Meow samples

Meow samples galore! Foundations:

I got Frisky and Naughty Abyssinian (yellow-beige), Angora (yellow), Korat (golden beige), and Manx (yellow-peach), all in Flawless Feline.

The Friskys were too light, just from visual examination, so I didn't bother testing them. I didn't test both Korats too, because they looked too neutral. I only tested Naughty Abyssinian, Angora, and Manx. Naughty Angora was too light, Naughty Manx was better but still a bit light and peach, and Naughty Abyssinian was the best out of the three. But I could see a bit of ashyness, so I think I'd have to try more shades and order a second time.

I also ordered eyeliner and blush samples:

I haven't tested everything, I've actually only tried just two - Kitty Kat and Figment. I love them! Works both as a blush and a contour shade. I'm going to get full sizes of these when my samples run out.

Back to testing!

Blusche Concealer

Out of the Blusche stuff I hauled in a few days ago from the Greenmeadows Bazaar, the first one I decided to try was the Concealer, in Medium...

...which turned out to be the HG undereye concealer I've been looking for.

The mineral concealers I've seen so far were of the light yellow variety, which is excellent for neutralizing redness and uneven skintone, but didn't work on my dark undereye circles because it looked ashy applied over the area and made me look a reverse raccoon. I was in search of that concealer which was deep enough to match my skintone closely, and yet light enough to camouflage dark areas.

And this was it.

Using a taklon concealer brush, I applied the concealer in a few light layers until the dark circles were hardly noticeable. I was so pleased with the results!

Around 9pm at the end of the day, I checked the mirror and saw that the concealer had faded and melted somewhat, but I'm sure that can be remedied by a primer or a base under it, because I tend to get oily around the eyes and I didn't put any primer or base that morning (so I could test the concealer alone without any extraneous variables).

Overall, I found it to be a great undereye concealer, and I'll be using this everyday.

Luminare haul

Hauled in stuff from Luminare this week! Foundation in Creamy Olivine, mineral veil in Heaven Sent, refine powder in Caramel, and blush in Radiant Glow.

Aubrey Nicole samples

Received my Aubrey Nicole samples - 6 foundation shades and 6 blushes. They came in neatly labeled, very pretty square jars with sifters, different from the usual round ones of most MMU companies. They were packed so full that I had to tap the jar vigorously to get the powder out.

Descriptions from the website:

Beautiful - a perfect neutral pink with darker undertones.

Blissful - combines both earthen shades and a light pink.

Eden - soft medium pink.

Lust - a gorgeous blend of peach and pink shades.

Passion - a light peach shade with slight pink undertones.

Sorbet - a matte, earthen peach shade.

The blushes are very pigmented; the color showed up on my cheeks on the first brushstroke. It'll be a while before I buy full sizes, because I'm sure the samples will last a long time before they run out.

Although I'm usually Medium, the best match was Light Medium Golden. I wore it the whole morning and afternoon. I really like the foundation - it felt very light and matte, not heavy or creamy. It evened out my skintone and it looked completely natural, as if I had no foundation on my face at all. Perfect for those days when you don't want to look too made-up and instead want a fresh, simple look that's still polished and put-together. I'm going to get the big jar the next time I place an order. I found a winner in this one!

Blusche and Micabella hauls

I went to the Greenmeadows Bazaar, and it was MMU heaven! A corner of the bazaar was devoted solely to MMU, and of course, I spent all my time there. The clothes, bags, and accessories were practically non-existent to me (and that's saying something!).

Belle, the makeup artist at the Blusche booth, gave me a makeover and I was so pleased with the results, I ended up getting two full-sized foundations in Creme Brulee, two mineral veils in Shelley (one matte and one glow), two concealers in Medium, one primer in Medium, and one concealer brush.

I also had a Micabella mini-haul. I was completely convinced by Mrs. Cora Garcia, so I bought foundation in Honey (a rich yellow shade), and eye primer as base for my eyeshadows.

I hope there will be an MMU Weekend again soon!

Pure Luxe samples

Received my Pure Luxe package. Here's a photo of the foundation samples:

Autumn and Warm Honey appear to be the closest matches. Will be testing them in the next couple of days.

SunCat samples

Received my SunCat samples earlier today, in less than a month. Five foundation shades and two bronzers:

Everyday Minerals samples

Everyday Minerals was my very first online MMU purchase, and I hold it responsible for getting me addicted to buying MMU online. *grin*

I availed of their free Sample Kit, in which you could choose samples of 3 foundations, 1 blush or face color, and 1 concealer. You only pay for the shipping, and the samples are quite generous, so it's a great deal.

