Looks Using LaurEss, Fyrinnae and Dayna's Minerals

Here are a couple of daytime looks from mineral makeup companies I enjoy using. First up is LaurEss. I think my perfect summer shade is a mix of 75-25 mix of Pure Yellow and Soft Yellow. I think I finally have a match! Although in person, this mix is still a tad too dark especially under natural light. In pictures, though, it seems like a great match.


I am using LaurEss mineral foundation in the ratio aforementioned, DreamWorld creme topping in Butterscotch (clay and silica formula), Dermablend Quick Fix undereye concealer in Ivory, Bare Escentuals Well Rested. I am wearing my MAC mineralize blush in LoveJoy (love it!), MAC 3 Pink Lips lip palette, and MAC Comet Blue dazzleglass.

On to the eyes. I am re-discovering my old Fyrinnae shadows, and I am still very impressed by how pigmented they are. I also tried blending it dry (I used to apply it foiled), and I was amazed at how good it blended with the other shadows. Now if only Fyrinnae's turn-around-time for processing orders isn't that ridiculous. Who knows, I might still order one of these days especially since I don't need to get my hands on them immediately anyway.


This looks a lot brighter in person. I used MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base, MAC Summer Neutral shadow on lid and inner lower lashline, Fyrinnae Irish Moss on crease and outer V and outer lower lashline, MAC Club shadow to contour the crease, MAC Modest Tone shadow above crease, MAC Sunday Best shadow to highlight, MAC kohl power pencil in Jealousy to line, MAC Graphblack technakohl liner to tightline and waterline.

I also tried some of Dayna's Minerals shadows, and I was sooo impressed with the beautiful colors and awesome texture. She sent me free samples of these, and I am really planning to order full sizes. They really look pretty and they look polished and professional when worn in the office.




I am wearing MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base, Dayna's Minerals eyeshadows in Showin' Some Skin foiled on lid and inner lower lashline, Empress' New Clothes foiled on mid-lid blending into Showin' Some Skin, and Winey foiled on outer lid and crease and on outer lower lashline. I used MAC shadow in Femme-Fi to highlight, Graphic Brown fluidline, and Brownborder Technakohl to tightline and on waterline.

Tutorial Using Green Minerals

I haven't used green minerals in quite a while (in fact, I think I used Lumiere's Cat's Eye here for the first time), but I love how pigmented these eyeshadows turned out. I also love My Minerals Bath and Body's (MMBB) Smokey Green. The name may be simple but it really gave this look a smokified dimension.


Apply MAC Beige-ing shadestick all over lid, brows and browbone, blend everything using middle finger. Apply shadestick on lower lashline as well. Using a shader brush, foil Lumiere Cat's Eye using MAC mixing medium on lid.


Using the same damp shader brush used in applying Cat's Eye, apply Fyrinnae Elven Dagger on outer half of lid.


Apply Valerie Beauty Anahata on outer lid using shame shader brush.


Using MAC 222 tapered blending/crease brush, apply MMBB Smokey Green on crease, blending into outer V.


This is how it should look so far. If you want it more smokey, you can add more Smokey Green like I did.


Apply MAC Ricepaper on inner corners traveling upwards to the browbone, blending harsh edges. Apply liner, mascara, fill in brows, apply falsies (used Red Cherry #503), apply MAC Blacktrack fluidline over lashline. Apply Cat's Eye on inner half of lower lid, and Anahata on outer half of lower lid.








Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
DreamWorld mineral foundation in Theia and Tethys (60:40 mix) (Luna formula)
Mary Kay Signature undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
Lumiere veena blush in Magnolia
MAC Lightflush MSF over blush

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Tiramisu
MAC lipstick in Brave
MAC lipglass in Nymphette

Fyrinnae's Fun Fall Colors

I ordered several pigments from Fyrinnae this past month and I cannot rave about them enough. They are super pigmented and would look lovely when used for the holiday or any occasion calling for a sophisticated, festive look. Here are some of the swatches. I applied these swatches wet for maximum color pay-off and so that the flash wouldn't wash them out. If you have a good base, however (I'm thinking of MAC shadesticks and not just Urban Decay Primer Potion), the colors would really pop out even when used dry.





Cool names, huh? You can really figure out that this company is operated by two (or is it three?) guys. Virgin cracked me up. You can definitely get why they named it that.

I also did some swatches of the MAC loose beauty powders that I have. Sunspill got washed out in the pic, but it reminds me of NARS Orgasm on me, albeit in loose form. I don't like Orgasm (got two and eventually let go of both), so this is a way better alternative.

Purplelicious

Here is a purple look, one of my favorite combinations I've tried recently. Loved layering everything, and I am amazed with Fyrinnae's professional color in Predatory and MAC's Pandamonium quad from the Balloonacy collection. Predatory is so vibrant but not too dark either, and Cloudbound from the Pandamonium quad is one of the best highlighters I've tried in a while - the gold tint in it is simply gorgeous. The advent of fall also made me fall in love with purples and plums, so I am really loving this look.

