A Sale Announcement and an Update

Hi ladies,

How are you doing? Do you miss me? I've been MIA for a while and I really miss you guys. Life has been one roller coaster ride for me recently and I hope it's for the better. Anyways, first thing first, let's go with the sale:

Cherry Culture has a 20% sale just in time for V-Day. You can get good deals on NYX there and with 20% off on everything, that is very nice of them. I placed an order from them before and although shipping is not as fast, the service and packing is good. Also, they have lots of variety of makeup at bargain price. If you need any makeup, please take advantage of this sale.

So what is going on with me?

As much as I love to blog and want to update this site every weekday, sometimes I face the cold hard reality that it may not be possible. This week particularly has been very difficult for me as I am packing up my stuff to move to a new place in town. Until very recently that I knew where to live after this and emotionally, it has not been all rosy to me. With that and other social obligations, blogging eventually took a back seat. However, as soon as I am back to my normal routine, My Makeup Blog will be published in its regular schedule.

To those of you who have been with me, I am really thankful to have you as my readers. All of your encouragements and kind words are highly noted, especially during this challenging part of my life. Time like this tests my survival skills and although I do not like it, this is how we grow! I am so glad the new place that I am moving in at the end of this week is nice, peaceful, and safe. In that place, I am praying for a fresh start and renewed energy in my life. With that, this blog will probably be much better than how it already is.

And the winner is...

Last week, when I selected the winner of our 2nd giveaway, I utilized a random number generator from Random.org. I just plucked in the metrics and it gave me a number. Then I went down my list of subscribers, listed based on the time you signed up, and voila...

Lucky number 14, where art thou?

I emailed the lucky winner twice and for confidentiality, I am not going to reveal her email address here but if your email address starts with "msh", please check your email account. I hope you're still reading my blog and I'd love to hear from you. Otherwise, I'll have to select another winner if I don't hear from you soon.

To both the winner and my makeup adopter, I am going to mail out your packages next week after I am done with moving. Please be patient, I still have everything with me :)

Those are the few items I need to address and I'm glad to get them out of my chest. Although it is highly unlikely that I will blog again this week, I hope to get back in the horse as soon as possible. After all, I really miss blogging! So please stay tuned and when we come back, let's hope that we're having a smooth ride to the end of the rainbow :)

Take care and talk to you soon,
Dao

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Happy Lunar New Year!

Hello everyone!

Today is not just Monday but also the first day of the year of the Ox! For those who are Asians, we have two new year days a year: the regular new year on Gregorian calendar, and the Lunar (or Chinese) new year based on the moon calendar. This year is the year of the ox, which will bring a lot of luck to those who are willing to work hard. Unlike last year which was the year of the Mouse, it is believed that the year of the Ox is going to be much brighter. I can feel the changes coming!


So for those who are celebrating Lunar New Year, I am wishing you good luck and prosperity during the year of the Ox to you and your families. May all your wishes and plans come true and happiness to follow you wherever you go and whatever you do.

Regarding the 2nd contest, I already emailed the winner so please check your email and reply. I will mail your package some time this week. For those of you who joined me, I promise to have more contests in the future, just be patient and stick with me, alright?

Take care and stay gorgeous on the next year,
Dao

*Image courtesy of Philip9876

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Time to Pamper Yourself with a DYI Facial

Hello ladies,

TGIF! Like many others, I love to be pampered and feel relaxed once in a while. The weekend is a perfect opportunity to unwind and recharge my energy. Whenever possible, my Friday nights are reserved for me to do all beautification that I need. My most favorite activity is getting a facial and as much as I love to go to the spa, sometimes it is quite expensive to book an appointment. Also, I feel uncomfortable being tucked tightly under a blanket. After some research and practice, I find out that doing facials at home is affordable. With some easy to find items, you can transform your home into a spa as well.

Image courtesy of Melbourne Grant Hyatt

What you need:

• Makeup remover: if you wear makeup, you need to remove it before getting a facial;
• Gentle skin cleanser: I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser but any face wash would do;
• A steamer: if you already have one, that's perfect! Otherwise, boiling some hot water and steaming your face with a towel on top of your head is fine as well. You can add some herbs to the water such as lavender or rosemary if you like;
• Some face massage oil or lotion: I find jojoba oil to be a good face massage liquid as it glides well and does not break me out;
• Face masque: for oily skin, a clay face masque is preferred. For normal to dry skin, a moisturizing face masque is more suitable;
• Toner and face moisturizer;
  
• Some soft towels to wipe your face;
• Optional: soft music, candles, aromatherapy fragrances.

