<p>We put dirt on our faces and bugs in our food.</p>
<p>How far we’ve come. ;)</p>
<p>I am sure Costco will take it back if you open it and don’t like it. They take back food and flowers, so I can not imagine they wouldn’t let you return opened make-up.</p>
<p>I had heard that the mineral powders do seep into the fine lines of us older people! I have never tried it, so this is just hearsay.</p>
<p>I am a “make-up” person, not heavy but I do use it daily and have worked with it professionally. Always use the mineral make up over moisturizer. Use a small stiff brush to lightly apply it over “trouble” or “red” areas then use the big brush to go over the entire face, go lightly, you can always apply more if needed. I use Bare Minerals and love it. I recently bought the mineral blush from Costco, it’s one of those “lots of colors in stripes” in one compact and I love it, it looks very natural, I don’t know how it works with all of those colors, but it does.</p>
<p>My daughter wanted me try Bare Minerals for years, but I always found some excuse because I was afraid it wasn’t right for a 50-year-old face. Since I have mild rosacea, I also thought it wouldn’t provide enough coverage. I finally bought a starter kit about a year ago because I couldn’t take D’s constant nagging any longer.</p>
<p>I’m totally surprised, but I love it! The kit came with two shades in my skintone: one matched my skin perfectly, while the other shade was wrong even though it was very similar to the first one. This taught me the importance of picking the right shade. My daughter also made me watch the instruction video in the kit, and I learned that good results depend on using the proper brush. The kit includes a small, stiff brush for concealer application; a long-handled, medium-bristled brush for sheer, everyday coverage; and a short-handled, densely-bristled soft brush for those times when more coverage is desired. </p>
<p>I always use moisturizer before applying Bare Minerals. (I forgot to use moisturizer once and the Bare Minerals looked caked and splotchy on my face.) It’s also good to exfoliate regularly so it goes on smoothly. As for my rosacea, the Bare Minerals provides the best and most unnoticeable coverage–bar none–of any product I’ve ever used. I simply use the concealer brush before the regular application. </p>
<p>My daughter told me she loves the Bare Minerals on me, but she’s slightly biased. The best compliment came from a friend. We were discussing rosacea one day, and I told her I loved Bare Minerals because it was such a great concealer. “You have rosacea?” she asked. “I would never have known. I didn’t think you even used makeup!” :)</p>
<p>One more thing: I’d always admired my MIL’s beautiful skin. After she died at age 80, I was stunned to find jars and jars of Bare Minerals products when we cleaned out her apartment. Turns out it was the secret to her fabulous-looking skin!</p>
<p>mafool…yes…exactly:)</p>
<p>yea…i think its worth it:)</p>
<p>I’m a fan of bare minerals too! The starter kit is very reasonable at Ulta. The newspapers usually carry an Ulta coupon. I’ve saved my starter kit containers and refill them with the larger size as needed. I always use a little moisturizer first. </p>
<p>After using the real bare minerals, and getting the hang of it, I tried the costco brand. Didn’t like it as much.</p>
<p>Have fun experimenting!</p>
<p>I tried Bare Minerals at Sephora, but not adequate. My favorite is Revlon One-Step. It looks like a powder case, but is a cream. Its often on sale. I’m one of those that never takes more than a few minutes to apply make-up.</p>
<p>I never used moisturizer before, since I have always had such oily skin. I have scars from acne, and large pores. You have to use a moisturizer under Bare Minerals, not necessarily the one that comes in the starter kit. The powder goes on smoothly over the moisturizer (any moisturizer) and you don’t feel that you have makeup on. I just reapply the mineral veil (no color) when needed to keep down the shine (as I said, still oily at 55). Only when I wash my face at the end of the day does the makeup come off. As for the pores, it does cover but they don’t disappear. I didn’t read all the posts since I first posted, so I’m sorry if I’m repeating. And no, you don’t use a foundation. Bare Essentials IS the foundation.</p>
<p>another Bare Minerals convert here. I have really dark circles under my eyes and some reddness on my cheeks. I don’t use alot of mosturizer,only after showering and apply the makeup at various times of the day (not nessasarily right then).I use a combo of colors and use the compact that came in the starte kit to mix them. Use the smaller,finer concealer brush on the circles and cheeks, then the large brush.
