Evil Shades Review!

Anyone here a fan of Evil Shades Cosmetics? I just made my second order and realized that I'd never properly reviewed my first, which I made last fall. Whoops!

In the first order, I got full sizes of ceylon and ravishing blushes, and a sample of skön. Here are some better swatches! I love the full sizes I got, they go on nicely and the texture and staying power is good. Skön's texture is equally lovely, but the color makes me look like I bruised my cheeks. I can see this color looking great on a cooler-toned or darker skinned woman.  Evil Shades blushes might be my favorite thing on their whole site. I like how the colors she offers are bright and fun - there are absolutely no "universally flattering" pinky-brown shades here, just bright, clear colors that have a bit of an unexpected twist. Even Curiosity, which looks at first glance to have the most neutral appearance, has blue shimmer in the description! Ceylon has a green flash, and Ravishing shifts purple. This is about my favorite kind of product - things that look "normal" enough but contain sly winks at ideas like "professionalism" and "workplace acceptability."

I also ordered a blogger sample pack, and got a bunch of samples of lip stuff. To the left - More Synth Deviant Lipstick. It's pretty much a balm packed with rainbow glitter. I can't wait for the full size to get here! It's great on its own because it's one of those unassuming-from-afar-yet-edgy-up-close shades. I think it's best for a daytime casual look.

I also got samples of Primrose Path Deviant Lipstick and Féline's Kyss Hardcore Lips gloss. Primrose Path is pretty, and so is Féline's Kyss, but I did not get full sizes of these. Primrose Path is pretty, but I'm extremely picky about pinks, and this wasn't the best I'd ever worn. Féline's Kyss is also gorgeous, swatched on my hand, but on my face comes off as just a smidge too light for me.

The quality of the lipsticks is great, and the gloss is nice as well, though it can separate over time. In this same order, I got some limited edition lipglosses with a different formula that I did not like as much, and I have the same problem with them. The glosses are not sticky at all, which I both like and dislike. In my next order, I requested a sample of another gloss, and a larger size of her new black lipgloss so I'll better be able to form my opinion on them then. I don't know why I ordered black lipgloss, exactly, except that I don't have any and it seemed like a fun addition to my stash. All in all, Andrea offers a pretty wide selection of lip products, none of which contain my archenemy, beeswax! I hate to say it, but I definitely like Evil Shades lip products better than Silk Naturals, which were my first "OMG I can actually wear these!" lip things. The Evil Shades products come in more fun colors (some of which are a bit, um, adventurous for me!), and they stay on longer. My personal pickiness with shades of pink aside, a lot of what Andrea has is a winner here.

Let's also talk about eyeshadow, which is something you all know I love! I don't have swatches of the sample I got that is getting upgraded to full size, Eplefe, because it's such a stunning color I'm working on a separate post for it. So here's two pics of the other four I got. They're all swatched over Vitrum Spectrum Pot (also from Evil Shades!) which is a waxy white cream base.

I don't think this was intentional, but Wyvern and Whooo Are You? look like fraternal twins of the eyeshadow world. Whooo Are You? shifts yellow and warm while Wyvern shifts cool and blue, but they seem to have a similar base green. Twinkle Twinkle is a badass yellow, and Zombie is a rich oxblood color that looks like it would fit right in this fall. I did a look with Wyvern, Zombie, and Eplefe that I think shows the colors' versatility.

I like the texture of the shadows, and there's some fun stuff going on with them. They just work well and look nice, and I can't complain about that!

I'd definitely recommend Evil Shades Cosmetics, but recommend that you order two weeks or so before you think you'll want to use the products because turnaround time is in that range. Pricing is reasonable, and she offers generous samples in clamshells, full sizes, and enormous sizes for mega-fans and makeup artists. You know I like the company alright because I ordered another pile of stuff from them!

Look forward to my thoughts on her new Morbidly Beautiful collection, her black eyeshadow primer, and the peachy color corrector in a month or so!

Sally Hansen real nail polish strips review

I bought a box of the Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips in Teal With It a few weeks back, thinking it would be good for a trip I was going on. This brand is mostly known for its funky patterns, which do look awesome. Usually, they retail at about ten bucks each. I got mine, a solid color, on sale for about two fifty.

The box comes with a leaflet of instructions, a nail file, a cuticle stick, and two packets of eight nail polish strips each. My nails are tiny, so I was able to make eight strips cover all my nails - thus stretching the purchase to two manicures.

