Back to Mineral Make-up

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you will know that I am a big fan of Bare Escentuals Mineral foundation.

But I'll let you into a little secret... over the past two months or so, i had completely fallen out with it! My skin was going through a really bad phase due to stress etc. and i kept on breaking out. I became convinced that mineral makeup was not what I needed as i didn't feel like it was giving my skin the coverage it needed.

I started looking for alternatives and found the dream satin liquid foundation by Maybelline in my makeup stash. Yes I do love that foundation, the finish and the coverage is beautiful, but the only problems was that I could feel it on my skin. Having got used to wearing minerals... I found liquid foundation to be really heavy and I always felt the need to re-apply during the day.

So after weeks of being moody and failing to find a foundation that I was happy with, I decided to sit down and apply my bare minerals foundation the same way that SJ on QVC was telling me too (Bare Escentuals is sold at QVC) and that's when I realised what was going wrong! It wasn't the foundation that was letting me down, it was the technique. I had fallen into a pattern of not following the specific SWIRL, TAP, BUFF method that your supposed to follow when applying bare escentuals mineral foundation, but that was all I had needed!

I also realised that when using mineral foundation, less is definitely more. I now apply three fine layers using the swirl, tap, buff technique with my bare escentuals full coverage kabuki brush. I find that this is enough to give me the coverage my skin needs. before, I had got into the habit of putting a lot of minerals on at once and not taking a little extra time to properly buff it into my skin.

I can officially say that I am loving using mineral foundation again! and another added bonus is that it has a natural SPF 15 in it, which is great for summer months!

What's your opinion on mineral foundation?

My BIG new pot of BE...

as you may know by now, i am a massive Bare Escentuals fan! i love their foundation and have used it for about a year now. I'm close to coming to the end of a 2g pot and so decided to repurchase. i used to use the shade Medium Tan but it's always been a little bit to dark for me. i got away with it in the summer, but now that the winter has rolled along i was finding it difficult to apply with out making myself look odd. so whilst shopping around, i found a website - www.glowgirl.co.uk - and i must say I'm really impressed with it. they sell authentic BE products at a good couple of pounds cheaper than most other places. i got the massive 9g pot for only £17.99 including p&p whereas most other website sell it for £24.00 +p&p! the foundation pot was delivered within 2 days and did i mention it was free delivery. I'm definitely going to be using this website again to treat myself to more BE products :)

i decided to go for the shade Golden Medium.... it's description was for medium skin tones with a golden undertone, and I'm so glad a chose it because it's a perfect match! in the past I've found it so hard to find a foundation that matches my skintone perfectly, so I'm really really pleased!... can you tell??... i don't think this shade however is available in UK stores at the moment, but i would recommend buying it online anyway... from glowgirl.com

if you want to know more about my thought on Bare Escentuals then check out previous post on my blog.... there will be a few raving about this product :D

and to round up... i would really really recommend this foundation. if you have any question just drop me a comment :)

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Products i'm using right now!

I'd be lying if i said i had been tagged to do this, because i haven't. :( but i wanted to do it, so i hope you don't mind but here goes...

Shampoo & Conditioner: Ojon hydrating shampoo and conditioner

Shower Gel: Imperial Leather Japanese Spa foamburst shower gel

Body moisturiser: Palmers cocoa butter

Deodorant: Sure Crystal

Fake Tan: i don't use fake tan

Cleanser and Toner: Neutrogena triple action 2 in 1 cleaner and toner

Exfoliator: Clean and clear daily exfoliating scrub

Primer: Laura Geller spackle

Foundation: Bare Minerals

Foundation brush: my fingers!

Concealer: Max Factor Concealer Stick... please recommend a new concealer to me, i want to try something that really works!

Powder: Bare Minerals mineral veil

Bronzer: it changes all the time, but at the moments it's benefit hoola again

Highlighter: Smashbox highlighting quad in smashing reel

Eyeshadow base: MAC paint pot in bare studyEyeshadow: MAC Sable

Eyeliner: Avon perfect wear liquid liner

Mascara: I'm loving Avon Supershock mascara at the moment (it's my product of the week:)

Lipstick: Revlon matte lipstick in Nude Attitude

Lipgloss: Revlon super lustrous lipgloss in shocking spice

Nail Colour: Nails Inc - Kings Road

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Review: Bare Escentuals

Swirl.....Tap.....Buff!

What the website says:

"Bare Escentuals started the revolution in mineral makeup with the introduction of our award-winning 100% pure bareMinerals.
bareMinerals looks like a powder, feels like a cream and buffs on like silk, giving skin a natural luminosity. Free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other harmful chemicals, bareMinerals provides impeccable coverage for every skin type, skin tone, and concern yet it doesn't feel like you're wearing any makeup at all.
And bareMinerals are just the beginning. Our makeup line also offers complete colour cosmetics and treatments designed to enhance your natural beauty, such as lipcolors, lip liners, lip glosses, mascaras, skin preps, flawless application brushes and more."

