So many new and wonderful beauty products are being released currently, and tarte cosmetics has announced some exciting additions to their line!

For the rest of February, we are very pleased to be giving away one of tarte’s complexion sets!  This set includes: 

ReCreate ($37) – anti-aging foundation with Wrinkle Rewind(TM) Technology, SPF 15 UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum

After discovering tarte’s smooth operator foundation (to read my review click here), I am beyond enthusiastic to hear of tarte’s newest clinically proven anti-aging foundation!

clean slate natural primer ($27)

This natural primer helps makeup stay in place longer while preventing creasing in fine lines and wrinkles. Unlike other primers, clean slateâ„¢ contains natural fruit and plant derived extracts to treat, protect, sooth and hydrate the skin.

the eraser ($19) – 4 in 1 natural concealer

Unlike other concealers that just cover the problem, the eraser contains skinvigoratingâ„¢ ingredients that help treat and soothe irritated skin and blemishes. The eraser also doubles as an eyeshadow and lipstick base, creating a barrier that prevents against fading and creasing

Rules:  To enter this giveaway enter your name, email address in the contest machine box below.  One entry per person and the deadline is at midnight (EST) Sunday, March 1st, 2009.  One winner will be chosen 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.  The winner will receive one tarte complexion set (eraser, clean slate, recreate), this complexion set has the retail value of $83.

Bionic Beauty is giving away to 3 of her readers a set of mineral makeup from SKINN:

• 1 High Definition Cotton Foundation – 0.3oz (8g) ($28.00 value)
• 1 Orchid Gel Tint – 1.3oz (38ml) ($24.00 value)
• 1 Triple Cover Conceal Wheel – 0.13oz (5g) ($16.50)
• 1 Kabuki Buffing Brush w/ Custom Print ($12.50)

Be sure to enter this incredible giveaway before January 17th, 2009 at this post:  Bionic Giveaway: SKINN Mineral Makeup Sets!

After reading a compelling review of Clinique’s Clarifying Makeup Clear Skin Formula from Kate at Megsmakeup.com, it led to my stopping by the Clinique counter.  After discussing the pros and cons of this particular foundation, the Clinique Beauty Advisor said that she thought the newly re-formulated Superfit Makeup would be a better match for my particular skintype (combination and almost 40 yr. old skin).  Clinique changed the formula to enable this foundation to wick away sweat and excess oil and eliminate the midday shine or the late day fadeout.  After the Clinique Advisor applied this to my face and I felt it on my skin, I was sold.

This foundation blends well into the skin and provides buildable medium coverage, but I have noticed two problems while using it.  While Superfit makeup works well on my drier cheek areas, it looks a bit too shiny on my forehead and chin.  This might be due to some added light diffusers or shimmer in the foundation.  The other issue was that the shade I purchased (Petal) appears orange-y on my skin, not a perfect match.  I have also read several reviews of the Superfit Makeup that are saying similar things.  I would expect this foundation to be perfect for individuals with warmer tones and drier skin, and I believe the Clarifying Makeup would have been a better match for me personally.  So many times finding a wonderful foundation that works for your specific skintype is a trial and error experience! (more…)

Last month we had a great giveaway sponsored by The Body Shop featuring their trio of new mineral products. Those of you who weren’t lucky enough to walk away with a lovely set are still sitting there wondering how it is, so I’m here to help.

First things first, let’s take a look at their SPF 25 Mineral foundation:

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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

I’m an impulse buyer. Really. You know those racks of stuff by the checkout at the store, “impulse racks”? They put those there for me. My husband loves to tease that I can’t get through a line without grabbing something, anything. Hey, I completely forgot I needed a permanent marker, an eyeglass repair kit, and antler polish until just this moment, okay?

So when I placed my last Sephora order and they recommended a foundation based on my profile information, who was I to turn them down? Into my basket it went. After all, if a random computer generated match of products isn’t right for me, what on earth is?!

I have to say, I’ve never been happier with an impulse buy.

I had previously heard of Korres, but they’ve mainly stayed under my radar because they aren’t sold in any local shops. A Greek company with roots in Homeopathic Pharmacy, they now offer more than 500 products for face, body, and hair. As a company they strive to stay true to their history , and use many natural ingredients while avoiding things like mineral oil and silicone. The yoghurt ( or yogurt, depending on which side of the pond you hail from) products contain real edible yogurt if that gives you an idea of their dedication to time tested herbal remedies.

The Ginger & Vitamins Foundation ($28) is packaged in a tube, much like toothpaste, which is incredibly durable and handy. I have no qualms about tossing this in my diaper bag on the way out the door, as it is tough and the cap stays put. While this is billed as a medium coverage I think it’s somewhere between a tinted moisturizer and a traditional medium coverage, simply because of its amazing lightweight feel. Something about this foundation covers my red blemishes wonderfully and evens my skin tone. My skin appears soft and fresh, and the formula stays well without caking or changing color through the day. So easy to blend, I simply can’t stress enough how wonderfully natural this foundation looks and feels. The decision to replace synthetic silicone with dry vegetable oils doesn’t hurt this product at all, as it still has a smooth feel with really good staying power. I haven’t experienced any skin irritation or breakouts from this product, though it does contain Glycerin (sorry Jami).

