Primp & Proper........Natural Beauty Handbook

b.l.a.c. minerals featured in Heart & Soul Magazine

2008-08-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

b.l.a.c. minerals has is currently being featured in the August/Sept. issue of Heart & Soul Magazine. We are on page 24-25. Please go get your copy today!!!

Essential Oils.............the Skin's Medicine

2008-05-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Essential oils are highly concentrated liquids containing compounds from plants, which are called aromatic herbs or aromatic plants. They are also known as simply the "oil of" the plant material from which they were extracted. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant. have been used for many years to help with the most common of skin problems. they are powerful all natural agents that have wonderful result.

Essential oils have been used for many years to heal and treat the body,soul and mind. They are the perfect all natural ingredients to treat the skin and body for a more radiant you. Below are some of the most common essential oils best used for the skin.

Tea tree

(Melaleuca alternifolia) has gained immense recognition as the strongest anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial essential oil. Tea tree essential oil is a popular addition to skin care formulations for its germ-killing properties. It is often used in winter-time cold formulations to keep germs from spreading. It is helpful within acne products and can help fight cold sores and heal wounds.

Lavender

(Lavandula officinalis) is a high quality, full-bodied lavender. Lavender is traditionally used in formations to help relax and relieve stress, relieve headaches, help reduce high blood pressure and heal burns and wounds. It kills germs and helps to reduce the spread of colds and viruses. Lavender is the safest oil to use for babies and children, but of it must be used only within a low, safe dilution within your baby and childcare formulations.

Roman Chamomile

(Chamaemelum nobile) is traditionally used in formations intended to promote sleep, relaxation and calmness. In aromatherapy and massage work, Roman Chamomile essential oil acts as a strong inflammatory.

Neroli

(Citrus aurantium)is distilled from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree. The oil has a unique, lovely floral citrus aroma that is useful in formulations intended to aid anxiety, relieve depression, and uplift the spirits. Neroli is a balancing oil for the skin and hair, and can help control overproduction of sebum. It is one of the best oils for the face as it helps regenerate skin cells.

Helichrysum

(Helichrysum italicum) also known as Immortelle and Everlasting, is a warm, sweet and woody oil with the strongest anti-inflammatory properties of all the essential oils. It can be used to treat bruises, and it works extremely well in massage blends for muscles aches, and rheumatism. It is highly anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and is a good oil to add to anti-acne formulations. It is also reputed as being especially helpful in reducing the appearance of scars.

Bergamot

(Citrus aurantium bergamia)possesses a light, fresh, floral citrus aroma that is uplifting, rejuvenating, and balancing. Bergamot is known to help relieve skin irritations, and can be helpful in the treatment of eczema, psoriasis, acne, wounds, ulcers and herpes. It helps to balance an oily complexion and helps repel insects.

Stay tunes as b.l.a.c. minerals will be launching an all natural, organic skin care line for women of color. Our products will heal and soothe skin allowing your true beauty to shine through.

b.l.a.c. mineral photo shoot

2008-04-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Our company photo shoot took place this past summer. We had a wonderful time and thank you to our great models, Starsha, Daina, and Katrina.

Photo by: KGB photography
Makeup by : Makeup by Alicia

Brown Skin Ignored ?

2008-04-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Today consumers have a plethora of choices to choose from when looking for beauty and skin care products. The beauty industry is a billion dollars business creating new products everyday for its potential customers. With all these products coming to the market ...Why do I feel ignored?

When it comes to products created for women of color, the variety simply doesn't exists. While there are a handful of companies that do try to appeal to the ethnic market such as MAC,Cover Girl Queen Collection, Iman among others, but compared to the masses its just a dent. As I breeze through the isles of the Walmart's and Target's of the world or see the never ending beauty infomercials, it sometimes baffles me that with all the products being sold, I still can't find a decent one for me.

While many beauty brands do not have to out rightly say in not made for you, its apparent who their target market is by the color options they choose to have. The excitement about a new product or technology in cosmetics is obliterated when I actually see the product and to my dismay find they don't offer "brown colors" I couldn't try the product if I wanted to. My only chance to test out the item is to live in a predominantly ethnic neighborhood where the retailers will appeal to that neighborhood's ethnic makeup.

IS this all fair? NO IT ISN'T

Ethnic women should be considered in the grand scheme of things, especially when it comes to consumer beauty products. The minority buying power as reported by Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business reported in August that U.S. Black buying power will total $845 billion in 2007 and is projected to top $1.1 trillion by 2012. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the three principal ethnic sectors--African-American, Hispanic and Asian--are expected to grow 13.5 percent to more than 95.6 million by 2010. In 2020 In 2020, those sectors could number 115.2 million.

These numbers prove we are a viable market...SO MARKET TO US !!

Black is Beautiful

2008-04-01T10:19:00.001-07:00

What So Big About Bare ?