On the first try, I must have done something wrong, because the polish was peeling by the end of the day. Also, these aren't like stickers that you can just slap on and go - it actually took about the same amount of time as a regular mani, but without the downtime where I get to browse the Internet or a magazine as the layers dry.

I was pretty dismayed after that - peeling 16 hours later =/= 10-day wear. Maybe it happened because I didn't rub down the edges of the nail with the stick well enough? But that was tricky, because if I rubbed too hard, the strip ripped.

So, I tried again. This time, I brought out an additional tool: scissors. Each of the strips is a different size (I think they're pairs if you take all 16 strips together), but I found that I could get closer matches to my nail shape with some trimming.

I also dispensed with the instruction to file away the tips with the included file - choosing to use a finger to stretch it over the edge instead.

On the second try, they seemed to stick better. I got about a week of wear even though the very edges still wanted to curl up a bit. And about five people commented on them.

I'm undecided on these. I had better luck the second time, and I might try a fancy pattern if I could get it on sale, but I wasn't overly impressed.

Also - if you have any sort of ridges or a part of your nail that's peeled - the strips will conform to the bumpiness.

Have you tried them? What do you think?

Morgana Cryptoria Lipsticks!

Before I went on my no-buy, I ordered three lipsticks from Morgana Cryptoria because they were on sale, and I couldn't resist. Or chose not to. Or whatever. I was feeling celebratory over my new job starting. This is my fourth order from them, and it won't be my last. The new ones in this order are starred in the bottom pic.


The first time I ordered, I got a full size of Azalea Blue and samples of Coraline's Kiss and Watermelon. Turned out that Azalea Blue just did not work for me - the texture was much drier than I expected, and it was too cool-toned for my skin. So I swapped it. I emailed Melissa, the owner, about the texture because I thought something was wrong with it. She told me that different colors have different textures due to the colorants varying from shade to shade, and offered me a store credit to keep my happy. Since I fell in love with the other samples, on my second try, I ordered those in full size. Love. Neither color is available anymore - but there's a similar color to Coraline's Kiss in the new lip balm formula, which I haven't tried. It's called Coraline's Doppelganger.

My third order was for Peach Daiquiri, Very Strawberry, and Roses and Violets. I have a bit of a struggle making Peach Daiquiri work for me as it's really, really pale, and my lips are fairly pigmented on their own. It's good for lightening other colors or using over a dark lip crayon. But, the other two are great. Anyone could wear Roses and Violets in even a very conservative office. Along with that order, I also got samples of Tangerine Twist, Gilded Lime, and Fire in the Sky. I instantly wished I'd gotten a full size of the TT, and had a bit of fun trying out green and blue around the apartment - then working them into frankens I'd wear outside the house.

Then, I won Just Peachy from Jill, at The Peach. Just Peachy is darker enough from Peach Daiquiri that I can wear it for a "nude" look.

A few weeks ago, I ordered the last three members of my Morgana collection: Violet Banana, Tangerine Twist, and Speakeasy (from the 1920s collection). Speakeasy was cooler and darker than I expected, but it ended up working really well. I'll be using a sheer wash of this as a stain. I'm thrilled to own Tangerine Twist, and even more thrilled to have gotten it on sale.

Violet Banana; however, is my surprise favorite. I knew ordering yellow was a big risk, but it seemed to come off more gold in other bloggers' swatches. So, I took the plunge, and I'm glad I did. On me, it's a multi-dimensional golden nude effect. Since my lips are so pink to begin with, the pink and the yellow make an orangey gold. It's also sheer enough that it can be worn really subtly. Nude lipsticks usually look somewhere between odd and awful on me, but this could cancel out some of my natural lipcolor without erasing them entirely. I have small lips, and a big face. I don't like it when my lips disappear.

Since anything with beeswax in it will cause blisters within minutes, it's really nice to have an option of fun colors of excellent quality that are vegan and safe. They really are worth the wait. I'm still waiting for an opportunity to order Plumeria, Dianthus, Gilded Cerise, Very Cherry (which has returned! Dang no buy!), and all of the sheer lip balms (they would be great for work!). I'm also sitting on my hands waiting for the gel lipsticks, which seem really interesting. Melissa has also just put out a bunch of lipglosses, and I think I want to try one - only thing putting me off it is that I detest wand style lip stuff.

She's back open tonight or tomorrow, so check her out.

Darling Girl Haul!

So, as you may know, I broke my no-buy with a Darling Girl haul, made twice as large by the generosity of Just Peachy's Jill, my no-buy buddy. Here's pics of (almost) everything, plus the three items I had from my first Darling Girl mini-haul last fall.

