bare escentuals

Holy wow! These Bare Minerals High Shine Eyecolors have so much reflective shine that you could probably use them to flash Morse code messages to a comrade across town.

-.– — ..- / .- .-. . / -… . .- ..- – .. ..-. ..- .-..

Not even newly minted coins can outshine the shimmery, foiled effect they create on lids, and passersby couldn’t miss them if they tried.

And that’s not all. The six rich, pigmented colors are tough, too, lasting all day long with barely a crease.

I’m not enamored with the packaging, but on that front at least Bare Minerals tried something different. The product comes in a tube that makes it look kinda like a lipgloss, but in place of a doe-foot applicator, it has an eyeshadow sponge. Before using it to apply, the company recommends swiping the sponge against the rim of the tube to remove any excess product, and then lightly guiding the sponge across the eyelid.

From left to right: Meteorite, Flash, Gold Metal and Vapor

“Free of preservatives and chemical irritants, the velvety-smooth, long-wearing formula glides on effortlessly for an extra creamy, opaque finish full of glistening, foiled effects.”

–bareMinerals.com

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When makeup marketers name a product “Pretty Amazing,” they’re setting the bar high. I mean, what do they do if the product only ends up being mediocre? How do they answer their boss when she asks, “How did those new Pretty Amazing Lipcolors turn out?” Well, miss, I think they turned out…fine.

Ouch.

I have to admit, I had high expectations when I heard about the new Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing Lipcolors line of hybrid liquid lipgloss/lipsticks ($16 each). I wondered if they’d make my eyes roll back in my head in ecstasy (I hope!). Would I find myself speaking in tongues?

Judging by their names, the eight new Lipcolors do have a certain swagger. There’s Bravado (a brick rose), Charisma (a coral pink), Ambition (a fuchsia), Courage (a warm strawberry), Fearless (a rosy mauve), Free Will (a pink nude; oddly, I keep wanting to call this one “Free Willy”), Moxie (a bright petal pink) and Strength (a vibrant red). Hot. I’ll call your positive messages, Bare Minerals, and raise you some power. 🙂

No, these aren’t lipglosses for wallflowers. They’re much stronger than that. These are like lipglosses on P90X — super thick and sticky with full-color coverage and subtle shine. Imagine the thick, sticky texture of a MAC Lipglass coupled with the uber-pigmented power of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams and BAM! — you’re Pretty Amazing.

They’re also unscented and unflavored, but neither of those is their most amazing trait. That distinction goes to their color. It’s saturated and opaque, like the stuff of technicolor dreams.

Even though I find some of the brighter, bolder shades like Strength a little tricky to apply, the flocked applicator helps. As long as I use it with a slow, steady hand, I’m able to precisely draw crisp lines along the edges of my lips.

Beside an iPhone for scale…

Swatches from left with the flash: Bravado, Charisma, Ambition, Courage, Fearless, Free Will, Moxie and Strength

Swatches without the flash
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One thing I’ve always liked about makeup is the story behind the product, and how when you see a piece of makeup, you’re not just looking at a lipstick or an eyeshadow. Sometimes, you’re also seeing someone’s hopes and dreams.

Who was that someone at Bare Escentuals who, when they first saw the opalescent purplish grey that would later become limited edition BE Cares Sweet Smile eyeshadow, thought they would release the color to honor Jessica, one of their customers, and her sister, who underwent 24 operations to correct a cleft palate?

Through the sale of special limited edition makeup in the BE Cares line, Bare Escentuals helps to fund and raise awareness for various causes like The Smile Train, a non-profit group that works to make free corrective cleft lip and palate surgeries available to impoverished children around the world.

In this case, a portion of every Sweet Smile sale goes toward a $50,000 donation to Smile Train — an amazing thing, for sure, but I would politely encourage the company to go even further by announcing the percentage of proceeds that go toward their donations to this and other causes (like MAC does with Viva Glam).

I’ve been wearing Sweet Smile as a light wash over my lids this week for a hint of color and blue sparkle that don’t look too overdone. The color isn’t incredibly pigmented, but applying it with a wet brush helps (makes it more intense).

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Unclear: It’s unclear whether I’m more emotionally invested in Jersey Shore than any somewhat normal, sane person should be. When Vinny got his spray tan in last night’s episode I felt betrayed; the GTL gods had finally succeeded in luring a once semi-decent young man to the Dark Side.

Clear: It’s clear that one needn’t resort to Jersey Shore-caliber extremes to get a gorgeous glow. Just reach for the Bare Escentuals BareMinerals Faux & Foxy Kit ($34) instead.

The small three-piece release just launched for spring with everything it takes to fake the appearance of a sunless tan, and it even protects against the real sun with added SPF 15.

I’m still new to the Bare Escentuals makeup line, and I was hoping for a great experience with this kit. It comes with…

• Faux Tan SPF 15 — This loose powder bronzer is a warm orangey brown matte with a hint of shimmer. It’s dark (even for my tanned skin), and I suggest using a light touch when it’s applied. I think it does look warm when worn and gives skin a pretty bronzy look I like.
  
  The packaging is quite interesting as well. Instead of a traditional sifter, the pan comes in jar that has something like a trap door in it. When the lid is closed, a piece of metal attached to it presses down into the trap door. When you open lid again, the piece of metal releases from the door along with a set amount of powder. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before… Kinda cool.
• 100% Natural SPF 15 Lipgloss in French Toast — A shimmery peachy bronze gloss with a brush applicator. It feels thick and sticky, and reminds me of MAC Lipglass. I love the rich pigment and long three-hour wear time, but I’m not crazy about the plastic-y flavor and scent.
• Buff & Go Brush — This medium-size travel kabuki brush has soft bristles and a dense, compact brush head. I like it for contouring the curve below the apples of my cheeks. 🙂

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