You may already know that Melissa and I are major fans of Bare Minerals. We did a review last year when we actually discovered the awesomeness that is Bare Minerals together and have been converts ever since. It has been about a year since our “Eureeka!” moment though, so it’s a good time to reassess our love affair. See if any of the passion has died or if the embers are still glowing…like our faces…

• In the past year I’ve realized something major: I don’t want to go anywhere without at least a dusting of my Bare Minerals foundation. The foundation is magical in my eyes - it effortlessly makes my skin look flawless. My Summer Bisque concealer still works wonders on my red spots but I have to confess: Lately it seems like I’ve had to continually touch up my broken capillary (the one that is conveniently located above my nose, between my eyes. I swear I’m going to laser that sucker away one day!). Maybe my capillary is just becoming more prominent, but I’m a little bummed out that my Summer Bisque doesn’t seem to provide as effortless of coverage as it did in our early days together.

• One thing I have always been disappointed with is the Bare Minerals blush: I can’t seem to find a good color for my skin. The blush that came with the starter kit for fair skin was too dark for me, so I’ve been using a sample of the rose radiance I got from Ulta as my blush for a while now. But I always feel like I need to temper the pink with a bronzer otherwise my cheeks look too pink.

• But those inconveniences are minuscule when I consider how much I love the foundation and mineral veil. In the past year I’ve only run out of my foundation, concealer and mineral veil ONCE. Yes, only once. That is kind of amazing to me, considering that I use it everyday. But since you only have to use a very small amount, the supply has lasted me way longer than any other makeup I’ve ever owned. In fact, if you use too much of the minerals, the finish can be cakey. Which is why I adhere religiously to this tip I found back in November: Apply lightly and wait for 5 to 10 minutes for the foundation to become like a second skin. Then if you feel you need more coverage, add more. But not before then. Such an amazing rule of thumb. I’ve never needed to reapply.

I did some research on what other people have been saying in their Bare Minerals reviews to see if anyone has had similar problems. From what I’ve seen, people love the blush too and haven’t had the same problems as me. So I think I’ll need to look harder for my right color. Even though I’ve had a hankering lately to try out a cream blush, like Nars Orgasm. And as far as the concealer losing some of its mojo…like I said, I think that is a case of my own skin issues.

Overall, upon reviewing my Bare Minerals Reviews…I’m still in love…this is one makeup affair that has serious staying power!

PRODUCT: Neutrogena Mineral Sheer Concealer

CLAIMS: “Step 1: Cream concealer covers and protects with SPF 20. Step 2: Translucent loose powder sets and perfects for seamless coverage and the illusion of flawless skin.”

RESULTS:

Yes, this is same concealer kit I’ve had my eye on for a few weeks now, and I’m happy to report that it didn’t disappoint! This kit is unique because it offers both a cream concealer and a colorless mineral powder to set the concealer and absorb shine. The concealer itself is pretty great; it goes on velvety smooth and is easy to blend. I tried blending it with both a brush and my ring finger, and both worked equally well, although I prefer the brush because I think it allows a more precise application. Once you’ve patted and blended to your heart’s content, unscrew the little powder pot from the bottom  and pat on some powder. I was less impressed with this aspect of the kit, mostly because the little puff that accompanies the powder is really, really small and woefully inadequate for my concealing needs. Use your own puff or brush and you’ll probably fare better. Overall, I think this is a fantastic concealer for the price, and far better than the liquid concealer I was using before. Yay!

PROS: The concealer is very creamy and blendable, and offers a good amount of coverage. The accompanying powder is a nice touch. Works well on both blemishes and undereye circles.

CONS: The puff that comes with the powder is way too small to maneuver! Plus, there’s just not very much powder. I also have to wonder how much concealer is actually in the pot. (Also, I wish I had ordered it from Amazon for $7.99 instead of paying full price at CVS!)