Last fall, I ordered two eyeshadows and a blush - Wicked, Chocolate Cosmos, and Impetuous. All wonderful. A month or so ago, I got a sample pod of Midnight Train Aqua Liner in a swap. I ordered four shadows (petit size), a cream blush (sweet coron), two lip balms (chocolate orange truffle and caramelized mango), a dry oil spray (citrus green), a lip scrub (chocolate orange truffle), the glitter glue, and Mermaid Tails aqua liner.


All - left to right
Top: Mermaid Tails Aqua Liner; Midnight Train
Middle: Wicked; Chocolate Cosmos; Chimera; Belle
Bottom: Clusterfluff; Magic Dragon; My Little Pony; Polaris


Left: Impetuous blush. Right: Sweet Coron Sweet Cheeks Cream blush.

The shadows are beautiful and creamy. The texture is wonderful, and everybody needs My Little Pony, especially if you're a fan of Urban Decay's Asphyxia - this is a paler, less pink version of that - lavender with a pale green sheen.

The lip balms are flavored, but not in an overpowering sort of way. I like the two I picked. I'm undecided on the lip scrub - I think I like it, but the grains are super huge.

I haven't had a chance to use Sweet Coron or the glitter glue yet.

Mermaid Tails is BEAUTIFUL. I love it. Flat out.

The dry oil is harder to use than I wanted it to be - you really can only get a nice, fine mist out of an aerosol can, and an indie company just can't do that. The oil itself is very moisturizing and sinks in fast.

Have you tried Darling Girl? What did you think?

Random post on a random product from my stash - Sephora Pure Wanderlust

I got the palette for the cost of shipping from the lovely ani_bee about a year ago, and took these photos last summer. Now the lightest brown color has pan showing, and the dip in the medium brown, green, and light blue has grown. I think the medium brown will be showing pan soon.

The neutrals in this palette are absolutely lovely, which is why I throw it in for travel every time I go someplace. The light blue and light green, unfortunately, have some pigmentation problems and go on a lot more sheer than I prefer. The green especially is hard to get pigment onto the brush. I've decided I don't much care for dark blue shadow on me, except as a liner color (and even then, I'd rather have something designed as a liner to avoid the nasty discoloration dark blue fallout gives me).

The blush, unlike the shadows, is matte. I find that it works in a pinch, and is sheer enough that I don't need a duo-fiber brush with it, which is nice, but that it can be a little difficult to apply.

I also like that these are mica-based and talc-free.

The packaging is great - very sturdy and solid. I'm planning on modifying it to accept standard round pans when I use up the rest of the product (well, except the dark blue. Let's be honest here, that one is ending up depotted and swapped away).

I don't think this is still available anywhere - Sephora's been out for a while. It's an ok product. It's portable and versatile, which makes it great for travel, but I don't absolutely love any of the colors except the medium brown.

Thoughts on some recently demolished samples

I am sick again. :( So I haven't worn any makeup really the past few days. I haven't even put real clothes on. (I am making sure to shower and put clean underwear on, though.)

I also am holding steady to my promise to not buy any more beauty-related products until my birthday. And, I've thrown out a bunch of stuff I didn't use, and swapped away a few things, too. A pile of sample foundations/ tinted moisturizers. I may have to make an exception for skincare - I'm now out of crappy stuff to shave my legs with so I need to get some oils for that.

Big news is the recent demolition of all my sample-sized liquid foundations and tinted moisturizers. I didn't push myself to use up all of these, but it's nice to not have the packets and vials cluttering up my drawers anymore.

Thoughts:
-Hourglass illuminating TM - ivory - This was way too dark! I can't even comment on formula, because I had to wipe it off so quick.

-L'Oreal souffle - the new stuff that comes in the glass jars with the pink lids. This was also too dark, but this time I was smart and did a hand swatch first. I did like the texture, but I'm not sure I'd like it all over my face. Maybe I'd try it if there were a killer sale on.

-Stila illuminating TM (shade 1). If by "illuminating" they mean "make me into an oil slick," then I guess there's truth in advertising. If not, well, er, we have a problem.

-Tarte smooth operator (00, 02). This was pretty good. I think I like Agent 00 better, Agent 02 seemed a little too pink on me. Did a decent job of being lightly moisturizing on its own, and evened out my skin tone. I'd have to try it out again before committing to buying it, though.

-Laura Mercier TM (nude, both regular and oil-free). Both of these were slightly too dark for me. I liked the regular formula better than the oil-free, which seemed somewhat thick and sticky in comparison, but this wasn't the Holy Grail for me or anything. Which I guess is good, because it costs a pretty penny.

