Exciting news—I’ve finally had a chance to see an advanced copy of my Bare Minerals infomercial appearance, a half-hour segment completely devoted to the magic that is Bare Minerals foundation.  I pop up about twelve minutes in, yammering on about how obsessed I am…how crap my skin is otherwise…how it’s my number one beauty product ever, blah, blah, blah. The thing is, it’s 100% true—I wasn’t paid for my appearance in the infomercial, and agreed to it because I was thrilled to be invited to participate.  It’s damn near impossible to not become jaded by products; as a beauty writer, you test so many that they start to blend together.  So when you find something that really stands out, it’s a lightening bolt moment, and that Oh-My-God-You-Have-To-Try-This! love is what Bare Minerals (and all the Bare Escentuals products) inspires in me.

Why do I love it?  (Surely you’re sick of this by now!)  Here’s the five-second version: It’s weightless, it covers all my redness, pigmentation, zits and acne scars, and it doesn’t make me feel like I have paint on my skin.  Yeah, it has SPF, too, but even if it were SPF-free, I’d still want to make babies with it.

BTW, While most women who’ve tried agree wholeheartedly with Bare Minerals’ merits, occasionally I’ll get an email from somebody who questions my devotion.  (They’re all, “Jolie are you on crack?  I hate it–why are you so obsessed?”)  The most common complaints I’ve heard regarding Bare Minerals come from those with extremely dry skin, usually older women.  I always advise them to moisturize well before applying foundation, and also mention that the brush you use will determine the type of coverage you get.  (My favorite is the Handy Buki, which gives medium-to-full airbrush-worthy coverage.)  If you find that the foundation settles into pores, another complaint I’ve heard a few times, using a primer after moisturizing will help you look flawlessly smooth, dahlings.  The simple truth is that not all beauty products will work for all women; my favorite could be your least, or vice versa.  That being said, nearly every gal I’ve turned onto Bare Minerals has similarly fallen in love.  Hand over heart, Jolie pledges to (at least attempt to) always steer you right!  

Okay, people, I’ve gone over this a few times, but judging from some of the comments (not to mention the messed up makeup bags of my own friends), there’s a lot of confusion over how to properly use Bare Minerals!  At some point in time, like seventy years ago (or, I don’t know, seven), I watched the video that comes with the introductory kit, but I can’t remember if it explains this most crucial step or not: when you’re opening the jar, don’t remove the tape inside.  Rather, peel it back the teeniest bit to allow visibility of just a few holes.  Tap the jar onto the inside of the lid, allowing a small amount of makeup to escape—much less than you think you’d need!—and then swirl your brush around inside the lid.  (Hence the whole “Swirl, Tap, Buff” thing, which you can see in action at the website.)  When you’re done, retape the opening, so it’s completely closed.  If you take the tape off or pull it back too much, then a mess is absolutely guaranteed; with the tape securely on, all will be well in Mineralmakeupland!

I just took a peek at Sephora’s website, and lo and behold, the home page is devoted entirely to mineral makeup!  As you probably know—mostly because I will not shut up about it—I’ve been using mineral foundation for years, and consider myself something of an expert on the matter.  Not all mineral foundations are created equal, however.  Recently, I’ve been working with two facial plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills (much more on this later!), and I’ve been tapped as their skincare expert to help create an in-office and online store.  If you’re getting your face hacked to bits (in the name of beauty, bien sur!), there are two fairly good assumptions one can make: 1) You’re at least a teeny bit vain; and 2) Your skin is going to need some post-procedural TLC.  The leap to mineral foundation is therefore a natural one, since the best versions not only cover skin better than traditional foundation, but are also weightless and won’t irritate all those nips and tucks.  When I found out we couldn’t carry Bare Minerals (unlike some other cult mineral makeups, doctors’ offices can’t carry the brand), I was gutted, to say the least.  So began a search for mineral foundation that we could feature…and which I could stand behind.  And…sigh…the search is still on.  Over the years, I’ve tried Jane Iredale, Glo Minerals, Colorescience, L’Oreal, Hourglass, and blah…blah…blah.  I don’t like any of them, for various combinations of the following reasons: the powders aren’t as finely milled; the coverage is inferior; the packaging looks like it was made from recycled diapers, etc.  I’m always amazed when women corner me and ask, with a slight edge to their voice, “But, have you tried (insert mineral makeup brand here that is not Bare Minerals)???  It’s so much better!”  Alas, my friends, I’ve tried them all…and the only one I can get on board with is Bare Minerals–people are obsessed with it because it works.  And a couple of months ago, when Bare Escentuals approached me to appear in one of their infomercials…I agreed to extoll its virtues for free.  Why?  Like I said: because I’m obsessed…and because it works.

