EG Minerals Review

EG Minerals

This is way overdue.

I'll start with the foundations first since that's what I've been reviewing this week.
The shades I chose weren't initially in the present category so it got me confused. They rearranged the categories with the shade names so the formula wasn't the one I wanted to try out. At least I got a few matches though.

Again, my photos with each foundation on.

Cover Me foundation:

Very good heavy coverage for me and for those with oily skin. It applies matte on the face and I just used 1 layer dry, enough to cover everything - no concealer needed. It felt light on the face but really looked good on. I think I need to apply a bit less coz on closer inspection (in person) I could see that I had makeup on but it still looked natural. Oh, this is hard to explain but I hope you get what I'm trying to say (?).

I didn't use primer nor finishing powder and after 4 hours my face isn't oily. No itchies even when I was sweating (ran over next door to check on a patient).

Oh, and there's no white cast in photos unlike other mmu with heavy coverage.

I think my match is DeAnna. I initially thought this was light for me but when I tested it again it wasn't. After consultation with Michelle of EG Minerals, she said that the Cover Me formula applies differently initially than what it looks like in the baggie. After it melded to my skin it was a perfect match.


DeAnna no flash


DeAnna w flash

Jeanne and Joy are too dark and too brown for me:


jeanne


Joy

Youthful Glow foundation:

This one has light to medium coverage. It also feels light but it wasn't enough coverage for me. For those with perfect skin to begin with and wanting a slight glow to their foundation, this would do. I found good matches here too coz these were what were mostly sent to me. I didn't try 3-4 other shades as they looked dark and too brown in the baggies. My good matches were Jin and Mia.


Mia (Y)


JIN (W)

Jocelyn was too dark (and brown) for me:


Jocelyn

I don't have samples of the Light & Natural formula which is rice powder based and good for oily skin and the Liquid foundation. I plan to test them out soon.

Blushes:

I only got a few samples of blushes. When the site wasn't up yet, they had no matte blushes available for sampling so all the blushes I got were shimmery.

Swatches:


No flash


W/ flash

I love South Pacific Dawn the most among all these. The blushes are pigmented and only very little is needed. The blushes on the right-most are cool toned and I don't think they would suit me. The way i see it, the website swatches look a bit darker than they are IRL.

Finishing Powders:

I haven't tried everything yet but the ones I did were good. The Hi Definition Pro Powder to me is like Aromaleigh's - they have a cloud of powder when you put some in your swirly bowl. They look the same when applied since both are translucent and they mattify the face.

The Primers and Soft Focus finishing powders do help matte out the oilies. They're comparable to Dreamworld's or Lauress' Finishing Powders. I haven't tried the Rice Powder primer and the Silk Finishing Powder yet. Letting my skin take a break for awhile.


Jin + Hi Def Pro Powder


Jin + Hi Def. PP + Soft Focus FP + blush

FOTD:


EG Minerals FOTD

All EG Minerals used except lipgloss:

Skin Primer Yellow
Youthful Glow foundation in JIN
Gold/Yellow Soft Focus finishing powder
Hi Definition Pro Powder
South Pacific Dawn Blush
Aromaleigh No Reservations Rocks! lipgloss
No eyeshadow

I haven't tried any of the eyeshadows yet. Next post probably or next week since this is a busy weekend of parties.

*************
I have tried the Vancouver Springs lipglaze they sent me but I couldn't use it.


lippie

The shade is pretty in a peachy coral tint but the smell was so strong. It was a fruity scent I just don't know what kind.

When I applied it on my lips I thought the scent would go away in a few minutes but it didn't. I felt so nauseous that I had to remove the lippie right away. Even when I did the scent stuck to my hands and I had a headache the whole afternoon.

Also it leaked all over my lippie drawer. I think the seal of the tube was loose coz it fell out when I opened it and removed the wand. Maybe that's why it leaked even though I put it back.
If only the scent weren't that strong I would've used it.

This is my initial take on EG Minerals. Still have to try out the other products I have.

