A great question came my way recently:

Hi Jen, I’m searching for a natural/organic SPF face day lotion. Is the Alison Raffaele primer moisturizing enough for a daytime use?  I don’t have dry skin; I’m oily T zone, acne prone on cheeks, and can have sun spots pop up if I’m not extra-over-zealous with my SPF in summer.

Also, I’m trying a new natural/organic skin care regimen by Sophyto and they recommended a more natural SPF lotion to go with. So here I am.

Recommend something for me MBB!
Jami aka Bionic Beauty

Gotcha Jami.  You need an SPF day lotion that blocks the suns rays without causing your skin to shine and makeup to slide off.  You would also prefer an organic sunscreen lotion. (more…)

In 2002, Suki Kramer started her own skincare company, Suki, Inc., and has recently branched out in making a cosmetics line as well, Sukicolor. I first heard of Suki’s skincare line through my friends at Megsmakeup.com. If you haven’t had the chance, you can read my enthusiastic reviews of two of her products: Suki’s Lemongrass Cleanser, and her Sukicolor Tinted Active Moisturizer. Most recently I have fallen in love with a new sukispa product which I will be reviewing in detail soon, sukispa’s renewal bio-resurfacing facial peel!

The only thing that is better than finding an amazing skincare line, is getting to interview the phenomenal people that are behind these companies.

(more…)

Meli recently asked a question at the Bare Escentuals VS. Drug Store brand Mineral Makeup post:

I would be happy to get your thoughts on Bare’s Get Started kit. Quality vs price? Which one of the following would the best pick?  Bare, Maybelline or Everyday Minerals? What about L’Oreal?

Sincerely, thank you for your precious answers,  Meli

Hi Meli, so great to hear from you!  There are so many mineral makeup lines and so many factors to take into consideration.  Hope this information will help you make an informed decision!

Here are a few things to consider in choosing the best mineral foundation for you:

• Skin type.  Finding the right match of formula for your skin type, oily, dry, combination…
• Skin color. Is your skin tone difficult to match, or do you tend to find a compatible shade easily?  Some complain that certain mineral makeups can look ashy or orange on their skin.
• Convenience. Do you prefer to purchase this at your local drug store or do you mind ordering on-line, or going to a department store counter?
• Price. A large range of prices when it comes to mineral makeup.

Here are my feelings on the specific mineral makeup brands you listed:

1.  L’Oreal’s mineral makeup is formulated with talc, so if you have sensitive or breakout prone skin, watch out!  Not recommended.
2.  Maybelline’s mineral makeup is best for those with normal or dry skin.  This is based upon many comments from a review at the Makeup Moxie website.  Another comment was that while they love this mineral foundation, but do not like the brush that is included.  I would suggest purchasing your own kabuki brush for optimum application.  If you have oily skin it will not work well for you, but it is a great value and you can purchase it at your local drug store.
3.  Bare Minerals is the most popular of all the mineral makeup lines, and many people love it.  I think it is best suited for those with oily skin.  For individuals with drier skin, it can accentuate fine lines and look flaky.  This line is more expensive, but their starter kits offer a better value ($30), and can be purchased online, department stores, and at Target.
4.  Everyday Minerals is a wonderful line and offers different formulas for different skin types (Original Glo, Semi-Matte, Matte, and Intensive) and at very reasonable price ($12 for a large container).  Their samples are generous and allow deciding which formulas are best for your skin.  Highly recommended for both quality and value.

My personal experience with mineral makeup is mixed.  My best results have been with the Everyday Mineral line, and that could be due to my specific skin type (combination skin and sensitive to breakouts) and I have liked their Original Glo and Semi-Matte formulas.  Ideally, I still prefer a liquid foundation or a tinted moisturizer. 

My biggest complaints with SOME mineral makeup foundations are:

• The “itch” factor, my skin feels coated and slightly irritated by the mineral makeup
• Some mineral powders can accentuate fine lines on my skin, and deposit in my laugh lines
• My skin ends up looking too matte and chalky
• The powder can emphasize flaking and dry patches on my face

But I realize that with the right formula and the right skin type, your skin can look amazing while using a mineral makeup foundation.  Here are some other MBB posts on the subject of mineral makeup:

• Mineral Makeup + Prime Time = LOVE
• Drug Store Mineral Makeup: Maybe Not So Good
• Attack of the Orange Foundation
• Follow Up: Mineral Makeup Mania

Best wishes Meli, and hope to hear what you end up using and how you feel about it.  JEN

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 skinvigoratingâ„¢ Complexion Collection, (retails for $54 and is a $153 value)

What it is:
A Sephora.com exclusive collection of Tarte’s skinvigoratingâ„¢ complexion essentials.

What it does:
Unlike products that simply hide the problem, Tarte’s skinvigoratingâ„¢ 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.

My first day in Vegas, and I have already stopped by the Sephora this morning. My two favorite Cosmedicine products are their Honest Face Foaming Cleanser, which is a cleanser/toner that also removes face and eye make-up for all skin types, and Medi-Matte Tint and Oil Control Lotion, which both Mo and I have raved about in our reviews.

The Cosmedicine Rep at Sephora introduced me to one of their newest products:

Cosmedicine’s Instant Wrinkle Write Off Line Filler ($25):

Crow’s feet? Frownies? Laugh and expression lines? Write them off instantly with this quick-fix pen. The amazing, lightweight formula temporarily erases fine lines and wrinkles without needles or painful procedures. Dries in seconds to create a smoother, younger-looking, wrinkle-free appearance.

