Alima Mineral Makeup

[mustardgirl]

I just wanted to update - I finally found a match with their beige-2 colored foundation I'm trying out their primer powder to see if it will help with controlling my t-zone area though because I notice that my nose esp. will tend to get really oily in the afternoon/evening

I'm not sure what to do with all these leftover samples though~

[elektra513]

Not sure if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but I emailed the MUA for a color rec and this was our convo:

Me:
Hi,
I ordered samples of the satin matte foundation in W-5 and Beige-5 and they are too light. I think I should try the W-6 but that may not work either. Is there a sharp difference between W-6 and the Bronze shades? I am wondering if Bronze would be better for my complexion. Which shade do you think would work for me? I've attached a photo. I think if I wore MAC foundation I would be NC45, but I wear Antelope and Ginger in Prescriptives foundation.

Thanks in advance.

Response:
Thank you for writing.

We are in the process of changing our deeper foundations. Rather than have the "Bronze" and "Ebony" categories, we are going to discontinue some of those, and work others into the other color families. Then we will fill in the gaps with new shades, extending the Cool, Beige, Neutral, Warm, Golden and Olive families out to 9 or 10 in depth. I hate to do it, but I think I'd suggest you wait until these are ready before you try more samples. It would be sad if you decided that you loved a shade and then it turned out to be one that gets discontinued, rather than just renamed.

If you are willing to wait several weeks, you can send me your address and I will be happy to send you samples of some of the new shades when they are available.

Please let me know if you are interested.


Just wanted to let y'all know...

[Violent Pink]

So, I wear NC25 in studio fix, and I've always felt it's a little too golden on certain parts of my face (if it's not blended really well around my jawline/neck, it looks like I have an old bruise or something, haha!)

I became interested in mineral makeup and alima seemed like the best place to find a perfect match. I ordered a bunch of samples and I'm really thrilled with the finish and coverage.

I got samples of Neutral 1-3, Beige 1-3, Warm 1-2, and Olive 1. I decided I would try one on each side of my face each morning before my shower and whichever worked better I would wear for the day. Today I did the half and half with Neutral 1 and Warm 1, and I really can't tell the difference! They both certainly match better than my NC25. Even at my jawline it mixes in with my real skin color.

It's especially frustrating for me because I'm a painter and I'm usually really good at distinguishing colors. Any tips to figure out which shade I should buy a full size of?

[talks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Violent Pink

So, I wear NC25 in studio fix, and I've always felt it's a little too golden on certain parts of my face (if it's not blended really well around my jawline/neck, it looks like I have an old bruise or something, haha!)

I became interested in mineral makeup and alima seemed like the best place to find a perfect match. I ordered a bunch of samples and I'm really thrilled with the finish and coverage.

I got samples of Neutral 1-3, Beige 1-3, Warm 1-2, and Olive 1. I decided I would try one on each side of my face each morning before my shower and whichever worked better I would wear for the day. Today I did the half and half with Neutral 1 and Warm 1, and I really can't tell the difference! They both certainly match better than my NC25. Even at my jawline it mixes in with my real skin color.

It's especially frustrating for me because I'm a painter and I'm usually really good at distinguishing colors. Any tips to figure out which shade I should buy a full size of?

I think if you email them they can make you a custom blend mix with both and then you won't have to pick just one!

[cindylicious]

I wanna order foundation sample from alima, but the shipping cost to my country is USD 11 which is like more expensive than the samples, so its not really worth it. im thinking bout ordering 1 or 2 full size jar but afraid that i might be choosing the wrong shade and ended up putting it aside wasting $. Im NC30 Asian with oily skin, could anyone recommend alima foundation shade for me?

[DirtyHarriet]

i just placed my first ALIMA order!!! woo hoo!!

i didn't get samples...i just went right for it and got a full jar! i guess i like to live on the wild side...

i have been using EDM for over a year (since i discovered my face does NOT like bismuth)...i'm between light medium and medium beige neutral...

based on MUA reviews and discussions, i got N4...

i'll let you all know what i think!

[DirtyHarriet]

^ well, here are the first impressions...

N4 works color wise...it's a little dark, so i'll probably have to get N3 for winter...

have only worn it a couple of times but it does seem less powdery and more 'glowy' than EDM...(in EDM i mix o-glow and intensive)...and it also has a little more coverage.

so far, i like it. i will probably buy again. but it's not enough for me to pitch my EDM foundation. i think the key for both is color match. i think that EDM is looking chalky/powdery on people because the color they are using is too light (this is according to both my own experience and the EDM color guide).

[Winthrop44]

I definitely agree with you that wearing too light a shade in MMU will look chalky, but also I feel that Alima is more finely milled than EM. My shade match in EM is actually a tad better than my Alima match, but EM still looks a bit chalky/less creamy than Alima on my face and feels that way if I put some of each in my fingers and rub them together too. I've noticed with some mineral make-ups that the texture seems to vary a bit from shade to shade, so that may be why different people get different impressions as well. I hope you enjoy your Alima. You were very brave to order a full size without ordering samples first!

