One of the most frequent topics that fellow Bionic Beauties ask me via email is for mineral makeup application tips. I have some tricks n’ tips scattered in the archives of the Bionic Beauty blog, but I figured it was high-time I posted compiled list of my most useful application techniques.

Using a glazed terracotta pot saucer as a mineral makeup “tray” makes application onto your brush or sponge MUCH easier. I outlined my full technique in this article and added some photographs and further details. You can pick up these glazed pot bottoms at home improvement stores for around $1-2. They are easily sanitized too!

Many women think you can only apply mineral makeup with a brush. Step outside of that thought-box and check out my review of the Beauty Blender sponge. I also included a video from Beauty Blender themselves on how to use the sponge. It took me about a week to get my technique nailed, but now it’s a breeze.

If you’re not ready for the price of the Beauty Blender, but want to check out something similar, head to your local Target store. In the makeup aisle, you’ll find Sonia Kashuk’s blue version of this infamous makeup sponge. It usually runs around $8-$10.

In the hopes of helping you skip the awkwardness that I had when I got my first Beauty Blender, here is my step-by-step application technique…

1. Grab your Sonia Kashuk or Beauty Blender sponge and wet it thoroughly until it swells.
2. Make a fist and squeeze really well (this is great stress relief for me, by the way, ha!).
3. Then I squeeze mine lightly in a towel, so the sponge is now barely damp.
4. Dump your mineral makeup (or other powdered or liquid makeup) into your saucer, countertop, palm, wherever.
5. Lightly tap, tap, tap the large end (i.e. the bottom, wide part of the egg shape) sponge into a bit of the mineral makeup you’ve dumped out. Move over to a bare spot in your saucer and tap the sponge there a few more times. I find this step helps evenly spread the minerals on your sponge’s surface.
6. Now that your sponge is loaded, bounce the it around your face. It’s more like “pouncing” or “blotting” your face. Keep bouncing focusing on a large section of your face (but not your entire face at once). Start by applying less than you think you need- I have found that my makeup goes on so much more evenly with the Blender sponge that I don’t have to use nearly as much makeup to get the same coverage. Plus it looks like I am wearing a LOT less makeup!
7. To apply concealer, use the smaller/pointy tip of your sponge for precise application.
8. If your sponge dries out during your makeup process, just re-wet it and squeeze it out again.

As much as I love my Beauty Blender, I also love my flat-top bronzer brush (from Purely Cosmetics) to apply my mineral makeup. There are more application tips in my Purely Cosmetics review. You can see a photograph of the brush that I use: it’s bristles are about 3/4″ long and very tightly packed so you don’t lose your powder by it wandering up into the brush. You can use the brush damp too if you want!

Tips for mineral makeup application with a brush:

1. Dump some minerals out into your saucer, plate, etc. Swirl them around to spread them out a bit.
2. Tap your brush into them lightly. Tap any excess powder off on the side of the saucer (so that your saucer catches the excess).
3. Then go to a bare-ish spot on the saucer and swirl the brush to work the minerals evenly onto the brush tips. Hint: Don’t use much pressure because you don’t want the makeup pushing INTO the brush bristles, but just staying on the tips.
4. Go to one section of your face (I do my eyes first), dab the brush on and start blending around your face. Swirl some more. When you finish from your brows to your under-eyes, it’s probably time for a bit more minerals. If you still have plenty on your brush, you picked up too many in the beginning. Be sure to tap more off on the next “loading”.
5. Move onto the next section of your face.
6. For damp application with a brush~ You can use a spritzer bottle to mist the brush once. Then follow the steps above. Using a damp application method will get you more coverage, more even distribution, and it tends to look less like “makeup”.

My final tip is to mix your own custom tinted moisturizer using your favorite face lotion and your mineral makeup. This do-it-yourself makeup recipe is my go-to makeup when I am suffering from dry skin, seasonal or hormonal changes, flakes, “airplane” skin. It would also be perfect for after treatments of glycolic peels, hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide.

If you’re new to mineral makeup, or had some difficulty with the application process, hopefully these tips can get you on the right path. And for my mineral makeup gurus out there, feel free to weigh in with your secret techniques too!

Happy Monday, Bionic Beauties! Here are the latest fabulous beauty-related free samples that I’ve rounded up.

Receive a free cosmetics travel bag from Garnier skin care and Latina magazine. Visit the Latina website, and enter the Garnier UPC code  603084234592 when prompted.

