I thought I’d tried out every foundation on the market: from BB (and CC) creams to tinted moisturizers to fuller coverage liquids, I’ve had brief love affairs with them all. Recently though, I realized I was way overdue to try out mineral powder foundation, so I picked up the classic from the brand that brought it into the mainstream. I loved the way that it gave my skin a luminous, natural appearance, but kept my t-zone from getting overly shiny the way it sometimes does. It was this magical combination of appearing matte without being dry; flawless without looking fake. Although I’m not quite ready to toss my liquid foundations just yet, I’ll definitely be pulling out the mineral makeup for days when I’m looking for a “no-makeup” look, or for reapplying before going out in the evening to blend and smooth my makeup from that morning. And since I know that more and more of you are looking for natural skincare products without the yucky ingredients, bareMinerals is made without parabens, binders, fillers, or synthetic chemicals. Hooray! Here’s how I achieved the look:
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Tap a small amount of powder into the lid, then swirl the brush around in it to lightly coat the brush with makeup. (I followed the advice of the Sephora associate who helped me find my color match, and used bareMinerals full flawless face brush to apply the foundation.)
- Gently tap off the excess powder to ensure a smooth, unclumpy application. Use a swirling circular motion to gently buff the powder all over the skin. I find it’s best to work slowly, moving from the edge of the face to the center, making sure to get forehead, nose, under the eyes, and around the mouth. You want the makeup to disappear into the skin, leaving a natural flawless look.
- Next, I used the soft focus brush to apply bareMinerals all-over face color in golden peach sheen to the tops of my cheekbones, forehead, and brow bone for some major glow factor — this, ladies, is a surefire way to look well-rested and radiant even if you’re running on fumes. I applied this using the same swirl-tap-buff method that I used to apply the powder foundation. I dusted just a touch of Buxom True Hue Blush in Euphoria on the apples of my cheeks for color.
- For a little definition around my eyes, I lightly lined my upper lash line with Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero, then swiped a coat of Make Up For Ever’s Smoky Extravagant Mascara in black on upper and lower lashes.
- Lips got a coat of bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lipstick, which is my current fave. It’s super moisturizing and stays on like no other. For this look, I used a light pink called Speak Your Mind, but I just scooped up Risk It All and am obsessed: it’s a super hot pink shade that I’m going to be wearing all season.
And there you have it! This is really a 5-minute look that stays put all day, which is a necessity for me lately when I’m zipping between work meetings, preschool drop-offs, play dates, grown-up dates, and who knows what else. And you know, I really wouldn’t have it any other way. As much as I love trying out new beauty products, lately I’ve realized that I’d really rather be living life and making the most of every day instead of spending an inordinate amount of time getting ready in the morning. So bring on the multitasking products and speedy shortcuts to looking pulled together… I’d love to hear yours in the comments!
