Bare Minerals Bareskin Serum First Impression

When I heard Bare Minerals was coming out with a liquid foundation I got super excited. I am a Bare Mineral Foundation groupie, I seriously love it and the mineral veil but sometimes it can feel weird wearing a powder foundation during the day in the summer. I almost caved and bought it when it first came out but i held out for a prayer and my prayers were answered. I had bought a ticket to GenBeauty and Bare Minerals was going to be there again. Last year they did the whole shade matching and then gave you a full size of the powder foundation and a brush and it happened again this year. They matched you and then sent you on the way with a full size bottle and a brush. 

I got mine the second day by sheer dumb luck and by being in the right place at the right time. my plan earlier that day was to come 30 minutes early and get in line fast. I did get in pretty fast but then some really rude security people cut off the line right in front of me. Now I had gotten up early and rushed for no reason. I gave up because I had no luck getting my foundation last year. Why would this year be any different? Then during happy hour they got rid of the line and I had finished getting my last goodie bag at the vendor next to Bare Minerals and low and behold a line barely started forming! I quickly made my way over and got in line and a few people got inline after me before they closed it again. It was happening this year and I was super freaking excited beyond belief. 

When I finally got to see someone to match me She took a quick look at my skin then applied the shade Bare Natural 07 and it looked like a pretty darn good match. In the powder foundation I am a N20 and I never really need to switch shades for summer, I just dust a little bit of bronzer lightly over my face if I need to. I never tan but I tan easily but I am in an office setting for 8+ hours a day so the likelihood of that happen is slim to none. 

The Girl recommended to shake the product very well before applying, when I open the box it says to shake well and on the bottle and the back of the box it says to shale well. I shake very well because I am super paranoid about not following that direction. When you do shake yo hear the clicking kind of spray can sound which means that this stuff must really settle and separate inside the bottle if they need a blender on the inside. I believe that's why some reviews of this say that it can feel gritty when applied. I didn't feel any grittiness myself and I shook it like a Polaroid picture. 

The top dropper is pretty small and lets out just enough of a drop at a time. The foundation is very watery and I had to keep my hand flat when trying to warm it up a little. I then used my beauty blender to apply on my skin which probably isn't the best way to apply it. But I refuse to buy a brush when I know I will probably end up switching to something different like I did with the powder version. No need to waste my money on that! plus I never have used any sort of brush when applying any of the foundations I own. If you really insist that it is the best way to apply then let me know until then I will be figuring out the best way for me to apply it. But I will say I started out using the powder version of the foundation and used the brush that came with it and liked it but loved the foundation more when I switched to the Ecotools retractable kabuki brush. I just have this feeling that I am going to buy it then discover I like using something different down the line and never using it again like the last one. 

As you can see I have some acne scarring but nothing major. Most of it is disappearing from using a skin care regimen. I do have some very slight redness around my nose but nothing major and I got plenty of sleep so Not mush under eye darkness here. My problems really only need a nice even coat of foundation and some spot treatments where needed. 

I feel in pictures it looks like it covers everything but in real life I can see the marks still. It took forever to try and learn to cover it all and eventually I gave up. Medium coverage is better than nothing but I like something that is a bit easier to build up where I need to. Applying with my fingers then bouncing the Beauty Blender kept it looking a bit natural. 

Yes you can't see my whole face here but I think my hair looked pretty awesome for once and I did absolutely nothing to get it to look like this. LOL  I would say the foundation does look pretty natural but now looking at it I think it might be a little too light for me. Or maybe I am a little paranoid. I don't think it's anything too drastic though and can and will be solved by a light dusting of bronzer and I normally do a little bit of light contouring around my jawline anyways. I ended up having to use 6 drops to get medium coverage with my Beauty Blender which to me feels like a lot. It says that 6 will get you full coverage but that's if you use the brush. 

With flash I think it looks a little white but that's my own personal opinion of it. it does look really pretty but you can definitely see the large acne scar on the left cheek. I think it is something I could live with given what my skin used to look like growing up as a teenager. The formula is supposed to be scentless but I do detect a hint of a powdery smell to it. But the smell isn't like a baby powder smell, it's more like a face powder smell and I didn't even apply any setting powder to my face. 

As for performance, I was lounging around all afternoon and evening and by the time 10pm rolled around I took a look in the mirror and discovered it clung to dry patches on my skin and I find it strange because I moisturize the heck out of my skin. The color was even and didn't really budge except for where I rub my nose. I also saw these little white strand looking things on the bottom of my chin almost like it drew out the stuff from my skin which was gross. I don't know what happened because when it happened I did use a face scrub that day so my skin was super smooth. I have never seen that happen with any of my foundations. The color looked great and didn't turn any sort of orange or pink on me or get darker which is a plus in my book. 

Overall I do like how light the foundation feels and how long it lasts and I like how there are so many colors in the range for everyone to choose from. As for how I like it for my skin, I don't know. I have some pretty mixed feeling for it since I was really hoping I could use this instead of my HG BM powder foundation during the summer. I feel it just takes too much work to get it looking how you want it and isn't practical for me since I do not like to spend too much time on my base. Plus that funky white stuff on my chin wasn't too attractive. But I will say that when I wore it the first time I didn't see it happen. I hope its a one time thing. 

