Addicted to Minerals….

When I can’t sleep I find myself watching infomercials, then I try to find them in the stores because I try to fight those urges to make those impulsive purchases in the middle of the night! After seeing the bareMinerals infomercial a hundred times, I decided to take the plunge and try it.  I went to the local Ulta Beauty Store and purchased my starter kit!  That was back in 2004 and at that point I became addicted to bareMinerals…then my addiction grew to all mineral makeup products.

A little bit about me and my completion….  I am of Greek decent with Dark Brown hair, dark brown eyes, and very fair skin with red patches on my cheeks and forehead that can be confused with rosacea.  In addition, I have eczema and psoriasis on my scalp but my face is a combination of very dry and a bit oily.  I have had a hard time getting the coverage that I need without making myself look too pale or looking too caked on. 

Before bareMinerals, I hated wearing foundation because the liquid foundation was messy, would wear off after a few hours, or look too caked up….  I also felt discouraged because it just did not give the coverage that I needed to cover my redness that could be considered rosacea.   

bareMinerals made my makeup routine easier because it went on so smooth and it gave me even coverage and it would hide my trouble areas.  I also would not have to touch it up often.  This foundation gave the confidence that I needed when attending important functions or job interviews, etc…  I would recommend starting with the starter kit because it comes with all the essential products and brushes to get you started with bareMinerals.  The foundation and mineral veil, warmth and glee are more of a trial size; however, when you run out you can easily go purchase the regular-sized versions of the products that you need or your new favorites.

Then they came out with the matte foundation … I love, love it! It gives me a flawless matte finish.

Find out more about bareMinerals on their website: http://www.bareescentuals.com/.

If you find bareMinerals too pricey, I save money by going to L’Oreal products…. I save bareMinerals for special occasions or when I want to splurge.  On a daily basis I have found that L’Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Foundation Makeup can give me the same coverage and I finish with the L’Oreal True Match Soft Focus Mineral Finish in Translucent or L’Oreal True Match All-Over Mineral Glow in Rose Glow.  Check out their website to find out more: www.lorealparisusa.com. 

Don’t forget that SPF coverage is very important to protect your skin from the elements and from getting wrinkles.  The nice thing is that both bareMinerals and L’Oreal mineral foundation makeup have you covered with SPF coverage.

Burt's Bees saved me from my eczema

I have tried everything from over the counter lotions to prescription lotions from my dermatologist and none of them seemed to soothe my dry, chapped, and bleeding hands.   One of my friends suggested that I go organic and try Burt's Bees products.  I thought why not, nothing else seems to work! So I took her advice and decided to jump on the organic band wagon.  I started with Radiance Body Lotion by Burt's Bees.  Well it not only made my skin shine but it soothed my skin and made the bleeding disappear! Once you open the tube the lotion just oozes out, glides on your skin and immediately soaks into your skin leaving your skin glistening from the light reflecting mica.  The Royal Jelly, sunflower oil moisturizers, and mica make me feel like I am getting soothing massage.  I had actually thought that I would have to move out of Chicago so that I would once again be able to bend my fingers or hands without causing my skin to break open. I think that Burt's Bees is well worth the money and it makes my skin glisten.  I even like to use it on my and arms in the summer for that extra shimmer.

I had also tried Burt's Bees Milk & Honey body lotion but that did not soothe my eczema.  You may need to do some experimenting to find out which product works best for you. 

What is in this product to transform your skin?  Well this is the information that I found on Burt's Bees' website  http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/body-moisturizers/radiance-body-lotion.html

"This natural body lotion is specially created to enhance your skin's radiance. It's formulated with Royal Jelly, one of nature’s most nourishing substances, packed with 134 nutrients, including 17 amino acids, and vitamins A, C, D and K, as well as multiple B-vitamins. Sunflower oil moisturizes and mica, a light reflecting mineral, enhances your skin's natural glow. The result is soft, shimmering skin."

I love their products and I have started using their Beeswax Lip Balm and Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream.  I need to give the Cleansing Cream some time before I can give a proper review but I do love their Beeswax Lip Balm, it has transformed my parched and dry lips into soft and supple kissable lips.

Why not go organic, if you can? These products are affordable and seemed to work for me. Has anyone had any experiences with these products, please feel free to share your thoughts or comments.