As the New Year rolled in, I’ve been meaning to do some serious decluttering of makeup and skincare products that have expired, and that I’m no longer using. As I started going through my things, I realized it would be a perfect time to do a green beauty / clean beauty makeup review of complexion products (foundations, concealers, and powders).
These are makeup products I’ve used over the years. In the review I talk about the products I love and continue re-purchasing, and the ones that didn’t work out for me.
When it comes to having clear skin, I do stand by my stance that the less makeup you use, the better, especially while you are in the midst of breakouts and active acne. But in the “real” world, that’s not always possible.
Luckily nowadays natural and clean beauty makeup products are advancing. Many are made with non-irritating, non-comedogenic ingredients, and they look and feel good on the skin.
When I was putting this review together, I was surprised by how many of these products are made with just 2-4 ingredients. In my opinion, the less ingredients you are putting on your skin, the less chance of getting clogged pores or a reaction. Plus, none of these clean beauty makeup products have fragrance, essential oils, silicones, synthetic dyes, or other potential irritants.
Do bookmark this page because I will keep adding more makeup products as I try them (I’m currently testing Kosas and Hynt Beauty products).
In the video (at the top of the post), I do a full review and demo of all the products, talking about what I liked, what I didn’t like, and how I use each makeup product.
For easy reference, there is a written review of each product below. You can scroll down, or if you want to skip to a specific clean beauty makeup review, click the product below.
Clean Beauty Makeup Reviews – Foundations, Concealers, Powders
Annmarie Skin Care – Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation
What is it?
Annmarie Skin Care Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation is a 4 ingredient mineral pigment powder that you mix with your moisturizer or facial oil to create a tinted moisturizer or foundation.
You’re pretty much making makeup out of your skincare, which I love!
You control the coverage by how much Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation powder you mix with your moisturizer or facial oil. The more Minerals powder you mix with your skincare products, the fuller the coverage will be.
I find mixing Minerals with a moisturizer is best for lighter coverage (like a tinted moisturizer), and mixing Minerals with a facial oil is better for medium to full coverage foundation makeup.
How long have I been using it?
I’ve been using this makeup for over 2 years.
I rave about it all the time (it was featured in my Best Of Green Beauty 2017, plus I’ve done a full in-depth review of it too.)
What shade do I use?
For a perfect match, I use shade Sand with a pinch of shade Honey mixed in.
How do I use it?
I prefer a much more natural, light coverage look, so I like mixing Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation with a moisturizer to make a tinted moisturizer.
My favourite way of using it is mixing it with Tata Harper Clarifying Moisturizer because the moisturizer is hydrating, not oily, and it dries down to a demi-matte finish. Mixing in the Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation pigments with this moisturizer gives me light coverage to even out my skin tone, disguise redness, hyperpigmentation, and old acne marks/scars. Combining these two products, the finish is very natural, not too matte, not too dewy, very skin-like.
When my skin is on the drier side, I’ve used richer moisturizers with the Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation like Odacité Oleosomes Time Release Delivery Creme, Tata Harper Repairative Moisturizer and Drunk Elephant Protini. You can mix it with any moisturizer.
Check out today’s video above to see how I mix Minerals with my moisturizer and apply it to my skin.
What I like about the product?
I love that it is made with only 4 ingredients and that I mix it with my own skincare products to make a tinted moisturizer or foundation. I have acne prone skin, and I’m especially prone to getting breakouts from complexion makeup. Being able to mix these pigments with my skincare eliminates the potential of getting pimples and congested skin.
I especially like mixing Minerals with Tata Harper Clarifying Moisturizer because the moisturizer itself dries down, so when I mix the Minerals with it to create a tinted moisturizer, it dries down on its own, and I don’t need to set it with powder. Also, this mixture blends naturally into my skin. It doesn’t look or feel like I’m wearing makeup, but at the same time, it evens out my skin tone and gives a more polished look.
