Mineral Foundation Transformer

Happy Ano Nuevo y'all!

I hope that the new year ushers in new goals and challenges and memorable moments for you all. My new year was spent quietly with my family. While the baby slept me and the hubby and my daughter who woke up to the sound of fireworks, had glasses of sparkling cider.  It was quiet and wonderful as she watched the vivid colors of the fireworks illuminate the night. 

Today I'm reviewing, a God send of a liquid that I purchased on Etsy via AceNaturals that makes any powder mineral foundation into a liquid foundation.  I recently have noticed that even with exfoliating the apples of my cheeks were getting dry patches and it was very revealing when i used my powder mineral foundation.  Even though i do moisturize with Argan oil and prime using mark. Primed for Perfection, my cheeks were still drying out. This was quite disturbing that despite all my efforts my skin still was not receiving enough moisture.  So the search for a liquid mineral foundation began...much to my dismay.  I abhor looking for foundation. It's a lot of testing and disappointment and frustration..not to mention a lot of monetary investment , even if it is samples. One and two dollars here and there really adds up. 

However, I pressed on, looking at sellers on Etsy who made liquid foundation, established indie companies that had their own line of LMF (liquid Mineral Foundation) and much to my dismay were the ingredients. I love PMF (Powder Mineral Foundation) because of the lack of ingredients. I in my current foundation there are 5 ingredients, all safe and lovely. In the light formulation of it there are 6 but again all stuff i trust and know won't harm my skin.  when liquid is added to PMF the issue of preservation becomes strongly apparent. Keeping the soft creamy feel of the foundation also is another issue and blending and not settling in fine lines etc..all the hassles of traditional liquid makeup comes back (of which i heartily tossed when making the switch to MMU year ago).

Ingredient lists get longer and more complex. Not the route I wanted to go. So i looked to see if there was a mist or a liquid by itself i could add to my PMF that would help.  Lots of sites suggest a mist of filtered water to set the makeup, but i hate misting my face.  Not a feeling i want everyday, plus it would ruin my hair in the process. Curly hair gals have enough to deal with. There were a couple of mixing mediums but the paraben preservatives immediately disqualified them.

Enter AceNaturals. Founder and owner of Organic Mobile Tanning, Erik Ace in Miami Florida, is an esthetician student and  handmakes all his products.  He has this liquid that is a mixture of oils which, when combined with PMF, creates a creamy luscious liquid foundation. The bottle of oils sells for $5.99. So, a small investment and oils, which work with my skin such as avocado, carrot and chamomile seed oils- all of which are great for the skin no matter your condition- how could i be dissapointed?

When it arrived in the mail I was so excited! Here is this small bottle of liquid gold that will help my face. The bottle was shrink wrapped and  came with a paper of detailed instructions and a small .15cc measuring scoop for my PMF.  The mixture of oils is silky smooth. When you follow the directions and incorporate with the PMF the result is a creamy, luxe combination of MMU. I didn't think this small scoop of PMF would cover my face but it does! The LMF glides on and sets to a powder finish that is light and barely detectable. My face felt soft, moisturized and lines were not visible. Remember, I do moisturize and prime before.  I also put on a very light dusting of finishing powder. Still had my glow from my foundation and the bennies of a liquid..yay! Great day in the Nation!

Test run was a girls nite with a friend and it was a great test run. My makeup didn't itch, my friend said I had good coverage and it looked great. Wasn't shiny and i didn't feel like i had a layer of stuff on my face!

So this Powder to Liquid Transformer (yes my name for it) gets 5 stars from me!
Check out AceNaturals on Etsy!

"The Nutcracker" and BFTE Eyeshadow Giveaway

Merry Christmas y'all! I am so glad to have some time to be able to post. I haven't in soo long. Well with the Christmas season in full swing, I have to say one of my favorite things about Christmas is the Nutcracker Ballet. I have been watching
it on PBS and live since i was a little girl.

While it's best live, it can get expensive, so i am eternally grateful for my PBS station to allow me to see the George Balanchine Nutcracker and various other versions of the ballet (love the San Francisco Ballet version). Now that i have my own kids and in particular my daughter is now big enough to understand it, watching the Nutcracker with her for the second year in a row has been very fun and educational for us both. It also has provided us with something to
bond over and discuss. Who doesn't love the Sugar Plum Fairy?

The colors of the costumes and the Land of Sweets always captivated me as it does now with my daughter.This year she was so enamoured with the Flowers and the Dewdrop fairy...pink was everywhere.

