Makeup I miss... Covergirl Smoothwear Liptints

Okay so i love finding a product that is just THE IT product and works well for everything!
Then, by the time i find this product, it is discontinued and that is just so frustrating. This product was so it for me when it was discontinued I wrote a handwritten letter and emailed CoverGirl about this with how disappointed i was with the loss of such a great product.

The product is CoverGirl Smoothwear Liptints. My fave shade is #205 Blush Wine (see right pic for swatch).
This product is a smooth lip gloss and in my mind was ahead of it's time. It is super moisturizing with aloe, Shea butter (before Shea butter was an IT ingredient), and Vitamin E. It's long lasting and leaves lips super soft. This color in particular was chosen because it just enhances my own natural lip color. I love glosses in my own lip color and this one is IT. The tube is small enough to fit in any purse and is great on the go at .45 oz.

According to the packaging it is:

• Sheer natural Looking, conditioning shine
• Don't go Bare- Go Better! Smoothwear Liptints for nude & improved lips. Sheer enriched with Vitamin E, Aloe, & shea butter. Beautify with natural looking shine for soft supple lips over time.

This builds a better set of lips, even when it wears off there are just soft lips that feel great.
There is no peppermint oil in it to provide that sting or plump like my Buxom Dolly gloss ( which the DH hates Buxom for that reason) and it's got a great sheen. It IS my go to when i have nothing else that seems to work or just want color on the weekend without thinking about it. This gloss was using shea butter ebfore it was a huge ingredient in everything from lips to body creams and beyond. So moisturizing. it is perfection

The product was replaced by the Fruit Spritzers, which are NOT the same. They are sticky and greasy and the flavors are very over powering for me. My daughter loves it because they smell so good ( she's only 3) and ran off with the Plum version i had, which was the only acceptable color in the bunch for me and it wasn't that great.

I truly wish Cover Girls had not discontinued the product and i am now reduced to having to look for it on ebay and I did find it at an Aussie site called Glossi, which lists the Liptints for $5AUD. I have 9 here at home and 7 are unopened so i have stock for a while but is till want more because this is a fave of mine. Please CoverGirl bring back the original Smoothwear Liptints!

glitter-graphics.com

So what makeup product or beauty product do you wish would come back? I'd love to hear from you!

Moisturizer Reviews..Moans Groans and finally happiness.

Okay so with my changing skin due to pregnancy, I've had to scour the WWW for a face cream that will hydrate, smell great and feel light on my face without making me greasy or break me out.

I had been using signature Club A by Adrienne Precious Moroccan Argan Oil Day Cream before all my prego hormones changed my skin and found that it started to break me out. This cream was good light and hydrated mys kin beautifully and worked well in winter and summer.

Then i tried the arbonne NutriMinC RE9 Day Crème with SPF 8 and that broke me out..mostly b/c of the sunblock. That's why i use mineral foundation has spf built in and no breakouts. However the NutriMinC RE9 REcover Night Crème, and the hydrating face wash were amazing and the serum for the face were awesome. My skin was hydrated glowed and i woke up refreshed and dewy! However at the prices they are currently out of my reach..and the samples are all gone. <>

Okay then to look for something else. Yes i was frustrated and Tweeted several times about how i hated looking for new moisturizer. A friend recommended the Loreal Active Daily Moisture. This worked for about 2 days before i saw my dry skin coming back and it enlarged pores. Akk! I thought it was going to work, it was light it felt great and had no offensive scent. Sadly no.


Okay so, more researching and going to Totalbeauty.com or makeupalley.com to look for reviews of products that would be great. Again price is an issue. It was agony. I wanted something that i wasn't going to fear putting on my skin and something i felt could help with the dry patches and some now enlarged pores...mainly due to primer with dimethicone in it and worsened by moisturizers that didn't work with my skin.

