How I Store Mineral Makeup

Mineral makeup tends to be a hard item to store. One solution I find to work perfectly for me is using this Sephora Metro Train Case to keep everything together:
I like that I can divide sections to make everything fit perfectly:


There are also trays below to store more product:


For a slightly cheaper alternative to this train case, check out this one at yazmo.com.

Travel Makeup

My family lives about 2 hours away from me, and during college, whenever I would visit, I would bring with me a huge train case from Sephora filled with makeup. I will be visiting my family again any day now as my brother and sister in law are expecting the birth of my nephew (yay!) but this time I waned to simplify and see if I could travel with the necessities:

Here I have:
Bare Escentuals Foundation, Full Size, Fair
Bare Escentuals Natural Light (Hilighter), Full Size
Tarte Tool Kit (Eye Brow Kit)
Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil (Travel Size)
NYX Concealer, Full Size, Porcelain
Urban Decay Primer Potion (De-potted into a travel jar)
Smith's Rosebud Salve (De-Potted into a travel jar)
2 ELF Studio Liner/ Shadow Sticks
3 ELF Brightening Eye Shadow Quads
Bare Escentuals Lip Liner, Nude
All the brushes I need to do my face and eye makeup.

I think I am going to have to find a replacement for my ELF Eye Shadow Quads (I hate them!) but all of the makeup in this kit stays in this kit- and I am having a hard time deciding what I should pull from my regular collection of makeup to replace them...

What do you bring with you when you travel? Do you keep it simple, or do you pack away as much as you can?

ELF Mineral Primer v. UDPP

I don't have oily lids, but I always use UDPP to make my eye shadow more vibrant, and yo make it last all day. I love UDPP and for this reason I have never tried any other, until I saw a .15oz tube of primer for $3 on eyeslipsface.com...



Immediately after applying:
Above I am wearing several NYX eye shadows, along with ELF Mineral Liner in midnight, set with a NYX shadow.


After 12 hours of wear:Above, very very minimal creasing occurs on the EMP side. Both sides show eye liner transfer, although it it slightly more noticeable on the EMP side.


The bottom line:
Both are sheer, light skin tone colors, although the EMP is a thinner formulation. The UDPP is more sticky; therefore, eyeshadow adheres to it more easily and appears a bit more vibrant in color. Based solely on performance, I prefer the UDPP. For those looking for a better buy, you really can't beat the EMP.

New ELF Studio Products

Single Eye Shadows in Sand Dollar, Pebble, and Amethyst:

Very Disappointed in the pigmentation of these :( With UDPP as a base, I applied about 4 layers of shadow to achieve the swatches below:




Blush in Mellow Mauve:

I know that my wrist looks like it is covered in a rash, but that is actually the swatch! I must say that it is actually a pretty satin finish mauve color, with middle of the road color payoff. Nylon 12 as an added ingredient helps to make this less powdery and smooth on more nicely.



Shimmer Palette:
I added this to my cart to get free shipping, and I had no idea I would like it so much! There are four colors, a white, a baby pink, an amber color, and a more vibrant pink color. They are very very sheer and are luminescent without too much shimmer.



Complexion Perfection:
I wasn't that impressed with this one. While it is mattifying, it doesn't have a very nice finish. The sheer colors provide the slightest sheer cover to disguise uneven skin tones.




Warm Bronzer:

This can be used even by the fairest skin tones! I must say I will not put this on my face due to the shimmer. It is nice when applied to the decollete and shoulders/ arms.

Inexpensive New Hair Products

I think it is important to rotate shampoos to prevent buildup on my hair, and I've been bored by my current shampoo and conditioner, so I decided to try something new, based on the positive reviews these products received on drugstore.com:

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Cream Lather Shampoo and Daily Deep Conditioner:


I've used this shampoo and conditioner combo twice this week and so far I am very impressed with the results! My hair is mixed texture; I have some baby-fine strands as well as medium and coarse strands of hair. This really seems to moisturize my hair and keep the frizzies away. I don't plan to use these every time I wash my hair, but probably every other time. These may not be suitable for those with fine, thin or oily hair, as they would probably weigh these hair types down.