I would expect more than an SPF 10 in this day and age. By now companies should know to use a broad spectrum sunscreen of at LEAST 15 or just skip it altogether and let us apply our own underneath. Claiming SPF coverage when very little is actually offered is one of my pet peeves, since it can make many women feel as though they’re doing the “safe” thing, while actually leaving them poorly protected. When in doubt, make sure you have a moisturizer with good SPF or a lightweight sunscreen in your arsenal just in case. Depending on your skin type you may want to set this foundation with powder or carry your tube for touch-ups through the day.

This spontaneous buy has turned out to be a real find. It bumped my previous favorite face color, a tinted moisturizer, and has shown itself to be a great all-purpose foundation. Quick to apply and easy to blend, with great coverage to boot!

Laura Mercier’s Flawless Face Kit looks like a fabulous makeup kit and at a pretty decent price.  Allie from My Wardrobe Today mentioned that she purchased this kit for herself, and I couldn’t help but drool when I read all that is included in it. (more…)

One of these 14 crowd pleasers from Revlon, Prescriptives, MAC and more could give your skin a flawless finish — sans airbrush experts

We’ve heard complaints about foundation ranging from too heavy and drying to too light and oily, not to mention “too few shades” and “too expensive.” So we made a list of the foundations that garnered praise from TotalBeauty.com members. Check out which brands and formulas got the most consumer stamps of approval and consider whether you should switch to something new.

Best foundations

Prompted by a Bionic Beauty post last week called, “What makeup are you wearing today?”  I was also inspired by DecoDiva’s great going out post and pics last week on her blogsite.  I wanted to ask MBB readers a similar question.  When you go out for the evening, how do you “kick it up a notch?”

Evening makeup deserves a more intense lip color, a richly pigmented black mascara, and some fabulous glow.   On a recent evening out with my hubby, I went with a bolder berry look, inspired by two of Urban Decay’s new lip products, their 24/7 Lip Pencil and Lipstick. 

• Hair:  Jessicurl’s Aloeba Daily Conditioner, Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion, and Confident Coils Styling Solution, set with hair clips, scrunched with a microfiber towel and allowed to air dry.
• Skin prep:  SK1N Probiotics Daily Moisturizing Cream
• Anastasia’s All About Brows Kit:  Defines and tames my brows
• Prescriptives Flawless Skin Foundation in Rose, applied with a foundation brush and fingers
• Laura Mercier Eyeliner in Bleu Marine, appliled with flat eyeliner brush
• Profaces mineral eyeshadow in a rosy gold glimmer
• Sugar’s Bronzer/Blush Duo, blush on apples of cheeks and bronzer around face and jawline
• Alison Raffaele’s True Concealer
• Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in Wicked, creamy and lasts, truly lives up to its glide on name.
• Urban Decay’s Lipstick in Hotpants, luxuriously creamy and beautiful medium pink shade.
• Napoleon Perdis, Long Black Mascara, one coat
• Light dusting of Aromaleigh’s Illuminator Finishing Powder, a translucent, sheer loose mineral cosmetic powder, that contains reflective minerals to give your skin a radiant appearance.  Apply on brow bones, above cheeks and lightly around forehead, chin, and decollete.
• Finish by lightly tapping around face with soft clean towel to set in makeup (tip from Alyson Hoag, makeup artist at Authentic Beauty).

For the next month Tarte is offering a FREE sunburst face beaded bronzing lotion ($28 value) when you spend $50 at tartecosmetics .com.

VALID:  June 20, 2008 – July 20, 2008
CODE:  BRONZE

Forego the sun and get a healthy, natural tan with this antioxidant-rich, moisturizer-meets-bronzer! Notice in the picture the little bronzing beads that are in this lotion, how cool is that?!  I just read a less than enthusiastic review of this product on TotalBeauty.com, the reviewer said the bronzer beads don’t rub in and distribute the color evenly on the skin.  If this is true, BUMMER!

Let me also remind you of my two favorite Tarte Cosmetics: Smooth Operator Foundation with SPF 20, and Tarte’s fabulous Cheek Stains.

Last summer I became a fan of Tarte’s makeup after trying their Smooth Operator Foundation and falling in love with it. I listed it as my, “Without this product, I’d have to start drinking at noon …” on Megsmakeup.com:

I have been searching for a foundation like this my entire life and I have tried several. My main objectives: natural looking coverage without the cakiness/deposits some foundations can have, applies smoothly without too much work, & won’t cause breakouts. My most crucial question: Can it live up to the lighted “magnification” mirror test? It is true, I am a bit obsessed with my skin, but I notice so many ladies with horrible foundation, and then ask myself the question, “Am I one of THEM?” With this foundation and a superb primer, I can confidently respond, “Not me!” The SPF 20 is a bonus, love it, love it, love it!!!

Recently I read an interview from Oprah’s “O” Magazine of Tarte’s founder Maureen Kelly, “Success Story: How She Did It.” Maureen literally built this company in her kitchen, and has faced some pretty enormous personal obstacles in her life. Maureen’s story has made me extremely proud to be a Tarte Cosmetic Fan.

Many cosmetic deals come my way via email, and several get dumped directly into the trash can. This one you might want to consider. Yes, I am dangling the carrot (or in this case the cosmetics) in front of you!