Off to Etsy and Artfire.com i went. Using the basic search terms "facial cream" as my opening move and narrowing down from there i kept seeing this one brand called La Conchita Naturals. It was a RosewaterFacial Moisturizer. No parabens and promised to hydrate and even be a great base foe mineral foundation. Rosewater is a great toner for the skin to begin with so i decided to try the 1 oz. jar of the product. Wow! is all I can say! This little jar has such potent and great stuff in it that my skin was glowing and happy to be nourished and loved. The cream is light, absorbs quickly and lasts all day.

The primer part, well i need less primer than i did before to get a flawless look. That is great. but by itself i think i would use it only for weekend looks when I'm not going very far or just grocery shopping.

The scent is a light rose scent and not over powering ( great for me because i have heightened sense of smell during pregnancy), this powerful stuff has: Jojoba, Apricot Kernel, and Shea Butter. I add Pro Vitamin B, a generous dose of the antioxidant power of Natural Vitamin E along with Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein and Jojoba Protein to create a truly effective facial moisturizer (straight from the Etsy/Artfire listing for the product).

I am just so happy with this product i can't even tell you. A tiny bit goes a long way! it's just fabulous.

along with my cute jar of miracle cream, came this beautiful pink powder. It is the La Conchita Naturals

Sprinkling Clean - Rose - Natural Face Wash, Exfoliant and Mask.

This is a dry cleanser that you add water to and make a paste of it in your hand. then use it to cleanse to let it set as a mask on your face. It smells wonderfully of oatmeal and rosewater. It is effective and gentle and lovely all at the same time. It may seem strange to have a cleanser that comes in powder form, but it lasts longer and you can customize how wet or dry you need it depending on the day. It takes off makeup with no problem and exfoliation occurs with every wash in a gentle manner, no stripping or abrasiveness. It leaves the skin soft and balanced.

speaking of balancing, another little gem of a freebie was also included..

Jasmine Green Tea - Antioxidant Skin Toner with Organic Aloe Vera

This balancer had a strong scent for me but it does dissipates rather quickly. The toner is great and moisturizes as well. According to the product description:
This All Natural Toner is the perfect way to infuse your skin with 5 powerful antioxidant-rich botanical extracts while removing nasty residue, tightening pores and toning skin! In a base of Jasmine Hydrosol and Organic Aloe it even helps soothe and hydrate skin in preparation for your moisturizer—and it has a light, wonderful scent of pure jasmine essence.

I used this after washing my face and my face felt even softer, even my hubby made a comment on it. I have to say it's a keeper.

La Conchita Naturals is a company that really knows it's stuff. Based in Cotati, CA, creator Conchita really cares about what she puts into each and every single product. Handmade for her is the way to go. Along with quality of ingredients. She has a shop both on Etsy and Artfire.com. I highly recommend her to anybody looking for quality natural skincare. I look forward to purchasing her night cream next and writing a great review on it. It's wonderful to find a greta moisturizer at a price that is affordable and to find a product that is of quality.

My skin thanks you Conchita! Yay!

A Tweezer is a Tweezer is Tweezer!

I was shopping at Sephora a while back and saw the display for the Anastacia . While i was looking at the stencils for eyebrows and the cute products, one caught my eye, the tweezers. Well why not, the woman who has been on Oprah, does the brows of J-Lo, and countless other movie stars has got to put out a really cool tweezers.

According to the Sephora website, the product is described as:

Crafted from the highest quality steel with custom-slanted top and calibrated tension, this professional must-have tool handles even the finest hairs with ease.

For $28 this should be an awesome tweezer.

However, this did not catch my eye because it's Anastacia's Tweezer but because it looked remarkably similar to my tweezers at home by Earth Theraputics. The Pink SoftTouch tweezers. The Earth Theraputics tweezer retails for $9.99 on most sites but I found it at Marshalls for $3.99!



ET describes the tweezer as: Earth Therapeutics SofTouch™ tweezers are professional quality. The body of the SofTouch™ tweezer is lined with a special coating that is velvety soft to the touch, yet ensures a non-slip secure grip for perfect and precise tweezing. The tweezer tips are hand-filed, perfectly aligned and rigorously tested for exacting accuracy.