From a visual examination of the jar, the Light (described on the Everyday Minerals site as having "soft yellow undertones ideal for light and medium of complexions") looked too pale, so I didn't bother trying it on.

I then tried the Winged Butter. Described on the site as "ideal for light to olive complexions with strong yellow undertones", it was a PERFECT match on me. I was so enamored with the shade that I got kind of brush-happy with it and put on 2 more layers - I was pleased to see that it still didn't look mask-like; in fact, my complexion looked even more flawless! Another HG added to my list - I might have to get 3 full sizes of this!

Lastly, I tested the Golden Medium, described on the site as "a versatile soft golden shade ideal for light to medium complexions." It was a very close match, too. But it was a tiny, tiny bit more olive-beige than the Winged Butter, and I felt that it needed more yellow.

Overall, I loved the feel of the foundation - light and not cakey at all. It minimized my pores and had a velvety, matte finish. It looked completely natural - my skin but better.

Signature samples

Received my sample jars from Signature Mineral Makeup! I had a slight technical problem upon checkout and had to e-mail them, and I must say that they definitely deserve two thumbs up for their customer service. Quick, generous, and just plain great!

The powder was packed in tightly, so you really get a lot of product in the jar. Great value for money. The sample jars would probably last at least 2 weeks! I ordered four blushes and two foundations:

Descriptions from the website:

Buff Apricot - A beautiful warm peach with a just a dash of pink.
Adobe Sun - A warm shade of earthy clay.
Terra Cotta - A warm, peachy shade of earthen clay. A bit richer than Adobe Sun.
Damask - A pretty pink with a hint of rose.
10.0 - Has deep peachy-yellow undertones.
11.0 - Has deep yellow undertones.

The blush shades looked very rich and pigmented. They'll definitely last me a long time, especially since I apply blush really lightly. I tried brushing on some of the 10.0 foundation on my cheek, but it looked a little too tanned. Hmm, maybe I should have gotten lighter shades.

EDIT: After browsing around, a girl with similar coloring posted that 6.0 was her match. I'll be ordering that one in a few weeks, along with full sizes!

Ellana haul

After being completely won over by the Ellana samples, I ordered full sizes. One Premium Blend foundation in Hazelnut Latte, one Glow-Enhancer foundation in Hazelnut Latte, one Oil-Absorbing finishing powder in Espresso Con Panna, one concealer in Awake, and one eyeshadow in Ethereal (matte black). I love the packaging - wide, clear jars and pretty labels. My haul:

Taylor Made samples

Received my Taylor Made lipglosses and samples yesterday, after only 16 days. I ordered two pots of lipgloss (Bubbly and Aster), two foundation samples (Gertrude and Katherine) and a blush sample (Buff).

Gertrude is a yellow shade with peach undertones and Katherine is a deep yellow shade. Since there were only two foundation samples, I tested them today by doing a half-face to be able to compare both shades side-by-side. Katherine ended up being the better match, as Gertrude was visibly lighter than my neck.

Taylor Made gives medium to heavy coverage (perfect for concealing problem areas), and has a creamy, silky finish that makes the skin look smoother. I'll definitely be buying a full-sized jar of foundation.

As for the blush, Buff's color looked completely natural on my cheeks in the sunlight, and at the same time, it could double as a great evening blush because of the slight shimmer. It could easily be worn from day to night; just brush on another layer or two before heading out to that dinner or party. I'm sorely tempted to get two jars of this. :D

Lure samples

I got Lure's Pick 16 Anything Kit, so lots of new samples!

The foundation shades were a bit fairer than I expected. Y9, the darkest of the lot, was the closest match. The foundation feels light and is very fine, recommended for days when you want a fresh, natural, no-makeup look. It doesn't feel heavy or creamy or cakey, and you don't have to worry about the powder clumping, because it stays put.

The Setting Powder in D is really, really good. It didn't change the color of my foundation, and didn't make me look ashy. It did a great job of controlling oil and shine. Like the foundation, it's very light, and you won't feel like you just put on another layer of makeup. TWO jars of this one when I order my full sizes.

As for the blushes, I've only tried Dusty Rose so far, and I'm loving it! Pink enough for blush, and dark enough for contouring. Can't wait to try the other blush shades!