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BE Tips

 

We've tried to compile the knowledge of the BEst and brightest in the BE realm in this Tips and Tricks.  If you have a submission, you can add to this fabulous Tips database by emailing Christa.

 

Bare Escentuals
What's new?
Must haves
New to BE and on a budget
Underweight items?
Source of the minerals
Irradiation?
Becoming a BE tester
Eyeshadow club

General Makeup
Cool vs. Warm
Timesaving tips
Face or eyes first?
Makeup removal
Tips from Tiffany (tifhlee)
Using minerals on nails
Traveling with BE
Preparing for BE application
Overall tips for makeup application
Giving your skin oomph! (tifhlee)
Blush application (tifhlee)
Face contouring (tifhlee)

Specific Products
Chisel It & Emphasize It
Warm Radiance
Clear Radiance
Brushless mascara help
Chisel It & Emphasize It (tifhlee)
Camp (tifhlee)
Shantung (tifhlee)
Earth lip liner (tifhlee)
Well Lit/Back Lit

Foundation
Foundation color descriptions
How do I choose the right foundation shade?
Foundation shade tweaking
Mixing foundation shades
Using foundation wet?

Eyes
Wetlining with the liner shadows
Eyeshadow club
Brushless mascara help
Good "overall" crease colors
Good eyeshadow bases/primers
Using shadows as liners?
Shadows & liners scattering on face?
Foiling eyeshadows
Eyeshadow vs. Glimmer vs. Glimpse
Smudging eyeliner
Eyelash curling (tifhlee)
Mascara preferences (tifhlee)
Shantung (tifhlee)
Wetlining (tifhlee)
Drop shadow (tifhlee)
Camp (tifhlee)
Stippling (tifhlee)
Blue eye recommendations (tifhlee)
Green eye recommendations (tifhlee)

Lips
Lipstick life span
BE glosses: opaque or clear?
Making your own lip shade
Lips drying out from BE lippies
Lip liner is breaking
Earth lip liner (tifhlee)
Favorite BE lippies (tifhlee)
DuWop Reversible Lip Liner (tifhlee)

Tools
Must-have brushes
Best brushes for foundation
Separate brushes for each item?
Shedding brushes
Cleaning brushes
Refillable compact
Kahuna
Kabuki (tifhlee)
Flocked sponges (tifhlee)
Brush cleaning (tifhlee)

Specific Problems
Shadows & liners scattering on face?
Shedding brushes
Concealing dark areas or red spots
Minimizing large pores
Too much product above the sifter!
Toning down your look - overapplication
Why is BE stinging?
Dark circles (tifhlee)
Correcting Primers (tifhlee)
Covering tattoos (tifhlee)

Looks
Foiling eyeshadows
Smudging eyeliner
Inner eye glow?
The "summer glow"
Making your look last all day
More tips & tricks on the board

The Board & QVC
TSV
OTO
Board history
"Exclusive to QVC"?

Tiffany (tifhlee) Tips
Eyelash curling
Mascara preferences
Kabuki
Earth lip liner
Giving your skin oomph!
Favorite BE lippies
Dark circles
Chisel It & Emphasize It
Correcting Primers
Flocked sponges
Shantung
Blush application
Face contouring
Wetlining
Covering tattoos
Drop shadow
Camp
Stippling
Brush cleaning
Blue eye recommendations
DuWop Reversible Lip Liner
Green eye recommendations
Miscellaneous tips


What is the best way to find out what is new and exciting at Bare Escentuals?

If you keep your eye on the Announcements from BE folder you will be kept abreast of "all things BE." BE HQ has been good about keeping the board informed about new products (and their descriptions), show times on QVC, special events at the boutiques, and customer appreciation events. There was a meeting in Las Vegas in 2003, a cruise in the fall of 2004 and another cruise in the spring of 2006.

Descriptions of foundation colors

  • #1 Fair - Porcelain skin, pink undertone no red surface tones
  • #1.2 Fairly Light - Porcelain to light skin, yellow undertone with red surface tones
  • #2 Light - Light to medium skin, yellow undertone red surface tones
  • #2.3 Medium beige - Medium to light skin, yellow undertone with red surface tones
  • #3 Medium - Medium skin, pink undertone with red surface tones
  • #5.2 Medium tan - Medium golden skin, yellow to warm undertone with red surface tones
  • #4.53 Tan - Dark golden skin, pink to red undertone, no surface tones or red surface tones
  • #5 Dark - Medium golden skin, pink to neutral undertone no surface tones
  • #8 Deep - Deep darkest skin, red to blue undertone, no surface tones or gray ash tones
  • Warm Tan- a neutral tone for honey-amber or light-medium women of color
  • Warm Deep – A golden tone for warm-to-medium brown skin women of color
  • Deepest Deep – A golden tone for rich to deepest, darkest women of color
How do I find the right shade of foundation?

The jaw line method is a good way to do this but, for some, it's not enough to accurately assess the color. As for getting it on the jaw line, you can use whatever method (brush, sponge, etc.) you normally use, just don't do your whole face. Apply near your chin and lower cheeks to see how it blends with your neck.

If you don't think that's enough to judge, maybe try a half-face of two colors to compare. The right color (which you may have to find by mixing two colors together) will disappear into your skin and make you look "alive," for lack of a better word. It will blend in with your neck and overall tones, and you'll look like you're not wearing any makeup at all.

As for lighting, it's wonderful if your foundation matches in EVERY situation, but sometimes-direct sun, a tinted windshield, fluorescent lights, etc., can throw off the look. If it matches 95% of the time, and people start telling you how great you look (new haircut? back from a vacation? etc. LOL!) then you know you've found your color. :) If you're a cool girl, you have options. You can wear a cool-toned foundation to match your face/neck, or wear a more neutral or yellow-based foundation to counter any redness, yet still blend in.

Am I cool toned or warm toned?

A general rule of thumb is look at the underside of your arm. If your veins appear bluish you are cool toned, greenish, warm toned or neither you are neutral.

I need to tweak my foundation shade. How do I do this?

