Falling In Love All Over Again: New Launches From BareMinerals

*PR Samples/Affiliate Links

If I was to ask myself which makeup brand I've had the longest relationship with, nothing even comes close to BareMinerals. Their Original Loose Powder Foundation was the first high-end product I ever remember owning, and I treasured that jar like it was filled with powdered gold. The obsession only continued - from warmth and mineral veil, to blushes, eyeshadows, and even brow powder. At one point I'm pretty sure my entire makeup routine (with the exception of mascara and lipstick, perhaps) consisted entirely of BareMinerals loose powders.

Fast forward 15 years (...seriously though, how has it been that long?) and BareMinerals products are still some of my everyday go-tos. Of course, a lot of things have changed since high school. With the addition of skincare and pressed powders, the BareMinerals lineup is way more comprehensive than it was in the early 2000s. And while some brands miss the mark while trying to be trendy or keep up with the times, I feel like BareMinerals has always managed to find that sweet spot of creating classic, effortless, everyday products that can work for women of any age.

All that being said, you can imagine my excitement over having the opportunity to go to New York City for an event promoting the launch of the new BarePro 16 Hour Full Coverage Concealer. I have been obsessed with the BarePro Performance Wear Powder Foundation, which provides beautiful, matte coverage while being incredibly convenient and easy to apply. In addition to the concealer, I also got to take home a few other new goodies from BareMinerals to test and try out for you guys. So let's jump in and take a closer look at the latest additions to the family!

March 2017 Favorites

Hello there my beautiful friends! I feel like it's been a million years since I've sat down and written a blog post, which just goes to show how much technology skews our perception of time. March was a bit of a crazy and stressful month for me out in the "real world", and to be honest, I just needed some time away from my computer to recharge my batteries. It's crazy the amount of guilt I feel for essentially giving myself a month off from my blog. There is so much pressure to post to social media every day, to write blog posts multiple times a week, to promote them, to read other people's content, to pin, to share, and to basically absorb every second of your free time in blog-related business. And quite frankly, home girl just wanted to read a book. To cuddle. To veg out on the couch and watch The Office entirely guilt-free.

The truth of the blogging world is that there is immense pressure to be on your A-game every moment of every day if you want even the smallest chance of making it big. Unlike a 9 to 5, the internet never sleeps and knows no difference between a Monday and a Saturday. The lines between "work time" and "me time" become so blurred that all time that isn't "work time" feels like wasted time. But, here in America anyway, burnout is a mark of dedication. If you aren't exhausting every fiber of your being you aren't deserving of success. Even though I know that sounds crazy, I'm also aware of how much I've been buying into that philosophy. Of course I'm willing to work hard, but at what cost? Where's the admiration for balance? For time spent connecting with others in the flesh?

Before I overstay my place here on this soapbox, let me just say that I love you guys, and I love chatting beauty with you. I love the brands that I've worked with, and so many of the awesome products that they've made. I love this space that I've created for myself and for you guys to learn and share and have some fun. My absence is definitely not for lack of desire to be a beauty blogger. Just a desire to rediscover the parts of me that have felt lost along the way.

SO, now that we've had our little heart-to-heart, let's lighten things up a little bit. Even though I've been a little less beauty-focused as per late, I've still discovered a few awesome products that I wanted to share with you all. Let me give you the scoop!

Holiday 2016: Wish-List Worthy Eyeshadow Palettes

Now that Halloween has officially past, I think it's safe to admit that the holiday shopping season is in full swing! If the rest of the year is any indication, the weeks between now and Christmas are going to absolutely fly by, which means you have way less time to get everything on your shopping list checked off than you think. If you're feeling a little lost and uninspired, don't you worry. I'm going to be posting tons of awesome beauty-related (and maybe some non-beauty related) gift ideas over the coming weeks to help get you started.

In true Lauren fashion, I'm kicking things off with perhaps my greatest weakness among makeup products - the eyeshadow palette. There have been SO many incredible launches this year it was hard to narrow down my list of recommendations. But after having spent a slightly embarrassing amount of time researching what's new, what's hyped, and what might be a hidden gem I think I've got a pretty solid list for you to check out!

Shop the Stash: Brows

Has anyone else noticed that I am SUPER overdue for my next installment of Shop the Stash?! I've been a little bit distracted with all the new goodies I took home from Gen Beauty (can you blame me?), which means my quest for rediscovery got temporarily put on pause. But now that I've had plenty of time to play I'm ready to get back to business!

For those of you who might have missed out on my first couple of posts from this series, we're going through my makeup stash one category at a time in the hopes of rediscovering amazing products I've been neglecting. As we "shop the stash" I'll be giving you mini reviews of each product and tips on how I like to use them. So far we've covered my collection of eye primers, concealers, and bronzers, and today we're going to be chatting all things brow-related!

For the longest time I never considered eyebrows a necessary step of my makeup routine, but now I feel naked if I leave the house without them done! As a result I've ended up with quite an arsenal of products to fill, define, and highlight those bad boys. So let's take a look at everything and see which of these brow goodies are my absolute faves!