FINAL WORD? Worth your $$! I think this is a truly excellent drugstore concealer.

I had a fun party to go to this weekend and I broke out a sassy short dress for the occasion, paired with mile-high heels.  I loved the dress, I loved the shoes, I loved my accessories but…my legs needed some help.  I’m a naturally pale person so I never really expect my legs to look tanned and flawless but I would really like them to at least look flawless.  My skin tone seemed uneven and splotchy and I didn’t feel comfortable letting it all hang out.  And then I remembered reading good things about Sally Hansen’s Airbrush Legs and I thought I’d give it a try.  If it didn’t work out, I could throw on some tights and cut my losses, right?  So I went to CVS, picked up a bottle and crossed my fingers.

Results? I loved it!  I was worried about the application process, since it’s in a spray can.  I thought I was going to have to spray evenly front and back, possibly getting “airbrush” all over my room and a streaky look.  But you spray it directly into your hand and then spread it evenly onto your leg.  It definitely looks like makeup and the color seemed darker than I expected when it was in my hand but once I smoothed it onto my legs the color seemed much more suited for my skin tone.  They have four different shades available to help you match your skin color.  It was so easy to use and really evened out the splotchiness that was making me feel self-conscious, without looking like I was wearing “leg makeup.”  I was worried about that too - was it going to look like I had airbrushed my legs?  And was I going to leave a trail of leg makeup in my wake throughout the night?  I am very happy to say that those worries were never realized.  I will definitely use this again and recommend it to anyone that wants to even out their legs’ skin tone.  And the added benefit of my legs feeling really smooth is just another reason to love it.

Maybe it is because I am finally turning thirty in a few months, or maybe it’s because I can see the wrinkles starting to creep up, but I have been obsessed with wrinkle creams lately. I found this product a few weeks ago, and I have to say I am very happy. Unfortunately, I am an avid coffee drinker, and the wrinkles beginning around my mouth were really becoming a drag. After just a few weeks using Olay anti-wrinkle night cream, I have seen a major improvement. I love that you only have to use it at night and you don’t have to go through a 3 or 4 step process to see results. I know there a lot of these products to choose from, but I personally give this one a big thumbs up.

Meet my new best friend: Maybelline Full N’ Soft Mascara. My mom is the one who got me hooked: She has tried every kind of mascara, from high-end to low, and she swears by this drugstore find. She gave it to me for Christmas and I was excited to try it out. Let me just say: This stuff does not disappoint! It really lengthens and fills out your lashes without clumping or feeling heavy. I feel like it gives the look of natural “fake” lashes - meaning my lashes look so good, I think they look almost like falsies. Here’s some before and after shots. You be the judge:

BEFORE (left) & AFTER (right):

Big difference, right? My lashes are defined, look a million miles longer and yet still have a look that is not “too made up.” I’m a very natural makeup kind of girl for day to day life, so I don’t want my face to look too heavy-handed. The best thing about Full N’ Soft is that what you see in the picture was achieved just through brush strokes. I didn’t comb through or pick out any clumps or fix my lashes in any way after applying. The brush did all that on it’s own. It is definitely worth adding to your makeup arsenal.

I’m curious: What mascara do you swear by?

My face got mad at me over the weekend.  I don’t know what I did to offend it, but all of a sudden I had two major blemishes arise from the depths of my skin for their moment in the sun.  I had to nip these monsters in the proverbial bud with my secret weapon.

First, I washed my face and opened my pores with warm water.  The warmth brought the monsters to the surface and then I was able to extract them carefully.  I am the first to say, Don’t pop your zits!!  But when they are ready to be extracted, you know it.  The white head is brought to the top and after using a warm compress, you can gently squeeze out the offending pimple.  I always use a tissue to do the squeezing - never my bare fingers! - so that I prevent any oils or residue from infecting the skin.  And if you squeeze and see blood, stop squeezing immediately!  You’re only going to damage and scar yourself if you continue trying to extract, which I have learned the hard way.  Swipe a refreshing toner over your skin, not only to soothe the irritated area but also to  clean it and make sure no residue has sneaked its way in.

