La Bella Donna (Mineral Makeup) the real deal.....

I’ve already mentioned La Bella Donna mineral makeup on a few occasions with my blog, but I wanted to devote a bit more attention to it. To me, it’s one of the best mineral makeup lines out there. Not only do I have an attachment to it because it was my first real introduction into the mineral/green/natural makeup world, but because I’ve used it for a long time and I’ve seen how it photographs and wears on an everyday level. In both cases, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

The loose foundation powder is wonderful. It has a bit of a shine/shimmer that gives the skin a healthy glow. A little bit of it goes a long way, so you can start with a thin wash of it with a large brush as a natural clean base or you can build on it to make it full coverage. You can also use a small flat brush and use it as a concealer for blemishes and even under the eyes.

If the loose foundation powder is a bit too shiny for you, they also make a pressed powder that has a matte satin finish. It’s mostly matte but there is a slight sheen that isn’t really shiny, it just reduces the chance for typical results of most matte powders which can be chalky and cakey at times. Personally I use both the loose and the pressed. I like to dust a thin wash of the loose powder all over my face for a nice base and then set with the pressed. I find that setting with the pressed eliminates the need for touching up throughout the day.

The eye shadows and powder blushes are really pretty. The color choices aren’t immense but there is definitely enough variety to have a natural/neutral look, a smoky look and a look with a bit of color. They blend so well together and into the skin that it physically requires no work. I mean you place the brush where it needs to go, blend and the color/shadow is perfectly placed on the eye or cheek.

The mascara is great. It has a nice amount of thickening and lengthening and doesn’t dry hard. The only thing is it’s not waterproof so using it for brides has gone out the window for me, but I use it on myself and it gives me just enough “wow” to feel pretty and natural but not too made up.

The same is true with the eyeliner pencils. They are soft and rich and blend very well for a soft smoky look, or you can create a thick bold line that’s full and dark if that’s your thing too. The only problem again is that they are not water resistant so using them for brides and/ or on a very hot day, can get a bit messy just because they tend to melt a bit more easily.

The lipstick and lipgloss is really nice. Most of them are pretty sheer but buildable. So potentially you can use them like a stain just for a bit of color, or you can build the color to a fully rich tone that looks and feels like a lipstick you’d buy from Chanel or Bobbi Brown. Again, like the eyeshadows, the color selection isn’t vast but its enough to give you choices for a variety of looks and I guarantee you will find at least 2 or 3 colors that jump out at you right away.

The most fascinating thing to me about La Bella Donna as a company, is that they provide information about their products that is not only factual about minerals and their benefits but also how simple it is. The explanations of the ingredients are easy to understand and actually fun to read.

La Bella Donna is an approachable line. Even though they are located at Bergdorf Goodeman which is a rather intimidating and fancy department store, you can still feel good about yourself because everyone that comes to shop there is treated equally. The people who work for the company (including myself a few years ago) truly stand behind this product and are excited to impart their knowledge of it to everyone. You can also purchase it online at the website www.labelladonna.com. There is a lot more info about all the ingredients on the website…..take a look and enjoy!!! ☺