Other makeup I have on in this post:

Pixi mascara in black

NARS blush in Orgasam

Limecrime lipstick in Centrifushia

So there you have it! I will keep using this and hopefully I like it more and it grows on me but as of now I don't think I would buy it for myself when I do run out. Thank goodness I got it as a goodie when I went to GenBeauty. 

XOX

Veritypretty

Mac Peach Blossom - Review and Swatches

Ah..the joys of buying a new lipstick. I really don't buy Mac all the time and honestly have never even been matched to any of their colors. But one thing I do love from them is the lipsticks. They just last so long and look beautiful to boot. I have been on a mission to find more suitable nude toned lipsticks as I already have my weights worth in mauve and red colors. I had this crazy thing where I tried on nude/pink lipsticks and just thought they made me look dead and lifeless until I got an Em lipstick in Cabana Beige and I tried it on and for once it worked on me. I was just trying the wrong shades of nudes, I needed something a little bit more on the pinky-sheer side than straight up opaque beige. 

Usually I don't get helped out right away when I go to Mac but for once the clouds opened up and someone made a beeline towards me to help me. There's a first for everything. But I do notice that I get better treatment at the Mac counters in Nordstrom than Macy's or the stand alone stores. My first trip to Mac was me standing around and everyone else being helped and all I wanted was black eyeliner. I left and bought different eyeliner in Sephora instead. So seeing as my luck had changed I decided to ask for some recommendations for what I was looking for. She really listened and pulled 3 out for me to test and made it really hard to pick only one. I ended up with the Creamsheen Peach Blossom and I really had to stop myself from using it before taking blog pictures. The struggle is real. 

For myself I would file the color under a nude rather than a pink. Nude colors for me personally isn't about just beige or browns or completely hiding my lips, its about having the illusion that you're not wearing any lip product. While it looks more pink as a swatch, on my lips it just looks like I was born with a pretty pout.

The color is pretty long lasting for a shimmery lip product and usually they slip off of me. That's why I tend to lean more towards matte colors but this really impressed me. It lasted me two rounds of beers before I had to reapply so I can see this tube lasting me a good while. It was also very moisturizing which I can always appreciate. I am someone who absolutely can never wear a frost color and was a bit worried the shimmer would make me look blah but nope, didn't happen. Overall I really love everything about this lipstick. I will no longer just stick to mattes and shimmerless cream colors. 

But you know, I am always going to be looking for more nudes. I mean, how can you only have just one of any color? Is it possible? I don't think so. I don't think I would even want to live in a world where it's possible. Keeping your options open is the spice of life. 

Peripera Lip Tint in Cherry Juice - Benetint Dupe

I just bought this today but have had my eye on this little baby for months now. This is the Peri's Tint Water from the Korean beauty line Peripera. When I bought my lipstick this is one of the items that had caught my eye as I have been looking for a good lip tint. I had swatched it on the back of my hand and it miraculously stayed on all day even through a hand washing and was really impressed. I saw it again in a little store in Little Tokyo but...ended up not buying it for some stupid reason I cannot remember. 

There are a couple other colors in the line including a pink and even orange one but I decided to go for something a bit more on the classic side of things. This color is called Cherry Juice and is a super bright deep red. 

Uhh...someone please translate? Peripera is a Korean beauty line which doesn't seem to be very popular or well know because I asked my coworker who is Korean and loves Korean beauty/skin products herself but she had no clue about the brand. I myself have found it by dumb luck. 

I really love the little cartoon girls that are on all the bottles and it just makes the whole feeling of putting it on a fun experience. It's cute without feeling childish to me. maybe if I was a bit older it might be an issue but then I think nah...I like feeling like a kid. As for the bottle itself, the top is made from plastic and the bottom is a nice sturdy glass. 

The wand is a little short but I really like how it has a doe toe. i feel it soaks up more liquid than a brush would so I don't have to work very hard to get good color payoff. The nubbyness of the wand isn't a deal breaker because any little bits at the bottom could probably be shaken and soaked up into the toe. I just really hope my theories are true. 

Now for what you've been waiting for...the comparison of the Peri tint and Benetint. I had been looking forward to trying out Benefit's Benetint for years. Yes, I said years. Ever since I was in middle/high school I had wanted it for all my own. My mom at the time would not let me have makeup and was not willing to risk having the precious liquid snatched away from me as my previous stashes of makeup had been. It was also too expensive as I would have to squirrel away portions of my lunch money for at least a month or two to buy it. Then when I subscribed to Birchbox I got it in my first box. I was overjoyed at the tiny magical potion bottle that promised to stain my lips the prefect red color. I applied and was totally disgusted as it clung to my lips in uneven patches and in less than fives minutes of just talking most of it had disappeared into nothing. That was the most devastating day in my makeup buying life. 

As you can see, Peri's Lip Tint is a deeper darker red and doesn't smear or disappear before I get a chance to blend it in. they bloth bleed like nobody's business so care must be taken to not over do it close to the edge of your lips. Also remember, it's best to use a lip scrub before using any lip stain or it will cling to any dry patches you have.   

