What foundation shade should I wear?

This question isn’t as simple as it might seem.  In order to narrow down your shade, we invite you to contact an Alima Pure makeup artist.  If you have a foundation shade from another brand that is a good match for you, please include that information.  If you don’t, try to narrow down your undertone.  Then, imagine a scale from one to ten, one being newborn-baby-pale and ten being extremely dark skin.  Where on this scale would you say that your skin would fall?  Send the answers to these questions to our makeup artist and she will help you narrow down your selection to several samples.

Can you tell me my exact shade?

With 60 foundation shades, Alima Pure is often able to provide a closer match for you than other cosmetic lines.  By trying several samples, you will be able to find the shade that looks best on you in all types of lighting.

Wouldn’t it be faster to send a photo of myself?

Unfortunately, no.  The lighting in photos can actually throw the artists off, and monitor settings can further confuse the issue.  Photos should only be used as a last resort.

My skin looks just like (fill in celebrity name here)’s, does that help?

Again, unfortunately it does not.  When celebrities are being photographed, makeup artists are not concerned with matching their skin, but rather fulfilling a creative director’s vision. The image you see in your head when you think of your celebrity “skin twin” may be several shades different than what others see when they think of that celebrity, based on photos they have seen of them over time.

Does your foundation contain sunscreen?

Two of the main ingredients in Alima’s foundations are physical sun blocks, but in order to claim a specific SPF, we would have to have each of our shades evaluated in clinical trials by the FDA.  The sun protection would also be less than stated if a customer preferred sheer coverage, as many of our customers do.  It has been our experience (and that of the customers who have shared it with us) that Satin Matte Foundation provides adequate protection for incidental sun exposure, but if you plan to be outside for any length of time, we recommend wearing a sunscreen as well.

I’ve been reading a lot about nano-particles.  Do your products contain them?

No.  Nano-particles are so fine and light that they become airborne very easily.  Any loose powdered cosmetics created with nano-particles would be a nuisance to use – kind of like working with millions of tiny packing peanuts on a very dry day.  Because they are so fine, nano particles actually provide very little coverage.  Most of all, there are serious concerns about their safety. For these reasons you will never find nano-particles in Alima Pure products.  You have our word on that.

Are your products micronized? Does that mean they have nano-particles?  

No.  All mineral pigments are “micronized,” which means that the pigment particles can be measured in microns.  Anything not micronized would feel gritty on the skin and be uncomfortable to use.  Micronized particles have a soft, silky feel while providing excellent coverage.  But they are not nano-particles.  Nano-particles can be measured in nanometers.  A nanometer is one thousand times smaller than a micron.

I’m ready to order some samples, but I’m confused with all of these different powders.  What do I really need?

All you really need is the Satin Matte Foundation.  All of the other face powders are great accessories, but not strictly necessary. Consider them if:

• you are bothered by oil throughout the day – Balancing Primer Powder.
• you have excess color that you would like to tone down – Color Balancing Powder.
• you want an extra smooth appearance – Satin Finishing Powder.
• you have dark spots that you wish to cover – Concealer, but first try using your foundation with a concealer brush, as it will give a more natural appearance.
• you don’t feel “finished” without a translucent powder – Satin Finishing Powder.

Do I need to buy your brushes?

That depends.  If you have been using a mineral foundation with a brush, and are happy with that brush, you should continue to use it.  We believe our brushes are the perfect complement to our products. We designed the foundation brush ourselves, and we were definitely one of the first companies to offer man-made bristles, but that doesn’t mean that you need to purchase one.  After you use our products for a while, you may want to invest in an Alima Pure brush–you will be surprised at what a difference it makes.  If you don’t already have a brush, you will want to purchase one, and we think ours is the best choice!

Help!  I just got an order of full-sized products and I can’t get anything out of the jar!  

This could be one of two different situations.  Our products come with a seal over the sifter. It’s a clear seal and sometimes is hard to see unless you look closely.  If you have already removed the seal, it might be that the product is packed too tightly into the jar.  We want to be sure that you get a generously-filled jar, but it can cause the powder to come out slowly the first few uses.  If the product is packed tightly, it can be difficult to get out until you have more space below the sifter.  The easiest solution, that usually works, is to turn the jar upside down (with the lid on!) and give it a solid whack on the counter.  This will usually dislodge enough product for one use; and once you have done this several times, the rest of the product will come out easily.  If this doesn’t work, sometimes the easiest thing is to carefully pry the sifter out of the jar.  Scoop a little out of the product and place it on top of the sifter, then put the sifter back in the jar.  

I switched to your product from a line of mineral cosmetics that contains Bismuth Oxychloride, because it made my skin itch, but now I’m trying yours and I still itch! Help!

Sensitivity to Bismuth Oxychloride can cause itching, but it isn’t as common as you might be lead to believe.  The actual culprit is more likely to be your brushes.  First, are you using an animal hair brush?  Almost every person who has written to us with this complaint has been using an animal hair brush.  You may have used them all of your life, but until you use them to apply a mineral foundation, the contact with your face is quite limited.  With mineral foundation, the bristles are in contact with the skin for much more time – especially if you “buff” the foundation into your skin (which is not necessary with Alima Pure).  You are quite likely sensitive to the animal hair bristles.  Try applying the foundation with a brush with man-made bristles or with a flocked sponge.  We are almost certain your problem will be solved.

If you happen to be using a man-made brush already, give some thought to your brush cleaning habits.  What are you using to clean the brush?  Are you taking extra care to make sure that the brush is well-rinsed?  Our foundation brush can be rather time-consuming to rinse well, but the results are worth it.  

Can you tell me about your shipping charges?

We ship all of our products using the Postal Service’s Priority Mail.  We charge a flat rate based on the base or flat rate for Priority Mail and Global Priority Mail.  The price we charge is the price we pay the postal service (actually slightly less than the rate you’d pay at the post office).  We do not add any fees.  We use Priority Mail for our domestic packages because the rate includes Delivery Confirmation and the delivery is fast and reliable.  We use Global Priority Mail for our international packages because it is faster and considerably more reliable than Air Mail.  

Any other questions? Contact us. We love hearing from you.