MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS IN EUROPEAN BARE NATURAL MINERAL PRODUCTS?

A. European Bare products are made from a combination of Micas, Titanium Dioxides, Iron Oxides, Zinc Oxides, and Kaolin Clay.

Q: DO YOU MANUFACTURE YOUR OWN PRODUCTS?

A: Heavens, no!  I can barely even cook!  We are proud to be the U.S. Distributors for European Bare products, which is our best-selling line.  If you are interested in becoming a distributor for European Bare products, or are interested in buying in wholesale quantities, please feel free to contact us.

We also sell e.l.f. products, PuraMinerals, Spa Excel, Papoutsanis and Olivia Olive Oil products, and Aphrodite Olive Oil products.

Q: WHY ARE YOUR PRODUCTS SO MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN OTHER BRANDS?

A: European Bare doesn't spend $260 million a year on infomercials and expensive television commercials.  Instead, they expect their distributors to do their own advertising.  As a result, they pass the HUGE savings on to us and we pass that savings on to you!

Q:  DOES A 20 GRAM JAR OF MAKEUP WEIGH 20 GRAMS?

A:  You think we're kidding about this question, don't you?  We actually get this question at least 10 times a day.  European Bare Natural Minerals are packaged by VOLUME and NOT by weight.   Due to the fact that darker colored minerals contain a higher concentration of oxides, the darker colored minerals sometimes weigh up to 10 times the weight of the lighter minerals.  Some micas are virtually weightless so the more sheer products (like Soft Glow Blush and Sheer Veil Finishing Powder) don't weigh anything at all, while Warmth is almost 100% pure oxide and is very heavy. Approximately 3 years ago, European Bare stopped packaging their minerals by weight and started packaging them by volume instead.  Samples come in 5-gram jars (a little larger than a quarter and about 1/2 inch tall), concealers, eyeshadows, blushes and all-over colors come in 10-gram jars (about the size of a silver dollar and approximately 3/4 inches tall), and foundations come in 20 gram jars (approximately 2 inches in diameter and approximately 3/4 inches tall).  Some products are also available in XL 30 gram jars.  These are all standard sizes in the cosmetic industry.  It only gets confusing when you believe what you read on the bottoms of the jars from the companies which advertise on TV.  What they don't tell you is that those jars have double-walled sides, false bottoms, and triple deep sifters so although it looks like you are getting a 20-gram jar, you are really only getting 1/3 of what it appears to be. 

Here is another way to look at it: One 8 oz cup of water actually weighs 9 oz. while one 8 oz cup of heavy whipping cream weighs 17 oz.  The 9 oz and 17 oz are measurements of weight, yet almost all recipes will call for one 8 oz cup instead because it is a standard measurement of volume.  And that is exactly what European Bare is doing. 

Sample = 1/4 teaspoon of minerals

5 gram jar = 3/4 teaspoons of minerals

10 gram jar = 1-1/2 teaspoons of minerals

20 gram jar = 2-1/2 teaspoons of minerals

30 gram jar = 4-1/2 teaspoons of minerals

Q:  WHY DO SO MANY OF YOUR KITS INCLUDE A FREE DVD MADE BY ANOTHER COMPANY? 

A:  Many of our customers are trying mineral makeup for the very first time and are overwhelmed by all the jars of minerals and brushes.  Some people find it easy to read the printed instructions and apply their mineral makeup correctly with no problem at all.  Others find it easier to watch someone else do a live demonstration.   Although we actively protest companies adding arsenic, bismuth oxychloride, fillers and parabens (which cause breast cancer in women) to what is supposed to be "natural mineral makeup" we like the DVD so we give them away FREE to our customers.   Many of our customers write a note on their PayPal payments telling us to keep the FREE DVD -- they don't need it.  If you are ordering a kit which includes a  FREE DVD and you do not need it, you may request a FREE Maximum Coverage Bare Concealer Brush instead.  Just be sure to put your note in the Note to Seller section of your PayPal payment and not in an email please.

Q:  I RECEIVED A COUPON GOOD FOR 20% OFF MY NEXT ORDER.  THE COUPON SAYS IT IS ONLY VALID ON YOUR REAL WEBSITE.  WHY CAN'T I USE IT ON MY EBAY ORDER?