-Maybelline FitMe. I got the free sample cards, which give you enough to swatch them. The two lightest colors are the only ones that might have worked - the lightest is too light, though, and the second lightest is too pink. I guess they FitYou if you don't have pale warm skin. For me, it's FitMeNot.

The Tarte was the only winner. I'll have to compare it to Urban Decay Urban Defense and Cover Girl Nature Luxe before I decide which one gets to stay in my routine, though.

Review - Bare Minerals Matte foundation

A while back, Sephora was giving away free Bare Minerals minis (packaged with a mini Mineral Veil and an extremely tiny kabuki brush). The sales assistant picked out Light matte as my best match.

Recently, as part of Project Use It, I've opened and started using these samples. I figured it would be a great opportunity to test out the "original" mineral foundation and see how it held up against my indie favorites.

I would love to be able to review it with my standard rubric, but I just can't. First of all, Light is too dark for me. I have been trying to make it work, with limited success. I have mixed it with the Mineral Veil. I have mixed it with silica powder. I have mixed it with highlighters. I have applied it over a sunblock that turns me pasty white. No matter what I do, it's still too dark. Today, the only reason it looks ok from afar is that I put on a bunch of a powder highlighter on top. Close-up, the caked-on powder is pretty evident.

This means that I can't review it against the other foundations because I'd be reviewing my own formula instead of Bare Minerals'.

Texture-wise, it feels like any standard mineral powder. I have a harder time than usual applying this evenly, and I can't figure out why. My kabuki brush just isn't transporting the powder well. The color mismatch makes it even more obvious. Also, it seems to take an enormous amount of product to get proper coverage. Again, the product being too dark highlights just how hard it is to get it to cover my face.

I'm disappointed. If anyone wants to send me samples of either Fairly Light or Golden Fair, so I can better judge the product's performance, let me know. An eighth teaspoon would be enough.

As for the mineral veil - its primary ingredient is cornstarch. Do you know how cheap cornstarch is? You probably have some in your kitchen. Save yourself some money and tint a jarful with a bit of your foundation.

Lucy Minerals foundation review (regular kind)

Lucy Minerals is an independent company specializing in mineral makeup with added antioxidants. The color range isn't as great as some other companies, and if your skin is on the darker end of the spectrum, you're out of luck. If I ever make and sell mineral makeup, I'll either not do foundation at all, or try to have something for darker skintones.

They offer a few different formulas, an antioxidant-free one, an antioxidant-rich one, and two kinds of oil control - one with silica and one with calcium carbonate.

How'd it work?

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite. I tried both Light and Cream. Light is closer, but still somewhat more yellow than I'd like.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. This stuff is pretty high-coverage.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day. If I go for a walk or sweat at all, it will start smearing off and creasing. It also has a somewhat chalky finish.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. I've tried both the regular (which I'm reviewing now) and the calcium carbonate. Neither is perfect.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. $14 for a 30g jar. You can get combo kits that lower the price somewhat, but not a lot. Shipping is free, though.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. I have heard nothing but good things.

Total: 24/30. This is pretty good stuff. It's a slightly heavier finish than I like, so I probably won't buy this again (especially since awG makes a really good color match for me). I used this for about two weeks straight, and I'm not sure the antioxidants have done anything for my skin. I think you really need to eat your fruits and veggies, not put them on your face.

Foundation Review! Wet 'n Wild Mineral Foundation

How does cheap drugstore "mineral makeup" stack up to the stuff you buy online? I recently bought some Wet 'n Wild Naturals mineral foundation in Fair to try out.

A. Color matching.
3. Sort of matches. Even the fair color is too dark. My face looked darker than I'm used to. Maybe this would be useful as a contour powder...

B. Coverage.
2. Barely covers blemishes. For how opaquely dark my face looked, zits and stuff were pretty visible, still.

C. Adhesion/durability.
2. Lasts most of the day, but becomes patchy or rubs off easily. Streaks on my forehead! Ew!

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
2. Does not control oil. I got shiny. I think this is due to the fact that this product is mostly mica, filler, and colorants. There's no zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide is listed as a "may contain." Also, there are parabens and other ickies. I'm not sure why a dry powder needs a preservative, much less two.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. So this is where I got suckered into buying this. There's a jar that screws onto a compartment that holds a mini buki brush. I instantly hated the brush and gave it away, but my EDM baby buki fits in the spot well. This makes it very travel-friendly.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. It was about five bucks. It's also only a 10g jar, as opposed to the more standard 25 or 30 you get with online companies. So the unit price is comparable.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service - not applicable. No point.

