The Body Shop recently released a new mineral makeup line called Nature’s Minerals.  The Nature’s Mineral Line is best for those wanting to achieve a healthy, radiant complexion with ultra-fine minerals that blend evenly to protect skin and reduce redness and imperfections.

Nature’s Minerals might be a great match for you if you have: normal to dry skin, sensitive skin, and you are looking for light to medium coverage.  This mineral makeup line contains:

• Kaolin clay and Mediterranean clay that are absorbent minerals that provide long-lasting coverage.
• Mica adds luster that has light-diffusing properties to help disguise fine lines and pores.
• Titanium dioxide and iron oxide protect skin from the sun without clogging pores.
• Dermatologist-tested with no added fillers, preservatives or fragrances.

How would you like to try this new mineral makeup line?  This week Mythbuster Beauty is giving away one set of Nature’s Mineral Makeup including one full size foundation, blush, and eye color of your choice (total retail value of $56!). 

Rules:  To enter this giveaway enter your name and email address in the contest machine box below.  One entry per person and the deadline is at 1 am (EST) Monday, November 17th, 2008.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and will be announced on Mythbuster Beauty, PRIZEY.Fetch, and contacted via email.  MBB will not share your email address with anyone, and only uses your email address to contact you if you are a winner.  This giveaway is open to residents of the USA and Canada only.

Best wishes to all of you and keep posted for two more giveaways tba soon!

Do pre-foundation primers make a visible difference?

Pro makeup artist Molly Stern says primers are meant to serve as a layer between skin and foundation to create a more even surface. But not everyone needs them. “The best candidate for them would be someone who is very oily or has a lot of scarring from acne,” she says. But do primers actually make a difference? We had two women of different ages each test a top foundation primer geared toward their skin type. Find out if their makeup looked better … and if anyone noticed.
See primers

Starting today, tarte is offering a 40% off Friends and Family discount through Sunday, July 27th.  This is a great opportunity to try or stock up on some fantastic tarte cosmetics. 

My suggestions? 

Looking for a new foundation/ tinted moisturizer?   I highly recommend trying tarte’s smooth operator foundation with SPF 20.  This is my absolute favorite… lightweight, protective foundation smoothes and perfects the skin with potent a SPF 20 sunscreen, vitamins and natural extracts.  My skin looks natural - never cakey - always gorgeous.

Need some gorgeous sheer color on the apples of your cheeks?  Try any shade of tarte’s cheek stains and you cannot go wrong.

And finally, for you women that are mascara junkies, tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes!  is a rich, powerful formula, that will really rev up your lashes.

Another tip, don’t hesitate.  At this discount, supplies are limited, and the best sellers will be out of stock very quickly (as we discovered with the Cosmedicine deal).

 Code:  FF08     VALID:  July 24, 2008 - July 27, 2008

Tarte just released a new exclusive at Sephora including some of Mo and my very favorite tarte products. 

Tarte’s skinvigorating™ Complexion Collection, (retails for $54 and is a $153 value)

What it is:
A Sephora.com exclusive collection of Tarte’s skinvigorating™ complexion essentials.

What it does:
Unlike products that simply hide the problem, Tarte’s skinvigorating™ Complexion Collection includes products that help treat the problem while concealing it.  The result?  A healthy, glowing complexion–because natural beauty is always in style!

What else you need to know:
This exclusive kit includes Tarte’s Clean Slate Primer, Smooth Operator Foundation with SPF 20, The Eraser Smooth Concealer, Provocateur Pressed Mineral Powder with SPF 8, and a glam-on-the-go Kabuki Brush.

Between the Clean Slate Primer and Smooth Operator Foundation this is a fabulous deal.  I have also read fantastic reviews about their concealer, and haven’t had a chance to try their mineral powder.  But as Mo says, “Can tarte do no wrong?”  I really don’t think so!

I just noticed that this complexion kit in “light” is temporarily out of stock, but you can request to be contacted by email when they are available.

Spring colors that are light on your face AND easy on your pocketbook.

Since you already spent most of your cosmetics budget on some Naughty Nauticals or a way to be safe in the sun, it’s about time I step up with some great summer products that are easy to find and easy to afford.  Mass market products are plentiful, and with rows and rows of colors and formulas spread out before you, it can be hard to know where to start, not to mention exhausting trying a ton of things that don’t work just to get to the one that does.  If only there was somewhere you could go to find out about products like:

Almay Smart Shade foundation. My  husband saw a commercial for this and told me I had to try it. Who am I to argue with such a smart man? Smart Shade works by, aw heck, I don’t know how it works. But somehow this lightweight foundation turns from white to a perfect tint of color while you smooth it on with your fingertips. Slightly heavier than my favorite MAC tinted moisturizer, it offers a nice natural coverage that evens skin tone and feels great.  Let me just say, 3 different people with 3 different skin tones, yet we all used the Light and we all got a great match? I’m sold.

For a portable eye shadow in fun spring colors, try:

Max Factor’s Vivid Impact eye shadow duo. This loose eye shadow has a sponge applicator attached to the base for each of the two colors. This makes it easy to apply either color on the fly, though you’ll need to tap off excess before attempting to blend.  I’ve only tried one combination, but they seem to be fairly matte, with a hint of sparkle throughout. Not quite as smooth as the loose pigments I’m used to, but the color is very true and stays well when used with a base. Several color combinations to choose from let you be mild or wild.

Found, the perfect red lipstick!!

I have invested so much time, effort, and money into finding the perfect red lipstick. Without fail, $20 tubes of red lipstick become $20 tubes of berry lipstick when applied to my pucker. I had given up until a friend gave me her most recent find. L’Oreal Colour Riche lipstick in Target Red. A true red lipstick that is worth every little penny you’ll spend on it! Light and shiny, it garnered compliments from 3 separate people during one shopping trip alone. This is it people, with a quick trip to Target your search can come to an end. Remember to pair it with a lip liner for perfectly placed, lasting color. This is a must have!

What cosmetics regimen would be complete without a good makeup remover for the end of the day? If you love Lancome’s Bi-Facil (as you should, it’s great) but can’t afford to replenish regularly, how about:

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. Word on the street is that this is just as effective and gentle, for a fraction of the price.  Also helpful in removing every last bit of those long last lipcolors you can never get to come off.

 I guess sometimes you really can have your makeup and remove it too!

Until recently, Sephora was the end all and be all for cosmetics stores as far as I was concerned. With the exception of MAC, they carry every major brand that I whole-heartedly love, and a few I only adore. Everything is set up in an easy to to try manner that just begs you to play. Mirrors and all the other accouterments for cosmetics application are placed throughout the store, and there are samples of just about anything your little heart desires.

Ever since they broke into the market they’ve pretty much had it cornered. Everyone wants shelf space at Sephora, and they’re willing to offer exclusive items to get it. With special gift sets and constant specials, as well as incredible perks for insiders, Sephora is THE name in prestige cosmetics, skincare, and fragrance. The clean layout, black and white theme, and helpful staff are consistent and predictable. Their Sephora brand cosmetics are well made and reasonably priced, and they have the perfect red nail polish.

I just recently heard of Ulta and used my last trip to Seattle as an excuse to go check it out. Unlike Sephora, they offer both mass market AND prestige brands of cosmetics. They also have salon and some spa services, like waxing. I was impressed that they offer what appears to be the entire line of Rimmel cosmetics, while other stores carry only the basics. Their selection of prestige lines isn’t quite as extensive as Sephora’s. They do carry Dermablend though, which I was very excited about since I wanted to find something to cover tattoos, but didn’t want the trial and error of ordering online and risking getting the wrong color. Their store brand cosmetics are buy one/get one, though I’ve not been over the moon for them up to this point. They are on par with most other mass market brands though, and they do have a fair selection of products and colors. I can only speak for the one location I visited, but the staff was sparse and less than thrilled with my presence.

The one thing that really sets Ulta apart from Sephora is convenience. If some of your faves are prestige and some are mass market then you have the ease of picking them up at the same time. Need a haircut and some foundation? Ulta’s the way to go. However, you WILL pay for the convenience. For instance, I saved $10 on only 3 items by stopping at Target on the way home. If cost is a concern to you than you’re probably better off going elsewhere, but if you’re running short on time and can only make one stop then Ulta would be your best bet.

We don’t have either an Ulta or a Sephora in our city, so visiting either requires a side trip during vacation. For my time and money, I’m sticking with Sephora.

Looks like Ulta gets the knock down punch from Sephora, ka-pow!

A primer is like eye shadow base to me, not something you have to own, but once you add it to your cosmetics routine you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

I haven’t tried everything Tarte has to offer, but I am totally committed to their cheek stains so I jumped on the chance to try their Clean Slate face primer. In a market where many face primers are goopy, smelly, or heavy, Tarte really stands out. The silicone based (one feature I recommend from any primer) primer is loaded with all kinds of natural ingredients like avocado oil , safflower seed oil, and Echinacea, rosemary, and hibiscus extracts. You might expect an oily feel with this list of ingredients, but it’s quite the opposite.

