BareMinerals

Worth it? bareMinerals Lash Domination Mascara

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This is a legacy post from the archives that has been given a facelift. Content remains the same but may have been edited for readability/clarity.

bareMinerals Lash Domination mascarabareMinerals Lash Domination Mascara

Mineral makeup mogul bareMinerals happens to make my favorite-so-far mascara, the Flawless Definition Lengthening mascara. At some point in the last year or so, they added a new member to their lash line (ha), the (full name, deep breath) bareMinerals Lash Domination 10-in-1 Volumizing Mascara. I love edgy product names, except when I don’t.

Benefits

According to bareMinerals, it:

  • Volumizes
  • Lengthens
  • Thickens
  • Separates
  • Lifts
  • All-day wear
  • Mineral fortified
  • Resists clumps
  • Fights flakes
  • Smudge-resistant

Hrm. I don’t really count the last three as benefits, as any decent mascara should do that anyway, even one that costs me $3. Oh, but it has quinoa in it. I wonder if they’ll release a kale version?

GWP is Good Enough For Me (to try)

My sass aside, because I loved (and had not yet repurchased) the Flawless Definition mascara, I was very excited when I received this deluxe sample as GWP in a Sephora order I made months ago. I only opened it in late March (2014), however, because the drugstore product I was using was still good (and mascara shelf life rages me, so I try to avoid using multiples simultaneously); I did not want to set the clock ticking too soon.

Finally, the time came to crack ‘er open arrived. Because I decided to be edgy like the product and not look up reviews, demos, etc. My first impressions were:

1. Wow, why is the applicator portion of the wand so long?! My eyes are not that big.

2. Ooh! The short plastic bristles I like!

3. …oh they better not be arranged in a spiral. They’re arranged in a spiral. Fuuuu–

I told myself, “Okay, who knows, the spirals could be awesome. Let’s slap it on and find out.”

Application & Wear

I applied it – it went on easy enough, the consistency of the formula is very similar to the Flawless Definition. I was pretty happy to see that. My lashes looked pretty awesome in a single coat. The formula held up through the day, was non-irritating, and did not flake or smudge. By the end of the day, however, they lacked the oomph of the morning and I noticed it did not hold the curl I placed before applying. My lashes were black, but not curled up, so my eyes did not look as open as they had.

Thinking there may have been an adjustment period, I wore it every day for a week with similar results. I may or may not have poked myself in the eye once trying to maneuver the strange spiral applicator. The days I applied two coats held the curl a little better, but not substantially so. It was also surprisingly difficult to wash off for a non-waterproof formula, unlike the Flawless Definition line. I really had to scrub with my Ponds wipe to remove it, and had to go under my lower lash-line carefully (even when I did not coat those lashes) so I did not look like a raccoon. I do not have a separate eye makeup remover, but you may want one. Alternatively, you can use oil to remove – such as olive or almond – and you should have an easier time.

The Bottom Line

It is not really worth it. Though bareMinerals Lash Domination comes at you with a sassy name and flashy packaging there are drugstore mascaras (such as L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess) that outperform this $18 tube that generally receives under 4 (out of 5) star reviews, often between 3.6 and 3.8. While it doesn’t make sky-high claims, it also does not perform as well as its older sister, the Flawless Definition. It’s a fair bet during Ulta’s half-off sales, though.

At least three (more, really) of the ten, “features,” are things we all expect from our mascara, not new enhancements. On top of the so-so performance of the product, the awkward design of the wand – both the spiral bristles and the length of the bristle section makes it a little difficult to work with. If you want a bareMinerals mascara, go with one of the original Flawless Definition formulas – the original Lengthening is my personal favorite.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – this means I may get a very small percentage of the sale if you decide to buy something. I’ll only tell you that something is awesome if I have verified it myself!

Sephora Play June 2016

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Sephora Play June 2016Sephora Play June 2016

Never having jumped on the subscription box bandwagon, in May I signed up for Sephora Play! I received my first box in mid-June, and finally have time to talk about it what I got!

Tocca Florence

I’m highly picky about fragrances. When I realized this was a floral, I nearly tossed it out without popping the cap off the vial. I decided that wasn’t fair, so I removed the stopper and…was pleasantly surprised! For the first time since the Marc Jacobs Daisy line, I’ve found a pleasant floral. That said, I’m not going to rush out and buy a full sized, $68 bottle of Florence. I will enjoy this sample vial, but juggling several bottles of perfume is not for me. I would consider buying a rollerball. If you like subtle florals and are in the market, give this a shot.

Tarteguard

I’ve always thought that the packaging for Tarte’s sunscreen was cute, but I didn’t give the product much consideration. If I was going to drop $32 on a sunscreen, I’d probably go Shiseido, Clinique, or Murad…or I’d go with a BB Cream product. So far, I’ve used Tarteguard on my hands and forearms only – where it has done a good job. I was reluctant to introduce change to my routine so soon after finding a routine that my skin is responding well to (plus I <3 my Biore one!). Furthermore, the reviews this sunscreen has received have indicated a high incidence of breakouts in relation to use. Unfortunately it isn’t going anywhere near my face anytime soon. It DOES has a faint, pretty scent that I can’t place and none of that nasty, “sunscreen smell.” For what it’s worth, a fellow, makeup-obsessed friend swears by this stuff and reports that it doubles as a good primer.

