Unlisted Brand • Monave Mineral Foundation • Powder

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Karibana on 4/29/2013 9:19:00 PM more reviews by Karibana

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I ordered the samples for dark skin, and was happy to have a chance to figure out which shade I am. I'm new to the world of mineral makeup, and am happy to find a company that caters to women with my complexion. After some trial and error, I discovered that my color is "Brenda," a beautiful brown with red undertones. I wear this mixed with my "Spicy Brown" GC Queen Collection 3-in-1 foundation. Perfection. I'd recommend this product if you're a woman with dark skin who wants to find a shade of mineral makeup that works for her. To start, order the samples (10 bucks...that's it) and you get four colors to choose from/mix and match.

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SkinGoddess on 1/11/2013 2:15:00 PM more reviews by SkinGoddess

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

This foundation is amazing! Being an esthetician I always look at the ingredients in products. This product only has 4 ingredients that are all good for your skin (mica, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, ultramarine blue). i have tried everything out there and gave up on foundation completely until discovering this stuff. it doesn't clog pores, contain chemicals, or break you out. i am very sensitive and allergic to chemical SPF and talc which is found in many products, but not this stuff. Obviously, not everyone has the same skin so make sure to do a patch test before wearing to avoid any reactions (acne, rash, redness). Being fair with neutral, more yellow then pink undertones, I wear the Claire foundation. When I have a spray tan I wear the Sandra foundation. I get so many compliments when wearing this foundation and the best part is they are compliments of how good my skin looks not how good my makeup looks. When wearing this foundation make sure to use a good moisturizer underneath. To apply use a dense brush with short bristles and really blend in the skin so that the makeup melts in the skin looking even and natural. To prevent oxidation and control my oil throughout the day, I set this foundation with corn starch. Corn starch is a great natural alternative to other setting powders that have chemicals and don't even control shine. Overall this is an amazing foundation that is extremely affordable and only uses fresh ingredients to better the skin.

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danibee73 on 12/27/2012 10:26:00 PM more reviews by danibee73

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

i just took advantage of their 30% off holiday sale and couldn't be happier. i have been using monave mineral foundation for about 5 years now. i have a caramel complexion (mac nc45) and bare minerals made me look so ashy it wasn't funny. in my search for a better product i stumbled across this line and i've been hooked ever since. great coverage, color is a dead on match, price compared to the quality of the product is unbeatable and my experience with customer service has been great!

i live about 20 minutes away from the shop but didn't get answer when i called. i needed help with getting my color matched because i couldn't remember wat it was. 1 quick email and about 10 minutes later, deborah, the owner, replied. the shop was closed but she would come and open up for me and help me with my match.

i got there, she was so sweet and as soon as she looked at me she called out my color. it blended perfectly just like the first time. she did my whole face, foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadows, luminizer, and eyebrows...NO CHARGE!!!

when i first got into mineral makeup i was in the throws of my first bout with adult acne and she explained how various factors like stress, sun, and even steroids in chicken can exacerbate acneic conditions. she spoke from experience and shared that she had issues with adult acne and it lead her to research more on the makeup and eating organic.

she is also very knowledgeable about organic and gluten free products, heritage, and color (she asked me if anyone in my family was indian. i was surprised she could tell! my grandma was half cherokee.) she recognized it from my features and yellow undertones. very impressive.

also, monave has broadest spectrum of shades for women of color i've ever seen. another satisfied repeat customer.

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leabski on 4/6/2012 11:50:00 AM more reviews by leabski

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy   Eyes: Black    

IT FEELS LIKE CORNSTARCH! it is very very pigmented but it is not as pristine as their website makes it sound like. its a bad foundation especially if you have dark skin. it makes you look like your skin is dead. WORST OF ALL, IT GAVE ME A VERY ITCHY RASH!

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12catcrazy on 10/3/2011 5:25:00 PM more reviews by 12catcrazy

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

I've been wearing Monave Mineral Foundation for at least the past 6 years, and it's my HG foundation. I've tried many other mineral foundations, and always keep coming back to Monave.

