bareMinerals READY Foundation: My Holy Grail?

I've been on a foundation kick lately. Not that I have been looking for a new foundation, there just seems to have been a lot of foundation launches over the last few months. The new bareMinerals READY Foundation SPF 20 was one of them and I couldn't wait to try it.

I should preface this by saying that I am reactive to the bareMinerals Original Foundation. It makes me red and itchy. I have never figured out exactly why it makes me so reactive to it. I am usually not so overly sensitive to makeup at all. This being a cold pressed powder version, I was hoping it wouldn't have a problem. I've been using the READY Bronzer all summer and never had a reaction, so I was hopeful and didn't hesitate.

I was sent the new foundation in Medium Beige. It looks very dark in the pan, but was actually too light on my skin. What's with me lately? I must be darker than I think! Anyway, I was sent the Precision Face Brush to apply the foundation with, but wasn't sure exactly how. I did a quick search to find a QVC video with bareMinerals expert Jessica Foust.

So I basically followed her method. I tap the brush into the powder four times and then buff it onto my skin with very long strokes as she demonstrated. I only have to do the tap and buff twice as my face is flawlessly covered and glowing. The brush is essential. It applies the powder so effortlessly. The coverage is amazing. My pores were gone. My skin looked more even and more luminous than it had in a very long time. Now, if only the color were right. So I went to Sephora and got color matched with Golden Medium, which looked like it was a match in the store. It wasn't until I got home that I found that shade still too light and too yellow on me. I returned it and headed over to the Bare Escentuals store, which I didn't even know existed in the mall near my home. There, I got help (and for my sister and bff too!) and settled on Medium Tan, which looks crazy dark, but was a great match for me right now. I am guessing that the Medium Beige will look great on my skin come December.

I tested READY Foundation over moisturizer and two different primers, NARS Pro-Prime and Smashbox Hydrating Primer. It looked beautiful and lasted all day with a full makeup look, no matter which way I wore it. It is amazing. My holy grail foundation.

Until... two weeks into it, I woke up with my face more pink and a bit itchy. I thought that maybe my skin was reacting to the cooler temps. Or maybe I tried something new that I was having a reaction to. I immediately couldn't think of anything. But after I applied the foundation a bit later that morning, I immediately got the bad sunburn, itchy red feeling. It was on my face, a bit on my ears and right beneath my jawline. Anywhere the powder or brush touched. I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it.  I did not wash it off right away and thought I would get over it.  I didn't. It got worse.  I removed the makeup and didn't wear any makeup for three days until my skin calmed down and returned to normal. A glutton for punishment I guess, I tried it again.  I was determined to wear this amazing foundation. I wanted it to work for me.  Again, within minutes of applying, my skin got very red and started this burning/itching feeling again. I am confident that this is a reaction to the foundation. I don't know why it took about two weeks into wearing it to show up. I am completely disappointed - not in the foundation - in my damn skin.

Everyone that I have turned onto READY Foundation loves it and no one else has had issues with it. My daughter uses it and loves it. My sister and sister-in-law use it and love it.  Two really good freinds have already started using it and have told others about it. That is how much I like it. I told everyone about READY Foundation because everyone was noticing how great my makeup looked.

I don't want to deter anyone from trying this. It's that good. I don't want my reactive skin to be negative, I have to deal with it; you don't. If you have never been reactive to mineral makeup, try it. I promise you will love it. If you are sensitive, proceed with caution and look for irritation signs.

I do want to let you know that bareMinerals READY Foundation has an SPF of 20, and comes in a range of 20 shades. The makeup artist at the Bare Escentuals store said that most customers were going one shade deeper than they would as compared to the the original foundation. It sells for $29.00. The Precision Face Brush sells for $28.00 and is a must have to apply the foundation.

If you've tried the foundation, please let me know how it has worked for you.

Sponsored: My Mary Kay Fall Look.

I had a wedding to go to a few weeks ago, and I wore the Mary Kay® makeup look that I told you about last month.  The makeup was perfect for the warm fall day. It was a nice compliment to the navy dress I wore.  Please forgive the blurry iPhone picture.

