Welcome to the Monave Makeup Studio. You may never have used mineral makeup before, or are familiar with another brand of mineral makeup, so this section is to help you apply your makeup more easily, and successfully. Using mineral make up is fun and rewarding, so in lieu of a personal, hands-on consultation, please read our informative pages on application technique.

We’ll have many tutorials and videos of regular women (bloggers) wearing Monave makeup. Please visit the Monave blog for helpful articles and videos on how to use Monave makeup. If you need some personalized assistance, please don’t hesistate to contact us and our resident makeup artist will help you choose products that are appropriate for your skin type and complexion.

If you would like to talk to other Monave users in a fun, interactive format, please visit the Monave facebook page where you can learn some real life tricks and tips for using Monave Mineral Makeup.

Trouble-shooting Mineral Foundation Application

Every day, we send out sample sets with a brochure describing how to apply mineral foundation to new customers. Unfortunately, some experience problems, and never pick the product up again. Since we’re an internet store, we can’t provide on-site demonstrations for people having trouble applying their foundation at home. Here are some of the issues that come up, and our suggestions for a smoother application. We hope that this will help!

If your foundation appears pasty, or has a strange undertone, there are a few possibilities:

The brush!: Unfortunately, the right brush is an absolute necessity when applying loose mineral foundation. Our brush is especially made to have a very high density of hair, short, firm, and soft to boot. Think of how hard it is to spread cold butter on untoasted bread with a plastic knife. This is what is happening when you’re using the brushes ( however expensive and high-quality they may be), that you already own. Even bronzer brushes that look similar may not have firm, or dense enough hair to accomplish the task. The result? Too much makeup, not well spread, sticking in all of the wrong place, definitely  not natural-looking!

Too much product on the brush: Mineral makeup is very concentrated. It is made up of pure pigment; the same pigments that cosmetics companies use to add color to pressed and liquid foundations. Because there is little if any ‘filler” in this type of powder, it is imperative that you put just a little bit of powder on your brush and use that on one cheek. Buff it in well in a circular motion before applying more. How much is enough? If you follow the basic mineral foundation instructions found on the loose mineral foundation product page, you should get the right amount on the brush: Basically, you press the head of the kabuki, or flat-top (our favorite) directly against the holes of the sifter, tip the whole unit upside down, tap the jar a bit, and then lift the brush off of the sifter. There should be a light dusting of powder on the brush head, and that amount is sufficient to cover at least one cheek, if not the whole face. You can always add another layer, so start with less.

The wrong shade: This is especially an issue with women of color. If you have a golden undertone, and the color you apply has a blue or neutral undertone, your face may appear grayish, or pasty. It is not necessarily that the product is too light, or has the “wrong” formula for your skin, just the wrong undertone. Don’t assume that mineral foundation doesn’t “work” on ethnic skin. Be persistent until you find a shade that at least comes close. Blending loose mineral foundation shades together is as simple as shaking the jar, and blending one color with another may achieve that perfect shade that you’re looking for!

Not enough “buffing” Have you ever watched someone (usually a guy!) buff a coat of wax onto their car? They buff for a loooong time! This creates a smooth, silky appearance, that simply applying the wax would never achieve. Do the same with your mineral foundation. Buffing with the brush actually brings out the qualities of the minerals. Use a firm (Don’t be afraid to be firm, our brushes are very soft) touch, and in a circular motion, blend, or spread the makeup around the cheeks, down the jaw line, over the nose. Do this several times, and you will begin to see your face glow and your skin look flawless, and utterly natural.

Easy Lip Color Chart

To help you understand our shades, as Monave has so many to offer, here is a simple explanation to help you get started. You can use the search bar of the site and type in the number below. The various product types; gloss, liquid gloss, lip glaze, lipstick, and liner, will be displayed.

Cool

Light-Medium: 11, 211, 212, 152, 97, 218, 86

Med-Dark:  169, 12, 13, 218, 219, 220, 98

Bronze/Gold

170, 81, 70, 84, 31, 159, 72, 221, 505, 507,503

Red

85, 86, 171, 150, 165, 166, 167

Brown

43, 54, 79, 161, 162, 160, 74, 77, 53, 157, 172, 151 (red-brown)

Pink

201, 213, 83, 84 164, 154, 156, 153, 95, 96, 174, omg (pink-brown)