The Shadow Knows

I love makeup – or, more accurately, I love buying makeup. Actually applying it, let alone getting up one minute earlier in the morning to do so, is usually far too much effort for me, and most of the time the only thing I wear is lip gloss. But I’d heard so many good things about BareMinerals makeup and how easy it was to use that I figured even I could probably manage it. Even better, a generous friend gifted me with this kit for my birthday!

While I love kits, I’m afraid of “systems,” and this looked kind of intimidating at first, but it’s really pretty simple. The kit comes with three eyeshadows, one liner, and three brushes – one wide, one slanted, and one fine-tipped brush for eyeliner. You also get an instruction booklet showing you step-by-step instructions for how to apply the shadows, either alone or in combinations. The set retails for $49, which is actually a lot cheaper than buying the same items individually (I looked into just buying one or two items before committing to the whole set, but there wasn’t much savings).

Each 0.02 oz jar of eyeshadow is about the size of a pot of lip gloss, and when you open it, you’ll see a plastic lid with four holes, which you can shake gently to let some powder float up. However, if you take them traveling (especially in a checked suitcase), the perforations will knock out way too much powder into the top section, and you can’t shake it back down. The colors are Vanilla Sugar (creamy beige), Peach Puff (lush peach), Soft Focus Explore (soft brown), and the eyeliner in Fashionista (chocolate raisin).

Basically, you can use Vanilla Sugar as an all-over light shadow, or blend the shades together in layers for a more dramatic effect. But no matter how much you pile it on, it’s almost impossible to go overboard. The mineral shadows are light and sheer, even slightly luminous, and especially with the natural palette of this kit, the colors look very subtle and understated. These are totally appropriate for day wear, even at the office, but they look nice for dressy occasions too – I wore these as a bridesmaid at an evening wedding. Best of all, they’re quick to apply, and because it’s a loose powder, it’s fast and doesn’t require precise, sure-handed application – you can just brush it on quickly.

I like fussing with the little pots and the brushes, and find the results to be natural and flattering, without having to stress out and second-guess myself over whether I’ve applied too much or too little. In fact, I like them so much that I’m contemplating buying another set with bolder colors next. If you think you hate dealing with eye makeup, maybe you just haven’t tried the right kind yet.

May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77499, CI 77491), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Carmine (CI 75470), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289), Kaolin, Zinc Oxide (CI 77947), Silica.