Try Before You Buy with the Pür & Proven App

Ever wish you could see how a product would look on you before you buy it? Well, with Pür’s new app for iPad and iPhone, you can do just that. It might just be the next best thing to your own personal makeup artist.

Simply take a photo of your beautiful self to get started. (You can also select an image from a library of model shots.) Next, with your finger, position the facial coordinates over your eyes and lips. (Don’t worry—it’s a lot easier than it sounds.) Now, you’re ready to add some color.

With Pür & Proven, you have access to Pür Minerals’ entire makeup main line, so go wild! Select the product you want to add, and let the app do the rest. Mix, match and blend shades with ease and fine-tune the intensity with a touch. In no time at all, you’ll be rolling out new looks and even full-face makeovers by the dozen. Best of all, you can share your custom creations with your friends on Facebook or via email.

Ready to get started? Click here to download the app. (Warning: this thing is pretty addictive.)

Countdown to 2012

With all the promise, wonder and excitement befitting a Hollywood movie, there really is no night like New Year’s Eve. Fireworks, champagne and that infamous midnight kiss all add to the mystery and magic of that final countdown. With a celebration this big, you’ll need a look that’s equally as explosive. Get ready to make sparks fly.

Party Perfect Eyes
Whatever your countdown destination, stand apart from the crowd with smoldering eyes in steely metallic blue. First, contour eyes in Fawn Fayalite or Smoky Quartz Pressed Mineral Eye Shadow to add depth and dimension. Then, using Pür’s Liquid Metal Eye Shadow Stick in True Cobalt, wrap color from the inner corner of the eye, over the lid and around to the lower lash line. Use a shadow brush or your finger to smudge color outward for a smoky effect.

Steal a Midnight Kiss
Always pair bold, dramatic eyes with subtle, subdued looks that won’t distract or compete for attention. A warm neutral hue like Mineral Shea Butter Lipstick in Mauve Quartz is the perfect complement to this made-for-midnight look. Like the Eye Shadow Sticks, Pür’s creamy, conditioning lipsticks won’t smear or smudge, so your look stays put from the first popped cork to that final kiss of the night.

Holiday Miracle Must-Have: Fulvic Mineral Mist

It may be the most wonderful time of year to you, but as far as your skin’s concerned, the holiday season means drier, colder days ripe for cracking and chapping. Instead of spending your days slathering on cream after cream, simplify your life with a multipurpose mist that hydrates from head to toe instantly—Fulvic Mineral Mist.

Dry Skin Relief
Between the colder weather outside and the dry heat indoors, winter can wreak havoc on your skin. With over 70 essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids, Pür’s miracle hydrator not only locks in vital moisture but also nourishes skin to keep it healthy and glowing all season long.

Winter Hair First Aid
Your skin isn’t the only thing that suffers when the humidity vanishes. Winter’s bone-dry air can make that much-fussed-over hairstyle fall flat in minutes. Revive those luscious locks in seconds with the same mineral formula that helps tame stubborn frizz and flyaways in the summertime. 

Makeup-Friendly Moisture
Winter means you’ll be reaching for your moisturizer more than usual. But once you’ve got your look just right, the last thing you want to do is smear cream or lotion all over your makeup. Fortunately, Mineral Mist’s lightweight formula lets you hydrate your skin without ruining your look. (It even sets mineral makeup!)

Soiree Savvy: Three-Step Smoky Eye

Between office parties and cocktail socials, December is peak party season. Whatever the occasion, you’ll need a look that stands out for all the right reasons. For a foolproof party look that’s always in style, we turn to the classic smoky eye. Simple, sophisticated and timelessly elegant, it’s a quick and easy way to dress up even the flattest fete. Check out the video below to see how you can achieve this festive fave in three easy steps using our Smoky Eye Trio (only $10; a $43 value).

 

Fall Skincare Tips & Tricks

With the sweltering dog days of summer finally behind us, the cool, crisp autumn months come as a welcomed relief. However, as the mercury drops, so does the humidity. As Mother Nature dials down the heat and dries out the air, the change in weather can be a roller coaster ride for your skin. Here are just a few things you can do to keep your skin hydrated and healthy in the months ahead:

Exfoliate Often
If you’re constantly reapplying moisturizer throughout the day, the problem may not be your moisturizer—it may be your skin. As skin cells dry out and die, they form a layer over healthy skin that’s difficult to penetrate. That’s why regular exfoliation is extra important during the drier months. If your moisturizer doesn’t seem to be pulling its weight, pump up your exfoliating regimen with a gentle total body scrub like Pür Polish. And, as always, be sure to moisturize immediately after.

Mind Your Moisturizer
You might’ve gotten away with a thin, water-based moisturizer in the summer months. But as the humidity goes into hibernation, so should weak moisturizers. Instead of watery lotions that evaporate in dry weather, look for a rich, emollient cream like Mineral Moisture Complex that will lock moisture in and keep the elements from sucking you dry. Rich in sunflower seed oil, this luscious night cream offers deep hydration without pore-clogging petroleum or synthetic oils.

