A few months ago I was “in need” (OK that’s really a relative phrase when you are obsessed with makeup and skin care) of a new bronzer and I decided to reach out to my friend Aimee so I could try Savvy Minerals.

I love trying new brands – not really loyal to just one – so I was thrilled there was a new player in the “natural” and even more important to me – talc free (it’s soooooo irritating) – makeup space.

Long story short: I wore the blushes a lot during the end of my pregnancy and every morning when I walked into work I got compliments on my “glow” despite being soooo pregnant.

More details on the products below but first I want to address a growing sentiment as social media becomes more pervasive in our lives:

Multi-Level Marketing and Direct Sales Fatigue

I’ve received positive comments from friends who are relieved my site isn’t just a front or an agenda to sell them something, and I understand that feeling.  Sometimes it feels like all of our Facebook friends are trying to “sell” something and that can be tiresome. However, I really appreciate that there are so many opportunities for women especially to more easily start their own businesses and earn additional income. Sometimes our Facebook friend’s enthusiasm can be too strong at times, but as women we should support each other’s efforts where we can.

I’m frequently asked what I think about the multitude of healthy and beauty brands we see frequently from our friend’s feeds:

• Rodan & Fields – As a skin care junkie I so wish I could support my friends and acquaintances selling these products. I’ve tried a sample of a product before and it was OK, but moreover I’m too sensitive to use most products with added fragrance. Maybe I may try their lash booster one day after I have a good look at the ingredients. I’m very impressed with results of seen from others using their Reverse regimen, but I’ve tried very strong prescribed hydroquinone cream before that didn’t work for me, and like with retinol based products I’m not at a point in my life right now where I should be messing around with those ingredients.

• DoTerra and Young Living Essential Oils – I wish natural meant “totally not-irritating and fine for Maggie to use” but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Lots of “natural” ingredients or derivatives can still be irritating to individuals. I get headaches and nausea from most rose essential oils and extracts or products that contain them; but you may be surprised to learn I actually LOVE the scent of fresh rose flowers.
  • Ever since my husband and I removed artificial fragrances from our home 5 years ago, we have become particularly sensitive to most natural scents or essential oils too (which makes being a natural/organic/green beauty enthusiast difficult when companies love using essential oils).
  • I have to determine on a case by case basis, smelling in person, if a scent is going to bother me, so unfortunately it’s unlikely I would buy essential oils from my friends. I use essential oils very limitedly because in our house, no scent is the least stressful choice rather than a “relaxing” lavender oil.

• BeautyCounter – I appreciate this brand is getting a lot of exposure and support for greener, less toxic beauty products; but they use talc in most of their makeup and the fragrance they use is a turn off for me. I would appreciate more information on precisely what the natural fragrances are (so I can know for example if it is rose based). Also the BeautyCounter foundation I tried was just OK and I couldn’t handle the fragrance.
  • But these are tricky topics to comprehend when you are in “sell” mode (like for the BeautyCounter entrepreneur who tried to “inform me” on instagram)  or if you aren’t separated enough from certain ingredients or fragrances long enough to realize how sensitive you are to them – I don’t care how your talc or fragrance is sourced: they can still be irritating and stressful. At some point I will likely try some of their unscented baby products.

Our MLM friends and family will likely have more success on social media if they make a specific list of friends to post to (and edit that list frequently) and/or create a Facebook page to separate their business from personal life.

My Savvy Minerals by Young Living Review and Experience

Savvy Minerals Pros:

• The colors are really nice and the formulas seemed similar to Bare Minerals. I had chosen two blushes, the darker – Passionate – for a bronzer, instead of an actual bronzer because the bronzers seemed too cool. My friend suggested using the darker powder foundation shades as bronzers.
• The eyeshadow Diffused is fantastic at lasted surprisingly longer than I thought. I wear this all the time.
• Not only was my friend and rep knowledgeable, but she added me to a Facebook group where other reps share tips and ticks for using the products. Very helpful for those of you that are new to or getting back into makeup.

Swatches of Savvy Minerals talc free paraben free mineral makeup blushes Passionate (I use as bronzer), Smashing and Diffused powder eyeshadow.

Savvy Minerals Cons:

• Historically loose powder formulas don’t last long on my face, regardless of all the ways I’ve tried to make makeup last longer. Savvy Minerals wasn’t an exception, however, I think this has more to do with my skin.
• It would be better for Young Living/Savvy Minerals and their reps if the shopping experience and website were easier to use. It’s difficult to navigate. BeautyCounter and Stella and Dot are great examples of strong websites: it’s easy to purchase, it’s aesthetically pleasing and easy to find your rep (and for them to get credit).

Unlike Bare Minerals, Savvy Minerals uses clay and a park extract and no bismuth. I’m not sure what the deal is with bismuth – maybe some people find it too be irritating?

In my opinion, the quality seems comparable to Bare Minerals. Products are more expensive and their are fewer color choices, but the existing choices are beautiful. If you have a friend or family member that sells Savvy Minerals, I would suggest supporting them and trying their products out before buying a similar product from Bare Minerals.