Grab a deluxe sized sample of the new StriVectin-SD Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles and Stretch Marks face serum. Hurry, this freebie expires on August 25, 2010!

For the ladies’ monthly visitor, be prepared with these freebies:

• Get some free samples of U by Kotex tampons the Walmart website. Just click the “free sample” link in the upper right corner.
• Freebies of CareFree Ultra Protection liners/pads,
• And a free sample pack of Playtex Sport tampons.

CamoCare Organics is offering freebies of their “Clinical anti-aging skin care”. They are super easy to request, but will probably go quick!

UK residents can snag a free sample of Herbal Essences “Hello Hydration” shampoo and conditioner hair care line.

The Aveeno Nourish+ shampoo and conditioner line just opened up their free hair care sampling program again. This freebie has been open “off and on” for quite a few months, so if you requested it before, you may not qualify this time. You can choose from their Volumize, Revitalize, Moisturize and Shine formulas.

Enjoy the freebies!

Q-tips® Cotton Swabs are an all-purpose, budget-minded beauty tool. They easily do double duty as a styling tool and precision-correction device. Here are 11 favorite uses:

1. Whiten stained nails – Dip a Q-tip in a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Swab over fingernails and rinse after three minutes.
2. Keep nail-polish bottles from sealing shut – Dip a Q-tip in vegetable oil and apply to the rim to to keep the bottle from sealing shut.
3. Create your own liquid eyeliner – Twist the tip of a Q-tip to “tighten it”, then moisten with water and dip it in your favorite eye shadow to precisely line your top or bottom lids.
4. Remove flaky skin by rubbing an exfoliating facial scrub on dry spots on small or delicate areas.
5. Apply eye shadow, eye liner, lip stains and concealer with a Q-tip rather than expensive makeup brushes. If you roll the end of the tips between your fingers, you can create the ultimate precision tool. They are especially handy and packable for traveling!!
6. Conceal your roots (or those stray gray hairs) – Dip a Q-tip in eyeshadow that matches your hair color and apply to your roots.
7. Perfect your self-tan – Dip a Q-tips into self-tanner and apply to stretch marks to hide them or blend any other small spots you missed.
8. Create the look of fuller lips – Use a Q-tips to trace the outside of your lips with translucent shimmery eye shadow to create fuller-looking lips. This is a great alternative to using a lip liner, which can often run, or not be applied properly.
9. Keep your lip gloss sanitary – Use a Q-tips Cotton Swab to apply lip balm or gloss from pots to keep your makeup clean and germ-free. This also works well when you’re at the end of your favorite color to get the last bit out of the pot or tube.
10. Prep and exfoliate your lips – Roll a Q-tips Cotton Swab in baking soda and gently buff your lips to remove dry skin. Follow with a moisturizing lip balm or color.
11. Condition your lashes – Hold the tip of a Q-tip coated with petroleum jelly, Jojoba Oil, or Olive Oil. Blink lightly, avoiding the insides of your eyes. This works best when applied at night, before bed. You can also use this method to remove any mascara mistakes!

You can find loads more natural makeup tutorials, beauty tips, and “Day to Night” makeup tricks at Pretty Smart!

FTC Disclosure: This article contains tips and tricks that were sent to me free of charge in return for an honest review. The opinion in this article is based on my personal experience and was not influenced by any source. Feel free to read my disclosure policy for more information.

I’m in desperate need of suggestions to help me get my nail polish “collection” under control. I figured I would open up the discussion on Bionic Beauty in hopes that you all have some ideas.

My polishes currently reside in three totes. One soft sided case holds all my nail art pens, polishes, stickers, and special effects top coats (like glimmer, holographic, etc).

The second tote is an ancient Caboodle! This one holds random nail polishes in the bottom section; gloss and matte top coats in the left drawer; and my OPI Designer Series polishes in the right drawer.

The third tote is a fishing tackle box. The top tray holds my selection of “current favorites” plus my base coats; the middle tray is mini-sized polish, a few more favorites (my Milani 3D Holographics!) and my few Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes. The bottom section is huge and holds the rest of my nail colors.

And so this week’s Bionic Asks… Do you have any ideas on organizing my nail polish stash? I’d prefer to use the totes I have, or at the very least, find a cheap alternative. I’m on a very limited budget. Ideas? Suggestions?