I live in an area with a BM store so went there for colors/lesson. One trick is knowing how to apply it right.Kit comes with a video if no lesson spot is available.sephora stores will also give a lesson.
I’d be leery of trying the Costco brand w/o being able to match the colors.I use two colors right on the spectrum next to each other and they taught me how much of each to mix for proper color match to skin.
Been using it for a few years now. I’d say I use 4 of the round containers a year,two of each color.
D (age 25) is now using it too.Her skin is much paler than mine and they matched her well. I gave her a set of the brushes for Christmas.They are expensive to start but I’m still using the originals a few years later.The quality is excellent.</p>
<p>How is everyone washing the brushes? The original brush set is great with the starter kit. Ulta offered a mini set of powders so I carry a tiny mineral veil with me, and I bought a “travel” size brush. But I wonder what soap everyone uses to wash the brushes, and what technique to wash and dry. Blot and air dry?</p>
<p>My daughter uses some kind of mineral, and one thing I do notice is that it leaves a mess all over her dresser top. Maybe she’s flourishing the brush a bit too much! I wonder if others have noticed this. The last thing I need is to have to do any more cleaning.</p>
<p>I would use this to conceal pores, but it sounds like it might emphasize them? Has anyone tried using it over a primer?</p>
<p>She probably is, but I do too, and it’s expensive enough that I don’t want to lose any! I keep a leftover flat, round, metal rimmed candle lid on the vanity and swirl it around in that instead. It sounds dumb, but it works. The mineral lids are pretty small for a standard round brush.</p>
<p>Don’t know about concealing pores-- I just brush it on lightly all over, after my moisturizer has soaked in… I think my skin is too dry for pores to show.</p>
<p>i have been using bare minerals for about 3 years now. i highly recommend it to everyone! i have bought some starter kits for several friends, and they are all converts now, too. </p>
<p>bare minerals always is light on my face, but covers a variety of problems. a friend who suffers from rosacea recommended it to me–her results are phenomenal!</p>
<p>I think you have convinced me to give it a try! We have a Bare Minerals store locally, so I guess I should go there for matching. I assume it would be best to go with a clean face, but I am a bit too vain for that! I have very dark circles under my eyes, so if Bare Minerals can cover that and not cake into my creases, I will be a convert also. I am about out of my makeup anyway, so this would be a good time to give it a try.</p>
<p>snowball, they have facial cleaning wipes, so you don’t need to go with a bag over your head (LOL). But you may want to take your moisturizer. Perhaps my experience was unusual, but after my poor old face was cleansed, there was no moisturizer between my clean skin and the demo application. The result was not one I wanted to replicate. With the information I’ve gathered here, I’m up for another try!</p>
<p>I wonder if anyone has the same experience ? I found the Bare Minerals colors not suitable for me. It’s too yellow or too brown and I find it has too much shine. I like my face matt as I have oily skin. </p>
<p>I tried a brand called Everyday Minerals. They have a free samples program and I found one in particular that suited me very well. The powders also came in all kinds of finishes, from matt to shiny. I paid a minimal postage and handling fee, like $2, for 3 shades, 1 concealer and 1 blush. </p>
<p><a href=“| Everyday Minerals”>| Everyday Minerals;
<p>Disclaimer: I do not work for the company or associate with it in anyway.</p>
<p>I had picked up the Costco pack and I am giving that a try first- tonight! I just put it on before going out and it goes on nicely, the medium seems fine, though I would need darker in summer, but mainly I feel shiny, esp my nose. I have dry skin so I think maybe i just look radiant??? 
I will let ya’ll know how it wears for the evening and how it compares to the ones my DDs use, as I am going to try theirs, too, when they are around.</p>
<p>When using my magnifying mirror I do have to look down and my goodness I did feel like it emphasized those wrinkles, but not so bad in the regular mirror and standing up.</p>
<p>i use my shampoo as a cleaner for my brushes. i have a very gentle shampoo and that works just fine. </p>
<p>the “dust” can be a problem–once or twice i’ve dropped an open jar of makeup–that’s not a fun thing to clean up! it’s easy to put too much makeup on your brush which leads to “dust” floating around.</p>
<p>Pores: I use Perfectionsit [CP+] by Estee Lauder, followed by my moisturizer. The stuff is not inexpensive, but I find it effective.</p>