Today's Makeup + First Impression MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation

I didn't want to put makeup on because I'm staying in today. But I got this sample of the new Mineralize Moisture Foundation from MAC and I really wanted to try it. And once you put the foundation on you realized that you just can't call it the day there. So I finished up with fewer makeup items than normal. I guess I'll call it semi-minimal makeup look.

Skindinavia Bridal Spray, Bare Minerals Ready Luminizer in The Love Affair, Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand Medium 0-1, NYX Blush in Dustry Rose, Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer, It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under-eye Concealer in Neutral Medium, YSL Shocking Mascara (sample), Rimmel Scadaleyes Waterproof Kohl in Nude, MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation in NW20 (sample), MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 (sample), MAC Lipstick in Lustering

The Mineralize Moisture Foundation has a really natural dewy finish with light coverage. It's moisturizing. It's just right amount of moisture for normal to dry skin. Compared to Clinique Even Better Foundation, which is ultra moisturizing, Mineralize Moisture's consistency is thinner and less moisturizing and less sticky. This foundation isn't very buildable. One layer gives light coverage. When I added another layer it only provided a tiny bit more coverage. You can probably build to up to light medium coverage but I don't think it's possible to build it up to medium.

2 layers with no powder & no concealer

I have combination skin. Some parts of my face is very dry and some parts get oily throughout the day. I like this foundation because it's moisturizing but not greasy. It looks very natural like second skin. My only complaint would be the bulky packaging. I like the thick glass bottle but it's inconvenient to travel with. The price is reasonable. It's a little more pricey than Clinique foundations, but cheaper than brands like NARS and MUFE.

I'm not sure if I want to purchase this because if Face and Body can achieve the same thing. It's definitely the better value for the buck and I heard that it's more buildable.

I don't really have any complaint about the product. But if you like medium and full coverage, it is not for you. I would recommend this to people who use foundation to mainly even out complexions.

Please see 8/9/2013 Updated Review

Soap & Glory Hand Food

This is the best smelling hand cream in my opinion. If there’s a perfume of this scent, I would probably wear just that for the rest of my life.

This hand cream, however, is the least moisturizing of all the hand cream I’ve used. I would not reach for it when my hands are extremely dry.

The good thing about this hand cream is that is absorbs really quickly. The hands don’t feel sticky or wet whatsoever. The scent stays on for quite long.

It’s a good hand cream to use after washing hands to replenish some moisture stripped away by the soap. But it’s not a cure to already dry hands.

Overall, it’s not a bad hand cream. The formula itself doesn’t impress me that much. I have to admit

the scent makes up a lot for the formula. And just for that, I’m willing to repurchase it. I know, I’m a sucker for scents.

Freckle Nails: Mocking Illamasqua Freckle Nail Varnish

source: http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/a/nail-varnish-duck-egg-freckle-rgb.jpg

I’ve been wanting the new Illamasqua nail polish in Freckle for a while but could never bring myself to spend $16 on a nail polish. So I decided to create the look by using a nude nail polish and a black specks nail polish.

I used Nubar Nail Polished in NLA6 Creme and G715 Black Polka Dot.

Creme is quite sheer and it’s lighter than the Freckle. I had to use 3 coats for it to start being opaque. Even though it requires a lot of coats to be opaque, it dries pretty well. I was expecting it to be gooey and never dry on the nails but it actually completely dried up.

Black Polka Dot is clear with small and large black specks. 2 coats were enough in general. I added some more on the places that needed more. I wish there were more large specks. Some nails didn't get any large specks at all. I really like this nail polish because I can mix it with other nail polish and create other freckly looks.

Even though the look isn't the complete dupe, I'm quite happy with it. The colors are definitely a little different. The nude in Freckle is darker and the specks are navy. Plus the specks and the nail polish are mixed together so some specks are not as visible.

I got both of them on Amazon. They are cheaper and the sellers offer free/ cheap shipping. 

Amazon links: NLA6 Creme & G715 Black Polka Dot


Update (3, 14, 2013)
I redid the look by putting 2 coats of Creme, mix Cream and Black Polka Dot together, and put on 2 coats of that mixture.



It's still not the exactly same look as the Illamasqua but it's a little closer because some specks are more muted.