I used a bit around my eyes and on that little crease between my eyebrows. The Instant Filler did a nice job softening and filling in my fine lines and for only $25!  Great product Cosmedicine!

Summer days are here, and the kids are home 24/7 from school.  Who has time for a complicated morning makeup routine?   Most days, I generally have 5 minutes to get my makeup on before a disaster strikes.  Like my two year old discovering a permanent marker, or deciding to change her own messy diaper (those are actual examples of events that have happened at my home in the last week).   

This is my bare minimum lickity-split makeup plan: 

Clinique’s Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss has become my new favorite go to lipbalm.   A slightly thick gel gloss, melts on and leaves my lips super moisturized and shiny, without the annoying stickiness of some lip glosses.  The Raspberry tint is perfect for me,  just a touch of sheer color with lots of shine.  You could easily layer this on top of your favorite lipstick. 

I carry my Superbalm around with me in my purse, and use it throughout the day.  Clinique’s Superbalm comes in several beautiful shades like Raspberry, Lilac,  Mango, Grapefruit, and Rootbeer, and retails for $13.50.

Oily or combination skin women will want to read this review. After applying my makeup in the AM, my skin stays fairly balanced, but in a few hours, my t-zone (the middle of my forehead and nose) starts to shine through. I don’t mind a bit of shine, but want to avoid an oil slick. I usually use a bit of pressed powder to mattify the area. One big problem that I find with applying powders is that they start out looking good, but if you continue to use them, they build up, emphasizing your pores and looking cakey. Blotting papers work well to eliminate shine through out the day. I heard that you can use disposable toilet seat covers for blotting because they are made of the same material as cosmetic blotting sheets are. Just a tip I heard from Damone on the show “10 Years Younger” on TLC.

I love that so many mattifying tints and primers are available, and they really work. Not only do they instantly mattify those oily spots, they look and feel incredibly natural. When I first applied Cosmedicine’s Medi-Matte Face Tint & Oil Control Lotion SPF 20, its thicker tinted appearance made me question how it would appear on my face. Soon, my fears where abated. Not only did it incorporate into my skin naturally and easily, Whoosh! My shine was gone, and not replaced with a chalky lifeless skin appearance, just perfectly balanced skin.

This shine-free natural looking skin kept up with me the entire day, with no touch ups needed! Cosmedicine even put an SPF 20 in it! I would only recommend using the Medi-Matte Tint on areas that are oily for you. This product really is amazing, 4 big stars, hearts, and whistles! Cosmedicine’s Medi-Matte Face Tint & Oil Control Lotion SPF 20 is a new best friend that I will look forward to using this is the upcoming summer and warmer months. Seriously, pressed powder application is not needed while using this product!

You can purchase this product at Sephora for $42 at www.sephora.com, and can learn more about the Cosmedicine line at their website.

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!

Foundations… If you are like me, you have facial imperfections you are wanting to hide. I have tried so many products that promise a natural feel with some coverage, and after using them are disappointed with the results. “No orange chalky face please!

Suki was way ahead of me with her skincare and makeup philosophy, and while reading her mission statement, I kept pinching myself, as if dreaming:

“I created sukicolorâ„¢ to fulfill my desire for 100% pure, clean colors that blend effortlessly with my complexion and enhance my features, not make me look powdery or made up. I also wanted a sophisticated natural look that struck the perfect balance — not glittery, not flat.”

Wait, this is incredible news! Sophisticated and natural? Suki is spot on here!  Okay Suki, this all looks great in print. But can your products really stand up your intentions?

Sukicolor Tinted Active Moisturizer:

This gorgeously sheer, customizable tint enhances your complexion, evens tone and minimizes pores. you look perfectly radiant, never cakey or made-up. fabulous for the whole face, for a healthy flush, or for touch-ups.

I instantly fell in love with this tinted moisturizer! Why does Suki call it an “Active” Moisturizer? Because this product goes way beyond a conventional foundation; it heals and repairs your skin.

One very special active ingredient they use is the White Willow Extract:

White willow. provides powerful, natural salicylic acid which treats acne, pain, inflammation, and works as an antioxidant.

After using Sukicolor’s Tinted Active Moisturizer for several days, I decided to write them a letter of gratitude, here is an excerpt:

“I just wanted to get back to you about how much I am enjoying your Tinted Active Moisturizer! I was a bit skeptical at first when I noticed how dark it was in the container, but was pleasantly surprised by how it blended perfectly with my skin tone. This Tinted Moisturizer feels incredibly natural and with just the right amount of coverage. It really makes my skin glow. You can tell that it is made with all natural, soothing ingredients as well. Bravo to you for creating such a wonderful product!”

Along with some other Tinted Moisturizers, I strongly encourage you to give this one a try. Sukicolor’s Tinted Active Moisturizer really does it all: covers, nourishes, repairs, and gives you SPF!  During the winter months, or if your skintone is very fair, I recommend blending Suki’s moisturizer with your favorite moisturizer product to lighten its tint. 

“No orange chalky face please!”

Just give me a natural, glowing, sophisticated face, the way I want, and am supposed to be…

Thanks Sukicolor!