Loose Mineral Eye Shadows

click on the photo above the enlarge

Ah, sparkly little pots of color! Too bad you are so messy to use! I've pared my once-substantial loose eye shadow collection (bye, bye, chunky MAC pigments) down to just a few shades that I actually wear. Or just stare at. Either one.

I purchased little plastic jars that screw onto one another in an attempt to streamline and have the loose shadows take up less space. The pigments can now be stored vertically instead of horizontally which leaves much more room. I highly recommend storing minerals this way. Here are some of my loose shadow favorites:
Bare Escentuals Grace- this shadow looks lilacy in the pot but has a warm champagne when foiled (used wet). It's a polychromatic, unique shade. This is an example of the shade dry (left) and foiled (right). It becomes much more metallic and dramatic when wet.

Ricky's Naked- Ricky's is an offbeat drugstore chain in New York City. Their house line of cosmetics, Mattese, carries a gorgeous, finely milled line of pigments. This is a super shimmery champagne.
Bare Escentuals Socialite- click and the picture to enlarge and really see the shimmering details. This is a stunning money-green with an ultrasparkly finish. It's very unique--I've seen a lot of pigments but never one quite this color. Used dry if can be buffed out to a smokey finish; use it wet and it's the perfect mermaid color. I love it wet as liner with a very simple eye and light peachy ink cheek.

Bare Escentuals Peaceful- this is a very warm auburn brown. It would be perfect on blue eyes.
Bare Escentuals Soul- I've previously spoken of my love for this underrated shadow. It's just the most perfect eye-brightening vanilla.

Bare Escentuals Cupcake- a delicate fairy ink with heavy gold sparkle. This shadow also looks great as a blush.
Bare Escentuals Gilded Taupe- a neutral taupe with gold shimmer. This shade is more sheer than most BE shades so it's perfect for a very natural look. I have to foil it to achieve any oomph.

Bella Il Fiore Socialite- I discovered this brand in a Ritz Carlton spa boutique on vacation. The picture really doesn't do this shade justice because it's so multidimensional. Socialite is a soft purple with gold shimmer, but use it wet and there is a hard steely platinum edge to it. It can go from soft and pretty to dramatic rocker chic with just a little water! I've spotted the brand at a few shops here in the city but never this shade, so I'm keeping close tabs on it!
left to right: BE Peaceful, Bella Il Fiore Socialite, BE Gilded Taupe, BE Grace, BE Socialite, Ricky's Naked, BE Soul, BE Cupcake

Loose Mineral Blushes

I used to have a very large Bare Escentuals collection (what can I say, the boutique offered free pastries on Sunday). I branched out into other mineral lines and had a lot of products on my hands at one point! I eventually realized that my insomniac, uncaffinated self + loose minerals + early morning=big, big mess and either gave away or tossed most of it. I kept a few key products and eventually acquired a few more, with the Laura Mercier Mineral Blush having arrived today.

Clockwise from top. Please click the picture to enlarge:

• Susan Posnick ColorMe in Camelia ($32)-This little pot features a puff on top and a mirror on the lid for easy travel. It is a bright but sheer coral pink with gold shimmer.
• Bare Escentuals Bare Radiance ($18)- A sheer pinky nude shimmer that I use over cream blush for a dewy glow.
• Bare Escentuals A Little Sun ($18)- A light warm pinky brown bronzer with shimmer. The color is warm without being orange.
• Laura Mercier Mineral Color Blush in Amberstone ($22)- a warm nude shimmer. More pigmented and definitely warmer than Bare Radiance.
• Bare Escentuals Golden Gate Blush ($18)- a neutral pink with a hint of coral. This blush isn't shimmery per se but has a radiance to it.

LM Amberstone and Susan Posnick Camelia


LM Amberstone, BE Bare Radiance, BE A Little Sun, BE Golden Gate, Susan Posnick Camelia

The Mixer

I purchased The Mixer at The Makeup Show and it was one of the purchases that excited me that most. I wanted to give myself a good amount of time to play with it before reviewing, and I'm finally ready to weigh in!

The Mixer is from Geri G Cosmetics and is touted as a "revolutionary makeup enhancer."
The Mixer ($29) can be used as a primer, brow and lash enhancer, to extend the wear of products and my preferred use, turning loose and powder products into creams. I purchased The Mixer because I love cream blushes and shadows and it would enable me to turn my favorite powder shades into long-wearing, water-resistant creams. It is also paraben-free and contains aloe, vitamins, natural botanicals, titanium dioxide for some sun protection, Nanomarine-5 and is said to be irritation free.

The product dispenses from the pump is a white cream with a bit of a waxy feel.

I pump a bit out onto my hand, add a bit of powder, mix with my fingers and apply. The Mixer has a bit of mica in it for added luminosity. It takes super-metallic and shimmery mineral shadows, like Alima Paris (below) and gives them more of a velvety finish. I then just apply with my fingers or a brush and the color sets for all-day wear.

With Mixer on the left, swatched alone on the right:
In natural light, no flash:
I've also used The Mixer to turn powder blushes into creams. I use the same technique as above. If you have problems with your blush lasting, this will make a big improvement. The Mixer also intensifies the color quite a bit, solving the problem if you have blushes that do not show up or are just a few shades too light.

Here is Bare Escentuals Golden Gate blush, alone on the left and with The Mixer on the right. With flash:

And here in natural light without flash:

So the good: The Mixer definitely adds versatility to my makeup collection and I love the ease of turning loose shadows and blushes into creams for easy application and water-resistant, long-lasting makeup. There's no learning curve and it allows you to completely control the depth of color and pigment level you achieve. Change product finishes and textures with ease.

And the bad: I have two big issues with The Mixer. First, it's highly fragranced. I didn't realize this at the show and would not have purchased it if I had. It's what is keeping me from recommending the product wholeheartedly. Fragrance is the last ingredient but I find the scent to be very strong and it takes a long time to dissipate. I'm very reluctant to use The Mixer to create eyeliners (one possible use I was most looking forward to trying) because I do not want to risk irritation by getting something this perfumed into my eyes. I cannot see what the purpose of having any fragrance in a product like this is, let alone one this strong. Though the brand claims that The Mixer has been allergy tested, is MD and Plastic Surgeon endorsed and is irritation free, those sensitive to fragrance should steer clear.

I also have issues with The Mixer balling up if I try to blend too much. Once the product has set, it's set, and any further blending can cause it to ball up or flake off.

The Mixer is also available in a kit with the M Brush, a little mixing spatula and an instructional DVD for $39.