Being such a big fan of Jane Iredale Mineral products, I was intrigued by Franche's VitaMineral line as well. Recently, I tried some of their Vitamineral products and was relatively pleased with what I found. Like other mineral products, the Franche line is free of alcohols, dyes, talcs, oils, fragrances, or preservatives that can be harmful or cause irritation to the skin. They all have a natural SPF of 20.

VitaMineral Foundation Compact ($40)
I tried this foundation in Beige and found it to be all that I would expect from a mineral product. The coverage is good, the finished effect is smooth and natural, and it did not irritate my skin. The same care in application should be taken with this as with the other mineral products out there: a little bit goes a very long way! After applying concealer to the redder parts of my face, I dust this on very lightly with a fluffy brush. It lasts all day and leaves a nice matte finish. It did not cause any reactions or flare-ups for my skin. VitaMineral compact foundation comes in a selection of 11 shades. The color palette can be viewed on their website, www.franche.com, though I wouldn't trust it. The beige sample online looks absolutely NOTHING like the product I have here. In fact, online, beige looks like a dark brown color for African American skin. Maybe it's just my computer? This is a nice product with all of the benefits of mineral foundations, yet costs a little more than Jane Iredale and is harder to find.

VitaMineral Eye Colour ($18 each)
These eye shadows have a fine texture that glides on evenly and lasts very well throughout the day. I tried six different colors: Sea Foam, Tropical Teal, Diamond, Canal Violet, Beyond Brown, and Buttercup. All six were nice colors, and like the foundation, a little bit goes a long way. I found they did not require touchups - the color stayed true throughout the workday. They are available in 25 shades. The online color palette is a little truer to the actual colors than I found the foundation palette to be.

VitaMineral Blushing Cheek Colour ($18 each)
This blush is intensely pigmented and needs to be applied with a very light touch. I tried it in "Marcia, Marcia" - a sort of mid-range apricot color. In the compact, it looks like a dark orange, but applied lightly, it goes on as a nice apricot shade that is easily blendable. The color lasts all day and has not caused any reactions for my sensitive skin. Like all other products in this line, this blush has an SPF of 20, and a light powdery texture.

Classic Lipstick ($20 each)
This smooth, hydrating lipstick glides on evenly and lasts fairly well without the need for frequent re-application. It leaves a relatively matte finish without being at all drying. It does leave my lips feeling soft and hydrated, but when it wears off, it wears off entirely - no light stain…just naked lips. The color selection is somewhat limited and I don't think that this product is anything special enough to justify the $20 per tube price tag. All in all, it is a fairly average lipstick product.

More information about these and other Franche products is available at their website, Franche.com. There is a selection there for online ordering, yet there doesn't seem to be any way to actually order online! I assume that this website is still under development and hope that the few flaws I have noted here are only temporary. There is also a very short list of retail locations: 4 in the US and one in Greece.