Review: Bare Minerals Fabled Favorites

Happy New Year, everyone! Its that time of the year again, you know what I’m talking about: SALE TIME! As always, one of my favorite spots to hit during this season (and any other time, really) is Sephora. I’ve never really tried Bare Minerals cosmetics before, and I saw this set on the shelve with 7 of their best sellers in deluxe sizes on sale. Who could say no to that right?

Before I get into the products themselves, lets talk about the price. I paid RM64 for this set (post Christmas sale price), which works out to be less than RM10 per item. Yes, granted these items are mini sized, but considering Bare Minerals’ products are of the higher end of the price spectrum, I thought these were a pretty good buy.

Okay, now onto the products. This kit comes with:

• Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Rebel (0.8 ml / 0.02 oz.)
• Prime Time Original Foundation Primer (4.5 ml / 0.15 oz.)
• Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara in Intense Black (1.5 ml / 0.05 oz.
• Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Speak Your Mind (1.5 g / 0.05 oz.)
• Mineral Veil Finishing Powder (0.75 g / 0.03 oz.)
• Beauty Blush (0.57 g / 0.02 oz.)
• Queen Phyllis Eyecolor (0.57 g / 0.02 oz.)

First up on the list is the Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Rebel.

Its a nice warm pink, perfect for everyday wear. It is a little sheer, but it does have okay colour payoff for a lipgloss. The texture is nice as well, not sticky but not too oily that it becomes slippery and slides around. My favorite part of this product is the scent: it’s got a minty fresh smell to it, and is just almost tingly on the lips. It doesn’t bite or hurt like some other plumping products as the sensation is relatively mild. I haven’t used lipgloss in a while because I’m more of a matte/ lipstick person, but I’ll definitely keep this one in my collection just because its very versatile and comfortable to wear.

Next up is the Prime Time Foundation Primer in Original. This primer feels nice and smooth when applied onto the skin, and it really helps to mattify the skin before foundation application. This squeezes out and applies clear, so people of all skintones can wear this without the fear of the dreaded whitecast it can leave behind. It’s unscented as well, which would treat those with sensitive skins and noses well, and  is all in all a pretty good primer.

The Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara in Intense Black is a really black lengthening and volumizing masacra (as the name suggests). As you can see from the pictures above, it really does a good job of coating them and holding the curl of the lashes, and mind you, I did NOT curl my eyelashes prior to application. The brush on this is pretty interesting: its big, and has little plastic bristles which curve throughout the wand, allowing it to really grab those lashes and separate them while still coating them in the product. I’m 95% sure that this mascara isn’t waterproof, which would be the only thing I’d change about it, but other than that, its a really nice mascara to try out if you’re looking for something different.

This is probably one of my favorites from this set. The Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Speak Your Mind is one of the more popular shades from this line, and I can definitely see why! SYM is a really nice, neutral light pink, which I’m sure would work great on lots of skintones. It has a satin finish, which gives just a little bit of sheen to the lips. Its lovely and glides on really smooth, no patches or streaks in its path. The scent of it is very mild as well which is definitely a big plus in my books. I can definitely see myself wearing a lipstick like this on an everyday basis.

The Bare Minerals Mineral Veil Finishing Powder is one which I’ve always heard people rave about. This translucent powder is used to set your make up, and is said to give the skin an almost photoshopped look. This powder is very, VERY smooth. I mean like, once you apply it on your skin, your skin feels silky and soft instantly. As you can tell,  I’m very fascinated that a powder product can do something like that. Its meant to suit all skin colours and tones as it is translucent, however I’d be careful about applying too much of this product on as it may leave a grey-white cast on the skin. Everything in moderation, ladies! I really wish they gave a bigger sized product of this to try out because as much as I’d like to say a little goes a long way, powders are a thing that I run out of pretty quickly. But other than that, this is a great product, and definitely one of the more intriguing ones for me from this kit.

How pretty is the Beauty Blush? This warm mid-toned pink is perfect for injecting a little colour into an easy everyday look. The blush applies on really nicely and is super easy to blend out. I feel like it does leave a teeny bit of a sheen on the skin, but its more satin than shimmery, so that’s very nice. Really pretty, and I can see this working on lots of skintones as well.

Last but definitely not least is this little pot of goodness right here. The Queen Phyllis Eyecolour can be described in just two words: stunning shimmeryness! Oh my goodness gracious me! Look at that beautiful white golden sheen! As you can probably already tell, this is my favorite out of the entire set, and with good reason too. This eyeshadow is buttery soft and its so easy to blend. Its super pigmented, and the shimmer really does stand out very well. I can see this being used a lot in the inner corner of the eyes to really bring some light into the look, or used as a lid colour for more dramatic looks. I’m so smitten with this eyeshadow, and I think that even though this came in a tiny pot, it’ll last me for quite a while as all I really need is just a tiny bit for the eyes each time.

