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Luckily for me, I’ve started to receive products from brands because I am a blogger with an engaged audience whom I appreciate very much (thanks for reading). Some people don’t like this and I totally get it. It can be hard to differentiate if someone’s adoration for a product is genuine if they didn’t care for it enough to buy it themselves, right? But on the flip side, as a blogger, sometimes it’s just not feasible to try everything within our own budgets (yes, we are real people with real bills and life shit going on). Like everyone else, we get caught up and stuck in our own routines. A surprise box from a brand introducing us to new products is a welcome disruption because sometimes, the products are JUST what we were looking for and what our readers may also love.
PUR Cosmetics is one of those brands and I’m SO very excited to share some of the products I generously received recently and one I’m dying to share my findings with you all…
You may have seen this brand at Ulta and maybe even just passed it by without a second glance. Before picking up their new skin perfecting foundation brush I raved about here, I did just that. I thought of PUR in a similar category to BareMinerals because much of their products are mineral-based. They also infuse skin care benefits in all of their beauty products. Ingredients like retinol (anti-aging), Shea Butter (hydration), SPF (sun protection), Vitamin C (brightening) and antioxidants can be found throughout the majority of the products.
They also are 100% against animal testing, are cruelty-free, eco-conscious in their packaging, and responsible in their ingredient sourcing. I found it wonderful to know they’re paraben-free, gluten-free, alcohol-free, talc free, BPA-free AND vegan-friendly. Find me another brand this dedicated to doing good for beauty. I couldn’t think of many to check ALL of those boxes…
Miracle Mist Hydrate & Set, $18 | This is a very lightweight, micro-fine mist to hydrate the skin before makeup (or in place of your daily moisturizer). It can also be used after foundation/powder to get rid of that powdery makeup look to set the face. Its main ingredient is Fulvic Acid which is an antioxidant that helps fight against free radical damage and may also help detoxify the skin. The remainder of the ingredients are citrus-based oils.
I would say this is best for more normal/combo/dry skin types as a pre-foundation prep or mid-day as a makeup refresher.
Blue Agave Mask Energizing Peel-Off Mask, $26 | I LOVE peel off masks and I haven’t had one in my collection for a couple of years now, so I was very excited to try this. Already a fan of Blue Agave from other skin care products I’ve tried. This is a refreshing mask said to boost hydration (Vitamin B), glow (green tea/ginseng), and plumpness. It also has Kaolin (a clay) and Niacinamide quite high up in the ingredient list, which makes my oily skin happy. I found the glow to be the most significant change in my skin. It has a nice cooling sensation when first applied.
I recommend this product for normal/combo/oily skin as a once/week treatment. Perfect for a Friday night after a long week to boost your skin for the weekend!
On Point Lip Liner, $18 | I was confused by these. When I opened up the automatic cap, I could NOT figure out how to sharpen the pencil for my life. It’s self-sharpening when you twist it shut and I realized that the more you twist it shut to sharpen, more product comes up. Just a tip from me to you, lol. Anyways, I got two shades – a nude and a deeper plum/berry. Both are extremely smooth to apply and last well on the lips (not as bulletproof as some of my long-wearing lip liners, but much better than say, my NYX ones). These liners are advertised to help you extend the line of your lips subtlety without fading and I’d agree that it’s a great product for that – especially in the Tutu shade.
Overall, I’m not completely blown away by these pencils mainly because I don’t really love the super technical packaging (just let me twist up the pencil how I want), but if you’re looking for a decently long-wearing, cruelty-alcohol-paraben-etc., etc.-free lip pencil, here you go. They also have several lip-inspired shades.
Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick, $18 | These are great! I’m so happy brands are coming out with more matte options that aren’t soul-sucking demon leeches on the lips. These are a mousse formula that glides on the lips in the creamiest way with intense pigmentation. Passion is PERFECTION for the summer’s pink lip trend and it wears well through eating without that gross outer-lip fade you can get with standard liquid lipsticks. These are not transfer-proof, though, so don’t expect these to last through a make out session.
As a peachy/pink nude lip lover, I would totally pick up Oh Bae or Obsessed.
Chrome Glaze High-Shine Lip Gloss, $18 | Not for those who hate sticky glosses, these glosses are for those (like me) who don’t want to reapply gloss 48 times a day. Don’t be deceived by the name – these aren’t metallic glosses. DIY is a pretty, pale nude pink that wears well over nearly any lipstick shade because it’s so light. If you’re fairer than me, DIY may be a bit too chalky on you, so I’d recommend checking out Heartbreaker or Squad.
Bottom line, a long-wearing, sticky gloss that wears well on its own or over top a lipstick.
MUST TRY: Bare It All 4-in-1 Skin Perfecting Foundation, $39 | ***OILY SKIN ALERT*** Hello, everyone. I’m in LOVE with this foundation! I did an Instagram LIVE the other day applying it and will be doing a Facebook LIVE soon, but I cannot stop raving about this foundation. When it first launched, I heard a lot of hit/miss reviews – even from a lot of my trusted beauty babes.
I believe complexion products is where PUR truly shines! This is a full-coverage, long-wearing, demi-matte foundation that withstands my insanely oily skin and humid Houston, TX climate. No breaking up around the nose, forehead or chin… my bronzer/blush holds up ALL day overtop and I look fresh-faced at the end of the day.
Compared to other full coverage foundations I love/use (Estee Lauder Double Wear, Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation), I find that Bare It All holds up longer on the skin with fuller coverage. I also find that I can wear this formula multiple days in a row and my skin doesn’t get that annoying texture it tends to get if I wear very heavy foundations too many days in a row (anyone else gets that?).
The one con to this formula is the shade range is no bueno. There are only 10 shades available and they’re not very forgiving since the coverage is so intense. I wear Golden Medium now, but if I sat in the sun for about 10 minutes, I’d be needing Light Tan or Tan real fast. Also, the undertones are extremely strong/specific, so this is a formula I recommend swatching in Ulta and letting it dry down before you decide.
(*PUR sent me a couple of shades to try. Blush Medium is pictured, but it was too light/cool-toned; so I’m wearing Golden Medium in the photos of me. )
-Steffanie
