EG Minerals Hi-Def Liquid Mineral Foundation Review

High Definition seems to be the "in" thing nowadays with makeup companies.  Earthen Glow Minerals launched their own version with their High Definition Pro. Liquid Mineral Foundation.  

Theirs contain Botanicals and Cosmeceuticals proven to:

* Instantly Diffuse Lines & Wrinkles

* Create an Air-Brushed Flawless Look

* Firm the Skin

* Plump Fine Lines

* Combat the Visible Signs of Aging 

It also:

* Lasts all day, without touch ups

* Has Full Coverage Matte Finish

* No Finishing Powder needed

* Ideal for all skin types

Physician's Formula Mineral Face Brightener

I love mineral makeup.  It helps me look my best yet at the same time giving a natural, not too-made-up look.  Aside from that, I don't break-out from it.  

I've tried so many brands mainly from home-based women-owned companies.  The only down point is the loose messy powder form it mainly comes in.  I've learned to deal with that in the 3-4 years I've used it but I've learned to branch out too and try out drugstore brands that are of good quality yet still maintaining the mineral makeup ingredients I look out for.  Plus, I try to look for those in a pressed form.

Physician's Formula is one such brand.  They have a whole range of mineral makeup in loose and pressed forms but unfortunately it isn't available locally.  I get mine from drugstore.com.

The 100% Mineral Face Brightener is the first face powder I've tried (I've tried a couple of eye shadows from them).  Although it isn't a foundation or finishing powder (I already have my HG brands for those), it still looked interesting to me.  

EG Minerals Haul

This came in the mail last week. It's my haul from the EG Minerals sale a month ago.

I got a sample of the Mineral Mousse foundation in Helena, a FS bottle of the Liquid Mattifying Moisturizer and Complexion Corrector in Apricot and samples of the Yellow Tweaker and Cover Me foundation in Soon.

Here is a swatch of the 2 pigments:

Soon on the Left and Yellow Tweaker on the Right.

I'll post reviews of the other 2 products once I've tried them out. I'm especially excited about the Mousse foundation. I'm glad this package came right on time for their current sale of Buy 2 get 1 free.

Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Luminous Blush

I prefer mineral makeup from the home-based women-owned companies because they are more pure, you can try out samples first and have a personal touch. Nothing beats that plus they are more affordable.

This is maybe the second time I've tried out minerals from a mass market brand. I tried out Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals Luminous Blush just out of curiosity. I've read about this in a couple of blogs and let's just say I was enabled.

They had 4 shades available at the counter I went to and the shade I got, Gentle Pink, was the only shade that showed up on my arm when I tried out the swatches. The other shades were too light or sheer for my medium toned skin. After searching, I saw that there are darker shades available in the US but they go under the name Mineral Power. It cost Php 499 for the kit which includes a pot of blush and a kabuki brush. I like the packaging because it included instructions for those who don't know how to use minerals.

The amount of blush in the pot is the same as the 20 gr. jars from mineral makeup companies. It just looks bigger because of the cap. The kabuki brush is scratchy so you can throw it away. If you take a look at the ingredients the first one on the list is TALC!!! How can it be mineral makeup if it has talc?!? I guess these companies are just riding along the mineral makeup wave even if they're not using pure minerals. Anyway, I'm glad it's the blush that I got because I occasionally use traditional blushes just not foundation.

***How come there is no talc in the ingredients list from Mineral Power available in the US? Just wondering.

The blush itself is finely milled and has tiny shimmers in it. It is very sheer on my cheeks and I needed lots of layers for it to show up. Maybe because the shade is not dark enough to show up on me? The shimmers aren't noticeable once the blush is blended. It stayed on my oily skin for a few hours (3-4) without primer. I just wished it were more pigmented because you will definitely finish the whole pot in just a few months time. So unlike the real mineral makeup brands where all you'll need is a few crumbs because they're very pigmented.

swatched thickly at the back of my hand

blended in

For daily use around the house or doing errands this will do (in my case). Otherwise I'd definitely stick to my good ol' trusty pure mmu from smaller companies.

