When Brenda Allen, senior beauty advisor of Walgreens on College Drive and Perkins Road, restocks the shelves with cosmetics, she finds a new type of loose powder – mineral makeup.
Allen said sales have increased since the mineral makeup has been added to beauty lines such as L’Oreal.
“People go straight to it,” she said.
Carole Gershenson, Clinique consultant at the Mall of Louisiana, said she believes the mineral makeup is a rising trend in Baton Rouge.
“People love to be different here,” she said. “They are trying to keep up with the trends.”
Vey Laplace, sociology and communication studies senior, said she thinks everyone is trying to be organic, even in their makeup, in order to follow the pace of the trends.
Allen said many women come into the store and look for the new generic mineral makeup they see in magazines.
Wanda Peck, liberal arts junior, said the cheaper versions of the top-of-the-line makeup are a good fit for her budget.
“If there’s a more economical way to get that quality, I think I’d definitely buy it,” she said. Pat Reed, Cliniqué consultant, said she has seen an increase in the popularity and availability of the mineral makeup.
“We get asked about it all the time,” Reed said. Jacinta Gatte, Cliniqué consultant and former University student, said the makeup’s popularity has recently increased because from the television coverage of Bare Minerals, the original mineral makeup company.
“When something takes off in cosmetics, everyone follows,” Gershenson said.
Kristie Barrett, general manager of Eutopia Salon, which sells the popular Bare Minerals line, said the cheaper makeup lines are trying to compete with the more prestigious mineral makeup lines.
Laplace said she thinks the generic makeup lines are mimicking Bare Minerals for competition purposes.
“I think it is just a marketing ploy,” she said.
Barrett also said people will probably flock to generic versions of the mineral makeup as opposed to the standard, chemically-induced makeup because they are supposed to be healthier for the skin.
Allen said she hears feedback from customers who tell her they enjoy the natural benefits of the makeup.
“People want a natural look, not a caked-on look,” she said.
Gershenson said the new mineral makeup is a great seller in Baton Rouge because people want something that does not conflict with the humid weather. She said liquid foundations are too thick, and people want something light and quick.
Anna Crook, Origins counter manager and Bare Minerals user, said she likes that the makeup is one, natural tone, and it is so light she can sleep in it.
Barrett said she agreed the makeup’s purity is a major factor of the consumers’ purchase.
“Most love it,” she said. “People bring friends and family to get it, and we cannot keep it in stock.”
Sarah Glorioso, resident in the Department of Dermatology at LSU Health Sciences Center, said the healthiest makeup contains no fragrance, is hypoallergenic and won’t clog pores.
Barrett said mineral makeup is fragrance free, and it has no preservatives or oils. She also said the mineral zinc oxide calms skin irritations.
Glorioso said buying the drugstores’ generic forms of the healthier, mineral makeup is a good idea because the makeup provides protection from the sun.
“Every college girl should have SPF in their makeup routine,” she said.
—Contact Lindsay Gallmann at [email protected]