Product Review: Illuminare Concealing Mineral Foundation

I am am a loyal BareMinerals foundation user, but sometimes I like a little more coverage than it offers.  As you may already know, I have pretty sensitive and acne-prone skin, so it is difficult to find a moderate to full coverage liquid foundation that doesn't make me break out.  When I reordered my beloved Cor Silver Soap, Skincarestore.com sent me a couple of samples, the Illuminare Concealing Mineral Foundation being one of them.  I gave it a try yesterday, and I have to say, it is pretty great.
I simply used my hands and fingers to apply and blend onto my face (make sure to use moisturizer first for better blending), but a brush or sponge may be used if preferred.  After applying the foundation, my face barely required any concealer aside from a little brightening under the eyes.  The finish is semi-matte, and the look is flawless (no caking or weird oxidation here!).  I am seriously considering buying a tube of this stuff to have on hand for special occasions (or for when my skin acts up).  A tube is about $27, which isn't cheap, but since you require such a small amount for a full-face application, it should last quite a while.  And it contains sunscreen (SPF 20!)  Something to consider if you are in search of a new foundation:)

This is what the foundation looks like:) And Nars Dragon Girl on the lips.

My little sample packet.  Need more of this!

Product Review: bareMinerals Shades of Decadence Collection

First off, I want to apologize about the lack of posts the last week or so.  I am sure you all are busy with the holiday season as well, but I promise I am not being a slacker! I have a couple product reviews coming in the near future, and this is one of them...

For Christmas, I received the bareMinerals Shades of Decadence Collection from my mom (who is also a makeup fanatic, by the way!).  I didn't need more makeup by any means, but I am always happy to try out new and different products that come my way.  This set includes nine eyeshadows and six lip glosses (3 Marvelous Moxie glosses, 3 regular glosses) and comes in a really cute gold box.
The eyeshadow colors are gorgeous, ranging from light, shimmery shades to deeper tones that can double as eyeliner if used with a damp brush. You may even be able to use some of the lighter shades to highlight your face as well.  Although these shadows look gorgeous alone, I would recommend using a eyeshadow primer (Urban Decay Primer Potion is my favorite) to help keep it in place and make the color stand out more.

Shadow colors from top to bottom: Cypress (smoky greenish grey),  Glitz (dark shimmery plum), Atomic Plume (mushroom), Splendid (warm shimmery gold),  Rose Gold (rosy gold, ha!), Aglow (pearly whitish pink), Brave (light gold glitter), Gilt (light gold), and Wink (warm brown)

The lip glosses are very pretty and the shades are wearable.  I have to say that I am a fan of the regular glosses more than the Moxie line, since the latter are a tad too shimmery for my liking.  Still, the lip glosses are nice and would suit most skin tones.  Plus, the regular lip glosses are 100% natural, which always makes me a happy girl.

Lip gloss colors from top to Bottom: Vixen (bright shimmery pink), Temptress (shimmery rose), Tantalizer (shimmery nude), Starfruit (light pink), Wearable Mauve (light rose), Raspberry Truffle (pink).

 The only issues I have with this collection are, a) the eyeshadows are a bit messy, since they are loose powders and b) the 15 separate containers take up a fair amount of space, so they aren't the most portable.
Overall, I think the Shades of Decadence Collection is a good buy, since it is only $39 and comes with so many fun eyeshadow shades and lip glosses.  If you are trying to keep your makeup collection more concise / easy to carry, I would probably recommend skipping it and getting a palette that includes shadows and lip glosses in one compact.

If you have any questions about these products, please let me know.  I plan to do a tutorial with this collection very soon, so be on the lookout!