True Colors Original Loose Powder Mineral Makeup

As a teenager, probably 15 or 16, I first learned of True Colors Original Loose Powder Mineral Makeup from the kiosk at my local mall. In fact, True Colors Original was probably my very first makeup purchase as it won me over with its spectacular multi-purpose loose powders! While I can't guarantee the company's claim of using 100% pure color in its makeup, I can attest for the diverse use of its loose powders. These powders can be used wet or dry as:
- Highlighters, with a fluffy brush
- Blushes, with a blush brush
- Eye liners, dry for a sheer wash, wet for more intense color
- Eye shadows, dry for a sheer wash, wet for more intense color, layer for different prism effects
- Lip colors, on top of clear or translucent gloss, layer for different prism effects
- Nail colors, on top of clear or translucent polish, layer for different prism effects
- Body shimmers, sweep across collar bones, décolletage, shoulders, or down the shins
- Hair shimmers, mix with gel or mousse and style

I have the 8-stack Prism Powder - Opal Diamonds. Back then when I bought them, they came in different colors than they do now. From top to bottom, they were pearly shades of: white, silver, gold, beige, red, violet, blue, and green. Out of the entire stack, I could only use the white, silver, gold, beige, and red. The violet, blue, and green are too cool for me and I ended up giving them away to my sister, whose skin could tolerate much cooler colors. Also, I took my stack apart and store each color in individual pots because I just can't stand carrying around the entire stack.


Now, it looks like True Colors Original has changed the colors of the Prism Powder - Opal Diamonds set. It seems they come in a rainbow set of colors now and the descriptions on the website says nothing about white, silver, or gold pearl, which is really too bad in my opinion!


***Picture from True Colors Original.

Beige pearl

Red pearl



True Colors Original products can be purchased at their kiosks at malls, or you can buy them online. These loose powders are sold in stacks of 5 ($40) or 8 ($55), grouped by finishes (glitter - very intense shimmers, mica - metallics, I believe, and prism - pearls, iridescent, or otherwise opalescent) of similar color families (pinks, browns, greens, classics, neutrals, earth tones, pastels, opalescences, etc.) or sets (fantasy, reality, electric, eastside, westside, shockwave, etc.).

Pros: multi-purpose - duh!, very finely milled, very intensely pigmented (even the pastel and opalescence series) and a little goes a long way! I still haven't finished the first 8-stack I bought way back when!!!!
Cons: expensive as hell!!! Almost $7/shade in the 8-stack and $8/shade in the 5-stack. I'm sure you could find good quality loose pigments else where for much cheaper! Also, because they are sold in stacks, each pot is, well, stacked on top of each other. They can be separated, but you won't have a lid for each of them and carrying a whole stack around can be pretty damn inconvenient.