Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Iceblush Lip Shine

Lip Shine from Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics is basically a shiny tinted lip balm. I've had it for months but only started to fully appreciate it when it dawned on me to actually follow the Youngblood instructions and apply it with a lip brush either over a lip pencil/liner or over a liner+lipstick that you want to both cement into place and make them shine. That was a serious lightbulb moment.

As it is, Lip Shine is a fabulously comfortable-to-wear product, full of extracts, emollients and other feel good ingredients that make it very soothing even for my very picky lips. Its stick factor is minimal and it has very nice glossy sheen. What makes it outstanding is the way it stays in place and doesn't budge. Still, I didn't reach for it as often as I should have because the color I was sent, Iceblush, is completely invisible on me. It has some pigment, as you can clearly see in the swatch, but my natural lip color is much darker. But once I've started using it as directed over other (and usually dry) lip products, Lip shine has become an easy choice. I especially like it over chubby lip crayons (Bobbi Brown, Trish or Shiseido) because they are softer and quicker to fill up the lip.

I've had a quick look at the darker shades of Lip Shine while at Henri Bendel in NYC. Crush is a dark plum and Jubilee is a red raspberry. I didn't test them on my lips but they seem to have a good amount of pigment so I can see them joining my arsenal at some point.

Bottom Line: definitely worth your time (as long as you don't mind the strong vanilla scent).

Lip Shine by Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics ($17) is available from Henri Bendel (in store only) and ybskin.com. This review is based on a free press sample sent by the company.

All photos are mine.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Platinum and Storm Pressed Individual Eyeshadow

Storm:

 Platinum:

The classic dark smoky eye doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. Now that everyone is in a holiday makeup mood there are even more kits and palettes promising that you won't get it wrong if you use them, which might or might not be true. But most of us know by now that the secrets for a wearable smoky eye that doesn't make one look like Taylor Momsen is a couple of good brushes, serious blending and most important- not overdoing it.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics offers a couple of good options in the smoky eye department. Their eye shadows have a great texture- smooth but dense in pigment- that makes it easy and pleasant to work with them. They blend seamlessly and require little effort. While these kind of colors are not my favorites (I usually prefer a softer look with just a pop of color) both Platinum (silver with an almost metallic finish) and Storm (mostly matte charcoal with some shimmer particles) are very pretty and wearable. Used together they give a very rock star smoky eye that can be easily tailored and balanced. They also work well with other colors to create simpler looks and I even like using Platinum as a silver liner- it can be applied with a damp brush for some extra sheen.

Both Storm and Platinum can also be found as part of Youngblood's Starlet Eyeshadow Quad. The palette includes an almost white highlighter and a matte black which fully complete the smoky eye look.

Bottom Line: Very very good.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Pressed Individual Eyeshadow ($19 each) are available at Henri Bendel in NYC and from ybskin.com. I received both Storm and Platinum from the company's PR department.

All photos are mine.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Pro Brush Cleaner

I belong to the school of thought that believes in washing everything (including the occasional cat) with warm water and detergents, but sometimes you need a quick and efficient shortcut. When it comes to my makeup brushes, especially when traveling I don't always have the option or time to do the whole washing and careful drying routine. Not to mention sometimes you need to clean a brush right in the middle of makeup application and re-use it immediately. That's what cleansing sprays are for.

I've been using Youngblood Pro Brush Cleaner for several weeks now, at home and away and I'm highly impressed with its performance. Just like with other quick brush cleansers, you just spray and wipe until dry, so there's no inventing the wheel here. It's just that Youngblood's cleaner is very effective and removes every last bit of color and gunk from the brushes, requires less effort than the equivalent Sephora product and dries quickly (once I learned there's no need to saturate the brushes with solution, that is), so I can reuse the brush right away.

Bottom Line: My current favorite.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Pro Brush Cleaner ($18) is available from ybskin.com. A press sample was sent from the company for my consideration.

Image: glamour.com

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Minerals In The Mist- Restore

The one problem with Youngblood's Minerals In The Mist sprays is that they come in 4 oz bottles, which means not TSA approved, so one can't pack them in the infamous plastic bag you take with you on the plane. A refreshing spritz of this stuff helps me wake up, locks in the serum and moisturizer I just applied and gives a natural dewiness to the makeup. I would have loved to bring it with me for a post-flight fix, but it's not meant to be.