Skincare Haul

Still have a few posts to make about my EG Minerals review but I have a ton of photos to crop and fix. It's raining hard now and a bit cold which I love...ended up shopping on the net again :-(

Skincare haul from StrawberryNet.com:

H2O+ Aqualibrium Mattifying Moisture Plus (had 100% marks in MUA)


H2O +


Bliss Sunban Face SPF 30+ (to use with above for makeup days instead of my Olay SPF 30)


Bliss


Bourjois Blush in No. 72 Tomette (had to get this to reach the 3 item mark for discount)


Bourjois


Got all these with 29% off of entire order coz they have a 10% off celebration thing going on, my reward for 2nd order (1% off), 5% off for ordering 3 items plus a 13% discount.

PLUS I get the following stuff for free:

Stila Lipglaze Stick in Blackberry


Stila


Cameleon Makeup Kit (12 x Eyeshadows, 2 x Blushes, 3 x Lipgloss, 3 x Applicators)


Cameleon

Happy, happy :-)

I also got this the other day but sent it to my cousin in California (coz I had to get my DD's Christmas gift: V.Smile Smartridges in Aladdin and Noddy Detective for a Day since both went on sale and I didn't want to miss it).

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle



RoC


Yeah, I've noticed lines or furrows on my forehead in between my eyebrows. Made me worried! Must have been due to my frowning (what else!) when I get mad at my DD LOL! Hope I get better skin again soon once I get all these.


No mmu haul for me until the next month coz I'm way over my monthly budget. The RoC has good reviews on MUA. Actually, all the stuff I got had good reviews on MUA (I do my research). Hopefully they all live up to the expectations (mine). I'll also just give the freebies as Christmas gifts to relatives ha-ha. We'll see. If I don't like them that is but knowing what a hoarder I am I might keep them to myself (but I mustn't). Okay, I'm rambling. See ya in my next post.

**Photos taken from Strawberrynet.com and Amazon.com

Jesse's Girl Quads

Tried out the Jesse's Girl Cosmetics Quads I acquired recently and I really like them. They are pigmented and easy to blend. It doesn't look too powdery on the eye with just enough shimmer to make the colors pop. Best of all it's a PRESSED QUAD! Easy to bring along when travelling with color-coordinated shades in it.

I know it's not mineral makeup but I don't get allergies in the eye area with traditional eye shadows (and blushes) so I use them occasionally.

Artdeco Eyeshadow base applied on both eyes as primer.

QUAD 2:



quad 2

1 - applied under brows as highlight
2 - applied from lash line to crease
3 - applied on outer V
4 - applied to crease



using Quad 2


QUAD 4:



Quad 4

1 - applied under brows as highlight
2 - applied from lash line to crease
3 - applied on crease
4 - applied on outer V


using quad 4

The individual eye shots don't show the colors clearly. Instead it showed up as just 1 shade of pink or olive :-(


Here's a better one:



Quad 4 (L), Quad 2 (R)

As usual, I applied the shadows sheerly but since these are pigmented they showed up even with a very light touch. I like Quad 2 the best since I'm a neutrals gal. Now I'm sorry I didn't get the other 2 Quad palettes for a better discounted price.



** I am not a professional makeup artist. Reviews here are my own opinion.

Nikki's Mix

This is supposed to be "Jane's Mix" but I tweaked it a bit.
FYI, Jane's Mix is a finishing powder mixed up by Jane from the Aromaleigh forum. You can tweak the recipe whatever way you want (like all minerals) whether for cooler or warmer skintones. It's basically made up of Aromaleigh products using sample sizes for easier measurement.

Here's what I did:

When I started putting in the different powders:


Coquille powders

There's Lilas, Nectarine, Vert, Rose, Juane in the photo.

Final Product:


Nikki's Mix

I filled up a 30 gram jar when I was done. I mixed the following AL products:

In sample sizes (Jane's Mix but not the exact recipe)-

Coquilles:
1 Nectarine
1 Juane
1 Rose
1 Lilas
1/2 Vert (it was too green)

1/2 Medium Bronze
2 x Illuminator
1 Perle Splendor
1/2 Perle Illusion

I added in:

1/4 tsp. Silica
1/2 tsp. Kaolin Clay

I think I'm going to add in more Silica and Kaolin clay for more oil control. Maybe a little Allantoin and Boron Nitride too? So far, my mix has a little bit of glow with a little bit of oil control and it also makes the skin look a bit airbrushed. I think I'm going to add in my URFP sample too to make it look more airbrushed on. I may need a bigger jar than this to mix in.

