bareMinerals READY Foundation and Mineral Touch Up Veil

I was a bareMinerals girl for a long long time. I bought countless tubs of their loose powder foundation but as all beauty bloggers do, we move on to other formulas and can't resist the lure of new products. But I came back, and I have to say I love being a bareMinerals girl again, but this time the game is different. BareMinerals READY foundation is not that new to the world of makeup, but it is something I haven't tried yet and finally caved to.  

 On the left is READY SPF 20 foundation in Fairly Light ($29) the same shade I wore in their loose foundation and is a perfect match and READY SPF 15 Touch Up Veil (Mineral Veil) in Tinted.   According to the bareMinerals website, the new READY foundation is medium-full coverage, is supposed to increase moisture in your skin by 108% and last 12 hours. I find this is all pretty accurate, although my skin needs a primer for anything to last 12 hours. My skin always feels better after wear and the added SPF is a bonus.  The Touch Up Veil ($22) acts in the same way as their old Mineral Veil, and diffuses the look of imperfections and helps set your makeup and prevent/get rid of shine. The tinted version has just a hint of color, perfect for summer.  

I am really happy that I tried the new READY formula, as it is super easy to use, can be carried with me without any mess, and looks flawless. The only thing I am really disliking about these products is the packaging. Although the black cases are sturdy, they are that rubbery texture (think NARS) that gathers residue like nothing else and is rather icky. I'm not loving it, but I can overlook it. 

 This is a bit scary to show all of you, but here is my nearly naked face. I am ONLY wearing READY foundation in Fairly Light and Touch Up Veil in Tinted. Nothing else! The coverage is great and I just buff it on with a kabuki brush. These products give my face a canvas I feel good about and I know won't break me out. Unless you are sensitive to sunscreens in your makeup or absolutely despise powder foundations, I would give these a try, as the application is easier than you think, especially if you were once a bareMinerals loose powder girl like I was. I am totally into getting READY every morning now. Panda Approved 

bareMinerals READY Foundation and Mineral Touch Up Veil

I was a bareMinerals girl for a long long time. I bought countless tubs of their loose powder foundation but as all beauty bloggers do, we move on to other formulas and can't resist the lure of new products.   But I came back, and I have to say I love being a bareMinerals girl again, but this time the game is different.   BareMinerals READY foundation is not that new to the world of makeup, but it is something I haven't tried yet and finally caved to.  

  On the left is READY SPF 20 foundation in Fairly Light ($29) the same shade I wore in their loose foundation and is a perfect match and READY SPF 15 Touch Up Veil (Mineral Veil) in Tinted.     According to the bareMinerals website, the new READY foundation is medium-full coverage, is supposed to increase moisture in your skin by 108% and last 12 hours. I find this is all pretty accurate, although my skin needs a primer for anything to last 12 hours. My skin always feels better after wear and the added SPF is a bonus.   The Touch Up Veil ($22) acts in the same way as their old Mineral Veil, and diffuses the look of imperfections and helps set your makeup and prevent/get rid of shine. The tinted version has just a hint of color, perfect for summer.  

I am really happy that I tried the new READY formula, as it is super easy to use, can be carried with me without any mess, and looks flawless. The only thing I am really disliking about these products is the packaging. Although the black cases are sturdy, they are that rubbery texture (think NARS) that gathers residue like nothing else and is rather icky. I'm not loving it, but I can overlook it.  

  This is a bit scary to show all of you, but here is my nearly naked face. I am ONLY wearing READY foundation in Fairly Light and Touch Up Veil in Tinted. Nothing else! The coverage is great and I just buff it on with a kabuki brush. These products give my face a canvas I feel good about and I know won't break me out.   Unless you are sensitive to sunscreens in your makeup or absolutely despise powder foundations, I would give these a try, as the application is easier than you think, especially if you were once a bareMinerals loose powder girl like I was. I am totally into getting READY every morning now.   Panda Approved  

Hello Flawless!

Hola!

I was recently given a sample of Benefit's Hello Flawless Foundation Powder in 'Petal' to try out.

The biggie version retails for $34, which is around the same price as any highish-end foundation these days.

Petal is a light beige color with neutral undertones. It goes well with my very pale skin. This also has an spf of 15 in it, but I would still use a regular sunscreen under it.