To make the color darker: Try mixing with a darker foundation shade, a bronzer or deeper eye shadow or blush.

To make the color lighter: Try mixing with a lighter foundation shade, concealer, Mineral Veil, or a lighter eye shadow.

Who mixes foundation colors?

Many users mix their own custom combos based on their coloring at any given time of the year!

Can I use the foundation wet?

Spray the brush with a hydrating spray and then swirl, tap and buff as usual.

When do I use Chisel it and/or Emphasize it?

Use it after foundation application. Then just buff a bit more when you're all done. Then you can add mineral veil. Some people tend to use MV over just their nose and chin.

You can use Emphasize It under your eyes. Use the Taklon Concealer Brush to apply it. It can also be done with Summer Bisque (or another color) followed by buffing on the foundation in the area. Or, pat a little Emphasize It on with your little finger, then apply Summer Bisque with the Taklon Concealer Brush.

You can even make cleavage with Emphasize It:

  • Using a blending brush, use a highlight color 1 to 2 shade lighter than your skin, apply between breast with vertical up and down motion
  • Next use an angled eyeshadow brush to apply color 2 tones darker than your skin with a rounded back and forth motion (windshield wiper) to your upper breast area. Begin and end the stroke inside the clothing area.
  • Using a blending brush apply a highlighter above and below dark shadow area to blend colors
Use it in the hollows of the cheeks to deepen the shadow and create the illusion of a more sculpted face. Also use it down each side of the nose to create more depth and along the jaw line to make it look stronger. You can use this contouring technique with Warmth, Chisel It or a darker foundation shade (but with a slight grayness to it makes it look more like shadow rather than dirt).

With the Emphasize It you are highlighting those areas that you want draw out and create the illusion of height. So, if you want to highlight across the tops of your cheek bones, aim at a high angle up toward your temples and this will make the high points of your cheek bones pop and also "lift" the eye area rather than sag it (which will make you just look older). You can also apply it straight down your nose and under the brow bone. Use the BE Blending Brush, it's the big eye shadow brush and it comes with the Chisel/Emphasize kit on QVC.

How do I use Warm Radiance?

Use it like a blush and brush it over the cheeks, top of the nose, a bit on the top of the forehead, touch on the chin, and do a little swipe across your collarbone. Sort of where the sun would hit if you were sitting on a lounge chair on a white sandy beach...margarita in hand...soft breeze...

If you're 1.2 and find Warm Radiance is too dark or "orangey," some have suggested mixing it with Clear Radiance to lighten it and make it more compatible with your skin tone.

What all do I do with Clear Radiance?

It is an all over face color and some apply it under their foundation for a dewy/glowy look. You can use it to highlight on upper cheekbones and to dab in the middle of your lip over lip-gloss. It can be used instead of foundation. Some use it alone by lightly brushing Mineral Veil all over then using the same brush I'll top it with CR. Try it foiled on your eyes.

Brush it over your blush or use it on the eyelids alone if you have to "dash out" on the weekend. Don't sell this short. Even though you think it's not doing anything it is. Just do 1/2 of your face and you will see the difference.

It also "cools" down Warmth or Warm Radiance by mixing the two.

What do I use to "conceal" red spots and dark circles?

Often a lighter foundation color works well (like 1.2 if you use 2.3). Soft Focus Pure, Chenille, Summer Bisque or Bisque work well as concealers. Use a taklon brush and your normal foundation color and then go back over the area "tapping in" the foundation with the brush until you get the desired coverage. Well Rested and Hay work well also. Some Bisque, Well Rested or foundation can be mixed with your moisturizer or eye cream and apply gently with your finger. You can also put the eye cream on first and then pat in the minerals.

Use any one of the following (depending on the season): 1) same color foundation dabbed on with taklon brush (before anything else or after primer if you use this) and then buff it in along with the foundation application. 2) Summer Bisque, a darker foundation (go up one shade or use another foundation) or Well Rested. 3) A cream concealer on the spots that need covering (only if really red). Next wait 3-5 min, go back and look at your face. Add more if redness still showing through and wait again. Mineral foundation needs to "settle in" and you can build easier than you can take away. Once you figure out what works for you this process won't take as long. You can also "set" your makeup (when the whole face is done) with a spritz of any water of your choice.

Use BE's Anti-Aging under eye cream, dust a little foundation over it, apply Emphasize It with your pinkie finger, then apply Summer Bisque (or Bisque, whatever your color preference is) with a small Taklon Concealer Brush. For any spot where the skin is really dark, lay the head of the brush with a little pressure from the tip of my finger and roll it across the skin from one side to the other, depositing the minerals on the skin.

The only thing that will cover the dark circles is a concealer that is very peachy in color Blend, and then set with a very light dusting of MV (if you desire). Yellow and green concealers cover/neutralize redness so these do very little for dark circles. The peachy color counters the dark/grayness that people have under their eye. This is something that is usually hereditary and gets lighter or darker with the amount of sleep and stress you have in your life. Use a very good under eye concealer, as regular moisturizers are not meant to work under the eye and makes creasing worse in that area throughout the day. Favorite, "industrial strength" concealers that really do cover even very dark circles are Cinema Secrets base in any of the correcting colors (#6 series), Touche Éclat (the peachy shade, #3?) and Origins concealer in "Neutralizer" which has a light feel and doesn't crease as badly throughout the day. Also, you don't want to conceal with the peachy color all the way under the eye, creating a half ring. You only want to apply the color where you are dark, especially if you have dark, recessed under eye circles.

Must haves:

Foundation, Warm Radiance, Glee, Clear Radiance, Summer Bisque, Mineral Veil, Well Rested, Queen Tiffany, Soul, Pebble, Bisque, Bare Skin. Samples are by far your best investment when starting out that way you can try a lot and decide what works best for you.

How to clean brushes?

Swipe your brush on a Huggies baby wipe after each use and then weekly swirl in Purity (by Philosophy), or your favorite gentle shampoo or face wash, until clean and rinse in COLD water, drying them on a washcloth with the heads hanging over the side of the vanity.