The wear time is pretty good too. It lasts most of the day. When it does wear off, it fades evenly. It doesn’t get patchy or weird at the end of the day.
What I don’t like about the product?
I’ve tried mixing it with a few facial oils, and I much prefer using Minerals with a moisturizer or cream. I just like a much lighter coverage (like a tinted moisturizer). I find when you mix it with an oil, it becomes a much fuller coverage which I’m not so comfortable with (if you love a full coverage, then definitely try it with an oil!).
I also found that when I mixed it with an oil, it can cling to dry patches. I never have this issue when I mix it with a moisturizer. I’ve had a similar experience using Kosas Tinted Face Oil. I presume this is a general issue with oil-based foundations. One way around it is exfoliating your skin before use, or adding a little moisturizer or cream to the foundation to bulk it up so it sits on the skin better.
Who do I recommend this to?
Because Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation is mixed with your own skincare products, it’s so versatile, I recommend it to everyone.
It’s especially good for acne prone skin and sensitive skin types because it’s made out of only 4 ingredients. It’s all natural, there’s no oils, no fragrance, no essential oils, no alcohol, no silicone, no synthetic dyes, no preservatives, no parabens, etc. For a makeup, it’s extremely skin-friendly.
Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation comes in 8 shades. You can probably find a perfect match, or you might have to mix two shades together. For myself, I mix shades Sand and Honey together (I use mostly Sand with a tiny pinch of honey to warm up the tone a bit). I like that I can customize the tone for a perfect match, especially if my skin tone changes depending on the season or sun exposure.
If you want to try Minerals, I recommend getting the Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation Sample Kit. The sample kit comes with 8 small vials of all the shades so you can try different shades to match your skin tone. The sample vials last a long time (I used the sample vials every day for over a month, and it still has a lot of product left).
Who shouldn’t use this product?
You do have to mix the Minerals with a moisturizer or facial oil to make your foundation or tinted moisturizer. If you don’t want to fuss with mixing the products together every time you use it (it only takes a few seconds), Minerals Multi-Purpose Foundation isn’t for you.
If you are looking for an all natural foundation that is super long wearing (like 10 – 12+ hour wear), this product won’t be good for you. As I mentioned, it wears well for most of the day, but like most all-natural makeup products, it eventually fades. It doesn’t have the same type of staying power a mainstream long wearing makeup product would have.
If you have really dry flakey skin, I would sample it before purchasing a full bottle, just to make sure it works well with your skin. As I said in my review, when I mixed it with an oil, I found it clinged to dry patches on my skin, but when I mixed it with a moisturizer, it didn’t cling to anything.
Would I buy it again?
Yes.
RMS Beauty – “Un” Cover-Up
What is it?
RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up is a light weight moisturizing makeup product that can be used as a foundation or concealer. It’s quite emollient and has a way of melting into your skin making it easy to use, and undetectable as it perfects your skin.
How long have I been using it?
I’ve been using it consistently over 8 years! It’s my go-to concealer.
What shade do I use?
I go back and forth between shade 11 and shade 22. Shade 11 is closest to my skin tone but a touch light, and shade 22 is also close to my skin tone, but a touch dark! They both have yellow undertones, but blend into my skin really well. Out of the two shades, right now shade 11 is my better match.
How do I use it?
I prefer using RMS “Un” Cover-Up as a concealer, not as a foundation.
The product is very lightweight, but has a lot of pigment, so a little goes a very long way. Because of that, I find for my maturing skin, I couldn’t use it as an all over foundation because it’s too pigmented, and would appear too heavy on skin.
I prefer to use it to conceal redness, pores, hyperpigmentation, and even out my skin tone. I dab a little of the product in between my eyebrows, around my nose, and chin.
I like to use my fingers to apply the product, but I always like to finish off by bouncing/pressing a damp beautyblender over the areas where I applied “Un” Cover-Up to press the makeup into my skin further, remove any excess oil from the makeup, and make it look even more seamless. I will also set the makeup with powder which will help keep it in place and last much longer.
