My First Week Wearing bareMinerals

If you’ve followed our journey the last several months (hint: my last blog post, cough, cough), you know we had to make a big adjustment this year. Though we do feel as if we’ve had to put aside a bit of our pride, there are a few pros that remind us why hitting that reset button can be beneficial.

One of those pros is learning to reevaluate minor aspects of life – you know, looking at the big picture ALL the time is no fun. Not healthy, either. 🙂 I really do hate to admit it, but as I get a little deeper into the 30s decade (yay!), I need to start thinking about some upgrades. Fun fact about me: I’ve actually used the same make-up routine since I was in high school. Not only that, but I have almost never worn liquid foundation…I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have applied any other type of foundation than pressed powder with a little concealer, blush, and eye make-up.

Part of the reason I’ve tried to keep my routine very minimal is because I never wanted anything heavy on my typically-sensitive skin. I’m also in NO WAY a morning person and an extensive make-up application each day makes me want to crawl back in bed. That, and shopping for clothes. I digress, though.

I made the decision recently to look into alternatives that will provide a more polished, professional look. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t want to take hours in the morning to get ready for work and I will absolutely ensure that my skin gets top priority (less blemishes, not more), but I found that my typical routine is getting dull and just not lasting the entire day. And, although pressed powder is lightweight, the pad used for applying does get dirty quickly and after a few uses, it creates uneven application on the skin.

With some hesitation – and a little excitement – I did some research and decided to give bareMinerals a try. I like the idea of reducing the amount of harsh chemicals that touches my skin and still wanted to keep the feel of the make-up light. So far, I have been pleased – here are my thoughts after the first week of trying the bareMinerals starter kit, which included:

1. Prime Time Original Foundation Primer
2. bareMinerals original foundation
3. Mineral Veil Finishing Powder
4. Medium Beautiful Finishing Brush
5. Liquid Concealer (purchased separately from starter kit)

Experience

My Application

Wash face -> primer - > liquid concealer - > foundation - > mineral veil - > concealer touch up - > blush - > eye make-up

The first day, I did wake up a little early to try to grasp the concept of applying loose powder to the skin. Honestly, I was most excited about using a primer under the foundation – again, something I had not implemented until now. There was some concern that it might cause a few more blemishes…don’t want anything clogging those pores, but I was pleasantly surprised at how it dried. I applied a pea-sized amount to my face (or just a little more) and couldn't feel it after 60 seconds, or less.

The swirling action required to get the mineral foundation to really glow and adhere to the primer is completely foreign to me. It did take more work than the pressed powder I was used to applying, but the glow made the effort worth it. I wasn’t sure how much foundation to use, so tried little bits at a time and just applied more where I felt like I needed more coverage.

Each day provided a little more confidence in the process. For example, I found that applying the foundation did require a little more aggression on my part – put some bicep in it, girl! I also applied a little more Mineral Veil. I actually think too little Mineral Veil leaves the skin looking a little uneven. I wouldn’t mind checking out the hydrating option for Mineral Veil, just to see if I can achieve a more “dewy” look.

Biggest Take-Aways

1. I do think the primer gives me an even, more dewy look. I also don’t feel like it was too much for my skin. I have a few blemishes in places on my skin that are not typical, but I also got sick, which could have been the true issue.
2. Cliff noticed a difference, which was exciting! He thought the make-up looked natural without being too “bare.” I gladly agreed.
3. Ultimately, it will be helpful to have a bigger brush to apply the foundation. In fact, the larger containers will probably be easier – and faster – to use moving forward. Working with the sample sizes are helpful from a cost perspective, but I’ll graduate to the larger options at the end of this batch.
4. I would like to try a highlighter as well – that might be a fun addition to the routine.
5. I'm also open to trying their liquid foundation, but thought this routine would ease me into the transition. 

Thus far, I am happy with the results. Understanding that bareMinerals isn’t for everyone, I am happy that it has been a positive step for this thirty-year-old looking to shake up her make-up. See what I did there? 😉

Before and After

Admittedly, the lighting in the bathroom is not conducive to selfies, and I've discovered I'm simply awful at taking selfies! That being said, here is a before-and-after set of pics to show you the difference. My skin doesn't look as dewy in the after pic as it did in real life, but I love how it shows the natural look of the make-up. Note that the after pic is without lipstick. 

Have you switched to a new make-up, or tried bareMinerals? I would love to hear about your experience. For someone who is new at branching out, suggestions are WELCOMED!