I really like the concept that this kit is going for in the sense that they’ve basically put in enough products to cover just about the entire face. The only thing really missing from this would be a good concealer or foundation in a deluxe size, but including that could mean that not all skin colours and tones could enjoy this kit as much. Bare Minerals has really done a good job with assembling these together, and the fact that even the coloured items would suit most skin colours and tones really impresses me. The products in general are really great, and if you’re like me and you’re new to Bare Minerals, this is definitely a set you should get your hands on. 🙂

Have you guys tried out anything from Bare Minerals which you really love? Make sure to let me know! Don’t forget to like my Facebook page for updates when I post, and make sure you follow my Instagram as well. Hope you guys have a great day, and an amazing year ahead! 😀

My Top 5 Dark Lipsticks

Okay, I’ll be honest: nothing will make me weak at the knees as much as a good dark lipstick will. There’s just something so luscious and decadent about a dark lip look, whether it be for a good night out or even a nice daytime outing with friends. For me, I feel like it draws attention to my favorite part of my face, so its very important for me to find the right tone, texture and longevity.

I generally prefer colours that come from the purple family: berry, mauve, plum, burgandy, eggplant… You name it, I probably own a lipstick in that purple shade. They tend to suit my skin tone much better than reds or browns when it comes to dark lips. So guilty as charged, but all these lipsticks I’m about to talk about are from the purple side of the spectrum. Heh.

Rimmel’s Cutting Edge

The first one I’m wearing here is Rimmel’s Cutting Edge. Its a nice, just slightly darkened berry colour. The formula is good, slides on nicely and opaque on first swipe, and its an almost matte finish, which also means it lasts for a decent amount of time (without eating oily foods, though this will still last you a couple of hours, even with drinks). Probably one of the few which I would classify as an “everyday” dark lip, and definitely very wearable. Price point wins too as it’s a drugstore lipstick. 🙂

OCC Lip Tar in Black Dahlia

This next beauty is Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic’s (OCC) infamous Lip Tar in Black Dahlia. When I first heard about the OCC Lip Tars, this was probably on the top of my list of colours I wanted to try out. As they’re practically non existent in Malaysia, I had to wait almost two years before I got my hands on this (thanks, Ian!), and boy was it worth the wait! This product HAS to be applied with a lip brush because it has a very liquid consistency, and a tiny bit really does go a long way. This product is definitely build-able, and in this picture I have it to about medium coverage. It looks almost black in the tube, but it applies on this blackened berry red colour, like you mushed blackberries and raspberries together and smeared that beautiful mess all over your lips. The colour is gorgeous! However, there are downsides to this baby: it does not dry matte and it is a bit glossy, which means if you’re planning to go for a long time without touch ups, then this is probably not for you. This can bleed into your lips as well, so please wear a lip liner. OCC products aren’t cheap as well, so keep that in mind while looking out for this.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 04

This is probably my favorite of the whole lot: Sephora’s Cream Lip Stain in 04 Endless Purple. Oh. My. Goodness. Actually, scratch that. This is probably my favorite lipstick of ALL time. Its a liquid lipstick that dries completely matte, opaque in one swipe, and let me tell you: you can party all night long, face the zombie apocalypse, have hell freeze over, and this baby will still be there on your lips! This doesn’t bleed at all, and it will hold up to anything you eat or drink as long as it is not drenched in oil. This colour is really unique as well: a plummy purple with an almost grey undertone to it. Its muted, but also very striking at the same time. Its something that I always get compliments wearing, and my friends and I have even dubbed it “bae” from my lipstick collection. There are not enough good things I can say about this lipstick. Very, VERY sadly though, this has been discontinued (why do they do this to all the good stuff? 😦 ), so if you can get your hands on one, don’t even think about it, just buy it!

Topshop Lip Bullet in Bewitched

Topshop Lip Bullet in Wine Gum

My last two picks are both from Topshop, and they’re actually from the same line (Lip Bullets). I’ve only very recently gotten them, but they have very quickly made their way to my heart. I’ll start with Bewitched. This one is a blackened, almost bruised aubergine. Its not quite black, and has a purple undertone to it. As scary as this one might seem, it actually looks really good in person, and it definitely brings out the white in your teeth. Wine Gum is a bruised reddish vampy shade with hints of purple in it. They’re both very opaque and apply really smoothly. They dry to about 95% matte, with just the slightest sheen to it. It feels almost similar to the consistency of cream-to-powder items, except this doesn’t dry totally matte, which is completely fine by me. I haven’t worn them out yet, but I predict that they last quite a fair amount of time based on their consistency. My only pet peeve with these is that I have to be super careful when I replace the cap, otherwise I might end up with a chunk of lipstick on the side of the cap.

Swatches L-R:
Rimmel’s Cutting Edge, OCC Lip Tar in Black Dahlia, Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 04 Endless Purple, Topshop Lip Bullet in Bewitched, Topshop Lip Bullet in Wine Gum

Sigh, look at all these pretty babies. ❤ Side by side, you can really see how different they are, and I adore each and every one of them.

Which of these dark lipsticks is your favorite? Or do you have another which you can’t live without? Let me know in the comment section below. 🙂