A. writes:

I bought Bare Escentuals bareMinerals foundation and am still a little shaky applying it.  I’ve read the brief primer on Sephora’s web site but find steps like ‘buff the bareMinerals into the skin in a circular motion…’ (huh) a little hard to visualize.  I emailed Sephora to suggest that they offer a video demo.  Since you’re a pro with mineral makeup, I thought maybe you could offer some tips.  I was a little heavy-handed in the bathroom this morning (on only my second day wearing it) and had to start one side over again.  I think I might look like a ghost!  Thanks.

Hi. A!  Thanks for the question.  BE can be a little tricky to apply at first (and, seriously, what the hell does “buff it into your skin” even mean??) but it really is very simple once you learn how to do it.1) Take off the sticker from the jar (either fully remove it, or peel it back about halfway.)  You’ll see about twenty tiny holes, and that’s where you’ll shake out the makeup from.2) Sprinkle a little of the powder from the exposed (or half-exposed) holes onto the inside of the black jar lid.3) Take your brush and put it on the makeup in the lid, then move the brush around the inside of the lid, until you’ve swept up all the visible makeup there.4) Tap the brush against something (your wrist, the sink, whatever.  Anything will do!) to let the extra makeup on the outside of the brush float into the air.  (Don’t do this two inches away from your new black or white shirt, as you will then be covered in tiny particles of makeup!)  The point of the whole lid swirling/tapping exercise is to get the makeup on the inside of the brush, rather than sitting on the edge of the bristles.  This is so the makeup is applied better and more naturally, rather than glopped on.5) Spend about five minutes lightly applying the makeup to your face with the brush.  I like to start on my cheeks, working my way to the nose, go around the crevises of the nose, get my eyelids, go up to my forehead, work around the edges of my face, then go onto my chin and the area under the chin.  Take your time.  Buff, paint, press, insert-whatever-verb-you-want-to-use-here…just put the damn brush against your face and apply the stuff!6) Repeat steps 2 -5 as much as is necessary to get a good application.  Doing it once or twice will give you light, tinted-moisturizer-esque coverage; doing it several times will make your skin look as flawless as a china doll’s.  Have fun!

I made good on my promise to usher in 2008 with a quieter, more low-key celebration last night, having a few friends over to my apartment and then going to a fun, but not-too-raucous party in the Hollywood Hills.  Before we went out for the evening, we did the obligatory, “Let’s document ourselves having fun!” photos.  (Otherwise known as the, “We will never be this young or look this good again, so better preserve the evidence for posterity!” pictures.)  Once in the Hills, we all had our palms read by a psychic, and I’m pleased to report that mine gave me an excellent reading.  (And if she hadn’t, I would have just shrugged it off, of course!)  Hope you had a wonderful New Year’s, too!

With J. and D., at the beginning of the night (note the clear and bright eyes!).  One of my famous “We-took-it”s.

D. and I are in two totally different photos here; I appear to be striking some sort of Dynasty pose.  (”Luke, order caviar for the yacht or I shall fire you immediately!  And bring me Princess Fluffy!” is what’s probably going through her head.)

Yes, this is what we do.  We pose.

Me dancing around and taking photos of myself was kind of a theme for the evening.  Amazing (sadly?), I do this while sober.

Makeup used last night (Gee, do I have favorite brands, or what?  What can I say; they’re the best!):

FACE: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals foundation in Light (applied with the precision Handy Buki brush; LOVE this thing!), NARS bronzer in Laguna, NARS Orgasm blush, Bare Escentuals Clear Radiance All-Over Face Color,

EYES: Lancome Colour Focus Palette 4 Ombres in 4 Style, NARS Eyeliner pencil in Black Moon, Shiseido The Makeup Mascara Base, Shiseido Eyelash Curler, Lancome Courbe Virtuose Mascara.