Step 1: Remove all your makeup and steam your face

Image courtesy of eHow

After removing all of your makeup and wash your face, you can steam your face to open up the pores. The steam should feel comfortably warm, not burning hot. If you don't feel comfortable, either stop the steaming process or move your head higher. Usually, I would steam for 5 minutes as my skin is sensitive and I don't want any broken capillaries on my face.

After you finish steaming, lightly pat your face with a towel to remove excess moisture and proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Give yourself a face massage

Image courtesy of Balance Medical Spa

For a long time, my DYI facials were nice but lack the result that I wanted. Then one day it dawned on me that instead of jumping from steaming to making a face masque, I need a face massage in between. Since my skin is sensitive, most facial massages ended up with massive breakouts. However, I saw this video from Emyli's blog and I really enjoy it. The massage gave me a glow afterward and jojoba oil really moisturizes my skin.



One note: please do not skimp on the massage oil or lotion as you do not want to drag your skin. The motion should be smooth and with minimal friction. Since it is a massage, you should apply more pressure to the movements.

Step 3: Doing a facial masque and relax

Image courtesy of Whalewalk Inn

After doing a facial massage, you can lightly pat off the moisturizing oil or lotion with a damped cloth. Depending your skin type, you can apply a layer of face masque to your face and leave it on as the product is instructed. This is the time to relax and I prefer to lay down, turn on my music, close my eyes, and enjoy the moment. If you have cucumber, you can put slices of cucumber on your eyes like in the picture. Otherwise, two cotton balls soaked in water are also good. Sometimes I even doze off during this part of the facial!

Step 4: Wash, tone, and moisturize your face

After the masque is dried off, you can remove it with warm water and a face cloth. Then using a cotton ball, you soak it with your toner and apply all over your face. Since my skin is acne-prone, I use a toner with salicylic acid and wait for it to dry. The last step is to moisturize your face with your favorite moisturizer and voila, you just gave yourself a facial!

A facial should be done once a week as it is an intensive process and some of the products used can dry out your skin. If you have an event, a facial should be done 3-4 days ahead so your skin would have time to settle down. With continuous use, you can get a nice glow on your face.

That's all for today. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and as always, stay gorgeous!

With love,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: I'm going to email to the winner of the giveaway at noon. Please check the email account that you subscribed to me. Also, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

My Winter Wish List

Hello my beauties,

How are you doing today? I hope everything is going well for you and we have only one more day before the weekend kicks in. Great, isn't it? Lately, I've been stressed out and become unmotivated in what needed to be done. Reflecting back on the success I had in the past, one common practice occurred: self-bribing! I set a goal, put a reward, and work hard toward it. Most times I broke the goals in record time. The last self-bribe I did was during NaNoWriMo: I brought myself a set of pearl necklace and stud earrings as a reward for finishing the 50K challenge. Needless to say, I did finish NaNo and was really happy with myself. Now comes the thesis writing which I am extremely uninspired, yet need to finish. So once again, self-bribing and this time it comes with a list.

1. MAC 187 Dual Fibre Brush ($42 USD):

Image courtesy of MAC cosmetics

From the first moment I saw this brush in summer 2005, I fell in love with it. MAC 187 brush probably is the most unique brush in this world with many immitations but none come close to the real deal. Even the 187 SE, which is the short handled version during the holiday collection, does not even perform the same way as its full-size version. The only thing that keeps me from getting this brush is the price tag: $42 USD, yikes!

For the record, I do have a 187 dupe from Everyday Minerals which was discontinued about a year ago. Although the dupe is good, it does not do quite a fantastic job to blend foundation. The one unique thing about this brush that makes me covet it so much is its versatility: the 187 can apply blush, MSF, glows, cream blush, and foundation like no others! Especially when it comes to foundation application, this brush will give you that airbrushed look. Have you ever wonder why MAC makeup artists have such flawless skin while using the same thing as you do? They use the 187, my dahlin', and you don't!

