23 posts from January 2008

Quick Look Using Valerie Beauty's New Shadows

Jan 31, 2008
Post a comment

Here's a quick, no-fuss look featuring Val's new shadows. I'd wanted to play more with the colors but I was running late for work. The greatest discovery I had when I wore Val's shadows was that I was able to find a beautiful non-shimmery mineral highlighter from her new collection. If you remember this post, I was asking for recommendations for a nice, non-shimmery mineral highlighter that I could use for my eye looks. Well I tried Val's Delicate Sweetness and I was so in love with the result. It looked understated, clean, and it effectively highlighted my browbone without garish shimmer all over. If you want non-shimmery, beautiful mineral highlighters, check out Val's Delicate shadows. All in all, I really like the new colors because they can be bright but can still be toned down for work, are very versatile, easy to apply and the shades are really pretty.

I am wearing the last of my Buff'd mineral foundation samples (Ginger), and in person the yellow undertones were just too heavy and dark on my face. I asked Jen of Buff'd what the next shade lighter than Almond in the same color family would be, and she recommended Chamois. I ordered full sizes of Almond and Chamois and I am excited to get these. I really like the coverage and finish so hopefully Chamois is a match; if not I can always mix it with Almond to get my desired shade.

(Click for FOTD and list of products used)

Valerie Beauty's Brand-New Eyeshadow Colors

Jan 30, 2008
11 comments

I have always loved Valerie Beauty's minerals and I've been writing about them on my blog just because of the sheer joy of sharing snippets of information about small, not-yet-popular, mostly women-owned mineral makeup companies that have amazing, high-quality products and topnotch, personalized customer service. I do it by my own accord without any incentive, as I know most beauty bloggers do, just because we love cosmetics. Period. So imagine my elation and surprise when I received a package from Valerie herself containing some of the most amazing eyeshadow colors she has ever come up with. She e-mailed me saying that she named one of her new eyeshadows after the name of my Vox blog, Periwinkle Sky (it's a blog where I cross-post my Shades Of U entries for Vox beauty bloggers). When I got her package, I was just in silent awe of the generous gift she gave me, a package filled with amazing, beautiful colors - including, of course, the wondrous eyeshadow she named after me (well, sort of!), Periwinkle Sky:

Val's sweet note

Ahh, Periwinkle Sky!

(Click to see the rest of the eyeshadows/swatches)

Martyr Girl Holds Wilted Roses and An Empty Promise

Jan 29, 2008
20 comments

Strange title eh? Those are names of She Space shadows I used for this look. Wilted Roses is supposed to be a shimmery pink, but I kind of blended everything to achieve an almost monochromatic look. I love pinks and purples, and I like the fact that these pigments from The She Space actually look neutral enough for work.

I also tried my samples of Buff'd mineral foundation for the first time. I was totally blown away by how great the finish of this foundation was. It wasn't so matte nor did it make me look like an oil slick by mid-day unlike some foundations tend to do. I didn't even re-touch during the day, my only touch-up procedure was to dab a sheet of oil-blotting paper on my face (which incidentally didn't yield too much grease). The foundation also stayed put the whole day; staying power was simply fantastic. I just LOVE it! Oh my, with so many amazing mineral makeup brands available, I would be really having a hard time choosing my foundation in the morning (but I bet it's gonna be fun!). As you can see in the pics, the finish is really creamy and velvety, but it covers adequately and a little goes a LONG way. This is similar to Cory in coverage and finish (Cory by far offers the heaviest coverage out of all the mineral makeup I've tried), but I like the fact that Buff'd is a little less dense than Cory so it goes creamy but not cakey. Also, I broke out when I used Cory's foundation (although the blushes didn't irritate my skin), so I guess the said foundation is not really for me, coupled with the fact that I haven't really found my exact shade in Cory. Buff'd, however, has a lot of yellow-toned shades so I am bound to find my perfect match (*crosses fingers*).

