Although minerals have been used in make-up for centuries (the Egyptians made green eye make-up out of malachite), I was all over it when the mineral make-up trend exploded on the beauty scene about five years ago. I really wanted to like it: dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons were singing its praises for being all-natural, calming, redness-reducing and non-irritant (great for sensitive skins). The added bonus was that two of the most commonly used minerals in the foundations, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, also happen to be natural sunscreens. Make-up that protects you from the sun and is actually good for your skin? Foundation that is so pure you can sleep in it? It seemed too good to be true.
So I set about testing them. I doggedly made my way through brand after brand, sacrificing countless pairs of trousers to powder spills (my white Oscar de la Renta capri pants still haven’t forgiven me), and getting a fright if I caught a glimpse of my strange pancaked face in a mirror: they were always too yellow, too sheer or dehydrating.
Coming from the school of radiance-enhancing liquid foundations, I couldn’t come to terms with this powdered beast of a category. I knew minerals were good for me, but try as I might, I didn’t like them. Kind of like brussels sprouts. And, as with those nasty little green vegetables, I’d given up. Resigned, I plunged face-first back into my treasured liquid foundations. Imagine my surprise, then, when years later a formula crosses my desk that promises me the best of both worlds, the do-gooder magic of minerals combined with the wicked, silky seduction of a liquid.
Sure enough, Napoleon Perdis’s new Rock On mineral make-up collection features a lightweight, sheeny, oil-free liquid foundation that has all the benefits of regular mineral foundations without the pancake factor. And that, according to Perdis, was vital.
“I’ve avoided doing a mineral make-up for years because I didn’t like what was out there; they were always too chalky and ageing,” he says when we catch up in Sydney. The jet-setting beauty entrepreneur is over from Hollywood for a week of meetings, and promised me a sneak peek at his new creation. Prior to our interview, Napoleon Perdis’s national creative team leader Kate Squires gave me a quick makeover with it and I’m impressed. It’s dewy and luminous, yet lightweight and breathable. I tell Perdis.
“It’s good, isn’t it? There was such a demand for minerals that I was asking: ‘How do I do it better?’ So I’ve been working with a chemist, and we’ve come up with a new technology that is free of dyes, oil, preservatives and other irritants. All of which makes it a fantastic option for women with sensitised skin and those who suffer with acne and rosacea,” he says, adding that, as a make-up artist, modern minerals are really beautiful to work with. “Choosing a mineral make-up is no longer the trade-off it used to be. This has the ability to synch with the skin in a way I’ve never experienced.”
The Rock On mineral make-up collection features the Mattifying Mineral Primer powder, which, according to Perdis, is “a superfine, skin-perfecting powder primer that can be used both before and after foundation to prep and set the skin” and the Advanced Mineral Makeup, “a flawless-finish liquid foundation with sun protection”.
With this innovative duo, Perdis has reversed the traditional application process. With most mineral foundations you start with the liquid primer, then use a powder make-up on top; the Rock On method does things the other way around. The powder primer contains dermal-protecting antioxidants and absorbs excess oil while counteracting any redness. The liquid foundation can be applied sparingly for a sheer, semi-matt finish, or layered and built up for more coverage. If you like a powdered, matt finish, the primer can be used again after the liquid to set your make-up for a long-lasting “day to dinner” wear. And last it does.
When I head to a chic eatery that night I’m able to skip the touch-up completely. Needless to say, I am a born-again mineral make-up convert. Which just goes to show, sometimes it’s worth giving irksome things a second chance. As I peruse the menu, I catch sight of some brussels sprouts served with bacon and chestnuts … maybe, just maybe, if it’s drowning in butter, I could stomach one.
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