Hesed

"Hesed" means favor or kindness in Hebrew. It is also the name of the newest shade of Affordable Mineral Makeup™, a rich gold shade with accents of orange shimmer. Check it out at InnerBeautyGirls.com :)

Hesed

Colors and Time, Springing Up

If you are in a timezone that observes Daylight-Saving Time, don't forget to Spring Forward tonight! I've already set my clocks forward in hopes of getting my mind acclimated to the change and getting to bed and hour "early" tonight so I don't loose out on any sleep Sunday morning. While it's no fun to have mornings come earlier, I do love the longer daylight evenings of spring and summer!

Speaking of spring, Affordable Mineral Makeup™ has introduced six gorgeous new shades this week, just in time for spring. I don't name them (and honestly am not a fan of several of the name choices this time around) but the colors are amazing! You can find them all at InnerBeautyGirls.com

If you are following current fashion trends into bright colors, check out the vibrant blue of Eclipse or the green pop of Prana.

Eclipse

For earthy tones with a touch of shimmer, you are going to love Down Under and Nadis.

Down Under

Looking more for pink or purple tones? Then check out Wonderland and goddess. (Like I said, some of the names bother me, this one most of all. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one" Deuteronomy 6:4. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus..." Ephesians 2:10a.)

Wonderland

May your spring be bright as we look in anticipation to the celebration of our risen Savior!

A Lovely Sale

Affordable Mineral Makeup™ is offering you a 10% discount off your entire order from www.InnerBeautyGirls.com now thorugh 23:59 EST, Feb. 14, 2010 when you use coupon code: valentine

Not sure where to start? Consider our beautiful First Love Blush for a soft glow. :) Need more help, check out the options on my sidebar including How to Apply Mineral Makeup and Choosing Colors.

First Love
5g jar is just $6.99 at htt://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com or choose from any of our 9 product sizes!

New Shade - Violet

Affordable Mineral Makeup™ has introduced yet another new shade this week! Similar in shade to Lace, our new Violet is also a is a soft, sheer pearlescent, but more vibrant than Lace, leaning toward the purple side of the color spectrum (whereas Lace is pinker or more mauve in tone).

Violet
5g jar can be yours for $7.79 at htt://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com or choose from any of our 9 product sizes!

Lace

It's the start of a new year. Many are making resolutions and plans for a fresh start. I must admit to doing my own soul-searching and reflecting, but in looking forward, I'm also looking back. 2009 was a hard year in many ways, but I'm thankful for the struggles God carried us through and rejoicing in the victories He has had in and through my life over the past year. If you want to more about these beautiful lessons, I would love to encourage you to visit God-Sized Dreams and Choosing Joy on my InfertilityMom blog.

Looking even further back, beyond this past year, even the past decade, I'm thankful for the beautiful gift of loving family and a heritage of faith. A tangible reminder of these gifts is the hand-crocheted lace I find around my home; a fragile framed doily crafted by my great, great grandmother, now hanging on my wall, a doily lovingly made by Rick's grandmother gracing a side table, a dresser scarf that belong to my grandmother to put a smile on my face as I stand before my mirror each morning...

Lace is a lot like life, fragile and complex and in need of a skillful Hand to craft it into full beauty. Sometimes stains come along that seem to mar what was beautiful, but when cared for with love, these scars become a beautiful part of the legacy.

So, beyond the turn of a calendar page, what's prompted these reflections today? Please allow me to introduce you to the new Affordable Mineral Makeup™ shade named Lace! This light, pearlescent shade of pink is a dainty color that's great on eyes. To make it brighter, it can be applied wet. A 5g jar can be yours for $7.79 at www.affordablemineralmakeup.com/innerbeauty.html

Lace

Joy

What brings you joy? I'm not talking about material happiness, like a new car or even your favorite drink from the corner coffee shop, that might bring a glow for a season, then fades into emptiness and wanting more. I'm talking about that deep, abiding joy that can be there even in the midst of dark circumstances.

Maybe you are unemployed, single or facing some life challenge and think, "Once I find a good job" or "get married" or "regain my health" then this empty place in my heart will be filled. It was like that for me through infertility, thinking that having children would bring lasting joy.