Lumiere Sale Mini-Haul

Lumiere Skin & Beauty Bar is one of the mineral makeup companies that I patronize. Their Cashmere blend of foundation is one of my HG mineral foundations.

Ingredients (Cashmere):

real silk powder, serecite, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, boron nitride, iron oxide

It's for all skin types and coverage is light to medium buildable. Although it is not heavy coverage like I prefer, it still looks so good on the skin and is my go to foundation for very hot and humid days or for days that I don't need to cover too much. I also match Medium Warm perfectly with no need to mix shades.

Anyway, thay had a good sale a month ago with a discount code and with their 30 gr jar sizes all on clearance because they would be shifting to a bigger size jar. I took advantage of the sale and only ot 2 items- a backup of Cashmere foundation plus a FS jar of Island Sands.

Island Sands is one of Lumiere's Silk Radiances and is described as "nude tanned pink with a light glowy finish". I've ordered a lot of the Silk Radiances before in full sizes but only have a tiny vial of this one. The Silk Radiances are like highliters and I use them on my cheeks. They have a very light sheen which makes you look like you're lit from within. Really beautiful...and addicting to collect.

Previous posts of Silk Radiance swatches are here and here.

Dreamworld Minerals Haul

I thought I scheduled this post but looks like I haven't coz I saw it in draft form. Well, here's myDreamworld Minerals haul which I got a few weeks ago. I took advantage of their sale (I think it was 20% off) and I needed a few things.

First off the finishing powders in clay/silica. It's probably the upteenth time I've said that this is my HG finishing powder and it still is that's why I got back-ups. I got Creme Toppings To Go Duos in Peanut Butter, Angel, Peach (all back-ups) and Raspberry which I haven't tried yet.

Another thing I got is the Foundation Pigment Base which is untinted. I needed it to lighten the foundation mix I did. I accidentally put in too much Amenti base (yellow/olive base) and the shade ended up a bit too dark for me.

Because the shipping took a bit longer due to personal stuff going on, Ellie of Dreamworld put in gifts for all her customers. In my package she gave a full size blush in Tabby and sample pigments in Other World and Noir.

blush in Tabby

Swatches:

Tabby is a beatiful shade of peachy-pink blush that is not shimmery or sparkly. It has a sheen that is very pretty on the cheek and I've used it a few times. Buildable if you want it darker but otherwise a light hand should be used. Other World is a very light blue when applied and Noir is a very nice purple. Both have shimmer in them although I haven't tried them on my lids yet.

I guess I will never tire of their Finishing Powders. I still aim to get all the shades even if I currently have 8. I don't have a full size Butter Creme and Chocolate Creme yet. Oh, and I still haven't tried the Whipped Strawberries either. Next time.

Buff'd Haul

I got my Buff'd package in just 5 business days. Woohoo! That's because I ordered the refill kit which was sent in a medium sized brown envelope so I got it fast.

The refill kit I got is Ginger (light with heavier yellow undertones) in Original formula. I already have the shade Buff (Medium with subtle yellow undertones) but it eventually turned dark on me and lacked yellow. My exact shade is Moccasin (medium light with heavier yellow undertones) but I got Ginger to add to Buff and end up with Moccasin (if that makes any sense).

I prefer the Original formula (full-coverage foundation with fantastic oil absorption and natural UV protection) because of it's medium to heavy coverage.

Ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, iron oxide, ultramarines

In fact it is already heavy enough for me and is still buildable. I've tried the concealing formula from a sample someone gave me and I could already feel it on my face. Others who are looking for really heavy coverage would love this. I'll just use mine as a concealer.

I played around with the foundation powders yesterday and mixed my shade. My package also included samples of a mineral eyeshadow in Mushroom and a mineral bronzer in Toast.

Swatch:

Toast looks more like a blush for me and is really pretty. It isn't too shimmery but gives just enough sheen for the cheeks. Mushroom is described as a "shimmery light tan".

