bareMinerals

New Bangs | Trader Joe’s Lemon Cake | Mineralist Warmth Palette by bareMinerals

April 4th, 2023 by Karen 15 Comments

I promise these new bangs aren’t a cry for help! Just needed a change.

I went with the longer length because I didn’t want the commitment of having to grow out a set of shorter bangs; if you’ve been through this, you know the struggle is so real, LOL!

Oh, I’m also hoping pushing the bangs forward will help with taming the wild pokey strands at my hairline. They refuse to do my bidding, and I’m determined to stop the madness.

(We’ll see if this actually works, ha.)

Oh! I learned something new from the stylist who cut my hair. For bangs, she suggested applying a flexible styling cream before blowing them out. That way, you get enough hold for the hair to stay pushed forward while retaining some moment. No crispy bangs, please! Let’s leave that behind in the ’80s.

So won’t been going on besides bangs?

Well, on this end of the keyboard, I’ve been typing non-stop for what feels like weeks. I’ve been lost in a fog of deadlines, and they’re only now starting to lift, but wouldn’t ya know it! Because the universe got hella jokes, I have an unexpected project to push through by next Tuesday. Lots going on here, but so grateful for the opportunity to work.

Totally not related, have you heard about the new Mini Lemon Sheet Cake from Trader Joe’s? Word on the street (aka the online mom’s group in which I lurk) is that it’s the best thing ever to grace TJ’s dessert shelves. It’s lemon cake topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting and lemon zest. Yes, it’s very lemony.

I like lemon cake and think it tastes good, but I probably would not drive out to TJs at night in my pajamas. I’m really picky about frosting and this one’s a smidge too sweet. If it wasn’t, though, girl… It would be so on! Try it if you see it on the shelf and let me know whatcha think.

Also in the realm of new things is this palette of warm neutral eyeshadows by bareMinerals.

Would you wear this? I tried it out today and like the softness of all the powders except for the beige shade — it felt hard a rock!

Anywho, let me know what you’ve been up to. I hope you’ve been doing great.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Apples and Oranges! Seasonal Apple Treats from Trader Joe’s, and a bareMinerals Mascara Made with Orange Peel

October 12th, 2022 by Karen 16 Comments

I’m wearing a mascara that has orange peel fibers in the formula!

One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies is from “Good Will Hunting,” and it’s when Matt Damon’s character, Will, tells off a snotty university student by saying, “How you like them apples?” Ahhh! Classic.

Speaking of apples, I popped into TJ’s yesterday and it was all apple everything. I grabbed the Harvest Apple Salad Kit (the dressing is super yummy; I add chopped hard boiled eggs for extra protein), a jar of the Apple Cider Fruit Spread and a bottle of the Honey Crisp Apple Cider.

I came this close to buying a box of the Apple Hand Pies in the bakery section, but I told myself that I needed to chill because I’m making it my mission to finally bake an apple pie from scratch.

Pies are so intimidating to me! There’s so many steps, right? You’ve got to make the crust, and then the filling. Then you have to assemble it, and bake it, and then wait forever and a day for the pie to cool so you can actually cut it without it falling apart… I don’t know, it just seems so much harder compared to cakes, cupcakes or brownies.

Anyway, it’s time for me to embark upon a pie quest, so I’ve been researching various apple pie recipes. All this to say, if you have a solid apple pie recipe, please pass it along, and put me out of my misery. I really need to bake this pie and get it out of my system, LOL!

OK, from apples to oranges… I’m still on the hunt for a new favorite mascara, and I recently tried one by bareMinerals called Maximist which uses orange peel fibers to add volume. Interesting! The brush is crazy-town – way too big!

If you’re looking for big lashes, this mascara holds the curl, doesn’t flake or smudge, lengthens, removes easily… Basically, the whole shebang! The brush messes things up, though. It picks up way too much product, and unless I’m really good about removing the excess, the mascara ends up clumpy and messy. Too bad. It could’ve been great. The search continues.

