Celebs Dig Mineral Makeup
by Carolyn Brundage

Last night I slept with my makeup on.

And that's a good thing.

Thanks to "mineral makeup," a new category in cosmetics, wearing makeup can finally do more good than harm.

The makeup consists of minerals and inorganic pigments, which don't require preservatives that could harm your skin, a possibility that's received a lot of publicity.

The rich hues are derived from combinations of colored minerals including mica, titanium dioxide, zinc and more. Not only do these natural ingredients lend themselves to beautiful, multifaceted hues, but minerals don't support bacteria growth. So some makeup woes such as infections are a thing of the past.

I sat down with Jane Iredale, a woman who by many accounts pioneered the mineral makeup trend, to find out how this new category of cosmetics is changing the face of beauty.

Iredale got her start in mineral makeup in 1994, when she began supplying her line of gentle, good-for-skin cosmetics to plastic surgeons. The products quickly gained popularity, particularly for working effectively on skin that had just undergone laser resurfacing.

Iredale's first product was called "Indian Earth" and consisted of loose powders in four shades. It wasn't long before Iredale left a successful career in TV and film (she worked with Francis Ford Coppola on The Outsiders and Steven Spielberg on The Color Purple) to devote her energies to Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, a collection that Iredale says "blurs the line between skin care and makeup."

The increased use of high definition TV, known for magnifying flaws, has also spurred the popularity of mineral makeup. "HDTV is using mineral makeup now because traditional makeup is detectable," Iredale says. "It's a real celebrity makeup now."

Celebs who use the makeup include Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Debra Messing, Naomi Campbell and Madonna, to name a few.

Mineral makeup has become so popular that Iredale Mineral Cosmetics recently launched a men's collection called H\E Minerals.

According to Iredale, "not all mineral makeup is created equally." What to watch out for? "Check for SPF ratings and avoid products with parabins, a preservative."

Sample jane iredale, the skin care makeup at The Beauty Sample Sale event series.