Bare Escentuals

I’m so happy that these stores are popping up at malls because I don’t have to stick with their automatic shipping plan. I was buying a foundation and another item which was required every few months for their plan. I never use the other items I was required to buy.
I happened see this store while shopping at the mall and decided to buy a foundation. I bought a foundation which is four times the size of the one I was getting in the mail and it was cheaper. They also have a royalty card where they stamp the card for every $ 10 you spend. After you fill up the card, you receive $ 10 off your next purchase.
Goodbye mail order! Hello boutiques!

i never thought in a million years that i’d every use anything other than MAC cosmetics. a friend of mine had told me a success story she had with BE/​BM so tonight, i finally decided to visit the boutique in the mall (on the corner of Sears right by the escalators).
after spending an arm and a leg on Proactiv right across, i strolled into the BE boutique and took a look around. an associate named Shirley approached me and i began to tell her all about my skin: a combination of dry, oily, and highly sensitive. i was only there to get a natural foundation to make it seem as though i’m not wearing makeup, so she sat me down and began her consultation with me.
it took about 15 minutes for her to clean my face thoroughly, add primer, moisturizer, foundation, blush, and lip color. she did a great job finding a color that blended with my skin beautifully. unlike MAC where they only have like 3 shades of ethnic skin tones, BE has every shade you can imagine. at the end of the consultation, i bought the 8-​piece starter kit which included:
— original mineral veil
— warmth all-​over face color
— face brush
— application brush
— concealer brush
— a step-​by-​step dvd
& a shampoo for cleaning all the brushes
i also bought the ‘pretty amazing’ lip color stick and Shirley included a sample of primer. all of this came in an adorable recycable tote bag. the total cost came to about $ 75 but it was all worth it. i will cointinue using these products as long as i keep seeing great results as i did tonight.
p.s.
also at the end, i was given a preferred customer card and when it’s all full, i’ll recieve $ 10 off my next purchase of $ 10 or more.

On my way back to work from lunch at the food court we passed by the store and what do you know. the female magnet was STRONG that day so the three of us strolled in to have a look. I already have a starter kit I bought and knew how wonderful this stuff makes your skin look. But my cohorts that day didn’t have a clue. And thus began our 20 minute crash course in glowingness that is mineral make up.
They had a great sale on where their Precious Diamond beauty duo was reduced from $ 45 to $ 19.50. So I snatched up one of those. They also had a special edition puzzle eyeshadow for $ 13 which benefited an autisim charity. Got me one of those too. One of the gals I was with got a mini lesson on undereye shadow reduction and wrinkle reduction.
Melissa was our guide, and threw in a couple of their new mascara for free.
Great customer service from Melissa. Wish I was loaded rich so I could replace all my beauty products with this stuff. But baby steps and I’ll get there.

I’ve been a MAC girl for a few years now, but after hearing rave reviews about Bare Minerals makeup over the past few weeks from friends, I recently made the switch a few days ago. I must confess, I don’t know how I lived without this makeup before. It’s fabulous to the max.
Originally I planned on ordering the starter kit online, but figured I’d pass by the store in the mall to see if they offered a similar package deal — which to my advantage they did ($ 60 for the starter kit).
The store itself is not all that large, but if you have a fetish for eyeshadows — this is practically heaven. They have gigantic turntables of some of the most luscious eye colors imaginable. Unfortunately, I couldn’t decide on which ones to get so I grabbed one of the kits (Earthy chic) that came with three shadows, a lipstick an blush for around $ 40.
The store clerk who helped me (Jackie) was extremely pleasant and helpful. My purchase totaled over $ 100 so she also threw in a facial cleanser for free. They also give you a discount card they stamp for each $ 10 purchase you make and after $ 120 worth of purchases you get $ 10 off your next purchase.
If for any reason you’re skeptical about trying out the make-​up, I highly suggest stopping in for a consultation and just giving it a whirl.