Once blended in the Peritint keeps it's vibrancy and stays on much longer than Benetint ever could on me. As for the color comparison of each, Peritint looks more like a tomato red while Benetint seems more pinky red to me. Both are pretty but the Peritint is just more practical. I bought mine for $13 at a little store called Maneki Neko in the mall but have found it at another store, might be the same store but I can't remember, in Little Tokyo. So if you have any little Asian beauty/skin care stores popping up around you just take a peek inside because you just might find these or something even better. You can also purchase it online starting at about $8 a pop but it ships from out of the U.S. and the only place that ships within the U.S. is Urban Outfitters but they only have the cherry juice, orange juice, and mandarin juice colors but not the candy juice color. 

So there you have it! Overall I think the Peri's Lip Tint Water is just a better option for me as it has a better color payoff, it's cheaper, and small enough to carry in my purse or a small bag for touch ups. i f you have any other recommendations for other lip stains let me know, I am always looking for some good ones. 

Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette in Light

I have been coveting this concealer palette from Sonia Kashuk  for almost a year now and have been putting it off thinking that it was maybe a little pricey for a drugstore item. But then recently something in me changed. I just realized that I have been using the same concealer for ages and thought it might be a good time for a change. I have never really used a cream based concealer and usually stick to something a bit more liquid like the L'Oreal Lumienne eye brightener. As for actual concealers that cover dark spots, They do not exist in my makeup repertoire. I just always seem to go for something that will just act as an eye brightener. 

I decided that maybe this one was the one to convert me as the gals from Eleventhgorgeous liked it and I had seen some other good reviews on Makeup Alley and various other blogs. This comes with three different colors for various concealing needs and one powder to set them. I got the light color option even though I am a light to medium skin tone color with neutral undertones. I have no MAC color reference but I do know fo' sho that I am a perfect match of the N20 in Bare Minerals loose powder if that's might help you out some. I don't think my skin is as oily as it used to be but I do have some very fine lines under my eyes but nothing too drastic and when it gets hot I feel my eyes get a bit oily from sweat. 

I wore this under the tinted moisturizer from Sonia Kashuk and thought that it may have been a little too slippery to wear over this concealer. The color in the top right color in the quad seemed to be almost a perfect match for me to cover up any little spots I had. I think my favorite way to use the color is to brush it over my light brow growth for when I don't have time to get them done and then use a little loose powder foundation to set it. It really helped decrease the look of brow overgrowth and made me look polished. As for the lighter colors, I felt they really settled into my fine lines underneath my eyes. I really don't know what happened. I am almost too afraid to keep trying until I get it right. Or I have a theory that thick cream concealers are just not for my undereyes. 

Overall I like that I did find a color match for my skin in concealer form which for me has been my life's mission but for under eye concealer I don't think I will be reaching for this very often. I think I will try it again during winter when I get a drier winter skin. Would I repurchase? Maybe, it just depends on if I can find another concealer that matches me and has the same consistency. But to drop $10 on a quad to only be able to use 1 color doesn't seem very worth it to me. I think this quad is definitely better suited towards someone that isn't a normal/oily skin combo. If I do develop feeling towards this I will give you an update. 

XOX

Veritypretty

Photoshop elements 12 - Le Blog is Under Construction

I bet if you're a regular here you're thinking "Where the hell am I?!! What happened to the layout?!!" 

Good and bad news folks. 

Good news, my blog is getting an overhaul. 

Bad news, the overhaul is being done by me. 

It has seriously been several years since I have used any type of photoshop and I have zilch experience with HTML. What I have done with my blog is by jogged memories, google, and YouTube. I am relying on my reading comprehension skills and dumb luck to squeak by. Sure I could find someone else to do it for me or just copy and paste from random places on the internet but c'mon, where's the fun in that?

 I've always been somewhat of a DIY type of gal and this is just another extension of that. 

Oh and I really know the people who are familiar with customizing blogger layouts are probably cringing that I am not using my test blog (I have one) to test it all out before torturing you all here on the real thing but I screwed up hard. 

I ended up deleting the HTML from the old layout, pasted the test blog layout saved it but didn't like it then went to revert changes and *POOF* nothing happened because I saved instead of previewed like the noob I am. On top of that it was almost 1am and my eyes would not stay awake so I salvaged what I could and went to bed. So lesson learned. Save the old HTML somewhere, copy paste new one, preview and if I don't like it I can revert or paste what was there before back where it belongs. 

But really, I don't feel so bad about what I've done so far. It's okay for someone with not a lot of computer/web or photoshop skills. I'm also only using elements as it was the most affordable out of all of them and I kind of don't need to spend tons of money on something I need to refamiliarize myself with. Plus it was on sale and the gift card it got for Christmas would completely cover the cost. 

And let me know what you think about the layout, good and bad comments are welcome. You can never really learn without some constructive criticism. 

I am also sorry for my nerdy web ramblings but I thought an explanation would be nice. 

XOX 

Veritypretty