Travel Supplies

This weekend I went away on a short trip to Niagra Falls.

Here are the skin care/beauty supplies that I brought with me.

• bareMinerals Naturally Luminous Duo - samples of cleanser and moisturizer for combination skin
• bareMinerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream
• The Planet Spa aromatic body lotion plus ginger and vanilla
• MineralFusion mineral body lotion
• LaVanila Healthy Baby Lotion

• natural soap (I can't remember the brand)
• Greenbody Greenplanet Shampoo and Conditioner
• razors

• Crystal Essence Mineral Deodorant Towelette
• Clean Well All-Natural Hand Sanitizing Wipe
• an expanding towel
• Crystal Body Deodorant Roll-On
• nail file
• tweezers
• compact mirror
• floss
• contact lens case
• tooth paste

• tarte blush in Adored
• bareMinerals Pretty Amazing LipColor in Confidence and Oomph
• Physicians Formula Organic Wear Lash Boosting Mascara
• Everyday Minerals Finishing Dust
• Everyday Minerals Foundation in Fair Neutral, Fair, and Sandy Fair
• Everyday Minerals Concealer in Aussie Perk Me Up
• bareMinerals Blemish Therapy

See anything I forgot?

...I forgot to bring a brush and eyelash curler. I ended up skipping mascara because I find that it really doesn't look good without curled eyelashes. I applied foundation with my fingers - I dipped them into the mineral foundation and rubbed it in my skin. I actually liked the effect this gave! It felt a but smoother because I really pressed it into my skin. I didn't use the concealer or finishing dust.

Next time I go on vacation I'll have to remember to bring all my supplies!

~ Susan

January/February Favorites

These are my favorite products from January and February. I'm still loving my past favorites, especially the Intensive Hand and Body Creme and Healing Salve from Rainwater Botanicals.
Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balms

I loooooooveee these! They are so moisturizing and so lovely! My favorite it the rose - it is very natural but deep color.

Everyday Minerals Finishing Dust

This stuff is the only thing that keeps the shine at bay. For more info, check out my previous post.

Bare Minerals Ready 2.0

I'm loving these eye shadow duos in "The Enlightenment: Guru & Namaste" (above) and "The Promise: Aspire & Vow" (below).

These are the perfect neutrals for work. They give just a little little oomph to my look without making me feel self-concious about my makeup.

Spa Ritual Hand Serum

The weather has been getting a bit warmer where I live, so my hands don't need as much moisture as they did. This light serum gives the perfect amount of hydration for this time of year. It's not too oily or greasy - I can type on a computer minutes after applying the serum without leaving behind a residue on the keys.

Goody Spin Pins

These are awesome! These are perfect for days when I have no time to do my hair (which is... every day), but don't want to look like a bum (almost every day).

~ Susan

Everyday Minerals Anti Shine

I have been having some problems with oiliness recently. My T-zone gets oily, especially my forehead. I only notice it under the unflattering lights in my workplace restroom, but it was really bothering me. So, I decided to re-start using some of the powders that I own for the this purpose. My go-to foundation is Everyday Minerals Matte Base, so I decided to do a post on their Anti-Shine Finishing Dusts.

Everyday Minerals' Finishing Dusts are translucent powders that are meant to be used to set your makeup and get rid of excess shine. According to Everyday Minerals' website, these finishing dusts (also known as anti-shine powders) are suitable for all skin shades, from fair to dark.

Using these powders after your foundation gives the skin a matte finish and smooth appearance. You can also try using these powders on their own if all you need is sheer coverage. The prices below are the current prices for the "Big" size. They are getting rid of all the products except for the original Finishing Dust. I hope they are going to replace these because I think they work really well to combat shine!

Finishing Dust ($12) - this is the most basic finishing dust; it sets your makeup and reduces shine. For me, this is the absolute best of all the powders at actually preventing oiliness/shine. It really makes my face feel perfectly smooth. :)

 Kaolin Powder Fair ($12) - this is specifically designed for those with Fair to Light complexions.This adds a bit of extra coverage, which is nice on my "bad skin" days.

Kaolin Powder Soft Bronze ($12) - is designed for those with Medium complexions, or can be used by Fair to Light complexions as a contour shade or for all-over glow. This is too dark for me, but may be usable as a bronzer in the summer months.

Sunlight Finishing Dust ($12) - this has a tinge of yellow to combat skin flaws such as redness or dark circles.

Bamboo Face Powder Yellow ($10.50) - infused with bamboo and kaolin powder. This has a yellow tint that is supposed to help adjust skin tones. This is just too yellow for me, so I only recommend it for people who have a lot of redness. Like the other powders, this creates a matte finish. They also have this product in the shade "Medium."

   
  

To use these, first, moisturize your skin. Apply a powder foundation of your choice and blend completely. Shake a small amount of the finishing powder of your choice into the lid. Lightly dip your brush into the powder. (Everyday Minerals suggests using their Kabuki, Flat Top, or Large Mineral brush.) Tap away excess powder. Apply to face using sweeping and circular motions.

If you have any issue with oiliness, I think these will help you out!

~ Susan

September Favorites

I don't have a lot of favorites this month, just a few products that I continually reached for.

