UGloGirl full-size foundations

Got two full sizes of UGloGirl's foundation. I love the color match and the smooth, natural finish so I got a backup. The packaging is so cute and girly!

Here's a closeup of the foundations:

Adorned With Grace roadtest

AWG passed the Camera Test! I used AWG's foundation and rice powder last night for a dinner out with friends, and a lot of pictures were taken. The photos look great! No white cast, very minimal shine (good oil control), smooth and even-looking, and best of all, it matched my neck seamlessly.

eBay MAC mini-haul

Scored a couple of MAC items off eBay:

Lipstick in Soft Lust: Tan with white pearl (Lustre)

Lipglass in 3N: Neutral brown with gold and pink pearl (Cream)

Charm Travel Brush Pro Set

My Charm Travel Brush Pro Set, purchased from Beauty and Minerals on a pre-buy, arrived today. They look so pretty! Now I don't have to jam my full-sized brushes into a small case when I have to bring them along to get ready for an event later at night. I do have a brush set which I bought from Sephora, but that one consists of only 5 brushes and I often need more than that. So I end up bringing that 5-brush kit, plus the full-size brushes I need in another case, plus the bag containing the makeup I'll be using... which is kind of a hassle. This new set takes care of my problem because it has practically all the brushes I need, packed in a space-saving container. So now I'll only need to bring two cases -- this all-in-one kit and the one with my makeup. Definitely a good buy!

Hong Kong mini-haul + MY FIRST MSF!!!

I am now the proud owner of a Mineralize Skinfinish! Yes, my very first MSF! A big thank you to my aunt who got it for me (together with a 222 brush) on a business trip to Hong Kong.

It's in Soft and Gentle, described on the MAC site as a "gilded peach bronze."

Adorned With Grace samples

Today was my last day of testing my Adorned With Grace samples. I'm done!

Verdict: Beautiful! I love the finish; not too matte nor too glowy. Covers imperfections without looking thick or cakey or mask-like. Perfect color match; I don't have to mix. HG/hoard material for me! Truly FS-worthy. As soon as AWG announces a sale, I'm buying!

Best foundation match: Hope 4.2
Next best: Faith 4.2

Best finishing powder match: Medium/Dark Tint

Top row, L-R: Heavenly Rice Powder in Medium/Dark, Heavenly Rice Powder in Light/Medium, Divine Oil-Control Primer, Celestial Silkening Powder

Middle row, L-R: Hope 3.5, Hope 3.8, Hope 4.2, Hope 4.5

Bottom row, L-R: Faith 4.0, Faith 4.2

Aromaleigh stuff

I've read a lot of good reviews about Aromaleigh, but it was inaccessible to me so whenever there was an opportunity to get hold of their products, I would jump at the chance. Thanks to three of my fellow mineral makeup fans, I've managed to collect a few of their stuff - Voile and Glissade foundations in 3Y and 4Y, and Ultra-Resolution Finishing Powder in Clear and in Translucent.

MAC haul

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
Lipsticks in Malt and Syrup
Studio Finish Concealer in NC35
242 Brush

Shiseido Perfect Smoothing Foundation

I saw an advertisement of Shiseido's Perfect Smoothing Foundation, and being the Shiseido foundation collector that I am, I had to get it. Its color is closest to the Supplist Poreless, but it's a tiny bit more powdery. It also applies smoothly and evenly. Like with Shiseido's other powder foundations, the case is sold separately and is refillable.

MAC Mineralize Blushes (Sonic Chic Collection)

I bought three mineralize blushes from MAC's Sonic Chic collection.

As described in the MAC website:
Love Joy: Warm mid-tone brown with gold pearl
Nuance: Mid-tone peach with gold pearl
Warm Soul: Mid-tone beige with gold pearl

MAC Neo Sci-Fi haul

Just a few items from the Neo-Sci Fi collection. I chose shiny, shimmery browns to spice up neutral looks.

Lipstick in Astral: Mid-tone brown with red pearlized pigments (Lustre)

Lipglass in Supreme: Bronzed brown with white pearlized pigments (Frost)

Eyeshadow in Magnetic Fields: Black brown with silver pearlized pigments (Veluxe Pearl)

MAC Sculpt and Shape Powder

The local MAC stores had run out of Sculpt and Shape (am kicking myself for not getting them sooner) so I resorted to eBay and luckily, I found the shades I needed.

As described in the MAC website:
Accentuate/Sculpt: Pale blushed beige/soft taupe brown
Lightsweep/Shadester: Soft peachy beige/mid-tone leathery brown

UGloGirl haul

My UGloGirl package has arrived! I got full sizes of their finishing powder in Translucent and concealers in Buttercup and Golden Honey, as well as foundation samples of Almond and Butter Pecan (yellow-toned). Haven't tested them yet, but here's a photo:

Eyeballing the samples, I think my best match would be Butter Pecan.