Have a great rest of your Wednesday.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Checking In: Korres and Wander Beauty Masks, a Pressed Powder by bareMinerals and an Upcoming Haircut!

July 27th, 2021 by Karen 12 Comments

korres triple dose wander beauty extended stay — Last Friday night!

Question for ya: do you know what constitutes a really good time at night for me these days (please, for the love of cats, keep your mind out of the gutter, LOL!).

Answer: A double mask session, informally known around these parts as “a double mask sesh.”

The double mask sesh

Um…before you go thinking that I layered an N95 under my Caraa mask before hitting the club, allow me to clarify. When I say double masking, in this case….I’m referring to using two kinds of skin care face masks — the kind you slather onto your skin! — one after another.

DUDE. Only during post-pandemic times can you say something like that out loud, LOL!

I did this last Friday, and it was the TLC I didn’t realize I desperately needed.

Why do two face masks (again, not in reference to the pandemic)? I like to think of it as treating my skin to a double dose of whatever it wants or needs at any given moment, and last Friday I wanted exfoliation and moisture!

I started with Korres Triple Dose Resurfacing Mask, an exfoliating mask loaded with AHAs, BHAs and pomegranate enzymes, which has a slightly grainy texture for those who like a little bit of physical exfoliation action.

Leave it on for three to five minutes (on my combo skin it felt satisfyingly tingly), and then rinse off.

I like very gentle physical exfoliation, so I gently push the grains around with my fingers when I rise the product away with water.

As for the scent? DIVINE. Like a perfect marriage of fruit punch and roses.

After dabbing my skin with a soft towel, I applied a thick layer of Extended Stay Hydrating Mask by Wander Beauty for an extra mega dose of moisture.

wander beauty extended stay hydrating mask — Wander Beauty Extended Stay

Unfortunately, this particular moisturizing mask is no longer available from the line, and it seems they’ve replaced it with Staycation Hydrating Mask. Really, though, any decent hydrating mask will do.

Any time you can treat yourself to an exfoliating mask followed by a hydrating mask is a guaranteed good time, especially on a Friday night. And, of course, it’s totally even better if you’re hanging out with someone… My Friday night date was Rosie, and I did all of this double masking while we hung out on the couch, LOL!

Pressed powder power

This one’s for my people out there who love a pressed powder! I’ve been using this pressed translucent powder by bareMinerals on my oilier-than-normal forehead (summer skin, am I right?), and it really keeps the shine under wraps. It also doesn’t look heavy or powdery.

Added bonus? I can’t feel it sitting on my skin. Granted, I don’t mind a little dewiness on my face, but I draw the line at a hella greasy forehead, which is what happens when it’s hot outside like it has been lately.

(The powder also comes in a bunch of other colors if translucent isn’t your thing.)

One last thing before I jump into this two-part cardio workout with extra vigor…

Get ready to sweat

And sweat some more

I just booked a hair appointment for next month, my first one since last February! I’ve still got time before the appointment to decide how short I’m going to go, but I’m thinking I might do something that just grazes my shoulders…on the possibility that everything shuts down again this fall or winter (please no!!!).

Anybody else nervous about the new variants? All I can think of is how dire everything felt last January, when I was at my loneliest. Can’t think about it now…

Anywho, hair

I’m going back to the same gal who did my hair last time, Ariana Benoit, because, among other reasons, I really like how her cut from February has grown out.

Which leads me to an old tip a hairdresser friend passed onto me years ago — when booking a hair appointment, grab the first one of the day, if you can. That way your stylist buddy is fresh out the gate and ready to go! 👍

Alright. Going to go get my sweat on. Talk soon, yeah?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

New From bareMinerals: The Dusk Eyeshadow Palette and the Bounce & Blur Blushes

August 1st, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

bareminerals bounce blur — Bounce & Blur, by bareMinerals

Everything in my condo is bumping. The walls are rattling, floors are clanging… Oh, and these four new bareMinerals blushes and eyeshadow palette are bouncing.