Old Favorite: Smith’s Rosebud Salve

Smith’s Rosebud Salve and I go way back when I was in middle school. I had been using it for years and I stopped using it because I was using the same jar and I figured it was provably not a good idea so keep using it after all these years and it melting in the car so many times.

I never picked up another one until a few weeks ago. Until then I had been trying many other lip balms: Fresh Sugar, Vaseline (original & cocoa butter), Korres tinted lip butter, EOS lip balms, etc. The list can go on and on and NOTHING beats Smith’s Rosebud Salve.

It’s very moisturizing. It can repair my chapped lips over night. It feels very nice on the lips. It doesn’t have the chemical/ plasticky taste. It does clump or flake. Most of all, it’s only $6 and a jar can go a long way.

What I found with a lot of the lip balms in common is that they make your lips rely on them to stay hydrated. The Rosebud Salve does dry out your lips afterwards. You’re lips won’t feel super dry if you don’t use it for a few days.

I love this lip balm and it remains my favorite and the best in my opinion.
If you haven’t try this classic, I highly recommend it.

February Favorites

Makeup Favorites

• NARS Concealer in Custard: It’s a stick concealer that’s very convenient for travel and touch up. I use this when I’m in the rush out of the door. It’s easy to blend. I don’t use this for undereye because it could be drying.
• L’Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer in Light: I use this for under eye concealing because it’s luminizing. There is very subtle shimmer that’s pretty hard to detect. It looks natural and gives an instant pick-me-up. It can also be used to highlight other parts of the face if used without or on top of foundation. The consistency perfect; it’s not too sticky nor too dry. It’s very easy to blend. It feels very light on the skin. I would say it’s to lighten the skin more so to cover the skin. 
• Kate Super Sharp Liner in BK-1: I don’t know how I included this in a bunch of face makeup… Kate is a Japanese drugstore makeup brand owned by Kanebo. The price point is between L’Oreal and Physicians Formula. I got this in Taiwan. I’m usually not a fan of liquid eyeliner because it takes a lot of time to get a perfect smooth line and it usually turns out to be too thick for my hooded eyes. The tip of this eyeliner is very thin and flexible, which is really easy for me to control the line. It has a semi glossy finish.
• Bare Minerals Ready Luminizer in The Love Affair: It’s a golden highlighter. The shimmer is very finely milled. It’s not glittery at all and gives the skin really nice glow. It’s pretty pigmented. I hate those highlighters that you have to pile on to get the effect. I don’t have to do that with this highlighter. It’s so easy to apply. The powder is smooth like a dream. It’s perfect for light-medium to dark complexions. I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re very pale, especially with cool skin tone. The golden shimmer may look too noticeable.
• Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand Medium 0-1: I am SOOO late on this bandwagon. This powder is very nice. It reminds me of Bare Minerals Veil. The powder is very smooth. Even though there are different shades, the powder isn’t very pigmented and doesn’t add much coverage, which I actually really like because I already expect my foundation and concealer to cover the imperfections. This powder keeps my face matte longer than Mineral Veil. I would definitely repurchase it when the current one runs out.

• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze: This is the third Color Tattoo I purchased. I don’t know why I did because the first two did not impress me, but I’m glad I did. It’s a very nice all-over eyeshadow and also a nice crease color. I’ve been really lazy on my makeup this month. I usually just put a layer of this all over the lid and put some more on the crease. It’s very creamy and stays on all day. I’ve posted a review of this cream eyeshadow.
• L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush: I was hesitant to buy it because I had never worked with pigments or pressed pigments. But I couldn’t resist the color so decided to give it a go. I love this antique gold color. It reminds me of MAC Paintpot in Rubenesque (shown in picture above). It’s not a dupe but the color is pretty similar. Amber Rush is a little more rosy and more metallic. It’s very pigmented, smooth, non-messy, and easy to use.

• Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle: When I first bought it, I was really disappointed because it was too dark for my taste. This month I had been reaching for it for a neutral look. It shows up pretty brown in the picture. It’s actually rosy mauve. It feels very nice on the lips and it’s easy to wear.
• MAC Lip Coulor in So Vain: It’s a limited edition/ discontinued product. But I thought I would show it because you might be able to get it from eBay or some other places. It’s a lip cream that’s not too matte and not too glossy. It feels like a film on the lips and also feels like it’s just gonna slide off. However, it actually stays on pretty well. It’s a rosy peach color. Very wearable.

• Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish in Dressed to Kill and Paint the Town: I love these nail polished because they are cheap but the quality is so good. It doesn’t chip on me for almost a week. Sometimes it can go for a whole week without chipping. The color is opaque. 2 coats are enough. Dressed to KIll would be a little more tricky to work with than Paint the Town (the first coat can be really streaky) but nothing too challenging. I’ve been loving Dressed to Kill a lot. It’s a very dark red, almost black. I’ll have a review on these nail polished posted soon.

Skincare Favorites

• My Beauty Diary Masks: These masks make my skin look really good the next day. It looks rejuvenated and well-rested. The left over serum is the key. I like the pink one. The green one doesn't make me break out or anything but I can tell my skin likes the pink one better. It just feels more calming and more gentle. There are tons of different scents and they do different things to your skin. They’re available on Amazon. See this post for more details and demo.

Hair Favorites

• Paul Mitchell Clearifying Shampoo: I use this one a week to get rid of the buildup on my scalp. It does as it says and it doesn’t irritate my scalp.
• Organix Moroccan Argan Oil: It’s a dry oil so it doesn’t weigh down your hair. I like to use it before I style my hair as a protectant.
• Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream: It’s one of those products that don’t make a dramatic difference but it makes whatever you’re doing much better (if that makes sense). I use it on damp hair before I braid it to get the beachy wave the next morning. I also use it on the root of dry hair to create some volume. It smells heavenly. I hope there’s a perfume that smell like it.
• Redken Heat Styling Thermo Actif Spray Starch 15: It’s a hair spray that holds the style while leaving it flexible. I love that it doesn’t make my hair crunchy. However, it has really strong alcohol scent when you spray it.
• Diffuser: I noticed that if I blow dry my hair with it before I go to bed, my hair has more volume the body the next morning and it looks good down.

Random Favorite

• The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson: This is the second book in the Millennium trilogy, after The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I just finished The Girl Who Played with Fire. This one is easier to read than the first one because it’s not as dark. I like both books. I do think you have to read the first one to understand many things in the second one better though. The characters and their relationships can be hard to understand if you skipped the first one. If you’re interested in the final one, I would suggest you start right after the second one. Unlike between the first and second one, there’s no time lag in the story between the second and third one.

Empties #1

• Utterly Smooth Body Lotion (Unscented): See this post for more detail. I would definitely repurchase in the future.
• Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara in Blackest Black: See this post for more detail. It’s my favorite drugstore mascara! Would repurchase
• Boscia Balancing Facial Toner: See this post for more detail. My favorite toner so far. Would repurchase.
• Clinique All About Eyes Rich: See this post for more detail. I love it but I’m also open to trying other eye creams. Probably wouldn’t repurchase for a while.
• Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream: See this post for more detail. Already repurchased!
• The Body Shop Body Lotion in Vineyard Peach: The scent is nice but it smells a little “plasticky.” The lotion is pretty thin. It’s a little sticky at first but it absorbs pretty quickly. I used it up pretty fast (less than a month). I don’t love it but I don’t hate it.

• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard (Sample): I was really excited when this came out. I already have the stick concealer and it’s the perfect match to my complexion so I was excited to try the liquid one. I like the coverage. It doesn’t blend as fast as the stick one does but it’s still pretty blendable. I like this concealer and I would definitely purchase it.
• MAC Pro Long Wear Concealer in NC 30 (Sample): It took me so long to finish this sample. You only need a tiny bit to cover blemishes. I can definitely see why people hate the packaging. It really would pump out too much. This shade is not the perfect match. It’s a little too dark and turns a little orange. I don’t know if it oxidizes. I would purchase it if there’s a perfect shade.

Steal the Deal: Soap and Glory The Best Things in Life Are Three Set

Soap & Glory The Best Things in Life Are Three Set $25

Available in Sephora stores (currently sold out on sephora.com)

I got this set because I was looking for the travel size hand cream and the body butter. And then I saw this set and I thought it was such a good deal. The travel size hand cream is $5 and the body cream is $20. So you’re essentially getting the travel size shower gel for free.

I wouldn’t recommend it if the products weren’t good. I haven’t tried the shower gel but I’m so in love with the hand cream and body butter. They are hydrating and they smell so good. I’m 150% in love with the scent. The scent of the body butter stays on and makes my bed smell really good.

If you’re interested in the body butter, I highly recommend getting this set.