PEEK: bareMinerals hits the big 35

Nothing says Penblywdd Hapus like a Hummingbird cake - FACT.

How many WeightWatchers points? Suffice to say I'm running around Clissold park like a bat out of hell tomorrow morning.

INDEPTH: bareMinerals Skin care

Voila, the new bareMinerals skin care range (above.) I've also enlisted the help of Kate, a beauty PR for the brand. She lives and breathes Bare Minerals, literally any beauty convo's we have go straight back to BM, so I thought who better to introduce the line!

Why I love bareMinerals....


I've always been a foundation girl, it's my one beauty must-have, you can ask anyone who knows me, I really love the stuff! Flawless skin not only looks healthy, but it's the ideal base for any other make-up you apply. After trying bareMinerals, I was hooked, straight away and I've never looked back. It's not just because I work for the brand, but I would NEVER wear liquid foundation again - nothing else gives me this kind of natural coverage and stays put all day.

But something else amazing happened when I started wearing BM foundation. My skin condition actually became clearer and I stopped getting even occasional spots. It's hard to believe, but make-up actually made my skin better. It didn't make sense to me to be using all these natural make-up products, but then ply my skin with synthetic ingredients with my skincare.

And that's why bM skincare is special to me. My skincare is healthy. My makeup is healthy.

bareMinerals skincare will shake up the beauty industry - this is genuinely what excites me the most. We own an ingredient no one else has called RareMinerals Active Soil Complex. A skincare devised from...erm....soil. Did you know your body doesn't produce minerals? I didn't. Which is why you include mineral rich food within your diet. So why would you neglect your skin?

My favourite product is the Pure Transformation Night Treatment, I haven't seen anything else like it! A night treatment you apply in the same way you would the foundation, except it's not makeup. It is available in four shades Clear, Light, Medium and Tan. Why is it tinted. Vanity! That's what I love. Go to bed looking gorgeous. Wake up looking gorgeous. Hello, what's not to love? It's perfect if you're conscious of how your skin looks in the morning - no more 6am dash needed before he wakes up!

What's more, it has the highest percentage of RareMinerals Active Soil Complex too - which means as I sleep my skin is drowning in nourishmen, and I wake up, turn to the new man on the scene....and he just thinks I have FABULOUS skin. And he'll never know any different. Amen to that!




Fellow journo and friend Maggie tried the bareMinerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment.



'As a single girl who lives with two male friends and who may enjoy the company of gentlemen callers from time to time - this treatment has become a lifesaver.

Having suffered through my teens and early 20’s with problematic skin, I'm hugely self conscious when it comes to revealing my bare face to the world. I'll go to great lengths to avoid being seen make-up free. It's not until I'm safely behind closed doors at night that I'll scrub away the make up of the day. God help the friendly flatmate who attempts to come in for a late night chat once I have cleansed, toned and moisturised! If I have shared my bed with some fortunate fool then as the sun rises I can be found stealthily,but silently, crawling down the hall to the bathroom in order to create my sexy “morning after” face before my bedfellow awakes.

But the Pure Transformation Night Treatment has put my days as a clandestine make-up artist behind me. Where before I would arrive home, shower away the day, swaddle myself in cashmere pyjamas and then spend 15 minutes re-applying make up, I now simply brush on this light translucent powder. It's subtle enough to look natural - yet - somehow manages to even out skin tone, cover blemishes and give you a radiant glow. And the powder actually holds, meaning you wake with fresh, glowing skin and no need to surreptitiously apply foundation, powder and blusher before you face the day.



That alone would be enough to get me to invest. But the real clincher is that this treatment is actually good for your skin. According to bareMinerals the treatment activates your skin to help achieve cell-renewing benefits for firmer, smoother and brighter looking skin. Who doesn't want that?

I can feel the benefits of letting my skin breathe more; it now gets at least 2 hours in the evening free of heavy foundation and powders. And personally, the joy of being able to relax, make up free in my own home, has made a real difference to my confidence.

