Bare Minerals Blush Review

Bare Minerals blush, we have to have a serious talk.

Now, I mentioned in my Revlon Colorstay Whipped review that I was under the impression that the heaviness of the foundation was causing me to break out. So I haven't worn it since last Friday and changed over to L'Oreal's Lumi. But I was still breaking out. I realized yesterday that my breakouts were only on my cheeks. I never break out on my cheeks, usually it's my jawline and chin. Well, after this realization, I figured my real problem was the blush I was using, Bare Mineral's Hint.

I've owned this blush since June but I've only used it sparingly. These past couple of weeks were the only time I had used it consecutively. Well, I did some research, read some reviews, and it turns out that the product contains Bismuth Oxychloride, which is harmful to your skin. It irritates sensitive skin. It also turns out that a lot of Bare Minerals' products contain this. Which is bullshit. I know this is turning into a Bare Minerals hate blog but in all honesty, I am incredibly disappointed in the line. How can you say that your products are great for sensitive skin and are supposed to improve your complexion with continuous use when they contain this harmful product? It's deceitful. I still have a ton of their products that I will continue to use until they are empty but after that, I definitely won't be purchasing their stuff again. They really lulled me into a false sense of security because I worry about products breaking me out and was convinced theirs actually wouldn't.

For now, I've switched back to Nars' Orgasm. I am going to use that for a week straight or so and see if it makes a difference. My face is clearing up now, except now I have scarring to contend with. It is a shame that I probably won't be able to use Hint anymore, considering I did love the color and the wear time. Oh well, at least Orgasm is gorgeous too.

E.L.F Studio Pigment Eyeshadow Review

Look, I am normally pleased by E.L.F.'s products. I love their brushes, their primer, and they're my go to site for basics. (I admit, I am weary of their face products simply because I am weary of putting such cheap products on my sensitive skin.)  When I found this product (in this color, Tropical Teal) at Target, I was excited because I thought it would be a cheaper alternative to Maybelline's Color Tattoo (which I love, by the way). I really expected it to be super pigmented and long lasting.

Wrong.

First of all, it's a loose powder, not a gel. And the package has a sifter, as not shown in this picture. And if you leave the sifter on, you cannot get any product to come out of the jar. I had to take off the sifter to use it. And it is not pigmented at all. It's very faint and translucent, and simply does not last. The worst part about it is that when it fades, it changes color. It becomes almost...black. And makes my eyelids oily.  I don't hate this product; it's a fine eyeshadow. It just doesn't do what it's advertised to do. Oh, well, for $3 I shall continue to use it as just another eyeshadow. Nothing worth crying over.

Bare Minerals Ready Foundation Review/Gripe

I know I wrote about this product a bit in my Bare Minerals post but I have decided that I am sick of  this product. I want it out of my collection.

I mentioned that yes, the shade I have is too light but I have worked to make it look okay (at least I think so). The first time I tried it, back in September, I made the mistake of layering it and it made my face look so ashy and heavy. It was a disaster. I tried a bunch of different brushes and was finally able to get the desired look/coverage I wanted. I made it my everyday foundation for about three months. I thought I loved it. But the more I use it, the more I like it less and less. It is heavy (and look, I've watched all of Leslie's videos and heard all of her bullshit) and the only way it is going to cover what I want it to cover is if I use more than is recommend in the video. And using a lot of it makes my face look heavier, paler, and ashy. I mentioned that I almost want to repurchase this in a darker shade to see if that works better but I decided I am truly finished with this whole brand for the time being. I need to try new things. I've been using this quite a lot for the past five months, and I have hit pan. WHEN IS IT GOING TO GO AWAY?

Well, today is a bad skin day (I think I need to stay away from the Colorstay Whipped for a little while.) And I did want my skin to breathe a bit after exfoliating it but I just didn't want to look at my bare face so I used a bit of this product and I have never hated the stupid powder more than I do today. I just cannot use it anymore. It's unacceptable. I suppose five months of use does prove that I have gotten my money's worth but I am so reluctant to throw out something that still has product. Should I get over that? I mean, I'm not going to love every product I buy. But I can't just throw things out because I am tired of them. But if I'm tired of them and don't want to use it anymore, why should I keep them around? I guess I'll just keep it around to use on days when I'm not going to be seen by too many people...

