Great question, right? Honestly, there is no perfect solution to our beatuy needs. If there were, there would not be millions of products on the market!

Every person has different skin. From the texture to the moisture content, your skin is very different than mine and what works for you may not work as well for me. It may not even work at all.

However, that said, mineral makeup in general works for a lot of people. More than traditional liquid foundations do quite possibly, but foundation alone is not enough for some people.

Using a mineral viel or finishing powder can get rid of the last little bits of unevenness, help reduce shine and oiliness and it will give the ” I’m done – ain’t I the bomb? ” look.

We call ours Diffusion because that is what the product does. It diffuses all the fine lines and wrinkles and appearance of large pores. It gives the final wash of soft light and makes the skin look almost ethereal and well – just plain pretty.

So, how do you use Diffusion?

If you want oil control because you are really oily, or you live in a really humid climate, you can apply it before your foundation and again after your foundation.

If you aren’t too worried about oil, then after you have applied your foundation and even after blush or Red Clay, a soft dusting of Diffusion will give you the soft focus, angelic look.

Mature Skin? It’s ok, it won’t dry you out or make you look chalky, but you should be using a moisturizer regardless of oily skin or not. Moisture and oil are two different things!

Painted Laydies Mineral Makeup offers Diffusion in two sizes. Check them out here.

http://www.paintedlaydies.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=FixItMinerals

Lets see if I can help. One way to see your skin tones is to use fabric of paper swatches.

Using a large piece of fabric or paper in yellow/gold, silver/blue, true red, brown, black and even green can help you see your skin in a different way.

Start by getting in front of a mirror with some good light. No makeup! Now, hold up one of the swatches by your face. Lets say you start with the yellow. Does your skin now look yellow? Or did it become suddenly pink or grey next to the yellow?

Continue on with this excersize and make note of what your skin color looks like next to each color swatch.

When you are done, hopefully you will see a trend throughout. This will likely be your undertone.

Our foundations are made with the primary colors in mind. In case you didn’t take art in high school. The primarys are Red, Yellow, and Green. From these 3 colors, all other colors are made.

Foundation #1 – all foundations with the # 1 are in the cool tone range. They have a blue or green base which is also refered to as ash. I’ve found this to be great for anyone with a lot of ruddines (red) in their natural skin tone or if they have rosacea.

We treat our #2 foundations as our neutral shade but it does have a bit more pink to it. This really does fit about 80 percent of all skin tones out there and even if you arent’ sure of what shade to pick, this will blend the best on everyone.

Foundation #3 – this is yellow. Not only yellow! but for those who get tans easily. Some people just have yellow tones though even if they are light skinned and don’t ever tan.

So, not any one of our 3 shade bases is a perfect match? It’s ok, you can blend your own!

Say you started with the Medium #2 and while it is dark enough, you need a little more yellow to match your tan. No problem!  Using an empty jar, or even a small glass bowl, mix about 1 part #3 to 2 parts #2. Shake, stir, mix it up. Test it. Continue adjusting til you get as much yellow as you need.

This works with all combinations of our foundations, even mixing light to medium or medium to dark. For those times between winter and summer when you aren’t really sun kissed yet, but you aren’t pasty snow white either.

Happy Mixing!

So, I included some vintage styles bags on Mama Bags. We have Pin Ups, prints and kitchy bags and accessories.

Check out our Retro Mama section and the Extras Mama section where you will find our fabulous card cases with vintage prints including pulp fiction covers, pin ups, and even some beautiful artwork.

http:MamaBags.com

I can’t stand to have my hair in my face, so having my hair stuck to my lips because of the lip products I have on is just plain out of the question. However, I do have dry lips and skin much of the year so I need to use a good moisturizing lip balm or lip product.

This is where Painted Laydies Mineral Makeup lip balm comes into play for me. When I came up with this formula I was so excited and happy! It isn’t one of those balms that is too hard and almost hurts when trying to put on the lips. It is on the softer side but it sinks in and doesn’t just sit on the lips. But, it is also not too sticky.

Made with all natural ingredients and color and scent free, this is my holy grail lip product. When I do want some color, I just dip into some of my mineral colors and apply.

I would encourage you to try it out if you haven’t found the perfect lip product yet.

http://paintedlaydies.com

A wonderfully conditioning base, smelling slightly of chocolate!
The chocolate scent won’t overwhelm you!

Cocoa Butter, beeswax, sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil. INCI – Cacao Seed Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annus Seed Oil, Beeswax, Eupatorium Rebaudianum Bertoni Leaf Extract

.15 oz tube

I also have a heart for the earth and while I’m not a tree hugging hippee, I think that minding our resources is important.

Why do I bring up two different subjects like that in the same post? Because I want to introduce our bags for a cause section at Mama Bags. http://www.mamabags.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=CauseMama

We don’t have a lot listed right now, but the point is to see many uses for one item (in the case of being green) and to support and promote the causes that can bring down and challenge others (in the case of cancer).

So give your friends and family a hug and instead of just throwing out the plastic bags, take them back to the store and replace them with a fabric shopping bag.

That is exactly what I did! I only had a couple or three collections when I started and I’ve certainly added to the collections in the last five years. The very first collection was The Wizard of Oz collection.

