Welcome to my make-up bag… after years of different products moving in and out, I finally found the right mix. Take a look:
I started my quest for the perfect makeup almost 3 years ago. I had been using liquid foundation for as long as I could remember, and I was ready for something lighter. I wanted to feel more like myself instead of me with a mask (a goopy mask, I might add). My first try was Jane Iredale powder. I liked the feel of the powder in contrast to the liquid foundation I was accustomed to, but over the 6 month I used it, I never really felt like my shade was matched OR that it was providing enough coverage. Plus, it was a little beyond my ideal price point.
Skip forward a bit and I found myself at MAC. The woman at the counter matched my color and sent me on my way – round two with powder. Again, I liked the feel of the powder, but by the end of the day, I felt streaky and blotchy. I never felt like my coverage was uniform. The most alarming part? I began getting acne for the 1st time in my life. Ugh.
Now skip forward again….. and see me wander into a Bare Escentuals. And the search was over. Seriously…. it was that good. The woman helping me was AMAZING. She took the time to really match my shade and teach me how to apply the powder. The flexibility of bareMinerals is what really sets it apart. You can go from light to full coverage depending on the day and the particular needs of your skin. I never felt like my pores were clogged or that I was wearing a mask. It felt like my skin, only better!
I even recently added their cleansing and skincare products to my regimen. They have been working wonders on my combination skin – breakouts, dryness and redness (thanks Wisconsin winter).
My daily routine consists of these products:
- Cleanse: Purifying Facial Cleanser
- Moisturize: Purely Nourishing Moisturizer
- Prep: Prime Time Neutralizing Foundation Primer
- Treat: Blemish Therapy (thanks to newly pimple prone skin)
- Conceal: Redness Remedy
- Beautify: bareMinerals Original Foundation, Original Mineral Veil, Warmth All-Over Face Color, Mineral Blush
- Brighten: Stroke of Light Eye Brightener
After typing this all out, it looks like A LOT of steps, but honestly the whole process goes extremely quickly. And the best part? Depending on the day, my time and the condition of my skin, I can add or skip steps as necessary. The flexibility is definitely one of bareMinerals greatest benefits! I began by using the simple starter kit, but continued to add on components to better fix my areas of concern. We’ll see how long I stick with this current system, but considering I’ve already converted my mom into a faithful user, it looks like I might be stuck for awhile :)
What does your beauty routine look like? Are you a creature of habit? Or are you continually fine-tuning your regimen like me?
