Jan 2012 Haul: Mineral Hygienics, Lucy Minerals, Meow Cosmetics, Dermablend Cover Creme, Naturactor Cream Foundation

Hello, blog! Long time no see. :)

This is officially my first post on this new blog address. I have been sooo lazy to post anything, though there's actually a lot I wanna share here.

So, my 2012 resolution is NOT to buy any lipstick. For a whole year! This does sound impossible, really. But, I have been buying so many lipsticks the past few months, some of which I will be reviewing in my next post, I need to stop buying and just finish what I have now. I currently own more than 50 lipsticks in my stash, so I should be able to survive without a new one for a year. Right?

Turning my head away from lipsticks, I am now back to being a foundation addict. Same old, same old. :p
I have yet been able to find a holy grail foundation, and I honestly doubt I'll ever will! The problem is, I keep on wishing to look flawless without looking too made-up, dewy without being oily, whereas my skin has lots of discolorations and oily. But, knowing this fact doesn't stop my hunt for the perfect foundation! Stubborn junkie, I know.

Well now, I started the year with some mineral foundations haul. The first one to arrive was Mineral Hygienics. Have you heard this brand before? From one of the reviews I read, it is said to have The Best oil control among mineral foundations. So, I just need to proof it!
The package came very quick, only 2 weeks from ordering! Great start.

Based on the color description, I chose Medium Tan and Dark Gold Tan foundations. Both are yellow toned. I think I will need to mix these two shades to fit my NC40-42ish skin. Oh, there's really no info on the product's weight/volume, but I think it's around 3-4 grams each.

Medium Tan (left), Dark Golden Tan (right) 

Second mineral foundation haul is samples of Lucy Minerals' Light formula. I tried both of the oil control formulas and didn't like them that much. Out of the blue, I ordered these samples. Don't ask me why, because I seriously can't remember!

Lucy Minerals: Caramel (tops), Golden Medium (bottom)

Next mineral foundation I received was... Meow! This time, I ordered munchkin sizes of Fierce Manx in Flawless Feline which is full coverage, and Slinky Manx in Pampered Puss formula. I am planning to mix these two to achieve medium-full coverage. Let's see how they work!

FF Fierce Manx (left), PP Slinky Manx (right), extra blush samples (bottom)

Not only minerals, I also purchased one liquid foundie and a few cream ones.

The liquid foundation I bought was Make Up For Ever Face and Body, in #34. MUFE FnB was actually my very first department store brand foundation, but I didn't like it then. I was a makeup virgin, so the term makeup primer was an alien to me. Thus, the foundation melted and the color oxidized on me. I initially bought the wrong shade, too. Doh!
An MUA friend recently recommend this foundation because it is water-based therefor suitable for oily skin. Voila, I decided to give it another shot.

Makeup For Ever Face and Body #34

Now on to the cream foundations! I have very little experience with cream foundations. The only one I have is Kanebo Lunasol Water Cream Foundation, which I LOVE! After reading tons of reviews and had very "inspiring" chats with my MUA friend, Helen, I am now on the hunt for a cream foundation with good coverage and decent oil control.

Here's what I got:
Dermablend Cover Creme in Cafe Brown. Bought this on eBay for a bargain, $15.99.

I soon realized that Cafe Brown would be too dark for me, so I pre-ordered 2 of Dermablend's lighter shades. Since the pre-order can take over a month to arrive, I decided to buy Naturactor Cream Foundation to mix with Cafe Brown. The shade I bought was 151, which is the darkest one. Since Naturactor is a Japanese brand, even the darkest shade is still much too light for me!

I forgot to take the pics of Dermablend and Naturactor when they first arrived, so pardon me for this.

Naturactor (left), Dermablend Cafe Brown (right)

Other than foundations, I also add another NARS blush to my collection. I got this from a "swap" at Makeupalley. Actually, I bought this at a bargain price from a MUA member. :D

 NARS Amour

Well? I'm very happy with almost all of my new babies. It's really a great way to start the year, by trying out new products and puting high hopes they will suit you. :)
See you in February!