Bare Minerals 'BareSkin' Foundation & Perfecting Face Brush

 

Bare Minerals is a brand I've always wanted to try.  Renowned for its natural looking coverage and kind-to-skin ingredients, I've often heard amazing things about their products and their original mineral foundation has been on my 'to try' list for yonks.  Just recently, I've had the chance to try out their newest release - the BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation (£22.88*) alongside their Perfecting Face Brush (£21.12*).  Said to help brighten the skin, the BareSkin foundation helps to even out skin tone whilst offering an ultra-thin, silky texture - a 'weightless' fluid which helps to blur imperfections and soften the appearance of the skin.  Sounds dreamy right? It seemed like my perfect lightweight foundation but I have to admit - I haven't fallen head over heels for it just yet...

The packaging definitely ticks all the boxes for me - simple, lightweight, not too fussy, and the 'dropper' styled tip on the bottle helps to prevent mess and product waste.  It recommends just a few drops (5 for a fuller coverage) - so that's exactly what I used - but I have to say, I was left feeling a little bit disheartened.  I'm by no means a full coverage lover. Don't get me wrong, I do like a good medium-full, flawless appearance but I often sway towards a lighter, more dewy base which is why I thought I'd love this.  It's by far one of the lightest foundations I've used and I'd liken the coverage to that of a tinted moisturiser. It's very watery and not entirely buildable. There's something about the formula I just don't seem to 'click' with - the serum does feel lightweight but I'm not sure I enjoy the feeling of it on my skin. It's just a little too slippery and oily for my liking.  Although it perks up the appearance of my skin - it doesn't seem to smooth it out as much as I'd like. It's because of this that I've only been using this on good skin days (and VERY good skin days for that matter), or days where I'm not really going anywhere but want to apply a little bit of a base 'just incase'.   It definitely has some brightening, smoothing qualities to it but I just don't love it as much as I imagined I would. For reference, I have the shade 'Bare Ivory' which seems to match my winter skin well (very yellow based - which is what i always seem to lean towards).

The Skin Perfecting Face Brush is a handy addition to my collection.  It's rather unique - with a 'fluid reservoir' in the middle which allows you to really control the amount of coverage.  It's quite dense and doesn't really have a lot of 'movement' in it so it feels very different to a standard buffing brush. It does give a nice effect to the skin and works well with my lighter, fluid bases and serums - it also offers a bit more control than other similar brushes I've used.  I find it takes a little more work than usual but I really like the effect it gives.  Although it does work with the BareSkin foundation, I found I had to apply quite a few drops because the watery formula seems to instantly absorb into the bristles.  I took to applying a few drops to the back of my hand, dabbing some on to my skin and then buffing in with the brush - this seemed to work much better and provided me with a better coverage.  Although it's a nice brush, I think it's more of a novelty in my opinion - I don't notice a massive difference between when I use this and when I've used my standard buffing brush - but it's a good'un to have in my brush pot nonetheless as it does provide that perfected, polished finish.

Overall - I'd say do your research with this product.  If you're after something very lightweight and dewy - this could be for you.  It does seem to knock out dull tones in the skin so it's a good one to keep in mind for the winter months.  The watery consistency is nice to work with but it's just not as buildable as I'd like and I'm not keen on the way it feels on my skin personally. It's extremely light - and I've used BB Creams with a thicker coverage so that's worth baring in mind. I can see why Bare Minerals have bought this into their range - it offers a nice alternative for those who maybe don't like the powder foundations so much but it's yet to win me over. The Perfecting Face Brush, on the other hand, is a good purchase if you're a fan of lighter bases and serum foundations - it makes a nice change from a standard buffing brush or flat foundation brush but I still wouldn't say that it's a necessity. Despite my mixed opinion on the serum foundation, I'm still really wanting to try the Original powder foundation - its such a raved about product! I'd love to know your opinions if you've tried both... You can find the BareSkin Serum Foundation on the FeelUnique website here for £22.88*, and the Perfecting Face Brush is available here for £21.12*.

Have you tried this foundation? What were your thoughts? 

LOLA Foundation Brush | Cream Contouring Favourite

A while back, I mentioned the fact I'd invested in one of the Nars Matte Multiples and had treated myself to a new makeup brush to use with it: LOLA's Foundation Brush. It's a duo I'd never really have thought to put together, but after speaking with one of the assistants in SpaceNK and realising just how good a cream contour looks when applied with a foundation brush, I decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a whirl. It's something a lot of people don't think of  - but I often use brushes for different purposes than what they're actually meant for and I think that many beauty enthusiasts find the exact same once they learn more about application techniques.  LOLA is a brand I've been familiar with in the past after treating myself to a couple of bits in duty free abroad - I was amazed with the quality so when I heard that they'd began to stock their products in M&S in the UK, I was there in a shot.  Honestly - if you haven't had a look at their product range I really recommend popping in for a swatch or two - the blushes are simply amazing (I own one of the powder ones and it's so pigmented it's unreal!) and I'm so intrigued by the range of lipsticks.  After spotting the brush and realising it was extremely similar to the one the MUA in SpaceNK used on me, I decided to treat myself.

