August Favorites

It’s been a while since I’ve done a ‘favorites’ post, but it seems you all like them so here we go. Here’s what I was reaching for the most during the month of August. :)

MAC Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15
This product from MAC doesn’t get a whole lot of attention that I’ve noticed, but I absolutely love it. It’s sheer and light enough that it works on my pale as heck complexion and just gives me a little even-ness to my skintone.  I wear it in Light, as if that weren’t obvious haha. MAC describes it as “soft pale beige” and I agree with that. It’s not particularly pinkish or yellowish. I think it would work on just about anyone with fair skin. Since August has been hot, I haven’t wanted to wear a lot of heavy foundation. When I’m just running around doing errands I grab for this. There’s no chemical sunscreen, hooray!
$29.50 – available at MAC, and wherever MAC is sold

MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
Whereas the Studio Moisture Tint doesn’t get much attention, this is a MAC cult classic. Studio Fix powder gives matte full coverage. I know it doesn’t agree with a lot of people’s skin, but mine thinks it’s just dandy. I wear shade N3, which is a great match during summer. When I get a little lighter during winter months I’ll tap a little Studio Fix Shivering White over it. Shivering White is a pro product. It’s a Studio Fix powder color corrector. It’s solid white, but it is not a white foundation in the sense that if you use it alone it will not give you solid white geisha-like skin. It just helps lighten N3 when I’m a tiny bit lighter. I’ve been wearing this whenever I actually need coverage because it doesn’t budge and it covers everything. Everything. 
$26 – available at MAC, and wherever MAC is sold

Purely Cosmetics Oil Absorb Powder
Just try and get me to shut up about this miracle powder. Apply it in the morning, done. No touch-ups. All day. Oily t-zone? What’s that? Seriously. That’s all I really need to say. It’s just amazing. Try it yourself on the 18th when Purely Cosmetics is having their Anniversary Promo!
$16 – available only at Purely Cosmetics

MAC Lipglass in Perennial High Style
I don’t have a link to this one because it was a limited edition color and is gone “forever” until MAC decides to re-release it or recycle it (release it with a different name pretending it’s new). This one came out with the Liberty of London collection and…why wasn’t anyone talking about it? It was the gloss accompaniment to Ever Hip lipstick, which everyone went cuckoo for. Perennial High Style has a bit more pink than Ever Hip to my eye, but I absolutely love this color. It instantly brightens my whole face when I apply it, and goes with a variety of looks. I purchased it as kind of an afterthought, but boy am I glad. If you can get your paws on this one, grab it.

Wearing Perennial High Style lipglass

MAC Lipglass in Rayothon
Another discontinued item. Sorry guys! I have been shopping around in my stash lately and grabbed this beauty to rediscover. I’ve been wearing it a lot ever since. It was originally released in 2005 with the Belle Azure collection. If you’re not familiar with the color, it’s a pink with some peachy undertones and gold shimmer. Very fun for summer, and very flattering. Again, if you can get your paws on this– get it! If you’re looking for something similar, try MAC Lipglass in Nymphette.

Hard Candy Blush in Living Doll
I had to force myself to put this down and use some of my other blushes, I was using it that much. It’s a baked blush, very similar to MAC’s mineralized blushes. The color is a luminous dolly pink with some gold veining that adds such a beautiful highlight and warmth to the overall effect. I got this in a swap and it was sooooo worth it! But you can get it in stores still, so check that out if you’re looking for a very pretty and wearable pink blush.
$7 – available only at Walmart

Revlon Superlustrous Lip Gloss in Peach Petal
I could not find a link to buy this online, but it’s not limited edition so check your drugstores. The formula of Revlon’s Superlustrous glosses is really nice– smooth, moisturizing, not sticky at all, but up until recently I wasn’t too impressed with the color range. Then came Spring and the Daydreamer collection. Peach Petal is a very pale, very milky pinky peach shade. It’s in the same family as MAC’s Underage and C-Thru. This is another gloss I have been reaching for over and over and over this summer. Check out Pinkiecharm’s review on Youtube.
$6ish – most drugstores

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel in Pear
This is a new scent from Bath & Body Works. For this collection they stripped things down to the simplest, one note fragrances. Pear is fresh and juicy, and very refreshing in the shower! I am considering going back for the scent mist. The lather these shower gels give is outstanding. They recently reformulated (again) and I am thrilled to report that the results are fabulous.
$10.50 – Bath & Body Works

What have you been loving on lately? Tell me in the comments!