I also use the “Un” Cover-Up to conceal pimples and blemishes. For fuller coverage over the breakouts, I usually apply two layers of the makeup, using a tiny amount of powder in between layers to set it. This makeup is very buildable, especially when using small amounts and powder to set it.
I don’t use “Un” Cover-Up under my eyes. I’m 43, and I have some texture and wrinkles under my eyes. “Un” Cover-up is very emollient, and you need a powder to set it in place, and unfortunately when I use powders with this product, the oils in the product absorb the powder making my under eyes looking really dry, creppey, and lined. It’s not a good look! I don’t have this issues using “Un” Cover-Up on any other part of my face, just under my eyes.
What I like about the product?
I love how easy it is to use. I’m talking less than 30 seconds to conceal and perfect your face. It melts into your skin seamlessly, it’s hydrating, and doesn’t look heavy or cakey.
I also like that it comes is such a small, compact glass jar. You can put it in your purse, you don’t need any special tools to use it (just your fingers), and therefore easy to touch up your makeup anywhere, anytime.
And don’t be fooled by how small the jar is. It lasts a long time. A little product goes a long way. I don’t believe it was designed to be slathered all over your face, but rather, strategically concealing the areas of your face that needs some perfecting.
What I don’t like about the product?
It’s very emollient, which is great for moisturizing the skin as you are concealing it, but in hot weather it can move around your face. To prevent it from moving around on your skin, you’ll need to set it with a powder. For many of us that have maturing skin, powder isn’t always our friend, so it’s important to find a light weight powder that isn’t heavy or cakey to use with this product (I have a few recommendations below).
I do wish it wasn’t made with coconut oil. I personally don’t get breakouts from this product, but I do get breakouts and bumpy texture from pure coconut oil. I know I’m not the only with acne issues from coconut oil, and there’s some of you that are much more sensitive than I am, and can not use anything with coconut oil.
Who do I recommend this to?
Anyone looking for an all-natural concealer, this is a great product.
I like that RMS “Un” Cover-Up is moisturizing, even for acne prone skin. This makes it easy to apply, it nourishes your skin, and suitable for all skin types.
If you have oily skin, you can use this product, but make sure to set it with a powder.
If you have enlarged pores, I find this concealer works great at disguising pores and texture.
If you have dry skin, it will moisturize your skin as it conceals it. Plus, it doesn’t cling to dry patches. Depending how dry your skin is, you might not even need to set it with a powder.
Who shouldn’t use this product?
If you get breakouts from products containing coconut oil, I wouldn’t recommend this product, or, if you can, get a sample of it to try before purchasing. As I said, I get bad breakouts from coconut oil, but I’ve never had an issue using this product and other products containing coconut oil (maybe because there’s so little of it in the product, or the type of coconut oil used isn’t causing me issues – I don’t quite know why some product containing coconut oil badly affects my skin while others don’t).
If you are looking for a full face foundation, I wouldn’t recommend this one. I think it looks too heavy all over the face. This product is a great concealer, and looks seamless and natural when you strategically use it just on the parts of your face that really need it.
If you are planning to use it under your eyes, and you have a lot of lines and texture under your eyes – I would sample it first. I think this product can be problematic if the skin under your eyes in oily and/or you live in a hot/humid climate. If your skin is dry, or you live in a dry climate, the product might not crease or move around as much.
If you are buying this product specifically to conceal acne – this product might not be the best choice. I find when I set it with a powder, it lasts most of the day, but the coverage over pimples is not super full coverage (more like a medium coverage). I don’t have acne anymore, and I only get blemishes every once in a while, so using a non-full coverage concealer isn’t a big deal for me. I don’t mind some of my imperfections coming through, but I know that’s not for everyone.
Would I buy it again?
Yes, I’ve re-purchased this product already several times and just re-ordered a new one.
W3LL People – Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer
What is it?