I purposefully caked a lot of this on so you could see the color, because when blended in, it really does appear 'flawless'. This is a creamy powder, so it feels more like a traditional foundation on the skin.

Here is the product fully blended onto my hand. For me, this looked cakey on my face. It had great coverage but I wasn't comfortable with how it settled into my tiny lines.

This is a great product and I think many will like it. There is a decent shade range, especially for pale girls (which is a hard thing to find sometimes) but I feel like this just sits on my skin. Not for me. I wish it was because the color match is great.

Final Thoughts: Proceed with caution if you do not like your foundation settling into fine lines after a while.

Price: 8/10
Staying Power: 8/10
Packaging: 10/10
Color/Wearability: 9/10
Quality/Branding: 9/10

Total: 44/50 = B+ = Pleased Panda (Color-wise, but not overall)

Have you tried this? Love it? Hate it?

xo PrettyPanda

Hello Flawless!

Hola!

I was recently given a sample of Benefit's Hello Flawless Foundation Powder in 'Petal' to try out.

The biggie version retails for $34, which is around the same price as any highish-end foundation these days.

Petal is a light beige color with neutral undertones. It goes well with my very pale skin. This also has an spf of 15 in it, but I would still use a regular sunscreen under it.

I purposefully caked a lot of this on so you could see the color, because when blended in, it really does appear 'flawless'. This is a creamy powder, so it feels more like a traditional foundation on the skin.

Here is the product fully blended onto my hand. For me, this looked cakey on my face. It had great coverage but I wasn't comfortable with how it settled into my tiny lines.

This is a great product and I think many will like it. There is a decent shade range, especially for pale girls (which is a hard thing to find sometimes) but I feel like this just sits on my skin. Not for me. I wish it was because the color match is great.

Final Thoughts: Proceed with caution if you do not like your foundation settling into fine lines after a while.

Price: 8/10
Staying Power: 8/10
Packaging: 10/10
Color/Wearability: 9/10
Quality/Branding: 9/10

Total: 44/50 = B+ = Pleased Panda (Color-wise, but not overall)

Have you tried this? Love it? Hate it?

xo PrettyPanda

Clinique Summer Lips!

Hey Pandas!

I have two clinique products to satisfy a need for a put together summer lip!

Behold Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Mystic and Long Last lipstick in Bamboo Pink.

Mystic is a bluish purple with shimmer and retails for $15. Bamboo Pink is a brownish/nude/pink and also retails for $15. They go great together and when worn as a pair give me 7 hours of glossy goodness.

Mystic is on the left. You can see the pretty blue shimmer! Bamboo Pink gives moderate coverage for a fresh look and is just the right mix of pink and nude.

Aren't they pretty together? My camera ran out of memory before I could snap the lip shots, but I still think their beauty shows here.

Final Thoughts: Clinique is always reliable, and these are fun colors from their permanent line. The SPF is nice too!

Price: 8/10
Staying Power: 10/10
Packaging: 7/10
Color/Wearability: 10/10
Quality/Branding: 10/10

Total: 45/50 = A = Happy Panda!

What are your feeling on Clinique? They've gone a bit under the radar lately, which is sad.

xo PrettyPanda

Clinique Summer Lips!

Hey Pandas!

I have two clinique products to satisfy a need for a put together summer lip!

Behold Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Mystic and Long Last lipstick in Bamboo Pink.

Mystic is a bluish purple with shimmer and retails for $15. Bamboo Pink is a brownish/nude/pink and also retails for $15. They go great together and when worn as a pair give me 7 hours of glossy goodness.

Mystic is on the left. You can see the pretty blue shimmer! Bamboo Pink gives moderate coverage for a fresh look and is just the right mix of pink and nude.

Aren't they pretty together? My camera ran out of memory before I could snap the lip shots, but I still think their beauty shows here.

Final Thoughts: Clinique is always reliable, and these are fun colors from their permanent line. The SPF is nice too!

Price: 8/10
Staying Power: 10/10
Packaging: 7/10
Color/Wearability: 10/10
Quality/Branding: 10/10

Total: 45/50 = A = Happy Panda!

What are your feeling on Clinique? They've gone a bit under the radar lately, which is sad.

xo PrettyPanda