Alima: My all natural makeup haul

I finally went for it. I got all the things on the Alima website that I have been lusting after for months. Thankfully Alima is a very affordable line, and that’s refreshing when most all natural beauty brands can cost a small fortune. The following are photos of the haulage. I have to admit, a second haul came soon after and I’ll be reporting on those items a little later.

Here’s a peek at the nicely wrapped bundle of goodies.

First glimpse inside the beauty that awaits!

Here are the pretty colors and Alima’s extraordinarily soft Buff Brush. It’s a sweet little thing that you can use for blush, highlighters and foundation. I like it for blending purposes as it’s quite dense which gives a heavier application. As for applying blush, I only use this with the sheerest of colors, but that’s my “natural look” preference. The short handle is easy to use and its softness is luxurious!

Below is Sugar Rose, one of Alima’s Luminous Shimmer Blushes. The color is a very neutral pink, in that it leans neither warm nor cool. While this blush is finely milled, it is shimmery and I need to be careful in not applying too much since the coveted “glow” can turn to dreaded disco ball effect real fast. But in small amounts, over a warm pink blush, it’s really, really pretty. The sheen of Alima’s Luminous Shimmer Blushes are better suited to evening for this gal, but on someone more fair and daring than I, Sugar Rose would look gorgeous any time of day. (Note that the true color of Sugar Rose is between the close-up below and the group shot above).

Alima’s color range of eyeshadows is extensive and drool-worthy. I had such a hard time deciding on just two colors. There’s really no rhyme or reason why I chose Paparrazi and Navy, but I’m glad I did. Paparazzi and Navy are listed as “Rich Warm Brown” and “Deep Smoky Blue,” respectively, on the Alima website. I fully concur with the first description, but not so much on the second. Paparazzi is exactly that; rich, warm and brown. It is gorgeous as an eyeliner, and dark enough that I will only use it as such. (I just don’t have the patience or skills to use darker colors in the crease of my lids). Navy is a stunner, but I would not call it “smoky” or “navy”. It is a deep color, but it doesn’t have charcoal-gray tones and it’s not navy blue. It’s a dark shimmering royal blue. This too looks fantastic as an eyeliner, especially smudged a bit on the outer edge of the upper lid.

The six sample pots you see below are Satin Matte Foundations, Satin Finishing Powders, and the green-hued one at the lower right-hand corner is a Color Balancing Powder that helps decrease redness. It’s called Pistachio, and despite my skepticism about its efficacy, I found that it works. I’ve been using a concealer brush to apply it around my nose under Alima’s Satin Matte Foundation and have been pleased with the results.

Figuring out how best to use the foundations has taken time and effort. First, I needed to get the color right, which I have determined is a 50:50 combo of Warm 3 and Golden 3 for my light to medium olive skin. If you visit the Alima website, you will see detailed information on how to find the right color for you. I also had to check out Alima’s “How to use Mineral Foundation” page for some help when things started to get somewhat chalky. To begin with, I needed to use the right brush. After some trial and error MAC’s #187 was perfect. It’s a “stippling” or “skunk” brush that allows a light application and smooth blending. I also discovered that I was using way too much powder. Less is more in this case. Finally, it helps tremendously to spritz a little hydrosol on the powdered brush before you apply it to your face. At least this is the routine that is working for me. And I am so glad I stuck it out because the finish is natural and luminous, and provides light to medium coverage when used the way I have just described.

The Luminous  Finishing Powder samples were thrown into my cart on a whim. I never use finishing powders,  but I loved the names, Keiko and Hanae. I also read great reviews on MUA, so I spent an extra $2 to get samples. It was money well spent. Both work for my skin tone as they flawlessly meld into the skin. On their own, they give light coverage and a subtle radiance. Over foundation, the Luminous Finishing Powders bestow a polished look and set your makeup for the day. I highly recommend giving these a try.

And finally, here’s a shot of the gift with purchase Baby Kabuki brush and samples I got with my order. Inside the little pot is Alima’s Lip Balm in Fig. It’s a bronzy, sheer red that I loved so much, I got a full size in my next order.

Alima is available at Alimapure.com. Please see links within the post for pricing information.

Posted by ~Trish

Photos by ~Trish

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13 thoughts on “Alima: My all natural makeup haul

  1. Hey Cuz!
    Great post today about Alima! The products look amazing…I will have to give their website a try. A little tip for the navy eyeshadow, and the paparazzi one as well I suppose…for the summer months that are quickly approaching you can amp up the glam for afternoon or evening by applying a dark liner on the corners of your lids and then apply the eyeshadows over the liner for a brightening effect. For the paparazzi I would suggest a chocolate brown liner and for the navy, either a coal or black liner underneath would do the trick. Just a thought for a little extra fun since the “navy” didn’t quite turn out to be what you expected. When the sun is shining and your face gets a little sun-kissed, a nice accent like a liner that really pops can push you over the edge and make your face the accessory to any sexy summer outfit! Enjoy the goodies!

  2. Uh Oh! Your Alima post has got me sparked to buy more eyeshadow colors. I started using Alima products a couple of years ago when looking for a mineral foundation that didn’t irritate my skin and have a big fan ever since. They are excellent quality, great price and I love their packaging.

  3. Hey Trish,

    I’ve been thinking of trying Alima foundation (Want to get some for my sister). Just as a reference- if you’ve tried Every day minerals- what was your color match there?

    Thanks much!

    1. I think my best color match in EM was Winged Butter. But, I didn’t like their finish as much as I do Alima’s. I did get a full-size of Alima, a custom blend of Warm3 and Beige3. It’s perfect! (I’m also MAC NC30)

      ~T

      1. Thanks T! I didn’t love EM’s finish too much either- I tried Silk naturals and really liked their finish – but I’m trying to not use silk..:)(Silk naturals has a vegan formula but I have never tried it). Alima sounds great, so I am curious to try. The makeup artist recommended W4, beige 4 and olive 1.5 for me – I was wary about the beige but now that you mentioned your custom blend I’m thinking it might be a good idea to order incase the Warm runs too yellow.. Thanks again!

        1. …and you can get little sample pots of all of those and a few others to play around with. If you find that a blend is what you need, it’s really easy to order that way.

          Good luck!
          Trish

  4. on a whim i finally tried the finishing powder sample that came with my satin matte foundation a while back and i have to say i prefer the feel/finish over the foundation. definitely buying the full size finishing powder.
    lovely blog!

    1. Sam,
      I’m glad you gave it a go and ended up liking it. I love using it for touch-ups at the end of the day and before going out, or when I just want a light dusting of coverage.

      Thanks for your comment!
      ~T

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