But you know what? Three living miracles later, I'm very thankful for them and they do fill my heart in so many amazing ways, but none of them were "the answer" either. This is not to say that I am not overwhelmingly aware of the blessings these answered prayers are in my life and I am so humbled and grateful to be in this season. It's just stating the reality that my children didn't fix every lonely and broken longing of my heart as I sometimes dreamed they might, just as marriage or a new job or whatever answer you are aching for cannot fill you with full joy either.

The only true joy I've ever found came in the form of the Baby born in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago. Through infertility, the Baby mocked me from the manger, for if even a virgin could give birth, I was in sad shape to not be able to conceive or carry even with cutting edge medical assistance. But it was in looking beyond the manger, to the Father in Heaven who gave His Son and knowingly took up the anguish of a grieving parent so that He could call me His adopted daughter, that made the manger a beautiful place in my heart.

It was in watching that Baby grow, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, who willingly exchanged my sin and shame for the His own life, taking on death to buy my eternal life, that I realized the source of deepest, lasting joy.

There are many things that bring me happiness in this life, my husband and sweet babies certainly at the top of my list. In preparation for Jesus' birthday party, I also delight in beautiful sights, smells and sounds that fill our home. But true joy is found only at a manger, a cross, an empty tomb, and in the hearts of those who believe in the certain hope of all we cannot see.

The (in)Courage blog is offering a whole month of Joy-themed posts that I'm really en-joy-ing. One that especially resounded with me last week was Still Happy? about the "golden thread of joy" that can weave through our lives even in painful seasons. And if you are struggling to hold onto joy in the midst of unhappy circumstances in life, I invite you to visit my Harvesting Hope™ blog for an encouraging give-away!

To add to the fun and celebratory spirit of the season, I would also love to invite you to check out the newest limited edition shade from Affordable Mineral Makeup™ whose name, Joy, inspired this post. "Joy" offers an array of pearlescent pinks, light green with a touch of lilac and is great on eyes. A 5g jar is only $6.99 at www.affordablemineralmakeup.com/innerbeauty.html

Joy

In this season when the whole world celebrates CHRISTmas, I would love to hear one tradition that brings you happiness in your home. For me it is wrapping our "Baby Jesus" (from the hand carved wooden nativity set that was in my childhood home) in toilet paper. Sounds odd? As a 3-year-old I was worried that the Baby was cold and so I swaddled Him "just like Mary" did. It's a quiet, yearly tradition that makes me stop and think in the business of the season and continues to remind me of the amazingly humble yet powerful Gift that brings me Joy.

Limited Edition Holiday Mineral Makeup

Affordable Mineral Makeup™ has come out with another great product, available in limited quantities, and just in time for the holidays. In fact, it's name is Holiday and this delightful shade offers various tones of gold shimmer with a touch of crimson shimmer and shine, great for cheeks, eyes, highlighting. Get a 5 gram sifter jar for just $7.04 at http://www.InnerBeautyGirls.com while supplies last!

Holiday

Discount Code & Limited Edition Colors

Affordable Mineral Makeup launched two new "limited edition" colors this month (avaliable until current supply sells out) and is also offer a special discount code good only until midnight EST tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 7), so you have about 28 hours from the time of my posting to take advantage of it.

First, it is my pleasure to share our two newest, limited-time availability colors with you, Calm and Cactus.

Calm is a Semi-matte Multipurpose mauve shade with a touch of pale pink that works well on eye or can also be used as blush.

Cactus is a Pearlescent Multipurpose mineral with green-brown tones that are lovely on eyes.


The discount code for 10% off your entire order placed before midnight tomorrow night is:
enviroexploitation
This discount is a reflection of the company owner, Tara Burner, and her passion for the environment. You can learn more at http://www.greencrossinternational.net and if you you post one face you learned from the link in your comments when you place your order, you will also receive a bonus gift with your order, in addition to the 10% discount. :)

Chocolate!

One of my favorite "just for fun" blogs is Stop and Smell the Chocolate. Today Lisa is reviewing products from chocolate.com and offering instructions for a $5 coupon to that site as well.

