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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Haul: Lucy Minerals (1st full sizes), Korres Wild Rose Mineral

As you may have already read, I am crazy about Lucy Minerals right now. Yes, right now. I'm not committing to a lifetime love because I am so random and easily get bored with a product.

Here is my first full size haul of Lucy Minerals.







Bought these off when Lucy was having a BOGO promotion. So, these two only cost $13.50!
The foundation is custom blend, so it has my name at the bottom. It's a blend 2:1 ratio of Golden Medium and Caramel, in Light formula. The finishing powder is in OCS formula.

The next one is Korres Wild Rose Mineral Foundation.



The review is quite good, so I bought it in a whim one day on eBay. Color is Warm Medium Tan. Costs $12.50, with free shipping worldwide. What a steal! Oh, it looks pinker IRL.



Mineral Blushes: Everyday Minerals, Lumiere, Ciel, Meow, Alima Pure, Lauress

My mineral makeup addiction does not stop at foundation. I also love mineral blushes!

Here is my mineral blushes collection. Most of them are in sample sizes.

Everyday Minerals blushes, top: Pumpkin Pie, Summer Stroll, bottom: Walkie Talkie, Snuggle
Alima satin matte blushes, left to right: Antique Rose, Desert Rose, Honey Rose, Melon, Ginger
Left to right: Lumiere's Adobe Sunset, Lumiere's Terracota, Ciel's Bricks, Meow's Infatuation
Lucy Minerals blushes, left to right: Precious, Matte Apricot, Healthy
Lauress blushes, left to right: Charming, Candy, Bloom with Creativity (these are actually cooler IRL)

My favorites are Everyday Minerals, Alima and Lucy Minerals' blushes. Too bad EDM does not ship to Indonesia anymore and Alima Pure's shipping cost is outrageous. And... Lucy will not be shipping internationally anymore starting next March. Shoot! :( 








Sunday, February 10, 2013

Monistat, Cheap But Effective Primer

I've just finished my third tube of Monistat. Having oily skin, using primer is essential for my makeup routine. Not only to keep my oilies at bay but also to avoid my makeup from oxidizing. Not willing to spend a fortune for a primer, Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel has truely been a God-sent!

It is said to have the exact same ingredients as the infamous Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, without the $40 price tag. Regardless to what this product is actually meant for, many women use this as a primer, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I never looked back ever since. You can get Monistat for $8-12 on eBay. What more could you ask for? I've tried other primers such as L'oreal Base Magique, Sana Pore Putty, and of course some mineral primers, but this one seems to work best for me. 


Friday, February 8, 2013

LOTD: Nude Lipsticks

A girl could never have enough nude lipsticks!
As a person with pigmented lips (dark), finding the perfect nude lipstick has become an obsession for me. Here are my LOTDs wearing some of the nude lipsticks I own and like.

Silky Girl Moisture Max in Caramel Delight

MAC Cremesheen in Fanfare (a little less pink IRL)

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Summer Pink

Ultima II Procollagen Lipstick in Nude

YSL Pur Couture in #05
Sorry for the bare face and eyes. I only wear my mineral foundation in these pictures. :p

Will post more nude lipsticks soon! :)

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

REVIEW: MINERAL HYGIENICS, MEOW COSMETICS, JOPPA MINERALS, LUCY MINERALS (FOUNDATION ONLY)

Wow, this is a post that has been long overdue. I actually had written some reviews a year ago, but never posted them. So now I have to update the contents again. Fiuh! 

I actually had found my holy grail mineral foundation about two years ago, Adorned with Grace. It has perfomed as the best mineral foundation for me. The coverage is medium and buildable, really covers my discolorations, and the oil control is superb. It's by far better than Everyday Minerals (matte formula), Lumiere's veena velvet, Lucy Minerals' OCS, and even Meow Cosmetics' Pampered Puss in terms of controlling oil.

Unfortunately, AwG's webstore had been closed since Sept 2011 due to moving to another state or something, and they are still closed until today. I doubt they will ever come back again. I've been on a search for a replacement ever since, especially because my AwG Hope 4.2 foundation is now running low. :-(

Here are some of the brands I've tried in search for a new holy grail mineral foundation:

MINERAL HYGIENICS
Have you ever heard this brand before? The name popped when I read some reviews of another brand on Makeupalley. The reviewer said that this mineral foundation has THE BEST oil control compared to many other brand she tried already. I instantly googled it!
Mineral hygienics claims to have the longest wear, water and sweat-resistant and only uses 4 ingredients in their foundation. Yeap, only four! Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides and may contain mica.