It's a great tweezer! I really love it and my sister who is very into the brow grooming thing was amazed at it and the price i paid. It has a soft feel to the hand grip and the tip is quite accurate at plucking my brows.

So for about $24.01 less than the official Anastacia brand, you can get the same tweezer for way less at drugstore.com and Amazon which has a Two pack for just under $10. That would make a great gift for a friend ad you get to keep one as well and it's less than $5 each tweezer.

I understand that having a great tweezer is essential especially just to keep up between waxing or threading sessions, however when you have the opportunity to get a great tweezer for a fraction of the cost. This is just way too good to pass up. Ladies save your money and purchase the same tweezer at a less price. you won't be unhappy. Shop on ladies!

trying out new workout videos

Okay so since i'm prego now with the second kiddo. I wan to keep working out. alot of the prego videos out there are entirely too touchy feely for me. I very much understand a new life is growing in me and that it's a miracle, however between that and sounds of gongs or flowing water (which increases the need to pause and RUN for the restroom), It's way to calm for me and not what i need.

I already go on base and do Zumba twice a week. to help keep the cardio up. so much fun. I wonder what it's going to be like when i'm larger...lol But yeah so i went to amazon and got two DVDs used.

I got 10 Minute Solution Prenatal Pilates with Lizbeth Garcia. It has 5- 10 minute routines to help during all stages of pregnancy. I was really excited to see an instructor who did not look like a stick with a large beach ball in front. Garcia is strong and lovely. He instruction is clear and best of allit flows without the wishy-washiness. Tonight i did 2 workouts: the Standing Pilates and the core pilates. My abs are feeling it but in a good way. I felt as though this is something I can stick with. Garcia is 36 weeks along in her first pregnancy at the time.

There are 3 other workouts i will get to in the next couple of days: Pilates for buns and thighs, Pilates for flexibility and total body pilates. It's gentle and invigorating. Using light weight feels good but i will eventually have to move up. i know i can make it more difficult for me by incorporating my resistance tubing.

I really like the attention she pays to strengthening and stretching the lower back. OMG did that feel wonderful. My lower back has been killing me since i stopped traditional weight lifting and this is very much helping ease the pain and get me back to little to no pain. The ab work is fantastic with the aid of pillows to help cushion the lower back and keep me elevated and baby safe. The movements are fluid and gently strengthen. Taking the traditional pilates moves and just modifying them to fit the changing landscape that is my body.

I look forward to completing the workouts and keeping this one in my collection as my kiddo grows and my body changes.

Next review will be of Tracey Mallett's Pregnancy System 3in1. I have the book coming in on ILL so i will do a book review and a DVD review. Looking forward to it.

Alice in wonderland

With the New movie Alice in wonderland set to hit theaters in March 2010,(you know the one with Johnny Depp..nuff said..anyways..) there are tons of new items on the market with an Alice theme.
I am so excited because it's always been a favorite of mine.

Let's start with the new movie itself, i love the posters coming out and movie art has always been an interest of mine. I find the artwork sometimes to be better than the trailers.

Here is fave #1
I lie this full cast poster a lot. It is set in the rose garden and the line "We're all mad here." is just wonderful. Each character does appear as though they are in their own little bubble which is great. It's dark the way a Tim Burton film i usually presented but reminds me of the child's book at the same time.

Fave poster #2

It's a Tea Party! What little girl doesn't or didn't like tea parties. I remember having them with mom and dad. Invisible tea or water for those advanced and trusted little girls. Tea parties are the best. My 3 year old daughter currently enjoys all things tea party. She has a lovely set up and I must say my hubby has had quite his fill of imaginary cakes, cookies and very sweet tea (12 lumps Daddy?).

