I thought it would be fun this week to take a little trip down Memory Lane…
This week’s Bionic Asks… How old were you when you started wearing makeup? And when did you actually become more interested in makeup, skincare and the like?

I’ll kick things off-
I started wearing makeup in my Freshman year of high school. Back then it was mostly a bit of CoverGirl’s Clear Complexion powder (the kind that smelled like, and contained, Noxema ingredients) and CoverGirl’s concealer in a lipgloss-wand-type tube. I was prone to acne, so concealer dotted on top was a must for me. My eyes usually just had CoverGirl mascara on my lashes; and I would occasionally wear some brown Revlon eyeshadow, or Wet n’ Wild’s black eyeliner pencil. I didn’t do much experimenting back then. Can you tell I was a CoverGirl fangirl? My mom was, and still is, a Clinique fan. She would usually give me some of the stuff from her Clinique Bonus Time bags. That was always an exciting time of the year for me, but I still kept things minimal. My mom tried and tried to get me to wear more eye makeup. She succeeded for one of my Proms, but before the night was through, I ended up using Qtips to wipe most of it off; I just didn’t feel like me.

I didn’t really start experimenting with color and different makeup looks until my mid-twenties. I found color! I took classes from local makeup artists and dermatologists whenever possible and started branching out to different brands: L’Oreal, Physician’s Formula, Sonia Kashuk and Milani became my favorite brands. I still struggle with occasional acne- mostly from testing so many different skin care regimens and makeup brands for Bionic Beauty. Thankfully now I have the knowledge to clear up my skin, detox it, know which ingredients I need to avoid, and what my skin actually needs to be healthy.

One thing that hasn’t changed in my makeup routine over the years… my love of nail polish. As far back as I can remember, I always kept my toes painted. I consider them my mini artistic canvases!

And now it is your turn, dear readers. Think back a bit, and share your makeup history!

With the hundreds of brands of mineral makeup out there, it’s a royal pain to sort through the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly. Personally, I have tried over fifty brands (yep, you read that correctly… 50!).

I had just about given up because they either made my skin light on fire when I’d sweat a bit (that’s the icky bismuth cheapy filler that so many brands use); they’d look cakey; would settle in my pores; or they’d make my skin uber-dry and breakout massively. It was not a pretty picture.

I was finally lucky enough to find my favorites: Purely Cosmetics and PRIIA Cosmetics.
Now, every makeup look starts with Purely’s Skin Smoothing mineral makeup in California Blonde, mixed with a bit of PRIIA’s Complexion Enhancer in Angelic. For special occasions, I finish it all with Purely’s Diamond Perfect Finish powder (I love, love, love this product!). Both brands are free of those cheaptastic, and often quite bad for you, fillers that the bigger, more expensive brands are known for. I refuse to pay more money for a product that is not truly a mineral makeup!

So… this week’s Bionic Asks… Have you found your must-have mineral makeup brand? How many did you try before settling? Or are you still on the hunt?

This week’s Bionic Asks… What’s your favorite concealer? Do you use it to cover under your eyes, discoloration, or for something else? Or do you just choose to not use concealer?

Currently, I am testing Tarte’s Dark Circle Defense, but it’s a bit too creamy and tends to crease. It’s also very pink. In short my review of this concealer is not one that I’d spend any money on, but that’s just my two cents.

My long time favorites are:

e.l.f.’s Tone Correcting Concealer which you can buy online or a Target stores for a buck. Yup, one whole dollar! Here’s a link to my full elf concealer review.

Red Point’s NOC Out Concealer palette – It comes packed with a mirror, yellow corrector, flesh tone concealer, and a rose shade perfect for covering reddish breakouts (which make me go “grrr!”). It’s a little more expensive, but the compact has lasted me over a year!

Your turn! What’s your favorite?

I received the NOC Out Cover-Up Compact by RedPoint Cosmetics in my first BeautyFix package.  I’m always up for trying a new concealer…

Bionic puts RedPoint's NOC Out Concealer compact to the test.

NOC Out Pros

• A yellow shade to correct red toned problems (Red Guard), a salmon colored concealer to cancel out dark spots or pigmentation issues (Redpoint calls this “Spot Cover”), and Eye Disguise which is a beige to cover under-eye circles and even out eye area.
• The cover up *really* works! This compact gets rave reviews from consumers and online & print beauty editors (myself included now!). No creasing, no caking, it stays put and does everything promised.
• Packaging is sleek and sturdy, with a nice sized mirror to actually make touchups easy to accomplish.