EDIT: Yup, Butter Pecan!

Shiseido haul

I'm always thrilled whenever a foundation -- be it mineral or traditional -- is a great color match. So when the Shiseido makeup artist found a shade for me and in the mirror it looked almost exact, I just had to buy it. I ended up getting two powder foundations and two liquid ones.

The powder is really smooth, and the liquid spreads easily. As a result, both types had an even application. The oil control could use some improvement, but it's nothing that blotting paper can't take care of.

The Supplist Poreless is slightly yellower than the White Lucent, and it covers pores better. On the other hand, I find I'm a little less oily/shiny with the White Lucent, and its finish is a little more matte. The powder compact is reusable, so when you've hit the bottom of the pan, you can just push the pan out and get a refill pan. You don't have to buy another case, which means savings on the consumer's part.

As for the liquid foundations, the Lifting foundation is for dry skin, so I just use it on the areas that need more moisture - my chin and the areas around the mouth. On all the other parts of the face, I use the Dual Balancing.

Smashbox bronzer and highlighters

I hauled in some Smashbox goodies earlier this week on Monday. I can't find a match among their foundations (can't seem to find any that's both medium and yellow enough at the same time), but their bronzer (Fusion Lights Dusk) and highlighters (Soft Lights Lens and Soft Lights Shimmer) are GORGEOUS! I haven't been using bronzer-with-highlighter for very long, and these are idiot-proof; I didn't look like a sunburned orange or a disco ball. Looks very natural, and you only need to use a few light strokes for them to show up. Definitely a good deal, especially since there's a lot of product in the pan. And they're not glittery at all, so you don't have to worry about huge specks of glitter falling down your face. Just a nice, soft sheen.

Aubrey Nicole haul (again)

I ordered full sizes from Aubrey Nicole during their Mardi Gras free shipping sale last February, and I received my package yesterday. I'm happy just looking at the huge 3oz jar of foundation. My haul:

Elegant Minerals samples

Today I tested my samples from Elegant Minerals. I ordered only two foundation shades - Cornsilk and Sandstone. Based on the website descriptions, it was pretty easy to narrow down my choices to just two.

I tried Sandstone first. To my eyes it looked yellow-peach. I think it had some peach undertones; I didn't bother doing a full face. I swatched both shades - applied wet - on the back of my hand. Sandstone looks peachier, while Cornsilk looks more yellow-olive.

When I tried Cornsilk, it was a perfect match! I wore it the rest of the day. I love the powder - it has light to medium buildable coverage, great slip, and a velvety matte finish. The pores on my nose appeared smaller, and it evened out the surface of the skin, making my cheeks look really smooth. I have to get a full size of this!

Chapped Lips: Remedies!

I used to have chapped lips. As in really dry and flaking. I've tried a number of balms and creams, and these are the ones I've found most effective in healing, softening, and smoothening my chapped lips - Skinfood's Cocoa Lip Blam, The Face Shop's Lip Care Cream, and Kiehl's Lip Balm #1:

Blusche haul #2

I still have full sizes of Blusche, but I couldn't resist the cute new packaging! So I went ahead and bought more full sizes of foundation (what will I do with four jars of Creme Brulee?) , concealer, and primer.

DreamWorld samples

If you order DreamWorld foundation samples and creme toppings, the first thing you'll notice about them is the generous amount of powder! It'll take a while before the baggie runs out, so you'll really get value for your money.

Another thing is that they run a bit light. The only ones I'll be testing are Amenti, Ashnan, Themis, and Hebe, which appear to be the closest to medium.

EDIT: I got the Sands formulation for everything, and the coverage is fantastic! Enough to cover imperfections, but not cakey. The finish is matte, but not dry-looking. Definitely fullsize-worthy. My best match seems to be Amenti, which belongs to the yellow-olive family, but I've only tested it under one kind of lighting so I can't say for sure yet whether Amenti is truly my shade. More testing is in order.

Buff'd samples

Buff'd is a heavy coverage foundation with a smooth, creamy finish. Because of its density, you only need a small amount of powder to do your whole face. A little really does go a long way. Shipping for their sample baggies is inexpensive, so it's budget-friendly as well.

The shades I got, with their website descriptions:

Ginger: Light shade with heavier yellow undertones.
Almond: Medium light shade with subtle yellow undertones.
Moccasin: Medium light shade with heavier yellow undertones.
Saffron: Medium shade with heavier yellow undertones.

The shades, to my eyes, run a little dark. My best matches: Ginger and Moccasin. I want to narrow it down to just one, so I'll have to test some more under different kinds of lighting.