W3ll People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer is a lightweight mousse textured concealer that is formulated not only to conceal blemishes and imperfections, but also brighten, de-puff, and improve skin texture.
How long have I been using it?
I bought it a year ago, used it a couple of times, but it didn’t work out for me.
What shade do I use?
I used the shade Fair.
How do I use it?
I used it under my eyes to even out my skin tone and conceal dark circles.
I tried using it to conceal pimples and redness on other parts of my face but there wasn’t much coverage and the colour was off.
What I like about the product?
I loved it to conceal under eye circles and darkness. It has a peachy tone which for my fair skin works perfectly to colour correct under eye darkness and conceal it.
It’s also a light weight product, so it doesn’t look heavy or cakey under the eyes and it didn’t seem to crease or settle into lines either.
What I don’t like about the product?
The Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer would have been the ultimate best under eye concealer I’ve found, but unfortunately it fades with 15 minutes of applying it! I’ve tried using it with different application methods and different powders to set it, but unfortunately it completely disappears soon after applying it.
It’s too bad because the colour and texture is perfect for an under eye concealer, but it has no staying power.
The shade was great for under eye concealing, but I didn’t like the peachy shade for concealing pimples, and evening out redness on my chin and around my nose. I found the shade brightened and highlighted my imperfections which defeats the purpose of using a concealer. It looked weird, and it faded soon after applying it.
Who do I recommend this to?
If you are looking for a concealer just to use under your eyes, try it out. A lot of people love this product and I don’t hear anyone complaining that it fades on them like it did for me. I do live in a humid climate, which might be what affects the wear time. Perhaps if you are in a cooler, or dry climate, you will have better results.
Who shouldn’t use this product?
The concealer’s coverage is pretty light (I would say a light to medium coverage). If you are looking for a product to conceal breakouts and acne, I would find something with more coverage (and more long wearing). I really believe the strength of this product is how well it conceals discolouration and darkness under the eyes, not for concealing redness and pimples.
Would I buy it again?
No.
W3LL People – Bio Brightener Invisible Powder
What is it?
W3ll People Bio Brightener Invisible Powder is a light weight, invisible loose powder designed to blur fine lines and imperfection and give the skin a soft-focus look. The Bio Brightener Powder can be used on its own or to set makeup for longer wear.
How long have I been using it?
I bought it a year ago, and have used it a couple of times, but I never liked it.
What shade do I use?
There’s one universal shade that is suppose to be invisible and adapts to all skin tones.
How do I use it?
I used it for setting makeup and sunscreen.
What I like about the product?
I’m going to be brutally honest, there wasn’t much I liked about it. It was too powdery and chalky for my liking, especially when I first applied it. It would look a bit better after 30 minutes when the natural oils in my skin would come through to soften it a bit.
The one good thing about this product being so matte and powdery, it won’t emphasize enlarged pores or skin texture. Sometimes when you use a powder that has a sheen or radiance, it can actually highlight texture and large pores. This product won’t highlight any imperfections, but the downside is it can look chalky, dry, and aging.
What I don’t like about the product?
This powder just didn’t work for me. I found the W3ll People Bio Brightener to be too chalky on my skin. When ever I used it, my skin just looked powdery, lifeless, and dry. It looked REALLY chalky.
I’m not a big powder person to begin with, so when I used it, I only use very small amounts (and very strategically placed just where I need it). But even so, it didn’t look nice on my skin.
Who do I recommend this to?
If you are looking for a very flat matte powder, then perhaps give this a try. Otherwise, there’s so many powders on the market that blurs imperfections much better, has a much more natural and healthy finish on the skin, and sets makeup just as well.
Who shouldn’t use this product?
I wouldn’t use this if you have dry skin, mature skin, lines, wrinkles, or skin that is aging. It won’t do you any favours!
Would I buy it again?
No.
RMS Beauty – “Un” Powder (Translucent)
What is it?
RMS Beauty “Un” Powder is a translucent powder for minimizing the appearance of pores, softens the skin, absorbs oil, blurs imperfections and shine, and sets makeup.
