So I was running low on a bunch of my makeup and dreading the expensive trip to the mall. I was squeezing out the last of my Merle Norman tinted moisturizer on the same day that my my hands decided to loose their grip on my blush which broke all over the floor. Then I lost my liner brush. Then I got a magical email! It was Sarah at Beauty Addicts who offered to send me a bunch of their makeup to try and review. SCORE!

So with journalistic integrity at the fore-front of my brain, I used it for the last few days, noting the ease of use, length of wear, value, and most of all, did it make me look H-O-T?

First off, the Mineral Sheer Tint in Natural Glow ($35):

When I first saw the color, I immediately thought it was too dark. I have the weirdest complexion that tends to hover between jaundice yellow and blotchy pink, so I was very skeptical that I could pull off “natural glow”. And I was even more skeptical that a product with the words “sheer” and “tint” would have enough coverage for said blotchy, post acne skin. BUT, this stuff was super light and creamy and it evened out my skin tone without making me look makeup-y. It gave me a nice sun-kissed glow. AND it’s SPF 20! This stuff DEFINITELY delivers what it promises. My only complaint is that the pump applicator is hard to control and I usually end up wasting some, which is concerning since the bottle is already pretty small (1.25 oz.) and it absorbs so nicely that you tend to use more than you would a regular foundation. Oh and there should be more shades to choose from.

Express Kit ($125 total) and PocketSIX brush set ($22):

They have a 4 collections: Glow, Express, Motivate, and Seduce. Each has an interesting set of colors that seem pretty random, but the Express colors all magically fit with my face and highlight my assets. So it could be that I just got lucky, but if that’s the case, I should buy a lottery ticket or start looking for wallets at Costco, because the gods are looking down upon me with rays of glowing light and pulchritudinous lasers. The Christ child is peering from underneath Madonna’s gown and wondering to himself “who is this shining star and where does she get her makeup?” Ahem.

GLIMMERsheers ($30):
This compact has a luminizer and what they call a “sheer”. The luminizer is a glittery, glimmering, glistening, gleaming ‘creme’ that is not too obnoxious or preteen that I like to put on the inside corner of my eyes for that “NOBODY-can-say-I’m-sleep-deprived-and-I’m-definitely-not-hungover-either” look. The “sheer” is a like a clear gloss for your face. I was worried at first, because it just looked like a slab of vaseline, but it adds a little shimmer to anywhere you want it without being sticky or heavy. It totally gives you that “fresh” look, like you fell asleep in a meadow and woke up with a fawn licking the dewdrops off your face:

SolutionEYES ($35):
This quad of eyeshadows was so lovely and versatile, and the colors layered deliciously, like the perfect peanut butter, jelly and bacon sandwich (the flavors were very different but they blended very nicely together). The eyeliner brush with the “definer” shadow was a perfect replacement for eyeliner, it never smeared or clumped, and it stayed on all day. I would definitely pay $35 for this set. It’s a deal if you don’t have to buy eyeliner too.

SleekCHEEKS ($32):
Two blushes. One is velveteen ‘creme’, the other a matte powder. Ooh, I just had a craving for some tiramisu, this stuff really is that decadent, but not in an acne sort of way. The site says, “Both formulas are oil absorbent and are loaded with advanced antioxidants” so it’s good for you! The velveteen ‘creme’ gives you a subtle glow that you can blend out with the matte powder. It looks totally natural. And H-O-T.

RelationLIPS ($28):
I’m not much of a lipcolor fan, my lips are kryptonite to color. I’ve never managed to keep color on my lips for longer than a millisecond or when I manage to stuff something in my mouth, whichever comes first. My idea of lipcolor is tinted chapstick, something I can put on with one hand without a mirror, so I’m not likely to get out a brush, no matter how sleek and retractable (and fun!) it is and the four-color compact, no matter how moist and delicious the colors are. Sorry Beauty Addicts, I’ll give it to Amber for her to review.

This makeup is definitely comparable to the quality of MAC or Estee Lauder, but you can tell that a lot of thought went into the formulas to make them wearable for a wide variety of skin tones and textures. And they have staying power. I feel beautiful without too much fuss.

UPDATE: Shipping for the month of May is FREE!