NOC Out Cons

• Only available in one set of shades (shown in my photo), so darker skinned or olive toned gals are not going to have much luck with this compact.
• Price. In this economy $38 is a bit pricey. Since I heart elf’s concealer bigtime, I’d rather spring for all their shades ($1 each at e.l.f. Cosmetics) and make my own “palette”.

The NOC Out Cover-Up Compact is available at Redpoint’s own website for $38.

Have you tried the NOC Out compact? What were your results?

FTC Disclosure: This item was 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. I was not compensated for this article. Feel free to read my disclosure policy for more information.

Looking for a fabulous multi-taking compact for your makeup bag? The Flawless Me compact from Me by Mezhgan holds 2 shades of cream concealers, a nice big mirror, and a full pan of face powder! Perfect for traveling this summer. Throw it in, and you’re covered for the day.

• The concealers are great! Not too goopy, not runny, and they don’t crease. I loved using mine around my eyes and nose. And there was no icky scent like some creams.
• The powder is light, but buildable. I’d use the concealers and then swipe the powder across the rest of my face to even everything out.

All in all, the compact is a nice go-to for quick looks, traveling, touchups through your day, or regular daily use. Plus the packaging is just plain adorable!!!

The Flawless Me compact is available from the Me by Mezhgan website for $48. It’s available in Light, Medium, and Dark skintones.

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!).

Breaking news for Bionic Beauties!

e.l.f. Cosmetics (eyes.lips.face) has launched a whole new line of makeup tools with their Studio “Professional Line”. Sleek packaging, dual-use items but with a slightly higher price- $3 instead of their usual one dollar. Still cheap-O on the grand scheme of things!

Here’s what the new collection includes so far… (**note: You can click the images to go direct to elf’s page for that project. I tried to make it easy for you to check colors, ingredients, etc.)

eyeliner and shadow stick - (these look SUPER cool. Eyeliner on one side & coordinating thick shadow pencil on the other. Available in pearl/glow, black/smoke, brown/basic, green/moss.

eyebrow treat and tame - Available in light, medium & dark to suit all brow colors. One side holds a “treat” gel to help ‘grow your brows’ (???) and the other side is a tinted mascara to color & tame them.

eyebrow kit - each compact comes with a tinted wax & a colored ‘setting’ powder to get full & tame brows. Did I mention this compact looks JUST LIKE Nars’ eyeshadow duos??? This item is really intriguing me since most brow waxes are *much* pricier.

There’s lots more products… yep, I’m giving you the WHOLE rundown on the new makeup collection, so keep on reading!

lengthening and volumizing mascara - Colors are black & dark brown. I haven’t heard stellar things about elf’s $1 mascaras, so hopefully they improved the formula.

under eye concealer and highlighter - This is another dual ended product which I love (less products to clog my makeup case!) Anyhow, it comes in three shades: glow/fair, glow/light, and glow/medium. They’ll need to add a dark option to this concealer to round it out. One side is a creamy concealer loaded with green tea, chamomile, vitamins, and caffeine to reduce under eye puffiness. The “glow” side is creamy highlighter to bounce light around your eyes. Use as an eye shadow base, under eyes, in eye corners or as a brow/face highlight. This is another must-try for me. I’ll be ordering it soon since I really love highlighters and having one sized “to-go” for my purse would be grand!

eyebrow lifter and filler - A double sided pencil. One side is a sheer, slightly shimmery brow highlighter (it sounds just like the ‘glow’ concealer side I detailed above, but in pencil form) and the other side is a brow pencil. Available in ivory/light, ivory/medium, and ivory/dark which should cover everyone.

eye primer and liner sealer - Use the Prime side all across your eyelid before applying your eyeshadow. It’s supposed to help keep shadow in place, prevent creasing and improve wear. Use the thin-brushed Liner/Sealer side to transform any of your eyeshadows into eyeliners. Sweep the liner sealant brush across your shadow and apply to lash line. Clean the brush when you’re done.

lip primer and plumper - The Primer side goes under your lip color to hold it in place “all day” (so says the elf site). The Plumper side goes on alone, over the primer, or over lip color. It’s a tingly plumper based with cinnamon for the plumping effect.