I used Moccasin shade in the photos, but if you notice, my face is darker than my neck, and in person it really looked quite dark. I'm going to try Almond and Ginger next because these are lighter than Moccasin. I got these samples for free (yes, free shipping too). Jen from Buff'd is amazing and really nice to offer to ship samples for free (I also read in makeup forums that she really sends out up to 3 free samples to potential clients). Once I find my pefect shade, I intend to get a full size pot as the full sizes are currently on sale. I just hope I don't get charged too much for shipping because this is my first international mineral makeup order (Buff'd is Canada-based, although orders $50 and above get free shipping). Their blushes and shadows look pretty as well, and like Cory, a crumb or two of the minerals are all you need for a pigmented application.

(Click to see the rest of photos and list of products used)

An All Minerals FOTD

Jan 28, 2008
4 comments

Well, almost. I still cannot give up my favorite MAC highlighter, Ricepaper. If any of you lovely ladies and gents can recommend a nice, yellow-based non-shimmery mineral highlighter, I'd incorporate that into my future all-mineral looks.

Don't worry MAC, I still love you! It's just that I have a gazillion mineral eyeshadow and blush samples that need to be used (and appreciated), so here they are actually worn. I kinda like the result. I NEED another Bonbon lipstick from Val (I just don't know if she would be making this again, her shop is closed indefinitely). The She Space pigments rock, but I can only wear them foiled. They have lovely colors and they now rival Fyrinnae in terms of variety of pigments. Wow! I just bought eight shades of her new limited Velvet collection in 3g jars, and now that her permanent line is now available in 3g jars as well, it is SO much more fun to shop!

(Click for the rest of photos and list of products used)

My MAC Eyeshadow Collection

Jan 27, 2008
Post a comment

I finally had the time to depot all my remaining potted eyeshadows and I love looking at them in their palettes. I am faster when I use the candle method, so I love depotting using fire; it sort of calms me and is even kinda therapeutic! I made a depotting tutorial HERE, but I don't write the name of the eyeshadow on the magnet anymore, I just let the heat melt the glue on the label at the bottom of the pot, peel off the label and slap it on the bottom of the depotted pan.

I have been receiving requests to feature my entire makeup collection, but I've been a bit wary of comments that might crop up, like starving children in Africa versus having all this makeup. First of all, I don't think you are here reading this sentence if you are disgusted by makeup or any amount of such, considering that this is a makeup blog. Secondly, I'm just here to have fun and, just as my blog title says, I'm here to share shades of hues. Thirdly, my collection is nothing compared to the really hard-core MAC addicts, whose insane amount of MAC products I have drooled over on makeup boards. So here is my MAC eyeshadow collection that I think started in early 2006. Just for the record, no, I don't think I'll ever use this all up, but it sure is good to know that I have a lot of options in the morning! :) I will try to feature the eyeshadows by palettes, and will be labeling them if I receive such request. In the meantime, if you want to ask what particular eyeshadow is in the picture/s, just go ahead and leave me a comment.

My newly-depotted eyeshadows

(Click to see the rest of the photos)

Vibrant and Subdued Purples, Joppa Minerals, Valerie Beauty and MAC Brushes

Jan 25, 2008
Post a comment

What a hodgepodge title! I crammed two days' worth of blogging in one post to make up for my silence the last couple of days. Here are two looks featuring vibrant and dull purple looks. In both instances I used my Joppa Minerals, albeit in different formulas. Since I already featured the full-coverage variant in the previous entry, I will only feature the soft-coverage one here. I love the finish of both, but I think Medium Light #3 is a tad too dark on me, especially in person. I will still keep it though because I am bound to tan during the brutal summer months here, and just in case I need to tweak my Light #3. I love the finish because it's matte but doesn't look cakey at all and it doesn't feel heavy on the face. I love the kaolin clay factor because my face tends to get oily especially on the t-zone, and kaolin clay is known for its oil-absorbent qualities.

(Click to view hodgepodge post)

Joppa Minerals and She Space Shadows: Getting Tired Of Neutrals Yet?