I don't have any edible chocolate to offer today, but reading through her blog not only got my mouth watering, but got me thinking of a few of our beautiful Affordable Mineral Makeup™ (AMM) colors that I wanted to share with you:

First up is an AMM exclusive, Chocolate Mint, one of 54 colors currently offered in our Pearlescent Multipurpose Mineral line. This shade is a warm chocolate brown, enhanced with a slight shimmering mint green. We have 9 product size options to choose from, but to give you an idea of pricing, order a sample of this shade for $3.30 or an entire 5g sifter jar (1 gram net product weight) for $7.79.

Next we have great foundation shades for darker complexions such as African-American women, including Chocolate Foundation and Dark Chocolate Foundation. Our foundations (like all of our mineral powder products) are made from pure minerals, free of additives, fillers and irritants such as talc or bismuth and do not harbor bacteria like conrstarch-based mineral lines can. Many sizes to choose from with a 5 gram sifter jar (1 g. net weight) running just $6.79. :)

Chocolate Brown Mascara is an exclelent mineral-based mascara. It contains water, beeswax, candelilla wax, ozokerite, carnuba wax, fennel extract, hops extract, balm mint extract, mistletoe extract, matricaria extract, yarrow extract, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and ozokerite and you can get a .25 oz tube (with applicator) of this dark chocolate shade for just $20.99

See the entire line of quality Affordable Mineral Makeup™ at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com by clicking on the "shop" button there right now. :)

Healthy Hair Care

I've been trying to learn about natural hair care for some time now and keep coming up rather short in the information I've been able to track down. Today I happened upon several articles from dkMommySpot and want to link them here as much as for my own future reference as for your information. As I take the time to play and experiment with these myself, I'll post my own update results in the future. :)

How to Darken (and Fight Gray) Hair Naturally with rosemary and sage

Apparently the hair darkening tip led the blog author into trying No Shampoo methods for hair cleaning and she posted several updates:
- Personal No 'Poo Challenge
- Day 12, Is Essential Oil the Answer?
- To 'Poo or Not to 'Poo 3 week update
- Sane Jane or Dirty Hairy? 5 week update, raw eggs, still experimenting
- Almost Threw in the Towel 4-month update, baking soda scrub, apple cider vinegar, and some lessons learned the hard way
Wow, I'm eager to do some more reasearch and maybe give "No 'Poo" a try myself. Any readers with experience in this area?

And one more post on hair from her page is this simple tip for Homemade Hairspray the Really Works

Tease

I've saved the best for last, at least as far as my personal preferences go. There are 5 new shades available from Affordable Mineral Makeup™ this fall! I've introduced you to a new one each day this week, but this one is my personal favorite. You can see the entire line at InnerBeautyGirls.com by clicking on the "shop" button right now. :)



Tease is a fun shade of magenta, pink, sheen. Can be applied lightly or in layers or wet for darker, more dramatic look.

$7.79 for 5g sifter jar (1g net product weight) or select from select from 9 other sizing and packaging options!

Drenched

There are 5 new shades available from Affordable Mineral Makeup™ this fall! I'm introducing you to one new one each day this week, or you can jump right to InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" button to see them all right now. :)



Drenched is a shade of various pearlescent blues that can go on lightly or apply few layers or wet for deeper more dramatic look.

$7.79 for 5g sifter jar (1g net product weight) or select from select from 9 other sizing and packaging options!

Drama Queen

There are 5 new shades available from Affordable Mineral Makeup™ this fall! I'm introducing you to one new one each day this week, or you can jump right to InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" button to see them all right now. :)



Drama Queen offers an an array of pink, purple and gold tones.

$7.79 for 5g sifter jar (1g net product weight) or select from select from 9 other sizing and packaging options!

Coral

There are 5 new shades available from Affordable Mineral Makeup™ this fall! I'm introducing you to one new one each day this week, or you can jump right to InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" button to see them all right now. :)



Coral is a pearlescent coral shade that has many uses. Excelent shade for eyes, cheeks, highlighter.

$7.79 for 5g sifter jar (1g net product weight) or select from select from 9 other sizing and packaging options!