Joppa haul

Joppa held a free shipping sale and so I ordered last February 6 and I received the package March 4. I just estimated the shades and ended up buying 4 full sizes because I wanted to take advantage of the free shipping! Free shipping (or even just reduced shipping) is always a great thing for international MMU addicts like me. ;)

At first glance, the Full Coverage Foundation in Medium #3 looked a little dark in the jar, and I was thankful that I ordered the Medium Light #3 too. But since I've always been a Medium, I opened the Medium #3 first. On application, the depth was just right. I would have liked a bit more yellow, but it's fine as it is. Not a perfect match, but close enough. It had good coverage - smooth, even, and not cakey. On my next order, I want to try the Soft Coverage.

The Bronzer Foundation in Bronzed Sienna looked a bit dark as well, but just like the Medium #3, it was just right when I brushed it on. It glides on smoothly (didn't clump) and has a nice, brownish-bronze sheen, perfect for summer. It's a pretty shade, not orange at all. And I liked the fact that it combined bronzer and foundation in one - how great is that?

The Simple Radiance Foundation in French Toast has a good amount of yellow. I didn't bother doing a full face, because it was already a great match when I swiped the brush in one stroke along my chin. It looks to be a better match than the Medium #3.

I was lucky I picked the right shades. Overall, I'm satisfied and will purchase again.

Ellana haul #2

I love Ellana so much that I got myself a second haul: Patience (a soft, light brown blush), Smile (a concealer), Harmony (a golden bronzer), a backup Hazelnut Latte foundation, and a backup Espresso Con Panna finishing powder.

Skinfood: Rice Concealer

The first item I decided to try from yesterday's Skinfood haul was the Rice Concealer.

The SA convinced me to buy it when she said it was good for dark undereye circles, which is a problem I have. The doefoot applicator made it easy to apply, using it to dot tiny amounts under the eye and to cover two small dark spots on my chin.

The spots virtually disappeared. As for the undereye circles, at first I was concerned that it was too light, making me look like a reverse raccoon, but in a while it settled wonderfully and blended into my natural color. And the staying power is remarkable. I applied it in the morning, and when I came home at around 8:30pm, it was still in place. It didn't crease, cake, or melt. But because of that staying power, I had to remove it with an eye makeup remover instead of just simply washing it off.

I would recommend this for times when you'll be out the whole day and won't be back 'til late, because it doesn't budge and lasts so long.

Fyrinnae: Ametrine

When I opened my Fyrinnae package yesterday and saw my full pot of Ametrine, my first thought was that it was a bit pale for my medium tone.

But I tested it today, using a light layer of application, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I didn't look sick or ghostly. And I love the formulation of the powder! It felt feather-light, it spread easily and didn't clump, and it did a great job with my pores. It wasn't a waste of money after all.

However, I have yet to try it with a heavy-handed application or additional layers. But as it is, as long as I keep the application light and thin, I can definitely wear this shade.

I might have to buy Sunstone, though. It's the next darker shade. Just for peace of mind. ;)

Fyrinnae haul

Received my Fyrinnae package today! It arrived exactly 2 months since I ordered. It was a long wait, but I do appreciate Fyrinnae's honesty in informing customers about their order creation/processing time. At least their customers aren't left wondering what happened to their packages.

I ordered a full size of foundation in Ametrine (a yellow shade), two full sizes of glow blush in Hypnotize (a light, dusty peach), and a full size of eyeshadow in Snow White (matte black). A sample jar of eyeshadow in Njordr (a lovely, shimmery dark green) was included as a freebie.

I really like the neatly-printed labels and the fact that the full pots are packed to the brim.

The Ametrine looks a bit light in the jar; maybe I should have gotten the next darker shade. At any rate, I'm testing it tomorrow.

Milan haul

I availed of Milan's holiday sale last year and I got full sizes! Two foundations, Kiana and Olivia, two jars of Oil At Bay, two jars of Perfect Presentation, and a short synthetic flat top brush.

The Kiana looks a bit light for me, so I might have to sell it or give it away. I didn't include it in the picture anymore. Olivia was a great match! The powder is very creamy and gives great, full coverage. I only needed a light dusting to do my entire face, so I'm sure this jar is going to last me a long time. I still have to test Oil At Bay and Perfect Presentation, but I've read good reviews so I went ahead and got full sizes. :)

Aubrey Nicole haul

Received my Aubrey Nicole package containing brushes and full sizes!

Taylor Made haul

Received my Taylor Made full sizes today! One jar of foundation in Katherine and two jars of blush in Buff. Katherine is a deep yellow shade, and Buff is a peach color with a very slight sheen.