Sephora is selling the Get Started kits at a 20% discount this week. The kits normally run for $60, which is a great price for all that it includes, but $48 is even better. To get the discounted price, enter the promo code GETSTARTED at checkout. Offer also good in Sephora stores.

Each starter kit includes 2 shades of foundation, a Mineral Veil, an All Over Face Color, a Prime Time Foundation Primer (Sephora exclusive), 3 makeup brushes, and an instructional video. All products are made without Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Petro-Chemicals, or Phthalates. The foundations carry a 15 SPF.

Here are a couple of tips:

*They say it’s so “pure you can sleep in it,” but don’t. I think it’s easiest to remove with a lotion or creamy cleanser and a washcloth.

*Easy application: Shake closed container, open lid, dip foundation brush in the lid to pick up  a small amount of foundation, tip brush upside down, then tap handle end against the counter (moves foundation down into bristles), apply to the face in a swirling, circular motion.

Image credit: Sephora.com

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If you are new to the line, then I suggest getting one of the bareMinerals Get Started Kits. A Get Started Kit has everything you need including 2 shades of SPF 15 Foundation, a Mineral Veil, an All-Over Face Color, a Full Flawless Face Brush, Flawless Application Face Brush, Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush, a how-to dvd, and a gift-size bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper. My introduction to mineral makeup came from a kit like this, although mine came with a kabuki brush. I’ve used the brushes with all the other mineral makeup that I’ve tried over the past few years. Really nice brushes and the bareMinerals makeup is my personal favorite mineral foundation. The kits come in Fair, Light, Medium, Tan, Dark, and Deep.

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Get Started Kit in Fair
$60

ULTA carries a big selection of Bare Escentuals bareMinerals makeup products. Take a look here to see for yourself.

Image credit: ULTA.com

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Fun in the Sun Mineralize Kit
$59.50

The Fun in the Sun Mineralize Kit consists of 3 color products and a little mini buffer brush. There’s a Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne (Shimpagne? What color is that?), Blush in Nuance (Nuance?), and the eye shadow is a duo called Play on Plums (okay, probably purples). I can’t see any information listed about the ingredients in the makeup. The Play on Plums shadows are described as “Bronzed burgundy mono/Peachy gold with pink and bronze veining (Frost).”

Pinkzapoppin! Mineralize Kit
$59.50

The Pinkzapoppin! kit contains Skinfinish in Light Flush, a blush in Dainty, and the shadow duo is Love Connection. Love Connection is a “Pale beige with gold and blue veining/Warm gold mono (Frost).”

Image credit: M.A.C Cosmetics.com

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AVON’s Smooth Minerals Foundation is on sale at a 27% savings. AVON’s formula is made with a “100% naturally derived mineral complex.”  It’s free from talc, oil, and fragrance. It’s safe for sensitive skin.  AVON reccommends using their All Over Kabuki Brush for application. Apply in thin layers to build desired coverage. They offer 2 “glow” colors (transparent and bronze) and the foundation itself is available in tones light to deep.

AVON Smooth Minerals Foundation
$7.99, regularly $11

AVON’s Smooth Mineral Blush Duo is on sale at an even bigger savings. Each blusher duo features a light and dark toned blush. You can use it two ways blush/contour or blush/highlight. It’s made with the same pure minerals as the foudation and with no talc, oil, or fragrance.

AVON Smooth Mineral Blush Duo
$5.99, regularly $10

Finish your look off with a great buy on the Smooth Mineral Eye Shadow. It’s available in 4 color combos: Bronze Twist, Earth Blues, In the Nudes, Plumtastic. These powders are blendable and can be layered to do a smoky eye. They have a bit of shimmer to them.

AVON Smooth Mineral Eyeshadow Duo
$4.99, regularly $9

Image credit: AVON.com

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I loved that powder. I loved the big fluffy brush that I used with it.  That’s when I realized that makeup was fun, that the tools, the powders, the glosses – they were toys for big girls.

Bare Escentuals has a few fun new makeup products available. These products are available for a limited time and you can only find them at Sephora. They are packaged in bright shiny containers – an early holiday treat just for you.

The Radiance Rocks are very similar to the makeup pot idea. Three solid mineral rocks are in each case. They come in Bronze, Champagne, and a Warm Rose. Included in the package is a Kabuki Brush.

Three glistening bareMinerals Radiance Rocks are compressed together solely by water—resembling minerals in their most natural state. Simply swirl the Heavenly Kabuki Brush on top of rocks, and buff these gorgeous 100% pure bareMinerals shades on your eyes, cheeks, and body. The result is a glimmering, sheer wash of color with a refreshing, cooling sensation.

How you use the rocks is up to you. Try a single color alone or use your brush to swirl the colors together. After reading the reviews, I see that some people actually rub the rocks on their faces. When they dry, they can be “recharged” with water. The effect you get with this product is a sheer, glow. If you are looking for something more dramatic, then take a look at the Bare Escentuals All Over Color.

