Mineral Make Up Tried & Tested - Laura Geller

Laura who? If that is what just crossed your mind you really are missing a trick. Laura Geller’s range is what inspired me to write this post. I first discovered Laura Geller a few years ago on QVC. A renowned make-up artist, Laura Geller is the founder and creative force behind Laura Geller Make-Up Studios – a highly successful make-up studio in New York City. In her career she's shown thousands of women how to enhance their features, helped countless brides on their special days and worked with some of today's hottest movie stars.

Laura Geller doesn't subscribe to trends. "Women want to look their best. It might mean passing on the latest fad and just wearing a shade you like," says Geller. Laura's philosophy is all about creating maximum impact with minimum make-up, and her multi-purpose products and wearable shades are designed to inspire confidence.

To me, Laura Geller is a true innovator, and has pioneered this category in makeup "Baked." These color-correcting products are saturated with skin glowing colour to immediately enliven the skin and create a youthful aura. Every product begins as a smooth liquid that is then infused with vibrant, skin flattering colours. The colours are then swirled together and baked for 24 hours on terracotta pans to create rich textures and vibrancy.

I tried the below products, using Laura Gellar’s tips and tricks.

Spackle Under Make Up Primer

“A flawless make-up finish relies on a smooth base. Laura Geller Spackle Cream Under Makeup Primer primes your skin and helps it retain moisture.”

Apply moisturiser

Blend a small amount of Spackle cream primer over your face

Apply final make-up

Spackle is one of Laura Geller’s hero products and it is easy to tell why. It revived my skin by re-texturising the surface, leaving it feeling smooth and supple. Spackle is made from natural plant extracts, White Tea and Centella Asiatica. It's luxuriously rich and suitable for all skin types.

Spackle

Balance-n-Brighten Powder

This fabulous powder foundation tones down a ruddy complexion and brightens sallow skin.

“Sweep it over your face and décolleté with the included large brush

Alternatively, apply it only on problem areas and follow with foundation for a flawless finish”

Balance-n-Brighten was the first product I ever tried from Laura Geller and was what got me interested in mineral make up again. This liquid powder that can be used on its own or combined with your favorite base for a flawless finish, allowing you to choose how much coverage you want. Balance-n-Brighten is mineral oil and paraben free. It is also loaded with the age-fighting, anti-oxidant protection of Centella Asiatica and White Tea.

To apply I used the Retractable Baked Powder Brush designed specifically for Laura's baked complexion products. The brush is made of synthetic fibers that readily pick up the powder and cleanly deposit it on the skin. The synthetic hair also helps the brush stay clean by not absorbing makeup or oils from your face. However, any descend powder brush would work.

Balance-n-Brighten and Retractable Baked Powder Brush

Baked To Go Bronze-n-Brighten - Fair

Baked To Go in Bronze-n-Brighten is a portable baked colour correcting bronzer in a convenient to-go size. Instead of the traditional compact and brush, Bake To Go Bronze-n-Brighten has a unique application system. There's a built in cosmetic sponge right in the top, and a mirror on the opposite end. It's neat, efficient, and totally portable. 

Bronze-n-Brighten has rich tones of bronze and rose swirled together to create a radiant glow on the skin. Use as an allover bronzer or as a tawny blush. The result is a lustrous dome of silky powder that knows almost instinctively how to make your skin look its best.

Laura notes “As you unscrew the cap, the velvety sponge swirls against the powder, picking up just enough to do all of your makeup. Smooth the sponge all over your face and you're done.”

Personally, I don’t use it all over my face and instead I concentrate on my cheeks, temples and under my chin to add an inner glow to my complexion.

Baked To Go Bronze-n-Brighten

Moonshadows – Fire Water

Just like the moon, this beautiful duo combines a light side - shimmery Sugared Baked Pearl Eyeshadow - and a dark side – Eye Rimz, which is a highly pigmented formula, swirled with vibrant color. Fire Water includes a soft champagne eyeshadow combined with Eye Rimz in pitch black with turquoise shimmer

Laura says; “For a look that's strongly defined and professionally polished, start by smoothing the pale shadow over your lid from lash line to crease. Then stroke a thick line of the dark Eye Rimz along your top and/or bottom lash lines. You can extend the line up and out for added drama. For a sleek, metallic look, apply Eye Rimz with a wet brush.”