As I described in the video and in the previous post, a pop of color on the cheeks and lips are a trend for fall. The strong berry lip and cheek that I wore with some beautiful shades from the Mary Kay® line were perfect. My makeup pretty much lasted all night, except for having to re-do my lips after drinking some bubbly.

Of course some of my friends asked me what Lip Gloss I was wearing, and I proudly told them it was Mary Kay® Nourishine Plus® Lip Gloss in the color Pink Luster. A few of them were surprised that it was Mary Kay. I am not sure why, but I think it was because they know I have very expensive taste and would have expected me to be wearing a $35 lipgloss, and not one that cost so much less.  I told them it’s all about quality, coverage and color for me. The Mary Kay® Nourishine Plus® Lip Gloss fit the bill and simply made me feel glamorous.

If you would like a little bit of your own glamour, and who doesn’t, then you need to check out the Mary Kay® Hollywood Dreams Makeover Contest that is happening right now. You could win a trip to Los Angeles, a professional makeover, personal stylist consultation and wardrobe. All you have to do is visit marykay.com to locate your Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, schedule your makeover and enter to win!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mary Kay. The opinions and text are all mine.

Update on 2012-11-27 21:37 by Teri Cosenzi, Editor

Congratulations to the following winners that have been notified today:

Amy
Buddy
Candie
Heather
Kathleen
Soos
Susan
Tamar
Tia
Valerie

A Quick and Flawless Face with Votre Vu.

I rarely leave the house without makeup on. Except for when I am in the car dropping off the kids to school or maybe pumping gas, I at least have my face looking as flawless as it can. I'm not even talking a full face of makeup. You know when you put on a few things to make it look like you aren't even wearing makeup, but just look naturally your best. I always brush and fill in my brows, apply a quick coat of mascara d some gloss.  That takes about a minute. Where I take more time is when I concentrate on making my face. Yeah, sometimes that takes longer than a full face of makeup. But with a few of the right product, it doesn't have to.

I get a quick and flawless face with just two products. Well, three really, but if you want this look you only have to buy two. That's because Votre Vu has a new line called French Accents, its' signature color line. A few of the star products include a double duty tinted moisturizer and concealer in one product plus and incredible HD powder that get me what the naturally flawless look and quick.

The Love Me Deux is just lovely. It is a Moisture Tint and Concealer product in one.

The Moisture Tint is a tinted moisturizer. It features a special blend of good for your skin ingredients to pamper and protect it while adding a soft, natural finish to the skin. It is infused with things like sunflower and jojoba oils, French kaolin clay, Vitamins A and C and natural minerals to fight free radicals. It glides on the skin with my fingers and spreads easily as it is water based. It feels like I am wearing nothing on my skin until it dries down into a very soft, almost light powder feel.

The Concealer lovingly fits right in the cap of the tube making it super convenient. It is blended with beeswax, vitamin E, pure minerals and botanicals, to hydrate, nourish and cover under eye circles and blemishes/skin imperfections quickly and easily. It is thick enough to cover, yet thin enough to still look natural while getting the job done.

Love Me Deux comes in six skin loving hues:

• Limoges - Light Cream
• Champagne - Golden Cream
• Paris - Light Medium Beige
• Provence - Natural Beige
• Cannes - Warm Medium
• St. Tropez - Deep

It retails for $43.00.

I finish off my face with Belle Poudre, HD Sheer Face Finish. This powder is what seals in the flawless.  It is a super finely milled powder that simply adds that soft focus look of perfection to the skin. I need the smallest amount of powder and my favorite kabuki brush and just blend it so lightly over my face. It is tinted, so it adds a hint of color while still looking soft and natural. I love the dial inside the powder to open and close the sifter, so nothing is ever left a powdery mess when opening.

Belle Poudre comes in four skin perfecting shades:

• Light
• Medium 
• Golden Medium 
• Deep

It retails for $29.00

Shop for these beauties and the rest of the new Votre Vu French Acents Color Collection at votrevu.com.