[DirtyHarriet]

^ ha ha...brave or crazy...it's a toss-up!

i do agree with you that Alima is creamier than EM. it gives me that 'dewy' look i was lusting after. and it has great staying power in 110oF dry desert heat in Phoenix. i wonder though if i'll revert back to EM when i move to a more humid climate...

[pratbc]

I am an NC30-35 in my MAC MSF foundation. Can anyone give me a recommendation on which shade or shades to sample? I am overwhelmed with all the different choices. I tried BE and hated it and then switched back to MAC. But, the fdtn. has been oxidizing on me lately and I think it may be causing my breakouts. So, I read reviews and want to sample some Alima.

Thanks in advance!

[Winthrop44]

I am NC15 and wear N1 so can't help too much, but if you read this thread back a few pages there are some suggestions:

http://specktra.net/f265/alima-miner...91/index5.html

[aleksis210]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissChievous

I have to say, I love Alima and thought it was my HG, but now in the hot summer months, I realized that it also makes my face itch a bit, just like Bare Minerals did, only not as strongly. I am so upset, I thought Alima was The One, but I can't really use it in the summer. My face gets itchy from it. I don't know what it is, since Alima doesn't contain the bismuth, maybe it's the mica?

*sigh*

Been back to using my MAC Studio Fix compact on those really hot and sweaty days...

Don't know if someone has already responded to this but my guess on what is making your face itchy (since NONE of these ingredients are irritants) might be because
a) your skin is too dry (try applying moisturizer underneath)
b)there is no barrier between your skin and the actual make-up so when you sweat it is seeping into your pores and giving you that 'itchy' effect

*The reason why this is my theory is that BE NEVER made me itch when I applied a little bit of my moisturizer beforehand
*during summer BE started to make me itch, but again when I used my moisturizer it was fine! (but I also looked like an oil slick because BE sucks lol)
*Even when I would apply moisturizer if I didn't apply it to my extra dry spots (I have combo skin) it ONLY itched in those spots....
So maybe try a little moisturizer? (I was using 'purpose w/ spf 15' btw)

[aleksis210]

delete

[aleksis210]

oh wow! I emailed a link of my videos to 'ask the artist' on alima's page and she answered within 2 min. NO JOKE! If anyone has any questions regarding their complexion def. email terresa on their page!!!

[Swtest2Lips]

Hmmm I should order some samples and see, sounds like theres lots of positive comments about this company

[KellyBean]

I emailed the artist about foundation shades. I'm NW15 (actually, my face is NW20 but I use NW15 because it matches my neck) and she didn't get back to me so I just ordered N 1-3 and C 1-3. I'll ry to let you guys know what I think when I get samples.

[KellyBean]

She got back to me and said that N 1 and 2 and C 1 and 2 would be best for NW15.

[Violent Pink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aleksis210

I don't/have never tried mac foundation so I don't know what color I am in that...

You really should go in and get color matched, even if you don't plan on using the product. Why? It's a intensely popular cosmetic line and a good starting point when trying to compare other products online. You can't tell what color your skin is in a video, or even a photo.

The white balance will mess with the tone, not to mention the lighting in the area and if there is flash, etc.. I mean, you're a light-skinned blonde, that much is obvious, so there are some common guesses that might or might not work for you. In my experience, undertone is really, really hard to judge from photos, though. Otherwise we could all just use the color picker in photoshop and get a perfect match. If only there was a pantone matching system for flesh!

Oh, and just to contribute reference for others, I am an NC20-25, and I think my best match is Beige 2 or Warm 2. I'm of caucasian descent and the neutral looks a little ashy even on me, so I would definitely not recommend that for asians in my mac color range.

[KellyBean]

For NW15, I've found a flawless match with N2.

The samples have no sifter and are the same size as my EDM samples were. I reccomend this over EDM any day. However, it's so tiny and so the best way to apply the samples is to pour a bit either into a small bowl, clean body butter lid or a lid from another mmu company.

[KellyBean]

Oh and also, shipping only took 2 days!

[susanks1]

Alima foundation is 20% off through January 30th.

[kelticmaddox]

Gah, I think I ordered the wrong shade. I just made an order and I got the foundation in W0, the pointed crease brush, a bunch of eye shadow samples and a free travel size blush in Mimosa.

I'm an NC 15 and I was debating between the Warm 0 and the warm 1 but I went with the 0 thinking I'd rather be more pale than more dark. But after seeing that other 15 girls here have found their matches in 1s, I think I'm going to try to email them and have them send me W1 instead. Will they read it in time before my order gets sent out?