In the Spotlight: Bare Naturals Ultra High Definition Mineral Primer

Struggling with oily skin and enlarged pores? Wanting a flawless and radiant glow? Needing something that'll look good on photos? Well, Bare Naturals has the answer to your needs and wants --- the Ultra High Definition Mineral Primer!


What Bare Naturals says about it:
UDMP is the powder version of SKIN PERFECTING (S5) Primer!
Promise of oil-control, lasting makeup and flawless look!

ULTRA-DEFINITION MINERAL PRIMER softens the appearance of imperfections. It has silica and Ronasphere LDP (Light Diffusing Properties) that make lines, wrinkles and minor imperfections unnoticeable.
It completely evens out the complexion for a glowing, radiant look!

Best thing about our ULTRA-DEFINITION MINERAL PRIMER it is slightly tinted! (which will suit any skin tone and skin shade)
You can use it alone, or as your base powder for maximum oil control and it will NEVER cake up on you!

When you touch or swatch our ultra definition powder, you will notice that it is indeed a cut above the rest! :)

Check out the swatches.

without flash

with flash

Yay!

• Price. For Php225 (around $4) for 10g, Php395 (around $8) for 20g and Php635 (around $13) for 40g, this UHD powder is a lot cheaper compared to a lot of HD powders in the market (with the exception of ELF).
  
• Texture. As soon as you touch the powder, you'll feel how smooth and finely milled it is.
  
• Dual purpose. Aside from being a primer, this mineral powder can also be used as a finishing powder or a blot powder.
  
• Matches any skin color. Despite getting a (an ugly tan, that is) tan lately (I hate the sun!!!), this powder still matches my skin color. I've also used this powder on ladies with a much darker color than mine and it has never made anyone of them look ghostly.
  
• Blends well. It will not look streaky or look obvious when used as a setting powder.
  
• Delivers. Everything that Bare Naturals said about the product --- keeps oil at bay, makes pores appear smaller, does not cake, and makes you look glowing and flawless --- is true! I haven't been wearing foundation for the past couple of weeks (just BB cream or tinted moisturizer and this on top) and my skin looks glowing and flawless.
  

Nay!

• Messy. Just as with any mineral makeup or practically anything in loose powder form, this can get utterly messy. Every time I open and close the lid, it just goes POOOF! and the powder flies everywhere.
  
• Inconvenient for traveling. If you're looking for something to throw into your purse for touch ups, this may not be the best thing to tag along UNLESS you're forgiving enough when the powder flies onto your clothes.

For repurchase?
Definitely. Since purchasing the product early January, this UHD Mineral Powder from Bare Naturals has never left my vanity table and purse, albeit messy and unfit for traveling, all because of the benefits I get from using it. The promise of shine-free and oil-free face, smaller pores and radiant and glowing look can be achieved with this amazing, heaven-sent product.

*This product was purchased by me for personal and review purposes. I am not affiliated with nor was paid by the company to write this review. This is an honest review based on my personal experience with the product.*

January Haul

I know I've been away for so long and no amount of apologies will ever suffice. It's just so hard to keep your blog updated when your hands are overflowing with things to do. But thank you all so much for leaving me comments and messages on my chatbox and for sending emails. I'll try to reply to all of them as soon as I can. For the meantime, I'd like to share with you the things that I've purchased this past month. Bear in mind, however, that my reason for posting my [monthly] hauls is not to brag about my purchases but to keep track of my spending because it was while I was taking photos of my purchases that I realized that doing so helps me keep track of my expenses and control my spending.

These were purchased together with the hot pink lipstick and the romantic beauty stand, both of which I forgot to take photos of. Etude House nail polishes are among the must try's of the brand. They're relatively cheap, have excellent pigmentation, and never goopy. Oh, and excuse my dirty brush. I realized how dirty it was after the photo was taken. It went straight to my bathroom counter after this.

