i.d. bare Minerals

Normally, you would never find makeup as deluxe as i.d. bare Minerals in my makeup drawer. My sister, however, bought it for me (along with a mink kabuki brush--I know! She's generous.).

I love i.d. bare Minerals because...

• I hardly feel it on my face.


• it smooths the texture of my skin.


• it hides blemishes.


• it contains sunscreen.

Alas, mine has run out. I was half-tempted to rush to the cosmetic store and pay the $25 pricetag, but then I wouldn't be the Bargain Huntress.

Here's what I found:

• eBay has it for $19.95 with free shipping.


• If you prefer Amazon.com, the marketplace has it for $15.49 + $4.56 shipping.

Then I checked for alternative labels:

• Kirkland Signature Natural Beauty Mineral Color Collection by Borghese, $24.99 + tax (includes foundation, bronzer, eyeshadow base, 3 eyeshadow colors, pressed eyeliner, 2 eyeshadow applicators, kabuki brush, and a retractable brush). Priced separately (at bargain prices) I came up with $75 total. That's a 66% savings.
  

• Loreal Bare Naturale, which got good cyber-reviews, and is available for $12.49 at Target.

Questions to myself:

1. Is i.d. bare Minerals worth the price?


2. Do I really need all the extras in the Costco set?


3. Do I just want to spend the least amount of money?

Answers:

1. If you have to have i.d. bare Minerals, I would choose to buy on eBay, only because the ratings on that seller were excellent.


2. To get the most bang for your buck, try the Costco set.


3. To spend the least amount of money, go with Loreal Bare Naturale.

I chose option 2.

I bought the set at Costco , and love every bit of it. (By the way, the Costco website lists the set for $31.99, but my local warehouse had it for $24.99.) If I put too much foundation on, my daughter tells me it looks orange, but she said the bare minerals looked yellow if I put too much on, so it's a wash. I guess I need to practice a little more. I love the eyeshadow base and the eyeliner. All three eye shadow colors add subtle enhancement to my face.

Tips:

• Want to get it even cheaper? Go to Ulta now, where Loreal Bare Naturale is buy 1 at $12.99) get 1 for 50% off, then use a $3.50 off coupon...2 for $16.50 + tax.