It's interesting to note that some of the essential oils blended for Youngblood's Grapefruit, Lime, and Rosemary Restore Mist , mostly citrus oil, would give an IFRA bureaucrat a seizure. Apparently it's OK to spray it directly in the face but not to wear as perfume. Ha. In any case, while this mist doesn't feel as exquisitely nourishing as Kanebo Sensai's spray mist, for only $22 this is a pleasant alternative.

Bottom Line: I'd happily buy a travel size if one was offered.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Minerals In The Mist- Restore($22) was sent for my consideration by the company. It's available from Henri Bendel in NYC and ybskin.com. 

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Lunar Dust Bronzing Powder (Dusk)

The first time I tried using Lunar Dust, a loose bronzing powder by Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics, I didn't read the directions. I just went at it with a powder or bronzer brush, ending up looking a it... gilded. It didn't help that the color I had was Dusk, the darkest of the three available shades. But even with a very  ridiculous looking face, I noticed the fine texture of Lunar Dust and the beautiful glow it provided.

One can actually apply Lunar Dust with a fluffy powder brush to the face, as long as it's done judiciously and with the right shade. Sunset should probably work for most, while Dusk is better for much darker skin tones. But as I discovered in Youngblood's directions, the best way to use this powder is to mix it with either a moisturizer or a foundation for face or with your body lotion and apply it to your legs, shoulders, etc.

The result is a warm and very pretty glow that can be toned down or played up at will. The finely milled powder is delicate and and not glittery at all. I used a lot in the swatch just so you can see the shade, but it doesn't have to be so shiny. My favorite application of this product, probably because Dusk is too dark for my face, is as a glowy faux tan for my legs. It stays put much better than tinted body lotions and gels I've tried in the past, and doesn't have the dreadful smell of self tanners. I have every intention to take a full advantage of Lunar Dust for an upcoming wedding I'm attending, where I don't want to subject my extended family to the natural gray color of my untanned legs.

Bottom Line: Not an everyday product but has its uses.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Lunar Dust Bronzing Powder ($30) is available at Henri Bendel in NYC and from the company's website (ybskin.com). A press sample was provided by the PR team.

Art by Katherine Luzny.
Product photos by me.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Mineral Radiance Bronzer (Sundance)

Maybe it's a gimmick, but I enjoy makeup that allows me to mix, blend and customize my shades if I feel like, or just swirl my brush over the entire product and use it as is. Sundance, a Mineral Radiance bronzer from Youngblood Cosmetics is a good example. I use an angled face brush and usually concentrate on the colors other than the bronze, but for an evening look or to fake a serious tan I get some of that glow onto the brush.

Sundance is very pigmented and as finely milled as possible, allowing for a good and even coverage with the lightest application. There's a very minimal and subtle shimmer and the colors can also act as highlighter or eye shadow when used with the appropriate brush. I always use a finishing powder on top and the bronzer has proven to be sweat and weather-proof.

Sundance looks good on tan, bronzed or olive skin, but for paler complexion or a more natural look I'd suggest you try the same product in Splendor, which is much rosier. I think I'll get that one for winter.

Bottom Line: Now I just need a tropical vacation.

Youngblood Mineral Radiance Bronzer ($39) is available from Henri Bendel and ybskin.con. I recieved the press sample directly from the company.

All photos by me.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Pressed Eyeshadow Quad (Vintage)

Eye shadows in mauve-eggplant-pink colors can be a little tricky, because the wrong shade in this range can make the eyelid look bruised. There needs to be just enough red pigment in the base but not much to appear weird, and the right combination of colors varies from face to face.

Vintage is one of seven pressed eye shadow quads offered by Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics. Some of the colors in the quads (Bordeaux and Merlot, in this case) are also available as singles, while others are exclusive to the palettes. Vintage, with its range of soft weather-washed mauves, is my favorite collection of these colors and the most flattering for my skin tone I've come across in a long time.

The pigments are very rich,  so a soft brush and a light hand can achieve a lot of depth. The texture is very smooth, soft and blendable. The colors are matte and have a muted finish which I really like. I've been using the quad over various lid primers with perfect lasting results- the eye shadows stay in place and still look fresh by the end of the day.

The one color in this Youngblood quad that doesn't work for me is Blush, the pink one. It's too pink and too dominant to serve as a highlighter under the brow bone, and has too much red in its base to be worn anywhere else. So I need a single highlighter/base color whenever I'm using the other eye shadows here, which makes it less efficient for me to use on the go but is perfectly fine at home.

