Think you don’t time for makeup in the morning? Think again! Bare Minerals makeup is fast and easy to use, giving you a fresh face in minutes.
Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals make-up is one of the easiest, fastest make-ups to apply, and while its more expensive than its drugstore brand counterparts, the extra price is worth it. Bare Minerals foundation is made up of just what its name saysmineralsand is pure enough to sleep in without leaving its wearer with breakouts or irritation. So, what do you need for a fresh five-minute face?
Bare Minerals Brushes
Well be applying foundation, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, and gloss (as well as blush, if youre so inclined). You will not be able to apply Bare Minerals products with your fingersbecause they are all loose powder products, its too messy and is impossible to blend.
Youll need a fluffy foundation brush (I recommend the Bare Minerals Full Flawless Face brush for medium coverage or the Bare Minerals Kabuki brush for fuller coverage), a tapered eyeshadow brush, a contour shadow brush, and an angled eyeliner brush. Its important to buy quality brushestheyll last longer and are made of higher-quality fibers than cheap brushes, meaning that your make-up will be distributed more evenly and fully. (And once youve used a professional eye shadow brush, youll wonder how you ever used the little Q-tip type brushes that come in the eyeshadow kits).
Bare Minerals Foundation
Bare Minerals Foundation comes in Matte and Original; the type you choose depends on if you have oily or normal skin. Applying your foundation will take about 45 secondsunlike with liquid foundations, you wont have to endlessly blend Bare Minerals with your fingers and make-up sponges to achieve a natural look. Sift some of the foundation from the container into the lid, swirl the foundation brush in it, and then remove the excess from the brush by tapping it against the lid.
Next, starting with your forehead and working down over your nose, cheeks, and chin, buff the brush against your skin in medium-sized circles. Apply more powder to get the level of coverage you want. Voilà! Great coverage without baselines or underblended spots.
Bare Minerals Eyes
Your eyes should only take about two minutes once you get the technique under your belt. Pick two eyeshadows in the same color family, one a few shades lighter than the other. For browns, I recommend Sex Kitten and Queen Tiffany; if you want to be a bit more daring and try purples, choose Queen Marie and Intuition. These shadows have a hint of glimmer, and will make your eyes pop!
Take your tapered eye shadow brush and dip it into the lighter shadow, tapping the brush against the side of the lid to shake off excess. Run the brush gently over the entire eyelid and a little bit into the crease. Repeat on the other side.
Next, use your shadow contour brush; the crease color works best with a slightly fluffy brush such as Bare Minerals Crease Defining Brush. If the bristles are too tightly packed in the brush, youll end up with a harsh dark line in the crease, rather than a subtly blended color.
Dip the shadow contour brush into the darker eye shadow and tap the excess into the lid. Start at the outside corner of your eye right above the lash line and blend up into your crease; then follow your crease all the way across. Use the contour brush to blend the border between the lighter and darker shadow so that the shading is gradual, not stark.
After applying your eye shadow, youll dip the angled eye shadow brush in the liner and line your top lash line, blending it in small short dashes to avoid a harsh, too-stark line. If youd like, line the lower lash as well.
Finally, if you havent yet looked into lash extensions – this salon has the best reviews – add two coats of mascara, wiggling the brush from the base of the upper lash line to the very tips.
Lips and Cheeks
Your blush and lip color should take you about a minute total. Grab a fluffy blush brush and dip it Bare Minerals loose powder blush (peachy pinks will work on most skin tones). Tap off the excess, look in the mirror, and smile. Buff the brush a few times on the apples of your cheeks, and then sweep backwards, up along your cheekbones. Repeat on the opposite side.
Glosses keep the look natural and freshBare Minerals makes a wide range of colors, some that plump your lips and others that are like any other gloss. However, a quick swipe of Rosebud Perfume Co.s Rosebud Salve is inexpensive and works just as well, giving lips a subtle pink shine and a burst of moisture.
If youre not used to applying make-up, this process may take a bit longer than five minutes at firstbut after a little practice youll become an expert. (If you’re looking for a fresh work face, check out Professional and Appropriate Makeup for Work.
