little white truths

After having used the product for a long time, I can say that I don't mind it but it's not perfect and I probably wouldn't buy another one. More on that below.

Also, I've come to realise that I just don't use cream eyeshadows enough - which is why they always end up in Project Pan. Same goes with cream blushes and highlighters. I should in theory love them because creams are generally kinder to dry, over-thirty skin - but I just prefer powders and always have.

Let's have a look.

 

BareMinerals claims/product details:

• Discover a new generation in eyeshadow
• Featuring creamy, long-wearing colour combined with exceptional skincare benefits and SPF protection
• Chock-full of skin-loving ingredients, this breakthrough product delivers five benefits in one luxurious formula
• Twelve-hour, long-wearing colour
• Supercharged primer
• Powerful brightening benefits
• Smooths the appearance of fine lines
• RRP $27 AUD for 3ml

Above is the doe-foot applicator, and below I've given you swatches in different lights.

As always I've done a heavier swatch and then a blended one.

Direct sunlight (outdoors):

Natural light (outdoors): 

 Indirect sunlight (indoors):

 

Natural light (indoors):

Verdict

I don't mind this product but as mentioned above, it's not perfect and it's not one I would buy again.

It's quite a thick, creamy product that comes with a doe-foot applicator. It has a very faint, chemical scent that I'm only aware of if I hold the wand right up to my nose, so it shouldn't bother most people.

You can apply it however you want to, but I tend to dab the applicator on my eye and then blend the shadow out with my finger. I find that easier than eg using a brush because the warmth of your skin helps thin the product out so you can get a lighter application.

And for me, with these I have to use a light application. If I don't, this product is drying so it shrivels up my eye skin terribly, meaning it ages my eye area. Yes I do have dry skin and I'm 37, but I've seen a makeup artist I trust with oily skin who's six years younger than me say on Youtube that these do the same thing for her, so I'm not the only one.

What this means in practice is that I can't use the product as my eyeshadow for the day because if I wanted to, I would need to apply enough for it to show up - but applying a normal 'eyeshadow' layer causes the drying/ageing issue.

Therefore I'm tied to using a very fine layer of this as an eye base and nothing more, which isn't what I wanted: I wanted a multipurpose product.

As an eye base, it works ok. It dries down well (while still giving you enough time to blend it before it sets), and it does help intensify your powders and gives them something to cling to - at least in the short term. 

However, if I want my eyeshadow to stay put for more than a few hours without fading or creasing, then this base isn't my best option. With these, I get four hours of wear before my eyelids get oily and my eyeshadow creases and vanishes. This is unusual for me: my eyelids are rarely oily.

'Sweet Spice' is a nice, medium neutral brown that pulls a little cool on me so it's great for contouring. I bought it because I thought it would work well to retract my hooded eye puff (it does, minus the drying issue) and I was surprised to find when I swatched it for the photos above that it has tiny glitters in it. Well I never! I've never noticed those before.

Fortunately I've been able to double-purpose this shade for panning: it works beautifully as a facial contour. Indeed, it might be the best facial contour I've used - so if I were someone who contoured daily anyway then I would buy it just for that reason. But I don't, so I won't.

Overall, I don't think this is a bad product but it's not perfect because it dries my eyelids out if I apply any more than the thinnest layer. I'm guessing it won't do that for everyone, but it's certainly worth having one of these applied to your eyes first before purchase so you can test it properly.

Fine.