How long have I been using it?
On and off for many years.
What shade do I use?
The translucent “Un” Powder only comes in one shade, translucent. They also have a tinted version of the “Un” Powder.
How do I use it?
I used it on my t-zone to absorb excess oil and shine, and to blur enlarged pores and texture.
What I like about the product?
It’s very finely milled, and makes your skin feel and look silky smooth.
It does a great job at eliminating shine and absorbing excess oil without looking chalky or heavy.
What I don’t like about the product?
I found the translucent “Un” Powder left a blueish cast on my skin. It wasn’t completely “translucent” and I didn’t like that.
But, I have to say, I was using this powder many years ago when it first came out, and that was before the “tinted” versions were released. I loved the finish of the powder so much, I was willing to overlooked the blueish hue. Once the tinted versions became available, I happily switched over and stopped using the translucent one.
Who do I recommend this to?
If you are super fair or like a white powder to brighten your complexion, you might like this. Otherwise, I would recommend using the tinted “Un” Powder instead (my review of that below).
This powder has incredible blurring abilities, so if you have large pores, oily skin, or textured skin that you want to appear more smooth and “airbrushed”, this is an excellent powder (just get the tinted version of it, not the translucent!).
Who shouldn’t use this product?
I wouldn’t recommend this powder if you have medium or deep skin tone. Even on a fair skin tone, it can look weird (it gave me a blueish cast, kind of like what a mineral sunscreen does).
For mature skin types or anyone with a lot of wrinkles, crepey skin and fine lines under the eyes, this powder is SO fine, SO oil absorbing, it can accentuate lines, crepey skin, and texture under the eyes. It not my favourite powder to use under the eyes, and especially bad with the brightening blueish cast! It’s fine on any other part of you face, but not under the eyes (unless you are a teenager with perfect under eye skin).
I also wouldn’t use the translucent “Un” Powder to set concealer over pimples because of the brightening effect of the translucent powder (it will only highlight the blemishes, which defeats the purpose of concealing them).
Would I buy it again?
No, I wouldn’t buy the translucent “Un” Powder, but the tinted version, yes!
RMS Beauty – Tinted “Un” Powder
What is it?
RMS Beauty Tinted “Un” Powder is a tinted powder used for minimizing the appearance of pores, softening the skin, absorbs oil, blurs imperfections, and sets makeup.
How long have I been using it?
Two years.
What shade do I use?
When I bought my first Tinted “Un” Powder, I was using “Un” Cover-Up shade 22, so I bought the “Un” Powder shade 2-3 to go with it. In the packaging it looked a touch darker than what I would normally use on my skin, but once applied, it blended into my skin without looking too dark.
I recently ordered a new “Un” Cover-Up but in the shade 11 (I can wear shades 11 or 22, but the 11 is lighter, and closer to my current skin tone). I also ordered the “Un” Powder in shade 0-1 to see the difference.
Turns out shade 0-1 is a better match for my skin tone.
But I could use either shades. This powder doesn’t have much coverage, it’s quite translucent. The tint just allows it to blend into your skin more seamlessly.
How do I use it?
I use it on my t-zone to absorb excess oil and shine.
I like to apply a small amount on the center of my face using either a damp beautyblender or a powder brush.
For a super matte finish, I recommend using the powder puff that comes with the product. Just tap on a little powder on the puff and press the puff into your skin. This is especially good to do on your T-zone if your skin is oily and gets shiny pretty easily, or you’re in a hot humid climate and want your makeup to last all day.
What do I like about the product?
It’s super finely milled, making your skin silky smooth, almost an air-brushed look.
Unlike a lot of powders, it’s not cakey or chalky.
Even though it’s tinted, there’s not any coverage coming from the powder, it almost undetectable on the skin (unless you use a lot).
It really does disguise pores and gives your skin a flawless, smooth finish.