Sally's has a Face Secrets Brush Cleaner that works very well at cleaning brushes. BE has a brush cleaner, too, as well as Garden Botanika. Baby wash works well. Just be sure not to get the metal part (ferrule) wet and make sure you lay the brush over the edge of your counter to dry. That way, water doesn't get into the base of the bristles and loosen the glue.

Another way to clean your brushes is to use alcohol, several bowls of it, as it takes a few rinses to get them clean. The alcohol dissolves oils and disinfects, and the brushes dry a *lot* faster than if you use something water-based.

You can add a drop or two of emu & lavender essential oil to the last rinse, heads over the edge over night to dry. If one foils or need to tidy them up on a day-to-day basis, just use water. Johnson & Johnson Head to Toe Baby Wash works well.

Run your brushes under lukewarm water and gently rub them on your hand. Put a pump of soap on your palm and gently swirl the brush on your hand. Run the brush under water until the water runs clear. Hang them over the edge of the sink to dry overnight.

Another popular technique is to simply add a small amount of gentle shampoo or cleanser to the palm of your hand. Add a touch of water to wet brush. Next, gently cleanse brush in a circular motion in your hand until clean. Rinse under running water. Then remove excess water from brush and shape with fingers and always dry brush by lying over a ledge, and never upright.

How do I prepare my face for a flawless application?

BHA lotion (like the ones from Paulas Choice)
Aspirin Mask
BE's Skin Rever Upper
Microdermabrision/Exfoliation one - two times/week

How do I wetline?

Make a little puddle of water in the lid of your minerals, stick the brush in and mix to the right consistency, then line the eye (using an eyeliner brush).

Put one drop of liquid inside the cap of the liner shadow you're using. You can use HypoTears, a Visine-type eye drop. Transfer a little liner shadow into the drop of liquid, stir with the brush (use the regular BE eyeliner brush) until you get a firm consistency, one that is easy to apply and makes a smooth line with good color concentration. Make sure that all the dry minerals on your brush have been mixed with the liquid or you'll have sprinkles on your cheeks ~ the worst of both worlds! Practice on your hand until you know how much l/s to mix with the drop of liquid to get the right consistency. This isn't easy because many of the l/s have a different consistency when wet, especially depending upon how much glimmer they contain. Just practice with your favorite first, get that technique down, and move on from there.

Use BE’s Weather Everything instead of water to make help liner last all day.

Use Paula Dorf Transformer as the consistency when mixed with minerals is very creamy, and the liner lasts all day without any flaking at all.

SheLaq by Benefit helps keep it in place.

To double line: make a thick line with one color (like Mint) using a thicker brush (think lip brush). Then go back and thin line with a darker color (soft black) with the regular liner brush.

How do I use the refillable compact?

You can cover up more than half the holes with clear packaging tape and always make sure not to over fill it past the fill line. The hinge in the plastic cap is where the leakage occurs. Some put tape over the hinge and "viola!" no more leaks. Also make sure the hinge is lined up properly (to the hinge on the hard plastic part) and do not overfill.

How do you make your inner eye glow like I have been seeing in the fashion magazines?

Apply minerals to the tear duct area, the place where gunk collects while you sleep. Take a small brush, get some Opal or Bikini on it, tap it so the minerals don't fall off into your eyes, and apply on the skin all around the tear duct area. This is the main area you want to highlight. To extend the effect, you can do the following. On the top part of this area, you can extend the glimmer over toward your eyelid or slightly in toward your nose (if you have dark skin between your tear duct and the bridge of your nose). You can also blend it up toward the inner edge of your eyebrow. Be sure to blend these outer areas so that they are very subtle.

Place the glimmer in the inner corner of the lid and a little bit down around underneath the lower lid, sort of like an "inside" version of a > or <. Sometimes I also sweep it up into the inner crease area.

Put some glimmer on your finger and pretend you are getting the black mascara gunk out of the corner of your eye. That is where it is placed.

Just do it like you would for regular lining, just on the corner near the nose. Make dry lines of Nude Beach, about 1/3 on top and bottom, like this > making sure to get the corner.

Other fave colors for this are: 1960 (discontinued), 2000, Cultured Pearl, Nude Beach, Soul, and Ecstasy. Any of the sheer glimmers will work.

I'm new to BE and am on a budget. What should I start with?

Start with Foundation, Mineral Veil (if you use this type of product and many women do), and a blush and/or all over color like Glee, True or for an overall glow Clear Radiance or Warm Radiance. If you want to invest in shadows, pick colors you know you can use everyday like neutrals. Visit Terry's color comparison page to shop wisely.

What is a good "overall" crease color?

Queen Tiffany, Drama, Nob Hill, Shantung, Passionate plum, Pacific Heights, Pebble, and Cashmere.

What is a good eyeshadow base?

Some women just use an overall color like bisque, soul or well rested as a base. Many more prefer MAC paints (Untitled and Bare Canvas), Benefit FYEye, L'Oreal DeCrease and Urban Decay Primer Potion. . These are the four most mentioned on the boards. Origins has one called AUnderwear and Clinique also makes one called Touch Base for Eyes, which comes in several colors.

How do I minimize large pores?

One suggestion is the sandwich method. It is applying MV first, then foundation, then finish with the MV. Another is applying foundation with a flocked sponge. There are products like Clinique Pore Minimizer and foundation primers like BE Prime Time, Smashbox Photo Finish, Philosophy The Present or Ice Cream. Some women use straight cornstarch which is in MV. Or take a taklon concealer brush and push MV into the pores to cover/fill them. Another trick is to dampen a cotton pad and gently press it on the problem area, or dab a small amount of moisturizer onto the area. Often over application of foundation gives the pores a larger appearance and accentuates the fine lines as the powder settles in. A final smoothing with a very damp flocked sponge evens the look out.

Help me with the brushless mascara.

One tip is to wipe the brush off before each use. Another is to hold the brush to your lashes and blink into it. Another is to use either a mascara spoolie or a washed and disinfected used one to remove the excess and help separate the lashes. This is called a "taking off" (rather than adding) technique. Don't hold it too close to the base of your lashes as it can clump in this area and make a mess. Some use a lash comb or a toothpick to remove the excess and separate the lashes.