I have light skin with rosacea and lots of small broken veins on my face (think of a road map of New Jersey). I use a mixture of Monave regular foundation and concealer foundation, and that gives me good coverage without being too heavy. I apply the makeup with a taklon flat-top brush, which also helps with coverage.

My skin has alot of "color" in it - peachy/pink, and a mixture of Ashlie and Amy matches my skin perfectly. In the summer, I can wear straight Amy, and if I need to be a bit darker, I can mix Tan Girl with Amy, and still have the perfect shade. One of the things that I love about this foundation is that it doesn't look as if I'm wearing makeup, and people have commented to me about my "nice' (HA!) skin.

I've worn this makeup on 100 degree plus days in the humidity, combined with hot flashes, and it stays on my face! I've also turned 4 other people on to this foundation, and they love it almost as much as I do. I will say that if you have very oily skin, I'd also suggest getting some seracite powder to try with this foundation (Monave also sells it)as excess oil will make even this foundation "move".

If you're thinking of trying this makeup, I'd suggest emailing the company and getting color recomendations. Monave seems to have alot of shades for women of color as well as pale ladies like me, but it's important to get the right tone for your skin (it will make a BIG difference in how this foundation looks on your skin).

Finally, pricing is very good, and a little of this stuff goes a long way! Monave shadows and blushes are also nice, and I like their lippies as well.

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Mejalook on 9/21/2011 5:42:00 PM more reviews by Mejalook

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

For years I wore Mac studio fix make up. But was never completely satisfied. My friend recommended monave. It's the best foundation ever! First of all I've always had a difficult time matching up my skin to a foundation the hyenon color is perfect for my olive skin tone. I live in Florida the make up definitely is light weight and comfortable for our humid weather. Also I've noticed an improvement in my complexion. I have fewer breakouts compared to Mac which constantly clogged my pores. Lastly I like knowing I'm using a product that is never tested on animals. The price is very reasonable especially compared to similar products. Overall it is a wonderful product and would recommend it to anyone.

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dlg210 on 9/5/2011 3:13:00 PM more reviews by dlg210

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I have tried countless mineral makeups and had a very hard time with the color match. Monave is the first I've found that matches My olive skin perfectly. It blends in so well you can't even tell I'm wearing anything. Also, the amount that you get for the price is amazing. It last so long. The best thing also is it does not make my face itch. I love it and will not use anything else anymore.

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Snowy1 on 9/5/2011 11:47:00 AM more reviews by Snowy1

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

After many years of wearing various mineral powder foundations, I havent found anything as perfect as Monave! It covers well, and the finish is soft and natural. I have found my perfect skin color match (Amy) and that has never happened before. I love that it doesnt make my skin itch, or dry it out. I highly recommend this product (and this company - top notch).

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tiner177 on 5/23/2011 4:01:00 PM more reviews by tiner177

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love Monave Mineral Makeup and have always received great customer service in the past from them. However, about 2 months ago, I placed an order for several items. 3 weeks went by and I still had not received any of my items that I ordered. I sent an email to customer service to inquire as to why I had not received my package. I was sent a reply telling me that one of my items was backordered and would be shipped out the same day. I was really disappointed that Monave never contacted me or even sent part of my order to me that wasn't backordered. I emailed customer service again to let them know that they really should have notified me that I shouldn't be expecting my order in the mail within the specified shipping time-frame and never heard back from them. I feel like that was really poor customer service, and was so disappointed in that. I hope that whoever manages/owns Monave will read this comment so that they can address the issues with the customer service department. I really would like to have the great customer service I have received in the past again.

