MAC Moonbathe, Slimshine, and Aromaleigh Hauls

As much as I am addicted to mineral makeup, I still can't give up MAC eye and lip products. They are still some of the most gorgeous, pigmented and smoothest cosmetics I've ever tried. Hence, when the MAC Moonbathe collection was launched today, I definitely made a bee-line to my nearest MAC counter. I really loved the warm, bronzey colors of the new collection, although I'm on the fence with regard to the packaging because it looked too retro for my taste. Nonetheless, I love everything, especially the eyeshadows. I also saw the newly launched lip balm called Tendertones, and I snagged the prettiest one on my lips. I'm going back to get more Tendertones and the bronze-brown lipstick. This is one of the best MAC collection in a long time in my opinion. And yes, I definitely think this is better than Barbie!




Eyeshadows in Cosmic, Saturnal, Firespot


Saturnal (Frost)


Firespot (Veluxe Pearl)


Cosmic (Veluxe Pearl)


Can you believe how gorgeous these colors are? Tendertones lip balms smell and taste as good as they look. I could eat a whole pot for dessert! Top: Lipglass in Crescent, Tendertones in Hush-Hush.


My Slimshine family: Scant (which is getting quite scant), Lovey Dove, Ultra Elegant, Long Stem Rose, Scant back-up


The new cremestick liners were launched together with the Slimshines. I got Mother Pearl and Amber Ember. These liners are so gorgeous; they totally change the appearance of your boring lipsticks. These can make your lipsticks look either pearlized, darker or lighter; the possibilities are simply endless.


Mother Pearl on top, Amber Ember

As soon as I got home from the MAC counter, another surprise greeted me in the mail. My Aromaleigh lipsticks finally arrived! They are as gorgeous as some of my MAC lipsticks, and I like their matte but non-drying finishes. Most of all, I got them during Aromaleigh's 25% off lipstick sale. This week, it's the lipglosses' turn to be on sale. Aaah! Tempting, tempting!


Aromaleigh lipsticks in Cameo, Honey and Brandy. The latter melted a little bit after sitting in the mailbox under 103-degree weather, but got better after quite some time in our airconditioned home


My Aromaleigh lipsticks and lipglosses in all their chocolate-scented/tasting glory

Lumiere's Greens (Which Look Like Blues)

I had been cleaning my drawer and inadvertently found some 5g jars of eye glimmers I'd bought from Kim of Lumiere around 5 months ago. These were really dirt-cheap at that time as she was having her big sale (which I think really made her company popular among mineral makeup enthusiasts). When I got my very first lumiere jars, I was so impressed with the pigmentation and finish. The eye glimmers glided SO smoothly, color payoff was fantastic, and I didn't need to foil them to get some decent color on my lids. My ultimate Lumiere favorites are Driftwood, Cola, and Deep Plum eye glimmers. If I were to choose a champion, though, it would be Deep Plum. This is everything I hoped MAC Maroon pigment would be, and it is the perfect outer V color. Truly sensational; I have not found anything remotely similar to this both in terms of color and texture.

But I digress. I had been so enamored with my plums/browns from Lumiere that I'd totally neglected the greens. I was surprised when I found that I actually had Deep Forest Green and Twilight Green in my stash. They looked more like blue-green to me so I decided to pair it with my MAC Azreal Blue pigment, and I think they worked together well. I am really loving my previous Lumiere hauls to bits as I know they were almost free, but the quality is really excellent. I think my only regret though is that I'd lined my lower lashline with the minerals, which I don't usually do. I tried experimenting by adding a little bit of color to my lower lashline as I see other women do. I should have known that as good as it may look on others, I am not them, and lining my lower lashline makes my eyes look all squinty which I hate. I should have known the effect because I've tried it before, but I guess I was just too stubborn. Oh well. No more lining of lower lashlines for me from now on.









Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Lauress original formula mineral foundation in Creamy Yellow and Delicate Yellow
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC Petalpoint blush
Terra Del Sol #7 mineralized skinfinish over blush

Lips:
MAC lipliner in Spice
Monave lipglaze in Petticoat
MAC lustreglass in Flusterose

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow to highlight browbone
MAC Azreal Blue pigment on lower lid
Lumiere mineral eye glimmer in Twilight Green on mid-lid to outer lid
Lumiere mineral eye glimmer in Deep Forest Green on outer V
Almay Amazing I-liner
Maybelline XXL mascara