Ban Hot Showers and Baths
While there’s nothing better than soaking in a hot bath after braving the cold, this common indulgence could be taking a toll on your skin. Hot showers and baths can actually break down the skin’s lipid barrier—a fatty layer that traps moisture inside the skin—leaving it dehydrated.  Instead, use warm water and be sure to moisturize afterward. For chapped or cracked skin, adding baking soda or oatmeal to your bath can spell instant relief (not to mention relaxation).

Halloween Looks in a Pinch

The spookiest day of the year is almost here. And if you’ve been putting off planning your Halloween look, never fear. Pür has just the trick for your fright night fete.

Vampy Vixen
Vampires have come a long way since the days of Bram Stoker, and today’s undead damsels are sexier than ever. Whether you’re going as a classic countess or a modern day vixen, you’ll need two things: pale skin and blood-red lips. Using a Powder Brush, sweep Mineral Light over your entire face, layering heavily for a pale complexion. Next, create a ravishing red pout with a layer of Red Ruby lipstick, followed by a coat of I Heart Pür lip gloss. Don’t forget to let a little drip down the corners of your lips.

Cleopatra Chic
Ever since Elizabeth Taylor portrayed the royal Egyptian beauty in 1963, Cleopatra has been a mainstay of popular culture, not to mention a Halloween costume favorite. To capture the desert queen’s signature look, start with her most famous attribute: the classic cat eye. Using Pür Intensity in Carbon and an Eyeliner Brush, trace your lash line from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner, flicking the line up at the end. Sweep on a healthy dose of Midnight Jade or Blue Lazulite Eye Shadow, and you’re good to go.

One Cool Cat
Cat costumes are a perennial fave, and with minimal effort, are among the easiest looks to create. Like the Cleopatra, you’ll want to start with—no surprise here—the cat eye. Follow the same steps above using Pür Intensity in Carbon and an Eyeliner Brush, and follow with a smoky eye using Pressed Mineral Eye Shadow in either Graphite or Chrome Cryolite. Using the same shadow, color in the tip of your nose and draw ‘whiskers’ out from your cheeks. And because Pür’s mineral powders contain no petroleum-based oils, talc or fillers, you won’t have to worry about breakouts or irritation.

Split Decision: Two-Toned Metallic Lids

Shimmery shadows are hot enough on their own, but double up and things really get smoking. For a high drama look that’s twice as nice, make it a split decision.

Prep
For brighter, more vivid eye color (and to keep pesky creases at bay), first prep eyes with a long-wear primer, like Mineral Eye Prep. This lid-perfecting miracle creates a velvety smooth canvas that picks up and intensifies color. As an added bonus, it contains antioxidants that help neutralize discoloration, giving you an even finish.

Start Light
Using an Eye Shadow Brush, sweep a light, neutral shimmer over the inner half of your eyelid. Our Pressed Mineral Eye Shadow in Champagne Citrine is a super-versatile golden beige that works with nearly all skin tones. You can also try Sunlit Gypsum or Gold Marcasite.

Go Dark
Next, sweep a darker shade across the outer half of your lid, lightly overlapping your lighter hue. Blend into your outer crease for added definition. We recommend Blue Lazulite or Chrome Cryolite for an eye-catching, steely blue shimmer.

Line & Define
Complete the look with a strong, well-defined lash line. Using Pür Intensity gel eyeliner in Carbon, trace a razor-thin line across your upper lash line from inner to outer corner. Finish with two to three coats of Impact+ Mascara to your upper lids.

Pür Xtra: Get that Cancun Glow from Mexico

Want to look like you spent the summer at a sunny seaside resort? In this episode of Pür Xtra, Pür model and makeup artist Lynnette Cole shows how to get your glow on in three simple, sun-kissed steps. See her secret below or watch on Facebook and YouTube.

Recipe for the Perfect Pedi

Looking for a salon-style pedicure without the salon price? Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide, suggests you check your pantry—you may be closer than you think.

Ingredients
½ cup applesauce
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. sea salt
½ lemon
(Flowers optional)

Directions
Mix vinegar, honey and applesauce in a bowl. Squeeze lemon half and stir in the juice. Add salt and baking soda and blend well. Apply mixture to clean feet, and massage to exfoliate. Leave on for 3 – 4 minutes then rinse with warm water.

We Recommend
Once you’ve scrubbed and smoothed, lock in moisture with Happy Feet. This luxurious blend of cocoa seed, shea butter and lush botanicals rehydrates dry, cracked skin for visibly softer feet and toes.

Pür Xtra: Hot Rocks for Eyes, Lips and Cheeks

Can one product give you a complete look? You bet. Here, Pür pro makeup artist Allison Schecter shows how you can use our multitasking 3D Hot Rocks to spotlight your eyes, play up your pout and warm up your cheeks. See how below or watch on Facebook and YouTube.