Purely Cosmetics Anniversary Sale

Keep your eyes out for Purely Cosmetics‘ Anniversary Sale on 9/18! It’s a “choose your own adventure” discount. ;) You can choose 15% off your entire order (no minimum) or free shipping on any order $15 or more. It will be available for 9/18 only. I’ll be reminding you all closer to the date, too.

Purely Cosmetics Foundations

Hello hello my lovelies!

As you know I was working at the Purely Cosmetics booth for IMATS this past weekend. The event was a huge success. Even though the weekend was exhausting, I had a great time! I also got to learn a whole bunch more about Purely Cosmetics. I was a fan before I volunteered to work the booth, but by no means an expert. I learned a ton about it that I hope will be helpful if you are considering trying them out. I also wanted to introduce those of you who might be new to the brand with some background info. This is part 1 of my overview, talking about foundations!

Purely Cosmetics is a line of mineral makeup based in Valencia, CA. I absolutely love the idea of supporting local businesses. The economy in CA is still crap right now, so I feel strongly about patronizing its small businesses. Purely Cosmetics is also in another category near and dear to my heart– it’s woman owned! Robyn Bloom, the hard-working founder of Purely Cosmetics, is a one woman show. To prepare for IMATS, she said it took 3 months of pulling down 18-hour days! Her dedication really shines through in her fantastic line of products.

Purely Cosmetics – The Foundations


There are 2 formulas of foundation in the line, Pure Mineral ($18) and Skin Smoothing ($19.99). Both can work for most skin types. The shade range is from light (Fair Maiden is the lightest shade) to medium-dark (Cornsilk is the darkest). Here is a brief description of each foundation shade:

Fair Maiden – Fair w/ pink undertone (This is what I wear)
Peaches & Cream – Fair w/ peach or neutral undertone (I can also get away with wearing this, great for neutralizing redness if you tend to be ruddy-faced)
Neutral Light – Light to medium with neutral to pink undertone
California Blonde – Light to medium with pink undertone
Olive Beige – Light to medium shade w/ mostly beige undertones but a slight yellow tinge
Neutral Medium – Darker than Neutral light but w/ beige undertone
Sunkissed – Medium shade w/ bronzy/red undertones
Maria – Medium shade with golden/olive undertones – perfect for Mediterranean or Latin ethnicities
Cornsilk – Medium shade that has yellow/red undertones (darker than Maria)

Pure Mineral Foundation is medium to full coverage depending on how much you apply. One of my biggest gripes about most mineral foundations is I just can’t get the coverage I want. Not so with this bad boy. You can swirl and buff your way to completely full coverage. Depending on what you’re trying to cover, you might not even need a separate concealer. There is no shimmer or shine to this formula at all. It’s completely matte, but not that dead corpse-like matte. It’s a “your skin but better” look. Pure Mineral Foundation performs very well for any skin type, even those who are very sensitive (like me!) or very oily (also like me– damn, I hit the lottery). The ingredients in this formula are very simple: Mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, ultramarine blue, zinc oxide. No bismuth to be seen. Hooray.

You can opt for an extra $3 to add pure silk powder to your Pure Mineral Foundation. This is a great option for those who have combo skin. If you aren’t familiar with silk powder, it pulls moisture from the air, hydrating your skin while mattifying it. It contains amino acids essential for the human body and helps reflect UV rays. Hooray for silk!

Skin Smoothing Foundation is light to medium-full coverage (I find it doesn’t give quite as much coverage as Pure Mineral Foundation), but contains more ingredients. This formula’s ingredients are: titanium dioxide, mica, zinc oxide, pure silk powder, boron, silica, iron oxides, jojoba oil, and magnesium myristate. May also contain ultramarine blue (depends on what color). Skin Smoothing Foundation’s added ingredients keep the skin nourished and hydrated. It also helps minimize the appearance of fine lines. It performs well on all skin types except those who are extremely oily.