Now here is the secret weapon:  Fresh Umbrian Clay (in the tube, not the bar).  After all that is done, dab a little Umbrian Clay on your spots and leave it on as a spot treatment overnight.  It helps to rejuvenate your skin and encourage cell turnover so your healing time will be less.  It also detoxifies the skin, so it is great to use on zits that you can feel coming - dab some on and they usually won’t come to the surface.

The next morning, after washing my face, I applied the Umbrian Clay to my damp and clean skin for an all over mask.  It dries after about five minutes and then you rinse it off.  I like to smile real big in the mirror before I rinse it off though - it dries tightly and makes me look like an old lady.  I feel like Benjamin Button.  I digress.  Once it is rinsed off, my skin looks fresh and new.  And the pimples I had to pop the night before?  They are still slightly red spots but they are not elevated spots, so they are easy to cover with a little makeup.  And after a day passes, they are hardly there at all.  Secret Weapon:  Mission Accomplished.

This past Friday I blogged about a tip from David Babaii:  For deep-conditioned hair, sleep on it! I tried it out that night and this is what the process looked like…

STEP ONE:

First, I started out with dry hair, as instructed, and used my Garnier Shine Conditioner as my leave-in for the night. I have to admit, I started thinking - is this going to be safe?  The conditioner that David recommended using was from his own all-natural line.  I started thinking about the chemicals that are in conditioner and wondered: Would it be safe to let them seep into my skull overnight? Needless to say, I’m a bit of a hypochondriac.  And I’m placing an order for WildAid this week….

STEP TWO:

Next step was actually applying the conditioner.  I was a little confused about how to best do it - should I saturate my hair?  Should I just use the normal amount of conditioner that I would use if I was showering?  I decided to go with the saturation route.  I applied the conditioner in small amounts, combed it through and then repeated until I felt my hair had equal conditioner throughout.  Then I twisted my hair into a makeshift bun on top of my head.

STEP THREE:

Finally I put on my shower cap!  I was ready for overnight conditioning.  I finished getting ready for bed and then turned in for the night. It took a little getting used to, sleeping with a shower cap on, but it wasn’t too awkward.  I could feel the heat from my head getting trapped under the cap though, which I have to admit, didn’t make for the most restful sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I jumped in the shower to rinse out the conditioner.  My hair was actually still damp from it’s overnight conditioning process which was interesting because I thought the conditioner would dry as the night went on.

FINAL VERDICT?

My hair felt silky smooth the next day!  It felt a little weighed down, but I think that has more to do with my own foul up:  I forgot to rinse the conditioner off of the comb that I had used to comb through the night before.  So when I used it the next morning after rinsing the conditioner out of my hair, I may have added more conditioner to my hair.  Oops.  Lesson learned - always rinse your comb.  Despite my own ineptitude, I was happy with the results of sleeping on it.  A few days later, my husband even commented, “Your hair is still so soft!”  So it definitely made an impression, which is always a welcome beauty side-effect.  “Sleeping on it” is worth a try to help your hair that’s dry (I just made a rhyme - I don’t know why).

Every once in a while, I stumble across a beauty product that simply exceeds my expectations.  While some women may be able to leave the house without foundation, I am not one of them.  I have tried virtually every new foundation that hits the market, and finally decided I like a Avon product the most.  But….when Revlon introduced the Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer, I simply had to try it.  LOVED IT!  I wish I would have had this product many years ago.

Let’s face reality here:  Not all of us are blessed with a poreless appearance.  The main reason I tried this product was to see if it did help fill in the lines and pores on your face.  Guess what?  Couldn’t believe it.  My face looked younger.  The Revlon site says it may feel a little heavy for summer use.  Ok.  I’ll buy that. But it really does make your foundation last longer, which of course makes the rest of your makeup last longer as well.