Can Shadows be used as liners?

One of the greatest perks of BE is that all colors can be used everywhere.

I find that my eyeliner and shadows seem to scatter below my eye without my knowledge. What am I doing wrong?

It may be that you are putting on too much. Here are a few things to try:

  1. Put on a heavy layer of Mineral Veil below your eyes before applying your liner and shadows.
  2. Apply the eyeliner wet, making sure not to use too much.
  3. Apply the shadow with a taklon (synthetic) brush to get a more intense application without using too much.
  4. Brush off the excess MV under your eyes when you are finished, and that will brush away any excess liner or shadows that have fallen on your cheeks and under your eye.
I want to try my BE minerals on my nails, but I have no idea how to do this?

One way is to mix the minerals with water, applies, let dry, then go over with a top coat of clear polish. Be sure that you are making a thick mixture, but don't leave any granules of minerals. The best part of all of this is that you can try a color, and if you don't like it, or it doesn't really match what you're wearing today, or whatever, you can just wipe it off. You're not committed to it until you've put on that clear top coat. Use to the wet/dry shadow brush to apply the color.

Start with freshly buffed nails, and then apply the minerals to dry nails with an e/s brush. After that take your index finger and kind of rub the minerals all over the nail area, then top with clear polish. It's a great look particularly in the summer if you like just a hint of color with a little glimmer.

How do I make my foundation/look last all day?

You can use a primer, set with water, use rice powder under or to set your look, the Mineral Veil sandwich, or use blotting papers throughout the day. Some women swear by using Milk of Magnesia as a primer. Use an eyeshadow base on dry, not moisturized, eyes. If you are prone to oily skin use an oil free moisturizer. You may also need to exfoliate to keep your skin smooth. Unfortunately, all skin is not created equal so you may just have to touch up during the day!

I have too much product above the sifter. How can I correct this?

Hold the jar and gently, with the cover on, tap the side a lot of it will sift back through. Just remember...GENTLY!

Gently ease the sifter out and then dump the excess back in the jar and replace the sifter. Use your fingers and ease the sifter up going around the jar until it can be lifted out. Too much vigor will result in spillage.

Just hold the container flat, and tap on one side of the jar. Eventually, you'll see the product begin to build up on that side. Now, start tapping on the other side. Keep alternating, and eventually, all the powder will have fallen through the sifter.

For travel: Put in a couple of round cotton pads (the kind you use with toner, nail polish remover, etc.) right on top of the sifter and then screw the tops on really tight. The cotton pads keep the makeup from traveling on top of the sifter. You'll lose a little bit of the minerals where they touch the cotton pads through the holes but it's worth not having to worry about getting too much product on top of the sifter.

Keep the stickers on and then take the pointed end of an orange stick (cuticle pusher) or anything with a sharp point (rat tail comb) and poke out two for mineral veil since it's finer and three for everything else.

Don't use sifters at all and take the dang things out right away!

Is BE supplying underweight items?

A member weighed an empty eye shadow sized jar. Then they weighed variously filled glimmers and shadows. What they found was that ALL of them exceed the stated weight on the jar labels, regardless of the volume of minerals in the jar.

QVC does check the fill weights on the BE containers, and their requirements on contents meeting label representations is very stringent.

Keep in mind that eyeliners are .01oz in the same size jar as the eyeshadows/glimmers, which are. 02oz. Eyeliners should be only half full or less based on this observation.

I'm just starting out - what brushes do I need?

Brush choices appear endless. The most popular lines on the board run the gamut from higher end to less expensive. Bobbi Brown, the Ultimate buffer and the BE kabuki are the faves here. As for shadow brushes: MAC, Stila, BE, Sonia Kashuk (Target), Essence of Beauty (CVS) , Face Secrets (Sally's), Lorraine (from our board), Cat Cosmetics, Studio Basics (Rite Aid and Walgreens).

What is the best brush for application of Bare Escentuals foundation?

The brushes that are included with the Bare Escentuals kit work great but if you are looking to upgrade and get a true airbrushed look, you may want to look into the following:

  1. Kabuki Brush. What is a kabuki brush? A kabuki brush is a short, domed face brush. Instead of a long handle, it has a short, flat-bottomed handle and it can sit upright on your desk. The bristles should be soft yet densely packed for the optimum loading of the minerals and application to your face. Some companies that make Kabuki Brushes are Bare Escentuals, Bobbi Brown, Cat Cosmetics and Chanel. The brand that you choose is your preference. So be careful when choosing as not all Kabukis are the same!

  2. Ultimate Buffer. The Ultimate Buffer is a face brush with a dense head and soft bristles. The head of the brush is very similar to that of the Kabuki brush with the main difference being the handle. The handle on the Ultimate Buffer is approximately two inches long and an inch wide. Many women on the board find that the handle lends for greater ease of application and hand control. The Ultimate Buffer, as far as I know is strictly a mail order item and you can find the links to Lorraine and Carla at the start page. Both ladies offer the Ultimate Buffer for sale, at reasonable prices with great customer service.
Do I need separate brushes for each item?

Some have several brushes, and they put labels on the handles.

Baby wipes are popular. Use a wipe a day for makeup application and then turn the wipe over and use it to wipe up the counter up.

Help! My brush sheds!

This poster said it best: (paraphrased to save the names of the companies) I have two completely unusable brushes. Many women on this board swear by some brushes. I guess I got lemons. Sometimes that happens.

Some brushes shed more than others. If your brush is shedding a lot, it may be a bad brush. Depending on how old it is, it may be worth trying to get a replacement.

How to get that summer glow?

Use a touch of 2.3 over your foundation by use 1.2 all over and then dust with 2.3 (for 1.2 gals).

Warmth, Warm Radiance, Bronze or Fresh blushes always work.

How do I "foil" eyeshadows?

Here's a link to instructions for how to Foil.

Where do the minerals come from?

As we cannot speak for BE specifically, but the "minerals" are bought from suppliers. Then it's blended in some sort of mixer according to the shade recipe.

