As a compulsive experimenter with make-up, I'm stunned I didn't know about this brand sooner - after all, it's been around since the late 1970's. My dear friend and fellow Guinea Pig introduced me to i.d bareMinerals over Christmas. This is a mineral based, chemical and preservative free make-up line which also goes by the name of Bare Escentuals (I don't understand the dual naming thing)
The tag line is "make up so pure you can sleep in it" Their product position is one of purity with no chemicals, no preservatives - nothing you wouldn't want on your skin. I've checked the labels and to be honest, they are not fully disclosing what is actually in the product. I went to my favorite resource "Skin Deep" which details products in categories of health danger levels and this brand does not show up in their data base. (check this site out, it may cause you to re-think your product choices)
I'm veering off track. The best thing about this make up is the incredible way it looks on the skin. You can hardly tell it's there yet it provides such amazing coverage. You can't feel it on your skin and there's little chance of an application mistake because it's so easy to work with. All elements of this make-up line are powder, even the foundation. While that may sound counter-intuitive, it truly works. The secret is in the brushes - you need many of them for this make up unfortunately.
Step 1:do not miss step one before applying the foundation. "bare vitamins skin prep" I'm not convinced that there are better vitamins in this product than my product of choice but it does contain botanicals, glycolic and salicylic acids which smooth out the skin, minimizing pores so that the powder on top makes them almost invisible. I did try my usual moisturizer on one day rather than the skin prep and found that the foundation "caked" in certain areas and was sticky to put on.
Step 2: SPF 15 foundation. Using a large brush, you simply sweep it onto the face and touch up with a smaller brush any areas which need better coverage (sun spots, pimples, scars) There are 9 shades available. I use the "fairly light" shade and once applied, you can't tell it's on.
Step3: All over face color. Amazing product. I use "glee" for a rosy tint over the cheeks, and over the nose as if the sun hit my face. It's so natural that your skin shows through underneath.
Step 4:My favorite is the Mineral Veil. This has to be the lightest final step to setting make-up I've ever used. I've been searching forever for a powder that stays, sets and provides a flawless look - this is it. My fellow Guinea Pig uses this alone without the foundation - but sadly, she has better skin than I do. For those with clear complexions, this is all you need.
This line has many many products and my steps are only a fraction of those another user might make. (concealer, face brighteners etc.) I can vouch for the eye colors which actually stay when many tend to crease on me toward the end of the day. The eyeliners are amazing and again, lasting. The mascara too is non-clumping and comes off easily at the end of the day.
For those interested in seeing demonstrations of this product, Thursday, March 22 on QVC you can see the CEO, Lesley Blodgett demonstrate the line. Very interesting (I got a dvd with my christmas gift)
You can also purchase at Sephora and Ulta stores nationwide.