This poster has the Caterpillar in it which for me was always the mysterious character that i was trying to figure out. It's bright it's kind of a throw back tot he traditional drawings of the original Alice in Wonderland book. I love how it has open seats invite the viewer to sit and join the mad tea party. Make sure you have a clean cup and know some riddles.

Fave poster #3

Now I've seen a few different versions of this ..this is a triptych. According to dictionary.com the definition of a triptych is "a set of three panels or compartments side by side, bearing pictures, carvings, or the like." This has been broken up into 3 separate movie posters if you do a Google image search for "alice in wonderland 2010 posters." Each poster is unique and grabs the audience immediately, but standing all together it makes for a truly stunning work of art. Stil youthful, but mysterious at the same time. here you can infer more of the storyline and see some of the different locations the movie will take Alice.

Promotional items:

Okay one that grabbed me right away was the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland eyeshadow Palette at Sephora. It looks like a little dark jewelry box. The colors are stunning and the artwork inside the box surrounding the mirror takes my breath away. It also comes with eye eyeliners and a mini UDPP. So very grown-up but reminiscent of a little girls jewelry box. At $52 it's a whimsical investment. Sephora store are also hosting an Alice in wonderland make-over party I signed up and hope to have a ton of fun. It's on February 20th. check your local Sephora store for details.

O.P.I. is another company with a taste for the maddness! When you go to their site they have a full page ad for the new nail lacquers inspired by the movie. My fave of this set is "Off with Her Red!" There is also a contest they are running witha grand prize of a JCP salon gift card and the entire set of Alice in Wonderland inspired nail Lacquers.

This is just so cool from Tetley Teas Canada. They are having a Mad Hatter Tea Party contest. The prize is amazing including everything you need to throw a grand tea party and watch Tv in style with a brand new Panasonic system.

Books to go with the Alice in Wonderland theme:

Check your local library for these entertaining books.

I love these books by Frank Beddor. He too is trying to make them into a movie series but with Burton's film out who knows where this is going. However the books are FAbulous! The series is called The Looking Glass Wars. It is the true story of what really happened to Alyss Heart of Wonderland. According to this series Carroll got everything wrong. It's an adventure series filled with really cool elements and unforgettable characters who are both familiar and very different from the Carroll version of Wonderland.

The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

by Lewis Carroll is a compendium of information straight from the author and lets the reader in on the nuances of Victorian jokes, lifestyle and jargon so that one can better understand the novel he wrote. The book itself is a decadent addition to any library. It's strong red cover with intricate edging detailing just makes the fingers itch to open it and dive into the world of Alice.

I hope this has you excited to see the movie and dive into wonderland. I know I am!

Until next time!

Moiturizer for oily skin search Part I

On the quest to look for a moisturizer that works for my skin and helps me to not breakout when that does happen has been a challenge with the triple digit heat here in San Antonio I do not want to look shiny or feel my skin producing excess oils.

So i'm trying two moisturizers:

1. Arbonne FC5 Oil Absorbing Day Lotion with SPF 20 Retail value: $39.50 1.7 oz

2. Sephora FACE Hydrating Balancing Cream - Combination To Oily Skin: $18(online) $12(in-store)
1.69 oz

Yes even oily skin need moisture. However the quest to find a moisturizer that does what it claims is the challenge no matter what your skin type.

I choose these two brands based on my track record with both companies. Arbonne has had wonderful products that my mother uses religiously and that i love to use on occasion. The Hybrids Vitamin punch is great for my daughter and the mens line i so want my hubby to use. I still get the 35% discount and used it to purchase the Day Lotion at less than the $39.50 price tag.

The Sephora face brand saved my face when my skin dried out in the winter. Their dry skin line was perfect for my first experience with dry skina fter being oily for years. Now that the hot weather has finally caught up with my face, i have had to use a different moisturizer with little sucess much to my and my skin's dismay.

Claims:

Arbonne claims this moiturizer is oil free and helps to absorb moisture has antioxidants and has SPF 20 to fight the sun's harmful rays while leavign the skin with a fresh matte appearance.