The pea sized amount they recommend is surprisingly adequate; it covers everywhere I need it to. Thanks to the friendly ingredients it can even be used around the eyes, and while I wasn’t amazed with it as an eye shadow base I was very happy with the way it smoothed the small smile lines under my eyes. Unlike previous brands that were smoothing but were too tinted for my fair skin, Clean Slate applies perfectly clear, a definite bonus in my book since it can be used by absolutely anyone. Clean Slate offers a light feeling and silky smooth coverage, once it’s on you’d never know it was there. When you’ve already used a treatment serum, eye cream and a moisturizer, and still have foundation, concealer and cheek color to apply, an incredibly light primer is a must.

At $27 Clean Slate runs just a smidge under par for most primers. You may think that sounds like a lot for a primer, but since such a tiny amount goes so far this will last you quite a while. If you follow the directions then it isn’t outside the realm of possibility to only purchase this twice a year, or even less. As we enter the summer months when makeup tends to run, and as age starts to leave a few personality lines that we may not appreciate as much as we’re “supposed” to, products like Tarte’s Clean Slate really start to earn their keep. Two enthusiastic thumbs up from me!!!

GOOD GRACIOUS, we almost forgot to mention!

To celebrate Earth Day, Tarte Cosmetics is offering 20% off of all purchases at their website.  To receive the 20% off discount, enter the Code: EARTH08 at checkout.  This offer is good until May 2, 2008.

After reading so many nice things about the Lola Cosmetics line from the women at Megsmakeup.com, I just had to try some Lola, and Lola did not disappoint.  If you love red, you will love the elegant and sleek red containers.   They are beautiful and functional. 

The first review is of Lola’s FOUNDATION DUO ($35).  I loved the silky feel of the foundation, but found it was a bit too dry for my combination skin-type.  My 14 year old daughter needed a new foundation and I sent this her way, and she gladly accepted it.

Amanda’s review:

I am giving Lola’s two very big thumbs up!  This foundation was a success on my oily teenage skin.  I love the way this foundation feels on my face.  It is so light and fresh it feels like I am not wearing any makeup at all!  It is not as heavy as the liquid foundations and it won’t make my skin look all oily. It is a nice powder and won’t leave my skin itchy and dry.  I don’t have to worry about finding the right shade because if it is too light, I can go darker, or if it’s too dark I can go lighter.  I like to use them both together and the colors are really beautiful together.  I will definitely use this product all up, and I suggest you try it!

My review of Lola’s Mascara ($19.50):

Very rich, protein packed mascara.  Brushes on nicely, not too thick, not clumpy, this mascara just hugs my lashes and stays all day.  Doesn’t add incredible length, but is a very nice formula of mascara.  I am really loving it as my daytime mascara. 

And finally, the piece de resistance,  Lola’s PEARL LUMINOUS - Brightening and Light Diffusing Powder ($35):

This is a product that everyone needs, a wonderful pearlized translucent powder that is silky soft and can be used as a highlighter around eyes, on top of cheeks and around mouth to add a soft focus look.  I love the glow it gives my skin, and how it diminished the look of my fine lines. 

These are three great reasons that Amanda and I are both loving Lola!

After reading an earlier post about how great someone thought E.L.F’s Mineral Makeup was I had to try it.  It sounded wonderful, and for only 5 smackers it wouldn’t be a total loss if I wasn’t crazy about it.  Besides, I have plenty of friends who are just waiting for all the products I try but don’t love to be gifted to them.  I prefer to buy my friends off the old fashioned way instead of earning them, it’s so much easier

I popped over to the website and immediately added the lightest color (fair) mineral makeup to my cart. It can be hard to tell color on a website, but it looked like it just might work.  Since I had those great codes to choose from at check out, I decided to buy a few brushes as well.  I’ve bought some inexpensive brushes from Target before that I’ve been quite fond of, and for only a dollar apiece I think these qualify as inexpensive as well.  It couldn’t hurt right?  Some of the brushes had rave reviews on the website, particularly the eye shadow brush.  Not wanting to miss out on a good thing, I ordered 3 of those.  I also tacked on a liner brush, an all over face brush, and a smudge eye sponge.

Hit checkout, entered my info, and waited for my package to arrive.  Thanks to one of the spiffy codes we were supplied with, my total was only around $16 and $6 of that was shipping!  I’d like to add here that my package arrived in under a week, which is better than some other major companies I’ve purchased cosmetics from recently.

