REVIEW: Nude by Nature Natural Mineral Cover

The Nude by Nature range of mineral makeup products has been spruiked on Australian television for a few years now and I'm sure lots of you Australian readers have flirted with the Nude range.  I'm not always quick to jump onto trends (and clearly I'm way behind the pack here) but this was my first experience with their Natural Mineral Cover.  So, why not share my impressions anyway?  These are the impressions of an NC20 coloured, combination skinned, mildly pigmented middle aged female...

Firstly here are the claims as directly quoted from Nude's website:

"...Taking the concept of minerals to the next level, we took out the bismuth, that can irritate sensitive skin and appear cakey on the skin, and left only the ingredients that help to create the perfect, flawless, airbrushed complexion, NATURALLY!..."

"...Remarkably enhance and even out your natural skin-tone with a swirl of Natural Mineral Cover. This genius formulation is sure to impress when it covers redness, enlarged pores and birthmarks and is so gentle you can even use it on rosacea!"

"The beauty of this product is its ability to look like skin, not powder, with Kaolin Clay included, this Natural Mineral Cover allows it to mould easily with the natural oils in your skin. With no talcs, parabens and bismuth, you have a product that not only works, but is perfect for the most sensitive of skins.
It also contains SPF 15 ensuring you’re protected from the harsh damaging rays of the Australian sun."

There's absolutely no denying this is a fantastically gentle product and free from many nasties which can irritate sensitive skin but did I achieve that "...perfect, flawless, airbrushed complexion" that I crave?  

I've definitely been spoiled by the full coverage mineral makeup I've used in the past so my standards were set at a certain high-ish level.  I expected flawless, luminous coverage, and longevity of wear - and I've come to expect that kind of cover over bare (read:  moisturised but otherwise unprimed) skin.  Firstly I tried brushing this loose powder over bare skin and I found the coverage to be quite sheer, although I was able to build it to a medium coverage with repeated applications.  Whilst it did look natural I found I missed the glow I've become accustomed to, which is possibly due to the lack of boron nitrate - I'm no mineral scientist - I just did a direct comparison of ingredient lists and found the luminosity was attributed to boron nitrate in the other product.  Finally, the coverage disappeared from my t-zone all too quickly so I needed powder touch-ups throughout the day to cover my shiny and glowing nose.  

The good news is - ta-dah! - worn over primer the intensity and longevity of coverage was improved significantly so it lasted all day and into the evening.  Yes, I finally caved and introduced primer into my makeup repertoire which I didn't plan on having to do so that was a bit of a disappointment.  The other disappointment was the definite lack of luminosity but I suppose that is a matter of personal preference.  You're either going to go for the glow or the matte.  

Pros:

• Does not contain bismuth, talc or parabens
• Suitable for extremely sensitive skin
• Buildable coverage
• Non-cakey finish
• Creates a soft matte finish
• Non-mess packaging
• Contains SPF15
• Available in 5 shades - Fair, Light, Light / Medium, Medium & Dark

Cons: 

•  Requires primer to maximize coverage and wear time
•  Lacks the luminosity of some other mineral makeup brands

Would I buy this again?
I admit I'm enjoying wearing this product more now that I've introduced primer but I do miss my dewy glow.  This isn't a holy grail product for me so I know I'll be back out there on my journey looking for the next best thing in mineral makeup once I finish this pot.

Until next time,