Total: 17 out of 30. If you buy this, know that you are getting a pretty jar full of ugly powder you'll want to throw away.

Reviews of other companies with pics coming soon.

Earthen Glow Minerals Mineral Mousse, revisited

I need to revisit Earthen Glow's mineral mousse. Even thought it got really high marks the first time I reviewed it, my opinions have changed, and for the worse. The biggest changes are to the durability and packaging categories, and I'm pretty disappointed.

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! I ordered Lora, which is "Light warm," after being warned that their fair shades were for the truly ghostlike, and on consultation with them via email. I also took a gamble and ordered a full size, so I could take advantage of the 30% off sale, and I'm glad I did because it does match very well.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. Covers all but the worst of the red marks and the darkest part of my surgical scar.

C. Adhesion/durability.
2. This has been becoming much more patchy than it used to get, and with the increase in humidity has been sinking into the creases by my nose worse than it used to.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. This is not controlling oil as well as it used to.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
1. I used to be really enthused about the packaging, until I used up half the product and couldn't get any more out of the airless pump. At all. Today, I had to resort to cutting the base of the pump off and pushing up on the inner base with my fingers in order to get any out. Not surprisingly, a whole bunch squirted out, so now I have a messy bottle that can't stand up and that has jagged edges on the bottom. Not cool.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point.
Company does not have good customer service, or service is unrated - 0 points. Customer service at Earthen Glow is slow, unpredictable at best, and at times contradictory. I am not pleased with my experience and will not be shopping there again.

Total: 20/30. This stuff is ok. I don't love it or anything anymore, and at this point I'm only using it because I have it and I want it gone.

Review - Sassy Minerals foundation.

I've been testing out some samples I got of Sassy Minerals foundation recently. Warm Light seems to be my best match with them. Let 's see how it held up!

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! Very happy with that aspect.

B. Coverage.
3. Covers blemishes and makes scar less noticeable. Sheerer than I'd hoped.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day - after that, my face looked patchy and cakey. Not good.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. After lunch, there was some dryness around my mouth and my forehead was oily to the touch.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. Sample jar came with a seal, so no spilling!

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Haven't tested it out yet, but they were very gracious about my two sample jar order.

Total: 23/30. Good product, but wasn't the best for me - I didn't like how it wore later in the day. Would be nice for an evening out or an afternoon event, but not great for full-day wear.

Review - Physicians Formula HealthyWear powder foundation

I am serious about sun protection. You would be too, after having had a skin cancer cut out of your face at 26. I never go outside in the daytime without proper protection. I usually use an SPF 50 spray sunblock (CVS brand, full-spectrum) on my neck and body, or sometimes Neutrogena sensitive SPF 30, which I don't like as much because it makes me even paler. For my face, I've been using MyChelle Sun Shield, which is a silicone-free, fragrance-free, physical blocker only SPF 28 product, and generally top it with mineral makeup. I've heard great things about Neutrogena's Helioplex compound, but avobenzone is degraded by titanium dioxide, which is in all my makeup.

Sometimes, though, a cream sunblock isn't what I want, and sometimes, I just want my face SPF to match my body SPF. So I was really excited by the new HealthyWear line from Physicians Formula - a pressed powder foundation in SPF 50! It combines chemical and physical blockers, so it'll last awhile. How is it, as a foundation?

A. Color Matching
4. Close, but not quite. My face looks slighty pinker than usual with this on. I'm using translucent light.

B. Coverage.
3. Covers blemishes. For a sheer coverage product, it mostly evens out skin tone and covers smaller spots. Does nothing for the scar, but that's faded a lot and nobody but me really notices it.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day. Doesn't rub off too easily, but it does settle in the creases by my nose.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
4. By mid-afternoon, some oil spots have broken out or some areas look dryer than normal. This does that think where my face looks a little shiny, but not oily - but if you touch it? Slimy.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging. It comes in a plastic compact with a pink sponge in the lower compartment and the product on a tray above that, with a mirror in the lid. The compact is hot pink and orange. Orange is not my favorite color. However, as others have stated, you will not lose this in your purse. The product pan on mine also isn't glued into the compact very well, and I'm going to have to fix it soon. Also - I emailed them to ask about the sponge - it's latex-free.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. Roughly $15.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Yup! They have slow, but reliable, service.

