For those of you who got gift cards to ULTA this Christmas, and you are looking for a fresh, natural new makeup line to try, I suggest looking at Burt’s Bees! Earlier this year, Burt’s Bees expanded their collection of makeup beyond lip glosses, lipstick and BB cream. They’ve added a full line of blush, brow pencils, eye shadows, mascara, eye liner, foundation, and introduced new colors of lipsticks. If you’ve read my previous blog post about natural beauty picks, I recommend the lipsticks from Burt’s Bees as being a great alternative to mass or big label brands. Their new full line boasts formulas that are paraben, petrolatum and pthalate-free. But I was wondering about performance, as natural makeup lines in the past have often lacked in that department. You also may have noticed in my last post about using multi-tasking products in your gym bag that I show the Burt’s Bees makeup line in my bag – I chose to try this line out for just that purpose, apart from my usual routine. I wanted to try the performance of this all-natural line, as well as being a space-saving and multi-tasking line of essentials in my gym bag. After trying them for the past 3 months, I’m super impressed with the quality, pigmentation, and long-wearability of the Burt’s Bees makeup line! Let’s do a deep dive and see what makes these an awesome choice for people who want more naturally based, but high-performing, makeup.

First off, I wanted to try the Burt’s Bees BB cream, as I needed to have a multi-tasking product in my gym bag to act as moisturizer, foundation, and anti-aging treatment, as well as protect with SPF. BB cream to the rescue! This BB cream is a bit thick, but it smooths on easily, and hydrates without making my combination skin feel too oily. The SPF is titanium dioxide based, and delivers broad spectrum protection. I especially like the light coverage to even out my skin tone. In this last month, I’ve mixed a little bit of moisturizer (First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream) on any drier patches of my face, prior to applying the BB cream. The finish is a little bit dewy, but mostly a satin effect – the coverage is light, so it’s a great post-workout makeup to show off a healthy glow.

Next, I grabbed the classic black Nourishing Mascara, which promised to lengthen lashes and increase volume. I usually just go for mascara when getting ready after a workout, as I feel the skin has an awesome glow about it – I want to let my complexion shine a bit, and not worry about too much eye makeup. This mascara is great! It does what it says, and lengthens and volumizes. I wouldn’t say that it beats my other favorites (e.l.f Mineral Mascara, or L’Oreal’s Carbon Black Voluminous mascara), but for an all-natural formula, it does not flake or smudge! My only wish is that the brush was a bit thinner – it’s a great silicone-style brush, but doesn’t allow for the control that a skinnier brush would give.

For my cheeks, I chose a blush in the shade Shy Pink. LOVE!! It’s a perfect blend of peachy-pink, and with just the slightest amount of shimmer. And wow, the pigment is really strong! Just a little bit goes a really long way, and I can easily blend it with my travel kabuki brush from Eco-Tools.

Lastly, I grabbed their brow pencil in Blonde, which has a spoolie brush on the end. This is super easy to use and convenient – the wax is soft, highly pigmented, and very blendable. Like the blush a little goes a long way, and just sharpen before each use. Even though the temperatures are a bit extreme right now, I haven’t noticed any fading or smearing of color. My brows look groomed and even, with just the right amount of color.

Not pictured is my Burt’s Bees Lipstick in Blush Basin – it’s a gorgeous rosy-pink neutral, and is so moisturizing that I don’t need to prep first with lip balm. The great thing about this shade is that it looks completely natural, yet polished, and goes with whatever outfit I’m wearing after my workout. I’m seriously considering making a few of these a standard product in my daily routine, and not just keeping in my gym bag. The line is also very reasonably priced, and is fully available online at ulta.com. Target has the lipsticks and BB cream as well, but not the blush or eye makeup yet. If you are looking for a more naturally based makeup routine, but want high-performance products, treat yourself and give this line a try!

©28daysbeauty 2017