We started doing the household repairs I mentioned the other day, which means LOTS of noise and workmen doing stuff right now, but I should be living like royalty (“I’m the queen of the world!”) with a new furnace, new water heater AND a working air conditioner by the end of the week. YAY!

With the tools banging and the classic rock blasting from the very nice workmen, concentrating has been…a challenge, so if I seem a little disheveled, that’s why.

Hella random side note regarding classic rock and misheard lyrics, but Bad Moon Rising just played a few minutes ago, and when the chorus started, instead of thinking, “There’s a bad moon on the rise,” I thought, “There’s a bathroom on the right.” THANKS, SUZANNE!

OK, bareMinerals has a few fun new powder products for fall that bare fingers will be bouncing over, literally. The items in their new Bounce & Blur Collection (two eye palettes and four blushes) have a squishy, soft texture that boomerangs right back at ya when you press on the pans. They’re purposefully made to lay down diffused, hazy color, so they’re better for washes of color than precise placement.

I’ve seen this bouncy formula before from Chanel, MAC, Maybelline and Kaja Beauty, and the bareMinerals formula is comparably slick and smooth (it’s not wet, though, like cream blush). The powder skates across the skin.

Bounce & Blush Eyeshadow Palette in Dusk ($29)

I like using these eyeshadows as single washes of color on the lid, because fading the edges doesn’t require any work. Of course, you could use ’em with a brush, but for me, fingers work best both for application and blending.

It’s like working with a crayon cream shadow, but in a pot, and it’s easy and, most of all, fun. If you like simple, diffused glowing lids, I think you’ll have a blast with these.
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The bareMinerals Clean Glow Collection: Swatches and First Impressions

April 26th, 2019 by Karen 5 Comments

bareminerals clean glow collection summer 2019 1 — New highlighters, bronzers, brushes and a setting spay from bareMinerals

It’s been a minute since I’ve “bareMineralled it up,” but, lest my eyes deceive me, they took a beachy BECCA-esque approach to their summer makeup this year, and I’m all for it. Their new Clean Glow Collection is out now with brand new bronzers, highlighters (powder and liquid) and a dewy makeup setting mist (YASSS!).

bareminerals glow collection swatches — From the left: BarePro Glow Bronzers (Warmth, Faux Tan), Endless Summer Bronzers (Warmth, Faux Tan), Endless Glow Highlighters (Zen, Whimsy, Joy, Free and Fierce)

The Endless Summer Bronzer is a pressed powder bronzer with a matte finish. bareMinerals recommends sun-kissed bronze Faux Tan for medium-toned mavens and terracotta Warmth for medium-to-deep skin. Both are $29 each.

If you love your multitasking products (and who doesn’t?), the BAREPRO GLOW Bronzer is a liquid bronzer that you can wear by itself, or mixed with foundation, tinted moisturizer or even your daily moisturizer. It’s also available in Faux Tan (for medium skin) and Warmth (medium-to-deep skin) for $29 each.

The Endless Glow Highlighter is a luminous, non-glittery powder highlighter with pore-blurring powers. Available in Free (a champagne), Fierce (a bronzed gold), Joy (a peachy pink) and Whimsy (a holographic shade that shifts from pink to purple) for $29 each.

There’s also a liquid version… BAREPRO GLOW Highlighter is a multitasking opalescent liquid highlighter that doesn’t contain any glitter and also comes in Free, Fierce, Joy and Whimsy, also for $29.

And then to set your bronzed, dewy glow, there’s the new moisturizing $28 Dew Mist Setting Spray.

More deets…

Cruelty-free
No Parabens, Phthalates, Formaldehyde, Chemical Sunscreens, Triclosan, Triclocarban, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Coal Tar and Microbeads
Available now at Ulta, Sephora, Macy’s, Nordstrom, QVC and bareminerals.com

“Get glowing—fast. Customize your levels of color and illumination in three simple steps using the NEW Clean Glow Collection from bareMinerals. Bronze, highlight and set with clean formulas that build a lasting, good-for-skin glow. bareMinerals Global Makeup Artist, Nikki DeRoest, uses this collection to impart her signature lit-from-within look on clients. “Together, these products blur the look of pores and give the most beautiful luminosity to the skin,” says DeRoest. “I love how fresh and glowy skin looks after application.” Made for all skin tones and types, these formulas are non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic and dermatologist-tested.”