Beauty From the Earth has put out three Limited Edition eyeshadow collections which I think capture the feel of this beautiful ballet.Each set contains three full sized jars of loose mineral eyeshadow. enough to provide for many fun looks and days of enjoyment.

The first, Sweet Tooth, with a beautiful purple, sugary pink and spicy yellow colors reminded me exactly of the backdrop to the New York Met Balanchine Nutcracker.  It just cries out candy shoppe.  Lovely for a party or to spice up a neutral look.

The Nutcracker Collection also with three stunning colors, has Cavalier which is the beautiful red color. The Cavalier has a great solo after his dance with the Sugar Plum Fairy. With such great leaps and turns, very exciting. Red is such a great shade to describe how powerful this male dancer has to be in order to lift, catch, spin, and leap in the Nutcracker. The Mouse King shade would look great in the center of the eye to give an extra pop.  Clara, the green shade is wonderful because i always associate her with the Christmas tree as it grows large and Clara shrinks to the size of the Nutcracker. It is truly amazing how the theater works to make a production larger than life. 

The final collection, still yet to be released is called Winter Wonderland. Another favorite part of mine is the Dancing in the Snow scene. The icy cool shades of light blue, white and the dark of the night time sky in a beautiful shimmering silvery grey are wonderful combinations.

To this end, BFTE is having a blog contest and the winner receives one of the three collections. I would love to have Sweet Tooth.  To enter the contest click here for the FB page and details on how to enter.

For the true Nutcracker enthusiast this collection is a great tribute to the ballet and captures beautifully the mood, fun, and innocence of Tchaikovsky's ballet, which he had doubts about after writing the suite. I am glad he decided to allow people to hear it, because it struck me as a child and turned me on to ballet and has brought so much joy to so many generations. It is a tradition on my house and next year I hope to take my daughter to see it live as performed by the Moscow Ballet.

Cheers y'all and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Feliz Dia de Los Reyes!

Concrete Minerals Electric Eye Primer Review

Okay sick of paying almost $20 for UDPP in sin. It's great stuff but, the price is not so great especially when you consider that one cannot get all the product out even with the angled wand. Ugh! makes me so mad.
So to Etsy i went. Looking for a primer that didn't crease, was cost effective, and make my eyeshadow pop!
I use both loose minerals and regular pot eyeshadow so it need it to work great for both.

I saw a few that looked like just wax in a tin and was not happy with just looking at them. Then, after a few searches, Concrete Minerals kept popping up in my searches. At $8.99, this primer was in my budget. Shipping $2.99 yay!

Concrete Minerals: out of Southern California by Emily, here is her bio from Etsy:

Hey, I'm Emily, founder of Concrete Minerals! I spent years working in the natural cosmetics industry helping great companies reach much-deserved success, so I knew better than most the many benefits of mineral makeup. Yet something was missing that couldn't quite force me to completely abandon my beloved, if over-priced, Sephora brands. Something about the neutral, lifeless colors of mineral makeup made me feel so indescribably bored.

So I created Concrete Minerals! A company hellbent to create sexy, richly-pigmented mineral makeup that's not only healthy, but reminds us why being a girl is badass! We should never feel burdened by makeup, we should cherish the opportunity to play with it!

We believe in quality over quantity. We'll release our newest colors only when we're as crazy about them as we want you to be.

Concrete Minerals products contain no nonsense, commonly referred to as:
:: Parabens
:: Fragrances
:: Dyes
:: Nano-particles
:: Bismuth Oxychloride, Talc or other cheap fillers

Whether you've already made the switch to mineral makeup, or you're looking for one final, good reason, welcome to Concrete Minerals! Bold, sexy and unique, just like the girls who love us!

♥ Emily

What I also loved about Concrete Minerals was thier money back guarantee. She basically states that if you hate the product she will let the buyer exchange it or refund your purchase. Not many sellers say this up front especially with cosmetics.

The product comes in a cute tin and is about .35 oz of product just a little more than UDPP at .34 oz for the regular size. It has a bit of shimmer not as much as sin but that's fine with me b/c sometimes sin is overkill.

The ingredients are: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Beeswax, Dimethicone, Silicon Dioxide, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

This produces a very silky, light weight, and lush primer. Just a little bit of this primer is necessary to make you r eyeshadow pop and look really vibrant. It also lasts all day. It's about 11pm tonight and my eyeshadow is still great looking and there's no creases. I've had it on since about 9am this morning. That's no creases even in 90 plus degree weather plus humidity in south central Tejas. The only down side for me was that i can't use cream shadows with this effectively. Cream shadows are not great for me in generals b/c i have oily skin but i keep trying anyways. One day they will make cream shadows for us oily skin gals.