Total: 20/30. If this matched my skin better, I'd be all over it. This is not for those days I want to look flawless, but it's amazing for when I want to go running and not have sweaty sunblock dripping into my eyes. As a sunblock in pressed powder form, I really like it. As a foundation, it does ok. I've used better. It's the easiest to use foundation I have, and would be great for travel. I have mixed feelings about the sponge - it feels a little rough. I think I like how the product applies with a baby buki better.

Would I buy it again? Probably, if for no other reason than it will help me avoid needing to have more skin cancers cut out of my face. A powder sunblock is great for hot, summery weather - all liquid sunblocks make my face sweat in the summer. I like how well this performs when I run, and can see it being useful for other outdoor activity in warm weather. And, it looks alright for when I'm pressed for time and don't want to have to tap out and brush on loose powder foundations.

Physican's Formula Shimmer Strips Cream Liner - Blue Eyes

I recently acquired the new Shimmer Strips Cream Liner for Blue Eyes from Physician's Formula - Here are some swatch pictures!



The set comes with three liners in cube-shaped jars that snap together like Legos. There's a matte blue purple shade, a pearly brown, and a black with blue shimmers in it. I was not really excited about the black, as I usually avoid it in favor of brown, but the blue shimmer makes it a lot softer and more interesting. You also get a liner brush with the kit.

I've tried all of them, and I really like them so far. The brush they come with works pretty well, and the product itself stays where I put it for the most part, and shows up nice and crisp. There isn't a lot of product in the individual jars, but I don't really mind that - you don't need a whole lot of it, and I might actually use something this small up.

I like these a lot - I might save up for the green eyes one after I get another job. I'm hoping that the sparkles in the black match the intended eye color, because that would be awesome - having a bunch of identical black liners isn't the neatest thing in the world.

Only problem is that you really need an oil-based remover or cleanser to get these things off, and they have a tendency to stain.

Review - Lovely Android Foundation

So you all saw my post about my Lovely Android mini-haul - and I've finally had a chance to try everything!

Foundation:

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite. Not bad!

B. Coverage.
2. Barely covers blemishes. This is pretty light coverage. It will even out skin tone, but not much else.

C. Adhesion/durability.
4. Almost gets me through a twelve-hour day. No patchiness!

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. 5g jar.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Can't rate on this, as I didn't have any problems.

Total: 21/30. Not bad stuff, very finely milled, but not enough coverage for my needs. I'll use the jar up, but probably won't buy more. If you're looking for sheer coverage and have normal skin, you'll probably love it.

Comprehensive Foundation Review

In my quest to find the perfect mineral foundation, I’ve tried a whole bunch, and reviewed all of them with stringent criteria, because I wanted to know which one was the best. I’ve reviewed a lot of loose powder foundations, three liquids, and one pressed powder. As I try out more stuff in the future, I'll make updated versions of the list, but this is where I am so far. Pics above are for color comparison purposes (and to some extent, coverage comparison).

Here’s a quick summary, with products ranked from best to worst.

1. Silk Naturals Original Coverage foundation (1 Warm Gold: 10 Ivory): 26/30. Despite receiving high scores, I’m still waffling on getting this. I was looking at a photo I’d taken for an EOTD post while I was wearing it and didn’t like the finish that much. I’ve ordered more samples to play with, because one of my biggest complaints was that it had too-sheer coverage. I really liked the oil control and the custom mixing aspects. I also think that SN might match my summer skin needs better than my winter skin needs.

2. Earthen Glow Minerals Mineral Mousse foundation (Lora – light warm): 25/30. I’m very glad I ordered a full size while it was on sale, because I love this stuff.

3. adorned with Grace Minerals foundation (Love 3.0): 24.5/30. Probably ordering this in full size so I have the option of a powder. Main weakness: my face gets shiny after awhile. Main strength: this stuff is so finely milled, super creamy, and a little goes a long way.

4. Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me foundation (Lora – light warm): 21/30. Best for those with normal skin (no dryness or oily issues) and stuff they want to cover up, or who can’t find a good match elsewhere, as there are lots of options for colors with this brand.

5. Aromaleigh Glissade foundation (1W): 21/30. The better (IMO) of the two Aromaleigh foundations, it still wasn’t right for me. Better for someone with dry skin.

6. Aromaleigh Voilé foundation (1W): 20/30. This didn’t stand out in any way for me. Probably better for someone with dry skin.

7. Everyday Minerals Matte foundation (Golden Fair): 20/30. This was my standby for a year and a half. There are much better choices out there, and I am happier with other stuff. I was thrilled to finally use the jar up the other day. However, it did get me started on minerals, which was a really good thing in the long run.