— bareMinerals PR

bareminerals clean glow collection summer 2019 2 — For your summery, bronzed glow…

Have you used bareMinerals before? What’s your overall favorite beachy vibe makeup brand?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Tea, gee, eye, eff.

What’s Nude From bareMinerals? The New Gen Nude Lipsticks, Lipglosses and Lip Liners

August 3rd, 2016 by Karen 14 Comments

bareminerals gen nude — Some lusicous lip treats from the new bareMinerals Gen Nude collection

Unsolicited advice of the day
Next time someone asks you to send them some nudes…

Keep your clothes on (generally, this seems to be a good idea).
Send them a pic of the new bareMinerals Gen Nudes lipsticks, lipglosses and liners instead. It’ll be hilarious, I tell ya (well, at least you and I will be laughing, hahaha!).

This one’s a MASSIVE 60-piece lippie release of products bound for the bareMinerals permanent line, including 20 Matte Liquid Lipcolors ($18 each), 20 Radiant Lipsticks ($20 each), 15 Buttercream Lipglosses ($18 each) and 5 Under Over Lip Liners ($16 each) in a bashful-busting array of nude mauve, pink, peach and beige shades.

That’s A LOT of lip nudity, and even if you’ve never found your perfect nude pout before, you might find it here.

bareminerals gen nude buttercream lipgloss — bareMinerals Gen Nude Buttercream Lipglosses in Snarky, Popular and Far Out ($18 each)

The non-sticky, moderately moisturizing bareMinerals Buttercream Lipglosses feel heavenly on my lips, but I could have done without the Red Vines aroma (I’m not a licorice fan) or the faintly plastic flavor, which brings back major memories of the old-school NARS glosses, but both the fragrance and flavor fade quickly, so I can deal.

bareminerals gen nude lip liner on point — bareMinerals Gen Nude Under Over Lip Liner in On Point ($16)

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Buxom and bareMinerals Holiday 2015 Highlights

November 3rd, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

If you’re reading this in the newsletter and can’t see the video, you can also click here to watch it on YouTube.

buxom bareminerals holiday 2015 — Highlights from the Buxom and bareMinerals Holiday 2015 collections…

Buxom, bareMinerals and the phrase “Bay Area,” which is where both of the aforementioned companies are headquartered (in San Francisco), all start with the letter “B,” as does the word “bad@ss,” which is what you probably are if you’ve already finished your holiday shopping.

Have you?! Because if you have, I bow down!

For the rest of us penitent procrastinators, there are fewer than 10 weeks left till Christmas! We’re in the single digits now, so if you need help with gift ideas for the makeup lovers in yo’ life, consider these new holiday sets from Buxom and bareMinerals.

Both lines launched their limited edition holiday collections last month, and here are some of the best gifting options, IMO. 🙂

buxom leave your mark kit — The Buxom Leave Your Mark Collection (a $59 set)

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Ulta Adventures: The Pop of Passion Lip Oil-Balms by bareMinerals

May 14th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

bareminerals pop of passion — bareMinerals Pop of Passion

Popped into Ulta and spied these new Pop of Passion Lip Oil-Balms by bareMinerals.

Don’t they look juicy?

They’re $16 each, 8 shades… Looks like they have passion fruit oil and vitamin E, so they should be pretty moisturizing. They look kind of like those moisturizing balm/lip stain hybrids. I’m intrigued…although wasn’t quite intrigued enough to bring one of them home (this time).

Now, if they came with an actual “pop” of some kind, like a Popsicle, a Ring Pop, a big jug of popcorn or a Pop Tart?! — that would be some next-level ish right there.

Just throwing that out there for the bareMinerals marketing team. 🙂 I’m just sayin’. You guys, get on that.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen