bareMinerals Blush in Pure Charm, $18

Another part of my Bare Escentuals kit is bareMinerals Blush in Pure Charm, a dramatic orangey-peachy-pink tone. The color is slightly more daring than I'm used to for blush. In some pics it looks neon! But when you see it it's actually much more of a rosy shade with hints of peach and gold.

The texture of the blush is really nice--soft, blendable, and buildable. I'm not really a fan of loose powder blush though, especially in such a small container, because it makes it hard for me to get it evenly distributed on my brush. I ended up using the cap as a little dish to catch the excess and moved the brush around in that. It seemed to work pretty well, but if I'm running around in the morning I'd be afraid of making a mess.

Applied sparingly (less than in this pic), it looks really nice on my skin tone. I think it would work with darker complexions as well. It's a perfect summer shade because it adds a bright pop of color that can blend well with a tan (or bronzer). And actually, I think it would look beautiful as an eyeshadow!

What I love about this color is the tiny gold sparkles. It gives the blush depth without compromising its strong pigment. I photographed it next to my staple, Nars Orgasm, which is more heavily infused with gold. As you can see, it's around the same shade, but more intensely pigmented.

Final verdict
Cost: $18 brand new, but they don't sell the color at Sephora anymore. Try looking for it on eBay and Amazon for as little as $8.
Texture: Just like the eyeshadow, I found it to be soft, blendable, and buildable. Feels like nothing's there at all!
Color: This color is a bit daring but it's easy to make it work. Just keep blending! The gold sparkles keep it from looking too shocking.
Repeat offender: I like this blush and would definitely understand why someone would want to buy it again--it's great quality and is a unique color. But I honestly can't really get over the inconvenience of the loose powder (it's slight, I know). I'll use it for sure, but I think I'll stick to pressed powder blushes. Maybe I'll just use this one as an eyeshadow instead!

-T

bareMinerals Eyecolor, $13

I just bought the Heroes Super Color Collection from Bare Escentuals. Since there's so much to review in the collection, I thought I'd give each product their own separate entry. The set includes a Buxom gloss, which is awesome (check out Mirna's review here).

Today I'll review their bareMinerals eyecolor (loose eyeshadow) in Fearless and Freedom.

(Fearless and Freedom)

Fearless is a super dark forest green/gray/black with multicolored shimmer. Oh my, is it gorgeous! I was surprised at how pretty it really is, in that dark and dangerous kind of way. The picture on the website really doesn't do it justice.

The shadow is intense and highly pigmented. It is crazy dramatic as a shadow. It could be used as a liner, to add some depth to your crease, or blended with other colors.

Freedom is a sweet light blue with a hint of green (less green when applied, see photo below), decorated with tiny silver shimmers. It reminds me of a really clear summer day, when the sun bleaches out the sky.

The color is also really pigmented but is much more subtle. It would look really nice with blue or brown eyes, and coordinates nicely with Fearless.

(click on pic to enlarge)The versatility of these eyeshadows really impressed me. The top line is Freedom, shown (left to right) over Urban Decay primer, dry, and applied with a wet brush. The bottom line is Fearless, shown (left to right) over Urban Decay primer, dry, and applied with a wet brush. As you can see, these shadows can have quite different looks! With primer the colors are bright and clear. Worn dry they are more subtle and easily blended, for a nice day look. When applied with a wet brush they become intense and really shimmery. I love having options!

Final verdict
Cost: $13 each. Right now these particular colors are only available in the Heroes collection for a limited time. ($40 for a lot of awesome products, get it while you can!) I found Fearless on Amazon, so as always check there, too (and eBay).
Color: These colors are amazing! They have so much life and depth, and are unlike any other eyeshadows I have. I personally prefer Fearless because of the richness and drama, but Freedom is sweet and pretty as well.
Versatility: The colors look different whether they're worn dry, over primer, or applied wet. You can create a lot of distinct looks with just one color.
Repeat offender: Totally! I would definitely buy their eyeshadow again, as well as other products. Stay tuned for reviews of the other products in this collection.

Hey! Did you enter our giveaway? Remember, it ends Friday at 11:59pm!

-T