I find using the Tinted “Un” Powder to set RMS “Un” Cover-Up, really is the perfect pairing and it will help the makeup last longer on your skin. Even in hot weather, the “Un” Cover-Up and “Un” Powder wears really well.
What I don’t like about the product?
Don’t use this under your eyes. It’s best just on the T-Zone to control oil and shine, and to blur pores. This powder absorbs oils which is great for the nose, chin and forehead, but under your eyes, it can make your under eyes looks quite dry and wrinkled.
I’ve seen RMS Beauty founder Rose-Marie Swift talk about this product in interviews, and she’s always stressing the importance of just using the powder where you need to, not all over your face. I have to agree with her, it’s very oil-controlling and mattifying, and dusting it all over your face can make people look aged, unnatural, and flat.
Who do I recommend this to?
This powder has incredible blurring abilities, so if you have large pores, oily skin, or textured skin that you want to appear more smooth and “airbrushed”, this is an excellent powder.
Even though the finish of the powder is matte, it has an ever so slight sheen to it, making the finish more silky, and more “skin-like.”
Who shouldn’t use this product?
If you are looking for a powder to set your under eye makeup, I don’t recommend this. It’s great for the t-zone, terrible for the under eyes (especially for more mature or dry skin types).
Also, if you’re looking for a powder that also has coverage, I wouldn’t recommend this. It mattifies and blurs, but offers no coverage (if you want some coverage from your powder, better to use a powder foundation).
Would I buy it again?
Yes, absolutely.
Alima Pure – Satin Finishing Powder
What is it?
Alima Pure Satin Finishing Powder is a lightweight translucent finishing powder that can be used on its own or to set makeup. It will impart a subtle soft focused, airbrushed-like finish to the skin.
How long have I been using it?
1 year
What shade do I use?
I use the shade Keiko
How do I use it?
I use Alima Pure Satin Finishing Powder mostly as a setting powder for my under eyes, and sometimes as a finishing powder on the periphery of my face (everywhere but my t-zone).
What do I like about the product?
This is the only powder I have found so far that I can use under my eyes to set my concealer that won’t make me look 80 years old. Almost all powders I’ve used under my eyes, makes my skin look SO old, crepey and wrinkly. Alima Pure Satin Finishing Powder doesn’t emphasize any texture or wrinkles under my eyes and it’s invisible on my skin.
As a powder in general, I like how light and invisible this powder is on the skin. It doesn’t look like you are wearing a powder at all. There’s no visible powder or texture from the product on the surface of your skin. It’s leaves a very skin-like, subtle satin sheen.
What I don’t like about the product?
I personally don’t like to use this all over my face. It’s a “finishing” powder, not a “setting” powder, so it has a slight radiant finish, not a matte finish. It’s not glittery or anything, but it does give the skin a radiant look
Who do I recommend this to?
Because of the satin finish, I recommend this to anyone with dry or dull skin, or who wants their skin to look a little extra dewy or radiant. Even though it has a satin finish, it’s a very natural finish, and the powder is undetectable on the surface of your skin.
This powder is especially good if you struggle finding a powder that doesn’t look powdery or chalky on your skin, or you’re looking for a powder that doesn’t emphasize lines and wrinkles. As I said, this is the best powder I’ve found to set under eye concealer, for the sheer reason it doesn’t make my under eyes look old or crepey.
Who shouldn’t use this product?
I don’t recommend this if you have very oily skin and you are looking for a mattifying all over setting powder. The finish would be too radiant for already oily/shiny skin types (especially if you are looking for a powder to control shine).
Would I buy it again?
Yes.
2 Responses
Hello, what concealer have you found for under eyes? Thank you!
Ahh, that’s a difficult question! Under eye concealer I struggle with because I have a lot of lines and texture. I like RMS Un Coverup for more “on the go” light coverage (without powder).
Otherwise, I still haven’t found a clean beauty under eye concealer product I like or would recommend. Currently I’m also using Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer which works great for me. And no need to set it with powder.