Mineral Makeup Haul Part 1: Cory Cosmetics Mineral Blushes and Eyeshadows

I will be posting a series of hauls from my favorite mineral makeup companies. If you check out my Comprehensive Review of Mineral Foundations I've tried, you would see that I really love mineral makeup. I may be using some liquid foundations in my Face Of The Days, but I only use traditional liquid foundations twice a week at the most. I use mineral makeup most of the time because it is the gentlest on my skin and does not cause any breakouts. Moreover, they don't have parabens and other un-pronounceable ingredients that clog pores and wreak havoc on my skin.

Also, I love supporting small, women-owned online mineral makeup companies. These women put their heart and soul in crafting pure, unadulterated minerals that are free from preservatives and chemicals, and some of these products have even better quality (and much more affordable) than store-bought cosmetics.

The first of these hauls is from an unassuming company called Cory Cosmetics. I love their 45-cent samples. They may look miniscule in their baggies, but be warned: these are pigment bombs. These bad boys pack so much pigment that, really, a crumb or two are all you need. The same goes for Cory's mineral foundations. They are very dense, perhaps the most full-coverage mineral foundation there is on the market. That's why a miniscule amount is all you need for perfectly full coverage. These are some of the full coverage foundation samples that I got from Cory:



I got another samples of Deep Yellow Medium 1 and Deep Yellow Deep, and since one is too light and the other too dark, I am getting full sizes of both products.





The above pictures were from a Cory blush sample haul a year ago. So cute, aren't they? Don't be fooled by the size, though- they are amazingly pigmented. A crumb or two is just perfect for one application. Cory also sells pretty mica-free mineral blushes for those that are allergic to mica:



I just sprinkle a very small amount onto a small condiment dish, dip my duo-fibre blush brush into the dish and swirl the brush onto the product, tap, and apply.


Punchie blush on the cheeks

Honestly, even if you use the blush sample every day, you have enough to probably last you a month. I still have these blush samples from a year ago and I haven't made a dent in them yet!

I do have some full sizes of Cory blushes, though. They are so pretty:





I have two full-size Cory shadows I bought and I use Baked frequently for work. It's a gorgeous khaki with pearlescent shimmer:



How do I store these you ask? I store the samples in my magnetic photo album for easier selection:



If you want to try mineral makeup, it's best to get samples because you don't get stuck with a product you don't like, and when you do commit to a full size after trying the sample, you know that it's money well spent because you know it looks good on your skin. Watch out for more mineral makeup hauls!

Pinks and Purples Using Mineral Shadows and Blushes

I was able to get some samples of the beautiful Les Papillons eyeshadow collection from Aromaleigh. I had high hopes for these shadows, and they didn't disappoint. The colors are beautiful, the pigmentation rich. In fact, these babies are hella pigmented. In the look below, I used the Aromaleigh eyeshadows dry, and yet they stayed vibrant on my lid for hours and even withstood a long nap.



Here are the four eyeshadows I will be using for this look. Flying Flower is described on the Aromaleigh site as "A joyful cool frosted pink with soft violet highlight and sparkles of copper. Silvery metallic heart." Dormant Dream is "dramatic and vivid fuschia purple with a metallic heart and pearl frost finish (A customer requested a "Gucci" purple, and this is the result!)". Fragile Charms is "a muted mauved purple with fuschia and burgundy undertones. Slight blue highlight, silvery metallic smoothness and brilliant diamond glints", and Emergent Beauty is "The deepest pearlescent mauved burgundy with smoke tones, deep metallic red and sparkles of russet and aqua." I love the names of the products, and Kristen's descriptions are out-of-this-world!

Here's a step-by-step. All eye products Aromaleigh unless otherwise stated.


Apply MAC Butternutty shadestick all over lid and lower lashline. Using a fluffy brush, apply MAC paint pot in Fresco Rose on lid.


Using Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" brush, apply Flying Flower dry on lid.


Like so.


Using the other side of the same brush, apply Dormant Dream on outer V.


Using the Sonia Kashuk premium blender brush (black handle), gently blend the edges of the shadows.


Using the Loew Cornell shader brush, apply Fragile Charms on the outer-most part of the lid.


Blend all harsh lines with the SK premium blender brush.




Using the Loew Cornell brush, apply a tiny bit of Emergent Beauty on the crease, and add more Flying Flower and Dormant Dream as necessary. Blend with the SK blender brush.


Using the Stila No. 5 brush, apply a pearly light pink shadow to highlight.


Using Sonia Kashuk bent eyeliner brush, apply MAC Blacktrack fluidline on upper lashline.


Rim eyes (waterline and tightline) with Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero. Using the MAC 219 brush, apply Flying Flower on inner lower lashline, and Emergent Beauty on outer lower lashline. Apply Red Cherry false lashes #503. Apply mascara.







