Ferro Cosmetics : Review, Interview & Giveaway!

On a whim I tweeted to @ferrocosmetics that I wished I could do a review for them. I didn’t actually think I’d get a response but to my surprise they did. I was excited and jumping around the house telling my boyfriend the good news. A response from the owner herself! I couldn’t have asked for more!

Ferro Cosmetics is a 100% all-natural mineral makeup line that only uses pure mineral ingredients in EVERY PRODUCT and doesn’t sneak in any crap that you wouldn’t put on your own children’s skin. Seriously talented Makeup Artist, Krissy Ferro, the founder of the line, did months of research personally on each and every ingredient found in her products. She did some serious research to give you guys the best mineral makeup line for your skin. This line is toxin free. Cruelty-Free. Earth-Friendly, and uses triple the minerals that other competitive lines use. I’m telling you…after this post your going to feel good about this makeup. Not just because it looks great on–but because of the company as a whole. A company that follows a very high level of standard, looking out for our health and environment.

I’ve actually been a fan of the brand for about 2-3 years now. A friend of mine introduced me to it as a christmas gift and I ended up buying some of the foundation, shadow and glow/bronzer products later on. So here I am, to gush about this product and show you what looks I was able to accomplish. I’ve been impressed with the line for quite some time, but even more impressed by Krissy’s dedication, research, and want to create something great for everyone without sacrificing high standards in any department. They even have a page on their site explaining WHY their product is different from what else is out there. Plain and simple. Go ahead. Click here. They are even ranked as one of the safest color cosmetics brands on the Environmental Working Group “Skin Deep Data Base” website EWG.org.

But let me fast forward to the good stuff guys. Krissy has done an awesome thing for us and she has actually granted me an interview with some questions I had for the Creator herself. (Thank You Krissy!!!!) And after that–she was nice enough to provide you guys with some awesome goodies to win!

Two Lucky fans have an opportunity to win a Ferro Cosmetics Beauty Box which includes:

Ultimate Foundation in 2 shades, 1 Blush X3, 1 Matte Veil and one Eye Candy Mineral Eye Shadow

And then 5 lucky fans will have a chance to win a surprize gift! Woooooweee!!

**surprize gift winners will be contacted to discuss what product they won and what their color selection is.****

Interview with Krissy Ferro, Creator of Ferro Cosmetics Mineral Makeup Line

1.What made you (Krissy Ferro) come up with your own mineral line of cosmetics?

It kind of started in a backwards way, not your typical “let’s start a business and make a plan” idea.

As a makeup artist, I knew I needed to have natural cosmetics in my kit because a growing number of clients were having negative reactions to their makeup products; Some to the extremes of not even being able to wear makeup at all (for example if you find you can’t wear purples- that’s the red dye causing the issues). I assumed finding a natural makeup would be easy since I saw so many brands all over infomercials etc. But once I dug a little deeper into the ingredients, they weren’t natural, and had the same ingredients women were trying to stay away from.

Then I found a few all natural brands that were actually 100% natural, however either the variety of shades were minimal or the products themselves weren’t good. So this led me into a sort of obsession…. scouring the internet for literally hundreds of hours seeking a natural cosmetic product that had all the glamour women want from their makeup. Even if they aren’t glamazons and prefer a more natural look (which is most women), I still needed a complete line that allowed me to apply and show my clients all different styles and looks as well as the ability to work on a professional level with HD now a major part of TV and film.

In my obsession of searching, I came up empty (and an empty wallet trying several brands), but I what I DID find were a few vendors that sold the actual ingredients along with some basic formulas.

My search was over but now my new obsession was actually making the products I wanted. I’m not a chemist, but since I wasn’t using chemicals, I used my color theory knowledge as a hair color specialist and learned what each ingredient did for the skin, the product, the color, and the feel of the product.

8 months later, and after testing it on various clients, friends and family, I had an entire product line that did exactly what I was looking for and was 100% natural. We then built the brand mostly around the products and clients that inspired me to make these products.

2. Whats the most important thing you want customers to know about your brand?

Our brand is about giving women BOTH a high performance, fashion forward product that is 100% natural, and educating women how to avoid toxic ingredients in other products. Our products are environmentally friendly, 100% natural formulas that are always chemical free/cruelty free, so they can feel good about any product they wear with the Ferro Cosmetics brand.

3. Who is your makeup line targeted to? Young and/or Mature?

Our makeup targets literally all women, all skin types, and all skin colors. As a professional makeup artist, I needed a product that fit that large of a spectrum, so when I created our products, I wasn’t finished until each one was perfect for all women.

Some women are concerned that mineral makeup will accentuate fine lines and wrinkles; does your makeup do that?

NO in fact it MINIMIZES fine lines and wrinkles, and gives the skin a flawless HD finish. Pure minerals are literally crushed rocks, so they sit on top of skin, diffusing and minimizing lines and wrinkles by the way light bounces off the minerals. They literally provide a soothing protective layer on the skin, and minimizes any flaws.

What DOES actually accentuate in many current name brand formulas is Bismuth- a very shiny man-made ingredient. It ca also irritate skin, and cause cystic acne. It makes skin appear oily and doesn’t last on the skin for more than a few hours.