I also tried my Bare Minerals Double Dewy All-Over Face Colors in Warm Radiance/Bare Radiance and I love it! I used Bare Radiance using my MAC 187 brush for this look. It gives this barely-there glow that looks amazing in person. I don't use it all over my face lest I get mistaken for a beacon of light. I use it over my blush and on my cheekbones and temples and it's really pretty, I regret not using it after many months. Lastly, I just love MAC mattene lipsticks! A second favorite (aside from Composure) is definitely Cafe Matte, and I love it under any of my light-colored lipglasses. I hate MAC for making them limited edition!









Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC pigment in Violet foiled with MAC mixing medium on lid
MAC Up At Dawn eyeshadow over Violet from inner to mid-lid
MAC Stars n Rockets eyeshadow on center of lid
MAC Violet Trance on outer lid and to line lower lashline
MAC matte2 eyeshadow in Fig.1 on crease
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Predatory on outer V and crease
MAC eyeshadow in Cloudburst (just a tiny bit) on crease
MAC Cloudbound eyeshadow to highlight
Indelibel gel liner in Tanzanite
MAC Zoomlash mascara

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline foundation in Naughty Abyssinian and Pampered Puss foundation in Fierce Manx (70-30 mix)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC Emote blush to contour
MAC Ablaze blush
Bare Minerals All-Over Face Color in Bare Radiance over blush and cheekbones

Lips:
Rimmel lipliner in Epic
MAC Mattene lipstick in Cafe Matte
MAC lipglass in Lightning

A Couple of Neutral Looks

Been dying to go back to my beloved neutral looks after piling on color the past few days. My favorite mineral shadow for my neutral looks is Valerie Beauty's Miranda shade. I super love this color foiled on the lid with a darker shadow on the crease, and Graphic Brown fluidline on the upper lashline. Since Miranda is a multi-purpose shade, it also looks gorgeous applied on the center of your lower lip for a plump, luscious lip look. You can literally bring this look anytime, anywhere, and since you're basically using just three eye colors, it's also a cinch to apply.









Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
Valerie Beauty multi-purpose mineral foiled with MAC mixing medium on lid and inner corners
MAC Twinks eyeshadow on outer V
MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow to highlight
MAC Graphic Brown fluidline
black mascara

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline foundation in Naughty Abyssinian and Pampered Puss foundation in Fierce Manx (70-30 mix)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC Emote blush to contour
NARS blush in Sin

Lips:
MAC lipsticks in Hyper and Galvanize

I was itching to try some of my minerals so I used a couple for this look. I used my Fyrinnae shadow in Kimchi foiled on the lid. It's not shimmery like Miranda, and it is in fact very pigmented, and is mostly matte in texture. It was therefore kinda hard to blend when it dried, so that was a downside. I guess next time I should use it dry with the shadestick underneath for maximum adherence and color pay-off. I also used my favorite Lumiere shadow in Dark Plum over MAD Minerals' new eyeshadow shade, Black Cherry. The latter was uber-pigmented. I under-estimated its color pay-off and packed it on the crease; I had to really blend it well to avoid looking like I bruised my eye. Finally, I used my favorite MAC mineralize skinfinish in So Ceylon. The pictures don't really show the gorgeous color of the skinfinish because I applied it really light.








Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
Fyrinnae eyeshadow in Kimchi foiled using MAC mixing medium on lid
MAD Minerals eyeshadow in Black Cherry on crease
Lumiere eye shimmer in Dark Plum on crease and outer V
MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow to highlight
Indelible gel liner in Tanzanite
black mascara

Face:
Camellia Rose skin smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline foundation in Naughty Abyssinian and Pampered Puss foundation in Fierce Manx (70-30 mix)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC Emote blush to contour
MAC mineralize skinfinish in So Ceylon

Lips:
Rimmel lipliner in Epic
J.Lynne mineral lipgloss in Jodie

Fyrinnae Fun

Last March, I made an entry about My Fabulous Fyrinnae Fix, and posted swatches of my Fyrinnae pigments. I tried them once or twice, then got waylaid by a bunch of other pigments I bought from other mineral makeup companies. I was cleaning my drawer and transferring my little pots in another tray which is more accessible to me in the morning, when I unearthed my precious little jars of Fyrinnae pigments. It then occurred to me that I had planned to buy a full-size jar (as if the uber-generous sample wasn't enough) of Macabre, a beautiful goldish rose that is so pretty as a wash. It is part of their Professional Color collection, and it's more pigmented (I don't need to foil it to achieve maximum color pay-off) and long-wearing compared to the regular pigments. Nonetheless, the regulars wowed me as well. Colors are really intense and I didn't feel the need to pack them on or use my mixing medium to bring forth the hues. Hey, how can a pigment called Sake and Sashimi go wrong? Or an eye color called Lousy Tip? Or OMGWTF? (You can use this pigment on a really bad day to match your mood.) I wonder who comes up with these names? I'd love to be a fly on the wall during one of Fyrinnae's Name That Pigment meetings. Here is a look using one batch of pigments I got from Fyrinnae.





Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC Rubenesque paint pot on entire lid and browbone
Fyrinnae professional color pigment in Macabre on lid
Fyrinnae pigment in Solstice on outer lid
Fyrinnae pigment in Sake and Sashimi on outer V and crease
Fyrinnae pigment in Lousy Tip mixed with MAC mixing medium to line
MAC eyeshadow in Cinders to highight
Maybelline XXL mascara

Face:
Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Meow Purrfect Puss foundation in Naughty Angora and Naughty Chartreux (50-50 mix)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
Shu Uemura M Wine 28 blush
MAC Pearl Sunshine beauty powder over blush

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Wild Clover
MAC lipstick in Hug Me
MAC 3D glass in Racy

Fyrinnae Neutrals (and a Blue)

The title and the picture speak for themselves. I am still in awe of these beautiful pigments. All colors applied wet to stand better against the glare of the flash. Enough said. The picture can do the talking from now on.


L-R: Selke Skin - Loki - Mocha Shake - Maneki Neko - Platinum - Finnegan's Wake - Gwenhwyvar - Urchin

Spread the Fyrinnae Love

Another batch of lovely Fyrinnae eyeshadow pigments came in the mail today. All pigments applied wet; take note that dry application would create softer, sheerer hues.


Top to Bottom: Predatory (professional color), Impish (professional color), Bubble Tea, Awakening


Top to Bottom: Mermen, Sweet and Sour, Anasazi, Incubus

My Fabulous Fyrinnae Fix

I just got several samples of some Fyrinnae pigments, and boy, was I rendered speechless! The pigments have such intense pigment, some even slightly stained as I was trying to take them off by water and soap! The texture is exceptional, staying power is fantastic (heck, I had to scrub my arm before it all came off!), and the colors were all unique and amazingly beautiful. These are everything I'd hoped MAC pigments would be and so much more. I am going to order more and I'm really a fan for life now. I am also amazed at how generous the samples are. They are at least 1/2 tsp for a mere $1.50 ($1.75 for their Professional Colors that are SO freakin' gorgeous). They don't come in annoying baggies but in 5g screw top containers (I chose this option because I need the lids to mix the mixing medium in should I prefer to use them wet). Here are some swatches; most of them have been applied wet except Macabre, which really elicited a loud "Wow!" from me after I applied it on my wrist. It was like a better version of MAC Goldenaire pigment (and more pigmented, as well). The darker colors can also be used as beautiful liners, such as Lousy Tip. Nice names, huh?


From top to bottom: Macabre (professional color), Sake and Sashimi, Kung Pao, Peach Buns, Lousy Tip


Top to Bottom: Solstice, Awakening, Apparition, Kimchi, Shrouded in Gold (professional color)

Mineral Gel Liners, Anyone?

Okay, so many have tried MAC and Bobbi Brown gel liners. I really love the efficiency, drama and precision of gel liners. I also love the fact that they stay put longer than pencil liners. Gel liners are also better than loose powder liners because you don't need a separate sealant or mixing medium to make a paste with before application. Gel liners are also more efficient than liquid eyeliners because application is so much easier. But has anybody ever tried mineral gel liners?

I found some gel liners on sale at the Fyrinnae website. I was attracted to the colors and since I didn't have any liners in those unusual colors, I gave in and got some. I also snagged one beautiful, shimmery eye color in Digital Faerie, which I read is one of Fyrinnae's bestsellers.


(clockwise: Midnight -deep dark blue- gel liner, Pumpkin Coach gel liner, Digital Faerie eye shadow, Believe gel liner).

I tried Pumpkin Coach this morning and I was amazed at the intensity of the color, and it really went well with my neutral/bronzey eye look today. I like the fact that it was noticeable, but definitely not over-the-top. It's an interesting accent to an otherwise boring neutral eye.


MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base, MAC Gleam e/s to highlight, MAC Expensive Pink e/s on lid, MAC Bronze e/s on crease and outer V, Fyrinnae gel liner in Pumpkin Coach

I really like the Fyrinnae gel liners; they give good color payoff (in fact, pigmentation is fantastic!). My only gripe is the texture. It doesn't smudge off, it peels off, like paint! I'm glad Fyrinnae is re-formulating their gel liners. I hope they eliminate the peeling effect. It's a great liner except for that one factor.


I used Pureluxe cream eraser as primer, Monave mineral foundation in Teporah, Monave Angel Finishing Powder, Bare Escentuals Well Rested over Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory, Monave blush in Star Lilly used wet, Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Wild Clover, MAC lip lacquer in Varneesh


On a different note, I just wanna state that MAC Springsheen blush is gorgeous! It's a lot, lot better than NARS Orgasm on my skintone. It is as pretty as Cargo's The Big Easy blush and the peachy pink color really brightens up my complexion. I can't believe I let it languish at the bottom of my traincase for so long!