Surprises can be excellent, amazing things. One morning — naturally on a morning when I’d have to SEE people and therefore wear pants — I realized I was completely out of my Bare Minerals base makeup. Let it be known that I LOVE this stuff. Liquid makeups mess with my skin too much; Bare Minerals loose powder provided the coverage and the breathability (?) my skin needed to heal after all the liquid makeup breakouts, and had the added benefit of making me look most excellent. But here I was out of my magic powder when I had a client meeting — clearly a day I wanted to look more excellent, and less like the frightening, pants-clad crone that I was.
I ambled over to Ulta for a refill, but issue number two popped up: color change. See, my usual pallor had turned a golden hue with the onset of summer yard work and dog walking and whatnot.
We’re getting to the crux — can you feel it? Yeah. So I chat with the sales gal/beauty consultant/makeup technician/whatevs, and she asks me what makeup I was wearing. Bronzer, says I. Really? she asks, and I say, well, I’m out of base makeup and she’s all I DON’T THINK YOU NEED BASE MAKEUP.
And my world totally stopped dead, flip-flopped, dropped, popped and locked … and I. Was all. No. Way.
Between using the Bare Minerals and doing the OCM, my scars had faded and skin had cleared and suddenly, perhaps for the first time in my post-child birthing adult days, I had an even complexion. I didn’t need base makeup?
“Your tone is really even. You just need a little coverup, but you don’t need base makeup.”
After swooning and falling madly and deeply in love with her and making out a little bit in my mind, we moved to product. See, the MAC concealer I was using (which I loved) doesn’t necessarily blend — it hides. The base layer makeup then went over the concealer, thus hiding the concealer. I was a walking Photoshop document, my face had so many layers (design joke).
THAT’S when I got to the point she recommended the greatest product in the history of concealer: Erase Paste. Made by Benefit, this stuff is designed to cover circles, red spots and discolorations. Even better? It completely blends with my skin tone, so I don’t have to then turn around and conceal my concealer.
From the Benefit site:
This concentrated, creamy concealer brightens and camouflages in one easy step! Targets dark circles, discoloration and imperfections. Three shades with brightening melon undertones to suit every complexion. Comes complete with a fully illustrated, step-by-step lesson and mini-spatula for easy application.”
I don’t even use the spatula. I use a makeup brush to spot apply, and I’m done. The price is a little stiff at $26 a pot — BUT: considering I was paying $43 for concealer and base makeup, I’d like to just go ahead and say I’m now saving $17.
Benefit Erase Paste: it’s my new Can’t Live Without.
Traci
Traci Arbios is a founder of TheFullMoxie.com. She also loves cheese. LOVES. E-mail her at traci@thefullmoxie.com
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Love this stuff! It even covers tattoos, should you find yourself in need of that particular attribute.
Ooh I had no idea about the tattoo coverage – but see? That’s how great the coverage is with this stuff. Amazing.
You literally made me laugh out loud with this piece… thank you!