Gift Idea - Bare Escentuals Makeup

A couple of years ago I was given the Bare Escentuals Get Started Complexion makeup kit for Christmas, and it has since become my all-time favorite (right up there with Bonne Belle Gel Bronzer). It makes getting a flawless complexion incredibly easy, and only takes 5 minutes. No one has paid me to write about this, I just had to share this with you because it has changed my entire stance on makeup. I used to be a "mascara, swipe of eyeshadow, lipbalm and go" kinda gal because it was too much effort to go through the whole concealer and foundation dealio. I have sensitive skin that would act up with most products and I could never find anything that didn't make it look like I was wearing a mask. Now I use this kit all the time and I'm a converted makeup junkie.

And one of the best parts is that the entire collection doesn't have any parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, petro-chemicals or phthalates. We are exposed to so many contaminates every day, that the last thing I want to do is put it directly on my skin.

I went on Sephora today and was totally psyched that they have a promotion right now where it is only $48 (normally $60) for the entire kit, and they throw in the awesome Prime Time Foundation Primer infused with plant extracts, antioxidants and vitamins. This is a great gift idea for any woman on your list, or maybe you even want to put it on your own wish list to Santa.

In each kit, there are two different SPF 15 Foundations to make it effortless to create a perfect match for your skin, and an All Over Face Colour in Warmth that I love to put along my cheeks and forehead to help add some colour to my Casper the Friendly Ghost skintone. (Seriously, there is no denying that I am from the Northern Hemisphere)

The final touch is the Mineral Veil, which infuses softness and light, almost like a soft focus camera lens, and it does a great job of keeping the makeup in place. This stuff is so light, that I often forget that I'm even wearing makeup.

The brushes that come with the kit are AMAZING. They are super soft and apply the makeup perfectly. I love the larger brushes for coverage all over and the small brush is perfect for concealing blemishes and dark under eye circles.

There is also a great DVD that shows you how to get a flawless look in no time. Here is a video from YouTube that shows how it works:

Anything that makes it easy to look fresh and healthy is Aces in my book. Give it a try yourself, and let me know what you think. Are there any tried-and-true secrets hiding in your makeup bag you want to share?

P.S. - I've also tried the Smokey Eye Tutorial Kit, and it was fantastic. It came with a great two-sided brush, two eye shadows and simple instructions on how to create a smokey eye look in no time. It is the perfect look for cocktail parties this holiday season. And the eye shadows are great on their own too!