Review, Swatches, & Demo: Carmindy's 5 Minute Face Kit

Carmindy's 5 Minute Face Kit

Carmindy's 5 Minute Face Kit is available exclusively on HSN for $59. The set includes:

• Carmindizeing Highlighter in Ethereal - A double-sided cream/power highlighter with ultra-fine shimmer and neutral champagne undertones. While both wear beautifully, having both a cream and powder in nearly identical shades is somewhat redundant.
• Love Struck Blush in Universal Pink - A very subtle warm pink with negligible shimmer. This will likely disappear on medium to deep skin tones and took quite a bit of layering to become noticeable on me.
• Kiss Me Lip Butter in Rose Passion - A tinted lip balm similar to Revlon's Lip Butters in a medium pink. The lasting power is similar to any tinted lip balm, wearing off in less than an hour, but the color is beautiful and the formula really moisturizes my lips.
• Elevate Mascara in Midnight Black - A mascara that volumizes and separates while adding some additional curl. While it applies relatively wet, it dries down nicely to help lashes hold their shape all day without smudging or flaking.
• Ever After Eyeliner in Espresso - An automatic liner in a deep metallic chocolate shade. While it lasts all day without smudging or fading, the somewhat firm texture meant it needed multiple passes on my upper lash line to build pigmentation. This could be an issue for those that have sensitive or easily irritated eyelids.

Overall, this set creates an ultra natural, minimal makeup look, despite missing one of the most important components I need in a 5 minute face: concealer. Check out the difference it makes with this kit in a before and after picture at the bottom of this post! The lack of pigmentation in the blush, duplication of the highlighters, and texture of the eyeliner are definite drawbacks for me, and might limit those who will be interested in this set as a whole. Instead, I would recommend purchasing the products you are interested in individually (because there are some winners here - like the Lip Butter or Mascara). If, on the other hand, you like the look this created and don't mind what I thought were shortcomings, it's worth it! This kit has a $105 value with each of the full sized products, so getting it all for $59 is definitely a steal.
Have you tried any products from Carmindy's new makeup line?

See more pictures after the jump!