Final Farewells: My Fall 2016 Empties

Friends, it's time yet again to go through my beauty trash. I love filming empties videos, but I also totally can see how strange the whole concept probably is to someone who isn't as immersed in the beauty world as my crazy self. Because really, who else hoards expired makeup and empty bottles?

In all seriousness, the reason I think empties posts are so awesome is that when you've used a product to the very last drop, you really know how you feel about it. It's like a relationship. In the beginning its all excitement and newness, and you're probably willing to overlook the little flaws and annoyances. But time goes on, and when the honeymoon phase is over you've either found yourself a beautiful partnership, or end up realizing that that product...er...person...isn't as awesome as you originally thought.

It's been a couple of months since my last empties round up, so I've got A TON of products to share with you guys. Did I find true love? Or was I already checked out of our relationship? If you want to know, grab yourself a snack, cozy up, and get ready for some real talk (beauty style).

September Favorites

September, where the heck did you go?? Last month was a bit of a whirlwind for me, but it was honestly one of the best I've had in a long time. I got to go on my first international vacation, got to attend my first Generation Beauty event, and have been feeling better about my content here at Little Blushing Birdie than ever. I feel like my brain is bursting with inspiration and I'm truly so excited to share all of my ideas and opinions with you guys.

But before I get ahead of myself, let's give September a proper send-off by recapping some of my favorite beauty discoveries from the last month. Many of these were products I scored at Gen Beauty and haven't been able to put down since. So, get yourself nice and cozy, grab your cup of tea, and let's chat September faves.

Birthday Freebies

One of the things I look forward to every July is the slew of e-mails that show up in my inbox, filled with awesome coupons and promises of freebies. Why July? Because it's my birthday! As much as celebrating with a big party and cake can make me feel loved and appreciated, I honestly look equally forward to my yearly ritual of parading around the mall, collecting my free little treats. Maybe I'm just an introvert, but the gift of me-time is perhaps my favorite thing to give myself (you know, along with some chocolate and a bath bomb). To keep you guys in-the-know, I thought I'd round up a list of my favorite birthday freebies, both beauty and non-beauty, so you too can get in on all the goodness.

Mother's Day Makeover

Happy Mother's Day! I know it's a bit late in the day for well wishes, but I'm just now finally sitting down, relaxing, and have a moment to chat. Even though I'm not yet a mom myself, Mother's Day is one of my favorite holidays of the year. My mom and I have always been pretty close, and I really love having an extra excuse to do something special for her. Unfortunately we both have been pretty busy lately, so we had to keep things relatively simple this year. Our festivities involved going out for a delicious brunch and a mini makeover. While we were too impatient to take pictures of our meals before we dug in (eggs benedict were involved, I can't be held responsible), I've got plenty to share with you from our little beauty session. My mom and I dug through her makeup stash and picked out some of her most loved products to create a slightly glammed up version of her everyday look.

March 2014 Glambag

Today is a good day.

The sun is shining, the temperature outside is nearing 60 degrees, and I am currently taking a lunch break during what has been a much needed spring cleaning rampage. Yesterday I threw out three trashbags worth of random junk that was left over after reorganizing the closets in my bedroom.

Three.

And that was just one room.

I don't know about you, but I always feel a million times more relaxed when my house is clean. It never seems to stay that way for long, despite my best efforts. But in fairness, it's much easier to make a mess than it is to clean it up.

Aside from my tidying to-do list, I also have quite a lengthy blogging to-do list to get working on. One of the first things I realized is that I never reviewed my March Glambag. I'm pretty terrible about being timely about these kinds of things.

This month subscribers received four, rather than the usual five products, although considering what they were, I'm not complaining all that much.

Garden Party & A Fresh Summery Makeup Look

It's Monday.

I'm not exactly thrilled that the work week has returned. I had such a lovely and relaxing weekend, and I really wasn't ready for it to end. 

A friend of mine threw a get-together on Saturday at her parent's house. They have a spectacular back yard. My inner photographer was seriously geeking out. Now, when I say spectacular, I mean complete with an abundance of picturesque plants and vegetation, a Koi pond (with mini waterfall, of course), a pergola, and an enormous vegetable garden. So, on top of being constantly inspired to take beautiful pictures, I also got to sit back and enjoy the beauty of nature with a glass of wine in my hand, surrounded by the company of good friends.

I can't really think of much else better in life.

So, without further adieu, here are some of my favorite shots of the day.

Catering and a Confession

Holy wow, I am exhausted. Second catering event ever tonight and my legs are feeling seriously jello-like. I didn't even work a whole shift and I'm dead. I think it's one of those things where, when you are going non stop you don't even realize it. It's only when you stop and sit down for a while that it hits you.

But before I crash for the night, I wanted to finish up this post!

I have a confession to make....I may or may not have turned "No-Buy July" into a "Buy-Less-Than-Usual July". There were a few limited time deals that were just too good for me to pass up.

Sigh.