Review: Youngblood and Making Faces

I have been having tons of fun with my new makeup line, Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics.  After using it exclusively for the last couple weeks and even traveling with it at one point, I am happy to report that I’ve been thrilled with my purchases.  I discussed earlier how I was first introduced to the company and how it was going to take me a while to get that makeup artist look.  I haven’t gotten there yet, but I’m getting closer.  Below, I’ll review some of the Youngblood products I’ve used the most.  Inevitably, since I’m switching from Jane Iredale to Youngblood, I’ll be making comparisons between the two product lines.

Youngblood: beginning novice…

You know when you go to a hairstylist and they make your hair look gorgeous, you have a feeling of dread as well?  It’s because you know that you’ll never be able to replicate what they did in your own bathroom.  Same thing with makeup.  It takes a couple tries when you’re trying a new product, and my attempts with Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics are no different.

As I first brought up in a previous post, I found a perfect match with the Dark Mineral Rice Setting Powder and the Coffee Loose Foundation.  When I was sitting in the stylist’s chair, I was surprised that she said Coffee and not Toffee.  Coffee seemed too dark for my skin but hey, the proof was right there in the mirror.  So, I did as she said: I dusted the Rice Setting Powder and then applied the Coffee foundation.

Review: Summer event at Spa Xana(don’t)

Over a week ago, I went to Spa Xanadu‘s first summer event.  They touted raffles and introduction in services like eyelash extensions, nail care, Youngblood, and complimentary mini-facials all for free or at a discount.  How could I not bite?  I’ve gone there about two times before with mixed feelings and it seemed like a good opportunity to set food in the building.  Well, I did, and Youngblood was the only thing that made me happy that I took time out of my day to travel and stay there.  But for the most part, not a lot of good R&R.

Review: Enter the Youngblood…

For those of you who have known me in real life, you would know I’ve been pushing Jane Iredale for years.   And this was before the mineral makeup craze of Bare Escentuals and Sephora-gaga fans were buying everything in sight.  Why did I love mineral makeup?  It was the first time I felt there was makeup that worked for my ethnic skin.  Over the year, it seems that the big counters in the beauty department of Macys or Nordstorm only tailored to white people, some other white people, OMG, there’s a whole MAC counter now for black women, more white people, super fair Asians that wish their skin was whiter than white people, and old white people.  I’m Indian so my brown (GORGEOUS!) tanned skin has golden undertones.  You go too neutral, I wash out.  You go to yellow, I look like those fake baked tan people.  And god forbid natural coverage.  I’d wear makeup in college and my gosh people were just mean to me when I wore makeup that I just stopped dressing up completely and accepted myself as someone who could never be or feel beautiful and just rely on my smarts.  A couple years later, I was a med spa where I bemoaned the lack of makeup for people of my skin-tone where this wonderful esthetician introduced me to Jane Iredale.  Now, not all mineral makeup is the same. Jane Iredale, at the time, not only made high quality mineral makeup but she made it for so many different kinds of global shades.  You go back a few years into the Sephora in Hollywood, I’d still come out with empty bags despite the mineral makeup craze.  Jane Iredale was almost like a goddess to me — presenting me with fun and play and piece of mind.  But times have changed.