So that’s my beauty tip for the day.  Try this one out ladies.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

PRODUCT: CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain

CLAIMS: “The water-based colorants of Outlast Lipstain give lips a beautiful, lightweight flush of color that won’t come off, lasting for hours without the heavy look or feel of an ordinary lipstick. Its pen-like precision applicator makes it easy to define your lips - just draw on color without any hassle!”

RESULTS?

As you know, I was very excited to try this product, so I was delighted to stumble upon it in CVS last week. This is my first experience with this kind of marker-like lip stain, so I had high expectations, and guess what? I loved it! This product rules. It was everything I wanted it to be! I chose Plum Pout #425, a bright purple/red, and applied it as soon as I got home from the store. It was easy to apply, thanks to the “precision tip,” and it had a sweet, slightly fruity smell. Seven hours and several meals later, it was still there! It does fade slightly over time, but the color definitely remains as lovely as ever. I was also happy to find that it didn’t dry my lips out, and that I could add a bit of gloss or lip balm over the top without affecting the color or the staying power. I need to buy more shades, stat!

PROS: Actually lasts. Easy (and fun) to apply. Not drying. Can be used with other lip products, e.g. gloss.

CONS: Why didn’t I buy more than one color?!

FINAL WORD? This is the rare beauty product that actually delivers on all of its claims. If you’re looking for an affordable stain with real staying power, this is the ticket. Needless to say, I think this one is Worth your $$

PRODUCT: CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Mascara

CLAIMS: "Get 4x brighter eyes* with Exact Eyelights Mascara! Light-reflecting metallics and a hint of tint bring out your blues, browns, hazels and greens, while our patented no-clump brush helps define lashes."

RESULTS? I’ve been excited to check this product out since I saw it advertised during the ANTM finale and I finally got to pick it up yesterday at Target. Even though my eyes are brown, I went with the Black Gold, formulated for hazel eyes, because I liked the idea of having a little bit of gold in my mascara. So…what did I think? As I shrug my shoulders, I utter, "Eh." I have lukewarm feelings to this product. My eyes don’t seem to pop, the gold isn’t visible on the lashes and there is nothing really outstanding to note. It just seems like regular mascara. Maybe if I tried the one for brown eyes there woud be a difference, but I kind of doubt it. I find the formula to be a bit clumpy and the wand doesn’t help with the separation of my lashes. A bit of a let down but I’ll still use it. So, again, lukewarm. I should have taken into account that the claims have an asterick, so the "4x brighter eyes*" is brighter than "*bare lashes." I don’t know about you but my eyes always are several times brighter with any kind of mascara on them (versus bare). I call tricky marketing.

PROS: Wearable, functional, standard, inexpensive.

CONS: Didn’t live up to it’s claims in my eyes (har, har).

I love High Noon from Fresh. I’m on the fair end of the skin color spectrum, so I have absolutely fallen in love with this bronzer. I can use it in place of foundation because it evens out my skin tone and creates a beautiful natural glow. High Noon bronzer is formulated to work with most skin types so the actual pigmentation of the product is light. From fair to dark, it is supposed to serve a purpose. One complaint I have heard and read about is that if you do have a darker complexion, then it doesn’t make much of an impression of color. If you are looking for an all over bronzer to create a tanned look, then this might not be the ticket. If you are looking for a natural glow that evens skin tone and you have a fair complexion, then this is definitely worth looking into. If you have a darker complexion, you might want to think of the product as more of a highlighter than a bronzer. Either way you use it, High Noon is packed with vitamins and has a very light and soothing cucumber scent that is refreshing.  It is one of my favorite new additions to my makeup arsenal!

There is a lot of hype surrounding the Shu Uemura Eyelash curler but I’ve kind of thought, an eyelash curler is an eyelash curler, so what’s the fuss?