Face:
Monistat gel as primer
Cory mineral foundations in Beyond Cream
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil concealer
Bare Escentuals Well Rested mineral concealer
Lumiere all over face enhancer (Radiance) in Island Sands
MAC Taupe blush to contour
Lumiere veena blush in Violaceous
Adorned With Grace mineral shimmer blush in Dainty over blush

Lips:
Estee Lauder artist's lip pencil in Tawny Writer
MAC lipstick in Aristo-chic
MAC dazzleglass in Money, Honey

Pinks Using Aromaleigh En Pointe Mineral Eyeshadows

So here's part 2 of my Aromaleigh En Pointe look. I'm wearing the pinks from the En Pointe collection, and I am loving it!! I love how romantic and very feminine the pinks are. My favorites are Giselle, Aurora and Pique, the colors I used for this look.


I used one of the Aromaleigh Drama Queen mineral eyeliners (the Red one) for this look. I just got this loot together with my En Pointe samples, and I really love the eyeliners! They really are drama queens and make your eyes the center of attention. They're gorgeous. The Rocks! Sonic eyeshadow in Flowersofromance was a freebie since my order reached $35.


I added just a tiny bit of Slowburn to make the transition easier and more gradual from pink to dark brown (MAC Inter-view mineralize shadow).


I used MAC Inter-view mineralize eyeshadow trio for this look.


I used MAC Purple Rite lipstick in this look and this is hands-down my favorite purple lipstick of all! Yes, better than Lavender Whip, in my opinion!

Here's a step-by-step. Alll products Aromaleigh unless otherwise noted.


Apply MAC Butternutty shadestick all over lid and lower lashline. Using a fluffy brush, apply MAC paint pot in Girl Friendly on lid.


Using Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" brush, apply Aurora foiled on the lid using MAC Charged Water.


Using the other side of the same brush, apply Giselle damp on outer lid.


Using the same brush, apply Pique on other V and crease. Apply a little bit of Slowburn and blend into Pique and Giselle using MAC 224 brush.




Using Sonia Kashuk blender brush, apply dark brown side of MAC Inter-view mineralize eyeshadow trio.


Blend the colors in using the MAC 224 brush.


Wetline Drama Queen in Red on upper lashline.


Using the MAC 227 brush, apply MAC Soft Petals shadow on browbone to highlight. Apply Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero to tightline and on waterline. Using the Sonia Kashuk mini-crease/detail brush, apply Aurora on inner lower lashline, and Pique on outer lower lashline. Apply mascara.









Face:
Monistat gel as primer
Cory mineral foundations in 70-30 mix of Beyond Cream and Carmel Cream
Urban Decay 24/7 pencil concealer
Dayna's Rested mineral undereye concealer
DreamWorld creme topping (finishing powder) in Raspberry Creme (clay/silica formula)
Cory mineral blush in Naughty
6-pc contour and blush palette to contour
MAC Redhead mineralize skinfinish over blush

Lips:
MAC 3D liner in Plum Mate
MAC lipstick in Purple Rite
MAC lipglass in Nico Now

Strawberry Lemonade Look Using Aromaleigh L'Orchidee Mineral Eyeshadows

I'd received the limited edition L'orchidee eye shadow collection from Aromaleigh more than two weeks ago, but this is the first time I made a look using these shadows. I love how versatile these are. They can be as vibrant as you want them to be if you foil them. If you want subtle, wearable shades during the day even with the burst of color, apply them dry as I did in this look.


I used Indelible gel liner in Black Cherry to line.

Here's a step by step illustration. All products Aromaleigh unless otherwise noted.


Apply MAC Butternutty shadestick all over lid, brows, lower lashline. Apply MAC paint pots in Greenstroke on inner lid, and Fresco Rose on outer lid.


Using a stiff shader brush (MAC 239 or Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8", apply Bumblebee dry on inner lid.


Using another stiff shader brush, apply Showy dry on mid to outer lid.




Using the same brush, apply Heart dry on outer V and crease.


Using the same brush, apply Bouganvillea dry on outer lid and crease. Blend with a fluffy-stiff blender brush like the MAC 217.


Apply Indelible gel liner in Black Cherry on upper lashline. Apply Bumblebee dry with a taklon liner brush on inner to mid-lower lashline, and Heart on outer lower lashline.


Apply a shimmery pink eyeshadow on browbone to higlight using Stila No. 5 brush. Apply Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero to tightline and on waterline. Apply mascara.











Face:
Monistat gel as primer
MAC Prep + Prime Refined Skin Zone on t-zone
Dreamworld mineral foundation in 50-50 mix of Theia and Amenti (Luna formula)
Urban Decay 24/7 concealer on undereye area
Dayna's Rested mineral concealer on undereye area
DreamWorld Whipped Creme (finishing powder) in Peach
Cory mineral blush in Naughty

Lips:
Softlips lip balm
MAC lipstick in Brave
MAC lipglass in Nico