I bought these Revlon Colorstay Mineral lipglazes the moment I saw them selling for Php350 (around $) 7on Ebay (mall price is Php520 [around $11], I believe). I love these and I want to collect all the shades. I also got a tube of one of my favorite mascaras, L'Oreal Voluminous, coz my two other tubes have already dried up. I was so glad to see someone selling this mascara on Ebay coz L'Oreal Philippines does not carry this line. I always have to ask my beloved to get it for me in the US. The Covergirl Lashblast, on the other hand, was purchased coz I'm a sucker for volumizing/thickening mascaras. The two shimmer cremes on the upper left were freebies from the seller.

Since purchasing waterproof mascaras in December, I've always felt the need to get a bottle of makeup remover especially made to remove waterproof makeup. Thank God for this cheap yet effective gentle makeup remover from L'Oreal.

I bought the sponges and brush cleanser at the Suesh booth at the Rockwell bazaar sometime last month.

This is one of my most exciting [and expensive] purchases for January. This roll unfolds to reveal...

...a 30pc brush set from Dashe Cosmetics! While some find Php3000 (around $66) pricey, this 30pc brush set is still way cheaper compared to MAC brushes which are priced at $20-$30 each.

This nose contouring brush is one of my favorites from the set.

Bare Naturals is one of my most well-loved mineral makeup companies; their products always impress me.

Please don't ask me why I got another brush set. I know I have way too many brushes (I own all of the brush sets that BN sells) but I just felt like I had to get BN's deluxe brush set because of their gold handles. They look so classy! By the way, the mineral bronzer (the one with the black lid) and the Natural Pink Lip and Nipple Gel along with the sample size soap and other samples in makeup baggies are all freebies.

I don't really use moisturizers (I'm tooooo lazy), but I signed up on the J&J website and got this set for free.

Been wanting these pencils since forever, so when I saw the set on Ebay, I immediately placed my bid until I won. I may have paid more (almost $10) but I think it's worth it. I love Urban Decay 24/7 glide on pencils.

I got the Himalaya's face packs because of the raves I've been reading about them. They may not smell that pleasant, but they work well. The pimple gel from Eskinol is just an experiment.

Here's what I got for my beloved. He's been eyeing this since we saw it at The Fort. He didn't buy it then (coz I told him not to), coz I had plans of getting it for his birthday. He's so stoked to have this; he wears it only on special occasions.

And his birthday cake :)

These may not be a lot for many others, but I feel like I've bought so much more than what I need. I have enough makeup to last me a forever, but it's so hard to pass up good deals on some items you've always wanted to have. Besides, it's such an eye candy when you see your collection growing.

Thanks for stopping by beautiful ladies. Have a good night sleep.

FOTD: Rock Your Body

People always describe me as "very feminine/girly" or kikay in our local vernacular. I'll choose dresses and skirts over jeans and shorts at any given day (jeans tends to constrict movement). In fact, I have more dresses and skirts than jeans and shorts in my closets (no, it's not a typo. I have two closets).

So in an attempt to give my utterly feminine image a makeover, I decided to put together a "rocker chick" look for today. It's perfect for a Friday night out, don't you think?

Pardon the lighting in some of the pictures. The sun was playing games on me.

Did my eyes using:
Etude House Proof 10 Eye Primer
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean
Bare Naturals Mineral Eyeshadow in Cosmo
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in AC/DC
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Gunmetal
Milani Powder Eyeshadow in Almondine
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Black
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero
Maybelline Cats Eyes Hypercurl Volume Mascara
L'Oreal Telescopic Clean Definition Mascara

I just had to throw in a smiley me

Shhh... My beloved is sleeping

On the rest of my face, I'm wearing
MUFE HD Powder
Bare Naturals Mineral Foundistay in Olive Light Medium
Revlon Colorstay Active Foundation in Natural Beige
Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Cream Concealer
Pureglow Minerals Eye Brightener
Pureglow Minerals Eye Wake Concealer
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzing Powder
Too Faced La Vie En Rose Brightening Blush
Etude House Secret Beam Highlighter

I love the subtle glow the highlighter gives me. Can you tell that I have it on my forehead, cheek bones, nose bridge and chin?

Bring it down, yo

Errrr...

I don't think this look fits me well

Did I successfully pull off the "Rocker Chick" look? Something tells me I didn't. Oh well, I guess I'll stick to the girly me.