Dayna's Blush and My "I'm Late for Work" Makeup

You know the feeling, right? The morning after a 3-day holiday crashes upon you like a bad dream and your feet turn into lead. Not even the bubonic plague can get you out of bed on time. You wake up an hour after you snoozed your alarm clock and you only have time to shower and dress. You only have ten minutes to do your makeup. I'd been doing my eyes every day that I thought I could slap some color on my lids in not more than 5 minutes. This is my attempt to create the 5-minute eye look (base, shadows, eyebrow color, liner, mascara). I used the most fool-proof shadows I have: MAC Goldenaire pigment, and MAC Bronze eyeshadow. I also did not bother to deal with gel liners because as easy as they are to use, I want something easier, and believe it or not, it's a liquid liner: Almay's Amazing I-liner. I love the applicator because it gives a very thin, precise, even line. The tip isn't flimsy nor too unbending; it's just right in drawing the most precise lines, in one, easy glide. Amazing indeed.

I'm also using Dayna's blush no. 1. She really can make a business out of this; her matte blushes are gorgeous and are just perfect for me because I prefer matte blushes to go in tandem with my illuminizers.


Almay Amazing I-liner with the patented applicator









Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline mineral foundation in Naughty Abyssinian
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
Dayna's No. 1 blush

Lips:
MAC lipliner in Spice
J.Lynne lipglaze in Julianne

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC Goldenaire pigment applied from lashline to browbone, concentrating on the lid
MAC Bronze eyeshadow on outer V and crease
Almay Amazing I-liner
Maybelline XXL mascara

Loving Taylor Made Minerals

Even before I discovered many online mineral makeup boutiques, I'd been a fan of Taylor Made Minerals, especially their eye pigments. I love using these pigments wet because the color pay-off becomes much better, and staying power is outstanding when applied wet. Their eye pigments have really very good quality. Their pigments come in really packed 5g jars with the sifters included but not installed, as the generous amount of pigment would really make it impossible to place the sifter unless some of the minerals are transferred to another jar.

Taylor Made mineral pigments also helped me improve on the craft of applying wet, loose mineral shadow on the crease and outer V. For the life of me, I've always wondered how some women can apply wet loose eyeshadows on their eyes' outer V and crease. Using loose mineral eyeshadows on my lower lids wet is not much of a problem, and using dry, loose e/s on my crease and outer V ain't such a problem either. What I found difficult was applying LOOSE, WET eyeshadows on my outer V without me looking like a battered woman. I FINALLY FOUND the key: I was using the wrong brush. A brush with a small, round head that is usually used for the eye crease is just perfect for the job. I found great crease brushes from Essence of Beauty which CVS drugstores usually carry. I dip the brush in water or mixing medium, make a paste using the minerals and apply the pigments on the outer V in short, dabbing motions. I lightly pat it with a fluffy brush and slowly blend the color on my lids to blur the harsh lines that wet pigments usually make.




the harsh afternoon sun washed out the color, so this is a previous EOTD using the same colors






Here I applied Taylor Made mineral in Galena wet on the outer V

Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Lauress original mineral foundations in Creamy Yellow and Delicate Yellow
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC mineralized skinfinish in Stereo Rose as blush

Lips:
MAC lipliner in Spice
J.Lynne lipglaze in Julianne

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC Vanilla pigment on browbone as highlighter
Taylor Made mineral eyeshadow in Amazon applied wet from inner to mid lid
Taylor Made mineral eyeshadow in Vixen applied wet from mid to outer lid/outer V
MAC Fluidline in Nightfish to line
Maybelline XXL mascara

Eureka!: Meow's Dupe of MAC Delphic Fluidline

One swirl of my MAC mixing medium with Meow's Feliner in Forni-Cat and I knew I had a dupe of the Delphic fluidline even before I applied it on my upper lashline. It's a little less aqua-ish compared to Delphic, but the eye-popping effect is identical. I still love the ease, buttery slip and amazing texture and finish of gel liners; however, the Feliners come close. Gel liners are less cumbersome because you don't need to mix it with any mixing medium to make a dramatic line, but with the Feliners' amazing staying power and wide range of colors that stay true and oh-so-vivid even when mixed with a sealant, I can put up with the extra step for these babies.

I tried my MAC Magrittes paint instead of the Beige-ing shadestick as my base, and I think I'm regretting it. I should have used the Beige-ing before I applied the paint, because the colors would've come out richer and applied smoother. Too late now, but I think it wasn't so bad. I've missed my Magrittes and the beautiful light olive-brown shade it imparts on my lids, and I think it has done its job nonetheless.