I’ll tell you the fuss:

I was on set last week and the makeup artist had me curl my lashes with the Shu Uemura curler. I did five seconds on each eye, per my usual curling routine. BUT he had to wait about a minute for the curl to calm down before he applied my mascara: My lashes were literally touching my eyelids. I have never experienced a curl like that before. I know what I hope to get in my stocking this year…oh, who am I kidding? I’ll probably buy it for myself before Christmas rolls around…

PRODUCT:  Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Facial Peel, $25

CLAIMS:  "Neutrogena brings you professional results at home. This breakthrough formula is proven to deliver results equal to a 20% glycolic peel. It instantly reveals a new texture, tone, and clarity — for a complexion that looks more youthfully radiant."

RESULTS?  I might be a little bit in love with this product.  My skin has looked lackluster as of late and nothing has helped.  I’ve been drinking lots of water, exercising, eating right - you know the drill - but my skin has looked dull, splotchy and in need of something serious.  I applied a very thin layer, as instructed.  The product is a lot more watery than I expected and the scent is slightly yet pleasantly perfumed.  It says to leave on from 7 - 10 minutes and that if it starts tingling, that means the product is working.  I was pretty nervous about the "tingling" because I kind of hate that feeling and my skin is sensitive, so I didn’t want an adverse reaction.  I never felt the tingling though so I confidently left the product on for 9 minutes.  Then, when you go to rinse it off you are supposed to gently massage the peel with wet fingertips to activate the exfoliation process.  The exfoliation felt stimulating and like a gentle face massage.  When I rinsed the product off and looked in the mirror, I saw a smoother, glowing face looking back at me.  I applied my Ponds moisturizer and forgot about it…UNTIL, this morning when I woke up and saw that my skin looked refreshed, my pores looked smaller, the splotchiness was gone and I thought, "I don’t even need my PrimeTime" because my skin looked that smooth.

PROS:  Gentle, effective, makes my skin look radiant, evens out my skin tone.

CONS:  It can only be used twice a week - I can’t wait to use it again! 

FINAL WORD?  Worth your $$

PRODUCT: Johnson’s Softwash Melt Away Stress 24 Hour Moisturizing Wash

CLAIMS:  "Enriched with chamomile and an exclusive AROMASOOTHE™ fragrance with hints of lavender that lasts even after rinsing, this unique moisturizing wash transforms into a creamy, comforting lather that helps you feel relaxed like after a warm bath. And this soothing wash is clinically shown to moisturize for 24 hours without leaving behind any greasy after-feel."

RESULTS?
I bought this body wash because I am definitely in need of stress relief - I’m a worrier! - and the idea of simply "melting away" my worries in the shower sounded highly appealing. Plus, I love the purple bottle. (Yeah, I know…me and purple!) I’ve been using this product regularly for a couple of weeks now, and I have to say that it’s decent, but not amazing. I love the smell of lavender but I found that this particular body wash smells a bit artificial or "plasticky" to me, although it is very light and inoffensive. I also didn’t think there were any outstanding moisturizing effects, but as my skin isn’t terribly dry to begin with, I may not be the best person to judge. Strangely, even though Johnson’s claims that the lather will "help you feel relaxed, like after a warm bath," they never actually tell you to use it as a bubble bath. I went ahead and did so anyway, and I was definitely pleased with the results. It’s much more soothing and relaxing in a bath setting than in the shower. Overall, there’s nothing wrong with this product, but it’s not very noteworthy. I would, however, recommend it for a bubble bath!

PROS: Makes a nice, soothing addition to your bath. The smell is mild, not overpowering. The bottle is pretty big, so you get a lot of product for the price.

CONS: Didn’t do much for me as a body wash in the shower. Smells pleasant overall, but a little "off." I could only achieve that "relaxed like after a warm bath" feeling by actually adding it to a warm bath.