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March 2016 Favorites

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March 2016 FavoritesMarch 2016 Favorites
Milani Luminoso, $9 \ bareMinerals Prime Time eye primer, $18
Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil, $8.50 \ St Ives Nourish & Soothe, $5

Despite March possibly being more hectic than February, my March 2016 Favorites are less boring than last month’s. Ch-check it out.

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bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

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I feel like it has been a while since we’ve had an absurdly long product name.

Mineral-peddling beauty brand bareMinerals is has released a new face product for its loyal fans who want simple-to-use products to improve their complexion without a bunch of fuss. A mouthful, the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream claims to combine the best of tinted moisturizers, BB, and CC creams.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel CreambareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

Whoop – hold on. Really, there’s nothing that makes a CC cream especially different from a BB cream; it’s just marketing. CC usually stands for, “Color Correcting,” but it is still just a BB cream – maybe it has a bit of green to help neutralize some red, or a bit of lavender to neutralize sallowness. That doesn’t make it a different product class! So, we’ll nix that and say it claims to combine the best of tinted moisturizers and BB creams.

The bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream is an SPF 30 tinted moisturizer with a surprising first ingredient (as far as bareMinerals products are concerned, at least): Water. After that, there’s a boatload of non-mineral content – humectants, emollients, ingredients that help slow or prevent oxidation (something common with bareMinerals products). It doesn’t seem to have a super-star cast of ingredients, but it also doesn’t feature anything off the wall. It is both silicone and oil free, which is a plus if you like to avoid those things.

But it also contains mineral electrolytes that will energize your skin when you use the product. Holy shit. Really? Reading the product description makes me want to go watch Idiocracy. Even if the product contained electrolyte content, 1) it is small and 2) the skin on your face would absorb a hilariously small amount and 3) please excuse me while I beat my face off my desk at how ridiculously foolish this marketing attempt was.

Anwyay, being a tinted moisturizer, bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream offers a sheer finish which will likely be well-received by the masses of bareMinerals faithful. I, however, am a little skeptical that it is much more than a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen. Is a tinted moisturizer with SPF really worth nearly thirty dollars? I personally don’t think so (and even if I did think so, the electrolyte-marketing was really off-putting). My Ponds Luminous Finish BB+ is a third of that and isn’t relying on a lengthy, gimmicky name or marketing claims, (Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream!).

Just call the product what it is! If it’s a good product, you shouldn’t need to build a mountain of nonsense marketing buzzwords around it.

bareMinerals is selling a new complexion brush to accompany the release of the Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream, the Smoothing Face Brush.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream - Smoothing Face Brush

This duo-fibre brush has a domed head and looks as though it should blend and buff face products (tinted moisturizers, foundations, y’know). I liked the idea of the brush that was released with their serum foundation, but never got to check it out – I heard mixed reviews; some weren’t impressed, others loved it…if not for the efficacy, for the novelty. This brush, however, seems pretty straightforward and should do well with all types of facial base products. Personally, I wouldn’t buy it, preferring instead to spend my money on Sigma.

You can buy both products for $29 each at Sephora, Ulta, and bareMinerals directly, if you’re so inclined.

November 2014 Favorites

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November 2014 FavoritesNovember 2014 Favorites
1. Innisfree Hand Cream, $? / 2. bareMinerals Concealer Brush, $20* /
3. Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter, $5 / 4. Alpha Hydrox 10% AHA Moisturizing Lotion, $10 /
5. Too Faced Everything Nice Palette, $56

Blah blah, November went sooooo fast, etc. You know the drill. November 2014 Favorites!

But before the jump, have you entered the EcoTools Eye Enhancing Duo Brush Giveaway? Open until December 16!

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Sick Day Makeup

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I have been sick-ish since last Friday with a stupid sinus thing. That said, I look like hell because being sick generally does that to you as does the whole sinus-pressure-induced headaches and face pain. Oh, and waking up in the middle of the night, too. All awesome stuff. I’m finally pulling out of it, thankfully.

Fortunately, I haven’t had to look as rough as I’ve felt and sounded. Even though I don’t always execute this philosophy, I am of the opinion that the days upon which we want to bother with makeup the least are often the days when we can benefit from it the most. Being sick – not enough to debilitate you, just enough to make you uncomfortable and annoy you – is no exception, especially if you aren’t able to stay home for the duration of your illness.

Also, I want to be clear that I’m not suggesting that anyone do these things or wear sick day makeup, but since I had to go to work I prefer to look a little more lively; feeling out of it is an impact to productivity enough without a dozen people stopping you throughout the day asking if you’re okay, tired, sick, etc. I prefer not to entertain those questions, so sick day makeup it is. If I didn’t have to work, you can be sure that I would’ve been bare faced.

What the sick day makeup needs to correct: pale, dull skin; drier-than-usual skin, dark eye circles, redness around nose area. Woo. Despite what you’ll often hear and see, simpler is far better when you’re feeling sluggish.

Sick Day Makeup - Keep it SimpleSick Day Makeup

Though I already have a pretty simple routine, if I’m feeling out of it I want to simplify as much as possible. I want my sick day makeup to have as few steps as it reasonably can without sacrificing results because chances are I wanted to get out of bed on time even less that day than a regular day. I need to add some life back to my face if I need to be around people – which I did since I was unable to take any days off.

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