New Mineral Makeup Color: Smooch

There are 5 new shades available from Affordable Mineral Makeup™ this fall! I'll introduce you to one each day the rest of this week, or you can jump right to InnerBeautyGirls.com and click on the "shop" button to see them all right now. :)



Smooch is a delightful mixture of violet and purple with a touch of sheen.
Can go from light to dark if applied in layers or wet.

$7.79 for 5g sifter jar (1g net product weight) or select from select from 9 other sizing and packaging options!

This Fall's Trendy Colors

Look for 5 new shades of Affordable Mineral Makeup™ coming in early September. Want a sneak peak at what the experts are saying will be "hot" colors this fall and winter? Coral, violet (with pink or blue undertones), deep blue, mauve... Come back in September to see for youself!

How do I Choose the Right Color?

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive about mineral makeup is, "How do I choose the right products and colors?"

First of all, I would encourage you to read product descriptions. Tara at AMM has done a wonderful job of giving very accurate descriptions of products and detailed suggestions about skin colorings each of our product colors are designed to compliment.

My next suggestion is to always start with samples. Our samples are under $3 each and you can order several for the price of just one product elsewhere, so this is a great way to "test drive" several different products and color selections.

As an example of what colors you might want to consider for different skin types, here are a few self-descriptions submitted by real customers and the product suggestions they have been given:


Customer #1

"I am medium fair skinned, warm or neutral. I am mostly looking for foundation, to cover reddish tones, maybe to cover eye circles. I also think it may be nice to have some kind of highlighter instead of blush, to add some color, warmth. What shades do you recommend I start with?"

Foundation: try samples of #3, #7, Light Beige and Medium Beige - If
none of these shades seems "perfect" on first try, mix various combinations until you find just the right shade you are looking for.

For extra coverage for problem areas (as well as aid in oil absorption if this is an issue for you), you might want to try a Concealer applied directly to trouble spots, under your foundation.
Our Light Green corrects redness without looking green and is great for blotches, acne, rosacea, sunburn or any redness. Bisque hides blemishes, red areas, dark circles or any other problem area of your face.

Highlighter options would include our Illuminizers (Reflection might be just the kind of shade you are looking for), Bronzers (try Grand) or some of our Exclusive Multipurpose Mineral shades such as Cotton Candy Brown, Fall, Lust, Sequoia, Snow Storm or Wish - Just remember to use a very light hand. A little goes a LONG way and it is always better to go back for a second light application than to try to "undo" too much!

Also consider Opaque Veil for a beautiful finish.


Customer #2

"I have light olive skin. I don't get a lot of sun, so it isn't as dark as it used to be. It still has what I call that "green" tint to it. I usually end up using a medium to light shade of makeup. Any suggestions would be great. I need a foundation, mineral veil, and blush. I know I can trust you to be honest with me, and not try to sell me something I don't need."

For foundation I would think your be our Medium Beige, though you might consider samples of both #3 and #7 and possibly even #5. Each one has a pretty valid description posted with it (follow the "Shop Now" link half way down my page at www.InnerBeautyGirls.com) so you can read a bit more and see what you think of these specifically.

Blush is really up to your personal preference. Again the descriptions seem spot on as for how the colors act. You can also look at the Multipurpose shades as many of these make great blushes as well. If you can let me know if you prefer more pink or netral or brownish tones, I can give a couple of specific suggestions. :)

For Veil, even though it looks so strange, almost white, in the picture and even in person before you put it on, for ever single skin color I've tried it with, my actual favorite veil shade is opaque. I wouldn't have believed it until I tried it myself, but this one looks so much better even than a "matching" shade with everyone I've watched apply it! Since I haven't tried it on your skin, if you want to try a more matching shade as well, descriptions are posted by clicking on the "Mineral Veil Finishers" link to the left of my page.



Customer #3

"Very pale skin color, red pink - ugh! Makes me look ruddy! I burn like crazy in sun, big freckles... light tan, sick looking, need sand, bronze, kind of a wine color. Mauve is the color I used to use for blush and lipstick. Pinks and yellows make me look funny. I need concealer, foundation and a veil but i'm not sure where to start."

Start with the light green concealer to address redness. If you also want to cover the freckles, also try bisque.

For foundation, try our Light Beige or Medium Beigh next.

You could try either the tan or opaque veil (I tend to prefer opaque as a general rule).