Image credit: Sephora.com

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Dedicated to fans of the Twilight series and Mixology Makeup! Find makeup to make any Vamp or wolf  jealous!

Each set contains 3 shadows and a liner brush to achieve the look worn by your favorite characters. The Alice collection contains mineral shadows in Corker, U Minx!, and Jet. They suggest pairing it with their Afterglow Veil, Flushed Bronzer, Glitz to Dazzle, and foundation in Porcelain Girl.

Alice Collection
$25

The Bella collection contains Starlight, Era, and U Minx! for a soft look. They also suggest purchasing a blush in a peach tone, like their Just Peachy to complete the look.

Bella Collection
$25

Click here for more collections. Twilight fans can find looks for Esme, Victoria, Jane, and Rosalie, too.

Image credit: Mixology Makeup at Etsy

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Bare Escentuals is known for it’s bareMinerals makeup, but they also carry a good skin care line, as well. The RareMinerals Facial Mist is exactly what I need to give my wind-parched skin some relief. It contains nutrients and mineral electrolytes, perfect for quenching dry skin.

Bare Escentuals RareMinerals™
$18

Bare Escentuals RareMinerals™ Facial Mist provides instant relief for thirsty skin and protects skin from environmental stressors that can lead to premature aging. The patent-pending, 100% pure RareMinerals Complex feeds skin essential nutrients while an exotic Resurrection Plant Extract wakes up skin cells and revives fatigued skin.

The RareMinerals Facial Mist is made without Parabens, Sulfates, Petro-Chemicals, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, or Phthalates.

Image credit: Sephora.com

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What exactly is mineral makeup and does it live up to the company claims?

Mineral Makeup is made from the minerals mica, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide. These are the same ingredients that foundation makeup has been made of for years. Experts are divided on whether the mineral makeup is in fact better for your skin.  Some believe that the ingredients are no more pure than traditional makeup, while other experts, manly dermatologists, say that it’s a safer bet for sensitive skin because it’s free from fragrance, binders, synthetic dyes, and preservatives.

Of the ingredients in mineral makeup, zinc oxide is known to be calming for inflammatory conditions like acne or rasacea. In these cases, mineral makeup can be a real blessing. I can say that my own experience supports this claim. I still have breakouts and a bit of redness on my chin. I can use mineral makeup and it diffuses the redness and does not aggravate my breakouts.

On the other hand some mineral makeups contain the ingredient bismuth oxychloride. It’s not from the Earth, instead it’s a byproduct of lead and copper processing.  It can irritate skin and cause cystic acne as well as aggravate rosacea. If you have sensitive skin, look for a formula that does not contain bismuth oxycholoride.

Many mineral makeups claim to have an SPF because of the use of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in the formula. I always use an additional sunscreen. People put their makeup on differently. Some women need a heavy coverage, while others are looking to cover only problem areas. A separate sunscreen will ensure that you are getting the SPF coverage you need, no matter how much makeup you apply.

Another claim many companies make is that their makeup is safe to sleep in. Don’t buy it. Do not sleep in your makeup. Wash and moisturize every night. That’s the only way to maintain truly healthy skin.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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bareMinerals has a new set, that is only available at Sephora, called the bareMinerals Happiness Collection. It’s a 9-piece set of color products that contain Happybelle.

What is Happybelle?  Well, it’s a complex made of a plant extract that is supposed to “induce a sense of happiness.”  Happybelle is “believed to mimic the effect of endorphins.” 

It sounds psychedelic, but it’s totally natural, 100% pure bareMinerals. Gives you the glow of pure happiness coming from within your skin for a natural high—think yoga for your face.

The products infused with  Happybelle include Glee Radiance All-Over Face Color, Euphoria Eyecolor, Happiness Eyecolor, and Hallucinate Liner Shadow. The collection also had a Black Flawless Mascara, 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Berry Rush, a Feather Light Brush, an eyeshadow brush, and a clutch. The brushes and the clutch are all in “happy” shades of pink. It’s a cute set and I want one.

The products were all made without Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances or Dyes, and absolutely no Phthalates.

And there’s more. Each collection has a ticket that enters you in a contest – the Get Lucky Contest. The prize is a lifetime supply of bareMinerals SPF 15 foundation. For more contest details, click here.

Image credit: Sephora.com

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Designed by a celebrity make-up artist, the ColorOn Professional EyeEnvy Flaunt Kit contains peel-off mineral cream eye shadows that are 100% hypo-allergenic, long-wearing, and crease-proof. With stunning colors and avant-garde designs, these appliqués fit every eye size and shape and can be applied in minutes.

The ColorOn kits are only available at Sephora. Each kit contains 5 sets of shadow appliques, a jar of the GetSet, and a brush.

They are formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Synthetic Dyes, Petro-Chemicals, or Phthalates. There are 8 different kits available.

I read the reviews and it sounds like the application process can be tricky, but once mastered, users love them. I think it would be very hard to produce a look like the one to the right without a kit. I bet these would be a lot of fun for Halloween.

Image credit: Sephora.com

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