Stay Bionic,

This week’s Bionic Asks… How do you store your makeup, skincare and other beauty products?
Do your favorite items sit on a shelf, on the counter, or stashed in a tote or drawer?

My main makeup case is actually a craft tote from Michael’s. I got it on sale for $10. Inside I stash my eyeshadows, palettes, concealers, tinted moisturizers, blushes, false lashes, highlighters and bronzers.

This shelf holds most of my absolute favorite skincare treatments; and on the far left my hair shine serums, heat protection, and conditioning sprays.

Since my bathroom is small, I needed creative ways to fit more into the square footage. I found these hanging porcelain “pots”, cutlery containers, and hooks at Ikea. The hanging storage holds (from left to right):

1. Mineral makeup, finishing powder, saucers, & Beauty Blender sponge
2. My makeup brushes
3. Mascaras and lash treatments
4. Pencil and kohl eyeliners (my pots of gel eyeliners reside in my makeup tote above)

The shelf on top holds all my favorite perfumes and body sprays.

My lipsticks, glosses, balms, and stains are all stashed in a drawer; and then inside a round case to prevent them from rolling everywhere!

Flashback time! Here’s what some of my makeup storage looked like back in June of 2008 when I was moving half-way across the country.

Long-time Bionic Beauty readers know that I’m a BeautyBlender fanatic. For those of you who haven’t heard of this little makeup application miracle, bring yourself up to speed by reading my review. My blender gets used for concealer, powdered mineral makeup, finishing powders, and liquid tinted moisturizer. Pretty much any foundation I put on, gets applied with this little pink egg-shaped wonder!

If you’re a BeautyBlender addict like me and want to share this with your mom, sister, or best friend- I’ve got good news. They’ve just released a special Valentine’s Day gift set that features two (2) BeautyBlender sponges plus ten single use packets of BlenderCleanser (which works wonders on ALL my makeup brushes!). It’s packaged cute, and the clear plastic doubles as a “drying rack” after use or after cleaning your sponge, so you don’t even have to bother wrapping it up!

Plus, with this gift set you’re getting a nice savings off of the regular pricing. The kit is available exclusively on www.beautyblender.net for $28.95 (regular pricing would run you $36).

And don’t forget… be eco-friendly with your old BeautyBlenders by sending them back for recycling!

This week’s Bionic Asks… How do you apply your foundation?

Personally I still use my Beauty Blender sponge daily for my mineral makeup base. I make sure my Blender is a bit damp, then tap some minerals into my saucer and bounce the sponge into that.

If I’m doing a finish coat (like Purely Cosmetics’ Diamond Finish Powder or PRIIA’s Skin Enhancer), then I’ll use a dual layer “fiber optic” brush. It helps keep things light and airy for the top coat.

Do you use a brush, your fingers, a sponge, or other tool to apply your face makeup?

Makeup brushes are an investment piece in your makeup kit. Even if you only have 1 or 2 nice brushes, you should take care of them. Wash them at least once per month, preferably every other week with a gentle shampoo or soap. Some people like the Dr. Bronner’s Castille Soap (find it online, at your local natural food market, and most Target stores).

Brush protectors from Purely Cosmetics

When storing your brushes, place them with the handles down, bristles upright to prevent fraying of the brush…

I keep all mine in a black plastic cup (here’s a hint- ReStore sells them for 25 cents to raise money for charity! They’re prefect for your little makeup samples, eyeshadows, and holding brushes!).

And my latest brush accessory? Brush protectors from Purely Cosmetics. They are similar to the old Chinese Finger Traps you played with as a child. Made of super stretchy plastic mesh, you slide them up the handle until you brush it covered. And when I say super stretchy, I mean it. The large will fit the biggest Kabuki brush you have!

The brush protectors are available at PurelyCosmetics.com. Prices are 50 cents for the small, 75 cents for medium size, and $1.25 for the large.

By now, most makeup fans have heard of the Pur Minerals line. I was actually pretty behind the times since I do not get, nor watch, QVC. But I have tried some of Pur’s lip products, and am seriously longing for their lipstick in Black Amethyst.
Anyhow, Pur Minerals recently gave me the chance to test out their Makeup Starter Kit. Without further ado… my thoughts.