Which leads me to my next problem. I need to find something to use everyday that is low-maintenance, easy and quick to apply, and provides at least medium coverage. I can't spend the time with setting powders and bronzers every morning because time is tight in the morning. I was thinking about another powder, perhaps Make Up For Ever's Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation. Or a BB cream. But jeez, if you think I've had bad luck with foundation, you don't know my history with BB creams. I've just received a sample of Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm so perhaps that'll be a winner. (I'm still not sold on the idea of a BB cream to be honest with you. But maybe I just need to find a good one.) But I can't buy anything else until I finish what I have. AND WHEN IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN?

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Review

I have shit luck with foundations.

I just haven't loved any of the ones I've tried (and I haven't tried many so my HG foundation may still be out there). I think it has something to do with the fact that because foundations last so long (at least six months I'd say, using it on average four times a week), I get so tired of them. And I try to keep the number of foundations I own to a minimum (I currently own four) so I just start to hold a grudge against them after awhile. Like I can't wait for them to end, and develop a hatred of them. This leads to having mixed feelings about them. 

Therefore, I don't know how I feel about the Revlon Colorstay Whipped. I think I really like it. I was so excited to try it, and stopped at every drugstore I came upon just to find it. It is unlike any other foundation I have ever tried. It is thick, matte, and medium-to-full coverage (I don't use concealer with this) and goes on smoothly. For as thick as it is, it isn't very heavy. Yes, it does last a long time (I don't know if it lasts twenty-fours but c'mon, who needs their foundation to last and look good for a whole day? That claim is ridiculous) but the problem is the application. I initially applied it with my fingers, and that certainly worked. It blends very well and easily. But I don't want to apply foundation with my fingers, and I especially don't want to keep dipping my fingers into a jar. I honestly don't see why this couldn't be put in a bottle with a pump. The formula is thick but I think it could flow through a pump without a problem.

I was originally using this as a "special occasion" foundation, for the days when I knew I would be out of the house all day and night but this past week, I've decided to revisit it and have been using it as my everyday foundation (I needed a change from Bare Minerals Ready and I am too lazy to blend L'oreal Lumi every morning). I've been applying it with ELF's Angled Foundation Brush because of how firm the bristles are. I have realized that the brush applies it thicker than my fingers would but that could be a minor adjustment on my end.

I used this everyday for about a week but today I woke up with my skin looking pretty awful. I used the Ready instead just to let my face breathe a bit. I don't know if it's fair to blame this foundation because I have owned it since August and have used it enough for my face to get used to it. I washed the brush yesterday in case it had to do with bacteria on the brush. I'll go back to using it tomorrow with a newly-clean brush.

Do I like this foundation? Like I said, I don't know. But you grow tired of having something in your collection for six months. Do I recommend it? Sure, I suppose, with reservation. It is about $14, does not have an SPF, and isn't the simplest to apply. Also, I don't know if I'm just getting the wrong shades but Revlon's foundations tend to run on the yellow side. I bought this in Buff and I can see that the undertones are all wrong but I bought it before I understood undertones and the differences between cold, warm, and neutral. Would I purchase it again? No, probably not. My quest for the perfect foundation continues.

Lush Face Cleansers

Next time I am in a Lush, someone keep me from buying a face cleanser.

I have very sensitive skin that will break out if you touch it, honest to God. I have tried so many face cleansers, scrubs, products, etc. to help with my breakouts (Clinique has really helped actually) and I figured Lush's cleansers would work the best because they claim to be all-natural and they don't use harsh chemicals or ingredients. Well, I have now used three different ones (Angels on Bare Skin, Aqua Marina, and Let the Good Times Roll) and they are all such a disappointment. They never made my skin feel clean. They did nothing to help with my breakouts either. What a disaster. And a waste of money.

(I did like Ocean Salt. No, I loved Ocean Salt. Yes, it's drying, but it really helped with my breakouts. The problem with it is that it's $35 a jar. But it does seem to last for months and it is just a great exfoliater. Of course, you can't use it everyday.)

I don't know what possesses me to keep buying these damn cleansers. I love Lush's body products overall  (and I do like their face masks and toners) and I suppose it's the store's great smell and friendly staff that suckers me in every damn time. I need to be strong the next time and remember that I have thrown money right in the trash because I just couldn't find a reason to use the damn things. And I never throw things out unless they are terrible. That's how useless these cleansers are.

My jar of Let the Good Times Roll that I bought in November expires this week. I have more than half of it left. In the trash it goes.