So having a 187 in the list, regardless of the price, is fueling my mad writing skillz. This brush is something I definitely get because if something I've been wanting since 2005, I'd better get it!

2. Origins Ginger Rush Intensely Hydrating Body Cream ($32.50 USD)

Image courtesy of Origins

Unlike others, I think I am quite late to jump into the Origins bandwagon. Last weekend, I cruized the mall and bumped into the Origins counter. After some sniffing and touching, I found myself loving the Ginger formula so much that I asked for a sample to carry home. Ginger Rush is a rich body cream that feels like a body butter than a lotion. The smell is very invigorating and relaxing at the same time. I found myself inhaling deeply to the fragrance and smiling at it. My stress seemed to melt away as well.

Origins body cream is highly hydrated while leaving my skin feeling smooth, not slimy. Most lotions I've tried either are not mosturizing enough or making my skin feel sticky. Needless to say, I do not prefer either way. Again, $32.50 is a lot of cash for a body cream but who knows, if I'm stressed enough I may break down and run to Origins!

3. Aveda Brilliant Conditioner ($18 USD)

Image courtesy of Aveda

Like body lotion, I have a strange standard when it comes to hair conditioner: it has to hydrate my hair without making it oilier than it already is. Everytime I go to Aveda, I get to use different products but the smell of Brilliant is what I really love. It smells earthy and rosy at the same time. I find Brilliant to be moisturizing and light at the same time. My hair still has that bounciness that I love, plus the softness and shine I do not anticipate. But again, $18 USD for a conditioner is kind of yikes to me. However, a bottle of conditioner does last me a very long time so once my ban is over, I will get it.

Speaking of the no-buy policy, I am proud to say that I'm keeping it well. Although the temptation is high, I did not buy even a single makeup, skincare, or body care item. I've used some products I bought a while ago and enjoy them. I found some makeup items I barely used and love them. My wallet is happy and I am happy. The ban works in many ways and I highly recommend that to all of y'alls out there who are struggling in the shopping department.

That's all for today, folks! Hopefully I will bring those babies home and do some reviews about them in the (near) future. What else do you love? Please let me know, I'd love to hear from you!

Take care and stay gorgeous,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: Did you sign up for the giveaway yet? If not, please do so by subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Announcing Our 2nd Giveaway

Hi ladies,

Happy Hump Day! This week at My Makeup Blog is full of giveaways because (a) it's time for another one since the last giveaway was months ago already, and (b) well, you have to read more to find out.

Since the last giveaway, I always want to do another one since it was really fun. However, I soon learned my blog's limitation: since it is a non-sponsored blog, hosting a giveaway equals to more work for me. Eventually, the fun part won over and here we are with our 2nd giveaway. I really wish I can do this once a month but I guess hosting it once in a while does not hurt, right?

Years ago, I was introduced to this French company called Yves Rocher that I really love. Their products are derived from natural sources and to me, they are effective. I truly love their skincare, body care, and perfumes. Also, Yves Rocher has sales all the time! As a result, I stocked up whenever there's a sale on products I loved. And let me tell you, I have quite a lot of them, up to a point that some of my friends and relatives became YR's customers.

So in the spirit of a giveaway, I am going to let one of you experience YR and hopefully you're going to be hooked into their products. The items I am going to send are:

• Inositol Végétal Reviving 2 in 1 Cleanser + Toner ($12.50 USD): before Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, I used this product and it made my skin feel squeaky clean. It smells nice and often times made me feel refreshed.
• Daily Face Wash for Men ($16 USD): it is a soap-free scrub that I sometimes used for my body instead of my face. It is minty and made my skin feel polished afterwards. You can use it for yourself or give to a man in your life. Either way, someone is going to be happy!

Assorted samples

I have to admit I am a sample hoarder and YR seemed to notice that. In one order, I got a whole lot of samples that I barely used. The ones included in this giveaway mostly are perfume samples from YR and they are very soft perfumes. Even those who have allergies can wear them.

