Makeup: Bare Minerals Make Under
This past weekend I was invited to the Bare Minerals Boutique in Brighton for a Make Under. I had previously tried out their foundation at my local counter and have a handful of their eyeshadows and their Ready eyeshadows but I've never been for a "Make Under" before.
Don't you just love these spinning displays. I want one for my makeup!
After a quick chat with the makeup artist Lauren, we decided what I should try.
After a quick chat with the makeup artist Lauren, we decided what I should try.
The "Before". URGH I look rough as :(
The first step was to prep my skin using with the Purifying Facial Cleanser, Active Cell Renewal Night Serum and Purely Nourishing Moisturiser for Normal/Dry skin.
The first step was to prep my skin using with the Purifying Facial Cleanser, Active Cell Renewal Night Serum and Purely Nourishing Moisturiser for Normal/Dry skin.
Skin Prep
I've never used any of Bare Minerals skincare products, in all honesty it had never occured to me to even try them! I found the cleanser nice and it didn't leave my skin feeling tight like some washes can. The serum felt lightweight and was absorbed quickly into my skin. Despite being marketed as a "night" serum, I use products interchangeably so because of it's lightweight feel on the skin I think it would be perfectly okay to use during the day underneath a moisturiser for a little boost of hydration. The moisturiser was nice and lightweight too, I didn't need a lot of product to moisturise my skin and it absorbed very quickly which is essential for me during the morning get ready rush.
Next we applied a small amount of the Prime Time Foundation Primer and set to work buffing in the foundation. Lauren chose the Original Foundation as I wanted more of a dewy than flat finish and she said I didn't need the heavy coverage that the new pressed foundation provides. I was matched to Fairly Light, described as being for porcelain-to-light skin with neutral undertones, I found it worked really well on my fair skin and provided enough coverage to hide my redness but without looking like I was wearing a mask.
I've never used any of Bare Minerals skincare products, in all honesty it had never occured to me to even try them! I found the cleanser nice and it didn't leave my skin feeling tight like some washes can. The serum felt lightweight and was absorbed quickly into my skin. Despite being marketed as a "night" serum, I use products interchangeably so because of it's lightweight feel on the skin I think it would be perfectly okay to use during the day underneath a moisturiser for a little boost of hydration. The moisturiser was nice and lightweight too, I didn't need a lot of product to moisturise my skin and it absorbed very quickly which is essential for me during the morning get ready rush.
Next we applied a small amount of the Prime Time Foundation Primer and set to work buffing in the foundation. Lauren chose the Original Foundation as I wanted more of a dewy than flat finish and she said I didn't need the heavy coverage that the new pressed foundation provides. I was matched to Fairly Light, described as being for porcelain-to-light skin with neutral undertones, I found it worked really well on my fair skin and provided enough coverage to hide my redness but without looking like I was wearing a mask.
I had the opportunity to apply the foundation myself. Despite being cack-handed I found it really easy
The final steps for the face were applying Warmth, which looks so scary dark in the packaging but imparts a beautiful tan glow onto the skin, and a light dusting of the Mineral Veil, which basically adds a photoshop-like blur to the surface of the skin. I kind of wish I could swim in the stuff to get the effect all over! The primer, foundation, Warmth and Mineral Veil together with the three brushes you need to apply them are all available in the Get Started Kits, which I think work out to be a great value. I would recommend going to a boutique or counter to get colour matched though.
Next we made a start with eyes using the new Smoky and Sultry Giftset. Lauren applied a thin layer of Prime Time Eyelid Primer to my lids to help the shadows stick and stay all day and then applied the pretty nude champagne colour, Sultry, from the kit with an Eye Defining Brush. The colour was really light and pretty and I found the fine shimmer to really open up my eye. Next, Lauren applied the second colour from the kit, Cherry Coco Truffle, which is a dark cherry chocolate with the same brush and blended the transition with a Crease Defining Brush. This brush is not available in the kit but the Eye Defining one forms part of the double sided brush that is provided. I really liked the darker shade as it provided a beautiful depth to my eyes and it didn't look like a boring brown thanks to the cherry undertones. The two colours would make a great look for holiday parties, but I'm not going to think about Christmas as it's only October!
The final steps for the face were applying Warmth, which looks so scary dark in the packaging but imparts a beautiful tan glow onto the skin, and a light dusting of the Mineral Veil, which basically adds a photoshop-like blur to the surface of the skin. I kind of wish I could swim in the stuff to get the effect all over! The primer, foundation, Warmth and Mineral Veil together with the three brushes you need to apply them are all available in the Get Started Kits, which I think work out to be a great value. I would recommend going to a boutique or counter to get colour matched though.