The Foundation Brush is soft but densely packed, and has just the right level of flexibility for a cream contour. To apply, I'll simply stipple the brush directly on to the product surface and apply onto the hollows of the cheekbones in small, dabbing/sweeping motions.  Sounds scary - but what's great about this brush is that it doesn't pick up too much product, so it's more or less impossible to apply too much. It's just the right size for getting in all of those nooks and crannys and getting a good bit of sculpt going on.  It fits along the natural line of the cheekbone perfectly and is also really nice to use along the jawline and across the temples. Personally, I haven't actually used this to apply my foundation with yet but the shape of it really is lovely for getting a precise application with a range of products - I bet you could even use this for a cream highlight or blush.  The sleek black handle and storage pouch only add to its appeal for me and for the price, I've been so impressed.  I prefer using this over my brushes that are specifically used for contouring as I find it works much better due to how the bristles are packed.  I use this mostly with my Nars Multiple (review of that here, if you're interested!) and sometimes with my Mac Scultping Creams and I always manage to get a good, precise, flawless looking application every time. Who'd have thought that a standard foundation brush could become such a contouring must-have?!  The brush retails for £14.00 and you can find it, along with the rest of the LOLA range on the M&S website here.

Have you tried anything from the LOLA range? What brushes do you use for cream contour products?

My New Contouring Companion | Illamasqua's Blush Up Brush

Illamasqua 'Blush Up' Brush | £28.50 | Link | Link

Fellow bloggers and beauty fanatics, let me introduce to you my new partner in crime and latest addition to my make-up brush collection - Illamasqua's 'Blush Up' Brush. After months and months of lusting after the Nars Ita 'Kabuki' Brush (google it - it's a beauty!) and not being able to find it anywhere (honestly...it's like gold dust), I took it upon myself to look for a similar alternative. Brushes like this are quite hard to come across - most contour brushes on the market seem to take on that classic 'dome' tapered sort of shape - but I wanted something a little different from the norm.  Illamasqua's offering seemed like the most similar alternative I could find, and after reading a few reviews about it I decided I'd give it a whirl. 

'Challenging conventional blusher application, Illamasqua's all-new Blush Up Brush has an innovative, ellipse shaped head, designed to tuck directly under the cheekbone. Creating a soft diffusion of colour up onto the cheekbone, combine the Blush Up Brush with your favourite Powder Blusher Duo shades for a look that defines, elongates and slims the face in one simple movement' - (Illamasqua Website)

Now, I've made no secret of the fact I'm a complete contouring obsessive on this blog- so after reading the above information I'm sure it's fairly obvious why I needed this little beauty sitting in my brush pot! The brush is made for sculpting and defining the cheekbones and it fits perfectly along the contour line, making application of powder products a complete doddle. I often find that dome shaped/tapered contour brushes aren't precise enough for me so the shape of this one means that it's easy to get that much desired blended 'line'. The bristles are soft, but quite dense - meaning that the brush isn't overly flexible.  Personally, I find this works in its favour as it makes application more precise without skimping on blending capabilities. A simple sweeping motion in an upwards direction and my contour colour looks perfectly blended and it's so easy to get that much desired airbrush finish. It works amazingly well at sculpting the face and it has completely changed my contouring routine - I think it provides a much more professional finish and is the perfect brush to use when you want that strong 'Kim K' typed contour.

At £28, this baby ain't cheap! But if you're a fan of contouring and want to experiment with a more unique type of brush, it's really worth considering. I'm not usually one to spend a fortune on my brushes but I make an exception with more unique styles like this - it's one I knew I'd get a lot of use out of.  It comes packaged in its own little pouch and the sleek black handle and elegant finish really pull this brush together. I've been using it with some of my Illamasqua powder blushes too and together they really are a complete dream team! Just a few sweeping motions and your blush looks perfectly applied. Needless to say, you do need to be careful not to apply to much powder to the brush - you need to work up the colour rather than going 'full on' with it due to the nature of the bristles and the flat head, but once you've got that knack - you're sorted. Overall - I'm so glad I bought this. If you're a fellow contouring fan and want to try something new then it's really worth a look - it makes it so, so easy to achieve that defined look and I always seem to think my cheekbones look much more sculpted and strong when I've used this compared with the softer finish of a tapered contour brush. Of course, it depends on the look you're going for but it's nice to have that choice between a softer contour and a more defined one.  I bought my brush via ASOS (and grabbed a cheeky bit of student discount to lessen the blow) but it's quite widely available at the moment so if you're interested in snapping one up - it's worth having a little browse about.

Have you tried Illamasqua's Blush Up Brush? Whats your favourite contouring brush at the minute?