Bare Minerals

When I began seriously wearing make up around March of last year, I was told by a friend of mine who went to cosmetology school that if there was one thing I should buy at Sephora, it was foundation. When I asked for a recommendation, she told me Bare Minerals. She told me it would improve my skin as well as make me look great. So, off to Sephora I went the next weekend, and picked me up a jar of Bare Minerals' matte loose powder foundation.

Initially, I was in love. I think I was just trying to convince myself I loved it. (I had previously been using Revlon's Photo Ready Airbrush Mousse Makeup, which I had a love/hate relationship with, and I had just tried out the horrendous Neutrogena Healthy Skin Compact Makeup so anything would've been better than that.) Other than realizing that I did buy a shade too dark, I liked the matte foundation. I especially liked that I could leave it on all day and I didn't get that "makeup" look. Sure, I realized it did make me oily (and my skin is not oily at all) but I kept happily wearing.

And then something happened. After a few months, I began to hate the foundation. I noticed it wasn't improving my skin at all, it was oxidizing and turning orange, it wasn't covering anything, and it just seemed to make my pores look huge. And it made my skin look dirty. I still continued to use it, and just figured that it was too dark and maybe I should try the original finish next time around.

So, I bought the original foundation after seeing the infomercial. I mean, the deal was just too good to pass up! But it was the same deal: oxidized, didn't cover, didn't even last (even with concealer and primer), and made my skin look dirty. Bare Minerals loose foundation, we are officially finished. I don't even want to finish the stupid jar I have (but I will because I bought it and I really try to use up everything unless it is just horrendous, like that Neutrogena foundation).

But I ended up either buying or accumulating a lot of their other products, with varying degrees of success.

Yes, their Flawless Definition mascara is wonderful, for a basic mascara. It doesn't really volumize or curl your lashes but I wear it everyday to work (if I want to look a bit fancier, I wear a different one). If I hadn't gotten this for free, I would never buy it. It is not worth $18 because there's nothing special about it.

I also received a sample size of their All-Over Face Color in Warmth, and I really like this product. A little goes a long way, and it does provide a very natural bit of color. If you do use too much, it looks ridiculous, so you do have to be careful. I probably will repurchase, especially since I received their Ready Bronzer in Skinny Dip and it provides no color what so ever. I really have to use a lot (on a kabuki, by the way) to get it to show up. Maybe Skinny Dip is too light for me? It is just a disappointing product, especially since the color is lovely.

The first blush I ever bought for myself was the Bare Minerals' loose blush in Hint. It's a pretty color but again, a little goes a long, long way. It is very pigmented. It's nothing special, so I may not purchase again (especially since Nars' Orgasm is so fantastic).

I also received a sample of Mineral Veil. Everyone RAVES about this product and I am still at a loss for what to do with it. It does work well over the loose foundation to minimize the oiliness but I've tried it as a setting powder for other foundations and it just doesn't do anything for me. It doesn't make me look airbrushed, like it claims to do. There are much better translucent powders out their for much cheaper.

I do really like the Correcting Concealer but only to hide blemishes/marks. It cakes under the eyes but then again, I feel like all cream concealers cake do that.

And last but not least, the controversial Ready Foundation...

I was very excited about this but bought it before I read the reviews that all said to buy one shade up from the loose foundation. (What is with this company? Too dark, too light. Where is Bare Minerals' Goldilocks?) The first night I tried it out, I was so pale and the make up looked so heavy on my face. It was terrible. I had to try a few brushes before I was able to figure out how to get this to not look so unnatural. Even though I did, I still had to contend with the damn shade problem. That was where the Warmth came in. Warmth does make it look more natural. But I don't want to have to go through all of these steps in the morning when I'm doing my make up for work. I just wanted something quick and easy, which is what I thought the Ready Foundation would be. I don't really love this product, and I feel like I need to try it out one more time in the right shade to really judge it.

But I am just incredibly disappointed by Bare Minerals as a whole, so I am trying to just stop buying their products. There's so much hype surrounding their stuff but to be honest, it didn't improve my skin as advertised. It did nothing for me. I really tried. I really wanted to like it. But now it's time to start trying new brands and products to really figure out what is best for my skin and the look I want to achieve. I probably won't repurchase any of these products for the time being.

However, there is one exception. Bare Minerals' Active Cell Renewal Night Serum is like the nectar of the gods. I will always repurchase this. It has dramatically improved my skin, made my pores smaller, and has minimized my break outs. I recommend this to everyone.