Samples included are: Bambou, Ode au rêve (very nice perfume!), Ode à l'amour (nice perfume for a date night), Néonatura, Néonatura parfum cocon, Yria, Evidence, Ming Shu (a water-floral perfume), Eryo (a perfume for men), Eryo Blue (also for men), DHC velvet skin coat (a face primer that I love!), Victoria's Secret Bare Bronze illuminating face tint, Danielle by Danielle Steel, and Tomorrow by Avon.

I also include 2 eyeshadow samples from Adorned with Grace called "Cool Grape." This color is the pre-existence of AwG's current popular color called "Adorable" which I really love. It's a pretty color for everyday use and I hope the winner will enjoy it.

Now here's the important part: how to participate in the giveaway!

It is simple: all you need to do is to subscribe via email to my feed. If you already did so, you don't need to do anything else. However, if you haven't subscribed, you really miss out the daily (ok, most week day) perk of having the most up-to-date entries delivered to your email. Imagine reading something fun during lunch hours!

The contest is running from today until noon on Friday (01/23/09.) I am going to randomly choose a winner at lunch on Friday and the winner needs to reply my email FAST! Otherwise, it will go to another person. The prize will be sent out this Saturday and once it is out of my hand, I am not responsible for any loss or damage to the package and its contents.

To participate in this giveaway, please enter your email address:

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Good Makeup that Needs a Good Home

EDIT: The Makeup was claimed by one reader. Thank you for your interest! Please stay tuned for tomorrow when we have the actual giveaway.
=========

Hi ladies,

How are you doing? I'm super excited today because of the Inauguration! Also, there's this makeup settlement going on and I'm going to get me some free beauty products. For a week or so, I've been sorting things out as I'll be moving out of my current apartment at the end of this month. After sorting through my makeup stash, I realize there are some items that I barely used and they are good makeup! They make me happy but I do not get to wear them as much. It is very unfair to these makeup items to be stashed somewhere without being used.

As heartbroken as I am, I decided to part with them. Instead of just donating them to Goodwill like I usually do, I think they would be better off with one of you. Again, these items are barely used (3 times max!)

Items up for grabs

Details about them: click "Read More"

• Wet 'n' Wild Ultimate Expressions eyeshadow palette in Fantasy Island: click here for a look. After making that FOTD, I did not use the palette at all.
• Cover Girl eyeshadow quad in Ice Princess: FOTD here.
• Cover Girl eyeshadow trio in Shimmer Sand: I really like this trio but I have a lot of neutrals already so it has to go :(
• Revlon Diamond Lust eyeshadow in Champagne Buzz: it's a LE in 2007 and also a good highlighter. Also, it is HUGE!
  
• Clinique Perfectly Real compact makeup in shade 106: it's a GWP and a wrong shade. I tested it once and that was it.
  

So whoever is interested in getting this loot, please email me. It's first come first serve so you'd better email me fast! I really like them but don't get to play with them as much because I just have so much makeup to use. I hope whoever get them will enjoy them more than I do. So email me and I'll send them to you.

Take care and be gorgeous,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Cosmetics Settlement: Get Your Free Makeup on Inaguration Day!

Hi ladies,

For those of us in the United States, today is a day off to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. For some, that means it's a long weekend while to others, Dr. MLK Jr's birthday signifies a change that happened in the past that still affects our presents. Since my philosophy is "celebrate what's worth celebrating", I am grateful for the man and the day off.

Tomorrow probably is going to be the biggest day of the year as this country as well as the world is going to celebrate the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. The fact that the two days are back to back mean a lot to some of us and again, "celebrate what's worth celebrating!"

Now, since this is a beauty blog, I am not going to ramble into American History, right? Right! There's something happening on Inauguration day as well: free makeup! Apparently, there was a lawsuit regarding price-fixing in some department store brands. So for those who are eligible, you can get a free beauty item up to $25 USD at some certain department store.

Starting from tomorrow, you can go to the department stores listed here and get your stuff. It's first come, first serve so you'd better hurry up. While some of the stores are ready, others may not so it would be better if you call them first to ask.

The whole list of department stores and products are listed in this website and please feel free to read more about it. The reason for this settlement is there was a lawsuit about price fixing that went to court. Instead of going all the way and risking a verdict that could cost them a lot of money, these cosmetic companies decided to avoid it by getting a settlement. Hence, free beauty products for us. I swear I could hear Dr. O's lecture on commerce law echoing in my ears!