Anyways, this is a GREAT primer and at less than UDPP via sephora.com (including shipping) this is a keeper! Yay ConcreteMinerals!

find her on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/concreteminerals
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cm_official
http://www.concreteminerals.com/

Buff'd Cosmetics Samples

As part of a campaign to promote the Buff'd Cosmetics products I have requested samples from Buff'd when they emailed their followers that they needed bloggers to review some products. Being a fan already I happily accepted the challenge.

Buff'd is a company out of Canada and has a high standard of product and customer care. It's why this Texas gal loves to order from them. I have blogged about them before with glowing reviews which you can read. See May and July on the right side bar for previous posts.

My package came with foundation, finishing powder, a bronzer, Illuminating Dust, blush, eyeshadow and eyeliner (10 samples in all). A little something from each department. I love the Buff'd foundations. The original Formula works great on me. I have oily skin and i have no need to go for a more intense coverage formulation. It's great at keeping oils at bay and doesn't feel heavy or cakey. Here is info straight from their Foundation portion of their website:

mineral foundation

Formulated using only the finest natural minerals and pigments, Buff'd Mineral Foundations have outstanding versatility and wear. Available in an extensive collection of shades and three outstanding formulations, a minimal amount of product will help you achieve a flawless, radiant look while natural UV protection guards your skin. As with all our products, Buff'd Mineral Foundations are free of irritating and toxic ingredients which may be damaging to some skin types.

The Kabuki, Jumbo Buffer and Jumbo Flat Top brushes are perfect for applying these loose-mineral powders.

Available in three outstanding formulations:

original: a great full-coverage foundation with fantastic oil absorption and natural UV protection. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, iron oxides, ultramarines

light: specifically for those who prefer a lightweight foundation that still offers buildable coverage and great oil absorption. ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, ultramarines

concealing: made with a touch of kaolin clay offering even better coverage with greater oil absorption. Ideal for those with combination to oily skin and a great spot concealer. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, kaolin clay, mica, ultramarines

My Colors for the year are Apricot and Pecan. Pecan for when i have more of a tan going on and Apricot for the winter season. They are just wonderful and at $18, 21grams volume in a 10gram weight sifter jar is just perfect. This foundation lasts all day and i do mean all day i have worn it from 8:30 am to 2am with no problems and even forget it's on.

The finishing powder in Peony is great for those days that i really need staying power and a flawless finish without drying out. I use this more in the winter when my skin tends to get a little dry. At $15 for th full size it's a great investment powder. The generous sample baggies are also great if you are strapped for cash.

The Bronzer in Toast is fabulous. It has a wonderful shimmer to it and make me think of the beach. i use it to conture and make me look a little thinner in the cheeks. also for a pick me up if my skin is just looking blah that day. A little goes a long way. The full size is $15 and picture on the website make it look darker than it truly is so order the sample bag to test out the shades. If you are confused but know your foundation shade the staff is more than willing to help you color match for a flawless set of colors appropriate to your coloring.

On to the eyeshadows and blush...the really fun stuff:

The Blushes: Thrift and Bouquet.

Thrift is one of my faves. It is a bronzy pink and just gives the apples that just kissed look. It makes me very happy and is great a a light pink blush when doing a smokey eye. Very little is required to give you that glowing look.

Bouquet is a light pink that i love to use as well. It's that color that reminds me of a soft pink rose and that is what you get on the cheek. Very classic looking but with enough shimmer to be modern.

The blushes cost: $15
full size jar: 14 grams volume / 3 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Illuminating dust:

Think of this as an allover product that gives you that extra glow with your look. Canvas has high shimmer but is extremely subtle when used with a light hand. The site says it's a soft and luminous off white and that it is. Another make you happy on a cloudy day product.

The full size Illuminating dust costs: $15

full size jar: 14 grams volume / 3 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Eyeshadows:

Scribe: Blue Base in the Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection.

Great base color, goes on light and opens the eye nicely.
very soft and easy to put on.

Denim: Cool medium blue with silver shimmer. Blue Crease in our Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection. This one looks more grey than blue in the baggie but on the brush you can see the blue properties of the shadow. it was great for the smokey eye look i was building.

Nova: a Mineral Eyeliner. Midnight slate blue with silver blue shimmer. Blue Liner in our Smoky Eye Kits - Slate Blues Collection.

