As an olive skinned person, this has always been a challenge for me. Foundations are usually too pink, orange, or brown to match my skin tone. To make it more challenging, my skin color changes a bit between summer and winter, both in moisture and in color. I prefer a liquid foundation as my skin is a bit dry.

I am also very concerned about the ingredients in cosmetics. Liquid foundations can contain parabens, formaldehyde, polyethylene glycol   and all sorts of other harsh chemicals make it hard for me to trust that cosmetics are safe to put on my skin.

The solution is here.

Because I know that SongCroft Naturals skin care is completely safe, I use the moisturizers as the base for my foundation. I get nice coverage, am in control of the color match and the thickness (viscosity) of what I mix.

Best of all, it is super cost effective!

#1 The Easy Peasy Version

Ingredients:

Two Mineral Powder Foundations *–one color closest to your skin tone and one lighter allows for more flexibility (See below for how to make your own mineral powder base)

SongCroft Naturals Moisturizing Cream, choose your favorite

For the fast version, place a pump of two of Daily Shield Moisturizer or Frankincense and Rose Moisturizer on the underside of your wrist. The skin color there is more similar to your facial tone than one the back of your hand or wrist. It is a good and convenient place to start your blending. 

Blend in mineral powder to customize your perfect moisturizer. The ratio really depends on your skin tone as well as how pigment rich you want the foundation to be. If you Frankincense and Rose Cream use less mineral makeup in your blend you will have a slightly tinted moisturizer. If you use more, you will have a heavier foundation makeup. The beauty is that the choice is yours.

You can adjust the thickness of the base with your skin color changes (choose Nourishing Night Cream if you need a heavier moisturizer). Once the blend is made, match it to your facial skin tone before you apply it. It is easy to add a little more of a lighter or darker shade. Having two shades allows you to customize the tone through the seasons and you can custom blend a concealer too. No really, a foundation and concealer custom blended just for you! Isn’t that great!

I like to use a cosmetic brush to apply my liquid foundation because the coverage can be lighter and more even. As one of my instructors used to say, “foundation should be floated over the surface not shoved in to the pores”. Another benefit is that it takes less product and you can blend the concealer and edges much better.

After you do it a couple times, you will wonder why everyone doesn’t do it this way.

 You can get your mineral powder make up from Herbs of Grace. Herbs of Grace is an indie business that is offering our customers a one time discount of 20%! Use the code: songcroft to get 20% off your mineral powder foundation base so you can make your own liquid foundation.

It is noteworthy to mention that while Herbs of Grace does use Titanium dioxide, it is not the controversial nano-particle titanium. I use it myself and love their products.

Nano-technology is used to make the particles ultra small. They are so small after this processing that they have been found to be capable of entering the skin and then the bloodstream. There has been very little testing to find out what this does to the body. 

They do not use micronized titanium dioxide or any other micronized minerals in our product line. FYI, companies are also using micronized zinc oxide in cosmetics and sunscreens, with the same potential concerns. It is the processing here that is the culprit, not the mineral itself.

Make Your Own Mineral Powder Foundation

Step 1

Mix your own foundation powder base using:

Arrowroot powder or tapioca starch

Any of the following:

Good quality fair-trade cocoa powder, no sugar, just plain cocoa

Finely ground cinnamon

Finely ground nutmeg, this is the darkest

Finely ground tumeric, this is super powerful so only use a tiny bit (for us olive toned people)

Finely shifted bentonite clay or green french clay

Using SongCroft Naturals Moisturizers as your foundation base will:

• Is safe
• Allows you to moisturize your skin just right
• Save you money
• Assure a perfect match
• Involve less packaging

Please leave a comment and let me know how this worked for you. I have been using this method for several years and find it to be a perfect fit.

*For the sake of simplicity, you can purchase powdered mineral make up foundations at most Natural Food Coops. They will last you a long time when using them this way. You can also make your own but that is a post for another day.

**If you choose to buy a mineral powder foundation, check the ingredients to be sure there are no nasties in it. Aluminum, talc, bismuth oxychloride, boron nitride and titanium dioxide to name a few.