The Beauty Aisle: A Bare Minerals Knock-Off (and a giveaway!)

You probably already know that I'm a long-time Bare Minerals user. Seriously friends, I was a fan of this stuff when it was only a baby infomercial and everyone else was still using liquid foundation (eww). I'm sorry if you use liquid foundation. Maybe it's right for you. Despite great efforts on my part, it was never right for me and I'm happy to say that I've been base-line free for almost ten years. I've also spent the last decade NOT worrying about clogging my pores or getting makeup on my shirt. When you use Bare Minerals, these things just don't happen. It's wonderful.

Anyway, now Bare Minerals is everywhere and I love that I don't have to order it online or make my mother smuggle it over the Utah/Nevada border for me. I can easily purchase it as Nordstrom or Ulta (there are other spots but seriously, Sephora is a bit to stuffy for me and I'm determined to never go in the Bare Minerals store again ever since one of the girls working there informed me that I was lactating... Um... I was still pregnant and I'd spilled Diet Coke on my shirt... Yes, I drank Diet Coke when I was pregnant... Go ahead and judge me...).

Still, there are times when I run out and can't make it to Ulta or Nordstrom (still no s) before closing time. Lucky for me, I've found a really fabulous Bare Minerals back-up and I can get it at Target, which is just down the street from me and open until 10:00, which is when I do my shopping (because Harper in stores right now = big, messy, screaming nightmare that causes strangers to stare).

If you find yourself unexpectedly running out of Bare Minerals (like maybe your naughty Harper girl dumped an entire container of your nearly-new foundation all over your dresser, or something like that) or you just want a slightly less expensive product, give Neutrogena's Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation  (around $12) a try. It's basically a Bare Minerals knock-off (not the brush, though... the brush is no good so you should just toss it and use your BM brushes instead) and you'll love it, I promise.

(Note: I use the "fair" shade of Bare Minerals foundation. 

Folks, I told you I was pale.

In the Neutrogena Mineral Sheers, I use "classic ivory."

I keep one in my makeup bin as a back-up at all times, just in case...)

Let's give one of these away, shall we?

Leave a comment to enter.

For extra entries, you may blog, tweet, or facebook about the giveaway.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, September 9 at noon.

GOOD LUCK!

(I'll make sure the winner gets the right shade for them, I promise.

I'm really quite good with these things.)

Also, I get a lot of searches about braids and french braiding.

Here is a good tutorial on french braiding.