A few weeks ago, Bare Minerals had a TSV on QVC that included their new pressed eyeshadow duos. I've wanted to try these, so I thought I'd pick it up. The collection is called the Bare Minerals Luxury 8-Piece Collection and includes a clutch, pressed eyeshadow duo, two new waterproof eyeliners, a radiance, two lipgloss and two brushes. The price was just under $50 for the entire set, which is a pretty good deal considering the eyeshadow duos run $20 a piece alone.
First up, the clutch this came with is really pretty. A lot of makeup collections come with some type of purse, clutch or bag, but 90% of the time I have no real use for them. This time, I think I'll actually use it, which is nice.
First up in the collection, the new addition to the Bare Minerals line - the bareMinerals READY Eyeshadows 2.0. These are a collection of pressed eyeshadows. This particular set is called The Phenomenon, which consists of Azure Iris and Golden Iris.
The eyeshadows come in a beautiful gold compact. The actual shadows themselves are described as this: "The Phenomenon, which includes two powerful eye shadows developed to enhance certain tones of your iris." Now, Azure is described as illuminating, but in reality it is more of a satin to matte shade. The Golden Iris shade definitely has more frost in it, but neither of these compare to the illumination of the old Bare Escentuals Glimmers.
Azure Iris is a satin lavender shade, with the slightest hint of a opalescent shimmer. Golden Irish is a rich bronze gold. Both have very nice pigmentation - note swatches below are over bare skin without primer. The texture of the eyeshadows are creamy, smooth and apply evenly over the skin. I used the sponge applicator that is in the compact, although a dense brush will work just as well.
Next up, the blush. This is a radiance, which are some of my favorite products in the Bare Escentuals/Minerals line. I use them almost every day, either as a blush or a wash over the skin to add some glow to the complexion. This particular shade is called Rose Gold Radiance. It is a pale, warm rose shade with a golden and pearl shimmer.
This is the first of the products I've bought from BE that actually come in with the ability to open and close. Not only does this keep things cleaner, but it allows you to tap out how much product you really need to use - see below.
Two other new items in this collection are the Round the Clock Waterproof Eyeliners. These, similar to Urban Decay 24/7, Makeup Forever's Aqua Eyes eyeliners, and L'oreal's Liquiline Blast Eyeliners (just to name a few) are the newest addition to the waterproof eyeliners on the market. The pencils are hearty, with rich creamy and extremely pigmented colors. The two in this set are 10 PM and Noon.
The Noon eyeliner is a deep navy with a bit of shimmer. This leans more to towards the black side than the blue - it doesn't scream "blue" when on the lid. The other pencil, 10PM is a gorgeous chocolate brown with iridescent shimmer.
Lastly, the Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Glosses. Another new addition to the line, these are similar to the old Buxom glosses. The product is nicely pigmented, sticky enough to last but not drying, and has a minty fragrance that cools and slightly plumps the lips. I have always been a die hard to the Buxom glosses, but these are very nice as well. I can honestly say, Bare Minerals are my go-to lip glosses when I'm in a pinch. I have tons of them, between the Buxom, Naturals and now the Moxie's, and I haven't been disappointed yet.
The two shades in this set are Wild One and Dare Devil.
Wild One is a creamy peach with a hint of shimmer. Dare Devil is a rich berry, but there is a nice golden shimmer throughout.
The applicator for this is a large, but bent, doe foot. I was a little hesitant when I first pulled this out of the tube, but I actually really like it now that I've used it. I don't need to reapply to get enough on the lips - one swipe and I'm good to go.
Swatches on the lips below.
The full lineup of colors. I have not worn the eyeshadows together yet, just individual mixed in with some of my other colors. I will try and put a whole look together with this set in the near future.
One more thing in the collection - the brushes! I love BE's brushes, and always look forward to them when I order a set. This set came with a flawless face brush and a full, tapered eyeshadow brush.
So far, I am really liking this set. I will say, although the convenience and cleanliness of the pressed eyeshadows in the bareMinerals READY 2.0 shadows are nice, I still prefer the loose powders over the pressed. I think it's a matter of preference, though - not quality. Over the years I've been leaning more and more towards loose shadows and powders, so by default I prefer the original BE's over this. With that said, if you got frustrated with the old powder formulas, these 2.0 shadows might be the way to go! You still get the same quality product, with the convenience of a pressed shadow.
The lipglosses are beautiful, and the eyeliners truly wear all day without smearing or running. I love the colors, too.
Have you picked this collection up? How about just the bareMineral READY 2.0 eyeshadows - have you tried them? What do you think?