Of course I ripped open my package and the mineral makeup as soon as it arrived.  I couldn’t wait to see it!  The minerals come in a 1.2 oz package.  No matter how small you think that is, it’s actually smaller.  It would be easy to carry around in your purse, but it looks a little disappointing when you first open it.  When I first applied it I thought it made my pores look far more noticeable, not a great first impression. The color was also a little off, matching more closely with the picture of the “light” makeup than the “fair” I was expecting.  Be aware if you order it that it does run a bit darker than the picture on the site.  Many people who wrote reviews had the same problem and suggest getting the “fair” mineral concealer instead.   After a few minutes it seemed to settle in and my pores were less visible. The coverage was good and the feeling of the powder was smooth, and I really like that it has a soft dewy look instead of the matte you see so often.  It left me with a radiant natural look.   My friend who received the excess noticed the poor color match on me, so while I was sad to let it go I know it was for the best.  With a lighter offering for fair skin tones I would happily purchase this again.  I would hesitate to rank it up there with Everyday Minerals, but it’s a very good product for the money.

The brushes seemed to be hit or miss.  I took the face brush out of its package and shook it against my hand to puff it out a bit and the top popped right off in the process! I’m no fragile flower, but I’m not that strong either. I always recommend having some Gorilla glue around, and it sure came in handy fixing this brush.  The bristles of the brush were very long but not very dense, leaving powders to get lost in the brush instead of applied to your face.  The liner brushes were pretty standard, perfect for the popsicle stick method Jen learned from Laura Mercier.  It would be nice to see them in a narrower size for some of my gel liners and such.  I have to admit that the eye shadow brushes are pretty fantastic.  The short dense bristles hold an ample amount of product and keep it on the brush instead of allowing it to fall on your cheeks. I got good solid color application. My only gripe is that there was a rough spot one some of the bristles on one brush. Some of the glue perhaps? Altogether not a huge disappointment from a $1 brush though. Well worth the money to stock up on a bunch and refresh your brush supply if need be.

I’ve not yet tried the shadows and other products from E.L.F., but with the decent showing by these products I wouldn’t hesitate to try them in the future. They have a nice red gloss I’ve got my eye on. I know there are many of you out there who’ve taken advantage of their amazing prices, so please help out your fellow deal seekers and let us know what you thought!

In the cosmetics world, you know something’s really hit the big time when the cheap drugstore brands start making their version of it.  Inspired by Jen I recently went in search of a good tinted moisturizer.

My first stop was Nordstrom, where I hit up most of the major counters. It’s a sad fact that I am, for some reason, a hard skin tone to match. It took several tries but I finally found a color that would work for me at the MAC counter. At $25 Select Tint is priced pretty close to most other brands, if a bit less.

Later that day I happened across Wet ‘n Wild’s sheer tinted moisturizer and figured I’d give that a shot too. I’ve found some super cheap things that are decent, so what could it hurt to try yeah?  I grabbed the lightest color they offer and got it for under $5, including tax.

In appearance the two seem pretty similar, but the proof of the pudding and all that, I had to delve deeper.  The associate at the MAC counter told me their formula tends to be more pigmented than other brands, and I liked that because this I’m just changing from a regular foundation to tinted moisturizer.  I didn’t want to make too much of a change all at once. 

It’s slightly thinner than regular foundation, and goes on soft and sheer. It takes a bit to sink in, but it wears much better than a regular foundation , leaving my skin looking natural with just enough color to even out my tone.  Because it sinks in there was nothing on the surface of my skin to settle in wrinkles.  It’s easy to blend and lasts fairly well, oily skin and all.  I did apply a layer of loose powder over the top to set it, but that is a step that could easily be skipped by someone with normal or dry skin.  It’s not the most hydrating moisturizer out there, so if your skin is very dry I’d recommend using your usual lotion and letting it sink in before applying Select Tint, but skip the thick creams.  It’s likely that in the summer no extra moisturizing would be needed.

Wet ‘n Wild’s formula is more pigmented than MAC’s, it seems more like a light foundation than a tinted moisturizer. It took a little extra blending to get the color just right but once it was on it stayed put.  It felt like a matte foundation as opposed to a moisturizer.  It felt as though it provides little to no actual hydrating, so it almost has to be used over a regular moisturizer, even on my oily/combination skin. The thicker formula settled into some of my less appealing wrinkles, including one between my brows that I can’t stand. I left a cheek print on my cell phone every time I used it while wearing this product and I got tired of cleaning the screen over and over again.  A minor annoyance, yes, but something to take into consideration. Other than that the color stayed fairly well, especially in that wrinkle I mentioned, and it was not a good thing.  Wet ‘n Wild is great for the younger girls, and those wrinkle free beauties are the only ones who should walk around wearing it.

In short, the MAC tint left my skin feeling soft and light, like a moisturizer should, and added a welcome touch of color. The Wet ‘n Wild felt drying and thick, something I would expect more from a foundation and the color was off just a touch, which certainly didn’t help the appearance.  The winner, by decision, with moisture and a soft, wrinkle friendly formula.…Brand Name: MAC Select Tint SPF15!