Alima Pure: Welcome to the Rainforest

Alima Pure's new Rainforest Collection ($30) has four winning jewel-toned shades that will make your eyes the center of attention. I was introduced to Alima Pure last fall. Ever since, I've grown to love their makeup - even though I don't consider myself handy with loose pigments.

Historically, I've found mineral pigments a little messy. Maybe I'm a klutz. Those of you who are hooked on M·A·C pigments or other loose powder makeup (e.g., Bare Escentuals) won't find these pigments hard to use at all. With a little practice, I've improved my technique so that I can apply the makeup to my face without leaving a trail in my bathroom sink. I'm proud of myself!

Because Alima Pure's pure colors and mineral pigments are so rich and long-lasting, you don’t need much powder to do a beautiful job. That's why it was, for me, simply a matter of learning to pick up just the right amount of powder on my brush.

Alima Pure makes its mineral makeup using only the purest cosmetic-grade mineral pigments. There are no additives, fillers, or fragrances that can irritate your skin or clog your pores. In fact, the natural mineral pigments Alima Pure uses are actually good for your skin, providing sun protection and helpful anti-inflammatory properties.

A couple of weeks ago, Alima Pure sent me samples of the Rainforest Collection, four gorgeous eye shadows in rich, luscious colors. They introduced Rainforest in honor of Earth Day to pay homage to the "jewels of the earth," our wild, delicate, ridiculously beautiful, and endangered rain forests. This luxurious, completely natural set of four eye shadows is packaged in a lovely box made from 37% recycled content (completely recyclable - but you'll want to keep it).

Here are the shades. There are no throwaways in this collection!

• Bromeliad - a sparkling light green to refresh your spring color palette and make your heart flutter
  
• Jaguar - a slinky, golden-brown shimmer that pairs with everything
• Macaw - as vibrant as the tropical bird - a light shimmering teal blue
  
• Kapok - a deep, dark brown sparkle to bring depth to your look

The Rainforest Collection will be available for a limited time. What's really nice, beyond the makeup, is that $2 from each collection sold will be donated to the Rainforest Action Network. I love it when my indulgences benefit a charity near and dear to my heart.

I swatched the shades to show you how magnificent they look on skin. I swatched them very heavily, using a sponge-tipped applicator, so that you could see the richness of each color in the collection. I have been wearing them in a much more sedate manner, applied lightly with a brush. Yes, I'm conservative, but you don't have to be!

My photo was taken outdoors in full sun. Every time I look at these colors - on my bathroom counter, on my eyes, and in my photos - I get excited. They are undeniably pretty. From top to bottom, the colors in the photo are Kapok, Macaw, Jaguar, and Bromeliad. Rich, shimmering (some of that shimmer in my photo is sunlight), and trendy, this collection is a must-have - and so affordable.

Alima Pure has a great Web site, filled with information, and their blog is interesting (a great discussion of natural health and beauty). They also have a Facebook site and a Twitter account. Check them out - you won't be disappointed. This is mineral makeup a makeup snob can love!

Now, here's a really cool offer. I had planned this feature last weekend, but I found out today that Blissmo is starting a promotion featuring Alima Pure this Thursday, Marcy 24, 2011. They will be offering a 50% discount voucher good for the entire Alima Pure product line. For Best Things in Beauty readers, they will offer an additional 5% off if you use the code "trybliss" in the Reference Code box to the left of the checkout page on Blissmo's Web site. With this code, you will receive 55% off the Alima Pure promotion, rather than the 50% off given to everyone else. I plan to take advantage of that offer! I think it's a one-day promotion, so don't waste any time.

What do you think? Isn't the Rainforest Collection gorgeous?

Photo at top courtesy of Alima Pure