Blush shades you might enjoy are Rose (it is a "wine" shade) or our Sweet Multipurpose. These can be used on both cheeks and lips. If you prefer a mauve, try Warm Mauve blush (can also be used for lips).


Customer #4
"I have alabaster ivory skin. Most foundations are either too yellow or too pink. I've purchased a lot of foundations that are the wrong color and am very hesitant to purchase products based on website pictures alone. I don't want to spend money trying a bunch of samples, I just want to order your $6.99 size and get started with the right color."

I am sorry you have had such a struggle finding a good shade of foundation. While I can appreciate your desire to jump right in and run with a full-sized product in the right shade, I am afraid you would simply run into the same frustrating wrong-shade issues once again. There are just too many shade variables from skin tone to skin tone to be able to make "blind" recommendations. You would never plan a wedding with the color "red" and expect to be able to order "red" items, sight-unseen, and have your bridesmaids dresses match your pew bows and candles wedding favors. "Red" is just to variable! Likewise, "ababaster ivory" is probably a great description for your skin shade, but it doesn't tell me everything I need to know to be able to make a perfect shade recomendation for you.

You know how it feels to find the wrong color over and over. I want you to love our products from the start by finding the shade that works perfectly for you, but I'm afraid this won't happen if you only give us one try. If you feel you absolutely must purchase a 5g sifter size from the start, I would encourage you to add a couple of other sample shades to your order as well. There are no hard and fast rules that say that you can only use products within one catagory for each purpose either. That way you have the best chance of finding out if there is a better match of if mixing shades together would work best for you! If you are willing to work with me long enough to find a shade that truly works for you, I would think you will be thrilled with the final outcome!

While I still stand by all I have already shared about the importance of sampling shades, you need a starting point to even begin sampling. Emma, one of our consultants who also describes herself as having alabaster skin, has found the following combination to work best for her coloring needs. Notice that her "foundation" comes from our "veil" line rather than from our foundations! "I use the Pink Veil as my foundation with my almost transparent skin tone. I have a pink undertone as opposed to a yellow undertone, but if I try to tan I turn yellow. It is such a soft, petal-like amount of pink that it blends my skin imperfections perfectly. Where I occasionally get a brighter pink blemish, I use the light green concealer to cover it, and it blends very nicely. I also love the Wish Exclusive Multimineral color as my "bronzer". Many people find this too pale, but it works great for me!"



Customer #5
"I am 62 years old and I have always loved wearing makeup, but am now concerned about the chemicals especially since I am allergic to many medications that are chemicals. I was a redhead (auburn) when I was young, but am rapidly turning gray. My mother was French, my dad German-Irish, so I had his red Irish hair mixed with the dark brown of my mother. My complexion is also a mixture of her olive complexion & his fair complexion so I am not totally olive skinned, but lean more towards those colors than the light ones. I also have some age spots that need to be concealed. A lot of makeups turn orange on me. I usually do well with beige & I like the pinkish brown blushes & lip colors. I look good in most colors except royal blue which makes me look ashen. I have bright green eyes. I usually don't wear eye shadow, but would if I could find something that doesn't make my eyes swell. What samples would you recommend that I try?"

Try medium or medium dark beige foundations as a starting place. Color/skin tone
description on the website are really good, so you might want to read a few other descriptions and see if there is another foundation color or two you want to try as well, to be sure you get the very best for your skin. I usually try matching color on the inside of my wrist and when I rub it into the skin and when I find a shade that does not show in the fine lines, that's my color! Sometimes you need to mix a couple of different shade together to get just the right combination.

For concealing, either our apricot or bisque consealer would probably work
best. Apricot works especially well with olive tones, but given that you aren't
"totally olive" you may want to sample the bisque as well. Again, it may be a
matter of mixing a couple of products to find your custom shade. If you have
any redness to hide, I would also encourage you to try the green - sounds crazy
but works really well on redness without giving your skin a green tint!