As such this magic little pot has deservedly earned a much-coveted place on my bedside table and I strongly suggest you give it a go too.'




My thoughts?

My skin is quite sensitive skin and does often react to skincare products. But no reactions here! I genuinely liked everything in the range, but there were a few stand-out products. The line isn't cheap, so would be amazing if they did mini sizes (like Liz Earle) so you can try before you buy!

1. Deep Cleansing Foam, £15 - If you've got dry skin, this is your saviour! It's rich in avocado oil and totally luxe- love it.
2. Purely Nourishing Moisturiser, £27 - Vitamin A, b5, C and E? I loved this rich cream, again ideal for mature or dry skin. No SPF though which is unusual these days?
3. Firming Eye Treatment, £23 - Caffeine based eye cream, it's soothing and light, so wont cause any irritation like many of the heavier creams can. I do think this is a little expensive though, compared to the cleansing foam.
4. Pure Transformation, £45 - Kate's right, this is a totally unique product. We all have our little beauty secrets, so if you're worried about your morning skin and something like this will give you a little more confidence then I'd always invest in it. I'm a big fan of buying the products that make a real difference to your life, even if they cost a little more.

2010: My year in beauty....

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CHECK IT: Bare Minerals Matte and Mascara!

Two new staples to add to my kit. I'm wearing the foundation below and just one coat of the mascara on the left eye...talk about a difference eh!




bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara (£15)
Not only does it have a great big bloody brush to coat all of your lashes (IMO, the best mascara's have bigger brushes) but its also an incredible formula. There's a real trend for enriched mascara's and ingredient-wise this is a total winner. Packed with antioxidants and natural extracts like apple and horse chestnut it leaves you with bold but feathery soft lashes. WINNER.

bareMinerals Matte foundation SPF15 (£24 for 8g)
I think the results speak for themselves. BEHOLD after just one gentle dusting! I'd recommend this to anyone with oily skin especially, its light and manages to feel just like a second skin. I'm totally won over and the price is incredible for the giant pot you get!

TIP:
For darker skins get two colours, one that's slightly lighter and one slightly darker. Then use the lighter across your forehead, cheeks and neck. Use the darker to contour temples and underneath your cheeks. Dark skins can look a bit one dimensional in one colour of foundation as our skins are generally multi-toned!

ON TEST: Bare Minerals

Sent for review purposes:

What is the crack with mineral make-up eh? It's such a hot topic in beautyland. People seem to either love it like a newborn baby or avoid it like flu-riddled swine. I don't get this one or the other concept really. Why not use the best of both?

Swatches (my camera hates me)

Colours: EYE SHADOW pink, devotion, gal pal, well rested, blush and soft black, BLUSH i'm amused, FOUNDATION tan, medium tan, golden dark, medium dark PRIMER Prime Time

Daytime look, just blended light to dark, inner to outer corner.(dire pics sorry, my eyes look mental!)



Night-time...(left eye more graphic, right eye blended with Tokyo lashes. You get the idea about intensity etc.)


VERDICT?
Mineral foundation looks great on most people, but on me whatever colours I use, it always looks a bit ashy and I'm far too enamored still with my MUFE hd foundation. That said the blush was gorgeous – stayed put all day – and the eye shadows did the same. Don't be afraid to really layer up those shadows too to increase the depth of the eyes and get a really solid colour. I think if you haven't tried minerals yet, then i-d is the brand to sample. The little kits they do are fab for mineral virgins and their brushes are incredible for any sort of make-up!

TIPS:
- Apply with small buffing brush in circular motions, it needn't be anymore difficult than that – its cover up, not astrophysics ;) Wash brushes once a week, so the oils don't build up.
- Apply the shadows first, then your foundation as shadow fall down if very likely, especially with dark colours.
- Use them with your existing make-up as you wish, they blend like a dream.
- Don't drop them, you'll never forget it. ;)

Buy from: http://www.bareescentuals.co.uk/