They are also "chemicals" since a chemical is actually any substance having a defined molecular composition. The human body is one big chemical based on the Carbon atom.

The micas are not "naturally" colored in nature and are manipulated in the lab to create the cosmetics we so love. Mica (which is a mineral) is commonly added to cosmetics to add sparkle. Irradiation might *sound* scary, but it's harmless, as you mention.

All micas used for mass produced cosmetics are synthetically prepared and have been for over 30 years. Mica based pigments are color additives deriving their interference effect from coatings of metal oxides from a heat source. The bismuth oxychloride in mineral makeup is also synthetically prepared. The possible advantage to "mineral" makeup is that since they are not pressed nor do they contain water or oil they do not need preservatives.

Is this product irradiated?

Again, since we cannot speak for BE, we can tell you about the process.

Irradiation is also used to sterilize. When foods are irradiated they have a long shelf life.

Irradiated products have been available on the market for at least 20 years now, and no studies have conclusively tied irradiation to any adverse affects. Also, don't be too concerned about irradiation. Just about anything coming in from overseas is irradiate to get rid of the bacteria/bugs.

Irradiation is also used to autoclave (sterilize) instruments in the hospital.

How Can I Become a BE tester?

Terry or Christa will post an announcement in the "Announcements" folder asking for testers. You just respond while she's still looking for testers (sooner rather than later, she'll edit her post to say that the list is full). It's as easy as that.

What is TSV?

It is "Today's Special Value" on QVC. There is a new one each day. BE generally has two TSVs a year, but the last two years there have been four.

What is an OTO?

When a TSV sells out, each show usually has a "One time only" item at a reduced price.

What is the History of this board?

From Christa:

I started this board in March 2000. A lot of people were posting on QVC's board after Leslie's first appearance, and then someone started a board on Delphi for all of us. After a while the moderator there got busy with a new baby and wasn't visiting much. We had lots of info directly from BE that we wanted to share, so we started a forum dedicated to BE. Since then it's grown leaps and bounds.

In July 2004 I had the opportunity to meet Leslie in person and I have spoken with her on the phone several times. We are fortunate that BE shares upcoming information with us and asks us to help us test future products. This is not an official BE forum, but we do get our information directly from BE, whether it's from Leslie herself or her assistant or other BE staffers.

How are colors that are exclusive to QVC released as singles and kits?

History of product airing has shown that they will appear quite soon or as long as a year as singles. Some kit configurations are exclusive to QVC.

Can anyone please tell me what that eyeshadow club is about and how to find it?

It is $21.99 plus $3.99 s/h for a set of 3 eyeshadows. Each set is sent out at each season. Currently, the program is in transition and BE has been sending out colors in an iQuad compact.

http://www.bareminerals .com/

Since everyone can have a different ship date depending on when they signed up, it may not mean anything if someone has their kit and you don't. Most people are set to get them 4x year so every 3 months. You can modify this if you want though.

BE timesaver tips

Use a couple of those see thru plastic divided daily vitamin/pill holders with the flip top caps like one with 7 large sections that you can favorite face/blush colors in, and another with smaller compartments for your shadows, etc. You may even have left some for mixing colors. You just have to take out 2 things, pop the tops, dip and go! There is now less chance of spillage, too. Also comes in handy when you get samples that are not in jars.

Use a contact lens case.

Some keep the most often used colors in tiny little shakers.

Keep baby wipes handy to remove color from brushes each day between real cleanings after the daily usage is over.

Others have posted small compartment containers from various stores.

Small Sterlite drawers can be used for daily use. One drawer can be used for larger brushes that won't fit in a can and other instruments (eyelash curlers, etc). One for face and the other drawer for eyes!

Do BE Lipsticks go bad?

It has a shelf life of two years. You'll know it's going bad when it becomes sticky and is accompanied by an odd smell and taste. The pigment and oils preserve lipstick. If you get a cold sore, throw out the lipstick. If you use a lip brush, wash it twice a week.

Are BE Glosses Opaque or Clear?

Take a look at our Lipsticks page that has descriptions of all the lip products.

How do I make my own lip shades?

Dip your lip balm (BE Lip Savor or Buzz Latte) into any of the BE Eye Shadows or Blushes. Mix them with a clear lip-gloss (MAC Clear Lipglass is a favorite) to create a unique lip look!

How do you tone down your look if you have applied too much?

You can go over the area with a flocked sponge, buff like crazy or try buffing with some mineral veil.

What is the difference between an eyeshadow, glimmer and glimpse?

  • Eye shadows ~ typically matte
  • Glimmers ~ very shimmery
  • Glimpses ~ in between an eye shadow and a glimmer. They give more of a satin finish.
How do I travel with BE?

There are many ways to travel with BE from a Ziploc bag filled with jars all the way to a mini-Kahuna. You just have to find what works best for you.

Help! My lips are getting dried out from BE lipsticks.

You may be sensitive to in ingredient in BE lipsticks. You can usually just put on some lip moisturizer before you put on lipstick to help with dryness.

My lip liner keeps breaking!

Expose a tiny, little bit of the stick and use that. Make sure it down all the way before you put the cover on and then the liner doesn't get smashed. What happens is the liner will "bend" and possibly it break down in the tube .

How do I smudge my eyeliner?

Use a small eyeshadow brush to smudge. You can also use a Q-tip. You might need to reapply if the color is not intense enough.

Get the BE smudge brush, NARS makes a winner as does Studio Basics.

Face or eyes first?

Face first, and then the eyes are the general consensus.

Here is a tip if you have "falling minerals:"

  • Apply foundation as usual
  • Before you do your eye color/liner, dust a generous quantity of mineral veil just below your eyes where the excess shadow would usually fall.
  • Do your eye shadows and liners
  • When your eye makeup is done, take your brush and brush away the excess mineral veil, which should take the excess eye shadow off your face.
Help! Why is my BE stinging?

There may be ingredients in BE that make some people itch/sting (when they sweat). Sometimes it is your moisturizer or another preparation you have on your face, or sometimes you are sensitive to one of the ingredients in BE.