Mail Day & Korean Kitty

Another mail day today and I am overwhelmed. Just look at the pics which speak for themselves. It would take me a few weeks to go thru all these and post reviews.

From Aromaleigh, my sample order:



rocks lippie samples

AL samples




freebies

Tried out blank generation lippie:


no flash


with flash

From Jesse's Girl Cosmetics:

the whole loot

Up close:


e/s quad palettes



Color My World e/s



FREEBIES!

From EG Minerals, samples they sent me as their tester :



EG Minerals



<--- Full size!

lippie




Blushes




Fruit of the Vine Trio e/s




Smokey Eye Kit - Charcoal Trio e/s




other e/s




foundations




FP's & Hi-Def. Powder




Primer Powders

Whew!!! That's a lot to sample. I wished the EG Minerals site is working coz I don't remember the types of foundations I chose or the ingredients.

********************

My brother-in-law came from Seoul, Korea last week and gave my DD a few Hello Kitty items that are just too cute:



mechanical pencil and stickers



necklace and ring set




hair accessories




for me: bag and bracelet

That's all for now. I haven't even removed the plastic seals the cosmetics came in. Will post more once I have time to swatch and try them on. So many eyeshadows when I don't even use them that much LOL!

FOTD fun & Picnik

Been having fun with Picnik the past few days (thank to JenW.).

I'll be posting photos I've experimented with here for my FOTD and other stuff. It's only the free version I've been using so I can just imagine what you could do if you upgrade to the Premium version.

Went to the mall yesterday for a "sort of exclusive" sale but I wasn't able to go around much because I wasn't feeling well. I think I overate Kettle Chips in Spicy Thai (yum, my fave!) earlier so I felt bloated and had indigestion, ugh. Ended up going home earlier than intended :-(

FOTD:


FOTD

(Photo taken at night before removing mmu and going to bed so excuse the messy hair)
Just wanted to show how long the Avon Glazewear lippie lasted (5 hours after application). It was still on my lips after eating a little bit and drinking iced tea and a mug of milk tea. I had to scrub my lips with my toothbrush to remove it.

Face:
Sweetscents Hide-A-Pore in Medium-Dark
LA Minerals Hollywood Base in Medium Warm
Dreamworld Creme Topping in Cafe Au Lait
Aromaleigh Divine Radiance in Magnolia Blossom

Blush:
Lumiere Silk Blush in Mimosa

Lippie:
AVON Glazewear in Teddy Bear

No Eyeshadow (as usual)

After 2-3 years of sniffing this in the store and lemming for it for so long, I was able to get a bottle of Philosophy's 3-in-1 in Candy Cane. I really love the scent but wasn't able to buy one previously because it was a bit expensive for a shower cream. I saw it at the sale yesterday at around 50% off so I did not hesitate to get one. I wanted to get the matching scrub but I still had some other scrubs (and it wasn't my intention to buy a scrub anyway).

Sooo here it is:


Philosophy's Candy Cane

I love 3-in-1's and I got hooked to it when I first bought a bottle years ago of Philosophy's Cafe Au Lait. Since it was a splurge I shifted to Bath & Body Works Temptations 3-in-1 line and hoarded a few bottles when my friends go to the US. I think it's been discontinued??? Hopefully not coz I really love them and are a cheaper alternative to Philosophy's. I prefer shower creams (not shower gels) coz they're moisturizing and are more hygienic to use than soaps (that's just me okay?).


I wanted to get other Philosophy stuff on sale like Baby Grace shower creams or perfumes and Smashbox items but my uncooperative tummy got the best of me :-(
Anyway, my DD got a really cute toy on sale from Debenhams that I had fun taking pictures of:


Fifi toy


toy with Picnik effects

Hope I'll be able to go back to the sale.

Have a great weekend!

PA Deep Gold & MAC MSF Duo

Tried both of these products again but together this time:
Pure Anada Deep Gold foundation topped with MAC New View MSF Duo in Medium Dark/ Natural & Shimmer:


no flash


with flash

Lips: MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF 15 in Petting Pink <----I love this, better than all other lipbalms I've tried (Carmex, Blistex, Kiehl's, Chapstick, Burt's Bees and CO Bigelow - with the latter 2, both of which I had allergic reactions to). It just leaves the lips so soft even when the balm is gone and the smell is vanilla-ish which I like. I think I might get another pot in a different shade and a clear one.