LIPS: 1) NVEY ECO Natural Lip Lustre in Temptress; followed by 2) Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips plumping gloss in Kanani; and finally with a dotting of 3) NARS Orgasm lip gloss on my bottom lip

FRAGRANCE: Bond No. 9 Chinatown (This is rapidly becoming one of my all-time favorite perfumes.  It is so good.)

One of my favorite brands, Lancome, announced a few days ago that Anne Hathaway is their new face.  (Or rather, their new “ambassador”, which sounds so much more chic and soignee.)  She’ll be helping Lancome launch its latest and greatest fragrance, which will come out in September 2008.  With current and former faces such as Isabella Rossellini, Juliette Binoche, Uma Thurman and Kate Winslet, I’d say our Anne’s in excellent company, wouldn’t you?

An ethereal look like this is all about dewy, flushed, what-has-she-been-doing?! cheeks.  Get it with a reddish blush, such as NARS in Taos, an earthy eye palette of taupes, rust and bronze (right now, I’m using and loving Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Quad in Neutral Cashmeres), and good ol’ Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey.  Oh, a flawless complexion courtesy of excellent genes helps, too, but if your mom wasn’t a supermodel or if your dad didn’t make a pact with God, fake it with Bare Escentuals bareMinerals foundation and Bare Escentuals Clear Radiance.

Many of my beauty blogging brethren went to New York City this weekend for Fashion Week.  Rather than schlep my ass all the way out there to spend five minutes interviewing various harried, sweating makeup artists as they paint foundation on girls named Natalia and Agyness, I flew to San Francisco for the first stop on my college book tour!  (Don’t worry, my fearless interns Traci and Bess are backstage digging dirt, for those of you who are into that thing.)  The event–at UC Berkeley–was a bit nervewracking, as I was speaking to eighty fiercely intelligent young women who also seemed more than a little well-versed on the ins-and-outs of how to be gorgeous.  (”What if they hate me?” I fretted to my friend R.  “And then my mind will go blank, and I’ll begin sweating, and then of course I won’t be able to stop stuttering, and before I know it, they’ll be whispering and jeering and throwing tomatoes at me!”  “I doubt they’ll have tomatoes,” was her reassuring response.)  Thankfully, the event went off without a hitch, and the ladies in the audience seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.  After explaining who the hell I was—and why the hell I was qualified to be speaking about beauty!—I read several pages from Beauty Confidential, and then answered their questions.  Here, a few of their queries:

“What’s your favorite mascara?” (Answer: Lancome Definicils, although I also sang the praises of Max Factor Lash Perfection)
“Can you recommend a good eye makeup remover?” (Answer: Lancome, once again!  Their Bifacil is tops.  I mentioned that Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover is a good drugstore alternative)
“Do eyelash curlers really make a difference?” (Answer: Absolutely, as long as you pick a good one.  Eyelash curlers are one category where you do very much get what you pay for.  If it’s not Shu Uemura or Shiseido, don’t bother) 
“What’s your favorite foundation?” (Answer: No surprise here–Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals, of course.  With SPF15, weightless, flawless coverage…you know the drill by now, don’t you?) 
“How often do you wash your hair?” (Answer: Twice a week.  Gross!  No…not really.  Yes, I obviously bathe daily, but unless you have extremely oily hair or are a fitness nut, you can get away with washing your hair every other day…or even every two days.  My schedule: wash ‘n wear days 1&2, then pigtails days 3&4.  In the interim, hair powder works wonders, and keeps your ends from getting dried out!  For you gym rats, wash and shampoo as normal on day 1, then simply rinse with water on day 2)

Shopping site SheFinds.com recently interviewed me on my top five, can’t-live-without-’em beauty products.  They’re also giving away five copies of BC, so if you haven’t gotten yours yet, be sure to check out the post and comment to enter.  All the products below are ones I actually use, would (and have) spent my own hard-earned cash on, and recommend enthusiastically—and endlessly—to my friends, who are like, “Okay, we get that you’re obsessed.  Now shut up about it!”

Jolie’s Must-Haves:
Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Foundation
OC Eight Oil-Control Gel
Lancome Definicils Mascara
Bond no. 9 New York Chinatown Scent
NARS Orgasm Blush