Photo credit: Bobbi Brown at work at Roland Mouret. Her makeup company is also in the lawsuit as it is a part of Estee Lauder :(

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When Writing Collides

Hi y'all!

Too much of writing is not a good thing. Right now, beside this blog I have my thesis to take care of and it is a PRIORITY. So I'm taking a little bit of time off to write my thesis. I will be back next week, promise!

PhD Comics' way of writing an abstract :)
I'll definitely use it!

In the mean time, please feel free to browse my archive and especially, subscribe to my feed. You are guaranteed to get a front row seat to my blog that way. For those of you who've been my subscribers, I really appreciate it!

Now, let me do some mad-dash writing and I'll resurface soon!

Take care and stay gorgeous,
Dao

Free Bottle of Suave

I got this from my friend that Suave is giving a free bottle of their product to everyone who signs up today and only today. Please click here to claim yours.

Register on suave.com to receive a coupon for one (1) bottle of Suave Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Spray, Styling Aid, BodyWash, or Body Lotion (good up to $3.00) by mail. Registration begins at 12:00:01 a.m. ET on January 14, 2009 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on January 14, 2009. Open to all legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, age 18 years or older. Limit one coupon per household. Coupons will be mailed 2 - 4 weeks after registration close and can be redeemed through February 28, 2009.

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Everyday Minerals Cosmetic Wet Wipes: It's Good to be Clean

Happy Hump Day, my beautiful readers!

How are you doing today? I hope everything is going well with you this week because I'm feeling the pressure already! Lately, it's been cold in my place and I really do not like to touch water in the morning. Washing my face has become the thing chore instead of something I enjoy doing. However, since my last haul from Everyday Minerals, at least my morning ritual is not as nail biting as it sounds thanks to the cosmetic wet wipes that I bought.

Everyday Minerals Cosmetic Wet Wipes
80 counts, $3.75 USD

Ever since EDM launched this wipe in 2007-2008, I really wanted to try them but for some reasons never got to do so. Perhaps the reason was at the time, the wet wipes pack was not included in a kit but a stand alone item. I did not have the need to buy any a la carte item since they are quite expensive then getting from a kit. However, I keep tabs of what I wanted and by the time EDM offered such an extravagant discount and GWP, I decided to add one to my cart.

In my life, I am not such a big fan of cosmetic wipes and the two brands of wipes I've ever used are MAC wipes (duh!) and Ponds wet wipes. The later one is significantly cheaper than the first one and does the job perfectly fine. Wipes to me are reserved for emergency situations only, such as travelling and late night makeup removals. Since the TSA has made it so difficult to travel with liquids, wipes are the way to go. Also, once you use them up, you don't need to carry anything home with you. Moreover, they are so convenient to take off all the makeup when you just want to crash in your bed (sleeping with a face full o' makeup is not good, y'all!)

The reason I am not fond of wipes is pretty simple: most of them are not made from biodegradable materials. Once you use a wipe, it becomes trash to the environment and enough of them will give us land fields. So I tend to wash my face the traditional way with face wash, water, and washcloth. But once in a while I need a wipe and you will find some in my house being dried up and all!

So what makes the EDM wipes so different that I became giddy with them?

See how huge it is?

First of all, EDM has become an environmentally concious and vegan makeup company so their products carry on their philosophy. The wipes are biodegradable, flushable, and compose of natural and organic ingredients.

Ingredients: purified water, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, lavender hydrosol, organic lavender essential oil, organic grapefruit essential oil, extracts of green tea, phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, grapefruit seed extract, citric acid.

EDM advertised that it can be used for babies as well as adults. I find the smell is somewhat similar to that of baby wipes. However, the cloth texture is a bit different: not as soft as MAC wipes or plushy as Ponds wipes. It is kind of like a thinner and rougher version of Viva towels that I really love. I do love the smell of these wipes with lavender being the dominant fragrance. I could not detect grapefruit or green tea at all.

"How well does it clean?" you may ask. Well, very well for mineral makeup and non-waterproof mascaras.

This is called devotion, people!
Who would take a picture of a dirty wet wipe to put on the internet?

