Saturday's sample: Bare Minerals' Stroke of Light in Luminous 2

Bare Minerals' Stroke of Light in Luminous 2 and the sample that got me hooked (for scale)

For the past month or so I thought an Oompa Loompa had sought refuge underneath my eyes. The orange hued mask concealing my under eye circles has been absolutely unbecoming, far more than the circles themselves.

My once loved concealer was failing me. Collecting at the inner corners of my eyes and not working in the, well, business of concealing things. Coincidentally, I picked up a sample of Bare Minerals' Stroke of Light in Luminous 2 in my Beauty Loop box from Mecca.

You see, being a makeup addict totally has its perks!

Hello, Bambi's calling. The forever handy doe foot applicator

Swatches of Stroke of Light in Luminous 2 unblended (left) and blended (right)

The miniature bottle of Stroke of Light has proven to be the little engine that could. While petite in stature it managed to deliver a healthy dose of bright eyed and bushy tailed. Because, you know, mornings are sort of my favourite time of day -- pfft!

Bare Minerals states:

"Immediately brighten the eye area and diffuse dark shadows (don't mind if I do!) while reducing the appearance of fine lines and dark circles over time. Apply on bare skin or over makeup."

Done and done!

When compared to NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, I've found Stroke of Light easier to blend and layer. Stroke of Light also stays put like an eager to please puppy fresh out of training.

In total there are four shades on offer as follows..

• Luminous 1 - fair in colour with pink undertones
• Luminous 2 - light in colour with yellow undertones
• Luminous 3 - tan in colour with neutral undertones (I found it to be more orange than tan)
• Luminous 4 - deep in colour with golden undertones (sight unseen); available over at Sephora, but not at Mecca Cosmetica

I sent the Oompa Loompas back to the factory due to their lack of productivity 

Laters, dark circles.

And to Mecca, thanks for featuring quality samples in your Beauty Loop boxes -- it's a nice incentive for being a frequent flier in addition to the box being a gateway drug and I mean it in the best way possible!

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Bare Minerals' Stroke of Light:

• $26.95 AUS / $22.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 9 out of 10 bags — Lovely and wicked affordable!

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Always, you know me!

Bare Minerals The Top Shelf - shaken, but not stirred

I am stuck. Between a rock and a hard place and I'm finding it difficult to wriggle out of the clutch of writer's block.  I think I'm in that slump of should I do this anymore, or am I the lil' engine that could? Buying makeup isn't all too exciting; I mean I love the hunt, but once I get home I let my purchases sit. Sometimes I even experience buyer's remorse.  What's tough is I've been doing this blogging thing since October, but I should't get too disheartened, right?  I once had a guidance counsellor tell me I would never get into college with the grades I had.  Hey, I milked my sick days for a while; but, then I worked my butt off during my junior year, improved my grades and got into a pretty decent university.

Maybe a little sweat and a touch of elbow grease will help me turn things around.  I often compare myself to Sisyphus; I am the one pushing that heavy boulder up hill, but will I ever get to the top? My husband might just be my biggest (and only) cheerleader - heck, he even subscribed to my blog's RSS feed!

So, I guess this is more or less an appeal.  Is anybody there?  I know I have visitors, but what makes your heart sing?  Why do you visit?  And do I need to shake things up?

I am a writer, lover of the arts, but not an artist.  Makeup is my thing and I think I do an a o.k. job of painting my face.

Thoughts?

/end rant/

Onto something a tad more topical.  Bare Minerals and their pressed palettes.

Known for being "loose" - hey, get your mind out of the gutter!  Bare Minerals has that whole "swirl, tap and buff" thing down pat, but why the change?  This is diversification at its finest. They've gone from powder to packed and small quantities with heightened colour pay off. Plus, how can you knock the anti-aging claims and ingredients which might even help reduce puffiness.

While I do enjoy how silky soft this duo feels, it does leave me disappointed. Talk about crease city! I've tried applying Top Shelfs' Cognac and Mixologist several different ways; initially it's pretty, but in two hours time the colours have made their way to my crease.  I haven't given up hope, because I know I have oily lids.  Although, my go to primers aren't even working their magic; should I try setting my primer with powder first?

Oh, hello.

Mixologist and Cognac

Mixologist is described as a "champagne sheen," but I see Stila's Kitten.  As for Cognac, the "gilded bronze" works for me.  Since its release inside of Mecca Cosmetica the demand has been high.  During a recent visit to say hi to Cindy, I noticed The Top Shelf was sold out; perhaps a fan favourite, because it's a reasonably priced classic pairing.

Cognac and Mixologist

Please call Q and tell him to hold my calls, oh, and have him me bring me another drink.  Girl is thirsty.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Bare Mineral's The Top Shelf:

• $27.95 AUS / $20.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 6 out of 10 bags – great colours, but I was expecting so much more in terms of performance.

Likelihood to purchase again:

• The Winner Is might become a new addition, if I can decrease the creasing!

*side note: thanks for letting me whinge.