So, we’re feeling kind of guilty about sending you over to RAW Minerals for a "free" sample.

We’re trying to get to the bottom of their tricky little ways, but in the meantime—focus your attention on the new Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15 .

This newly formulated mineral makeup is suitable for all skin types, has oil controlling properties and is sweat, humidity and water resistant. What more could you ask for in the middle of summer?

We love how this container is wide and flat—and the lid is reflective enough, we can use it as a mirror.

To make application even easier, you MUST try the Mineral Foundation Buff Brush . The short handle is so much easier to maneuver than some of the stubby Kabuki brushes we’ve tried. The brush bristles don’t seem to overwhelm our face during application.

Here’s a few tips for applying Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15 :

• Tap a small (very small) amount of All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15 into the lid.
• Swirl the Round Buff Brush in the lid and tap away excess. You shouldn’t see any product on your brush as it will work its way into the bristles.
• Apply in a circular motion:

Start application at the outside of the cheekbone, moving toward the nose and then back.Continue from cheekbone downward to jawline and back.

Follow along the side of the face, forehead and down the nose.

Repeat for more coverage.

Less is definitely more when it comes to mineral makeup as you don’t want to appear cakey or powdery. Because application is so simple, it’s easy to apply too much product so go easy.

Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15 is available in 17 shades and can be found this month at Prescriptives counters nationwide.

While in Los Angeles for the Total Beauty Blog Summit in May, we received a sample of RAW Minerals Mineral Foundation in Light 3.

The shade seemed a little dark for our skin at first, but now that summer is in full swing and our freckles are coming out to play, it’s nearly a perfect match.

We love how simple and easy this foundation is. We can achieve a full-coverage look in less than 10 seconds—and it lasts all day.

RAW Minerals contains no talc or alcohol and won’t clog pores. It has skin-enhancing active botanicals to smooth and firm skin and reduce the appearance of redness. The lighweight, hydrating formula leaves our skin feeling natural and clean.

If you go to their website now, you can try a sample of RAW Minerals for FREE!

***UPDATE: THANKS TO READER THAIS, WE FOUND OUT THERE ARE STRINGS ATTACHED TO THIS FREE SAMPLE. PLEASE READ THE SMALL PRINT IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SAMPLING THIS–WE DON’T WANT ANYONE TO BE MISINFORMED. THANK YOU THAIS!

*As with all mineral foundation, please do a patch test first to see if your skin is sensitive to this.

Unlike most pressed powders that are pressed into traditional metal pans, MAC Minerlize Skinfinish is moulded onto small terracotta tiles and baked for 24 hours, allowing for a sheer, light application.

This unique powder contains vitamin A and E derivatives, which help buffer the skin from environmental aggression and jojoba oil, which calms and soothes the skin.

The Natural portion of the duo will provide a dimensional yet natural matte-finish, while the shimmer portion will add buffed-up highlights to cheeks and brows.

Mineralize Skinfinish
Light Medium/Natural and Shimmer
Pale golden beige/Warm yellow beige
Medium/and Shimmer
Soft creamy beige/Light peachy pink
Medium Dark/and Shimmer
Caramel/Light tan
Dark/and Shimmer
Deep caramel/Mid-tone yellow gold
Deep Dark/Natural and Shimmer
Rich golden bronze/Deep copper bronze
Suggested Retail Price: $26.50 U.S./$31.50 CDN

Brush
189 Face Brush
Rounded-paddle face brush with chiselled shape on
each sidefor effortless placement and blending of
product. Very soft synthetic bristles can even be
used by those with sensitive skins. May be used
with almost all M·A·C powder forms and other light
emulsions and liquid foundations.
Suggested Retail Price: $26.50 U.S./$48.00 CDN

MAC New View is available beginning July 10th at all MAC locations and online at maccosmetics.com .

Our friend Heather promised that the moment we tried MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, our life would be forever changed—and she was right.

This week we gave this light mineral powder a whirl and can’t believe the sweet coverage. The slowly baked minerals offer a sheer, natural-matte finish without looking flat. Also, it’s sheer enough to touch-up throughout the day without building up and caking.

Today we spent 8 hours traveling—leaving home at an ungodly hour—yet we arrived at our destination this evening with a fresh and even-toned complexion.

Aside note: Are any of you fans of the Fox drama House? (If you’re not—you should be!) Last night, we just happened to watch the episode where they think a passenger on the same flight as Dr. House has bacterial meningitis and quite possibly infected the entire plane—which had us obsessively applying Purell and covering our face with a scarf for the entire flight today. And yes, we understand the difference between reality and fantasy, but you really should watch this show—Hugh Laurie is riveting.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural comes in five shades: Light, Medium, Medium Dark, Dark and Deep Dark and is a great alternative to loose powder while we’re on the road.

*12/09/07 Update: The Medium shade is not discontinued, it’s just on backorder and very hard to find. We’ve been using this in Light, but Medium is probably more appropriate for our skin tone. (If we can ever get our hands on some, we’ll try that shade next.)