I used it as a crease color and it worked wonderfully. I love how it looks like my dark jeans that i wear all the time. The look was very pretty and soft for a smokey eye.

I am in love with this company and shipping for samples is free. Shipping to Texas takes about 2 weeks but i am very happy with service and all the products i have purchased so far. I hope to see more from this growing company in the future as they have me with their uber fabulous foundation and now going into blush and eyeshadow.

Check them out at: http://www.buffd.com

Buff'd Cosmetics samples

Okay so here is part two of searching for the perfect quad of mineral eyeshadows to compare to the Revlon 12hr color stay quad in Blushed Wines.

Buff'd Cosmetics I use for my foundations and they are very good quality ad make my skin look great. They are located in Prince George, British Columbia in Canada. Placed this order on the 22 of July and the samples arrived in Texas today July 30th. considering it's coming from Canada 1 week is great. That is how long my foundation takes to get to me as well. Samples come in a plastic baggie and are only $1 each. when ordering samples only shipping is FREE. they arrived in a simple brown mailer with the company logo on it and the recipt of my products. No frills but they are jsut samples which is okay with me. Tissue paper and fluff just go to the trash.

Buff'd Cosmetics describes their Mineral Eyeshadows as:

With colors that range from natural to earthy, from smoky to sultry, the Buff'd Mineral Eye Shadow line has a shade to suit every occasion.

Only the finest mineral pigments go into our eye shadows allowing for great wearabilty and colors that will never fade. Using the Angle Detail brush - all Buff'd Mineral Eye Shadows can be mixed with a small amount of water for the perfect eye liner.

ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, ultramarines, chromium oxide

full size jar: 7 grams volume / 2 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Price: Full size jar: $8 (on sale now for $6.40)
Sample: $1

I ordered six samples of Mineral Eyeshadows and received as a bonus one extra sample of eyeshadow and one mineral blush. More on the extras later. The baggie contains 1/4 teaspoon of product and trust me when i say a little goes a long way with thsi company as i just ran out of my sample of foundation and have just started using my full size after 3 weeks of using it.

My order included these colors:

Fluff - Light shimmering pink
Candytuff - Soft creamy pink
Carnation - Vibrant pink
Electric - Dark wine burgundy
Braisin - Dark blend of purple and pink.

One sample came from the Pure Pigments Line:
Buff'd Cosmetics has this to say about thier Pure Pigments:

Buff'd Pure Pigments are pure oxidized mica minerals producing some of the most beautiful shimmering colors.

An all-purpose powder, Pure Pigments can be worn as an eye shadow, blush, bronzer and shimmer. Applied either dry for light shimmering highlights or wet for vibrant color. They are so versatile and true in color they can even be added to lip glosses and nail lacquers.

ingredients: mica

full size jar: 7 grams volume / 2 grams weight
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag

Full jar price: $8 (on sale for $6.40)
sample: $1

I ordered the sample of the color:
BabyDoll - Soft pink.

I really liked the selection of eyeshadows and pure pigments they have a nice assortment which to me is not overwhelming.


Bonus Samples
Rosewood Mineral Blush
Mushroom Mineral Eyeshaow

Here is the swatches of the samples:


From top to bottom:

Babydoll, Fluff, Caddytuff, Carnation, Electric, Braisin, Rosewood and Mushroom

Here is a closeup of the lighter pinks:


The texture of the eyeshadows is very soft and creamy, though for the Pure Pigment i did need to apply a little more and it feel a little finer than the mineral eyeshadow since it's just pure mica.
The Rosewood blush is divine in texture and i know it would look lovely on my skin just as their Thrift blush feels great on my skin and gives me a dewy look that i love. Carnation is my fave of the pinks and Braisin and electric are wonderful colors with Braisin having more of a dark plum hue where as electric has some red leanings.

Need to try teh colors out int he look to see how they work. Laready have the full size of the Blush Thrift in my cart and Mushroom..though i do need to compare it to Lusty from Coastal Scents to make sure it's not the same color.

I guess I'm easy to please when i pick colors i like. Buff'd MES are less glittery that Aromaleigh but they are stunning. They also warm the skin give off a sublte shimmer so if a subtle glow is what you are looking for in an E/S, then i highly suggest you order samples and see for yourself.

will let you know of results soon.

the Aromaleigh samples have been working well on me for the past few days and i will have a more in depth analysis soon of both companies.

Cheers!