For a "pinkish brown" try our "Cotton Candy Brown" under "Exclusive
Multipurpose Minerals". I have lighter skin (wear our light beige) and also
like our Exclusive "Rosewood" shade but it isn't as brown and has maybe a deeper
shade to its pinkness. Between our blush line and our Exclusives line, we have
over 50 colors you can choose from, so have fun playing through the product
descriptions and photos and see what catches your fancy! I've also heard from others with skin tones close to your description that they like True and Warm Mauve Blushes. Our minerals are safe to use on lips as well. I either dip a wet lip brush in the powder and paint on, or put on a clear lip balm like our Moonlite Lip Glossy first and then apply a little powder with my finger.

I always finish my makeup application (or on a day I don't want to do anything
else I at least do this) with a Mineral Veil Finisher. While we do have a few
shades for you to try, my favorite on myself as well as every skin tone I have
worked with in person, has been our Opaque Veil. It's a little scary when you
first see it because it looks almost white and I was afraid it would be
clown-like, but using a very light hand, it just "melts" into your face and
gives you a soft glow without washing out color at all. For any of the full
face powders like the foundations and veils, application using a Kabuki style
brush gives the absolute best results, so if you are using a differnt kind of
brush, please know that you are not getting the most out of your makeup!

For your green eyes we offer several fantastic eyeliner pencils - would think
Gold or Cent would be especially pretty with your eyes, and possibly Amethyst as
well. If your eyes have any hazel/brown tones to their green, Chameleon from our Exclusive Multipurpose line across your eyelid and Intrigue (may be mixed with some Ebony if you desire) applied as eyeliner, should make your eyes pop beautifully! I don't wear much eye makeup myself (just a quick dusting of blush or bronzer across my lids usually), but to show you a few options I am borrowing an article about green eyes that was written by a fellow AMM consultant, Cherl. You may be especially interested in the "natural looking" tips half way down:

----
Using Amethyst (a bold purple shade) and a liner brush, line both the top and
bottom portions of the eye. To make the eye appear larger line only from the
center out on both portions. Leave the line thick and bold and dust with 14
Karat Gold or 24 Karat (Shimmering Minerals) on the upper lid.

Using Teal Shimmer (Shimmering Minerals) or Emerald (Exclusive Multipurpose
Minerals) and a liner brush, line the top and bottom lids with a very thin line.
Blend into a slightly thicker line with Charcoal Grey or Intrigue (both Multi
Purpose & Eye shadows) for a smoky effect, and use Pink Gem, Pink Shimmer, or
any peach/pink combination for eye shadow.

Using Harvest, Cinnamon Brown, or Cacao create a bold sweep of color on the top
lid. Smudge a much lighter, but complementary shadow under the eye and use as
the contour shade for the upper lid. Finish with a light, neutral shadow all
over (I suggest Bare or Cheers).

For Natural-Looking Beautiful Green Eyes
Subtle shadow and mascara draw attention to gorgeous green eyes. You don't
always have to go bold for green eyes to look incredible. You can also use eye
makeup to achieve a very natural look that makes your eyes stand out. Light
colors are typically more natural looking, so depending on your skin, hair, and
specific shade of green eyes, you may want to try peaches, pinks, tawny colors,
taupe’s, light coppers, matte golds, and subdued greens and lilacs for a
softer, sweeter, and more natural look.

A few other ways to get pretty green eyes without the made-up look:

Using your fingertip or q-tip, blend Bare or Cheers along the upper and lower
lash line. Curl lashes and finish with two coats of mascara one to two shades
darker than your natural lashes. This will give a lovely, very natural look that
still draws attention to your green eyes.

Dot a Penny (Shimmering Minerals) line along the upper eyelid and smudge gently
with your fingertip or eyeliner tool. Add a contour with a hint of green shadow,
highlight gently sweep a lighter, but complementary copper shade below the brow
bone. Use White ~ Matte on the inner part of the lower lid and teal shimmer or
Amethyst for brighter green eyes.



----
Wondering what colors you should try? If still in doubt, please feel free to ask! I hope to continue building this list with many more skin descriptions, so please feel free to reply with your coloring and help me build this resource! You may comment here or email me at innerbeauty AT affordablemineralmakeup DOT com (remove the spaces and repace AT with @ and DOT with .). If you have any trouble with that address (as a few have reported their emails bouncing) please try me at jennifer AT Saake DOT biz. I look forward to helping find just the right products to let YOUR inner beauty shine!