The Fire Water eyeshadow is a pleasure to use, and the unique colour combinations offer you the opportunity to try something a little different, that works. The shimmer isn’t too overpowering and flatters your eye colour.

Moonshadow 

FIre Water

Lip Lights Lipgloss in Dewberry

This is a high shine lip-gloss that makes lips look like they are drenched with water. The best thing about this gloss is that it doesn’t feel sticky or gammy. The blend of patented gel technology with special polymers provides vibrant colour that stays gleaming for hours and keeps lips comfortably moist and protected with antioxidant vitamins A and E.

It also has a subtle scent of what I can describe as watermelon – mmmm!

Lip Lights Lipgloss

Dewberry

In all, Laura Geller is my first choice when it comes to mineral make up. Her ‘baked’ process makes taking, applying and blending powder foundation so much easier. I don’t have to worry about spillages and can just throw her products into your handbag and away you go. Her colours are easy to choose and adapt to your own complexion, meaning you don’t have to worry about looking made up in the wrong colour foundation. Laura Geller is a true innovator and understands what women want and need from their make up routine. I would definitely recommend Laura Geller to anyone looking to try mineral make up for the first time.

I hope my reviews have been helpful and informative. More T&T’s coming soon!

Ax

Mineral Make Up Tried & Tested - bareMinerals

Bare Escentuals really started the revolution in mineral makeup with the introduction of their award-winning 100% pure bareMinerals. It is free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other harmful chemicals. bareMinerals aims to provide impeccable coverage for every skin type, skin tone, and concern without feeling like you're wearing any makeup at all.

bareMinerals Collection

I tried the below products and these are my thoughts.

Prime Time

A preservative-free foundation primer developed to combat flaky dryness, fine lines, excess oil, and enlarged pores. This bareMinerals-infused formula glides on with no tacky feel to provide a skin-smoothing complexion prior to applying bareMinerals SPF 15 foundation. Prime Time glides on to the skin wonderfully and is a great base for any form of foundaion. My skin wasn’t left greasy or feeling too dry.

bareMinerals Prime Time

bareMinerals SPF15 Foundation – Light

Made with pure, crushed minerals from the earth, bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation looks like a powder, feels like a cream and buffs on like silk, giving my skin a natural luminosity. It is weightless and gives good coverage, however I didn’t like how much I had to use to achieve my desired look. In addition, I used the bareMinerals Max Coverage Face brush which to me would be better suited for applying a liquid foundation. The bristles aren’t like usual mineral foundation brushes and I found that this meant that it was much harder to blend and apply.

bareMinerals SPF15 Foundation - Light

bareMinerals also offer a great colour chart to help you choose the right shade for you.

How To Apply bareMinerals

Step 1: Swirl a small amount of Bare Escentuals SPF 15 Foundation into the lid. For light coverage, use the Flawless Application Face Brush, or the Kabuki Brush for greater coverage.

Step 2: Tap off any excess powder so that it's not visible on the brush.

Step 3: Buff the foundation onto the skin in a swirling, circular motion, starting on the outside of your face near your cheek bones. Then buff around your face, working your way to the cheeks, forehead and nose until you are satisfied. Remember, less is more when applying Bare Escentuals SPF 15 Foundation.

Application Tips

Multi-Tasking for Face

Besides working as a fantastic eyeshadow base, Multi-Tasking Bisques also performs as a concealer for your face, covering dark circles and skin imperfections. Apply directly onto brown and red spots, blemishes, broken capillaries, scars, and other areas of skin imperfections. I really thought this product was brilliant. It did hide my dark circles and bags, without looking heavy, which many liquid concealers do.

Multi-Tasking For Face

Blush - Giddy Pink

Creamy, 100% pure bareMinerals blushes give you a beautiful, healthy tone that looks natural, because it is. Add a soft, radiant glow to your complexion with our silky cheek colours. This colour is universal, it works brilliantly on fair skins, while adding a flushed look to darker skin tones.