I applied the MSF Duo using the Lumiere fiber optic brush. It looks good when applied but it has no oil control for me. I still had to apply another finishing powder later on when I noticed shine on my T-Zone. I tried this on yesterday and I noticed a few bumps around my nose, mouth and cheek area. An overnight application of Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask made them disappear this morning. I've never tried MAC foundation or powders before this. I'm still giving MAC another shot today and hopefully no more breakouts coz I think my skin is still adjusting to its ingredients. When I first tried it on a few days ago I wanted to get a back-up right away but now I don't think so. I'll just get the mineralize blushes instead and other stuff that's not FP or foundation. I guess my face still likes MMU more!!! Hurray for mmu!



The Pure Anada foundation was applied with a flat-top in 1 layer dry then spritzed with toner. I like the coverage of this one although I need a good finishing powder to control oil. I'm still using this though :-)

The photos look good huh? You can't see the big zit mark on my right cheek coz I've erased it using the Picnik program! If only I could use this in real life then I'd be one happy gal.

MAC New View

Today, my MAC New View MSF arrived. One of my friends had a spree and I joined in. I'm still waiting for another item but I'm not sure when it's gonna be available.

I don't really buy MAC bec. I am scared to break-out from it and I am already content with my MMU. Also I can't justify getting addicted to it coz it's way out of my budget. If I earn my own money then this would not be a problem for me. (I just don't like using hubby's money for less-essential things like expensive make-up). This is probably a rare splurge on my part since I really want to try it out. I do have very few other MAC items though (some given by my mom).

MAC New View MSF in Medium Dark/ Natural with Shimmer:

MAC New View

Medium Dark/Natural with Shimmer

swatch

The thing is, I am a bit apprehensive to try it out on my face. Once I get the courage to do so I'll post photos. Oh, what do I use to put this on my face? A brush?

Help!

Finally, A Pure Anada Match

I found my Pure Anada match after a few weeks (or is it a month?) of trying on different samples. Candace of Pure Anada kindly sent me generous samples of her new shades for Asians since a lot of those with the same skin tone as mine couldn't find one. They now have the right amount of yellow needed that was lacking in the regular shade available from Pure Anada. I got Medium Gold and Deep Gold, both of which are tentative names as indicated in the jars.

First here are some swatches:

with flash

With Medium Gold on:

with flash

no flash

Depth is good but it is a bit light on me.

With a mix of Medium Gold and Deep Gold 50-50:

with flash

no flash

I can use this mix since it melded well with my skin after a while but I like the next one better. I am also wearing the AVON Glazewear in Teddy Bear which I won recently.

With Deep Gold on:

no flash
with flash

Sorry, these 2 pics didn't turn out well coz it became cloudy. In person though this matched me better, no mixing needed too.

I like the Pure Anada foundations coz of their medium-heavy coverage. No itching and lasts the whole day for me-- I've been wearing the foundation since this morning and it's still present after 8 hours. I do look a bit shiny but that's because I do not have any primer nor finishing powder on. I even forgot to put on any moisturizer and sunscreen (bad, bad).

I've emailed Candace about my match and also asked if she could make darker shades in this range for those darker than me. Also, I wouldn't have a match if I get more tan (summer shade). I hope she does.

Mail Day!

Another round of packages came today.

Toma of Makeup Masala sent me my prize for being one of the winners of her recent contest:

I won an AVON Glazewear liquid lipcolor in Teddy Bear.  She kindly included other freebies with the package.

                      

Avon glazewear in Teddy Bear

Here's what it looks like on me -------->

The gloss is only very slightly sticky and smells good (like chocolate?) and doesn't leave my lips dry.  It's opaque, a liquid lipstick and can stand on it's own. 

It lasts longer than most glosses which stay on for an hour or so.  It's probably due to the slight stickiness that makes it stay on the lips longer.  It really is a very pretty color, pinky-brown. 

From Vely (Thank you!), sample of Pure Anada in Golden Harvest and other samples she included:

                      

samples

From Candace of Pure Anada.  She sent me samples of 2 of the new shades she formulated for Asian skin tones in Medium Gold and Deep Gold.  I still have to test tomorrow which one is my shade.

                      

Pure Anada

From Lure Beauty:

This was from a panic buying moment, my order on the left photo and the freebies on the right photo.