I used a wipe to remove all my MMU and mascara and it did an awesome job to take everything off my face. I used another wipe just in case but it came clean so the first one already did its job well. After "washing" my face with the wipe, my skin does not feel grimmy or soapy but refreshed. MAC and Ponds wipes tend to dry my skin out afterward but EDM version does not do so. Moreover, I did not get any breakouts from the wipes, which is a big fat plus.

Right now it is not seen in the website and I don't know if it's just out of stock or they are in the process of redo their skincare line. I really pray for the first one because Natural Reflections are back in stock for now. I really love these wipes and would order it again, although a pack will take me a long time to finish.

My rating: B+, if the cloth is softer I would have given it an A.

The current special is really good: 9% off total order, purchases over $25 USD after discount get two sample eyeshadows (which are the same size as full-size ones elsewhere!) The code is goldenglobes and expiration date is unknown.

Woa, so many reviews lately! I think I need to post a FOTD or something, don't you think?

Happy hunting, everyone! And remember to stay gorgeous, ok?

Love,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

NYC Chroma Face Glow: Glow like J.Lo

Hi ladies,

How's everything going? It's been a couple of days since my self-imposed ban from buying makeup and I'm still going strong. Yesterday I drove by CVS and did not even come in! Drugstore makeup is getting better and better each day, which makes me almost stop buying from big department store brands. Who would have thought two years ago that one day there would be a drugstore item that's exactly the same as the most coveted MAC mineralize skin finish?

Well, ladies...it happened! NYC, my favorite discount drugstore brand, had a fall 2008 LE called Metro Metals and I was lucky enough to get the two face glows they offered called Sunstone and Moonstone at $4.99 USD each! Before I show you how they look like and etc, here's a little bit of detail between MAC MSF and I: although I really covet the MSF, I can't wear 'em! My adoration of these shimmering colors came when I saw a FOTD with Shimpagne and my mouth fell open: that MSF was so gorgeous! However, MSFs do not come cheap as the latest MAC LE (Redhead, Blond, Brunette) has 3 MSF priced at $28 USD! With tax it would come around $30! But at some point in my life, I did indeed owned an MSF (for about a week!) before returning it back to MAC because of the itch I felt every time I used the color.

On the left is MAC MSF in Light Flush from the N-Collection in regular lightning

Light Flush with flash, it was a very beautiful MSF and I felt bad to return it

If you've known MAC MSF, you understand how fast they are sold out. The fact that I got Light Flush was sheer luck: the MAC counter in town ran out of stock and restocked them without anybody knowing it. I just happened to ask and found the very last one they had. With that said, you can see how sad I was to return it back and after that, it became a love-hate relationship between me and MSF: I love you but I hate that I can't wear you! Moreover, owning an MSF is an investment because a pan is HUGE! But $30 is still a lot for a makeup item. When I finally saw the NYC Chroma Face Glows, I knew that I have to have them! They are as big as MAC's and a whole lot cheaper.

The packaging is similar to that of MAC MSF

NYC Chroma Face Glow in Moonstone (L) and Sunstone (R) in natural lightning

With flash
(I'm really sorry that all my pictures were posted side-way, Picassa has a way to play with me!)

Moonstone in natural lightning

with flash

Moonstone is a pale pink shimmering color that a lot of people recognize to be similar to MAC Petticoat MSF.

Sunstone in natural lightning

With flash

This is a reddish-bronzy color that is similar to MAC So Ceylon MSF. Having previous experience with Light Flush, I know Sunstone is about 2 shades darker but the finish is the same.

Skin swatch: Moonstone on top, Sunstone at the bottom

Overall, Moonstone is a really good highlighter as it gives you a healthy glow while Sunstone can be used as a blush. Compared to MAC, NYC did a really good job to create them but the pigmentation as well as shimmer is not as intense as the department store brand. In a sense, I like the Chroma Face Glows better for two reasons: they do not make my face feel itchy and they are really wearable. MAC MSF when not done right can be catastrophic: it will make your face look like a disco ball. However, as NYC glows are buildable, the chance to glow like mad is low. You will actually have that J.Lo glow that you crave with these products!