Giddy Pink - Blush

bareMinerals is good, however the foundation wasn’t not to my preference. I don’t want to have to keep layering and layering to get coverage. I simply don’t have time. I tried using a different brush but still felt I had to add more and more. The blusher is fantastic and a real keeper, along with the primer.

Ax

Mineral Make Up Tried & Tested - Sheer Cover

I have tried Sheer Cover in the past and as I previously mentioned, I was not comfortable to go out without wearing layers of foundation. But I did like the products, so I decided to try it again.  Sheer Cover minerals are 100% natural; contain skin-soothing botanicals, natural SPF, and anti-aging green tea to protect the skin from premature aging. This means there aren’t any oils, perfumes, dyes or talc - ensuring it is gentle and not irritating on the skin. Pure mineral pigments are designed to lay on top of the skin to provide coverage, while mica helps reflect light to minimise the look of fine lines and give a sheer, flawless finish.

Sheer Cover's USP is that it hides all kinds of imperfections. Sheer Cover is recommended for dark circles, age spots, freckles and sun damage - as well as other special cosmetic needs such as scars, breakouts, and broken capillaries. You can even use it on arms, legs, and neck and across the body.

I tried the Sheer Cover Introductory Kit in Light. This kit contains two Mineral Foundations, one Nude, the other Bisque, Dual Concealer in two shades, Extra Length Mascara in black/brown, Base Perfector, Sheer Cover Studio Foundation Brush, Sheer Cover Concealer Brush, Sheer Colour Compact and a black Sheer Cover Vanity Case.

Using his makeup artistry expertise from shows like GMTV and How to Look Good Naked, celebrity makeup artist Armand Beasley has put together his essential quick makeup tips.

How to get the natural look in only 10 minutes

I used the Base Perfector, which stops concealer from sinking into pores and fine lines, while allowing the Sheer Cover Mineral Foundation to be applied to a smooth surface. Armand Beasley notes, “Use a mineral primer that won’t clog pores to make your makeup last all day – essential for those on the go.”

 “Next step is to apply a mineral base foundation which gives SPF and absorbs oil; the Sheer Cover travel brush is genius! Use quick swirling motions starting at the nose and moving outwards toward the jaw.”  There is a knack to applying this mineral foundation, but once you’ve a few goes, its easy and fast to apply.

The Sheer Cover Duo Concealer is easy to blend and doesn’t clog the skin, allowing you to hide dark circles, blemishes and even birthmarks. To apply, Armand suggests “Use a creamy concealer where needed tapping with your ring finger.”

The Extra-Length Mascara comes in black/brown with the Light kit, and usually this isn’t dark enough for me, but it actually was just right as I wasn’t wearing my usual heavy foundation. The Extra-Length Mascara coated every eyelash with the tapered brush and really opened my eyes. “Apply mascara on top & bottom lashes; good mascara means you can go without eyeshadow.”

The Sheer Cover Compact includes a light and creamy Café Mocha Eyeliner, which gives subtle definition to the eye and can also be blended as a contouring eyeshadow.

French Vanilla, Pink Parfait, Melon Ice Highlighters are ideal for giving emphasis underneath the brow bone, on the temples and inside the corner of the eye.

To finish off the look, the Sheer Cover Compact also contains 2 lipglosses, Pink Praline and Raspberry Rose, as well as a Mauveberry lip cream. These easy to wear colours make your lips look full and super shiny.

My overall thoughts are that the kit is a very accessible way to try the range and introduce yourself to a different form of make up. Great value for money, with definite results, Sheer Cover has no complaints from me.


Ax

Mineral Make Up Tried & Tested

Mineral Make Up Tried & Tested

About 8 years ago I first tried mineral make up, unfortunately at that time I lacked the confidence to got out without wearing a liquid foundation along with powder and concealer, as I used to suffer from quite bad skin blemishes. As I have gotten older I have found that wearing heavy foundation can be very ageing and makes the skin look dull. So, I have decided to give mineral make up another try, especially with the summer sun and heat leaving your skin feeling hot and oily. The last thing you want it too feel like you are wearing a mask. So over the next few posts I will be reviewing three different mineral make up brands….so keep an eye out to discover what works and what doesn’t, with helpful tips on how to apply the famed minerals from some of the hottest names in the industry.

Ax