Joyce's Lumiere order also came in today.  I also received an SMS from a friend that my MAC order came and she'll send it to me this week.  I got the New View MSF in Medium-Dark and a MSF in Pleasantry.  The Lustre Twins lippie I ordered was out of stock :-(

My Dreamworld isn't here yet but I haven't received a shipping notice so it probably hasn't shipped out yet.  My Jessie's Girl order isn't here either and that shipped way ahead of all those I got today.  I think they send it out in a box so that's probably the cause of delay (hopefully).  Another one I'm waiting for is my small sample order from Aromaleigh.  

Will do reviews of some other stuff and post them up soon.  Hope you all have Happy Mail Days too.

Purely Cosmetics

This is another brand I'm trying out right now.  When I read from The Mineral Makeup Blog that the company would come out with smaller sample sizes I decided to try it out.   Originally, their sample sizes are in filled 3 gr jars that cost $5 each or a sample kit of $12 for 3 shades in 5 gr jars.  Pretty expensive IMO compared with other mmu companies.  After the owner read the comments in the blog, she came up with Econo packs of 3 baggies for $5 but shipping to my end of the world was $8 ++.  I mean, really...does it cost this much to ship 3 tiny baggies of samples that could be placed in a small white envelope?

I didn't order right away but a week or so ago the company had a 1 day free shipping sale for the owner's birthday so I placed my order for the 3 samples.

I got my Purely Cosmetics samples yesterday.   The postage cost only $1 ++ as seen on the envelope (where do the $8 ++ go to?) and the baggies were in a medium sized white envelope.  There were only 3 really tiny baggies inside with maybe a little less than 1/4 tsp in it (I measured it when I made my mix).  

                      

Purely Cosmetics

I got the shades Olive Beige, Maria and Cornsilk in the Pure Mineral Formula for normal to oily skin.  They have another formula - Skin Smoothing Formula for dry to normal skin.  You also have an option to add silk to any foundation shade you want.

                      

PC Swatches

I tried out the shades yesterday.  They are creamy on the skin with heavy coverage but feels light.  It covers imperfections well with no need for a concealer.  This reminds me so much of Monave (my first HG foundation) but this feels lighter.  It doesn't look matte on the skin but it's not glowy either.  Good thing I didn't itch with the formula.  I have this on now and it's been 5 hours.  It still looks good but I do have shine showing on my T-zone.  I didn't use a primer, just my mix of Meow's Oil Control powder and Milan's Oil at Bay (these 2 don't control my oilies well).   I'll try another finishing powder next time coz my face is an oil slick right now.

Here's when I was finding my match.  Unfortunately, the foundation has a white cast in photos.

With Maria on. L with flash, R w/o flash.  This looks too light for me.

With Olive Beige on. L with flash, R w/o flash.  Depth was okay but it needed a bit more yellow.

I just swiped Cornsilk on my cheek coz it looked dark when I did my swatches.  It was dark for me so I didn't try a full face on anymore.  

I made a 50-50 mix of Maria and Cornsilk and this is what matches me best.  L with flash, R w/o flash.

You also don't notice much the huge zit on my right cheek (derma time tomorrow) coz it was covered fairly well with the foundation.

Is this FS worthy? 

Not sure.  I need to do more testing coz I don't like the oil slick on my face right now.  I don't know if it's from the finishing powder, the foundation or the weather which is soooo humid right now.  I do like how it looks so photogenic and how well it covers scars and stuff on the face.

****************

I received my Dreamworld order this week too.  My full size of Amenti in Luna formula.  This came with a free Chancy lipgloss tube.

                      

DW Amenti

I compared this with my previous Amenti sample and the FS looks a bit lighter ( I forgot to take a pic).  This also looks like my Hebe + Themis mix (or maybe a bit lighter too).  How frustrating!

                      

comparison

Here's Chancy:

                      

Chancy gloss

In the tube it looks dark brown.  Same with the swatch:

On the lips it is very sheer and really doesn't look that far from my own lips' color.  I am wearing Chancy in the MARIA photos.

                      

with Chancy

The gloss is not sticky and I'm not sure if I can detect a slight vanilla-ish scent.  Maybe it's really faint and there is no taste to the gloss too.  It stays on for an hour or so like most glosses do so you have to reapply often.

There goes another testing day for me.  Still waiting for my other packages.