I would love to show you my OOTD but I don't have a full-length mirror at home, and my beloved is running a very high temperature (until now) :( I had to take care of him before going to work and I have to nurse him again when I go home tonight. Anyway, my reviews are almost ready. I'll try to have them up this weekend.

Till then, have a blast wherever and however you'll be spending the night.

Product Showdown: Smashbox Photofinish Primer VS Bare Naturals S5 Skin Perfecting Primer

How important are primers to you? For me, it is a must. When you live in a country like the Philippines, I would say a primer is one of the things you must certainly have in your stash. Why? First, it prevents your makeup from sliding off of your skin too quickly. Second, it keeps your face shine free for a few hours, and when you do start to oil up, your skin will look more dewy than greasy. Third, it makes your pores and fine lines look less visible. Fourth, it makes your skin smooth and silky. Fifth, applying your foundation will be fuss-free. Now ain't those enough reasons to use a primer?

There's a lot of primers available in our market today; however, a lot of them are quite too pricey for something that goes under your makeup. Sure, the benefits are something to consider; but if that means I have to pay more than $30 to get those benefits, I'd rather defer. Good thing we have a primer that, in my humble opinion, is at par with some pricey primers. What could it be? Read on to find out.

On the red corner, we have one cult favorite, the Smashbox Photofinish Primer. On the blue corner, we have Bare Naturals S5 Skin Perfecting Primer.

Let the battle begin!!!

Smashbox Photofinish Primer

Sorry for the blurred photo. I didn't notice that my camera didn't focus well until I uploaded it on my laptop.

From the Smashbox Website
Create a perfect canvas for foundation application with this silky, lightweight blend of vitamins A & E, grape seed extract and green tea. Worn alone or under foundation to increase its longevity, our best-selling primer helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores for flawless skin with a velvety-smooth finish. In a new square airless pump for freshness to the last drop.

Oil-free!

Winner of Best of Sephora Award for Best Primer, one of Marie Claire's "25 Products That Will Change Your Life", & an InStyle Best Beauty Buy.

Ingredients
Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Glycol, Water, Grape Seed Extract, Kolanut Seed Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract

Yay!

• Makes makeup application so much easier. My foundation glides so effortlessly on my skin.
• Keeps my face shine-free for a good 5-6hours.
• Locally available at Beauty Bar
• Gives my skin a smooth and silky feel
• Fills in pores and fine lines, especially around the eyes
• Dries up in 1-2minutes
  

Nay!

• Price. Too expensive for a face primer. Retails at $36. Other variants retail at a whopping $42!
  
• Scent. Has an awfully strange scent that kinda bothers me
• Comedogenic. Despite the wonders it does to make my makeup last and look pretty, it has caused my skin to breakout
• Makes skin feel greasy after application

Bare Naturals S5 Skin Perfecting Face Primer

I've been using this 30ml bottle of Bare Naturals' S5 Skin Perfecting Primer for 11months and I still have a lot left in the bottle.

From the Bare Naturals Website
If you love our S5 primer, you will definitely fall in love with our SKIN PERFECTING PRIMER: WHY? 1. better formulation, with added ingredients for added skin benefits 2. made by another formulator.. now more affordable! 3. The same non-pore clogging skin primer you love! Squalane is still the way to go ;) 4. Better primer which mattifies the face, can keep the oil at bay and can help make your foundi last. Silk, smooth, satiny feel each time you use it.... 5. more things to discover with this new primer ;)

Ingredients

SQUALANE Olive Squalane is a light and stable version of olive oil squalene with a long shelf life. Often referred to as “mother nature’s face lift”. Comparing it to jojoba oil, unlike jojoba oil, there were report of skin break-outs related to teh use of jojoba oil in cosmetic because jojoba can also block the pores.

VITAMIN E The most natural skin care preservative that has great skin benefits. Moisturizes, soothes and protects for softer, younger looking skin

Coenzyme CoQ10 is essential to good health, and plays a particularly important role in vibrant, youthful-looking skin.