What is a kahuna?

Take a look at some pictures of the forum members' kahunas.

A Kahuna is a large case for makeup.

  1. 1. Where is the best priced place to find one?
    K-Mart has a clear tackle-like case from the Martha Stewart stuff. Other places for that sort of box are Wal-Mart and various craft and art supply stores. Cosmetic train cases designed specifically for storing makeup are available at many online sources like Coco Cosmetics and other websites. Be sure to check the Forum's Let's Go Shopping page for more specific information on finding a Kahuna.
  2. What is the best way to organize it?
    Many people find it best to label their original product jars and store them in the Kahuna. Others find that for large collections, it's better to transfer small amounts of product into more compact storage containers and smaller jars. Some have successfully used small glass vials. There are many unique ways to store and organize your Kahuna, and you can get lots of ideas from the Kahuna Hall of Fame thread listed above.
  3. What is the Best type?
    The best type of Kahuna is the one that works the best for you and meets your needs. We recommend that you spend some time in looking at the pictures in the Kahuna Hall of Fame thread, and in discussing storage issues with others on the Forum before jumping into something. There's nothing more frustrating than to get a Kahuna all outfitted and then discover it's too small for your collection or just doesn't do what you need for it to do.
Where are some of the tips and tricks I can find most useful for BE looks/combos?

You will have to plow through these but you won't be sorry!

What is the best way to remove my makeup?

Put a misting spray top on your makeup remover. Put enough of the product on the cotton square to remove the mascara, but don't get so much on the cotton square that it gets in the eyes.

Use baby shampoo! It works beautifully, and it's no "tears"! It doesn't cause problems with the tear ducts or with oils being near the eyes, but it doesn't sting. And it's very effective as well as inexpensive. Wash your hands thoroughly first, wet your face and eyes, place a drop of baby shampoo on the end of your ring finger, gently moving it over my eyelid. Splash with water to rinse off and you're done!

Apply make-up remover straight instead of mixing it with water. It breaks down the stuff better than if diluted.

Overall tips for makeup application

  1. Thoroughly cleanse face and moisturize (oil free for oily skin and preferably one with an SPF).
  2. Make sure your hands stay clean. It is easy to do part of your face, do a few things and come back and then touch your face again.
  3. Conceal dark circles and redness.
  4. Start lightly with foundation and then build to even out your skin tone. Too much will give you a caked-on look.
  5. Apply eye shadow. Do not overuse eye shadow but use it to enhance your eyes. Use natural looking colors for a polished daytime look. If you use eyeliner make sure the line is soft in appearance, not hard and straight.
  6. Blush should be applied last. Smile and place it on the apples of your cheek and then blend upward toward the ears. Start sparingly and then add color. To make the look natural place some blush on the bridge of your nose, your forehead and on your jaw line.
  7. Lipstick (gloss, etc) should match/blend with your overall look. You should own a few different shades.
  8. Finally, remember you control the look. It's up to you how much you wear so if you want to skip part of the routine (like foundation), it's fine. Remember there are no hard and fast rules except for feeling good about yourself and what you are projecting.

How to Use Well Lit & Back Lit

Here is a link to a video on QVC showing how to use Well Lit and Back Lit. Click here.


Tips from Tiffany (tifhlee)

Curling your eyelashes
This is from pro makeup artists Mally Roncal. She uses the Shu Uemura lash curler and she starts by curling the lashes at the base as usual, then move the curler up the lash a bit and then curl again. Do this about 3-4 times working the lash curler to the ends of the lash length. This is especially effective if you have stick straight lashes or for it helps add curl to lashes that stick straight down! She also says that waterproof mascara holds curl better than any other formula. Waterproof lashes because they make many lashes kind of brittle except for Borghese's Waterproof. MAC's new Zoom lash is great too and it's a smudge proof formulation. MAC is not bit on waterproof mascara but they do make water resistant mascara that is a bit more lash friendly.

Always curl your lashes before you apply mascara even if you're not going to wear any mascara. It really lifts and opens your eyes. I'm all about doing anything that lifts things up higher!!

You don't want to curl after mascara application (although I have with another kind of "safer" curler when I apply false lashes to meld the fake and real ones together, it's the Junoesque Precision Lash Curler and I use that one as a final step) with a regular metal lash curler because your lashes will stick to the curler, probably pull a few out and those guys don't grow back either!

Mascara preferences
I think mascara is one of the beauty products that women are extremely particular about and it's a very individual preference as to what we feel is the best. I've noticed that women are very loyal to particular mascara once they find their favorite. So with that said, my personal favorite as well as my sisters is Borghese's. I like their regular mascara but I LOVE the waterproof one. It's not like the traditional tar containing, brittle; lash falling out type of waterproof mascara. It also holds curl better than any other mascara I've tried and we're talking about stick straight Asian lashes that point straight down! I also like the new MAC mascara called Zoom Lash. I've had really impressive results with it and it makes a huge difference in the lengthening, almost stretching the lashes to their full length. Plus it's smudge proof so it's great for those with oilier lids or very long lashes that touch both the upper lid and upper cheek. It's also pretty inexpensive too, around $9.00.

Best kabuki
The holy grail of all kabukis is the Bobbi Brown Face Brush. It is amazing! It's packed denser than the Chanel by a few extra hairs and it's soft but not floppy so it applies mineral foundation perfectly.