lip liner and blending brush - A self-sharpening lip liner on one end (only available in a neutral tone called “Natural”), line your lips, then flip the pencil around to use the taklon brush to blend the line out. Top with gloss or lip color.

lip definer and shaper - The Shaper side is nude, slightly shimmery pencil to outline the skin around your lips (for a subtle highlight just use on the V of your upper lip; for a full pout, highlight all around your lips and blend slightly with a Qtip or foundation brush/sponge). The definer is a neutral lip pencil for lining your lips.

translucent mattifying powder - Just what it sounds like. A clear, light pressed powder (again packed in that NARS dupe compact, hee hee!) with a sponge application. At least it’s not packed with one of those darn crappy ‘puffs’.

contouring blush and bronzing powder – A pink based blush and a brown based bronzer for highlighting, contouring or just making your cheeks glowy!

concealer pencil and brush – This soft pencil is a concealer and acne spot-treatment in one. Dab it over your small pimples, scars, etc to hide them. The added Tea Tree Oil (see how Bionic uses Tea Tree Oil to spot treat blemishes) and Salicylic Acid. The pencil’s cap holds a built-in sharpener and the other end of the pencil is a soft taklon brush to blend out your concealer. Interesting concept and perfect for traveling with all the liquid restrictions these days!

waterproof lengthening and volumizing mascara – This is the waterproof version (duh) of the mascara above. Colors are black & dark brown.

Do any of you plan to try the new makeup from e.l.f. Cosmetics? I just won a $5 gift card (subscribe to their blog for details) so I figure I’m going to grab one of the eyeliner and shadow sticks, and a concealer and highlighter combo. I’ve had superb luck with the regular e.l.f. concealer (my review)… so I’m crossing my fingers this will be as splendid! Tell me what you’re ordering!

I created this look with the new fall makeup trends in mind. For the eyes, I used part of Clinique’s new Fall Collection- matte eyeshadows. They are gorgeous! Finally, matte shadows that aren’t dull and boring!

On my eyes, I used L’Oreal’s HIP Cream Shadow Paint in Lofty (Lofty makes a great neutral colored base, but it does add a hint of sparkle- so if you want to stay with the true matte look, skip this step and just use concealer as a base).

Next I applied Clinique’s Colour Surge Eye Shadow Stay Matte in French Vanilla (matte winter white) to all across my lid, really focusing on the inner half.

To create depth and drama, I added Clinique’s Stay Matte shadow in Martini (a milk chocolate brown with khaki hints). Martini went in my outer lid’s V and smudged up into the crease. Blend well.

Top with mascara in black. I used my favorite: Physician’s Formula Mineral Wear Mascara.
More shots of the eye shadows and the full finished look!…

For the lips, I used one of my favorite combos from my Dark Lip article series… NARS’ Captiva lipstick (a dark, but sheer black cherry) topped with Bobbi Brown’s lip gloss in Aubergine for depth and shine.

On my cheeks, I used Lancome’s Color Design Blush in Chic Cassis (a rich, matte burgundy). Just use a touch and since this is a cream blush it blends really well (just remember to put the blush on before you powder your face). Your goal is a bit of color, keeping it matte, and tying your cheeks subtly into your lip color.

The finished look balances soft matte eyes with the dark lips.

So you’ve seen my look, what makeup are you wearing today?

As I posted before, Target is now carrying an exclusive line of Jemma Kidd’s makeup, called JK. Target didn’t stop there though. Napoleon Perdis has a new line called NP Set, and famed Swedish makeup artist, Petra Strand has Pixi. It’s a whole new cosmetics section at Target. I was in love… so I snuck in my camera to take some photos of the displays for YOU!

I felt like a funny little makeup spy snapping off photos and playing with everything. They had testers set up for everything! It was quite fun!

The prices aren’t the most affordable, but it *is* nice to be able to pick up high-quality makeup at a mass market retailer. I have mall-phobia so I hate braving the overwhelming department stores. Target, Walgreens, CVS, and Wally-world are much easier for me.

And now on to the pictures… (Click the image for a full size version which will open in a new tab or window depending on your internet browser’s settings.)

The full JK Jemma Kidd display at my Target. I loved the “rocker” look of this display. Pretty reds and blacks with feminine floral accents on the packaging.