Coastal Scents Purchase

Finding Coastal Scents.com makeup has been an interesting experience. I have purchased from them in the past and found my fist blush that didn't itch me half way through my day. The blush which also doubles as a nice base color eyeshadow for the warm neutrals I love. I have also purchased makeup brushes and was flabbergasted at the quality for the great price.

With my blush purchase i received a sample of Fawn eyeshadow. It's a beautiful rich chocolate brown color. It goes on so soft and lasts all day without moving. It's lovely and trust me when i say that a little goes a LONG way. The sample bag still has a a good amount of product in there. I use it for a crease color. $7.95 it comes in a generous 10g sifter jar and is so worth the price.

Simply stunning is just too demure of a word for this eyeshadow. Along with this gorgeous shade i also ordered Lusty a high light shade that would go with everything. Pearly and has hints of gold in there but is so neutral that it can make an appearance with almost any look. Described on CS as " Lusty shadow is a creamy light satiny beige powder with low sparkle. " it''s creamy and beautiful and like Fawn, a little goes a long way.


The two jars came nicely packaged in a mini lilac organza bag and I also got a free sample of a color called Aqua Zone. The color is like a dark aquamarine and is so soft and silky when putting it on.

May have to find an occasion to wear it since i usually am a neutrals kid of gal. Maybe my sister who uses color more can use it. Though it is very pretty. I had a MAC color like it in high school that I loved using it.

Considering how long these shadows last the investment of almost $18 is well spent. I have not even gone thru half of the blush color i first ordered. Very much satisfied.


Cheers!

Aromaleigh Samples

So after looking at a tutorial on YouTube for this gorgeous look with Revlon 12 Hour e/s in Blush Wines, I am so taken by the look. It was done by geisha1254

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6js2WPogwUY

However, I cannot use Revlon..it makes me itch. So I started the search for comparable colors to complete this look.

I ordered from two companies and Aromaleigh came in first.
Pronounced Aroma Lee, Aromaleigh has been on the web since 1998 (great year.. graduated high school that year) and according to the About Us page:

Aromaleigh is a small, independent online company that specializes in microformulating our unique and proprietary loose mineral powder cosmetics and natural fragrances using the finest cosmetic grade pigments, natural ingredients and botanicals available. Our loose powder mineral makeup is not repackaged or "private label", as is becoming more and more common as the mineral makeup trend has grown exponentially. It seems like new Mineral Makeup companies are appearing every day! Mineral Makeup is even being sold in drugstores!

We've been serving the natural beauty needs of our customers since 1998 via www.aromaleigh.com, and are celebrating our ten year anniversary this year. We are proud to have been part of the mineral makeup revolution, and the handful of like-minded, woman-owned online companies who started providing an alternate source to mass-manufactured mineral makeup. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." And so Aromaleigh Mineral Cosmetics has. We're humbled to have you along for the ride...

That being said, they have a HUGE selection of eyeshadows. It's so overwhelming I had to join the boards on the website and ask for suggestions as to matches for the quad I was trying to color match. The ladies ont he board were so helful and i quickly got a list of colors to sift through.

I made some hard decisions and ordered samples of:

Lyche Deeper rose-brown raisin shade
Wish A peachy golden pink with slight iridescence
Wine A medium toned, rich pinkish-wine shadow
Damask A great "nude" shade... use as a base, highlighter or all-over color
Persephone Lush bordeaux with a cocoa lowlight and rose highlight
Magnolia Matte Eyeshadow: A medium-deep muted mahogany
Petunia Sweet as sugar, baby pastel pink with a frosty pink highlight
Angelique Innocent mid-toned fawn pink with a hint of buff and opalescent highlights.
Ophelia The sweetest pale baby pink with a dewdrop green highlight.
Edie Pearlized glimmering medium pink.

The cheapest price for my samples was 65 cents and the most expensive was 1.30 for a small baggie of product. Considering that i'm on a beauty mission from god the expense was rationalized away as i entered in my credit card number. Shipment took 3 days to get to me....not bad since they are in South Carolina and I'm in South Central Texas. Oh and did i mention that if you order ONLY samples and samples ONLY you get free shipping. That is a great thing.

The samples came in a simple bubble mailer and wrapped in bright pink tissue paper with a Silver AromaLeigh logo sticker to seal the package of samples. In addition to the samples I ordered i received three other samples at no extra charge:

Gossamer Color Infusion Lipstick sample ( a red brown with shimmer lipstick very soft and beautiful)
Little Craving e/s (a bright pink fromt her Gothic Lolita collection)
Plush Romantic e/s (a beautiful Mysterious smudged indigo with brilliant bright sparks of blue. with a ton of shimmer..so sexy also from the Gothic Lolita collection)


The full size jars of eyeshadow come in the 5 gram sifter jars. All the eye shadows at full size are $6.75 except for Lychee which is on sale till 7/29 for $5.81 and regular price is $7.75. Not bad considering the quality is in a word, gorgeous.