Bottom Line: Pretty.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Pressed Eyeshadow Quads ($39) are available from Henri Bendel (in store only) and directly from the company (ybskin.com). A press sample was sent for my consideration. 

All photos by me. Using them without my permission would cause some really bad karma.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Lip Gloss- Fantasy And Guava

Both Fantasy, a shimmery pink plum from the regular line, and Guava, the new Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics limited edition for summer, are a great pick-me-up for tired lips and faces (I think it's the humidity. Everything feels limp and sluggish).

Guava comes in a new plumping-hydrating formula, that smooths and fills up the lips without irritation, but even the regular formula of Fantasy feels nourishing (it contains several natural oils and extracts) and very comfortable. The glosses aren't too sticky and have an average lasting power. The pigment in Fantasy is quite rich and shows beautifully, while Guava is very sheer. The latter looks very shiny and red in the tube, but on the lips it has that pretty "just bitten" effect. I love such glosses, especially in the summer when they give lips a full and healthy look that doesn't compete with anything else I might have going on my face (bronzed cheeks or a bold eyeliner).

Bottom line: fun and pretty.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Lip Gloss ($21 each) and the rest of the line can be found at Henri Bendel and online at ybskin.com. Press samples were provided by the company.

All photos are mine.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Mineral Lengthening Mascara and Lash Primer

I was a bit hesitant before applying Youngblood Mineral Lash Primer to my eyelashes. The runny texture and milky white color looked worrisome, but the promise of fuller and thicker lashes was tempting. And besides, I try stuff so you don't have to.

The way this works, you apply one coat of the primer and immediately, while your lashes are still wet, the first coat of mascara. The polymers in the primer helps the mascara cover each lash separately and gives some plumping. It's especially helpful if the mascara you're using is a lengthening one, as in the case of Youngblood's Mineral Lengthening Mascara.

This mascara is quite good. Nothing dramatic and thankfully I don't end up looking like Veruschka above. My eyelashes are nicely defined, seperated and look polished without clumps, smears or flakes. The finish is natural, not glossy (I have the black mascara). It's a clean, office-friendly look. I also tested the primer with other mascaras. It worked the same way, with the most impressive results for volumizing mascaras. The primer seems to enhance whatever the mascara was doing. Drying time doesn't seem to be affected.

Bottom line: Easy to apply and foolproof. Not revolutionary, but solid results and a nice look.

Youngblood Mineral Lengthening Mascara ($24) and Lash Primer ($22) are available at Henri Bendel in NYC and directly through the company's website (ybskin.com). I received both as PR freebies.

Photo: myvintagevogue.com

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Lipstick, Lip Gloss, Lip Liner

A couple of makeup artists who've done my makeup recently put a lot (and I mean A LOT) of emphasis on my eyes and used lighter shades than what I normally choose for my lips. Some looks worked better than others and I was sold on the suggestion from Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics national guru and got the colors you see here. Next week I'll show a couple of other lip gloss colors from this line, as well as the Lip Shine that comes in a compact.

The lipstick in Bliss is a shimmery golden pink and looks full of sunshine. It's a neutral-to-warm color, but without any trace of orange. It glides on nicely, offers medium coverage, feels soft and stays put through a quick drink. The formula is semi-moisturizing, though not as much as what you get from some of the top brands. The same goes for the finish. It looks good, but lacks a bit of dimension.

Toping the lipstick with Youngblood's Mesmerize lip gloss enhances the gold and takes it straight into summer. It has vacation and beach parties written all over this look. The result is very similar to Chanel Amberlight Glossimer from Fall 2008. The gloss itself is more moisturizing than Chanel.

It wasn't too long ago that I was struggling to find lip liners that looked natural on my lips. The colors that used to pass as "nude" were usually too beige and chalky for me (a review of a couple of much better nudes from Chanel and Edward Bess are coming soon). Youngblood's liner in Plum is an excellent example for a color that blends seamlessly with my natural pigment. Yes, it's plum, but that's exactly what I need. The liner serves to define and anchor the lipstick in place without making its presence known. The texture is a bit dry, so I don't use it to fill the entire lip area without a good moisturizing lip base.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics lipstick ($17),  lip gloss ($21) and liner ($13) are available from Henri Bendel, which was where I bought mine, and on the company's website (ybskin.com).

