I’ve fallen head-over-heels in love with Bare Escentuals’ Rare Minerals line, especially the Rare Minerals Renew and Reveal Facial Cleanser.  In your hands, it’s a powder, but when you add water, it becomes a creamy paste that removes all traces of makeup, oil and dirt without any irritation or slickness.  I made a silly video after using it, below.  (Notice the redness all over my face?  It’s my rosacea, not to mention the pigmentation marks from previous breakouts that I use Bare Minerals to cover so well!)

About.com juuust interviewed me on skincare; in said article, I share the fact that my father was an early, trailblazing metrosexual.  (The beauty genes?  Oh, yeah, they’re all from Papa Jolie.)  While rereading the interview, however, I realized that I made him sound like a complete fop; sorry, dad!  Read the full piece here.

I hesitate to report on any skincare products before I’ve given them a fighting chance to work wonders on (or wreck) my complexion, but I’m tentatively in love with Nude Skincare, which I’ve been tearing through for the past week.  The line, made of mostly organic and natural ingredients and recycled, biodegradable packaging, is a collaboration between Bryan Meehan, the creator of Fresh and Wild (the UK version of Whole Foods) and Bono’s wife Ali Hewson, and bills itself as ethical, biocompatible skincare that reduces inflammation and helps prevent aging by strengthening the skin’s protective barrier through pre and probiotics.  All the thought and care that went into making the line as green as possible is impressive, but I’m hardly a skin hippie, so what really sways me is how soft and glowing my skin looks after I use the luxurious products.  Yes…I think I’m a believer. 

The Nude Selection Box is a great place to start: for only $38, you get all the bestsellers, including the Cleansing Facial Oil, Advanced Smoothing Complex, Miracle Mask, Moisture Balance and Hydrating Water.  (I am, by the way, obsessed with the Cleansing Facial Oil.  Obsessed.  There needs to be an intervention.)