(image from www.clinique.co.uk)
Today I am reviewing Clinique‘s Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder. It is from
Clinique‘s Redness Solutions range, which is mainly a skincare range that features products designed to calm down the redness of the skin. Instant Relief Mineral Powder is the only non-skincare item from the range.
As I mentioned in my review of ck Calvin Klein’s Subliminal Purity Mineral Based Loose Powder, in terms of beauty marketing (particularly with many mainstream beauty brands that are not traditionally associated with mineral makeup), a mineral or mineral-based powder is usually a talc-free powder (even though talc is a mineral ingredient) and it is usually not purely mineral. Instant Relief Mineral Powder is another example. It is talc-free and it contains non-mineral ingredients.
Purely mineral foundations/powders rarely suit me because they tend to be very drying and they usually don’t have a good staying power. Therefore, I have no problems with using powders that contain both mineral and non-mineral ingredients. Some non-mineral ingredients in foundations/powders add moisture to the products and help them adhere to the skin more evenly. Some of the non-mineral ingredients that act as emollients in this product are astrocaryum murumuru seed butter, isopropyl palmitate, lecithin, and squalane.
(The word “mineral” can mean “containing minerals”. (A mineral spring of course contains non-mineral substances.) However, I don’t think powders that contain non-mineral ingredients should be called “mineral” powders. They may confuse consumers since there are powders that are actually entirely mineral. Also, almost all foundations/powders contain some mineral ingredients anyway, and the word “mineral” in a product name, in many cases, does not necessarily differentiate one product from another.)
Instant Relief Mineral Powder is a yellow-toned loose powder that has a softly matte finish with no visible shimmer. The coverage is between sheer and sheer-to-medium. It has a fairly good shine control efficacy and the pore coverage is generally satisfactory.
I find that the yellowness of the powder does help even out the redness, but I also find that the yellow pigment goes on slightly too dark and too sallow on me. It does not have the brightening effect from some of the other yellow-toned products that I have tried.
(A yellow-toned powder from Kanebo Revue that I have works very well as a finishing powder that balances out my skin’s slight redness, which can sometimes make the skin look dull. Also, an Ettusais yellow-toned primer that I tried a few years ago had a very natural and long-lasting brightening effect.)
The powder does not contain parabens or fragrance. It contains bismuth oxychoride, which, according to Paula Begoun, may cause slight irritation but is not a toxic ingredient. (Some beauty companies, most of which are mineral makeup companies, claim that bismuth oxychloride is toxic, which, according to Paula Begoun, is not the case.)
If you are looking for a mineral loose powder, do remember that this powder contains non-mineral ingredients. Also, if you are looking for a matte shimmer-free loose powder with a decent oil control ability and would like to test out this product, do bear in mind that the yellow pigment in it may not suit all complexions.
(The product featured in this article is provided by Clinique.)
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Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF 20
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I believe that bismyth oxide is serves a dual function in cosmetics. The first one would be it is used as a filler. In other words to dilute the showcased ingredient. It also as a positive side effect of giving a kind of soft glow, or reflective type property to the powders or minerals, you know to add that dewy glowy effect. Also for those people who are acne prone, and some who aren't, will find that bizmyth ozide and or talc can cause acne. I don't think it's because it's toxic, I just think it's cause it clogs the pores. I personally avoid the ingredeints bysmyth oxide and talc, because both are just cheap fillers, and for the cost of cosmetics they should not be in the list.
Hi,
Indeed, bismuth oxychloride can help modify the finish of the powder by adding a subtle sheen.
I don't think bismuth oxychloride or talc (especially talc) is a cheap filler. Many foundations and pressed/loose powders (as well as powder eyeshadows and blushers) that I have come across that have an exceptionally silky texture feature talc as one of the major ingredients.
To quote from Mineral Makeup: A Special Report by Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron:
"Dismissing talc as a cheap, inelegant, less desirable, filler ingredient is inaccurate because talc serves as the essential backbone for a number of the most luxurious-feeling powders from dozens of lines…"
"The higher grades of talc are not 'filler' materials. They are essential to creating a powder's gossamer texture and skin-like finish."
(from http://www.cosmeticscop.com/bulletin/MineralMakeup2007.pdf)
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