A.  We would LOVE to honor the 20% discount on your eBay order, but we aren't allowed to.  EBay isn't currently set up to honor discounts or coupons.  But we've found a really awesome way to give you the same discount!  If you pay for your order via PayPal, simply pay the amount shown on your invoice, then make a note in the Note To Seller section saying "Please send me a 20% rebate.  VIP20".  Once your order is shipped, we will send you a 20% refund/rebate through PayPal!

Q: HOW LONG BEFORE I CAN EXPECT MY ORDER TO BE SHIPPED?

A:  Most orders are processed and shipped within 48 hours (excluding holidays and weekends).

Q:  IF I WANT TO CUSTOMIZE MY KIT, OR REQUEST A DIFFERENT FOUNDATION SHADE, DO I JUST EMAIL YOU?

A.  No.  You are ALWAYS welcome to customize your kit, and we are always happy to substitute foundations for you, but you must attach a note to your PayPal payment (in the Note to Seller section).  Here is the problem:  My staff and I ship orders from 10:00 a.m. until midnight every day.   Most of the time we are able to ship out every order that has come in that day.  I answer eBay emails from midnight until 2:30 a.m. Monday through Friday (actually I guess that would make it Tuesday through Saturday) so by the time I receive your email, your order has already been shipped.

Q: HOW ARE MY ITEMS SHIPPED?

A: We ship via USPS.  If the package weighs less than 13 ounces, it will be shipped via First Class Mail.  If it weighs more than 13 ounces, we will automatically upgrade it to Priority Mail.   If you need your order sooner, you are ALWAYS welcome to upgrade to Priority Mail for a small fee.

Q: WHEN WILL I GET MY ORDER AFTER IT IS SHIPPED?

A: Although USPS states that First Class Mail takes 3-5 business days and Priority Mail takes 2-3 business days, we have no control over how long they actually take to deliver the package to you.  It usually takes 5 days for your package to get off this island!  Please allow up to 14 days to receive your order once it leaves othe Boutique.

Q: I TRIED TO TRACK MY ORDER AND IT SAYS THAT THE USPS WAS ELECTRONICALLY NOTIFIED AND IT HAS NOT UPDATED SINCE. DID YOU SHIP IT?

A:  We get this question alot!  Yes, we ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ship every package the same day the PayPal label is generated.  However, we are located on a tiny island in the Gulf of Mexico just southwest of Fort Myers, Florida, and they don't even HAVE a real post office on this island!!  Most of the time your package will note be scanned in until it reaches the Tampa, Florida sorting facility but it is not at all uncommon for the packages to skin the scanning process altogether.  Often the package WILL NOT BE UPDATED UNTIL IT ARRIVES AT YOUR LOCAL POST OFFICE, and will be updated again WHEN YOUR LOCAL CARRIER SCANS IT IN AS BEING DELIVERED TO YOU.  We understand that this is a problem.  It is a problem for us too.  But while the numbers used to be used as tracking numbers, the U.S. Post Office now conceooros them to be DELIVERY CONFIRMATION numbers.  Please be patient.   If you check your PayPal account and see that the shipping label has been generated, please know that the package has been delivered to the U.S. Post Office and is on its way to you.  I promise.

Q:  DO YOU ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL ORDERS?

A: We do offer international shipping on most items (generally anything but soaps and sponges).  Our international shipping fee is a flat rate of $18.00 USD. Sometimes the actual cost of the shipping ends up being $26.00 and we pay the difference.  Other times we get lucky and it is only $12.50.  By charging a flat rate of $18.00, it averages out okay.

Q: I THOUGHT I WAS ORDERING THE TV BRAND.  I GUESS I JUST LOOKED AT THE PICTURE AND ASSUMED IT WAS THE TV BRAND.  I REALLY DIDN'T READ THE AD.  CAN I RETURN IT?

A:  Due to the nature of our products, we are not allowed to accept returns of health and beauty products once they have been opened.

Q: I DONT HAVE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT.  CAN I PAY BY CREDIT CARD?

A: Yes!  You don't have to have a PayPal account to pay by credit card.  Simply check the box that says you want to pay by PayPal and then enter your credit card information in the form provided.  PayPal actually serves as a credit card processor!

Q:  I EMAILED YOU AT YOUR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS BUT DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER.   DID YOU GET MY EMAIL?  HOW DO I EMAIL YOU?  THROUGH EBAY?

A:  For security reasons (phishers and scammers and id thieves are hard at work!) we are no longer able to answer emails sent to our personal email address.  We can only answer emails sent through the eBay system.  Sorry!