REAL PEARL POWDER Pearl powder contains about 18 amino acids and over a dozen minerals. Including 10 essential amino acids necessary for the human body to heal and maintain cell nutrition. These essential building blocks of collagen and protein each has a specific function. Deficiency of any one of the key amino acids causes the skin to look coarse, depleted, old, and wrinkled. Traditionally recognized benefits of using pearl powder products include: Healing, skin brightening, anti-wrinkle, and sun protection. Other anti-aging benefits: Helps to promote cell renewal, enhance elasticity, improve circulation, calming and detoxification, protects from environmental radicals, regulates skin discoloration, and smooths skin texture.

TEA TREE good for pimple problems. Used for its healing attributes as well as its properties of being antiseptic, antibiotic, antibacterial, etc...

contains: silicone and silica microsphere for light diffusing properties

Yay!

• Price. It's fairly inexpensive for something that lasts a long time.
• Availability. Locally available via the Bare Naturals website and resellers.
  
• Good for the skin. It's made up of good stuff.
  
• Non-comedogenic. Has never broken me out in my more than one year of using it.
  
• Makes my skin feel smooth and silky after application
  
• Dries in 1-2minutes
• Keeps my face shine-free for a good 5-6hours
  

Nay!

• Zero. Nothing. Nada.
  

Let's see how these two primers appear on the skin.

Can you tell just how thick is the consistency of Smashbox Photofinish Primer? Bare Naturals S5 Skin Perfecting on the other hand is a bit runny, don't you think?

Now check the table to see the major differences between the two primers. (Click to enlarge)

So who do you think the winner is? For me, it's Bare Naturals at a drop of a hat. Look how cheap it is compared to Smashbox. Seriously, would you pay $36 for something that an $8 primer can do? I won't. I'd rather save my money for something else that's worthy enough to carry a $36 price tag.

That's my two cents worth. What's yours?

EOTD: In the Blues

I realized that I haven't been reaching for my Bare Naturals pigments for quite some time no matter how gorgeous the colors are because I have them stored somewhere in the thick of my stash. So while rummaging through my stuff yesterday, I took the pigments out and put them somewhere where they can easily be reached for.

The colors are really vibrant and long lasting provided you use a good primer/base. If you want the colors to appear even more vibrant than they are, foil them.

For a quick post, I'd like to show you my EOTD from yesterday before I rush out and brave the heavy rains.

Products Used

NYX Brow powder in Dark Brown
UDPP
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese (applied and smoothed on lid and crease)
Bare Naturals Pigment in Soul (applied on the inner thirds of the eyes and on the inner corner)
Bare Naturals pigment in Superb (all over the lid)
Bare Naturals pigment in Cosmo (on outer v and crease)
[EDIT] NYX Trio Eyeshadow in Casablanca (used the matte pink shade for highlight)
L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid eye liner in Carbon black
Fashion21 Waterproof liquid eyeliner in black
EB pencil eyeliner in black
L'Oreal Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara

In the Spotlight: Bare Naturals Ecobrushes

A girl can never have too many... BRUSHES! (Actually, a girl can never have enough of anything. We're suckers for anything that's pretty) It's such an eye candy when you look at your stash and find a lot of gorgeous brushes that come in various sizes and colors. Run your fingers through the hairs and oh, it's a taste of heaven!

Now I don't have that much brushes as compared to other ladies, but I'm in love with the brushes that I already currently own. Yes, I do hope to accumulate more --- more eye brushes especially --- as I don't have that many eye brushes to practice with. I might be purchasing one or two more sets (one from a local mineral makeup company and the Beyond Beauty Encounter Brush Set from Smashbox) but I'm still contemplating on getting them as I have just recently placed an order for two brush sets and one flat top brush a couple of months ago. I remember placing my order in June and was expecting the brushes to arrive in July, but due to unforeseen circumstances, shipment of the brushes were delayed. Surprisingly, my order from Bare Naturals made its way to my doorstep yesterday early morning. It was at lunch that I found out that I had a package waiting for me and I was actually puzzled. I thought, "I haven't placed an order in the last couple of weeks so who could've sent me a package?" My mom thought it was another makeup purchase but I assured her that I haven't ordered anything recently so it couldn't be make up inside the baggie. So I brought my package to work (yes, I had work on a freakin' holiday! ugh!) and opened it the moment I sat on my chair. As soon as I opened it, a cute li'l bag greeted me.