1. J.R. Watkins Hand & Cuticle Salve in Lemon

I love how this smells. I rub in some sort of cuticle treatment whenever I watch T.V.

2. Everyday Minerals Blush in Sand Cherry and Lucent Powder in Wet Sand

This has been my no-brainer cheek combo for September. I use Sand Cherry as my blush and Wet Sand as a highlighter.

5. Yes To Carrots C Me Blush Lip Tint in Ready Red

I haven't really been feeling full-on lipstick. This give my lips some color, but I don't have to worry about it traveling off my lips during the day.

I can't believe September is over - it barely feels like fall. Here's hoping that fall weather settles in for good before the end of October!

Haul: Everyday Minerals (Part Deux)

I was having so much fun on Everyday Minerals' website after I placed my order (the one I shared with you yesterday), that I... bought some more stuff. /: I am pronouncing a ban on any more makeup purchases for at least a month. This shouldn't be hard for me as I've acquired a bunch of things to try out in the meanwhile.

 With order #2 I received:

• The Everyday Minerals Glow Kit

These powders have a Skin Deep Rating of 2

This came with:

- mini size of Pearl Beige, a concealer that camouflages imperfections by matching your skin's undertones
-mini size of Wet Sand, a highlighter
- mini size of Light Pink, a slightly shimmery blush
- mini size of Natural, a natural face powder
- a baby Flat Top brush
- Everyday Hydrate Oil, 100% pure Argan Oil - this is the perfect size for traveling!

These mini sizes are 0.06 oz. which should last me for a long time since I'll mainly be using these on my cheeks.

• Mini Freestyle Collection 

 This set contains:
- mini size of Rhapsody in Peach, a slightly sparkly coral blush
- mini size of Sand Cherry, a sparkly deep peach blush with cherry undertones
- mini size of New Car Smell, a sweet peach and coral blush
- mini size of Truly Tiger, a coral shimmer blush
- mini size of Summer Stroll, a coral pink blush
- Angled Blush Brush

These are also 0.06 oz.

• Foundation Brush

The eye shadow has a Skin Deep Rating of 2

I decided to buy this brush because it intrigued me. It looks like a brush for liquid foundations, but the website says that this is "perfect for even full coverage powder applications." As an added bonus, it came with a freebie: an eye shadow in the color Parasail. The brush is made of synthetic fibers and has a bamboo handle.

• Base Sample Kit

These have a Skin Deep Rating of 2

I picked up another sample kit of bases. These are the same shades that I got with my previous order, but with a semi-matte finish. The semi-matte bases are meant to be hydrating. It will be interesting to see how these look/feel on my skin. Each of these jars is 0.03 oz.

• Face Promo

 

The face promo was still going on, so I also got another set of these powders. :) Each jar holds 0.03 oz.

I obviously really liked Everyday Minerals' website, now I'll have to see how I like their powders and brushes!

Haul: Everyday Minerals

I heard about Everyday Minerals on Hayley's blog and Mary's blog and decided to get some things when I saw the affordable prices. I picked up a bunch of powder for mah face.

• Big Finishing Dust

Skin Deep Rating of 1

This was on sale for $6 (usually it's $12). This is a translucent powder that's meant to set your makeup and get rid of excess shine. I've used Bare Minerals' mineral veil, and I think this is the same idea. On days when I don't need as much coverage, I plan on using this over a little bit on concealer.

•  Base Sample Kit

These each have a Skin Deep Rating of 2

You can get a free sample kit of bases (foundation powders) whenever you want - no purchase necessary! If you don't make a purchase, you just have to pay for shipping. These are really nicely sized. According to the website, each sample lasts for five to seven applications. This is the Fair kit (there are four different kits - the darkest is called "Tan") and as you can see it really covers all the possible fair skin-tones. Between these samples and the ones I got from my recent Alima Pure Haul I should be able to figure out what my matches my skin tone PERFECTLY!

• Face Promo

These each have a Skin Deep Rating of 1

I'm not exactly sure what these powders are for. I'm guess that the Bamboo Face Powder in Yellow is a correcting powder, the Kaolin Powder in Soft Bronze is a bronzer, and the Kaolin Powder in Sunlight is a highlighter.

• Travel size 10 piece eye shadow kit

The eye shadows have a Skin Deep Rating of 2

This kit contains eight neutral eye shadows and two eyeshadow brushes.  Though the eye shadows are "travel-size," they contain 0.02 oz of product which I feel will last me a long time. For comparison: a MAC eyeshadow is 0.05 oz while one from Bare Minerals is 0.02 oz; so, this is actually a good-sized eyeshadow.

The eye shadows come in a roller-ball applicator which seemed a bit weird, but I tested it out on my arm and there wasn't any extra product coming out though I'm still curious as to how it will work on the eye. I'm also wondering why this kit came with two eye shadow brushes, considering that they're unnecessary due to the roller-balls. It's always cool to get new brushes, though!

 Here's how it looked on my arm. On the left is one swipe, on the left is three.

Now I have enough samples of non-toxic foundation to keep me going for a looooong while. I'm confident that I will find the perfect shade of foundation when I'm done trying them all out.

I actually kept searching the Everyday Minerals website after I made this purchase... and ended up buying some more stuff. I'll post the other stuff I got tomorrow. :)