Left: Medium Tan, Right: Dark Golden Tan
Product Claim:
Longest lasting. Better coverage. Fewer ingredients.

Shade:
Based on the color description, I decided to choose Medium Tan-Warm Golden Undertones and Dark Gold Tan-Warm Brown Golden Undertones. Both seemed to be the yellowest for tan and warm (I think this means medium tan) skintone category.

Texture:
It's not as finely-milled as Adorned with Grace, Lumiere, Lucy or Meow. Looks a little grainy and when I swatched it onto the back of my hand it didn't blend easily. It's also rather hard to pick up using a kabuki brush. At first, I thought it was their kabuki brush that couldn't perform well, but my Everyday Minerals' Long Handled Kabuki Brush couldn't completely pick up the powder either.

Coverage:
Once applied, the foundation gives smooth and matte result. Coverage is medium, and it's buildable to full coverage. But, do be careful because you could end up looking really masky with this. I would stick to one layer to avoid the possibility.

Staying Power:
With a primer, it does last quite long, perhaps even longer than Adorned with Grace on my face. But I must say, I don't love the way it feels on my face after 4 hours. It feels sticky, though doesn't look cakey. I feel like I need to blot more often, even though I don't always get that much oil on the blotting paper. Every time I look in the mirror, it actually looks fine. I guess I just need to restrain myself from touching my face!

My Note:
They don't offer samples like other brands do, instead they offer mini starter kit, which includes 2 mini foundations and a full coverage kabuki brush, for $29.99. I personally think the price is rather expensive.

One more drawback from this foundation is, I find it hard to custom blend. Medium tan is too light for me and Dark Gold Tan is too dark. So, I thought I'd just mix the two colors and voila, should be perfect. Right? I mean, that's the idea of every mineral makeup, isn't it? Well, not with this. When I mix the two shades and buff them on my face, I can see redness from the darker color and the ashiness from the lighter one. My face become blotchy with some parts looking reddish and some other parts looking too white. It's just so strange.

MEOW COSMETICS
I have been using Meow's Foundation for over 3 years now, but never reviewed it. I have the Pampered Puss (pampuss) and Flawless Feline (FF) formulas, I never tried the Purrrfect Puss one.

Left to right: Flawless Feline Fierce Manx, Pampered Puss Slinky Manx, Blush samples Infatuation & Puss N Blush
Top: Pampuss Slinky Manx, Bottom: FF Fierce Manx
 Product Claim:
Totally non-comedogenic
Won't clog pores
86 shades w/coordinating concealers!
Long wearing & comfortable
Layerable coverage without shine

Shade:
I match with 2 shades in Meow (pampuss), Slinky Manx and Slinky Abyssinian.
Looking at the broad shade offerings at Meow can be too confusing. Moreover with the names for each skin tone and depth. It took me several attempts before finding the right match. Also, if you were gonna buy the FF formula, I strongly suggest to try the sample first, even if you already try the same shade in another formula. Since it has full coverage, I find the shades aren't too forgiving. If you wear the wrong shade, it would be quite noticable.

Texture:
Meow's pampuss formula has the driest feel upon touching. Which is nice, especially for people with oily skin like me. Some other brands feel kind of creamy or sticky to the touch, making them sometimes rather hard to blend and can look cakey. The FF formula only feels a tad thicker to the touch, but still drier than other brands. Both are finely-milled.

Coverage:
Pampuss gives you sheer to medium coverage with a bit of glow, whereas FF gives full coverage with matte finish. The dryness of the powder does not give powdery look once applied, fortunately. The original formula, purrrfect puss, supposedly give sheer to medium coverage with youthful dewy appearance.

Staying Power:
If you have oily skin, I would suggest using primer beforehand. Pampuss lasts for 4-5 hours on me, and then I'll need a touch-up. The FF lasts a bit longer, up to 6 hours. I do need to blot every 2 hours or so with both formulas, but I consider it pretty normal in the hot humid tropical country of mine.