Pros…

• This kit is a good buy if you’d like to expand your mineral makeup collection, try a new brand or are brand new to mineral makeup.
• The pressed bronzer, foundation, and blush make traveling with your minerals easy.
• The 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup works as a concealer, foundation, powder and sunscreen (SPF 15).
• All the kit items contain shea butter to soothe your skin.
• While I’m not a fan of the 4-in-1 pressed powder, I did enjoy using the Marble Powder blush. It’s similar to MAC Mineralize skin finishes, without the glimmer. This created a great flush on my cheeks!
• I was also fond of the Mineral Glow. It was handy for sculpting my cheekbones, highlighting my nose, chin and even applying it lightly on my eye lids!

Cons…

• Contains bismuth so for girls who sweat or live in warm climates this could make your face itch or burn. Bismuth is a bit of a “prickly” mineral that can seep into your pores when you sweat (because they open) and it can cause slight itching.
• The containers are relatively small.
• I’m disappointed that there are no mirrors in the compacts. It would make touch ups and/or traveling much easier.
• The flat top Chisel brush sheds like a dog! I tried washing it a few times and it’s still shedding like crazy. Granted, I might have gotten a fluke. But it is nice & soft and I like the shorter length.
• The Mineral Glow and Marble Powder (blush) both contain parabens, stearates and coconut oil. Not a big deal, but if you are allergic or have very sensitive skin, please do a small patch test first. Coconut oil is also a known comedogenic ingredient (meaning it can cause breakouts).
• The 4-in-1 Pressed Powder felt a bit too heavy on my skin. Especially down here in Florida and due to my reactions to bismuth (it was 70 when I tested), I had to wash it off pretty quickly. Even in the short amount of time, I still broke out the next day from my testing.

Essentially, these products did not work out for me, but I realize that there are people who may love them. All I ask is that you be informed on the ingredients in mineral makeup and the reason those ingredients are present.

The Pur Minerals starter kit is $35 and is available in 10 skin tones. Have any of you ladies tried Pur Minerals? What were your experiences?

Full ingredients listing below…
4 in 1 Pressed Mineral Makeup with SPF 15
Active Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 8%; Inactive Ingredients: Mica, Boron Nitride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bismuth Oxychloride, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Silicate, Magnesium Carbonate, Silica, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), Tocopheryl Acetate, Iron Oxides.

Mineral Glow
Mica, Magnesium Silicate, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Zinc Stearate, Bismuth Oxychloride, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica, Boron Nitride, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides.

Universal Marble Powder in Pink
Silica, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Zinc Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Mica Cl 77019, Titanium Dioxide Cl 77891, Iron Oxides Cl 77491/CI 77492/CI 77499, Bismuth Oxychloride Cl 77163, Carmine Cl 75470.

I’m probably the last gal on this planet to have tried the Beauty Blender sponge. I know Mo and Jen at Mythbuster Beauty both placed it on their Best of 2008 lists… so I figured, what the hey. I’ll give it a go.

Weeeeee! What a revolution in makeup application! I usually apply my makeup with a brush (for minerals) or one of the cheapy wedge sponges (for liquids and tinted moisturizers). The Beauty Blender rocks! Seriously, folks. It’s teeny, portable, (cute and pink!!!), soft, saves me product and time.

I will admit the first two applications, I was a bit befuddled on working with this new spongy-wonder, but I got the hang of it quickly (I’m including a video below with some helpful hints so you don’t stumble blindly, like I did. Ahem.).

But now, I’m actually quicker with my Blender than with my regular sponges and brushes. I use the big wide end to apply my foundation where I need it and the pointy end to apply my concealer or an extra dose of foundation for minor coverage. Then I use the big end again for my blush or bronzer. Just remember when applying to bounce bounce bounce. Pretty like you are lightly stippling a surface. Don’t drag or swirl it too much since that just rubs product around. The bouncing motion blends the makeup perfectly for me.

And here’s a tutorial video on how to unpack (ok, that part is silly) use and clean your Beauty Blender…

I got the Blender n’ Cleanser kit- which includes 5 ounces of soapy goodness. However, since this is $7 *more*, I’d recommend just getting the Blender sponge and buying some all-natural Dr. Bronner’s soap. Dr. Bronner’s will clean your Blender perfectly and you can use it on all your regular makeup brushes too (plus it’s very affordable!).

Oh and they have a great recycling program so your little Beauty Blender sponge doesn’t clog up the landfills!

You can buy the Beauty Blender at Beauty.com for $19.95 (Sponge alone) or a PurelyCosmetics.com for $19.99 (Sponge and a sample of cleanser!).