The mineral makeup trend has kicked into high gear and it seems as if Bare Minerals by Bare Escentuals is eveywhere you look. From your favorite department store to the self contained Bare Minerals stores that have recently started showing up in shopping malls across the country, it seems like just about everyone is making the switch to mineral makeup. The concept sounds wonderful and the late night infomercials are very compelling so I decided it would be helpful to answer some common questions about it and provide my own personal review of the Bare Minerals line. Before I get into the review, let's take a quick look at the benefits of mineral makeup.

Mineral makeup refers to cosmetic products that are made up from natural minerals and are free from the usual preservatives, chemical dyes, and filler ingredients that classic makeup contains. Mineral makeup can have many benefits such as being gentle for those with sensitive skin, being less prone to clog pores and contribute to breakouts, and producing a more natural look. Many women have described the effects as, "wearing make up without looking like you are wearing makeup". I've found that to be true in my own experience as well. I've never been a fan of looking like I have makeup on. After all, the whole purpose of cosmetics should be to hide minor blemishes, enhance your natural facial features, and bring out a little color or radiance in your face. Critics of mineral makeup have argued that there is no scientific proof that mineral based products are better for your skin or are any more pure than other products. Looking at it from a common sense perspective, while some of the base ingredients in mineral and traditional makeup may in fact be quite similar; what sets mineral makeup apart is the lack of synthetic dyes, fragrances, and preservatives. While it may be true that there are no conclusive scientific studies showing that mineral makeup is better, avoiding these potential skin care land mines can't be a bad idea.

 I first decided to try Bare Minerals about 4 years ago after developing a slight skin irritation to the foundation I was using at the time. I was a bit overwhelmed at first by all of the choices in color and was a bit uneasy about the application process as well. Jump forward several years and Bare Minerals has solved this problem by creating several pre-packaged starter kits for various skin types and textures with everything you need to get started and easy to follow application instructions. It took me a day or two to get my routine down but I immediately noticed that my skin irritation had cleared up and that my appearance felt much softer and more natural using the Bare Minerals products. My makeup had gone from being heavy to barely even noticeable which was worth it's weight in gold to me! I also loved the fact that it did not harbor bacteria like traditional makeup which saved me a considerable amount of money because it doesn't need to be replaced frequently. Overall, my experience with switching over to Bare Minerals from traditional makeup has been extremely positive. The only drawback for me was that some products can be a little bit expensive but I personally believe that this is one case where you get what you pay for. For anyone who has yet to make the switch, I highly recommend picking up a Bare Minerals starter kit and giving it a try for a few days. I've since tried several other brands of mineral makeup but I always seem to favor Bare Minerals due to their wide variety of options for just about any color or skin type. The company puts a tremendous amount of effort into making the application process simple and convenient and it shows in their instructions and application videos. I give Bare Minerals an enthusiastic 9 stars out of a possible 10!