Review: Monave Mineral Cosmetics

Monave is a Baltimore based, independent mineral cosmetic company. They strive to use natural and beneficial ingredients while dedicated to create makeup for women of any ethnic background. They offer variety of products from foundation to skincare. Most their products are also vegan friendly, meaning they don't contain animal by-products. Monave has given me the opportunity to test quite few of their products. Thank you Deb and Sharen! This will be part 1 of 2 reviews.

Loose Mineral Foundation
Since most women do not have great skin, this foundation is specifically designed with them in mind. I was able to test 3 foundations in Kerrie, Hyeyeon, and Caroline. Kerrie was in the Original Formula, while the other 2 were in the Concealer-foundation Formula. Compared to other mineral foundations, the powder is not as finely milled as say Everyday Minerals. I found both formulas to apply creamy and smooth as if they were finely milled though, but the finish for me was a bit chalky and dry even when applied sparingly. When applied wet, the chalky appearance diminished and I was left with a flawless canvas. Neither formula felt heavy or caked on the skin. I prefer the Concealer-foundation because it has a slightly creamier feeling to it, however I like the Original Formula coverage better which is light to medium. The coverage for the Concealer-foundation is more medium to heavy, but intended for those with acne or rosasea. In saying it does have heavier coverage, it actually still feels very lightweight. But to be honest, I like that no makeup feeling and it doesn't have that. I feel like I'm wearing something, but it's nothing like wearing traditional foundation. It just doesn't feel as light as other MMU. On the positive side, I feel like it controls oil and shine better than others.

Monave offers a large range of colors specifically for women of different ethnic backgrounds. I have to mix colors with EDM, but I think Hyeyeon is an exact match for me which is very convenient. I think most mineral makeup provides light to medium coverage, but if you need heavier coverage than I think Monave is an excellent option for you! I also think it'll work wonders with those who have oily complexions. They offer a sample set with 4 foundation shades in jars and 6 sample baggies of their other powder cosmetics such as blush and eyeshadow for $10! Full size is $19.50 a whopping 30 grams! You'll also be happy to know they don't use bismuth oxychloride either.

Cheeks - Blush, Brozner, and Illuminizers
You ladies know that I absolutely adore face colors and Monave is my new best friend! All the powders are very fine and silky, and apply extremely smoothly. I do find these blushes to be less pigmented than most mineral blushes, but perhaps because the shades I have are light pink. However, they give just enough color for that perfect flush and just enough shimmer for that radiating glow. I find since they are not as pigmented, you can apply them liberally and even as all-over colors. They also have a selection of matte colors if you prefer less shimmer and shine. A 10 gram sifter jar packed with product for only $13.50.

The bronzer is in Rum and it's my new bronzer for the summer! It's a beautiful shade of light brown with a hint of golden shimmer. I find it to be more pigmented than the blushes and little goes a long way. You really only need a little so a 10 gram sifter jar for $13.50 should last you ages.

The illuminizers are also great. They are the least pigmented of the 3 and give you a very slight tint of color. They're almost like finishing powders that give you a very soft focus finish. I really liked Glow as it brightened and softened my complexion instantly. How about $13.50 for 20 grams?! Unbelievable right. I'll be getting a full size soon!

Eyes - Versatile Mineral Powders, Cream to Powder
Versatile Mineral Powders are exactly what they say they are: versatile. You can use them as eyeshadows, blushes, liners, and even nail polish color! Directions on how to make custom nail colors are available on their website. I'm on a mineral makeup kick, so I love the fact these are made of minerals too. The powders are finely milled and similar to NYX pigments (MAC pigments are not so fine in comparison). They are decently pigmented and foil with ease for an intenser color. It makes a great color eyeliner when applied wet with some Visine drops too. These are shimmery to max, but if you're looking for matte colors they a product called Ultra-mattes too. A neat little feature is that these 5 gram jars are stackable, meaning they can screw on to each other to create a stack. It's convenient for on the go and stack colors you need or want to take with you. 1-5 jars are $7.50 each or 6 jars for $30.

For me, the Cream to Powders (pictured above in 3 colors) weren't all that creamy actually. They were more solid and it was hard for my brush to pick it up. I have nails so I would nick cream rather than get some on my finger in the small jar. I just found it a bit too firm to be called cream. The application was a little difficult because it was so firm but it does have a nice powder finish. It actually looks beautiful when you apply it. It has great staying power too. I didn't find them blendable as shadow and it worked alright as base. So, what I think it has the best potential for is to be an eyeliner. Since it's not blendable, it won't smudge on you. Again, it has great staying power too. Really, I think it would be perfect as eyeliner, but you'd need a very firm liner brush. $13.50 for 13 grams is much better priced than a 3 gram Fluidline.

Lip Glaze

Lip Glaze happens to vegan friendly, meaning they don't use any animal by-products such as beeswax in the ingredients. They are in your common tube with a doe-foot applicator. What I absolutely love about these glosses is that they are non-sticky. We all know sticky is a relative term, however I doubt anyone will find these sticky. Think complete opposite of MAC lipglass or L'oreal Colour Juice. The texture is light, thinner than most, and very slippery. Trust me when I say they are non-sticky. They kind of have a slight sweet scent to them, but have no flavor. They are moisturizing as they contain vitamin E. They're sheer but have a tint of color and are very sparkly. However, since they're not sticky, they don't have great lasting power. I'm totally willing to over look that though because I hate sticky glosses! I have personal issues with sticky glosses so these Lip Glazes are awesome for me. At $13 a tube, say goodbye to sticky lips!

To conclude, I think Monave is overall a fantastic mineral makeup company to consider. I'm more than satisfied with their products. They're high in quality (check out their ingredient lists) and are reasonably priced. Products definitely worth checking out are their blushes and face colors, Versatile Mineral Powders, and Lip Glazes! Not only that, I think you ladies will very much appreciate their customer service as well.