I did swatches of the shadows i was considering before i reviewed the YouTube video to narrow down to my final choices. bear with me and the pen markings i will explain:
From top to bottom:

Petunia
Ophelia
Damask
Edie
Angelique
Wish
Lychee
Persephone

After looking at the shades which all went on gorgeous even without base and with a cotton swab, i decided to go with (going from lightest to darkest):

Petunia
Angelique
Wish
Persephone

I'm excited to try the look. I'm looking forward to my first order from Aromaleigh..since my order will be more than $20 i qualify for the First Order coupon which takes $5 off my order of $20 or more. FABULOUS!

They have more deals and coupon codes in their Coupons + Deals link from the left menu bar. Looking for ward to the other samples i ordered some in and have some more comparisons to make. They are coming from Buff'd Cosmetics who I love for my foundation.

Until Next Time!

Makeup Box Project and Makeup Brush holder

In the quest to become more organized at my now increasing makeup collection and makeup brush collection, I have purchased two unfinished wood pieces, one jewelry box and a pencil holder from Hobby Lobby. At a total of almost $20 for the pieces, the paint, and the pretty paper, i think this is a project worth the money and what a savings from the $59-$79 organizer i was eying online.

So here is the 4 drawer box. You can check it out on Craftsetc.com for $12.99 (or at Hobby Lobby)

The other thing is called a remote organizer but i think it looks more like a pen holder/organizer. It is on the same site or at your local Hobby Lobby store for $3.99.

The 4 drawer chest is quite nice. I liked the idea of vertical space versus horizontal space although i do have plenty of room on the bathroom counter, but the hubby will be back from Iraq one day and will need the one foot of room i give him. I'm so excited about this project!

I also found some nice paper to use to decorate the drawers themselves. And the greatest part was finding this metallic peridot paint by FolkArt! It is absolutely beautiful! It matches my sexy bedding that i found at Ross. Dark Peridot with gold in it..so warm and calming. To die for!

Now for the paper, the die cut lace papers are really in now and i found a good scroll pattern in black. Very pretty and with a cardstock thickness so it's not filmy or too delicate.

To adhere the paper i just used the Tacky Glue. Modge Podge was just too expensive and i always loose it. Have to get a sealer on Monday but it looks greta so far.


The Result was this gorgeous box i am proud to put in my bathroom! The makeup brush holder isn't finished yet but i do have pics detailing the paint job. i love both so far.




I do plan on adding the scroll die cut paper to it some where but i need a second coat on the holder. It soaks up a lot of paint. Would love to do some more in this color and some in bronze. I can't begin to say how much fun this was and how glad I am that all this was done for a fraction of the price of those ones i wanted. Thank God for Hobby Lobby!

Buff'd Cosmetics..Canadian jewel ..Review

Okay my third investigation of a mineral makeup company is of Buff'd Cosmetics out of Canada.

They offer more than just makeup. They offer body products as well.

I got samples which were $1.50 for a baggie of product. I got 3 foundations and 1 blush sample. They have cute names for the foundations like Apricot, Ginger, Saffron, and Magnolia. I got samples in Apricot, Warm and Pecan in the "Original Mineral Formula. "

Buff'd comes in three formulations: (the next descriptions taken from the webpage)

Available in three outstanding formulations:

original: a great full-coverage foundation with fantastic oil absorption and natural UV protection. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, mica, iron oxides, ultramarines

light: specifically for those who prefer a lightweight foundation that still offers buildable coverage and great oil absorption. ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, ultramarines

concealing: made with a touch of kaolin clay offering even better coverage with greater oil absorption. Ideal for those with combination to oily skin and a great spot concealer. ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, kaolin clay, mica, ultramarines

The Warm shade was too yellow..didn't even have to open that one. The Pecan shade was a little too dark and looked a little too dark almost orangy on my skin. Finally, the Apricot was just right. Blended seamlessly into my skin. It did feel a little chalky going on but once it settled it was like a second skin and weightless. It covered anything that needed to be covered without using concealer. That was indeed a wonderful surprise.

