L’Oreal has introduced Bare Naturale, a mineral based foundation powder. Mineral makeup is great for any skin type. It won’t clog pores and it’s naturally gentle to skin. Bare Naturale has vitamins and minerals for nuturing your skin as well as an SPF 19 sunscreen.

L’Oreal’s Bare Naturale is available in 8 shades to match your skintone. The applicator brush is swirled into the sifter, embedding powder on the bristles. After shaking off any excess, the foundation powder is applied with the brush using circular motions from the center of the face out to the hairline. You can repeat the application process until you reach your desired level of coverage.

In 2004, a British archeological dig in London yielded an unusual find. A metal container, with the lid intact was unearthed. The container still held its original contents of cosmetic face cream of the type used by fashionable Roman women. This cream was made of refined animal fat, starch and tin. The starch would produce a powdery texture and the tin was to produce the pale white complexion that was highly prized by Roman women. Researchers know that the Romans used lead for that purpose in face cream, the tin was probably an indication that they were using a non-toxic substitute for the poisonous lead.

Today we would call this kind of face cream, foundation. Rather than being used to produce a pallor, foundation today is used to create a base for your makeup, cover imperfections in skin and skin tone and sometimes to hide blemishes. It makes the face look smoother and more even-toned.

Choosing a foundation can be a matter of trial and error but there are a few things to keep in mind that will help you get it right the first time.

The two most important factors you must consider in choosing a foundation are: coverage and color.

If you have young, unlined skin and are not trying to hide blemishes, you will probably like “sheer” foundations best. They even out skin tone without being thick or obvious. If your skin has a few fine lines or is dry, a moisturizing liquid foundation will help create a dewy glow. A good choice for oily skin is one of the many brands of powder foundation. They create a matte finish and usually contain ingredients like talc that absorb excess oil.

If you have many lines or large pores, avoid heavy coverage liquids that collect in creases and clog pores. Many times women think that a heavier foundation base will help hide these imperfections but in actual fact, it can make them much more noticeable.

When choosing a shade, you want one that most nearly matches your own skin tone in natural light. Don’t make the mistake of going too light or choosing one that is too pink or peachy in the belief that you will have a healthy glow. Your colors are going to come from your blush, eyeshadow and lipstick, not from your foundation. Foundation is just that. It merely prepares the canvas so you can artfully create your look.

The newest trend in comsetics is mineral make-up. Consisting of inorganic minerals and pigments found in nature,such as zinc oxides, mica, titanium dioxide and ultramarine pigments, these products are advertised as better for your skin than regular make-up. From powders to eyeshadow, there is a great variety of these natural mineral products being marketed.

These products promise to eliminate allergic reactions and breakouts and be safe for all skin types. For selection and always with price in mind, I recommend Physicians Formula or Neutrogena’s line of mineral makeup products. Physicians Formula has multiple products and I particularly liked their Solar Powder bronzer with sunscreen. Neutrogena is a name we know we can trust and their line of Mineral Sheers includes foundation powder and eyeshadow with a little shimmer. Best of all, both are available at drugstore prices.