Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Bare Minerals Review - Eyeshadow for The Scent Allergic

I have always had a love/hate relationship with makeup: I love to buy it, but my allergies hate when I wear it. I have literally bought a new product, opened it, and my nose started to run - no application needed! I had finally resigned myself to the fact that it I wanted to wear it, I was going to take allergy medication as well.


A few weeks ago a friend and I took a trip to a day spa. The massage therapist told me I was most likely allergic to synthetic scents after she heard my makeup story. She suggested I try fragrance free products.

If you've searched for fragrance free products, you know what came next. I looked in all the regular "haunts" and came up mostly empty. Then I saw Bare Minerals advertised in a magazine. I knew that boutique-type makeup would be more expensive, but I was willing to give it a go.

My skin is relatively clear (although I have issues with redness in some areas), so I always try out eye makeup first. I assume that if I can't wear your eye shadow without issues, then the rest of the line is pointless. And I love eye shadows. I love color.

I went to a local store that sold Bare Minerals and picked out some neutral shadow - a quad with colors I could wear on a daily basis. 

The Happy Place quad from Bare Minerals

I came home and applied color and waited for an allergic reaction - runny nose, itchy eyes, my eyelids feeling tired, anything. And...nothing. I wore it for the rest of the day. No allergic reaction. I wore it every day for a week and had no issues. I was ecstatic...and scared. This could be the beginning of a new addiction.

Just look at the eyes, ignore the hair...

One thing I especially love is Bare Minerals' YouTube channel - how-to videos galore. I like to watch them for ideas and for suggestions for new products to try.

 
 
 
If you tend to "lose" your eye shadow throughout the day, try some primer. Bare Minerals' Prime Time Eyelid Primer is a great product (and is on sale on their website for $12 right now). Prime your lid by using your finger tips, a cotton swab, or a makeup brush to apply primer to the lower lid. Let it dry. Apply a neutral base color all over the lid - this is what eye quads are great for - use the lightest color. If you have a duo (two colors) apply the lighter color on the lid and brow bone. Apply your darkest color to the crease of your eye (between the lid and brow, the part that goes in when your eye is open). If you have a quad, you can take your two darkest colors and layer them in the crease and blend or use one above the crease and one in the crease. There are a ton of "how to apply eye shadow" videos out there - feel free to do a search and experiment with what looks best for your eyes.
 
If you need makeup with no synthetic scents which works for sensitive skin and allergies, be sure to try Bare Minerals. The available options in terms of colors and products are truly amazing. Next up I'll try their Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara.

All reviews are my own opinions for products that I purchased myself. I was not paid for this review, I was not provided with products, and I am not associated with Bare Minerals. These are simply my experiences with the product.