Using a mix between Pampuss and FF, I get medium-full coverage, which lasts around 5 hours before touch-ups.

My Note:
Among all the mineral foundation brands I've used before, Meow has the most user-friendly packaging. Even the munchkin (mini) size has wide lid, so easy to swirl using any full size kabuki brush.

What I like most about Meow Cosmetics Foundation is first of all the texture. It blends sooo easily and gives such a smooth coverage without cakey-ness. Next is the oil control. Though it does not last all day on me, but it lasts longer than most of other mineral makeups I've tried.

JOPPA MINERALS
Joppa Minerals gets pretty good reviews on Makeupalley, so I thought I'd give it a try. I didn't try the full coverage formula because I worry it would be too cakey for my oily skin. I ordered samples of the soft coverage formula and simple radiance.

Top: Soft Coverage Medium 2.5, Bottom: Medium Tan 1, Simple Radiance Khaki
Product Claim:
Soft Coverage: For Normal-Acne Prone or Oily skin types. Medium - Light Coverage that is very adjustable, depending on the amount used. A super light weight formula, great for any skin type. This formula includes Kaolin Clay which draws out impurities in the skin, absorbs oil and dries up acne and other skin irritations.

Simple Radiance: For Normal - Dry or Aging Skin. Simple Radiance is our Silica Free formula (some may be sensitive to silica). This foundation formula has a creamier texture than out other foundations, making it very suitable for aging skin. A semi-matte formula that offers medium-full coverage.

Shade:
I was lucky to find the perfect match on my first sample order. Medium 2.5 in soft coverage formula and khaki in simple radiance. The two look quite different in the jar, bust they both match my skin tone perfectly. So I'd say the shades are very forgiving.

Texture:
The texture of both formulas are finely-milled, with simple radiance feeling a bit silkier upon touching. They also blend really nicely during application.

Coverage:
Both give smooth sheer to medium coverage for me, even though Joppa claims the simple radiance to be medium-full.

Staying Power:
I wouldn't know. Please read along to know why.

My Note:
I was so happy to find a perfect match on my first attempt, but it took me months after the samples arrive to finally try them. Why? Because the samples smell funny. I can't describe it, but the smell is not pleasant and annoying to me. The smell did disappear a few seconds after application.

Now here's the real deal-breaker. I don't know what's wrong, but right about one minute after application, my cheeks would start to turn into orangey-red blotches. At first, I thought my brush was dirty and leftover from another mineral foundation gave me this uneven orangey-red blotches. So I cleaned the brush and gave it another shot. The same thing happened again. It seems that one/some of the ingredients disagree with my skin. I wouldn't say I'm allergic to it, because it didn't feel itchy at all. So, a big bye-bye to Joppa for me. I never use these foundations long enough to see the staying power on me.

LUCY MINERALS
I posted my sample haul on Lucy last year. Back then, I didn't like it. I finally decided to give it another try and now I'm in love!

Top: Golden Medium, Olive Tan, Bottom: Medium Caramel, Caramel
Product Claim:
Our foundation has a very creamy consistency. It is water-resistant and holds up well in humidity. It is free of waxes, harmful chemicals, preservatives, fragrance, and talc. Lucy Minerals Foundation is different than most other mineral foundations. It is very concentrated. Lucy has four foundation formulas: original, oil control with calcium carbonate (OCC), oil control with silica (OCS), and light formula (without additives, also good for those who are extremely allergy-prone and can't tolerate topical Vitamin C or Allantoin).

Shade:
One of the things that got me hooked to Lucy is how forgiving the shades are. I can wear a few different shades and still look good. For my NC40-42 skin, I match into Tan Olive and a mix of Golden Medium with Caramel (2:1).

Texture:
Annie, the owner, claims that her foundation has very creamy consistency. This was the reason why I didn't like it in the first place. It felt sticky and cakey, and it melted on my oily skin just before mid-day. Turns out I just need to let my moisturizer sink into my skin really well before using my primer and start buffing with the foundation.

Coverage:
I never tried the original, but the other three formulas have medium coverage. The foundation looks very natural, no matter how much I put on. But with just one layer, it covers my imperfections pretty well. I don't look completely flawless, because I have sun spots on my left cheek which are hard to cover.