Talc will also do this, and will stretch pores. Another culprit of accentuating lines/wrinkles is pressed makeup due to the waxes binding it together. The waxes sit on top of skin and exaggerate the skin’s texture, so pores look enlarged, wrinkles look more pronounced, and lines are exaggerated.

4. What is your number #1 product that sells on www.ferrocosmetics.com?

Ultimate Mineral Foundation. It’s a pro makeup artist favorite too because of the HD finish, yet makes skin look as if there is no makeup- just perfect skin.

5. What is Krissy’s favorite product from her own line? Does she really use the line?

My favorite product is the Ultimate Foundation. My favorite everyday colors is Ultimate Foundation (right now Light Medium Beige), Champagne Eye Candy, Burnt Raisin Blush X3, and Dirt Mineral Eye Liner.

YES- she used the entire line and would keep creating it even if the company stopped. It’s always reaffirmed when we do market research and wear other brands to compare performance and colors. Recently I tried this with a very popular brand and blush color. I applied over my Ferro Ultimate Foundation and used everything else Ferro except this blush, and the areas of the other brand’s blush made my pores look huge and skin texture looked horrible. Everywhere else, like my forehead or around my eyes which are my “aging” areas- looked great.

6. What is Krissy’s number # 1 makeup tip when applying mineral makeup?

You absolutely need to use the right brushes! A bad brush will ruin any application of any brand, but good mineral brushes absorb and hold the minerals inside the brush until depositied or buffed onto skin. The application is even and flawless, and any makeup dropping is reduced of not completely minimized. They require less product per use which stretches the life of each container, and they last for years. We are proud to say our brushes are cruelty-free and made in the USA!

7. Krissy, you really seem to care about how ingredients in cosmetic products effect the body (toxins chemicals,etc). Is there another brand that you love out there that also follows the ethics?

I love quite a few, but what comes to mind are brands like Goldfaden, Kimberly Sayer, and Juice Beauty.

8. You were recently in L.A for the OSCARS’s in February, do you still do make up professionally for clients while still running Ferro Cosmetics?

Yes I do, but it’s usually reserved for when I’m in LA and it’s always booked way in advance. I have great makeup artists in LA, NY, and adding more to our team as more celebs start joining the demand for our products.

Thank you Krissy for taking the time to answer all my questions!! Now I think its time for me to share how well Ferro Cosmetics worked for me!

[Review]

I think you guys can pretty much guess by now that this is a gushing positive review. I love the way this makeup makes my skin look healthy. I love how build-able everything is from the foundation, the blush, the bronzers and shadows. Because everything is so blend-able, and comes in a wide range of colors, you really can experiment looks-wise while staying completely natural ingredient-wise.

I applied this makeup mainly with a blusher brush and large fluffy face brush, but since doing the review I pretty much tried it with every brush in my kit. I used to think this stuff could only be applied with a sponge-tip applicator, but I’ve learned how much I can blend this stuff with fluffy eye shadow brushes, chisel tipped eye liner brushes, and Crease brushes. The key for me was just making sure to tap all extra product back into the container. And be careful when opening the containers. Because one exploded on my bathroom floor within 1 day. I was so mad at myself and of course it was a smaller container. BLAST!

The colors work really well for me and don’t look cakey. I was able to blend everything nicely with my brushes so that it was smooth on my skin. I am IN LOVE with my glow bronzers. It truly does give a natural boost of color without looking fake or hit by a powder machine. I also like the fact that you use so little when you apply. You can make this stuff last a very long time and because it doesn’t need preservatives to stay fresh it WILL last longer.

The eye shadows applied BEST with a sponge tiped applicator (IMO), and smudge with a crease brush to blend. Just be sure to tap the excess off before applying or major fallout can happen. I fell in love with “Shiraz” and a “Merlot” but couldn’t get my photos to show a swatch of merlot. A soft pinky color when applied to my skin. Again, subtle..just like I like it! I actually liked using it as a lip color with some Aquaphor!

Ferro Cosmetics – Earth Day 2012 Limited Edition Mineral Eye Candy Eyeshadow

Ferro Cosmetics – Shiraz Mineral Eye Candy Eyeshadow

Ferro Cosmetics Secret Mineral Eye Candy Eyeshadow

Here are the colors swatched on my arm. See how natural the colors are?

And then some final face shots wearing only Ferro Cosmetics !

ok…you’ve read, you’ve seen, you’ve been patient….here you go it’s….

So now heres the part you were waiting for…the chance for YOU to win some awesome swag! To enter the giveaway, please use the rafflecoptor and comment section below. Please see the rafflecoptor for more details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here’s the deal. I WANT photos. I WANT you to do a guest review. Purdy Please? K? I want to know if YOU love Ferro Cosmetics as much as I do! I want the rest of our community to see how well it worked for you. I have been hoping one reader would like to do this and I am totally open to it if you are!

Most products reviewed on this post were provided to me by the company for my honest review. The foundation, and mineral veil were purchased on my own prior to doing this review. Thank you Krissy and the Ferro Cosmetics Team, I really appreciate being to do a review of your products!