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*TOP REVIEWER* dancer156 on 12/30/2010 6:01:00 PM more reviews by dancer156

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I was NOT very impressed with this brand of mineral makeup.
I purchased samples of the "light" mineral makeup set (contained: Ashlie, Paula, Kerrie, and Claire). Ten bucks was a bit expensive for this sample pack in my opinion, but I did appreciate that they offered samples.
In the mineral makeup, Kerrie matched my very fair yellow toned skin well (different story in the liquid/cream foundations-- but that's a separate review). However I was not pleased with the performance of the mineral makeup...it left my skin greasy mid-day, had no coverage, and was streaky. I didn't wear it long enough to determine if it would break out my skin.
While mineral makeup in general does not give my skin enough coverage, I was much more pleased with the results that Alima Pure minerals gave (this brand uses non-nano sized particles too).

EDIT: 10/10/12: After trying Kat Von D's new Lock-It Tattoo Foundation, I am in love!!!! PHENOMENAL coverage without oxidation/greasiness. See my review on this for more details, if you're interested. Not super natural, but at least the formulation is without parabens, mineral oil, fragrance, etc. :)

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tcorbs on 5/6/2010 11:00:00 AM more reviews by tcorbs

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Monave Loose Mineral Foundation is my new favorite product! It's light weight and easy to apply. I like it because it takes care of the shine I tend to get by the afternoon. It's also helps even my skin tone, I tend to have redness around my nose and cheekbones. I was so delighted to find out how a little goes a long way, I don't need to re-apply or do any touching up throughout the day!

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wiccitywack on 4/19/2010 9:41:00 AM more reviews by wiccitywack

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I was anxious to try Monave's Mineral Foundation as the unique colors was what first caught my eye. They offer a very wide variety of shades to suit and blend with any skin type. I have extremly fair skin and it is very difficult finding any type of foundation that does not appear chalky on me. I tried shade color "Claire" and was so excited after seeing the results. No chalkiness at all, in fact, only great coverage and a subtle glow to my skin. Never in my life had I received as many positive comments as I had done since I started wearing it. Everyone was mentioning to me how I was glowing and I looked so healthy!
The second thing I noticed about Monave's Mineral Foundation was the price! While most of us are looking for a more natural ingrediant list to our skin care lines nowadays, when we find it the price is usually so exorbitant that we sacrifice our health and walk back over to those chemical filled "cheaper" alternatives! With Monave, you get everything you pay for! At $19.50 for full size, you cannot go wrong! This amount will last you as a little really does go a long way. I cannot say enough great things about this product. I have had such a hard time finding the right foundation for my combination/fair (I would even say pale) skin, until now!

I highly recommend you try Monave.

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*TOP REVIEWER* heathermrm on 11/11/2009 3:03:00 PM more reviews by heathermrm

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I RIS several samples of this mineral foundation from a generous swapper. I have Amy Concealer-Foundation and Ashlie Concealer-Foundation. Not as finely milled as EM, doesn't spread as easily as EM, provides decent coverage. Sample plastic screw top jars contain quite a bit of product. I much prefer EM, but this was nice to try and for folks who don't care for EM, this might be an option. (my jars are now up for swap) :)

NOTE - I didn't like that the sample jars came w/out sifter tops which made the product difficult to try w/out wasting a lot of powder. On a whim I decided to see if my EM sample sized sifter tops would fit - they do!! Makes using product so much simpler (not to mention shipping = less messy since you can just place a piece of tape over the sifter holes.) Just a suggestion. :)

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Jemll on 7/9/2009 7:00:00 AM more reviews by Jemll

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

Summary:
Pros: Great coverage. It's way thicker than EM's Intensive
Cons: Not finely-milled, rough texture therefore cakes mid-day, makes me itchy sometimes, may cause breakouts, expensive

Details:
I used to love this product. This was the first mineral foundation I used.

But after using it for about three whole years, I hate it now. For some reason, in the middle of the day, it starts to cake all over my face and everyone (I mean everyone!) would notice my streaky makeup and make a comment about it. Why is this happening!

It also did not improve my skin condition. Sometimes when I put this on, my skin itches.