After the break for the rest of the photos…

Liquid eyeliners and cream eyeshadows (I tested the teal eyeliner… it’s electric, highly pigmented and long-lasting. And the smokey gray cream shadow was fabulous!)-

Top shelf (not the best shot, sorry): Palette with lip gloss, concealer, highlighter, blush; makeup primer; lip gloss wands; lip plumper; and lipsticks. Middle shelf: Brilliant powder eyeshadows, singles and duos. Bottom shelf: lip gloss pans, cream eyeshadow wands, liquid eyeliners, pencil liners, travel brush set, cosmetics bags.

The Pixi display. This display didn’t photograph too well due to all the greens and yellow. It’s prettier in real life.

Tinted Moisturizers with SPF 20 and concealers built into the cap (nifty!) and plumping lip glosses-

Pixi’s gel eyeliners, mascara, brow gel, eye primers and highlighters, lip and cheek stains (very pretty colors!), and tinted lip balms-

A bazillion palette’s. There are ones for eyeshadows, ones with 20+ eyeshadows, eyes/lips/cheeks, and lipcolors-

Napoleon Perdis “NP Set”, the full display-

The NP Set mascaras and loose eyeshadow pigment duos-

Lip gloss compacts-

One of the baked pressed powders, concealer palette (nice color range with yellow, pink, nudes, and green), concealer wands, and the start of the “Memory Foundation” (i.e. Tinted Moisturizer)-

Baked powders for blush and bronzers, cream blushes, and tinted facial highlighters (These I really loved! Unfortunately, they contain glycerin so I cannot wear them. Boo.)-

“Memory Set” foundation which is NP Set’s version of Tinted Moisturizer. However, the drawback is no SPF in these, which was odd to me. On the plus side, they have a HUGE range of colors, from super pale to extra dark.

Out of all that, I picked up JK’s Pro Finish Moisture Tint (a tinted moisturizer with SPF 20) and JK’s Mannequin Skin Complexion Enhancer (they call the color “Canvas” but it’s a nude pearl tint). The Mannequin skin has been sold out at every Target I’ve visited since. I loved the consistency on both of these using the testers, the packaging is nice, and I’m hoping they will hold up to the Florida humidity.

Famed UK designer, makeup artist and entreprenue, Jemma Kidd, has parterned up with Target for to bring another high-end cosmetics line to all us “cheapies”. While the line isn’t priced as cheap as most of Sonia Kashuk’s stuff or the standards (like L’Oreal, Physician’s Formula, etc), it’s certainly more affordable and will be more accessible than the department store brands.

JK Jemma Kidd will focus on fashion-forward, trendy makeup but worked in a way that we mortals can wear it. You know how some of that makeup on runways would NEVER look right while at the grocery, on a date, or heck… anywhere really? Well, this is the trends, but made for us to actually wear. Woo!

Here’s a list of makeup products from JK Jemma Kidd launching initially…
The JK Jemma Kidd collection offers over 80 products of color products and tools:

• Pro-Finish Moisture Tint SPF 15 ($28.00)
• Mannequin Skin Complexion Enhancer ($24.00)
• Front Cover – Touchup Concealer ($17.00)
• Show Glow Bronzing Powder ($21.00)
• On Set Mattifying Powder ($21.00)
• Chic Cheeks Powder Blush ($21.00)
• Stain, Flush, Blush Concentrate ($17.00)
• Spotlight Intense Highlight Crème ($18.00)
• Air Kiss Shine Lipgloss ($16.00)
• Maxi Kiss Plumping Lipgloss ($17.00)
• Lip ID Colour Adapt Gloss ($20.00)
• Classic Couture Lip Colour ($16.00)
• Sheer Vanity Gloss and Glaze ($18.00)
• I-Style Pro Duo ($20.00)
• I-Design Eye Colour ($18.00)
• Hi-Design Eye Colour ($18.00)
• I-Radiance Crème Colour ($18.00)
• I-Conic Eyes Pencil Liner ($14.00)
• I-Tech Liquid Liner ($18.00)
• Tailored Eyes Defining Mascara ($17.00)
• Ultra Plush Volumising Mascara ($17.00)
• Show Stopper – Year Round Body Glow ($28.00)
• JK Fashion Palette ($36.00)
• JK Design Essential Pro Tools ($35.00)
• JK Beauty Bag ($20.00)

JK Jemma Kidd is available starting September 2008 at Target Stores and Target.com with prices ranging from $14.00-$36.00.

Please, please let me know when you spot it in a store! I also hear a rumor that there will be testers available for most of the items to allow us to “try before we buy”. How great would that be???