I have a huge selection of minerals and have made mineral cosmetics so please consider this my opinion from why I never went live.
I know most people don't share but I will. I've bought from TKB and Coastal Scents and a few others. Coastal puts all micas in a certain size in a container...those in baggies from TKB, micas will leave dust everywhere. All will leave dust at some point. When you buy a mica you mix it with a base the majority of the time for slip, adhesion and skin type. Your first thing is to decide what you want to sell. To be honest this is one of the hardest things, besides consistant formulas that match each other and do not vary batch to batch. You have to also decide to buy oxides. These are pigments in primary colors. You must pay attention to for example if a blue oxide is able to be used on say lips, if you were toning a lip color. I'm sorry if I've confused people by now but let me try to go through a little scenario to explain.
I want to make Mineral foundation. I make a mix of oxides to come up with a red or yellow/nuetral base. Unless you make a high amount of base blend coming up with the same colors over and over are difficult because despite using a tiny scale you use miniscule amounts, that is the reason for the microscopic scoopers sold. Then I need to make mix of base for the oxide base to go in. This is usually a combination of titanium dioxide, silica, adhesion products, slip products and other items. Most people use something like a bullet to mix them. A mortar and pestle just won't do. If you get this far and start mixing in the bullet. You need to surround the lid with the sticky plastic wrap. You mix mix mix, shake shake shake and then check color. Use qtips, and constantly check colors by adding more oxide base mix and more foundation base mix if it is too dark. You need to measure and weigh every single thing because you will never be able to reproduce the same color if you do not.
Let's assume you skip foundation. You just buy mica. You need to decide which micas to buy and FYI-many of the different colors available at TKB are 2 other colors mixed. So say you buy 20 micas you can mix those 20 in different formulas to make infinite colors. Add in oxides and you have another change in color. With most of those micas just like foundation you need a base to make it into say a blush or a eyeshadow.
Let's say you get all that down. You've got your multitude of mixes, scales, scoops, containers, and mixer. don't forget face mask for the dusk that goes everywhere, Drop clothes to save everything from getting dirty. The dust gets everywhere.
So you need a name, packaging, labels and insurance. You need a business license, and all the legal to CYA. Once packaged, website, and ready to sell you are competing with so many companies.
Some issues you run into is getting good formulas for dryer skins. Consistancy of being able to make the same color over and over. Many of us are irritated with the dust from loose minerals. If you do pressed it's not as easy as it looks, I've got the presses and clamps and still haven't had a perfect one come out. Most pressing is silicone, many people have issues with silicone.
If you are able to come up with a good cream base and a product then horray. Just be prepared for all the time and effort this takes. It takes a lot of time and effort. I don't see anything wrong with mixing your own product using them because these are not ready to go. Maybe some people can use straight from the package but I don't believe most can.
Read all the ingredients even when you buy micas. Quite a few are mixes. Some can be used near lips and eyes. Some can not. Some can be used to make nail polish some can not. KNOW what each item is. What it is used for. It's not really the cost to start selling it's the time to do it right. Mixing takes a lot of time and you write and log everything; weight everything. Read up on all the FDA regs for cosmetics so your labels are correct. You cannot be using a name that might get you sued so you have to get that trade marked too.
After all is said and done it's marketing and selling. Being able to answer why is your makeup better than Revlons mineral color stay for example as a question. Coastal scents did sell a basic manual on how to make items.
I will note the following: it will be difficult if not impossible to get the ingredients to compete with mascara on the market, lipsticks take moulds and just consider the effort it takes to make one tube and what you sell it at, you must decide if you will use dyes if you do lipsticks. You will never get a blood red without it. Most mica and red oxide has a rust base. You just probably took the all natural from your mineral lipstick. Carmine is used as a red. It has been used forever but know it is a small red bug that is crushed and pricey. Best of Luck!