I also missed a natural-looking bronzed flush on my cheeks, so I whipped out my MAC mineralized skinfinish in Shooting Star. Ah, I love the bronzeness, just perfect for summer! Now I remember why I have a backup of this LOL


my beloved MAC Shooting Star MSF











Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Lauress original mineral foundations in Creamy Yellow and Delicate Yellow
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC mineralized skinfinish in Shooting Star as blush
MAC Golden Refined bronzer to contour

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Tiramisu
Monave sheer lipglaze in Honey

Eyes:
MAC Magrittes paint on as base all over lid, concentrating on lower lid
MAC shadow in Rye to highlight
MAC shadow in Amberlights on inner lid
MAC shadows in Greensmoke and Scarab on crease/outer V
MAC shadow in Summer Neutral on crease
Meow Feliner in Forni-Cat mixed with MAC mixing medium to line upper lashline
Maybelline XXL mascara

Rediscovering MAC's Delphic Fluidline

Okay, I have been wearing neutrals for so long (as you can see in my entries) that I suddenly longed for pure, unadulterated color on my lids. This is also a glorious, 3-day weekend for many of us so I decided to do something I haven't done in a long time. I rummaged through my makeup stash and I discovered my MAC Delphic fluidline sitting forlornly at the bottom of one of my drawers. I bought it during the very much talked-about Lure collection launch last summer, almost a year ago, and I've only used it twice or thrice since then. You can only imagine how totally unloved it felt. I quickly fished it out and decided to put it out of its misery by using it for the first time in many, many months. I'm glad I did, it really makes eyes pop out, and the eye-catching color is just perfect for beautiful, balmy summer days and nights.







Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Lauress original mineral foundations in Creamy Yellow and Delicate Yellow
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC blush in Fab
Terra Del Sol #7 mineralized skinfinish

Lips:
L'oreal Infinite lipliner in Rose
MAC lipglass in Perky

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC shadow in Lustreleaf to highlight
MAC shadow in Surreal lid
Bare Escentuals glimmer in Beach Goddess on crease/outer V
MAC Delphic fluidline to line upper lashline
Maybelline XXL mascara

Makeup Police: "Frankly My Dear, I Don't Give A Damn"

First of all, let me say that I absolutely LOVE Meow Feliners (mineral eyeliners). The pigmentation is really intense and it truly lasts the whole day. I got my full-size jar of my favorite feliner in Sweaty Paws (my perfect platinum), and a dozen or so samples of different feliner shades; they are really such eye candy. They came in an adorable, too-cute leopard print pouch, which was not included during my initial order of foundation shades. If they actually include the leopard print pouch in all multiple sample orders, then I'd be really, really impressed. They're really going all-out on this cat theme, and that makes them stand out among the rest. I am slowly finding this cat theme thing quite cool.


my feliner samples with my full-size Sweaty Paws. Too bad I completely forgot to take a picture of the pouch.

Secondly, I am wearing blue eyeshadow, and I proudly made sure I coordinated it with my outfit. It seems that there are some people who act like they've been appointed as cosmetic guardians or makeup police, lambasting people who use blue or any non-neutral shadow ("only rock stars can wear blue eyeshadow"), or claiming that color-coordinating your outfit and eyeshadow is a major no-no. I really do not know why there seems to be an onslaught of people who claim to know the rules. What rules?? I really believe there are no rules in makeup application. Everything depends on your personal preferences, who you are as a person, your profession, age, your lifestyle. Makeup is truly an expression of oneself, and to curb that freedom and arbitrarily slam everyone whose makeup style is different from yours is nothing less than dictatorial or autocratic. I am actually more concerned with the proper application of makeup rather than the colors used as long as they don't clash. That is why I don't believe in makeup no-nos because makeup is really an expression of the person who uses it. The only thing that is a NO-NO is if the person really looks uglier instead of prettier in her makeup. As long as the colors complement her whole look, I think there is nothing wrong with pairing colors. One's opinion may differ from mine, but we must all respect how we express ourselves through makeup.