8. Everyday Minerals Pressed Powder foundation (old formula Fair Yellow, d/c): 19/20. This stuff has two things going for it: coverage and ease of use (no swirly dish – just swirl brush in product and use!) Everything else, it doesn’t do well on. I can’t wait to use this up, but I also kind of want to chuck it.

9. Almay PureBlends liquid foundation (Buff): 19/30. Main strengths: it matched my skin and comes in a nice package. Too bad it doesn’t do anything else well. The face burning was a definite problem. The only reason it scored as high as it did is because of the bottle and the matching. I’m planning on returning this to the store and getting some Milani liners instead.

10. Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss foundation (Sleek Chartreux). 18/30. I was really disappointed in this and really wanted to like it. It’s way too sheer for me, though, and also does nothing against oil. If you have dry skin and mostly want to even out your skintone, this will probably be great for you.

11. Physician’s Formula OrganicWear tinted moisturizer (Ivory to Fair): 17/30 (will up to 18/30 if a customer service issue is resolved to my satisfaction). This would have scored a lot higher if it were lighter. If you have normal skin and aren’t either very fair or very dark, you might just love this stuff. Also, I got a tube that expired two months after I bought it, so they sent me a mailing label and I’m going to return it to the company for something else. I’m sure I’ll like whatever else I get better.

Review - Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me foundation

Over the weekend, I went through my samples from the Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me sample kit I got in the Light range. Normally, I'm fair, but Earthen Glow is one of those companies that makes stuff for the extra-fair. They sent me all 12 colors in the light range for the Cover Me foundation formula, and I picked out the 3 that looked closest, face swatched them, and picked Lora as the best match, which is unsurprising as the mousse foundation that matches me so well is also Lora.

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is!

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day. I blew my nose a few times, and that wiped off the product around my nose. It also seemed patchy on my forehead. Not a lot, but a little.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. I touched my forehead five hours after putting the foundation on, and my fingers came away with oil on them. After I removed the makeup, my skin was a little dryer than usual.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
2. Functional packaging. Sample baggie, good size. Full sizes appear to come in normal jars.

G. Value
1. Costs more than you'd expect. $18 for a full size? I haven't seen a price that high on the other sites I frequent.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point.
(Reserving judgment on this until I hear back about the dried cream liner. Will revise accordingly.)

Total: 21/30. Not bad, but also not one of my favorites. If you have normal skin with a greater number than usual of blemishes or discolorations, then this is probably great for you.

Review - Earthen Glow Minerals Mineral Mousse Foundation

Another liquid! (And most probably my last, unless anyone has samples of stuff).
Today I wore my new Earthen Glow Minerals Mineral Mousse foundation. How'd it do?

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! I ordered Lora, which is "Light warm," after being warned that their fair shades were for the truly ghostlike, and on consultation with them via email. I also took a gamble and ordered a full size, so I could take advantage of the 30% off sale, and I'm glad I did because it does match very well.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. Covers all but the worst of the red marks and the darkest part of my surgical scar.

C. Adhesion/durability.
4. Almost gets me through a twelve-hour day. Looks great on my lower face, like I'm not wearing makeup, but my forehead got a little patchy.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
4. By mid-afternoon, some oil spots have broken out or some areas look dryer than normal. Not too much oil, actually, just a tiny bit of shine on the forehead. Dryness is a slightly bigger issue, but less so than with some other brands.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. Ok, so the packaging isn't really that attractive, but it's in an airless pump that comes with this little piece of plastic you can use to keep air from getting in through the pump hole. The pump also makes it very easy to only dispense what you need, you won't accidentally pour out more. Extremely functional packaging.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point.
Company does not have good customer service, or service is unrated - 0 points. I will come back and edit another point into the score if I get appropriate resolution on the dried cream liner I got in the same order. They also took a long time to respond to my emails about the ingredients of the foundation, but when they did answer they were very helpful.

Total: 25/30. This stuff is pretty good. It's amazing how it evens out skin tone and covers minor imperfections without looking chalky or cakey. Word to the wise: this stuff is easy to overdo. I only use one tiny squirt the size of a pea for my whole face. I had equally good results dispensing onto the back of my hand and applying with a foundation brush as I did dabbing small amounts around my face with my fingers. Both times, I blended with my fingers. Liquid foundation shouldn't require a brush, in my opinion. Overall, I really like this stuff.

Rubric for reviewing vegan mascara

Hey all!
So due to my beeswax allergy, I can only use vegan mascara. I prefer natural products, but I'm not averse to coating my lashes with plastic, either (though I'd prefer to not have to).

