cosmetic tips

The reason many women stick with the same foundation for years is that it’s hard to shop for foundations in stores or online. The names and tones can also be confusing. We understand.  We took Kari to task recently to define our foundation numbers and provide some help. Natural-looking coverage should even out your skin tone, not change the color or cover it up.  For this reason, most of our shade range has a warmer, yellow tone. Our foundations lean on the warmer (yellow) side as cooler (pink) foundations tend to look like masks on the skin. I learned this...

I’m often asked why we do mineral makeup.  Easy answer, it’s versatile and lets me do many things with very few products.  A super-multitasker.  Some days call for a dry application. Others may require an even speedier application by mixing with SPF to save a step (and bonus, a foundation with SPF coverage). And, it’s also easy to blend with the Essential Serum or Essential Serum Balm for an easy touch up if needed. Mineral makeup is a bit old school, and yes, it can be a little bit messier than a compact powder but the ability to change the...

Parabens are a type of chemical preservative used to prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, fungus, and other microbes. Manufacturers began using them in cosmetics and skin care products as a way to extend a product’s shelf life. Today you can find them lurking in everything from your shampoo and deodorant to your facial lotion and foundation under common names such as methylparaben, propylparaben, and ethylparaben. Though the European Union banned parabens in 2012 for health reasons, the FDA has declined to take similar action in the U.S. However, the agency continues to evaluate the risk based on published and...

When you’re trying to find the right foundation shade, it seems that everyone has a tip or trick for you to use. Next thing you know, you’re standing in the makeup aisle with swabs of random foundation colors painted across the inside of your arm and still unsure of which product is right for you. At Kari Gran, we believe that finding a natural looking foundation shouldn’t be complicated. We take a simple, three-step approach to choosing a foundation that will work for you all year round. How to find the perfect foundation shade: #1 - Compare it to the...

We get a lot of questions when it comes to making the switch from traditional liquid foundation to mineral makeup, including whether mineral makeup and oily skin is a good match. In order to properly answer this question, let’s dive a little bit deeper into the subject of how our bodies produce oil, why it may be producing too much of it, and whether using mineral makeup has any aggravating or mitigating effect. What is oily skin? At Kari Gran, we prefer to focus on the nourishing ingredients we all need rather than developing a complicated line of products that...

Mineral makeup has become a popular foundation and concealer alternative for women who are looking to go green with their beauty products without sacrificing coverage. This powder is packed only with the essentials, mixing together clean, naturally derived ingredients that nourishes your skin while providing a lightweight, breathable coverage that lasts throughout the day. More importantly, Kari Gran’s collection of mineral makeup never includes known toxic ingredients often found in traditional foundations, such as talc, synthetic fragrances, dyes, parabens, and nanoparticles. But when you choose a product that doesn’t include things like parabens, a common ingredient used to preserve makeup,...