This particular application was done in 10 minutes, hence the not-so-perfect application. If I do end up looking like an 80s reject, then so be it; I really don't give a damn. I'll just try to make it better next time, right color-loving gals? ;-)


Beyonce color-coordinated


So did J.Lo


And no I'm obviously not a demi-god like the two creatures above, but I prefer to color-coordinate as well







Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Meow Purrrfect Puss mineral foundations in Naughty Angora and Naughty Chartreux
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
J.Lynne Latin Rhythms mineral blush in Paso Doble

Lips:
L'oreal Infinite lipliner in Rose
Aromaleigh Pure Shine lipgloss in Lush

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC shadow in Ricepaper to highlight
MAC shadow in Tilt on lid
Shu Uemura ME Blue 638 over Tilt
MAC pigment in Aire de Blu inner to mid-lid
MAC shadow in Freshwater on crease/outer V
Meow Feliner in Streetlight Shimmer mixed with MAC mixing medium to line upper lashline
Maybelline Volume Express Turbo Boost mascara

New Meow Mix, Aromaleigh Lipglosses and Lure Loot

I asked Lili what her Meow summer mix is, and she said she uses a mix of Purrrfect Puss foundation in Naughty Angora and Naughty Chartreux. It was uncanny that I have those exact foundations (right down to the formula) in full size tubs. Lili, bless her heart, offered to send some samples my way, but that won't be necessary (thanks for the invaluable heads up on your shade, though!). I tried her mix and I can say it does work on me as well; it's a little lighter than Naughty Abyssinian but I think I can still hack it since mineral makeup shades are very forgiving. It's a little perkier and less golden than Naughty Abyssinian, but at least I'm glad those gigantic tubs won't be put to waste. I was almost ready to sell them off; good thing I didn't!

I am also getting attached to my Aromaleigh Pure Shine lipglosses! In my previous review of these, I said that I am not a fan of click pens with the annoying brush tip, and I still am not. However, the scent of chocolate oranges is making me go bonkers. I super LOVE the scent, mainly because I'm a certified chocoholic. The staying power isn't that great, but that actually gives me an excuse to apply it often, because the taste and scent are so freaking addicting. Using these chocolate scented/tasting lipglosses actually provide my sugar fix (no, really), so much so that I don't crave for chocolate that much anymore when I apply it. For that reason alone, I think I need to hoard more of these!

The finish of the lipglosses is also a winner in my book because it's semi-sheer but gives a significant amount of color, and the shine is unbelievably luscious. I have seven of these babies, but one of them is a back-up (Zen). Below is my attempt to create some swatches of these; yes crappy lighting, but I think these will suffice for now:















Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Meow Purrrfect Puss mineral foundations in Naughty Angora and Naughty Chartreux
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
NARS blush in Oasis

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses lipliner in Tiramisu
Aromaleigh Pure Shine lipgloss in Gosh

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC shadow in Ricepaper to highlight
Bare Escentuals glimmer in Bali inner to mid lid
Bare Escentuals glimmer in Morocco outer V and crease
Bare Escentuals shadow liner in Black Ruby applied wet on upper lashline with MAC mixing medium
Maybelline Volume Express Turbo Boost mascara

I just bought some more body butters from Lure Beauty, but this is a much smaller haul. I am so glad I already have my Peaches n Cream body butter, this scent is driving me crazy, it smells so good!! I also got Honeysuckle and Banango body butters in trial sizes, the Banango is a heady, fabulous scent as well. Honeysuckle smells so clean and fresh, and reminds me of breezy summer days.


Body butters in Peaches 'n Cream (full-size tub), Honeysuckle (top) and Banango. If you can only sniff these from your computer screen. These smell so good, and are also very thick and moisturizing.

Same (Great) Old, Same Old

Still using my new faves, Meow Flawless Feline foundation in Naughty Abyssinian, Terra Del Sol #7 mineralized skinfinish, MAC Petalpoint blush, and Indelible gel liner in Chocolate Mousse. Who said that I can only feature these great products only once or twice? They're truly exceptional, so I might as well use them frequently, or else what's the use of these products if they're just languishing at the bottom of a traincase? I want to consume these awesome pieces of cosmetics up to the very last smidgen, so kindly indulge me.







Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline mineral foundation in Naughty Abyssinian
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC's blush in Petalpoint
Terra Del Sol #7 skinfinish over blush

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses lipliner in Tiramisu
J.Lynne lipglaze in Julianne

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC pigment in Melon as highlighter and inner half of lid
Valerie Beauty pan eyeshadow in Dolce Vita on crease/outer V
Indelibe gel liner in Chocolate Mousse
Maybelline Volume Express Turbo Boost mascara





Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline mineral foundation in Naughty Abyssinian
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC's blush in Fab

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses lipliner in Tiramisu
Monave sheer lipglaze in Honey

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
Bare Escentuals glimmer in Queen Linda as highlighter and on inner half of lid
Valerie Beauty pan eyeshadow in Dolce Vita on crease/outer V
MAC eyeshadow in Seedling on crease and above crease
Indelibe gel liner in Chocolate Mousse
Maybelline Volume Express Turbo Boost mascara