But how to pick the best vegan mascara? The foundation rubric is working out so well, I'd like to propose one for mascara reviews, too.

So:

A. Clump factor.
1. Super clumpy.
2. Some small clumps, but mostly smooth.
3. No clumps! Very smooth.

B. Longevity.
1. Raccoon eyes or flakies not too long into wearing.
2. Raccoon eyes or flakies toward the end of the day.
3. No raccoon eyes or flakies!

C. Lengthening.
1. Lashes do not appear any longer.
2. Lashes appear somewhat longer.
3. Holy length!

D. Volumizing.
1. No improvement.
2. Some improvement.
3. Full, lush looking lashes.

E. Irritancy.
1. Burny eyes.
2. Some burny eyes or other mild and short-lived irritation.
3. None.

F. Natural factor.
1. Recognizable ingredients.
2. Mix of natural and synthetic.
3. Only vegan because there's no petrochemical or silicone animal.

G. Value.
1. Costs more than you'd expect.
2. Costs about what you'd expect.
3. Costs less than you'd expect.

H. Brush.
1. Difficult to use - gives poor results.
2. Okay, nothing special.
3. Pretty awesome - gives great results!

I. Customer service.
0. Bad, unhelpful, nonexistant, not tried.
1. Great company to work with.

Review - Everyday Minerals Pressed Powder foundation

I'm using up my Everyday Minerals foundation before I buy full size powders elsewhere. I'm down to less than a sample jar of loose foundation and I've hit a big piece of pan on the pressed stuff. I have the old pressed foundation (made with jojoba oil and not capric/caprylic triglyceride) in Fair Yellow.

Today, I'm wearing the pressed stuff. As you may recall, the loose got a 20/30 - certainly not the best I've ever tried.

How does the pressed version compare?

A. Color matching.
4. Close, but not quite. Right lightness, but a little too yellow. Sadly, this is discontinued in Fair Yellow. The old Golden Fair was way too dark, and I hear the new Golden Fair is darker than the loose foundation as well.

B. Coverage.
4. Significantly reduces contrast between normal skin and blemishes/scar. I've used this as a concealer, but it doesn't completely cover things I'd like it to.

C. Adhesion/durability.
2. Lasts most of the day, but becomes patchy or rubs off easily. I wore this to an evening function a while ago, put it on right before I left. Three hours later, it was separating into clumpy pools of pigment. Today, I ended up with a line of foundation on my nose, despite wearing primer.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
3. Does ok until lunch. My forehead has been shiny since not too long ago.

E. Irritancy.
3. No problems at all.

F. Presentation
1. Ugly and/or problematic packaging. When I bought it, this stuff came in a cardboard compact. Now it comes in a nice plastic compact with a tray for a puff, but doesn't come in a color that works for me.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect. $12 for a big pan of it.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Not - their service has taken a noticeable turn for the worse lately.

Total: 19/30. I like this even less than the loose EDM foundation, but it is useful to spot conceal. I won't be too sad to run out of it, though. Since I can't get this product/color anymore, that's pretty damning.

Review - Almay Pure Blends liquid foundation

So the Wet n Wild gel eyeliner I bought at CVS made my eyes a little burny after using it, so I returned it and used the money plus some extra bucks to buy Almay's Pure Blends foundation in Buff, figuring it was worth a shot - they'd let me return it if I hated it.

How'd it do?

A. Color matching.
5. I can't even tell where the line is! Impressive for liquid.

B. Coverage.
2. Barely covers blemishes. This stuff is pretty sheer.

C. Adhesion/durability.
3. Gets me through an eight-hour day.

D. Combination skin friendliness factor.
2. Does not control oil or makes dry spots prominent. For oilies, it was slightly better than wearing nothing, but it did make some dry spots stand out, which is odd because it's a liquid.

E. Irritancy.
2. Tiny bumps or itching. Kind of burned for a few minutes after application, but then that went away.

F. Presentation
3. Beautiful presentation. Cute bottle, easy to get the last out of.

G. Value
2. Costs about what you'd expect.

H. Company is nice to work with, good customer service. 1 point. Almay? No experience. CVS? They're great, but I'm reviewing Almay, not CVS.

Total: 19/30. If the burning keeps being a problem, I'll return it. If it doesn't, then I'll use it up but not repurchase - and only because it matches really well.

ETA 12/24 3:10 a.m. This stuff sucks. I tried again today without moisturizer underneath to see if that would help with the oiliness. It didn't, and it also made it dry my face out weirdly. I'm glad I kept my receipt.