All photos are mine.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Mineral Basics Kit

Prologue: Mineral Makeup And I
Mineral makeup is not a new concept. Some of the companies specializing in it have been around for much longer than you'd think. Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics, for example, was founded in 1996. But it wasn't until Bare Minerals counters started popping up everywhere that I was fully aware of the option to use a foundation in a loose powder form.

So I tried. And it.did.not.work.
There were many reasons- from finding a matching shade to the unnatural finish. I wasn't too impressed with most of the SAs and their oddly buffed fuzzy android skin, and my face didn't look any better. The powder seemed to settle in my pores and dry my skin. It just wasn't right. I can tell you that the newer Matte formula is light years ahead of the original one, yet I still experienced dryness and the finish was not quite right.

The Story: In Which I Test Youngblood Mineral Foundation
I had a very positive experience with several other Youngblood products (why does saying it make me feel like a  vampire?), so I was willing to give their mineral foundation a try. I was sent the Mineral Basic Kit in medium and started working on my shaking and buffing technique.

The kit contains a Kabuki blending brush, two shades of mineral foundation (Honey and Tawny), Mineral Rice Setting Powder (medium), Crushed Mineral Blush (Rouge) and a sample of Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder.

To my surprise, the Rice Setting Powder is supposed to go on first, right on top of your moisturizer, and act as a primer. I gave it a fair try and tested the powder in every kind of weather and humidity conditions (early spring is the best time for comprehensive product testing, by the way). The results were never thrilling. While the product is excellent when it comes to durability and hold, it comes at a high price of drying my skin to the point of flaking around the nose. It was not a matter of too much/too little product or buffing. I tried everything and my only conclusion is that this Rice Setting Powder is utterly not for me*.

But I didn't give up on the foundation. I was actually impressed with it from the very first time.I tried both colors separately and also mixed together with great results color-wise. It's a good match for my skin tone and can be adjusted according to season and mood. Honey is probably closer to my natural shade, but with a dash of Tawny it's as good as it gets.

 I started using the foundation over several primers, including the liquid Mineral Primer by Youngblood. They all worked perfectly and the mineral foundation applied and held very well. Once this issue was settled, I could appreciate the excellent coverage and very even skin the foundation created. Freckles and small sun spots disappear almost completely. To achieve this level of opacity with regular foundations I'd need to slather and frost my face with it. Not exactly desirable since these two dots on each cheek are the only thing I would even consider covering (normally I go for a very sheer look).

There's a learning curve with a mineral foundation. You need to figure out just how much (how little, actually) product to use without overdoing it. Too much buffing is also not good, because it makes the skin have an unnatural, over-processed finish. One thing I haven't found a way to avoid is the mess. No matter how careful I am, some powder ends up on the dresser, mirror and assorted cats. I keep moist wipes at reach to at least prevent mineral paw prints all over the house. Not all felines are impressed.

The mineral foundation looks and holds especially well on humid days (we had a few very unseasonal ones in early May/late April). The only time I wasn't too happy because of some tightening of the skin around my nose was when the weather turned cold again. This is going to be a summer staple for me, but will be tucked away for winter.

As for the other components of the kit, I already told you how much I liked the mineral blush. The Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder is also excellent. It gives a flawless finish, no matter which foundation I've used underneath. The one disappointment is the brush. It's not soft enough for my liking and on days my face feel a bit tender (it's allergy season, after all), the Kabuki blending brush felt almost too abrasive. I know good brushes. This ain't it.

The Bottom Line(s):
I'm very happy to add a mineral foundation to my arsenal of face-making tools. It's not going to replace my beloved Chanel liquid foundation, but some days I like an alternative, and this is a very good one.
Unless your skin is very active and oily, I'd recommend skipping the Mineral Rice Powder in favor of a good regular primer.
The blush and the Hi-Def powder are both worth trying independently. Just get a good brush elsewhere.

*I know some are going to ask, so here's what I'm working with, face-wise: I'm 39, so my spring chicken days are definitely over. My skin goes from nice and normal to very dry, depending on the weather. I have small-to-medium sized pores and rarely break out and rarely break out. No wrinkles other than three frown lines, no crow's feet but very large dark under eye circles. Biggest skin issue is the sensitive and dry zone on both sides of the nose.

The Mineral Basic Kit ($45)  is available online from the company's website (ybskin.com). The products can also be purchased separately there or in store at Henri Bendel. I was sent a free kit through the company's PR.

