There has been a lot of attention lately on mineral makeup. And there are a lot of reasons to make the switch.

They are:

virtually free of allergens and sensitizers
gentle and long lasting
naturally anti-bacterial
won’t clog pores
highly pigmented – so a little goes a long way.

The great thing about mineral makeup is that you can combine colours to give yourself a custom look, as well as vary how much you use.

One company that has made a beautiful line of mineral products is alima. They offer all sorts of goodies - foundation, finishing powder, illuminating powder, eyeshadows, lip balms, blushes and bronzers.

The first thing you notice about the look of mineral makeup is that it actually looks natural in the clear case, like softly sifted flour. All you’re going to want to do in the first 5 minutes is touch them all. But then the desire to try them on will overwhelm you and before you know it, you’ll be in front of the mirror, creating a whole new you.

The second thing you’ll notice is that all of their powders are silky soft to the touch and completely weightless on your skin. It is like you are wearing nothing at all. And when you consider all the years you have been caking on products, this will be a completely new way of life.

The third thing is that they are so beautiful and luminous that you harken back to the days of the 40s starlet and before you know it, you are yearning for a cigarette holder and dirty martini. However, they are also completely modern - sheer and shimmery (they come in shimmer, matte and luster forms) and that clean look like you see on Scarlett Johansson and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

And the colours are beautiful and just slight hues, so they allow your own face and personality to come through, which let's face it - most makeup tends to try to hide or change. I love the soft tones with the beautiful names – Luna Shimmer Powder, Champagne Luster Eyeshadow and Apple Blossom Blush. You don’t even have to see the colours first hand to know how ethereal they are.

But you’ll want to see these. And soon. Because they are just that little touch that make you go from looking good to looking wow.

And isn’t that what we’re all after each time we buy makeup?