The reason why I used it for so many years is because I'm just not very good at makeup and I didn't realise that it could be Monave that was making me itch. I've since switched to Everyday Minerals (yay!).

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KJ88 on 6/28/2009 1:25:00 PM more reviews by KJ88

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

It's not that this foundation was horrible actually compared to many mineral foundations it's superior in coverage, finish and lasting power. My problem with it was that it broke my skin out after a week or two of use. The eye shadows and lip glosses from Monave though are gorgeous.

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*TOP REVIEWER* susu42 on 6/15/2009 9:03:00 PM more reviews by susu42

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

Being a woman of color i must say i never really liked liquid makeup and since i realise that a lot of ingredients in those makeups werent beneficial to my skin i decided to try out mineral makeup and boy its been a bumpy ride its not the easiest task to find a color to suit a dark skinned woman of color but anyway after many trials and error i decided to try out Monave as i kept hearing good things about it and that they have a wide selection for women of color. Well unless another company comes along that can top Monave, this will be my HG foundation as it gives me this glow and smooths out my complexion no need to touch up unless i really want to long lasting and the most important i dont get any breakouts from it. I have mix two shades toghether but i dont mind as i got great customer service and was told how to achieve my perfect shade by playing around with the colors until i find a ratio that was suitable for me. Women of color give this mineral makeup a try.

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dany06 on 11/15/2008 11:20:00 PM more reviews by dany06

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I know that I've only had this product for a few days but I can say that I like it. I purchased samples of the regular loose mineral foundation in canela and yolanda. When I first tried this product I was using the same amount as I would use with EDM(everyday minerals). That was a bad idea because it looked super chalky and a little too light. I thought that I may have needed to try beverly instead. Then I remebered what others have said about this foundation being super concentrated and you only need a little bit. So the next day I tried using a very small amount and it looked so natural. The loose mineral foundation is clumpy looking in texture and forms little balls in the container. I just used one of the little balls and that was enough to do one side of my face if not more. I used the EDM long handled kabuki for this. If it can work for the long handled Kabuki then it would be even more gorgeous if I used my flat top. That's one of the few challenges that I put my mineral foundations samples through.

I used canela on one side of my face and yolanda on the other side to see which matched better. I then asked my family members randomly which side of my face looks lighter(to see if they could even tell a difference) and which side looks like my natural skin. They told me canela was the lightest and it matched me better. They said that yolanda was way too red and I looked like I was flushed. If you read the descriptions of these two you would think that canela was really yolanda and yolanda's decription was canela's.

Canela is decribed as This beautiful yellow-red medium foundation for Latin, Indian, African American, and Southeast Asian women that have some pink tones in their skin. This shade is lighter than Yolanda.

Yolanda is descried as Yellow undertone for African-American women with "caramel" colored complexion, also excellent for Indian, Malaysian, Latina and Thai women.

For me yolanda has too much red in it, yet it is recommended for carmel colored women with yellow under tones. Canela provides the right amount of yellow for my slightly peachy colored complextion but I wouldnt say I have much red or pink in me as the description says. The only reason I actually chose Canela to sample was by looking at the Model Makeover of canela on the cosmetic and skincare page. Otherwise, I would have sworn up and down that yolanda would be the perfect match for me. For all of those EDM users Canela is close to
Warm Sandy Medium and Yolanda is a lighter version Warm Tan mixed with a bit of Sandy Medium.

Also the other products they recommend for the Canela makeover give the same natural look. The rum bronzer for example is a fleshy color very similar to canela with a bit of sparkle and is a nice nude blush. It really just provides a sheen/subtle sparkle to the cheeks.

Im thinking about purchasing all of the products they used in the Canela makeover because what i've used so far has given me a natural look.

