount of powder into the container.”
MAC Mineralize Foundation Loose
Trialists’ comments
- “Very easy to apply and had good coverage.”
- “Smooth, great finish, natural looking.”
- “Design of the container made it easy to shake up the right amount of product.”
Au naturel
If you want to try mineral foundation and avoid a long list of ingredients, preservatives and bismuth oxychloride, this product keeps things simple and still rated well with our trialists:
Nude By Nature Natural Mineral Cover
This product stands out as being the most affordable among those that performed well, retailing at $39.95 for 15g and its brush, bought separately for $14.95, ranked among the best on trial.
Trialists’ comments
- “Good at covering uneven skin colour.”
- “I loved this product … the make-up felt good on my skin.”