Staying Power:
All three formulas last more than 5 hours on me, with the OCS lasting the longest. The foundation creates dewy finish after 1-2 hours and my skin would look really healthy. I'll need to touch up during mid-day by dabbing Ben Nye loose powder around my nose only.

My Note:
Out of all four brands, Lucy is my top candidate to replace AwG as holy grail mineral foundation. What I love most about Lucy foundation is how forgiving the shades are. Blendability is also amazing, and once you do it right (letting the moisturizer sink completely) it will never look cakey. I also noticed that I cannot use my Everyday Minerals long-handled kabuki to apply Lucy because somehow it made my pores look huge. I find using a denser buffer brush such as Sigma F82 works much better.

So, have I found a new holy grail mineral foundation? I can't say just yet. I am still waiting for samples from Signature Minerals, Buff'd and Lauress and we'll find out. :)

Edit:
I just read on Lucy's web that starting March 2013, they won't be shipping internationally anymore. Bummer! -___-
I panicked and ordered two more full sizes for back up.










My Makeup Stash

It's been so long since I last post on this blog, huh? Life has been so hectic and I just had another baby... :)
Anyway, I'm back for a short post. I've been using my spare time during my maternity leave to re-organize my makeups. Here's what my makeup drawer looks like.


From left to right:
Upper left corner is where I keep my michellaneous beauty items, such as sponges, fake lashes, spare mascaras (I wear Majolica Majorca which is not available in my country, so I always keep a spare) etc. 
Lower left (below the UD Naked 2 palette) is where I keep my rarely used brushes. 
Upper middle are my glasses cases and a pouch containing samples of mineral blushes.
Center part is where I keep my eye products, palettes and all. 
Lower middle is my mineral foundations. My collection will be growing soon, since I am currently ordering from a few different brands. 
Upper right corner is my liquid  and cream foundations, and some powders. Including my holy grail loose powder from Ben Nye. 
Lower right, well you know it. Lip products! 


I keep my blushes in another drawer, because they don't fit into the the other one. Here they are along with my daily skincare.


As you all can see, my makeup stash is dominated with lip products. I am also a huge fan of mineral foundations and blushes. 




Wednesday, March 7, 2012

FOTD: NYX Lime Green, NYX Kiwi and MAC Deep Truth

Here's the look I did last week. 
Being a makeup junkie doesn't mean I'm good at putting makeup on my face, especially eyeshadows. I need more practice in this department, I know. :)
Oh, and pardon me for the messy eyebrows! I rarely use my brow wax kit.

 

Eyes:
UDPP in Eden as base
NYX Lime Green e/s (inner lid)
NYX Kiwi e/s (mid to outer lid)
MAC Deep Truth e/s (crease, blended to middle crease)
MAC Contrast e/s (just a bit on outer v)
UD Foxy e/s (highlight)
Mermaid Liquid Waterproof e/l
MUFE Aqua Eyes e/l (waterline)
Majolica Majorca Mascara

 
Face: 
Monistat Powder Gel as primer
Dermablend Cover Creme in Golden Medium
Shu Uemura P14 Blush (I absolutely looove this blush!) 
Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder 
MAC Fashion City l/s

Review: CARGO Siena Blush vs NARS Amour Blush

When I first read some beauty reviewers saying that NARS Amour is identical to CARGO Siena, I was really excited. CARGO Siena has always been my most favorite blush in terms of color and blendability. But I dont't love CARGO's tin packaging without mirror, and the biggest drawback is the poor staying power. I have oily skin and I needed to reapply 3-5 times a day with Siena. I have another CARGO blush, Mendocino, and somehow it lasts longer on my cheek.

So, I've been searching for another blush that is an exact dupe to Siena, with better packaging and staying power. I grabbed Amour from Makeupalley swapping corner and was pretty lucky to get around 95% of the product. I do love NARS' slim and sleek packaging, and from all the colors I've had in my possession, the lasting power is pretty great.

So, is it an exact dupe? See for yourself.





Well, Amour does look very similar to Siena on the cheek, just a tad pinker. They're both matte, but Siena gives a bit of glow that I fail to see from Amour. Amour could last a half day on me, so I only need to reapply once or twice, depending on the heat I am exposed to that day. I bet no one could see the difference once it's on, but to me, they're still different. :)
I still love Amour, though. Being the closest color to Siena, I now wear it almost everyday.