Sephora Face claims their hydrating balancing cream is tripel action: hydrates, regulates oil production and help future breakouts.

Arbonne is vegan and forulated thsi moisturizer without: Parabens,m Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, PABA, Petrolatum, Paraffin, Diethanolamine, or Anima-Derived Ingredients. Key Ingredients: Fresh kiwi cells; Matte Fresh Complex of mallow, melissa, watercress, ivy; grapeseed oil, pomegranate extract, vitamins A and E

Sephora: has white clay, zinc, vitamin b-5, however it has parabens. No mineral oil which is great.
-White Clay: Absorbs excess sebum and impurities.
-Zinc: Regulates sebum.
-Vitamin E: Antioxidant.
-Glycerin: Prevents skin dryness.
-Pro-Vitamin B5: Nourishing, softening, and anti-inflammatory.


Aroma:
Arbonne: Pleasant fruity smell though does smell a little like suntan loition.

Sephora: Fresh smell that is light.

Texture and absorption:

Arbonne had a light slippery feel a little like suntan lotion but thinner. The product comes out throught the use of a samll pump and it is a perfect amount for the face. It absorbed into my skin very quickly, lef my skin soft and matte just as the claim goes.

Sephora in a plain tube had great smooth texture and was thin as well. It absorbed into my skin more quickly than the Arbonne product.

Staying power:

Arbonne left my skin feeling hydrated longer while the sephora as soft but not as soft as the Arbonne product. I am sititng here petting my hand withthe arbonne cream on it b/c it's so soft.

Field testing into the Texas Heat is the next test. I need a week with each product to give it a full go. so this posting will have to have a Part II.

If you have used any of the two let me know. If you'd liek to purchase Arboonee with a 35% discount let me know and i can tell you how to get it.

If you haven't signed up for the Beauty Insider card with sephora you need to get it! Rack up points and get exlusive full sized samples. How cool is that!

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!

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.

Bare Minerals..Made in the USA

Been using Bare Minerals for the past couple months and I have to say, my skin is just thanking me for it. I have had skin improvement and I love the light feel and creamy texture of the mineral foundation. I also use the Prime Time Primer. $21

I also have to give a big four sparkly stars to The Buxom Lips line. The glosses are fantastic. I have Dolly and Starr. They have a plumping factor that tingles and adds fullness while having beautiful shine and adding moisture to your lips with Vitamins A & E. For the price of $18 you really get a good product. It also smells great! looking to get a peachy one next for summertime. I'm so excited.

Now I have had the roughest time with Mascara. I have tried a few different brands through out the years and what used to work for me was the common standard of the Pink Maybelline tube...but pregnancy changes everything! My skin become so much more sensitive and when I turned 28 my skin changed totally. I'm now more sensitive to chemicals and my skin went from oily to dry...weird I know.

So i looked into a few other brands like Cover Girl, Arbonne, and a few others. Until finally at Sephora I asked for help. I don't need dramatic volume or length i just wanted something so when i put on eye makeup they could stand out a little more. I also wanted something that wouldn't irritate my eyes as all the other brands had. So I was told the Buxom Lash mascara would be great. At a reasonable $18 i gave it a try. I can proudly say I love this mascara. It doesn't irritate and the wand is great. I would love to see this in a waterproof formula but I am utterly content with this product.

With all the worries about lead in makeup from china, I was trying to make sure that my makeup was not from china. Been looking through all my makeup and as i had thrown away some of the boxes I needed answers. So to the BE site I went to find the number for customer service. Once on the phone I spoke to April who after about a 30 sec hold time to look into the inquiry was able to relay that all the minerals are processed and mined her in the good old US of A. Some products lke the Prime Time are manufactured in the Netherlands and the only thing coming from China are the brushes.

To sum up, BE is the way to go if you like mineral makeup, want a trusted company and want to keep money flowing within this country. Happy Shopping!