Use of Earth Lip Liner
Try applying it very lightly and filling in your lips with it so you're creating a foundation for your lips rather than using it just as a lip liner. Then throw on a lighter gloss like Muse or anything else that you like and it will make a beautiful lip color combo. True gloss looks great with it too! (You can use this tip for any darker lip liner)

Give your skin more oomph!
If you are pale and look quite sickly yellowy pale most of the time then use the #2 foundation because it gives me more oomph to your skin and counters all the red your face. But if you do an exact skin tone match I would just look pale and sickly rather than giving skin a bit of a boost and life from the #2. (Add in: you can do this with any foundation color. Many of the 1.2 gals will use 2.3)

Fave BE Lippies
My favorite BE lip colors are:

  • Light shade: Goddess
  • Medium shade: Serenity (favorite all around hands down), Thistle, Empress (doesn't go too purple on me)
  • Darker Shades: Hubba Hubba (love this one), Classic Red
Dark Circle Tips
Regular Bisque usually works better for darker circles because it has more peach to it rather than summer bisque, which is golden toned and works better to cover redness. Regular bisque mixed with a bit of peach puff or anything else that is very peachy works true wonders for dark circles! (Add in: SF Pure also works great in the mix for some also as does Vanilla Sugar for combating blue undertones)

Thoughts on Chisel It and Emphasize It
Chisel it has warmer grayness to it just like the shade a shadow would create if you had more hollowness rather than fullness to your cheek. Also, I like the color of Emphasize It because it creates a very natural highlight on the face without looking like a glow product or overly white when applied. The brush that comes in that kit is a favorite brush and it's perfect to use to sculpt and highlight the face. The blending brush works great because it fits right into the hollows of the cheek and it's small enough to use sideways to contour the nose and contour along the jaw line without applying too much color. It's the perfect size to precisely apply both colors. I think a larger brush would make a mess and you wouldn't have the control and precision that you get with this brush that comes in the kit.

Thoughts on Correcting Primers
The color correcting primers or any color correcting products that are very light and pastel will work only on people who are very fair and light toned. The correctors will do very little for someone with darker skin tones because they are too light and pastel. I really like the original SB primer and it works great all over the face. I think that if you have very defined areas of ruddiness, sallowness or darkness AND you are light skinned then you will probably like the SB color correcting primers. If you are medium tan or darker skinned it will not to a whole lot of correcting. This is a big pet peeve of mine with cosmetic companies who only cater to light skinned women!

About flocked sponges
A flocked sponge is a type of makeup sponge that has a very flat, velour type finish on it. I have purchased a couple of flocked sponges and tried them out for mineral makeup application but I personally prefer applying with a kabuki brush. I get them for quick touch ups on set for extras who I don't use the big, very expensive powder puffs on. I've found them at just about any drug store in a plastic baggie type package. The brand is Purecell and on the package it says Professional Velour and Sponge Puffs. One side is the flocked/velour side and the other is a regular non-latex sponge. I've also found them at Ulta by the same brand but in a 12 pack which is a better value. They are pretty cheap but if you use them every day to apply your makeup it can get very expensive fast.

Shantung
It's a gorgeous shade plus and have used it a lot on women of color and it's beautiful with so many ranges in skin tone. I think deep reds and purples look very pretty especially for fall and winter if it's applied correctly. They are very intense colors so they work great as crease colors, liners, blushes, and on lips. Of course it's going to look like a bruise if you put it on the entire lid but hey, some people out there love that all over red look.

Blush Application
The blush area on your face is closer to the center of your face and if you smile you will see what I like to call your "cheek balls" or apples of your cheeks. That area I personally like to use a more pinker/redder/mauvier tone depending on the look you are going for and/or the skin tone of the person to create that "blushed" look. There are different techniques for applying to the apples of your cheeks; you can apply directly over the fullest part of your cheeks or just slightly to the outside of the fullest part of the apples.

Face Contouring
The contour area on your face starts at your hairline, close to the middle of your ear and ends just before the apple of your cheeks. That's where you would apply a contour color like a darker foundation shade. The contour helps sculpt, lift the cheekbones and of course take pounds of your face. The contour colors you can use are any of the dark foundations, chisel it which is specifically a sculpting/shadowing product or darker warm toned blushes like Warmth, Thistle, Chestnut, Blush, etc. Colors that work great for the blush/apples area are Glee, Hint, Secret, Sorbet, Giddy Pink, etc. So, you can use two different colors for contouring and for blush or use the same shade for both areas.

Wet Lining your Eyes
The biggest factor that will make wet lining easier is the kind of brush you use. For many people that either a push brush (a square, synthetic brush with a flat top, varying widths depending on the brand) or a small pointed brush that is like a very miniature version of a lip brush. The second thing that will help you apply a straight line with a brush is how you hold the brush. If you have a shaky hand try anchoring either your wrist (the underneath part where you take your pulse) on your chin/cheek or rest your elbow on the counter. You want to anchor some part of your hand or arm so that it's not just floating in air and can cause more unsteadiness. If you're using a push brush you just want to wiggle it along your lash line, working end to end like you're connecting dots. If you're using a pointed liner brush you want to hold the brush parallel to your eye and sweep it across your lash line rather than holding the point of the brush directly to the lash line.

You will get a more distinct line when you apply a wet liner. To make it look more natural and not like a harsh line, wait for the liner to completely dry on your lid and then take either your same liner brush (make sure it's dry too) or a small, firm eye shadow brush to smudge out the line. This will give it a less wet look as well as a softer, smokier line.

As far as when to line, you want to do it after all of your eye shadow has been applied. Then I usually follow by applying my mascara. So, shadows, liner and then mascara. But, here's another tip for you, if you apply your liner and it's a little darker than you like, take a light shadow color and sweep it across your eye liner to soften it.

You only want to smudge on top of the liner area only. Of course if you want to do a more dramatic eye by smudging out the line a little thicker then you will be blending on top of the eye shadow too. It still shouldn't interfere with your shadow though. Well, that is unless you go really crazy and smudge up all the way to the crease or even further up. Of course, then you won't see much of the shadow, just the smudged up liner.

All the different gel and putty types of liners look so nice and also last so long. I think they are easier to use than pencils once you get the hang of it.

MAC paints make a great eyeliner.

Covering Tattoos
I highly recommend Cinema Secrets or Joe Blasco cream makeup. They both make a color that covers tattoos. You need a very peachy/orangey shade to cancel out the blue that is in the tattoo color applied first and then a skin match color over that. If you try to cover a tattoo with one skin match color it will not be fully concealed. Tattoo ink isn't a true black but a dark blue color, which is one of the hardest colors to conceal, but the peachy shades will completely cancel that out.