Monday, February 20, 2012

(Cont) Feb 2012 Haul: Urban Decay Naked Palette 2, Makeup Show Brushes, Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Here's another February haul...

A little less than a month ago, I asked an MUA member from US to do a CP for me. We've swapped an item before and she was incredibly nice! I originally wanted to CP Dermablend Cover Creme but ended up buying this:
Urban Decay Naked Palette 2

I have been drooling over UD Naked (1 and 2) for a long time, and since I didn't have neutral or brown eye shadow in my stash, except for MAC Sketch (if you consider this either brown or neutral) and UD Smog in their Ammo palette, this is really an exciting haul for me. 

Next to buying UD Naked 2, I figured that I need some new eye brushes. I use MAC #217 for nearly everything on my eyes, and though many people rave it, I don't really like it. So, I bought some Makeup Show eye brushes from Makeup Tools Shop. They are much cheaper than MAC but perform really really well! 
Makeup Show (MUS) Medium Angled Eye Brush 8S 02 (top) and MUS Eye Brush 8E 07 (bottom)

Next is... another foundation! LOL! 
I can't seem to get enough. I get tired waiting for my Dermablend (Golden Beige and Caramel Beige) which I pre-ordered from a local seller, I decided to buy this: 
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Makeup Foundation
 I can't believe I overlooked this foundation! I've read the reviews on how good this foundation in controlling oil and staying put on the skin for over 12 hours, yet I never ever tried it on the counter. 
I was aiming for 4W1 (Shell Beige) which is the warm tone, but turns out they don't carry it here in Jakarta. The closest one they have is 4N1 (Wheat) which falls to neutral tone. I have strong yellow tone, but I think this could work on me, too. Let's hope so. 

That's it! 
I'll be back to post my reviews on these products soon and hopefully haul the Dermablend Cover Cremes! :)

Monday, February 6, 2012

MakeupMania Haul: Ben Nye Neutral Set Face Powder, Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder, Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Foundation

I'm so excited this February, because I know I'll be getting lots of babies this month! I couldn't wait to post my February Haul and decided to just make partial posts instead. :)  

I have been steering off of mainstream products lately and go underground to find some rather unpronounced jewels. My first haul this February is from www.makeupmania.com. Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder! This is actually my second order from MakeupMania, but somehow made it to my doorstep first.

The product comes in a shaker bottle, which I know a lot of people are complaining about. Because I think it can get pretty messy when you open it, and the lid is too small for you to swirl using any brush.

I can't believe this powder only costs $10, for 85grams (3oz) weight of product!
It's more than 2 times of what you get from NARS with barely 1/3 of the price. Wow!

The next day, comes another order from MakeupMania! I'm sooo super excited with this order because it contains Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Foundations! Yep, I bought 2 shades that fall into their warm category: Caramel and Winter Wheat. Other than these two, I also bought Ben Nye Neutral Set Colorless Face Powder. I've read such good reviews on this powder and the Banana Luxury Powder and just couldn't resist from proving them myself.
 Ben Nye Neutral Set Face Powder (left),
Graftobian Caramael (top right), Graftobian Winter Wheat (bottom right)

The Colorless powder costs... OMG, I just realized MakeupMania sent me twice of the product I ordered! I originally ordered the 42grams (1.75oz) shaker bottle, but it came in an 85grams (3oz). What should I do? Hahahaha... This is really a nice surprise! Anyway, the 1.75oz powder costs $5, and each of the Graftobian Foundation costs $12. Shipping cost is the same, $9.99. 

This is my first shopping experience at MakeupMania and I must say I LOVE them! They ship your orders really fast and they notify you every time the order status is updated, along with USPS Confirmation Number once they are shipped. Shipping cost is quite reasonable, too. $9.99 for the first pound to Indonesia and package arrived in less than 3 weeks! To make the wonderful experience more complete, I was very surprised when the package arrived in a box, padded with lots of bubble wraps and the loose powder is packed separately in a sealed plastic bag. I was so impatient in opening the package I forgot to take pictures on how good they wrap it. :p

One thing I can say, this will not be my last order from MakeupMania. I'm really looking forward to try on Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Foundation, and I'm planning to buy Ben Nye Matte Cream Foundation after this. :)

Have any of you tried Graftobian or Ben Nye's products? What do you think of them?