I thought I’d do a quick post about makeup. You guys may remember a post I did last spring where I talked about how much I love (and $pend on) makeup. I don’t mention it very often on this blog, but I could spend hours talking about makeup. It must be an inherited thing – my grandmother worked in the cosmetics counter of a major department store for 30 years, my mom is great with makeup, and I seem to have been bitten by the same beauty bug.
For a couple of years I’ve been on the quest to find the perfect makeup (foundation). I tried this and that and it was ok for a while, but nothing ever looked as natural as I’d hoped or matched my skin as well as it should have or covered some facial scars as well as it should. And then I made an ill-fated attempt at following HCG, which was a mistake, but it did lead me to rediscover a makeup that I used to love.
Bare Escentuals. I used to wear it all the time, and I loved it, but stopped because I thought it was causing me to break out in cystic acne. As it turns out, it was the shampoo I was using to wash the brushes that was irritating my skin, not the mineral makeup. (Why did I think it was a good idea to wash brushes that would be touching my face in some random cheapo shampoo?). I gave BE another try and I am in love again!
I don’t want this to sound like a huge advertisement for Bare Escentuals, but I guess it is. The makeup makes me look great (if I do say so myself) because it lets my natural beauty show through. It looks like me, just in the best light. The minerals work with my skin and diffuse any imperfections and let an inner glow emerge. It also helps that I found my perfect shade this time, so I don’t end up looking too fair in photos. These were both taken last week:
A weekday/natural look.
(For those of you who noticed the quadrofolio, good eyes. More on that next week).
A more made-up/going out look.
I’ve been watching lots of YouTube video tutorials about how to best apply the makeup, and I’m really liking the results. Plus, now that it’s summer, it’s nice to have a light, weightless foundation rather than something that’s liquid and heavy. And I really like that it’s not powdery looking. Not only that, but since I’ve been using this makeup my acne scars are dissipating. 
My next step is to change over from Philosophy to BE for skincare, too. I’ve been a Philosophy Girl for years now, but lately my skin hasn’t been reacting as well to the cleansers and moisturizers as it used to. “They” say that it’s good to change up your skincare routine every so often, and I think that time may be upon me. I’ve been reading rave reviews about BE skincare, and since I’ll be finishing up the last of my Purity Made Simple and Hope in a Jar by mid July, it may just be the perfect time to give something new a try. After all, change is good, and I can always go back to Philosophy.
I’m back to being a BEliever! Swirl, Tap, Buff all the way, baby!!
So, how about you? What’s your favorite makeup/skincare? Are you brand loyal, using everything in the line, or do you mix and match?
Such a good feeling to find makeup you love! I’m right there with you and could talk about beauty products for hours. Once I tried BE but I thought it was too messy and made my face look powdery, but I probably didn’t use it long enough to get my technique down. I love watching their rep on QVC with Lisa Robertson, well I love watching Lisa sell anything, she’s so fun. Recently my skin seems to be aging quickly
So I switched to Lancome foundation and Genifique and went to the heavy artilary of Chanel for skincare, so far seems to be helping.
It’s good to find something that works.
I’ve been spritzing a tiny bit of Mac’s Fix+ after I apply the foundation, mineral veil, and blush/bronzed (before eye makeup) and it definitely cuts down on the cakiness.
Okay, add this to the list of things we’ll have to swap experience with if we ever meet. I’m so not a make-up person, which is most unfortunate b/c I live in Dallas, where EVERYONE seems to wear make-up, I swear, maybe even some guys, and b/c I really think I look better when I put a bit of effort into it. But instead I just wear the same couple basics all the time. For brands I’ve kind of liked Trish, but it’s just not something I usually spend the money on.
So the official list for a visit is:
1. I help you with workouts and workout accountability/intensity.
2. You help me purge my closets.
3. You help me choose and put on make-up!
That sounds like a good tradeoff to me!!