My Bare Escentuals Story

I’ve been meaning to write this for awhile now, the story of how and WHY I came to know Bare Escentuals.  I kind of feel like I need to provide a little bit of “back story” so that you can understand the amazing blessing BE has been to me.  So here goes… 🙂

Growing up, I was never really comfortable in my skin.  I was “too skinny” and people would be relentless in their comments about my weight.  They’d say things that seem harmless, like jokingly telling me I needed to put “some meat on my bones”.. I’d be asked if I was anorexic.. which anyone that knows me, that’s the LAST thing I am, lol.  I started wearing really baggy clothes to hide my body, not realizing that it actually made me look smaller.  I’m going to use this platform right now to make a PSA.. whether someone is bigger, or smaller, it’s NEVER okay to make unsolicited comments, they hurt.  Even said “jokingly”.  I love to eat, and for people to suggest I had an eating disorder wasn’t cool.  In 6th grade I ended up getting headgear, and I wore it through the 9th grade when I got my braces (luckily I was able to just wear it at night).  Now.. braces aren’t anything to be ashamed of..and I didn’t not like them, they just added to my awkwardness I think.  I didn’t wear makeup, I didn’t even know HOW to apply makeup, or what I would need.  Heck.. I STILL don’t even know how to use a curling iron, that’s how not-girly I was, lol.  I had my first slow dance with a boy when I was a Jr. in High School, and my first boyfriend when I was a Senior.  I think I wore lipgloss and maybe some blush to Prom.. I was clueless.  I never felt pretty.

 When I got out of High School and through up to my early 20’s I was always curious about makeup, but the very few times I tried something, it was always liquid and it grossed me out.  I learned very quickly that even though I knew nothing about makeup, I knew I couldn’t put that stuff on my face.  It smelled gross, felt gross, and I honestly thought it looked gross too.  No matter what kind of new fangled spongey thing I tried to use to apply it, it NEVER looked even, I always had a line of demarcation, and the shade never matched.  I’d end up disgruntled for spending the money yet again on something that wouldn’t work.

Fast forward to my wedding.. I knew I needed to figure out something makeup wise and I went to a friend that sold a certain brand of makeup.  She did my makeup for my wedding, and I used a cream to powder type foundation.  I didn’t LOVE it, but I didn’t hate it, and started using it a little off and on.  I still wasn’t very happy with it.  I felt again that I couldn’t blend it well enough to look natural, it got cakey, and it felt nasty.  I was pretty sure at this point in my life that makeup just wasn’t for  me.  I was never a makeup girl, and never would be.  My mom didn’t teach me about application, or any of that jazz.. so I was destined to just go au naturale.  No big.. I didn’t really feel like I was missing out on anything, because nothing ever really worked for me, lol.

Which brings me to how I discovered Bare Escentuals.  Here I am, 29 years old, feeling plane jane having lost all hope on makeup.  I have 2 daughters at this point, am working full time, and one night.. I happened to stay up late.  A infomercial came on for Bare Minerals, and I was like.. “hmm.. wonder if that stuff works?”  I was super skeptical, and told myself, “it’s late, it’s an infomercial.. you’d buy anything right now.. you’re tired, go to bed.  You and makeup aren’t friends”.  But I was curious, very curious.  My husband told me, “why don’t you just try it.. can’t hurt”.  (Muahahahha.. I remind him of them all the time now, HE was the one that pushed me to order, this is all his fault, lol.)  The next day I was still thinking about it in the back of my mind, and decided what the heck.. why not.  I went online and ordered the infomercial special. 

When the box arrived, I was super excited.  I’m not exactly sure why, I think it was the hope that maybe, just maybe I had found something that would work.  I was in love at first Swirl, Tap, Buff.  My skin magically transformed as I began buffing, I couldn’t believe it.  I think I looked at myself in the mirror about 500 times that first day.  I couldn’t believe it.  It was easy, even *I* could do it.  It didn’t smell.  It looked natural.  No funny lines, no spending 20 minutes trying to blend it out with a stupid little sponge only to have it still uneven.  I was hooked. 

Once I had the foundation, I wondered about eyeshadows, lipsticks, and blushes.  I had this new confidence that I could maybe do this makeup thing for once in my life.  At first when I started looking around for more Bare Minerals products, I couldn’t find them.  I didn’t realize I needed to Google “Bare Escentuals”.  Once I discovered the website, I found out about QVC and Sephora.  Then came the fan forums.  It was like an awakening.  I went from the girl who couldn’t and wouldn’t wear makeup, to a girl who was hungry for anything she could find out about this amazing product.

I really don’t think I can put into words what BE did for me.  It truly changed my life.  For the first time in my life, I felt pretty.  I had confidence I never had.  I don’t know if I can fully explain it, but those of you that have experienced it, know what I mean.  This last year I was chosen to be the model for the Master Class in San Francisco.. prior to BE, I would have NEVER had the kahonies to even consider saying yes to something like that.  My husband immediately noticed a change in me when I started using BE… I am so thankful that he pushed me to order the kit when he did.  If he hadn’t.. well, I’d still be feeling like that awkward person I was before.  Again, I really can’t say enough about BE has done for me.  It’s one of the many reasons I’m so passionate about the company and the product.

I am eternally grateful to Leslie and everything she’s done for me through BE, and I challenge anyone who’s on the fence about this makeup because they’ve tried everything and never found something that works for them, to give BE a try.  It changed my life, and it can change yours too.

I’m including this picture that was my yearbook picture my Sr. Year.  I hate this picture because I feel like it captured all the awkwardness and sadness I had in my spirit, on film.  I had another shot that I used to give out to friends and family, but this was the yearbook shot.  I would have never thought at the time this picture was taken that I would feel as good as I do now, and that I’d be willingly posting pictures of myself on makeup forums and blogs.  Bare Escentuals is about SO much more than “just” makeup..

Me. Circa 1996.

Thanks for letting me share my personal story with you.. ❤