EOTD: Mushroom on my eyelids. No primer.

FOTD:

What I used:

Buff'd foundation mix of 50/50 Ginger + Buff in Original formula

Buff'd bronzer in Toast on cheeks

Buff'd Mushroom on lids

Silk Naturals Rare Berry gloss on lips

Miessence Organics and M.'s MMU

I got a lovely package from my friend M. of Canada a few weeks ago. She sent me samples from Miessence Organics of which she is an independent representative. She also sent me samples of her own mineral makeup creations so I could try them out as a fellow mmu addict.

Berry Radical - very strong taste of cocoa but a good anti-oxidant

organic foundation samples

I have tried 3 shades of the blushes and bronzers and they are really good. I've used them without primer and foundation but on top of just finishing powder and they applied silkily and lasted a long time. The peachy shades I tried suited me well and weren't shimmery but more on the satiny/ matte side which I prefer. No itchies at all and only very little particles were needed since they were pigmented. Can't wait to try out the other shades.

Hmm, the foundation and bronzer photos are missing. She sent me a ton of foundation samples too.

A week ago I stopped all other stuff I used in the morning except sunblock and started the Purifying skin care line of samples she sent me. I began with the Cleanser. This one didn't lather at all. I used an ample amount and massaged it on my face then rinsed. It smelled citrusy, really refreshing. It didn't dry out my skin.

The Cleanser was followed with the Skin Brightener. This was applied with a cotton pad and put on the face up to the neck. It smelled of vinegar (like the Apple Cider Vinegar I tried out before) but it didn't sting my skin at all. What I liked about this is that after a few days of use, it really did brighten up my skin.

The Skin Conditioner followed the Skin Brightener. This was applied all over the face and neck using clean fingers and is used to prep the skin for the Moisturizer which was applied last. Both of these smelled citrusy. My face was soft after the whole regimen.

I used all these for 4 days when I started to notice small breakouts on my chin and cheeks. So far no cystic zits have appeared except for the small bumps. I think my skin was adjusting to organic products so I suspended use of all these until my skin healed. It's unfortunate this happened because my skin has really brightened. Also, the ingredients are organic and all natural but I guess my skin still needs the power of salicylic acid to prevent breakouts. It does help clear skin of other people though. I have resumed the use of the products yesterday. Will update once I finish my samples.

My Minerals Bath & Body Tinted Lip Balm

This tinted lip balm in Frosted Rose Petal is from My Minerals Bath & Body. I got this free as part of the summer promo they have which is still ongoing. What's good about this is that it is all natural with no harmful ingredients.

Ingredients:

Sweet almond oil, beeswax, mica, avocado oil, cocoa seed butter, shea butter, flavor oil

It has a nice strawberry scent that is not too strong. You won't be able to smell it once applied to the lips and there is no flavor as far as I could tell. It is sheer, giving out a very slight tint to my lips but very moisturizing. If you are on the lookout for a pigmented lip balm that won't need lipstick applied over it then sadly, it isn't this.

It lasts a few hours before you have to re-apply as all lip balms are. So far I have not had an allergic reaction to it unlike a few other balms I've tried in the past. The other tints available have different scents like grape and vanilla depending on the shade you choose.

Regarding the price, it is a bit expensive than most other lip balms ($6.99) and I'm happy I got this for free with purchase or I wouldn't have tried it out myself. For it's moisturizing properties, I give it plus points.

Dreamworld Minerals Haul

There's a storm right now here in the country and it's coooold!  At least I got my Dreamworld package and another one which was not the one I was expecting (will do a post on that when I'm ready). 

From Dreamworld Minerals I got the Foundation Base which comes with it's own tiny scoop. This is for the Amenti family of shades to which I belong.  I match Amenti but Ellie of DW reformulated it making the shade a notch lighter for me now.  Since I have a full size of the new Amenti, I got the base to make it a bit darker.

The other one I got is the Peach Creme Topping in Clay/Silica.  I think I've mentioned before that Dreamworld's Creme Topping is my HG in finishing powder because of it's good oil control on my oil mine of a face.  I only got the To Go size which I will put in a different container because it is packed full with no sifter.