All photos by Giselle and me.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Crushed Mineral Blush (Rouge)

I've spent the last month or so testing the Mineral Basics Kit from Younglood Cosmetics. I'm not yet ready to write a comprehensive review of the foundation, since it requires more practice, adjustment and wearing it in hotter weather (thoroughly testing a new foundation takes nearly as much time as a new skin care product/routine because of the many variables involved in making one's face look semi-decent). But the big and pleasant surprise of the kit has been the Crushed Mineral Blush.

As far as my notes and memory can tell, I've never tried a blush in a loose powder form. Generally I prefer the fool-proof textures of a cream or pressed powder.But just like any product that is loose in a jar, this blush has superior blendability. Once you get the feel of exactly how much of it you need to use, the result is very pretty. Rouge is a medium warm pink with a touch of reddish brown. While the pigment looks very dark, it's actually a natural color that blends with my skin tone- I use a lot less than what I swatched on my wrist, of course.

I already tried and loved Youngblood's regular pressed blush, so I'm not surprised with the quality of the Crushed Mineral product. I don't see a difference when I used over other mineral face products or my regular liquid and creams. I don't have a preferred brush for this yet, but when I'm mixing the blush on a flat surface outside it's smallish lid, I find that I get great results with a fan brush (this application is more like a bronzer).

Since this is basically a pigment, it can also be used on the lips. I haven't tried it yet, but tomorrow I'll have my hands on the much coveted Magic Glaze from Le Metier de Beaute, and I fully plan to experiment mixing some with this Youngblood blush.

My one and only issue with the Crushed Mineral blush is the same as with most products in this format- loose powders are messy, no matter how careful you are. I need to carefully wipe the surface of my makeup cabinets before the cats get into stuff and leave mineral paw prints all over the house. Gracie was helping me take photos. As you can see, she managed to get some of the blush on herself in no time.

Youngblood Cosmetics Crushed Mineral Blush ($20) is available from Henri Bendel and online at ybskin.com. I got it as part of the Basic kit from the company's PR.

All photos by me. Gracie was not harmed, though she wasn't too thrilled when I had to clean her up.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics- Brow Artiste (Dark)

I've been doing some extensive testing of products by Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics and so far I'm very impressed, including with items I never thought I would like (mineral makeup has never been my friend). But today I'm reviewing their Brow Artiste set, which I bought several months ago, when the line first arrived at Henri Bendel.

Like any beauty-obsessed worth her powder, I own the necessary eyebrow tools, brushes and filling colors. Still, an edited pro-looking kit that is slim enough for travel and holds all the items one needs for a polished look is a very appealing concept. Brow Artiste includes a tweezer, a double ended brush (spoolie on one side and an angled brush on the other), setting wax and two powder colors. The kits come in four shades: Auburn, Blonde, Brunette, and Dark. Normally I would choose Brunette, but Youngblood's makeup artist used Dark when he gave me a makeover, so I decided to go with it.

The big advantage of having two powder colors in the palette is that you can mix and customize your filler to the exact shade you need and make adjustments as needed. The colors are excellent and very soft, so they melt and meld into the eyebrow's shape. The darkest of the two is a very dark taupe, which looks much more natural than any black, brown or gray. When I don't have the time to play and mix I can use it with a light hand and it still looks good.

Applying the wax requires a little practice. The first time I used the kit I overdid it with both wax and color, resulting in some mess and stains that require cleaning the whole thing and starting anew. But it's actually quite simple and once you comb the color evenly into the eyebrows with the spoolie and use just tiny dab of wax to set it in place you get the desired look.

The only issue with Brow Artiste kit is the tools. The tweezer feels flimsy in my hand. The metal bends too easily and the pinching head isn't as efficient as I'd like. It's painfully (pun intended) clear that this is not a Tweezerman. The angled brush head came off before I even took the pictures and required a drop of superglue to be put together again. Once I got it fixed everything was fine. I'm not too fond of teeny tiny brushes (I have relatively large hands), but the spoolie is great- thick yet soft.

Bottom Line: It would be a great set if Youngblood Cosmetics would upgrade the tools. In the meantime, I'm still packing a mini Tweezerman in my bag.

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Brow Artiste ($36.50) is available from Henri Bendel (in store only) and the company's website, ybskin.com.

All photos by me.