It was this bag that contained my goodies! It looks like those eco-friendly shopping bags! Yay!

This small pouch will be home to my new brushes! (this is actually just temporary. they will be shipping out the actual pouch by the end of the month)

My Bare Naturals Ecobrushes! (from L-R: eyeshadow brush, concealer brush, powder brush, mini kabuki) Don't they look exactly like the Ecotools 5pc brush set? Amazing!

BN Powder Brush right next to Ecotools Blush Brush (I know, they're not meant to be compared; but I don't own the Ecotools 5pc Brush set)
(Powder brush: Dia.21*123mm height)

Left: BN Powder Brush; Right: Ecotools Blush Brush

Left: BN Powder Brush; Right: Ecotools Blush Brush

Left: BN Concealer Brush; Right: Ecotools Concealer Brush
(Concealer brush Dia.10*108mm height)

Left: BN Concealer Brush; Right: Ecotools Concealer Brush

BN Eyeshadow Brush (Eye shader brush Dia.9*114mm height)

See how tiny this is? It fits perfectly in my hand!

It's pretty fluffy.

My very first mini kabuki brush!!! (Kabuki diameter 20mm)

It looks so pretty standing like this!

Fluffy and dense! Perfect!

What Bare Naturals has to say

BN Ecobrushes are made from sturdy bamboo handle, baked in matte natural paint. To put it bluntly, this isn't honestly just another set of cheap-looking, eco-friendly product. We guarantee that ours is different in a very good way from other more popular bamboo handles

These brushes come in washable, eco-friendly jute brown pouch

What I love about them

• They all are unbelievably soft! They're even softer than the Ecotools brushes that I own!
• They do not shed! I washed when I got home from work last night (despite my throbbing headache) and none of them shed one bit!
• They don't smell! I hate it when brushes have that strong foul smell that you just can't wash off. I'm so glad that none of these brushes smelled anything like it.
• They do not bleed when you wash them. Being that these are synthetic brushes, they surely won't bleed.
  
• The powder brush, though fluffy, is dense and firm enough to apply your finishing powder/AOFC.
  
• Just like Ecotools brushes, BN Ecobrushes are ecofriendly!
  
• The mini kabuki looks so pretty!!! Haha!
  
• They're tiny so they're easy to travel with.
• They come with a washable linen pouch.
  
• The eyeshadow brush's head will be perfect for those who have a large eye area to work on. Blending will be a breeze with this brush.

What I don't like about them

• The concealer brush's head is a little too small to be used for your under eye circles. It will be best used for acne scars or some skin discolorations that don't cover a large area.
• The eyeshadow brush's head is too huge for people with monolids or even those who don't have that much space to work on around the eye.
  
• Holding on to the kabuki brush is a bit difficult coz of the very small handle. I know that most kabuki brushes are like this (except for EDM's long-handled kabuki brush), but the very short handle makes it difficult to control.

Final Verdict
Finding affordable and high quality brushes in the Philippines can be a task. You will really have to look around to find one that fits your budget without compromising its quality. So if you are in the Philippines and are looking for a good quality brush set that will not cost you more than a thousand pesos, you might want to look into getting this set or their other Deluxe Brush Set (Php998 or $20). Bare Naturals Ecobrushes are sold at Php828 or $17, about 6$-7$ more expensive than the Ecotools brushes. But then again, BN Ecobrushes are softer than the Ecotools brushes that I own, so I guess I wouldn't mind paying an extra $7. What about you?

Will I repurchase?

Not this one; however, I'm considering getting Bare Naturals' Deluxe Brush Set. I was supposed to get it along with this set, but I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to get the Deluxe Flat Top Brush instead, which I will be reviewing in one of my upcoming posts. So stay tuned for that ladies!

Hope you guys have something fun planned for the weekend! I'll catch you all tomorrow with some FOTDs and a few rants. Good night everyone!