If you weren’t sold already, Purely Cosmetics sells sample packs to try out colors before you commit to a full size. And if you can’t find your absolutely perfect match, Robyn also offers custom blend foundation. See the site for more details!

Samples of both foundation formulas were provided for consideration. Although I worked the booth at IMATS, I am not an employee. Just a fan!

Almost That Time Again: IMATS LA

Well everyone, it’s almost time for IMATS LA again! For those of you who don’t know, IMATS stands for International Makeup Artist Tradeshow, and the LA is because it’ll be in Los Angeles this coming June (the 26th and 27th). ;) There are other events in cities such as NYC, Vancouver, London, and more.

If you’re in the LA area and you want to buy tickets, they’re on sale for a discounted rate if you buy them early. You can do that here: http://makeupmag.com/imats_tickets/cPath/198/ and I highly suggest you do!

IMATS is open to the public, which means you do not have to have credentials such as a cosmetology license to attend. I think there’s also a discount rate for students? Check it out. I’m not a student, so I don’t know. :P

IMATS is in-freaking-credible if you have even just a passing interest in makeup and makeup artistry. Exhibitors from all different facets of the makeup industry show off their line, give sneak peeks at upcoming products, and offer special show discounts. It’s a great opportunity to learn about brands you have never heard of, meet people, and of course shop. But it doesn’t just stop at the exhibitors! IMATS also features demonstrations, seminars, classes, and student competitions! It’s fascinating, amazing, and unforgettable.

This year I will have a whole different unique experience at IMATS– as an exhibitor! I am going to be working the Purely Cosmetics booth along with Robyn (the Purely Cosmetics founder), Stephanie– the writer of Aquahearts Obsession, and Grace Chun (a local makeup artist). You may remember my past raves over Purely Cosmetics’ diamond finishing powder (buy this. it’s amazing.)…you should come by and check it out in person if you’re going to come to IMATS.

Now before anyone gets all up in arms about me working for a brand at IMATS, I’m a volunteer. I’m not getting paid to work at the booth. I’m doing this as a favor to Robyn because she is awesome and I love to support small business owners in California, especially in my favorite industry. Yes, that means I’ll get free admission. But you know what? I would have gotten in to IMATS anyway. It’s called a press pass. I would not volunteer to help a brand I thought sucked. The bottom line is Robyn’s line is really great and it’s a product I believe in. SO, with that out of the way, I don’t wanna see any whining about it, lol.

Special Purely Cosmetics Sale Event!

Hey everyone…

Robyn @ Purely Cosmetics is having a super fun sale event to celebrate her birthday on 8/27! Rather than just have a coupon code or whatever, she’s doing it like a Woot-Off. For those of you who don’t know what a Woot-Off is, here’s her explanation:

Trying to come up with something new and different, I’m stealing from Woot, and having a sale similar to a Woot-Off. I’ll randomly put things on sale – they will all have something to do with 50 (50% off, buy something, get something else free, etc). How long that item will remain on sale will be totally at my whim. Could be 50 minutes, could be a few hours, maybe 50 seconds. Then that sale item is no longer available at the special price, and something else will be.

Sounds fun! :) In order to participate in the sale event, you’ll need to follow @PurelyCosmetics on Twitter and/or become a fan on Facebook. Those are the only two places where the items for sale will be posted!

By the way, multiple shipping charges from purchasing items from multiple specials will be refunded for items that all ship together.
And you need to know…before you ask…yes there will be a special that includes diamond powder. Woo-hoo! (or rather, Woot!)

Beauty Bests & Busts – June ’09

Beauty BEST:

Diamond Powder Perfect Finish from Purely Cosmetics. Makes my pores say sayonara!
DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin Spot Treatment. Instant reduction in redness and helps blemishes heal without any negative side effects.
Beauty BUST:
Makeup Forever High Definition Concealer. Broke me out in little bumps around my under-eye area. Eeek!
Hormones. They suck. No, really. They do. So they are going on as a “beauty bust” this month.