The next product I bought is an inexpensive replacement for Ojon's Leave- In Glossing Cream. I love Ojon, but one tube is $30, so in an attempt to get similar results from a more affordable product, I purchased Frizz Ease's Secret Weapon:


Secret Weapon is used on dry hair to smooth out the ends and provide a bit of shine. The scent is kind of a generic, clean scent, which I like (although it does not compare to Ojon's Leave In Glossing Cream, which smells like an Orange Creamsicle!). I am happy with this so far, and it will probably last a really long time since I don't have to use very much product. There have been a few days this week that I've been walking on the beach with my hair down, and the wind has really ravaged it! When I get home I brush my hair and apply a pea size amount of Secret Weapon and my hair is tamed again!

These are definitely worth trying. I picked up all 3 for less than $20. If you have tried them or have other inexpensive hair product recommendations, please let me know!

Eyes Lips Face Mineral Lipstick

I've had several of these lipsticks and initially I was a bit disappointed as the colors were not as I expected and very similar. I recently picked up two new colors, Natural Nymph and Runway Pink (although mine says "RunAway Pink"!). I think that Runway Pink is one I will wear a lot. It is a neutral light pink/ beige color that looks nice on its own. Natural Nymph almost comes across as concealer on my lips since I have such fair skin. I have paired it with darker colors and am pleased with the outcome, but I don't think I'll be inclined to wear this one solo.

Nicely Nude is a popular light pink shade, and I do like it, although I prefer Runway Pink since it is lighter, without shimmer, and has more opaque coverage.

Overall, I do like these lipsticks. They are moisturizing, come in pretty colors, are packaged nicely, and are very affordable. I ordered two more of my most recent purchases- I think that shows how much I like them!

Bare Escentuals Matte Foundation is Here!!!

The Matte foundation was put on display at Sephora on Friday, July 31st. Since I have used Bare Escentuals original foundation for 9 years, I was eager to try it and couldn't wait- so I had to purchase it immediately!

Price: $28 at Sephora
My Shade: Fair
My Skin Type: Sensitive combination with persistent acne.

Read below for a complete review of my experience over the last three days trying it...


The new jar is much improved as compared to the original foundation jar; there is a twist- lock sifter that prevents spillage:



The ridges provide a grip for fingers to twist the sifter to the open position for the foundation to flow through:


My Experience

Application/ Coverage/ Color:
The matte foundation doesn't provide as much coverage as the original. I used more product (probably about 50% more product) to get the same coverage as I would expect from the original foundation. I found that the color was slightly more yellow intone as compared to the original.

Wear:
The first day I wore the foundation, I used it alone (without any setting powder) and after a full day wearing it, I went on a 4 mile walk/ hike. At the end of the hike, the finish was still almost completely matte. One thing to point out is that for those who have any skin texture issues, this is a great foundation since it does not draw attention to varying textures the way a dewy foundation would. I found it slightly reduced the appearance of my acne scars.

Treatment:
This foundation has ActiveSoil, a proprietary ingredient that is also utilized in RareMinerals (a skin treatment that I have also used). Because it containes this treatment, I find it helps to reduce inflamation in my skin (redness, irritation). In just the last 3 day I note that my skin appears more even and smooth. Bare Escentuals claims it reduces the pore diameter and increases cell turnover. I did not find this to be the case with RareMinerals, but perhaps I will notice some changes using the matte foundation.

Would I Reccommend It?
YES! But very dry skin types may find this doesn't work for them.

My Final Thoughts:
I think that many people will continue to use both the original and matte foundations. I am sure that some will use just the matte in the t-zone (or other oily areas) and the original on the jaw line, cheeks, etc.