Can you still get it? It depends: my town is really small and I got Moonstone about 2-3 weeks ago. However, if you live in LA, NY or the D.C metro area, chances are they are already gone! These items are kind of popular underground and some people even mentioned petition to NYC to continue producing more of these. I sincerely hope they do because I do love them a lot! Finally I can wear MSF, yay! If you want to hunt for them, CVS is a good start because in my town, they are the ones to carry NYC makeup, including LE collections. You may even get them in deep discount, I know Alyssa did and she enjoys hers as well!

Take care ladies and as usual, stay gorgeous!

Love,
Your Makeup Blogger

P.S: If you like my blog, please subscribe to my feed. Thanks a lot!

Everyday Minerals Haul

Happy Monday everyone!

It's hard to blog sometimes when internet is not reliable. This morning for the millionth time I tried to upload some pictures so that I can tell you about one of my most recent hauls. The year 2009 started with a bang to me, makeup wise. After Christmas, I found out Everyday Minerals (EDM) had a 17% discount coupon for all purchases during that time. Since I really wanted to try some of their products, I decided to place an order. Then I realized that I did not order anything from EDM for more than a year! How so? Click here for an earlier entry to find out, alright my dear readers?

Since my last order, EDM changed a lot of things: switched their website to a better-looking version, changed the formulas of almost every MMU items, provided many different foundations and concealers, and finally offered sample sizes in items they did not do before. I was intrigued to try out some new things as I kept on hearing raves about this company despite my so-so experience with them. Also, the 17% discount did help to make things better. I got a whole lot of stuff for less than $25 USD (shipping included!) Happy New Year to me!

The free sample kit
EDM offers one sample kit with 3 foundations, 1 blush, and 1 concealer to try per order. I could not help but took advantage of this.
Top down, clockwise: Abbots Peark Me Up concealer, Peach original glow foundation, Deep Tan o-glow foundation, Sandy Olive semi-matte foundation, and Wet Sand blush (it's a highlighter, btw)

Gifts with purchase, Holiday Edition (CW from top): Silver Bells, Chrismas Carol, and Sleigh Ride eye shadows, Jingle Bells blush
My order: Mystic Night sample eyeshadow

All the mini items
Looks like a Christmas tree and it's my kind of Christmas tree btw :)

I also ordered a mini kit with 6 items of choice
Top row: Start to Finish Sunlight and Natural Reflections Fair powder
Middle: Launch Party blush
Bottom: Peach Tree blush and Multi-Intensive concealer


and the 6th item is a pack of cosmetic wet wipes!


I was so happy so I created this arrow thing
It's called makeup arts of arrangement :)


It reminds me of the song "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith
"And she said, 'walk this way, walk this way'..."


I decided to literally wear some makeup on my face on New Year Day.
This FOTD is called "Bug Eyes" hahaha

The three foundations samples are used as eye shadows and I intended to use them that way when I ordered, hence the non-matching shades to my skin. They are pigmented enough to be used as eye shadows so I am quite happy. Also, the formula change with added mica makes everything easier to apply. EDM foundations now do not give me large pores anymore. The staying power and slip is fantastic! I am very happy for all the items I received in this order.


However, EDM decided to revamp their product lines and gave some items a big fat axe, including things that I just ordered (lucky me!):

• Natural Reflections is gone for good, RIP! They did it before with the Silk Dusts which were their most popular items. NRs were their replacements and now they are also in makeup heaven.
• The whole skin care line, including the wet wipes went missing on their website: until now whether they got an axe or not is still unknow and I hope they are spared. I love the wipes and want to reorder.
• The 10-piece eyeshadow sample kit is also out of the game: this is unfair for those who just want to order sample sizes. Their e/s sample kit was really affordable ($17 USD) and it's a fun way to try different things. Since most people do not use up a full jar of e/s in their life-time, sampling is the way to go.

I sincerely hope for every item EDM cut, another greater one is coming out as replacements. The case was true with NRs and I hope it will continue that way. Also, before they make a cut, please at least let us know so we can stock up some of our favorites. I like my NR now and if it's gone, I don't know if I can find anything as good to use as a powder.

Reviews of some items are coming out soon within the next few weeks, so stay tuned for them! I've been so busy playing with my makeup that I even forgot to take swatches. I really love the current EDM formulas and everything is so great right now that I even consider ordering some of them in full sizes.

I wish you a good week ahead and as usual, stay gorgeous!

Love,
Your Makeup Blogger

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