It was 91 degrees today and i had a lot of running around today. Another day of no air conditioning in the car while doing non-church driving (have to look nice at chruch so whole body MUST have cool air in the car) It lasted and i have to say i even got compliments on my skin and it's radiance. That was amazing.

full size jar: 21 grams volume / 10 grams weight $15
sample size: 1/2 teaspoon sample bag $1.50

The Blushes are another fun looking collection. They have fun names as well like Sugar Coated, Chick Pea, and Winterberry.
The blush sample i got was in the color "Tricky." The webpage descibes it as a Peachy pink with shimmer. At $12 it's not bad for the amount that you get. It felt creamy going on and has great staying power. A little goes a long way with this product as well.

A concentrated formula of all natural minerals and pigments, a small amount of our blush is enough to flush your cheeks with plenty of color.

ingredients: mica, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, iron oxides, ultramarines

full size jar: 14 grams volume / 3 grams weight $12
sample size: 1/4 teaspoon sample bag $1.00

They also carry setting powders for oil control, finishing powders for those with normal to dry skin and color correctors all with a wonderful explanation of key ingedients that make the product work as well as a list of all ingrdients. These are $12 as well for the same amountof product as the Blushes.

There are also bronzers and illuinators that serves as highlights for your cheeks.

Eyeshadows, Pure pigments and brown powders are all $8. There is a very good selection in each category. They even have a beautiful array of lipsticks for $12. The site is very simple in construction and very user friendly. I had not problem looking around and finding exactly what i needed to know. It took the item 4 business days to get from Canada to Central Texas..not bad at all.

I have a tough decision between the LA Minerals and the Buff'd Cosmetics. I like both.

LA Minerals a Texas cosmetics company..Fabulous!

Well, in my journey for the ultimate mineral makeup I have encountered quite a few web pages and have greatly increased my delicious list. Upon good reviews from several makeup blogs, I decided to get samples from LA Minerals.

They offer a full line of cosmetics from foundation to lip balm and skin care. All made in the US and at great prices. Slightly less expensive than BE in the foundation area but a little more expensive than Everyday Minerals, the quality of the LA Minerals product that truly speaks for this company.

LA Minerals offers 3 levels of coverage with theier loose mineral foundations:(descriptions are from the website)

1) Hollywood: Hollywood Face BaseTM is a premium, medium to heavy coverage mineral makeup foundation that includes the best minerals and all natural mineral pigments, blended into a light-reflecting powder. Enhanced with pure silk powder, silica micro-spheres, and boron nitride minerals. Sweep on our luxurious, premium mineral foundation for a natural and flawless finish.

If other mineral foundations left you overly glowy and itching...give Hollywood Face Base a try.

2) Valley Girl: Valley Girl mineral foundation is our newest addition to the L.A. Minerals line. Designed with specific skin issues in mind, this heavy coverage, matte formula is gentle, pure and soothing.

• Acneic skin: the addition of Allantoin, famous for it's healing properties, acts as an antiseptic and skin soother. Acne is often aggravated by pore clogging makeup which holds onto dirt and oils, causing more acne. Our Valley Girl mineral foudation is free of talc, perfumes, bismuth, and chemicals. Gentle, pure minerals, infused with healing ingredients.
• Oily Skin: the addition of Kaolin Clay, world reknown as a centuries old secret to absorbing oil, will help keep your makeup looking fresh all day long. Instead of trapping the oil in your skin, our Valley Girl formula wisks it away into the millions of ultra-fine, oil absorbing, Kaolin Clay particles.
• Scarred Skin: Using industry leading minerals created for more opacity, the Valley Girl formula is the perfect choice for skin with scars or uneven skin tones

3) NoHoGlo:
NoHoGlo Face Base:

North Hollywood, otherwise known as NoHo just added you to the hotty list! Are you ready to transform your dull, lifeless skin into that ready-for the camera look? Then NoHoGlo is for you! This formula leaves you with a flawless, lit-from-within look with light to medium coverage.

This Boron Nitride based formula offers the benefits of increased adhesion, lubricity, soft-focus effect, dewy appearance, air-brushed look, anti-inflammatory, and a silky natural feel. Fantastic for young and aging skin alike. It has a tightening effect while absorbing excess oil, without drying out your skin.



I got some foundation samples and found that I am a Medium Neutral in Hollywood formulation. The sample cost only $2.00 for a mini sifter jar. Also ordered some eyeshadow samples in Aladdin's Lamp and Playful, which were $1 each for a 1/4 teaspoon in a small baggie. Today I'm wearing the foundation and Aladdin's Lamp eyeshadow and I went out running errands in the Texas heat with no air conditioning ( trying to save gas since it's $2.35 in some areas and $2.25 in other areas and that just irks and worries me).