2008-03-31T05:50:00.000-07:00

Bare Minerals; it's everywhere. Infomercials ,QVC; but is this product really worth all of it hype.

The answer is NOT REALLY!!

The premise for the company is advertising 100% all natural mineral makeup. So good you can sleep in it. The truth is not all of its claim to fame is true. While bare mineral is made of up of natural minerals, if you look closer at the ingredients label you will find that that is not necessarily the case.

One of the main ingredients in their mineral powders is the use of Bismuth Oxychoride . This is unfortunate because the majority of women with sensitive skin, acne and roseacea will find that products with this ingredient will irritate their skin. Bismuth Oxychloride is a synthetically prepared white or nearly white finely crystalline, odorless powder . It is the by-product of lead and copper refining. It rarely occurs in nature. It is used in many brands because of its highly reflective properties which is then advertised as able to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Also it does have a shimmer effect, but does not resemble the most natural looking glow.While the ability to reflect light does make this possible, there are other ways to achieve it.This ingredient is a cheap inexpensive filler. It is very heavy element that needs to be forced into the skin otherwise it can slide of the wearer's face. Hence the buffing action needed to apply the makeup. While it does have binding qualities which will allow it to "stick" to the skin, again there are natural ways to achieve this.

Mineral makeup brands that do not use this ingredient are noticeably lighter in feel and blend with less effort. The use of Mica can produce a shimmer effect and a achieve a more natural glow than the use of bismuth. Mica is a transparent mineral which is mined from the earth . It can be sparkling or completely matte. Due to the sheer, translucent effect of the mica mineral, your natural skin tone shines through. The shimmery properties of mica which reflects light from the face, help create an illusion of a smoother, softer and more radiant skin .

Also if you take a look at the many products they sell other synthetic preservatives and fillers are used:

1. Bare Escentuals bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper
Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

2.Bare Escentuals Radiant Lip Gloss
Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben Butylparaben

Blue 1 Lake , Yellow 5 Lake , Yellow 6 Lake ,

Red 40 Lake , Red 6 Lake , Red 7 Lake ,

Red 27 Lake , Red 28 Lake , Red 30 Lake ,

Red 21, Bismuth Oxychloride

These are just a few...DON'T BE FOOLED by the hype. Do your own research. Use what you feel is best for your skin.

Beauty In The Land of The Pharaohs

2008-03-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

What Would You Eat... For Beauty

2008-03-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

Beauty Back in the Day

2008-03-29T13:17:00.001-07:00

Blush It On Baby....3 step guide to applying blush the right way

2008-03-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

When you ask most women today how to apply blush, most don't know how. Its a products that can swing both ways: real good where you get that wonderful flushed glow look, or real bad where you look like you belong to the circus. But blush is an amazing product that when applied the right way it can really enhance your natural beauty and have you look remarkably beauty in seconds.

Here is our easy fool proof guide to applying blush so you too can look absolutely fabulous.

Step 1:

-Select a blush color that is as close as possible to what a natural flush would mimic.

Tan complexion - soft pink,peaches, lt. purples
Medium Complexions- peaches,soft reds,soft corals
Deep Complexions - plums,deep corals,med. reds

- Use a blush brush. These can be any small to medium head brushes with loosely gathered hairs

Step 2 :

- Dip brush into blush and get a small amount of powder on brush. Tap off any excess.

*When using our mineral powder VERY LITTLE is needed. The pigment are so rich in color that only sprinkles of powder is needed to achieve a natural look.

Step 3:

-Form a smile and locate where the plump part of your cheek are(apples of the cheeks)
- Apply powder to the apples of the cheek and blend up towards hairline.
- If you feel more in needed repeat steps,but remember less is always more.

That is , its that simple. If you follow you step you will be guaranteed a lovely natural glowing look.

Elite Models Seek Ethnic Beauty

2008-03-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Kiss of Death...Lead in Your Makeup

2008-03-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

According to a study done by the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics (http://www.safecosmetics.org/newsroom/press.cfm?pressReleaseID=26)
more that half of 33 major brands of lipstick (61%) were found to have significant anounts of lead in their lipsticks.

Some of the major brands tested were :

-L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red”
-L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine”
-Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red”
-Dior Addict “Positive Red”

Lead is an extremely toxic substance that has been known to cause health problems. After continued use of these lipsticks, the amount of lead builds up in the body and can cause major problems. The question is why have lead in makeup anyway?

With the beauty business being a billion dollar industry, they are constantly trying to find new and innovative products to sell to consumers at the cheapest price. Many major beauty brands add harmful ingredients just to use as a fillers. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS. Makeup can be made safer.

It is so important now more than ever for consumer to really look at what you are putting on you precious skin. Don't accept just anything. It does matter whether there are certain chemicals in your makeup or not. The chemicals and harmful ingredients can contribute to many of the skin problems use women face today; blemishes,acne,large pores, dark spots the list goes on.

You owe it to yourself to only use the best. Its your skin , take good care of it.