BareEscentuals, how I covet thee...

Over the past year, the Product Slut has been hitting the BareEscentuals pretty hard. One might say she has a problem. The Product Slut does not hear I.D. complaining about how much money she gives to Sephora on their behalf. They are not complaining that she insists her friends and family all switch to this brand of makeup. They really get to her when they include a thinly disguised infomercial (er, how-to DVD) in her starter kit.

No matter - this stuff is the real deal. It's no wonder that the starter kits are so inexpensive. Once they hook you, you're hooked for life. Let us dissect:

bareMinerals Get Started Kit

Contains:
bareVitamins
bareMinerals foundation in two colors for exact skin shade match.
Mineral Veil
All-over face color in Warmth
Full-coverage Kabuki brush
Flawless application brush
Maximum Concealer brush

First, one preps their face with the bareVitamins. This is a lotion that one applies pre-moisturizer to smooth out the skin for applying the bareMinerals. For The Product Slut, she can live with or without this step. She doesn't have huge skin issues, but will admit that her skin feels smoother when using and she should probably start applying it religiously.

Next, tap some bareMinerals foundation into its lid. Swirl your chosen application brush until all the minerals are in the bristles. Tap off the excess and swirl make-up onto your face. Because of the two shades, you can get very close to your natural color. For the very fair folk: the very palest cover is not available in the starter kit at Sephora. However, at bareescentuals.com, you can customize your kit if you need the palest of the pale. The Product Slut is fair, but the second palest color (Fairly Light) works for her. She revels in the weightlessness of this foundation, the even coverage with no line, and the spf 15. Bravo!

Mineral Veil is similar to translucent powder. You can use it alone, or over foundation, or after you've applied your full face to set your look. This is the product that the Product Slut cannot live without, even if she lives without bareVitamins sometimes. Mineral Veil gives her a soft-focus look without ever looking chalky. If one is of a darker complexion, one can get the tinted Mineral Veil. Mineral Veil can be applied throughout the day to freshen up or banish shine. (The portable compact created by bareEscentuals is PERFECT for Mineral Veil. It's easy to fill, keeps your purse from becoming covered in minerals and comes with a great mirror and brush. Love it!)

The Product Slut was very hesitant about the Warmth. It is a dark terracotta color that looks similar to a bronzer. Since she has had bad experiences with bronzers looking like dirt on her skin, she cautiously used the Warmth. Boy, was she ever wrong about this stuff! It adds a lovely warm glow - but not like she suddenly got tan. A little goes a VERY long way, so use sparingly. Personally, TPS likes her complexion a little rosier, so she goes with Glee as her all-over face color.

The brushes that come with this kit are excellent. So soft, so effective. They are all the full size versions and even if the cosmetics were crappy, the kit is worth it for the brushes alone. TPS uses the Flawless application brush for her foundation and the full-coverage Kabuki brush for her Mineral Veil, but is not afraid to mix it up.

TPS must mention that she does not really love the small sizes of the foundation and Mineral Veil. It can get a little messy with the swirling and tapping. Once you use them up, you will be very pleased with the full size products. TPS could not get over how un-messy it was!

The how-to DVD that accompanies the starter kit is fun to watch, if only for Leslie's extra tips. The two "models" are stiff and a little hard to take, but TPS will suffer for a little gain in knowledge.

Coming soon: After becoming addicted to foundation again after years of not wearing it, TPS decided to branch out into the eye/lip products offered by I.D. Fun with foiling!

Welcome, fellow product sluts!

The Product Slut is here to spend her hard-earned pocket money on every sundry item that appeals to her acquisitive nature. She will rate commercials that make her want to buy things or that repel her. She will spend every moment she can poring over Marie Claire and Allure, drooling over Christian Laboutin shoes and gathering tidbits about new products and techniques. She will tell you all about her failed experiments, the products she loathes and the products that make her squeal with delight. Nothing is off limits. If you are of a sensitive nature, you may want to avert your eyes.

The Product Slut is also of the middle class, so she will not incur debt for beauty or comfort, but she will live paycheck to paycheck in order to afford the little luxuries.

The Product Slut hopes you enjoy her little missives and welcomes you to propose products for review.