Entries for Tuesday June 30

BareMinerals’ Destination Key West kit

• Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
• Availability: beginning June 2008 through QVC
• Contains: three eyecolors and a clutch
• Cost/Amount: USD$32
• Would you purchase again: yes...though I wouldn't necessarily bother getting on anyone's "waitlist" and get my hopes up

I bought two of these kits when they were first released on QVC. I wish I had bought three - the fill levels were pathetic, and the kits sold out fast. Once more that summer a small amount were available again. Then the next year - exactly a year, during the 2009 BE Friends and Family summer sale - this kit was briefly available for order from the BE webstore. There was such strong demand, though, and such a small supply, that quite a few people who had successfully placed an order received emails a week later: “Sorry, you won’t be getting this kit.” Bare Escentuals had miscalculated the appeal of these bright, cheerful, hard-to-duplicate colors…or they tried to “create scarcity” and succeeded a little too well. Ocean was available for a while as a single color from the BE webstore; but neither of the other two colors was listed. I was able to pick up an additional Sundress off of Ebay, but can’t find Key West at all - not even for outrageous prices.

BareMinerals’ Get Started Eyes kit

• Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
• Availability: part of the regular line; available through the BE webstore, all partner channels
• Contains: four eyecolors and three brushes
• Cost/Amount: USD$49
• Would you purchase again: yes

Yes, this kit is all browns/oranges. However, it's got some colors that aren't easily available elsewhere (Soft Focus Explore and Fashionista aren't available as singles) and the brushes are good. There's also a tip card to help newbies with application suggestions...though BE's tip cards tend to follow one mold, this one has a tiny bit more information what colors to put where, and why. By late 2011, this kit had disappeared from channel partners, boutiques, and the webstore. I don't know if this was part of BE's new focus, or if they just decided to pull all but their customizable Get Started kits.

BareMinerals’ Get Cheeky kit

• Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
• Availability: beginning July 2007 through QVC, then all BE outlets including partner channels
• Contains: two face colors and a brush
• Cost/Amount: USD$34
• Would you purchase again: no

I acquired the color pieces of this kit separately, as I’m not a fan of dual-ended face brushes. I love Pure Radiance, as it adds sparkle without any colorchange; but I’m less enamored of the blush. It’s the tiniest bit warm for use as a blush with my complexion, though I have successfully used it as an eyeshadow.

BareMinerals’ Soho Lounge kit

• Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
• Availability: part of the regular line (at least as of 2008); available through the webstore
• Contains: two eyecolors and one brush
• Cost/Amount: USD$39
• Would you purchase again: yes

I’ve already mentioned my LOVE for Hot Spot; so getting this kit wasn’t completely outside the realms of possibility - especially once Hot Spot was only available in this kit. The brush is a bit ‘meh’, largely because it’s so very very odd. I haven’t quite figured out how to use it. (Maybe one day I’ll drag my brushes down to some makeup artist and have them teach me.) I wavered on getting this kit; but the Hot Spot, coupled with the impossible-to-find Soho, was just too good to pass up.

Entries for Monday June 29

BareMinerals’ Most Wanted Volume III kit

• Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
• Availability: beginning July 2009 through QVC
• Contains: four eyecolors
• Cost/Amount: USD$39 (or $33 if you were fast enough to order it at the TSV price)
• Would you purchase again: yes

Third in the “most wanted” series of kits…and the first such release in three years. QVC describing these four as the ‘most popular BareMinerals colors’ is a bit of hyperbole. They are pretty colors, soft enough for even the most cautious makeup wearer and in softened pink and purple colors that can be foiled for the more dramatic artistes. They’re also near impossible to find singly.

All four colors were originally released back in 2005, and were named for Bare Escentuals customers: Angela, Donna, Heather, and Renee. These shadows are “glimmers” under the old color-classification system. One or two of the colors showed up here and there in kits, but the colors were not available again until June 2009 when they were released as Bare Escentuals’ Most Wanted, Volume III.

Entries for Tuesday June 23

BareMinerals’ Sun Proof Eyes Kit

• Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
• Availability: beginning June 2007 through QVC exclusively; never available anywhere else
• Contains: three eyecolors and one brush
• Cost/Amount: USD$40 for for the whole kit
• Would you purchase again: yes

The colors on this kit were somewhat neutral-ish; but the big attraction was the natural SPF in each color (which gripes me…but I digress.) The colors were pretty, and were not available individually until summer 2009.

Pure Luxe’s 2009 Cancer Benefit Collection

• Manufacturer: Pure Luxe
• Availability: beginning June 2009 through the webstore
• Contains: six eyecolors and three lip colors
• Cost/Amount: USD$7 per 5-gram jar; $14 per 10-gram jar, $8 for the lip color, $9.50 for each of the lip wands
• Would you purchase again: yes

The SheSpace’s Hope Quest II: Embrace Your Natural Beauty kit

• Manufacturer: The She Space / About Face Cosmetics
• Availability: beginning June 2009 through TSS' online storefront
• Contains: 4 mineral eyeshadow colors, plus two "pay-it-forward" colors
• Cost/Amount: USD$15 for the four jars (3-gram jar, no sifter); "pay-it-forward" jars available singly for $4.50 each
• Would you purchase again: no

Following on the heels of the first Hope Quest quad, Heather releases this second set of colors. The first focussed on reminding people that yes, they matter. The messages with this set remind people of their own inner beauty and strength.

Entries for Monday June 22

The SheSpace’s Astrology - Cancer Collection

• Manufacturer: The She Space / About Face Cosmetics
• Availability: beginning June 22, 2009 through TSS' online storefront
• Contains: 12 mineral eyeshadow colors
• Cost/Amount: entire eyecolor collection, fullsize jars: $52; entire eyecolor collection, samples: $6; individual samples $.50; individual jars, $4.50
• Would you purchase again: some colors, yes

Cancer’s colors are silver and pearl, or “anything having to do with the moon” and the stars - so this collection included a few other color-bases with pearlescent and silvered effects added. (I like it when collections do that. More selection for me, but also a better chance that the collection will contain at least one color for everyone.)

Entries for Sunday June 21

BareMinerals’ Foiling Glimmers kit

• Manufacturer: bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals
• Availability: part of the regular line; available through the webstore
• Contains: four eyecolors and one brush
• Cost/Amount: USD$46
• Would you purchase again: yes

Four glimmers of varying “metal” shades. These four form a better “theme” than a combined look - but they all work well with other colors, or when used one color with one other color from this kit. Sterling Silver and White Gold cannot be purchased individually - they currently (as of 2009) can only be purchased in this kit.