What do i think?

i use bare minerals foundation on a daily basis and personally love it and totally agree with above. i must admit though when i first started using it, i was rather disappointed, and it was only after sticking with it for a good couple of weeks and practising the precise application method(SWIRL... TAP... BUFF) that i then actually started to like it. i started off by ordering the starter kit, which includes two complimentary foundation shades (2g), a warmth all over face colour (2g), mineral veil (2g), skin rever-er upper (68ml), a flawless face brush and a max coverage concealer brush.

i have since brought a couple more items from the brand and this is where my collection stands at the minute.

Brushes:

L-R: heavenly face brush, heavenly blush brush, eye buki brush, max coverage concealer brush, flawless face brush, max coverage kabuki brush (bottom)

i haven't ever tried to apply my bare minerals with any other brush, but i do think that the finish is better if the bare mineral tools are used. i use the flawless face brush to apply a small amount of mineral veil before i apply my foundation. i feel this helps to greatly reduce the look of my pores. for full coverage i used the heavenly face brush to apply my foundation all over the face, and then i may use the concealer brush to add any extra coverage that may be needed. the brushes are really soft and easy to clean. my advice would be to use the flawless face brush at a 45 degree angle to the face rather than a 90 degree angle to the face. this stops any irritation to the skin especially if you really like to buff the mineral into the skin.

Rating: 5/5

Eyeshadow:

Kudos and Magnatize

the eye shadows are really finely milled and leave a beautiful wash of colour on the eyelid. i must admit that i haven't really used Kudos, but Magnatize leave a gorgeous golden sheen. i would recommend used a base or a skin toned matte eyeshadow underneath as it helps spread the mineral evenly on the eyelid, leaving a more professional, finished look.

Rating: 4/5

Blush:

Naughty Naughty

i only own one blush, in shade naughty naughty. i must admit that in the pot, the blush look really shimmery and pigmented, but when applied with a light hand, using the heavenly blush brush, it leaves a really nice pinky sheen to the skin. it's not glittery or clown like but rather nice. i think i would personally like to try some more blushes by the brand. again like all bare minerals products, the powder is really finely milled which allows the product to be easily and evenly distributed on the face.

Rating: 4/5

Radiance:

two in one radiance product: L - pure radiance, R- Tropical radiance

i really do rate the radiance products. i think it's hard to find a highlighter that doesn't leave a sweaty sheen to the skin, especially if it a loose powder, but this product really delivers. my personal favourite is the Pure Radiance which leave a soft light, subtle golden sheen to the skin where as the tropical radiance is slightly more pigmented allowing it to be used as a blusher if you wanted. i use the flawless face brush to apply this produce in a E shape on my face.

Rating: 4.5/5

Complexion:

L-R: warmth all over face colour, SPF15 foundation in medium tan, mineral veil.

starting with the foundation, i think this is the best foundation i have ever tried. it leaves my skin looking flawless and once you get used to it, its quick and simple to apply. when wearing this foundation i constantly get complements on my skin, not my makeup. that shows me that this is the prefect foundation for me because i don't want to look like I'm caked in foundation, but i do want my skin to look good. the fact that it has SPF15 in it is a added bonus because i don't have to worry about overloading my face with creams and what not. i would recommend that you make sure your face is moisturised before you apply the foundation though, because being a fine powder, it can highlight dry skin. with all bare escentual products, and the foundation in particular, you have to remember that a very little goes a long way. to apply the foundation, you tap a little into the lid, swirl your brush in it to warm the minerals up and then buff it into your skin. the more you buff, the better it will look.

Rating: 5/5

i started off apply the mineral veil on top of my foundation, but found that it had little affect. so after someone advised me to do so, i started applying it underneath my foundation. there's a huge difference! it really helps to minimise my pores, especially on my for head where i think there most noticeable and it also take away any excess shine.

Rating: 5/5

i don't use the warmth product on a daily basis, but when i do use it, i use it as a bronzer. it's meant to add a sun kissed look to the face... which it does. the colour in the pot does look a little scary, but trust me it doesn't come out that colour on the face! the best thing about this product is the luminosity it adds to the face, but in my opinion that could be said for all bare escentuals products.

Rating: 3.5/5

the skin rever-er upper which is features in the second picture from the top is kind of like a primer. it has a strong chemical smell, but works wonders. it helps the minerals last longer on the face and it keeps my skin in good condition.

Rating: 4/5

Where to buy bare minerals?:

bare minerals can be quite expensive, but a little 2g pot of foundation does last a long time. of course it does depend how much you use. there are bare minerals counter in debehnams and selfridges. if your looking for a cheaper option, it can be bought on QVC and there are many reliable seller on ebay. to start of with i would recommend buying the starter kit which retails at £45.00 in the UK.

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