So by now surely you’ve noticed the mineral makeup trend, or rather, shall I say craze, has taken over all categories from foundation to eyeshadow, bluch to lipstick and eyeliner. The democratization of mineral makeup happened rapidly, with brands such as Maybelline, Revlon, and Cover Girl offering their own affordable versions with mineral formulations. But what if I were to go even cheaper? I discovered that N.Y.C New York Color recently launched a minerals line, so I decided to test out the offerings and compare them to the drugstore and prestige brand versions.

With everything priced at $6.99 each, it was by far the cheapest mineral collection I’ve found. My basic hangup with mineral products is just the mess– I would gladly switch over all of my cosmetics to mineral-based products, if they were easier to control. I’m that girl that from time to time you’ll see sittng across from you on the subway, “putting on her face”, waiting until the train has pulled into the station to quickly curl her eyelashes and swipe on some mascara. Hence, mineral makeup hasn’t always been my bff since it isn’t so easy to just throw it in your bag and put it on, on the go, sometimes without even teh aid of a mirror. So lets just say even though this line is priced at $6.99, I had high expectations that it would convert me to the minerals once and for all. I tried both the Smooth Mineral Pressed Foundation Powder with SPF 12 and the
Smooth Mineral Loose Foundation Powder with SPF 12.

Due to my always late, on the go lifestyle, I preferred the pressed powder, which left little mess and gave my skin  pretty flawless coverage, even over s scar and a few pimples. The loose powder took a few seconds to adjust to, but once I figured out the right amount to use, it was actually pretty fun to apply. I loved the tiny kabuki brushes that came with each powder, especially since I’ve received samples of $30-$40 mineral powders that did not come equipped with a brush for application. I really didn’t see a difference either between these powders and the more costly versions  — the color match was perfect, and there was no caking or dryness that later occured (note: I applied moisturizer and primer prior to applying, as per my usual makeup regimen).

Next up was the Smooth Mineral Loose Eye Powder Kit, which you can use either wet or dry (as eyeshadow or as liquid eyeliner).I tested out both, and decided that the bigger benefit came from using the product as a liner, which made it actually way more simplified and easier to draw a straight line with the provided thin brush than it can be with a pencil! It only took one drag across the eyelid to get a perfectly drawn, sharp line, instead of the usual back and forth and back and forth that a pencil requires. All in all, I have to say that I was quite impressed with the N.Y.C. $6.99 products, and would recommend them for anybody. I’m not really sure how they manage to make a quality product at this price point, but hey, I guess I shouldn’t question it and just indulge in the items! If you’d like to give the mineral products a go, you can get the brand at Rite Aid, Wal-Mart, Target, CVS or Ulta, to name a few retailers. I noticed that Ulta carries this N.Y.C. Smooth Mineral Starter Kit ($30 Value) ( 6-pc. kit) for $13.50, which would definitely be worth it if you plan on getting two or more of the mineral items.

- Julia DiNardo

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As girls with super-pale skin, we’re always looking for the next best bronzer to get that sun- kissed, non-freckly look. However, sometimes we end up overdoing it and looking like we just got a bad fake tan. As a remedy we’ll layer some blush over the bronzer, but we normally just turn out looking like a mess! But alas, we made a discovery, and perhaps our   cries for help have been answered. We just got the bareMinerals Be Blushing Collection complete with the Compatible Blush Duo and the Tapered Blush Brush, and it helped us achieve the ultimate look we’ve been striving for. The jar comes with a bubblegum pink blush called sorbet on one side, and a bronzer called Joyous Jennifer on the other. The two are made to perfectly compliment each other. We first swept the bronzer over our cheeks and then finished it off with the blush resulting in a completely natural look. The kit is priced at $40, but you can get it on sale at Ulta (search “Be Blushing”) for $9.99!

With the current state of the economy, we’ve decided to cut back on little things like our beloved manicures. However, the thought of doing our nails (especially the toes) ourselves has always been daunting. For some reason our nails always turn out like clumpy messes! After testing out a variety of nail polishes, we found that the Lycra Wear +10 Minerals from Rimmel London is the perfect fit for us. Due to the addition of the  liquid form of the fiber lycra and minerals to each bottle, you don’t need a base or top coat, and the polish dries in just a few minutes so you can go on with your busy lives without any smudges or smears. We were ecstatic to see that our vibrant and sparkly pink color, “Speed Dating,” went on smoothly and evenly, with little effort. The product comes in 21 different colors ranging from a very white “Snow Queen,” to a black “Hypnotise,” and the best part? You can get it at Ulta for only $3.30!