Next we made a start with eyes using the new Smoky and Sultry Giftset. Lauren applied a thin layer of Prime Time Eyelid Primer to my lids to help the shadows stick and stay all day and then applied the pretty nude champagne colour, Sultry, from the kit with an Eye Defining Brush. The colour was really light and pretty and I found the fine shimmer to really open up my eye. Next, Lauren applied the second colour from the kit, Cherry Coco Truffle, which is a dark cherry chocolate with the same brush and blended the transition with a Crease Defining Brush. This brush is not available in the kit but the Eye Defining one forms part of the double sided brush that is provided. I really liked the darker shade as it provided a beautiful depth to my eyes and it didn't look like a boring brown thanks to the cherry undertones. The two colours would make a great look for holiday parties, but I'm not going to think about Christmas as it's only October!
Blend, blend and blend some more!
Lauren applied a thin line of Liner Shadow in Soft Black, mixed with water. I found this applied really easy and gave a nice black line but I did find as it dried it flaked a little so I would probably mix it with a fixative spray like MAC Fix if I were to purchase it in the future.
A coat of the formidable looking Lash Domination 10 in 1 Volumizing Mascara was the next step for the eyes. The wand on this mascara is HUGE and kind of scary looking! It is a rubber bristle wand and the bristles curl round the wand supposedly to help coat all the lashes. I really liked the mascara as it really volumized my lashes and fanned them out to give a "wide-eyed" look. This offers some serious competition for my beloved Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara and that's not something I say every day!
Next Lauren applied the Stroke of Light Eye Brightener in Luminous 2 under my eyes to add brightness with the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush that comes in the Get Started Kit. I really liked the effect, it was like a night's sleep in a tube!
The final step to complete the eyes was the brows. After deciding to use a pencil instead of my usual powder, Lauren chose the Frame and Define Brow Styler in Universal Light. I found this added beautiful definition and held my brows in place perfectly, something that's unheard for me without the use of brow gel.
Lauren applied a thin line of Liner Shadow in Soft Black, mixed with water. I found this applied really easy and gave a nice black line but I did find as it dried it flaked a little so I would probably mix it with a fixative spray like MAC Fix if I were to purchase it in the future.
A coat of the formidable looking Lash Domination 10 in 1 Volumizing Mascara was the next step for the eyes. The wand on this mascara is HUGE and kind of scary looking! It is a rubber bristle wand and the bristles curl round the wand supposedly to help coat all the lashes. I really liked the mascara as it really volumized my lashes and fanned them out to give a "wide-eyed" look. This offers some serious competition for my beloved Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara and that's not something I say every day!
Next Lauren applied the Stroke of Light Eye Brightener in Luminous 2 under my eyes to add brightness with the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush that comes in the Get Started Kit. I really liked the effect, it was like a night's sleep in a tube!
The final step to complete the eyes was the brows. After deciding to use a pencil instead of my usual powder, Lauren chose the Frame and Define Brow Styler in Universal Light. I found this added beautiful definition and held my brows in place perfectly, something that's unheard for me without the use of brow gel.
Lauren then added a sweep of The Ready Blush in The Aphrodisiac to my cheeks. I've only ever tried the eyeshadows in the Ready line and I was really impressed with the texture and pigmentation of this blush. It's a gorgeous peachy coral, very reminiscent of Nars Orgasm, but it has a much more refined finish on the skin.
The very last stage of my Make Under was the lips. I decided I wanted to try one of the new Marvelous Moxie lipsticks so Lauren suggested the Marvelous Moxie Lipliner in Revved, a rich raisin colour, coupled with the Marvelous Moxis Lipstick in Get Ready. The lipstick is a deep rosy pink, perfect for autumn, and had a similar creamy finish to a MAC Cremesheen. It was very comfortable and balmy on my lips.
My Physio is not going to be happy if she sees my terrible posture!
Here's the final look, classic but smokey, I really like it!
Here's the final look, classic but smokey, I really like it!
All in all, the Make Under took around 45 minutes and I'm really happy with the result. Lauren was wonderfully helpful and explained each product very well. I liked that I got to apply the products myself as it's good to be able to get an understanding of the correct application techniques when you have a trained expert with you to guide you. The world of minerals is very new to me and I picked up some really helpful tips that I'll be able to apply to the loose eyeshadows I already own.
In terms of what products I would purchase the brow pencil and concealer have gone straight to the top of my wishlist. I will definitely purchase them once I've finished up the products I'm currently using. I'm going to add the lip products and blush to my birthday wishlist. I might even sneak the Get Started Kit and blush to my Christmas Wishlist... If you're listening Santa... Hint, hint...
Have any of you had a Make Under? What were your experiences if you have? Have you got any Bare Mineral product recommendations?
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