FINAL WORD?  Worth your $$ (but only because it’s so cheap!) - but use in the tub, not the shower

My Vichy lotion ran out this week, so I’ve been testing out a new moisturizer, Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30.  Since I’m in the business of bringing you all the latest, I thought this would be a good one to test out.  I was reading this month’s Women’s Heath and this blurb from dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D., about the lotion, caught my attention:

It’s got a soy complex - a big bonus because soy is rich in antioxidants.  This lotion also helps plump up lines and wrinkles, keeps oil under control, and helps prevent sun damage.  Also nice:  The formula contains tiny light diffusers to make skin look glowy. (11/08, pg 76) 

I liked the idea of looking glowy, so I decided this would be my moisturizer test subject.

Here’s what I think:

One of the goodies the presenters of the Emmy Awards received was Lierac’s Coherence Age-Defense Firming Eye Cream. I’ve never really felt the need to employ an eye cream until this past weekend. I had a long week of late nights and my skin was showing the evidence of that. My "smile lines" were showing up whether I was smiling or not. So I decided to give this cream a-go to see if it could work some magic.

The answer is….yes. It may just be magical. It has virutally no scent (great for my sensitive nose), is not greasy at all and after using it two nights in a row, I can already see a difference. A little goes a long way, so it will last many nights of application. It also says you can use it in the morning as well but I was unsure of how it would layer under my makeup. Since it’s so light and soaks into the skin quickly, you definitely could, but I haven’t tried yet. I’m just so pleased with this eye cream after two uses, that I had to pass on the recommendation to you as soon as I could. If you’re in the market for a good eye cream, I recommend this one.

Do you have a favorite eye cream you use? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share the love…

One of the goodies that the presenters got in their gift bags from the Emmy Awards was a toner from Lierac. I’ve been using this toner for the past week and I have to admit, I really like it. I haven’t been a toner user in the past but now I love swiping this over my skin after washing to make sure all the impurities are gone. The scent is soothing, the formula doesn’t dry out my skin and it is an excellent way to wind my skin down for the day. It has also brought me new appreciation for my Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. It is not uncommon for me to swipe on the toner and not have any residue leftover after washing my face, reconfirming how awesome the cleanser is.

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PRODUCT: Einstein Lip Therapy Hydrating Lip Cream

CLAIMS: "An intensive moisturizing cream that hydrates and smoothes lips with nano-particle technology and yellow Vitamin C beads to gently exfoliate lips and deliver intensive moisture for that youthful, supple, healthy appearance."

RESULTS?
I picked this up on a whim last time I was in CVS; I was in need of a new tube of Blistex, spotted this first, and decided to give it a go instead. I have to say that I’ve been pretty underwhelmed by this product - and coming from me, that’s really saying something, as I am a lip balm junkie. First of all, when I opened the pot I accidentally smeared the cream all over the place. I know that the whole "cream" thing should’ve tipped me off, but I really wasn’t ready for the consistency; it’s basically a tiny pot of lotion, complete with little moisturizing/exfoliating beads. I just couldn’t get past the weirdness of the consistency on my mouth; it was like dipping my lips into body lotion! Granted the cream did absorb fairly quickly and didn’t leave behind much in the way of residue, but I also felt like its hydrating aspects weren’t very lasting either. Looks like I may be in the minority with this one, however; there are extremely positive reviews on both Amazon and Bella Sugar. The website recommends using the cream in conjunction with the Cooling Lip Relief; maybe that would’ve helped? The bottom line is that this is one lip product that I haven’t felt compelled to obsessively reapply - that just adds up to a Thumbs Down from me.

PROS: Has an unusual, delicately minty scent. Not sticky. Absorbs quickly. 

CONS: Couldn’t discern any noticeable hydrating action on my lips. The pot is tiny and the cream is messy. I didn’t care for the feeling of the cream on my lips.

FINAL WORD?  Other people seem to like this product, but I’m just not feelin’ it; my verdict? Save your $$