Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics

Last week when I did the makeup and photo shoot with Donna Sonkin, the foundation/powder I used was from the line, Youngblood. I was so happy with how amazing and flawless her skin looked (especially since the photos are the real deal...no retouching....) that I decided to go ahead and purchase more of the makeup and try all of it.

Here's what I learned:

Primer/liquid foundation/loose powder: Amazing! Beautiful!!! The one thing I will say is that I used the foundation with the primer and I also tried it on it's own with a moisturizer from Dr. Hauschka, and I have to be honest and say the primer is there for a reason. The end result for that flawless look is smoother and has a more perfect finish using the primer than it does without it. So even though we all try and pinch our pennies when we are buying cosmetics, don't skimp on the primer. You'll be so much happier having it be a part of the makeup application.

Pressed Setting Powder: It's effective for sure, but for everyday use I would say use it once and then find something like blot papers to absorb your oil throughout the day rather than touching up with the setting powder throughout the day. It's very absorbent and can look dry/caky if used too often or with too heavy of a hand in the application. I'm assuming it was probably created for more of a Television/Film makeup application than for an everyday makeup. That doesn't mean you can't use it, just use it sparingly. Instead, as an alternate, I would use the loose HD powder that I used on Donna. The finish is the perfect balance of not too shiny and not too caky. I would call it a satin finish. My favorite way for skin to look, just a wee bit dewy but not over the top....

Eyeshadow: So far I've only tried the standard eyeshadows. They do carry loose powder pigments but when I was shopping I figured I should try the regular eyeshadows first. The consistency is soft and blends well. The pigmentation is strong so you don't have to pack it on. I would say the color selection is not fantastic. Don't get me wrong, the are beautiful, but I wasn't blown away. I guess I was expecting to see something I've never seen before but that wasn't the case. Having said that though the shadows are very natural and pretty and they photograph well, for sure...and they are practical....you'll definitely get good bank for your buck because they are colors you can use everyday and then add one or two darker colors to change the look from day to night relatively easily....

Blush/Bronzer: The cheek colors are gorgeous!!! Love 'em!!!

Lipstick/Lipgloss: I tried about 5 lipgloss colors and 4 Lipsticks. As I said about the eyeshadows, the colors aren't anything I've never seen but they are VERY pretty!!! They look natural with a "pop"....they look great in person and in photos and you can easily mix them to create more colors, which is always my favorite thing to do!

Mascara: Not my fave....kinda clumpy and didn't do anything as far as volumizing or lengthening...I basically felt like the mascara tinted my eyelashes and that's it....not worth the $....

To conclude, I think Youngblood's strength is definitely their foundation/skin colors. They have a great variety of skin tones so that everyone can use it. So far I've used it on myself, on Donna and on a client yesterday and I'm so excited by it!!! Check this line out, I guarantee you'll find more than one product you'll love!!!