What you want to do is apply the peachy shade to clean skin with a dense taklon/concealing brush and stipple all the way around the tattoo. You don't want to conceal it following the outline of the tattoo itself. You want to stipple and blend outside the tattoo shape itself. Then take the skin match color and stipple all the way on top of that. Finally powder the heck out of it with a large puff by pressing the powder into the skin rather than wiping the powder on. Depending on where your tattoo is located it should be concealed for a very long time but most likely will need to be touched up sometime during the day if it's in an area where there is a lot of movement or if you tend to sweat a lot. Hopefully the tattoo isn't in an area where it is partially under clothing and partially exposed like on the chest, etc. It's much tougher to conceal those areas without staining your clothes

Drop Shadow
A drop shadow is just a softer eye lining technique than the traditional, harsh eyeliner on the lower lid. Use a shadow instead of a pencil or a pencil can be used if it's one of those really soft, smudgy, powdery kinds. Anyways, I use a darker color shadow, and you softly blend the color on your lower lid. The drop shadow is soft unlike the distinct, harsh line of a liner. It's also another way to create a smoky eye but just on the lower lid.

(Said another way) Just use an eye shadow (dark or light, doesn't matter) and you apply it to your lower lid line but rather than create a harsh, thin line like you can with a traditional eye pencil, you use the powder shadow to make a softer shadow effect. It's basically a smoky eye applied to the lower lid.

Camp Is the Perfect Brown
Use it just like Q. Tiffany and it's about the same intensity but it's the most perfect brown glimmer shade. It's not a red brown, not too chocolaty brown it's just the perfect brown. It's in between java and pebble in color but with glimmer. Don't let the eye shadow category on this one fool you because Camp is definitely a glimmer. I asked Serena and Staci from BE corp. about Camp and why they categorized it as an eye shadow when it's clearly a glimmer and they said that some of the eye colors need redefining. If you love browns and you love Q. Tiffany then you will certainly love Camp!

Stippling
When you're using the darker colors or if you're applying a whole bunch of different colors and you want each color to show up distinctly without all blending together to make one new muddy color, try stippling your colors on rather than buffing or brushing them on. You want to tap the color onto your lid so that you concentrate the color onto your lid one little area at a time. Then take a blending or a larger fluffy crease brush to gently blend away any harsh lines. Stippling will give you exact placement of color, prevent making a big muddy mess when using several colors and you'll get less product falling all over your cheeks and lashes. Also, don't forget to use an eye base so that your shadows have something to hold onto.

The type of brush I like to use to apply darker colors with the stippling technique, is a smaller sized brush that is flat and firm so that it doesn't "flick" any colors all over the place. If you have any of the current BE catalogs they now show all of the brushes with descriptions on how to best use them. I like to use the Tapered Shadow Brush, which you purchase it alone or in the double-ended brush with the pointed end. I also use this brush from MAC. Use the flat sides of the brush to stipple/lay down the color and then take a larger fluffy brush to blend.

Cleaning of Brushes
I use baby wipes on a daily basis to give my brushes a half a$$ cleaning. Baby wipes will help get the color off your brushes but it doesn't cleanse or disinfect them. Then I put my really dirty brushes in a cup and whenever I get around to cleaning those I'll use brush cleaner to cleanse and disinfect them. And then....maybe once every few months, I'll give all my brushes a thorough shampooing and wipe off all the handles with a damp cloth since brushes should never be emerged under water past the bristles.

Colors for Blue Eyes
I love greens (and lavenders too) on blue eyes but if you find the colors to be a bit too brown-green or gold-green pair them up with a more teal green to use as the liner or crease color to really make your blue eyes pop! But, I know that you can definitely wear the new blendable colors well. Plus, golds are huge for this fall. I like a soft shadow look with a bit of a more distinct gold shade right on the center of the lid and then a distinct liner with a little flip on the end, very retro 30's looking!

DuWop Reversible Lip Liner
You want to apply it just to the *outside* of your natural lip line. It will help create a physical border around your lips so that your lip products do not bleed out. Also the kambuchka ingredient in it is a lipofiller and will help lessen those fine lip lines to further improve the overall look of your lips and lip products. Make sure you sharpen the pencil only with the sharpener that it came with. The pencil is not the traditional hard wood kind and is a softer wood pulp that can get eaten up by other sharpeners. Also you don't want to sharpen it until you get a point on the tip like you would for other color lip liners. This one works best when you keep the flatter, blunt top the way it comes rather than the point.

"So you put the reversible lip liner outside the lip and then put the lip liner color on then lipstick and gloss?"

Exactly! Of course, if you don't like lip liner you can skip that step, same goes for lip stick because I know there are a lot of gloss only ladies out there. But yes, the clear reverse lip liner will help shape the lips, color lip liner helps define the lips as well as working as a lip foundation if you fill all the way in with it and then of course your lip stick and lip gloss will add color and shine.

Shadows for Green Eyes
Of course you can wear green shadows if you have green eyes. You can wear different shades of greens to bring out the different flecks of color in your eyes like the golds or the browns. But, of course you can always use a complementary color like lavenders and purples to really make your green eyes pop. I heard Darac the makeup artist for Prescriptives on QVC give a good example of why complementary colors work so well in making your eye color pop. He said that if you had a beautiful Emerald loose stone that you wanted to display you wouldn't put it on a green cloth, you would use a contrasting color so that you can really see it. Anyways, it was something to that effect, he worded it much better than I just did but it makes sense.

Miscellaneous Tips Hi-light underneath your eyes right along your lashes and also in the inner corners with a glowy white-silver shade like Nude Beach, Celestine or 2000 Glimmers. It adds a very subtle ethereal glow to your eyes without looking like you're trying too hard.

Add a bit of clear radiance on top of your finished eye shadow look right to the center of your eye lid. It will add more dimension to your eyes and also again, that subtle angelic glow.

Mix Clear Radiance with your bronzer to make it more interesting rather than the every day matte look. You can also add bronzer all over your face and also to contour . Then, take a second pinkier blush and apply that just to the apple of the cheeks. It really helps shape your face and add more dimension.

Many thanks to Ellen for all her hard work compiling this information!

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