BareMinerals’ Champagne Diamonds kit review with swatches

Posted on Sunday, at bought • 2606 views

  • Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
  • Availability: through QVC, as the November 2008 TSV
  • Description: three eye colors, one blush, two face powders, one lip color, three brushes
  • Cost/Amount: USD$45*
  • Would you purchase again: yes
BareMinerals’ Champagne Diamonds kit

This kit was the first of four “diamond-infused” collections from Bare Escentuals, available on an autodelivery program through QVC (this kit, Pink Diamonds, Black Diamonds, and Canary Diamonds). The kit included the ubiquitous brushes, mineral veil, and the “BE formula”: two eyeshadows, one eyeliner, one blush, one lip color. The colors were all “diamond infused” which actually just means that they all have a bit more glitter. All the eyecolors were muted and / or browns, which led many to voice concerns that with so many brown- and neutral-based kits recently, BE seemed to be settling into a more sedate color rut. (Their concerns proved to be valid: the next kits in this series were, indeed, browns and neutrals.)

Photos that show how the product actually performs...! See how I create my swatches

BareMinerals’ Champagne Diamonds kit

This kit contained:

  • Cognac Diamond eyeshadow — warm burnished bronze shimmer
  • Flawless Diamond eyeshadow — golden champagne sheen
  • Smoky Diamond eyeliner — soft espresso shimmer
  • Rose Diamond blush — warm autumn rose
  • Champagne Diamond Radiance face powder — deep golden brown sparkle
  • Brilliance Lip Gloss — mauve-red with slight golden shimmer
  • Mineral Veil
  • Soft Sweep Cheek brush with gold handle
  • Tapered Crease Defining brush with gold handle
  • Flat Edge Liner brush with gold handle

Having bought several BE kits before, I had some expectations going in: the brushes would be negligible; the eyeshadows would be basic but look good together; I'd need to find the mineral veil a new home; and the radiance and blush may or may not work for me...but if the radiance didn't work as a face or body powder, I could make it work as an eyeshadow.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Flat Edge Liner brush: it gave me a wider application and a bit more control than the normal "ultrafine" liner brushes. (I ended up buying several more of these from an Ebay seller, to have backups.) I was less than thrilled with the Tapered Crease Defining brush (ended up trading them away to someone who was absolutely over the moon for them) and am still trying to re-home my Soft Sweep Cheek brushes. They're so similar to the Flawless Application Face Brushes that, for a while, were included with most BE kits, that everyone out there already has a gracious plenty. Seriously - I can't give these away. (Or can I? They're still sealed...the local women's shelter residents might appreciate them.)

The blush is a little too warm for me. I might be able to mix it with another pigment to cool it down; or I might be able to use it as an eye color. The radiance face powder doesn't quite work as either a face/body powder or an eye powder, unless I'm looking for no color but a bit of glitz. I haven't figured out how to make that one really work well for me, but I'll keep trying.

I have never been a huge fan of lip glosses. This was the first of Bare Escentuals' new lip gloss formula - and while the color was a nice mauve, I still didn't like the feel of it. Since this is how I react to most lip glosses, I wasn't too surprised at my reaction to this. (Bare Escentuals' old-formula buxom lip polishes are a different thing altogether. I really love those...)

The eye colors are indeed pretty muted/neutral; but they work together well and create a simple, sophisticated look.

* Actually, when I bought this kit, it was $37 for one day only. Yay, being in the right place at the right time. Seeing as how the rest of the "diamond infused" kits were more browns, though, I'm just as glad that I didn't sign up for auto-delivery.

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or look at other entries tagged with Brand: Bare Escentuals BareMinerals, cruelty free, discontinued, kit, limited edition, released: 2008, season: Winter, store: QVC

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