I have to admit, I usually steer well clear of tango-tanned, over zealous salespeople at events, but in this instance, whilst at the Ayrshire Wedding Show a little while ago, I was taken right in by the promise of glowing, natural-looking make-up!
The company in question was K Co UK, a mineral-based make-up company specialising in a range of natural beauty products which have been blended to give a natural glow.
Now, any mention of the word "glow" or "luminous" etc etc, and i'm there, as i'm forever on a quest to achieve beautiful, natural glowing, Kate-Middleton-esque skin!
After having some of the make-up tried out on me, my lovely Mum bought me the set (offered by the company at the time of the wedding fair, although alternative sets are available on the website) for my birthday for around £25, which contains the following (full size) products:
Lip Shine Superieur in Diamond Pearl (RRP on the website is £4.99 but strangely says £9 above!)
This lip shine is part of a range of 6 other lipglosses offered by the company, and whilst it does offer a pretty shine, it's sadly nothing spectacular - and has a really strange plastic smell to it! I will continue to use it up, but I don't know if i'd pay £4.99/£9 (whatever the correct price is!) for it again.
Ultra Lash Mascara Superieur in Ultra Lash Black, RRP £8.99
I actually really like this mascara, particularly for creating a natural daytime look. It isn't at all volumising, but adds great definition, seperation and length, as well as a thick coating of colour to your lashes.
It also dries to an almost plastic-y finish (go with me here - it really helps with the definition!), which does not flake at all.
Natural Glow Mineral, RRP £22.99
Mineral makeup, adapting to your unique skin tones to produce full subtle coverage with a light difusing glow.
At first glance at this I thought it would be far too dark for my skin (and if applied with too heavy a hand you could end up looking like a bronzed tangerine...), but I have to say it's probably my favourite product out the set - now that i've figured out the best way to apply it!
I simply lightly swirl the kabuki brush (see below) in the mineral powder, tap off the excess on the back of my hand (so it almost looks like there's nothing on the brush) then buff over my face.
It's not at all shimmery and makes my face look really "alive", and I reckon it will last a really long time given a little goes a really long way.
It can also be used as a bronzer when used in a more concentrated manner over cheek bones etc.
The compact section on the website is worth checking out as they also offer different varieties of bronzers, highlighters, mineral powders etc.
Pocket Sized Mini Kabuki Brush, RRP £8.99
This is a really cute, densely-packed kabuki brush with synthetic bristles, which has been allergy treated esepcially for those with sensitive skin,
It's really soft and so far has only shed a couple of bristles, making it ideal to use with the mineral glow powder.
Diamond Dust in Dark Red, RRP £3.99
I'd say this mineral eyeshadow (not dissimilar to the Barry M Dazzle Dusts) is more of a bronze than a red as such, but it is a beautiful colour and excellent value for money - the 3g pot will last forever given that the colour is so concentrated and therefore you only need to use a little at a time.
I've been wearing it as a base shade over UDPP and it lasts all day without creasing or fading.
There are nine other shades currently available on the website - from blues to greens to greys to purples - and I'd be really interested in trying out some of them, especially given the price and the good colour pay off.
I do feel guilty for judging the proverbial book by its cover. From being completly sceptical in the beginning, I now actively use the products in this set on a daily basis to create a really natural, fresh look, and would recommend them. Some of the products (such as the mineral glow powder) may not necessarily be high street prices, but the eyeshadows are, and the website (which also offers other products such as hair straighteners, brush sets and mineral foundation) is definately worth checking out.
Have you found any new products/companies you would recommend?
Melanie x
I seriously would not recommend Kco products.
ReplyDeleteAs a "mineral" make-up it leaves a lot to be desired.
"True" mineral makeup has little to no chemical ingredients and mostly consist of actual minerals. Mineral makeup is light and allows skin to breath naturally and free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other potential skin irritants.
The minerals that is mostly used in mineral makeup contain micronized titanium dioxide or zinc oxide (which acts as a natural sunscreen with protection of SPF 15-20 and soothes skin), iron oxide (which gives color to the makeup) and oxychloride (which is anti-inflammatory).
Kco mineral glow (which you feature above) has Talc,
Hydrogenated Polydecene (Persistent or bioaccumulative and moderate to high toxicity concern in humans),
Zinc Stereate (Zinc stearate is a physical irritant in humans. A worker in a rubber factory in Italy exposed to zinc stearate for 29 years, developed extensive fibrosis of the lungs and died from that condition [Clayton and Clayton 1981].)
Methyl Paraben - (Methylparaben is widely used as a preservative in women's cosmetics, such as skin creams and deodorants. One of the physical dangers associated with methylparaben is its connection with tumors in the breast. A report in the January-February 2004 issue of the Journal of Applied Toxicology states that when several breast tumors were examined by researchers, high levels of methylparaben were found in the tissues),
Tocopheryl Acetate (Potentially contaminated with impurities linked to cancer or other significant health problems.
Skin sensitizer - can instigate immune system response that can include itching, burning, scaling, hives, and blistering of skin.),
Propylparaben (clinical trials show that propyl paraben adversely affects the hormonal secretion and the male reproductive functions.),
Parfum (fragrance),
Alpha-isomethyl Ionine (It’s been known to irritate the skin and trigger allergic reactions for some people. After evaluating the potential side effects of Alpha-isomethyl Ionone, the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) banned the ingredient from being mixed into fragrance products),
Hydroxy-citronellal (IFRA has restricted the use of hydroxycitrobellal)
& Benzyl Benzoate (Parasiticidal preparation Used for Scabies)
For a company to promote "natural", this is far from the case.
Beware.