A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of stopping by the Alima Pure Headquarters, a non-toxic cosmetic company here in Portland, OR and chatting with the very lovely creative director, Terresa. She gave me a tour of the facilities where all of the Alima Pure Makeup Magic is created. From a beauty fanatics stand point, getting a glimpse of the “behind the scenes” action was amazing….and playing with the large range of never ending eyeshadow wasn’t to shabby either!

K: How long have you been with Alima Pure and what about the company has made you so passionate about it’s brand and products?

T: I just celebrated my 6th anniversary with Alima, so I’m just starting my 7th year. I first fell in love with the products because of the huge range of beautiful cheek and eye colors. I was used to “natural” cosmetics meaning twelve shades of boring brown, but with Alima, we have vivid purples, golds, blues, and of course lots of beautiful browns. I don’t have to sacrifice anything in the way of color to use natural products, and that is huge for me. After that, I was amazed to find a foundation that not only matches my skin exactly, but doesn’t make my pores look huge or my skin look dry. Can you tell I had tried other brands before? I had, and was disappointed, thinking I simply could not wear mineral foundation, but once I tried Alima I was hooked. The company’s commitment to the environment, to women and to using only the absolutely necessary ingredients to create the products is what makes me, and so many of our customers, loyal to the brand.

K: During my time with you, you said that the Founder only wanted to use the highest grade mineral makeup’s around so it could additionally be sold in Europe and Japan, that was incredibly impressive to me. How has that set you apart from other mineral makeup companies?

T: You know, I don’t think that has really set us apart from other companies, because there is still so little understanding about the ingredients of mineral cosmetics in general. A lot of people still think that if they go to the drugstore and buy something that says “Mineral” on it, that they are eliminating chemicals, fillers, parabens and the like, but sadly that is often not the case. Almost all foundations have minerals in them (they are what usually provide the coverage, color and sun protection), but being a true, or pure, mineral line is more about what is NOT in the products than what is in them. Once people catch on to that, and realize that we only have four ingredients in our foundation, and that all of those four ingredients are minerals, then we can try to educate them about the quality level of those four ingredients.

K: I love the fact that Alima Pure is a Portland based company, I especially love that the packaging has a bird on it. (Very Portlandia of you even though you did it first.) How has our “green” city and Portland culture made an impact on how Alima Pure runs it’s business and creates it’s product?

T: We are very much a Portland company, to the core. As Portlanders, there was never really a question about being a “green” company, it went without saying! I think that being in Portland does make it easier to be a good company; we have many great examples all around us, and resources like Sustainable Business Oregon.

K: What can we expect from Alima in the near and far future?

T: Well, we have absolutely gorgeous collections planned for holiday, and a couple of new blushes debuting around that time. Longer term, we eventually hope to expand into some products that cannot be done with minerals alone, but first we want to make sure we have gotten the word out about the difference between pure mineral makeup and “mineral makeup” to as many people as possible. We want to reach as many women as possible, especially those that think that they can’t wear minerals; or those that have trouble finding a foundation match for their skin, and show them that Alima Pure is different from other products they may have tried.

K: Thanks so much Terresa for your time and amazing interview!

Benefits of using Alima Pure Cosmetics:

Virtually free of allergens and sensitizers
Completely free of bismuth oxychloride (BOC)
Beautiful, gentle and long-lasting
Naturally anti-bacterial
Non-comedogenic – will not clog pores
Highly pigmented – a little goes a long way

My Alima Pure Color Palette

Satin Matte Foundation

Satin Matte Foundation: With 61 (yes 61) foundation shades to choose from, there is literally something for everyone, it’s incredibly impressive! This foundation should last you between 3-6 months as you don’t need to cake it on…. a little goes a very long way. Oh, and the foundation brush to apply this foundation not only feels amazing on the skin, but it does a fantastic job of blending the foundation in.

Foundation: $25.00

I am also a huge fan of the mess free packaging! You just twist the plastic tab inside and it will dispense the right amount of foundation for you without the mess.

Eyeshadow

L to R: Fleur Satin Matte , Leone Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow, Mahogany Satin Matte mineral eyeshadows

If you are looking for eyeshadows that will give you a beautifully natural look, these three shades are going to become your best friend! I loved how the mahogany brought out the green in my eyes in contrast with Leone that provided the right amount of shimmer and highlight.

Check out their most popular eyeshadow called CHAI– $14.00 (great price!)

Organic Nourishing Lip Balm

Having a nice peppermint splash to my lips along with moisture feels so refreshing. While you don’t get a ton of color pay off with this lip balm, if you are someone who just likes to have a simple tint, you will love this. Organic Nourishing Lip Tint– $14.00

Swatches

Left To Right: Fleur Satin Matte , Leone Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow, Mahogany Satin Matte mineral eyeshadow, Luminous Shimmer Blush in Leigh, Organic Nourishing Lip Balm in Fig.

My Alima Pure Look

Satin Matte Foundation in Olive 1.5, Luminous Shimmer Blush in Leigh (no longer available)

Eyes: Leone eyeshadow on full lower eyelid, Mahogany eyeshadow into contour of eye, Fleur (no longer available) under brow bone.

Alima Pure Fall Stormy Weather Collection

Living in Portland, you get pretty use to the stormy weather, so I think the name of this collection is perfect. The grey and purple shades are incredibly pigmented, but also blend easily. If you get your eyeshadow brush a little damp and dip it into the shadow, you can intensify the color even more.

From Top to Bottom:

Mist is a gold-tinged, white shimmer.
Drizzle is a light, sterling-silver shimmer with a subtle hint of gold.
Deluge is a deep grey shimmer with silver sparkle and hints of blue and purple.
Thunder is a deep, matte purple that can line or contour.

Swatches

Left To Right: Mist, Drizzle, Deluge, Thunder

The entire Stormy Weather Fall collection is only $36.00! (no longer available)

Overall Thoughts and Opinions

I don’t use much in the way of using mineral cosmetics…mainly do to bad experiences that left a bad taste in my mouth. I often feel like Mineral Makeups can make your skin look shiny, far from normal, and it also photographs terribly. But because this foundation has very few ingredients, including the very popular bismuth oxychloride- you can avoid the shiny light bulb effect and have flawless skin that clearly does photograph well. I also liked how this foundation left my skin still feeling hydrated and overall just more healthy.

To find your perfect foundation shade, explore the plethora of eyeshadows and to find out more about this amazing company, go to Alimapure.com.

XOXO-Kendra Stanton Beauty Blogger and Portland, OR Makeup Artist