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rrbatura on 11/7/2008 11:53:00 PM more reviews by rrbatura

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I love this foundation. I have fair skin, and use the color "Sandra". It doesn't look too dark, but does give me a little color. This foundation stays on all day, and doesn't need any touch-ups. It covers better than nearly all other minerals I've tried. It doesn't break me out, and I always get compliments on my skin when I use it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Andreangel on 6/1/2008 4:59:00 PM more reviews by Andreangel

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight   Eyes: Brown    

I am reviewing the Monave Loose Mineral CONCEALER Foundation and my experience has been different from other reviewers. I did not buy the conventional Loose Mineral Foundation because it contained high concentrations of Mica, which was an irritant to my skin. :


Loose Mineral Concealer Foundation (the one I like) Ingredients: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, micronized zinc oxide, iron oxides, ultramarine blue, mica, kaolin clay, may contain serecite, silica.


Loose Mineral Foundation: Mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, ultramarine blue, May Contain: zinc oxide.


I bought the sample packets and found Claire to work best for my light medium skin tone. I use this with a kabuki brush and followed some online instructions to make it work. I first swipe the brush in the powder, tap the brush couple of times, then "buff" on the face using a swirl action. The result was fantastic. I love it.


The primary reason I rated this a 5 is the simplicity of the ingredients. There was no chemicals, "parabens", silicons, or additives that causes my face to react. I have extremely sensitive skin and only the purist products will work on my skin and do not cause a break out reaction. The company follows a natural philosophy. As quoted on the webiste " We do not use ingredients whose sole purpose is to improve the look or texture of the product in the jar; that is simply not our mission. So if our liners look handmade, or our powders not so silky as Brand X, that's okay with us!"


Conventional concealers by Estee Lauder, Clinique, Mac, Chanel, Shishedo, Maybelline, Almay, Precriptive, you name it, cause my face to itch and I can almost feel it clogging my pores by the prevalent utilization of silicone (such as dimethicone and cyclomexicone) in almost all items. This was so comfortable, I didn't feel like I was wearing anything with this on and my face did not itch.


All in all, the color match was good enough for me but not perfect. But hey, mineral powder companies recommend mixing colors together to achieve a perfect match and I am too lazy to do so =). So Claire it is, the closest to my skin tone and I'll live with the faint yellow cast. Coverage was excellent. This covered all redness bumps and everything. Packaging was nice but I prefer a larger pot for the kabuki brush to dip into. Staying power was good and lasted 3/4 of a day. I did find that it settled into my laugh lines so I have to wipe on those two areas with my finger so I do not look obviously made up and old ladyish. The trick to using this product is to apply an moisturizing lotion underneath, particularly an emollient cream on areas where you have blemishs or flakes. Dry lotions and sunscreens would not work under this product. I used Dove moisturizing cream with SPF 15 on spot areas and achieved good results overall.


All in all this has replaced all my department store and drugstore foundation, concealers etc. It is safe on the skin, truly non-comodogenic (unlike most of products in the cosmetic industry loaded with silicones), covers well, Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide are natural sunscreens, what more can I ask for? I am happy. I will continue to use unless I find anything better, which I doubt.

UPDATE: I had loved this but found it broke me out like no other if combined with moistruizers I use. I have no idea why. On the first day skin looks great....then the following days was terrible. I must be allergic to one of the ingredients. Threw it in the trash and will not repurchase.

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dtn06 on 3/8/2008 12:27:00 AM more reviews by dtn06

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I just received my samples of the loose powder foundation (the regular one) and cream foundation. The cream foundation works great as a concealer and the shade Toni is a perfect match (lucky for me since that's the only one I sampled :). Of the 4 loose powder samples (Medium Dark) Toni is a perfect match as well. I've tried quite a few brands of MMU and this one is the best match so far. I was hoping to save money on MMU but my best match happens to cost the same amount as MAC StudioFix. So far I'm lovin' it!

** UPDATE **
After using this a bit more I noticed that it does not blend very well anymore. The shade that I though was perfect just doesn't work. I think you should definitely sample it to see if you can find a match because the formula is pretty good I think. *sigh* The search continues...

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