I used things from the famous movie that correlated to the colors I was working with at the time. For instance, ruby slippers is a pretty ruby red color and yellow brick road is a glittery gold.

Each of the Painted Laydies Mineral Makeup collections inlcude colors for eye, lips, and face. Many colors, as with most mineral makeup, can be used for several purposes. Ruby Slippers can be used as both blush or lip color and eye color too if you want.

I also used a lsightly different concept in labeling each color. While many companies call label their colors as an “eyeshadow” or “blush”, I don’t. I simply mark any colors that are not deemed safe for use on the lips by the FDA with the wording ” no lips”.

This leaves color and usage interpretations completely up to the customer. Don’t let me tell you where you can or should use each color. Be creative and experiment. What works for one person may not be so great for the next.

However, for those who need guidance, we are working on adding sets of colors that work well together. We already have a couple up on the site in a 3 piece and 4 piece set.

Take a look here http://www.paintedlaydies.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=Sets

Our Collections: http://www.paintedlaydies.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=ColorCollections

That is a big reason that I have brought in the styles that are stocked at Mama Bags right now. I understand that there are those who enjoy a really cute bag, but that aint me babe!

In fact, when my kids were still babies and we had to carry all their stuf with us, I usually just carried a large handbag and threw in a diaper, one change of clothes and wipes. That way I could still stay fashionable.

With that said, I do try to include different styles of bags in our shop. Right now we have 4 different styles and many colors within those.

For instance, we have a backpack baby bag, some designer style highly fashionable quilted styles and a tote bag style too.

Now, the other thing is that some of the bags in our other areas could be used as a baby bag or carry all.

How about this one?  http://www.mamabags.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=183  The pockets outside can be used for photos, keys, business cards, pacifiers……. you get the idea, right?  So it doesn’t have a changing mat. You could use a towel – a large dish towel would roll up easily and  not take up much room.

One of my favorites though just because of the fabric is http://www.mamabags.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=80 This one a designer style and the inside is just as beautiful as the outside.

The great thing about that bag? It could be used as a laptop bag also!

I guess when it comes to bags, I just think outside the box and see all the ways a bag can be used.

Jenn Brockman

Just as many of the regular formula are sold as the non bismuth formula now. I’m moving toward removing bismuth from the rest of my formulas too, though I do believe that it gives a very good hold or adherence to the skin.

Are you aware that just regular old minerals won’t stick to the skin? So, while others claim that things like Bismuth oxychloride are just “fillers”, they really do serve a purpose and it is NOT to make the product go further.  There are actually much less expensive fillers to use than BO if that is what you are trying to do.

Anyway, I’m testing formulas for a heavier coverage foundation now as well. The one I’m currently trying myself is a bit on the yellow side. It does seem to have a little bit heavier coverage without feeling any heavier on the skin.

How heavy should it be though? Guess I’ll be sending out some samples to testers soon, huh?

As with many things in my life, I begin, see if it fits or feels right, then continue or drop it.

Blogging, I have come to see, can be a great way for me to see my life and the events within it, in a different light. When I sit down to write, I write strait from the hip. No pre thought – rough draft- scripted scenarios here!

So, what have I been up to? Quite a bit actually. Summer was tougher than I thought it might be with my two girls home. My youngest has autism. That is what we are calling it at this point anyway. She is not fitting into the diagnoses quite so firmly, but shows absolute matches   within the symptoms.

My oldes has adhd and she is 10 going on 18. She thinks she knows everything and knows it better than anyone. I can’t believe I’m not grey yet!

On the business front, I moved my home based businesses into a retail and workshop location here in our home town. Though I haven’t done much promotion locally, I will be doing that once I can have a regular schedule established which will be when the kids go back to school.

Mom and I are also working on a new business venture selling home made food mixes. The more we’ve worked on it, the more I think  it should have been called the Lazy Cook rather than Mama Mixes! I realize how much I do not like to cook and how much I really don’t know about it all.

Funn, because I grew up in a home made kitchen. We rarely ate out and mom’s food was really yummy.

To let everyone know, I am working on a daily feature for all three businesses through this blog. I hope to hi lite a product or service through each company Monday through Friday and maybe more personal notes on the weekends. Starting this Monday!

I also got to hear the voices of some fellow on line marketing and business associates which is always interesting. We can perceive a certain personality when we don’t hear the tone and inflections of thier voice. A voice really is an extension of the human personality.

Have you ever had the chance to listen to your own voice recorded? It can be quite the experience! I’ had the chance recently after being interviewed on a blog talk radio show and then becoming a co host for Special Needs Kids Talk radio. http://www.specialneedskidstalkradio.com/  I found that I sound to myself like my cousin does and somewhat like my grandmother did. We had a family friend when I was a child that said I sounded just like my mom when I answered the phone, but listening now, I don’t hear the similarity to my mother. 

I also have spent the last 8 weeks listening to my friend Kim Emmerson in a weekly coaching session. Talk about a calming voice! She has a soothing and comforting tones and does great guided meditations. Everyone in class is so relaxed and ready to sleep after she does our meditation in class. Check out what she offers http://www.prosperitymind-set.com/coaching_laws_of_attraction.html

So the question is what does you voice sound like to others? What does it sound like to yourself?

Take that into consideration before you say anything and be aware of what your words sound like.

Jenn Brockman