I got these 3 free samples of pigments, too.

I'm so glad that Dreamworld is now back in business after closing temporarily (which almost became permanent) due to some problems.  They are currently having a 20% off sale for all orders with free gift because of the re-opening and slower processing of orders due to changes in the site.  Use the code slow20 for the discount.  

One of these months (when the wallet permits) I will make a huge order to stock up on my favorite items that would last me a long time.

Mail Day and Swatches

This mail day came a week ago but I wasn't able to post it right away and since it's raining very hard now what better thing to do than to blog.  

From Earthen Glow Minerals (BOGO promo):

I got a full size of the Si Vous Plait Radiance Glow...

with my BOGO choice of a full size of the Finishing Powder in Golden tint.

The EG Minerals Radiance Glows are really beautiful and like Dayna's Minerals Glows which are my favorite.  They're not sparkly but give a sheen to the skin.  The more pigmented ones can stand alone as blush.  The finishing powders are like my HG Dreamworld Creme Toppings because of it's good oil control on my face.  The Golden tint is translucent like the other shades but sort of brightens up my face more.

 

I also got samples of the Lightly Tinted Primer and the Soon shade in Cover Me formula.  I match Helena and Yuan Yuan but felt I needed a darker shade for summer and was recommended this shade.  I've tried it and it is a bit too yellow so I mixed it with Yuan Yuan at a 50/50 ratio. It now matches perfectly as a summer shade. 

EGM was kind enough to give a freebie of a pigment since all packages were delayed in shipping out due to the high volume of orders during the sale.  I just don't know the shade since there was no name indicated, just a "thank you" sticker.

From Adorned with Grace:

All prettily wrapped and sealed with a note from the owner:

A full sized Hope 4.2 to mix with my Hope 3.8 (stupid me didn't get the duo of 2 foundations earlier to get the discount because I thought I was a straight 3.8).

 

I only ordered these 2 blushes...

and got these feebies included: 

This full sized eye shadow was a Blog Only special at that time I ordered - when you order a FS foundation you get a full sized shadow of your choice for FREE!

SWATCHES:

*Amar is from Makeup Masala Minerals which I posted here. 

Adorned With Grace Foundation

I thought I've already posted this before but it seems that I've forgotten and left it in draft form.

My Adorned with Grace foundation match is a 50/50 mix of Hope 3.8 and 4.2.  Either of them used alone is off on me so the mix was inevitable.  I like their foundation now that I've tried it and I always thought I was the last one to because I only recently ordered when they've been around since last year.

Foundation ingredients: 

Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc, Magnesium Stearate, & Iron Oxides.

The Hope range of shades is for those with Olive Yellow skin tones like me.  Turns out I do have olive tones contrary to what I thought of as having just pure yellow tones.  It offers medium coverage which is just right for our tropical climate without giving a flat matte look.  The foundation lasts on me the whole day with a good primer  and not making my face an oil slick later on.   Topped with the Divine Oil Control Powder, the effect is much better with good oil control.

I don't break out with the foundation blend and it feels light on the skin.  The full sizes are much cheaper compared with other mineral makeup companies and ordering their Duo foundation set gives a bigger discount especially if you have to mix foundation shades like me.

It's the blushes that I truly like from their company and the Supreme Smoothing Powder (like MUFE's Hi Definition powder) gives other companies a run for their money.  I'd like to hoard some of these next time.  I'm not much of an eyeshadow ho but other bloggers love the eye shadows because they're pigmented with a wide range of shades.

Here's an FOTD during one sweltering hot day: 

Hope 3.8 & 4.2 mix foundation

Divine Oil Control Powder

Supreme Smoothing Powder in Golden Tint

AwG blush in Vivacious

Earthen Glow minerals Radiance glow in Sil Vous Plait on top of blush

Lips: SN Rare berry lip gloss

Eyes: Eyeko Sexy Eyes Palette