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Q: Your eye shadows are 3 grams? That's not very big...
A: No, they weigh about 3 grams, but volume-wise, are bigger than that (each jar contains at least 1 to 1.5 teaspoon packed down). More information can be found on the eye shadow category page and here's a jar size comparison photo. Note that the little sample jars (commonly called "3 gram" size) hold quite a bit less, about 2/3 to 3/4 of a teaspoon, and often have a domed base, though at first glance they appear to be the same size as the regular shadow jars (commonly called "5 gram"). Dry cosmetics are required in the US to be measured by weight, not volume, so that is why we always list aproximate weights for powder products on the label. 

Q: How many uses are in an eye shadow sample?
A: a 1/4 teaspoon sample is enough to last you anywhere from 15 to 30+ applications. A full size jar has about 5x-6x as much product as a regular sample. Sample sizes of other products are about the same amount or a little more.

Q: I don't see any sample sizes? Where are they?
A: Click on each colour name or photo for the shade description (most eye shadows have a "swatch" photo, too), and the size option. Regular eye shadow samples are $1.75. All samples are labeled! We never have, and never will send unlabeled samples (this is noted here because people have given away repacked samples of ours without labels, but we do not send them that way)

Q: What types of payment do you accept?
A: We take Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and all forms of PayPal. Please keep in mind that when using an e-check through PayPal, your order will not be completed and shipped until the e-check clears.

Q: My order is missing a product, is it backordered?
A: Oops! No, we don't do backorders, but it is possible to miss an item or two when packing up orders. Please let us know if this happens, and the replacement (and usually another product sample) will be sent out to you. Also, we ask that customers email us if something seems "not quite right", like a colour being very different from the description (photos vary greatly on different systems and monitors, so those will rarely be spot-on), or the wrong size was sent.

Q: Your eye shadows state that some are lip-safe. But which ones?
A: All are safe for use on the lips except the colours where "Not lip-safe" is listed after the shade description. All blush shades are safe for lip use as well.

Q: When I tried the color, it looks very different from your site swatch, and lacks the shimmer.
A: It's usually all in application. Nearly all swatch photos are shown with the dry application "patted" on, not brushed across the skin. Rubbing firmly will often ruin the colour, and makes the shimmer or sparkle less visible. Remember, our shades are not simply colored mica powder. Also, different lighting gives different results. Some shades, like Snow Leopard, Crimson Ghost, and other simple, semi-sheer ones may be "swept". JUst play around with different techniques!

Q: Where can I find ingredients and information on each product?
A: The main category page should have this information, if the product description itself does not. If you have any additional questions, please email us!

Q. This isn't mineral makeup?
A: No, not really. What is marketed as "natural" or "pure" mineral makeup really isn't. All of the ingredients in mineral makeup are purified and lab-treated. Many are man-made. Mica, while a natural occuring mineral, doesn't come in uniform little blue micro-flakes. Ultramarine Blue was originally made from the gemstone Lapiz Lazuli, many, many years ago. It is now lab-produced (same with Manganese Violet, a very safe cosmetic ingredient used in lipstick, eye shadow, etc). These are just a couple examples. We do use FDA-approved cosmetic dyes in some products (most of the eye shadows do not contain any). Actually, nearly all colour-cosmetics are "mineral" products: Your mascara has Iron Oxides for colour. So does your liquid foundation. All eye shadows have Mica, Titanium Dioxide, and or Iron Oxides. Same goes for lip products. Many of our cosmetic colours are enhanced in our lab. For example, we heat-treat some colourants to change the shade. This is not to say that what you buy as "mineral makeup" isn't among the cleanest, most minimal products for your skin. It is usually. However, it doesn't come right out of the ground, either (clays, such as Kaolin, would be closest to this, and even they are of course purified and sometimes bleached).

A note about reviews: This version of our site, which is an enitely different cart system than the one we used from 2005-2008, was started in 10/2008, and we had to transfer everything over manually. Customers asked for the reviews to be added back, so we put many of those from the past year in, one by one, but could not alter the date---it set as the day this cart was fully uploaded. They all remained with "Oct 30 2008" making the reviews look fake (eek!).