Let me back track, putting the foundation on was like placing silk on my face. I don't even feel it on my face. A little goes a long way with this product. My initial application resulted in a color slightly darker than i had anticipated. This morning, I lightly applied the product and found that the color really blended lightly. My pores were covered and the result was immaculate.
Running errands resulted in slight itches but were soon over and my face has no oily shine, just a luminous look. The Texas heat can't beat this stuff!

The eyeshadow went on so lightly and i needed very little to get a great hit of color. Considering the baggies is only 1/4 tsp that says a lot. There was also no fallout and it felt creamy on my eyelid.

The full on foundation jar costs: $19.95 for 8 grams of product. Given that this stuff will last longer since so little is needed, this is a great price for a long lasting product translation= more bang for your buck.

Full size eyeshadow costs: $8.95 for a jar of 5 grams. It's a dollar more than Coastal Scents where you get 0.05 oz of product with them. Everyday Minerals costs $6 and 3.5 grams I have yet to try the shadows but i bet they are nice as well)

Blush is $10.95 for 20 grams (nt wt 4g), Coastal scents 2 grams (NT weight) for $8.95, and EDM for 8g NT weight at $8. Must try thier blush as well.

I'm very happy with this company as well. So exciting to find local companies that offer great products at great prices and care about what they do and how they make their products. Fabulous!

Customer service is quick and they are very helpful with recommendations and getting you to find the right shade.

Overall, this company has impressed me and i think so far this company may be the one I go with for my trip to Puerto Rico. I have one more sample set coming in from a company called Buff'd Cosmetics. They are out of Canada so we'll try them out as well my samples are on the way already. Happy Blingn' yall!

Everyday Minerals..A Local Texas Company

The hunt for great makeup is an almost daily quest for most women. Weather, skin and life changes (like pregnancy) effect our skin in drastic ways. My skin has changed from being really oily to dry. It's odd. Along the way I discovered mineral makeup. My skin has become so sensitive that it's more sensitive than my Mom's now. I love Bareminerals. They have a great line and it looks great on me and has improved the condition of my skin.

However, i noticed that i have begun to itch with the summer heat upon us in San Antonio. I love my BE but the itching not so much. So to remedy this i have started searching for a new mineral line..that's when I found Everyday Minerals. Youtubers have greatly contributed to my desire to try this new company which I found is local for me..It's just a hop skip and a jump up I-35 to Austin. Though they don't have a physical store to walk in and purchase their online site is fabulous.

There is a sample kit you can purchase for just the cost of shipping (to San Antonio it was $3.28 and got here isn two days). You get 3 foundations, 1 blush and 1 concealer. They some nicely packaged in recycled tissue paper and it comes with a color chart to help you further decide which base wold be great for your skin-tone.



This company is totally inclusive of the skin out there. There are more foundations here than i have seen in a lot of mineral sites. In their FAQs they also help you try to define your skintone to their families of colors. When you slide your mouse over the color it gives a brief description of the color and which skintones the color would fit.

There there is the choice of coverage, from a dewy glow to intense, it will satisfy your choice in coverage. I am currently wearing the Semi-matte formula in Beige-medium Neutral. I want to try the Matte and Intense formulations in this color to figure out which one I'd like best. So I'm ordering a second sample kit since i have found my color..now I'm looking at intensity.

The base when looking to purchase full size is: $12 which is a little less than half the price of BE.

Next item in your kit: A Blush. This was so much fun choosing a blush. I have been mixing a mineral blush from Coastal Scents with a blush from Flirt! at Kohls to achieve this one color Everyday Minerals has. It's called Snooze Bar. It's Perfect! Just perfect for everyday! I'm so ordering the Big one. At $8 is an wallet pleaser!


The last item is a concealer called Multi-Tasking. I used it under my eyes and to cove any acne scarring and it worked perfectly. It is a great shade for me and makes me look fresh and awake.

The company is super eco-concious and you can read all about it in the FAQs and About Us section. For me personally it's great to have a local company because I wasn't to support my state economy and I LOVE that shipping doesn't take so long from Austin. I wonder if they can do a factory tour. That would be so cool. Also on the website you can sign up for their forums and read their blogs which showcase Austin and all the traveling the company does for their ingredients. It's very cool.

As a bibliophile, i loved that they had a set dedicated to Jane Austen..which was listed in one of the blog posts. That is just too cool.

Overall, this makeup has me on a good step as i try it out. We'll see how it works out as the days go by.