Jan 23, 2008
7 comments

Yesterday, another package from a new mineral makeup brand arrived. I used the term "new" to indicate that this was my first time to try this particular brand. I'm refering to Joppa Minerals, but I've heard about it several times before, and I've always read good reviews about it. Late last week, I was browsing its site when I noticed that full-size jars of two of its shades were on sale. I got even more excited when I noticed that those shades were the ones I was eyeing because by looking at the swatches and reading the description, they sounded like a good match. Imagine my delight when I saw that they were selling full 30g jars for only $10 each. I quickly snagged the Soft Coverage foundation in Medium Light #3 and Full Coverage foundation in Light #3. I also got their 17-pc-blush/bronzer sampler for $8. I was pleasantly surprised when I got my package yesterday, considering that Monday was a holiday here. Wow, these guys ship fast!! I was impressed. I was blown away by the foundations just by looking/swatching them on my hand. They look perfectly blended, very creamy, application was very smooth. I also liked the blush samples, and Joppa even threw in several samples of their multi-purpose minerals called Radiances, Morning Dew foundation in Jasper and their Perfecting Eye Cream. Wow, that's a lot of freebies!

(Click for product photos and FOTD)

A Look Using MAC N Shadows, DreamWorld Foundation, She Space Shadows

Jan 22, 2008
9 comments

Here's a simple neutral look for work using my MAC N shadows and my new Dreamworld samples. I like the fact that for a Tuesday morning after a glorious 3-day weekend, the MAC N shadows are the perfect colors to put together for a no-fuss, no-brainer application. I would have liked to spend more time in blending and what-not, but I was running late! I also think I might have found a good Dreamworld shade. I used a 50-50 mix of Theiaand Minerva in the Luna (heavy coverage) formula, and I love that the yellow-ness this time is just perfect, not too much but not lacking either. I just love the creamy formula, the awesome finish and coverage, and amazing staying power of this foundation. Can you say HG status?

I tried my brand-new Lumiere veena blush in Magnolia and I just love, love, love Lumiere's blushes. Application is always a cinch and the colors are just gorgeous and finish is impeccable, never splotchy. I am glad I purchased a full-size pot of Magnolia as I can see using this again and again. Veena blushes are Lumiere's mattes, and I like that I can use this under my skinfinishes without making me look like a discoball.

(Click for FOTD and list of products used)

Happy Mail Day

Jan 20, 2008
11 comments

I was so stoked last Saturday when I received no less than 5 packages from different mineral makeup companies on some samples and full size products that I ordered online. I went out with the family to eat and while waiting for the food to arrive, I couldn't help but open my packages right there (I brought them with me - ha, how crazy is that?). I was mainly excited to see my prebuy Lumiere brushes (take 3), and they are absolutely gorgeous:

(Click for the rest of the haul)

MAC N Collection Review and DreamWorld Foundation Look

Jan 20, 2008
Post a comment

For product photos and swatches, check out this entry.

Overall, I love the classic colors in this collection. I especially love the eye shadows. Everything I need for a classy neutral look is here. The eyeshadows are very timeless and I know I would be using colors like these even when I'm way into my 50s. I also liked that there were shades in pink and grey included in the mix.

Eyeshadows:

Nanogold is a beautiful neutral eyeshadow that gives an opalescent sheen. This is one of the very few eyeshadows in my opinion that one can use anywhere on the lid. It can be a wash or lid color, and it works great as a browbone highlighter. It doesn't have color pay-off as good as Vex or Almond Icing from the Sweetie Cake quad, though, but it has less or no grey undertones compared to the two mentioned, so that's a plus if you don't like grey tones on your highlighter.

Modest Tone is described as a "neutral dirty tan". This one is beautiful. Its formula is Satin so it goes on buttery rich and smooth. This is one of the prettier "transition" or "blender" colors that I have, it works great to show the progression of shades and can also work to blend the highlighter into the crease color.

Neutral Pink - this one is pure love. It's a beautiful dirty pink that works great as a crease color for daytime and a beautiful lid color anytime of the day or night. This can go well with literally anything as it is neutral, and I can't wait to try this with pinks, purples, browns, coppers and blues (it's described as "dirty mid-tone blue pink).

Rich Flesh- another winner in my book. Very neutral, very classy as a crease or outer lid color.

Dark Edge - the darkest of them all; can be a beautiful crease color and liner. It's described as a "dirty chocolate brown", so this hue is pretty universal and would work great on all skintones.

(Check out the rest of the review and DreamWorld FOTD)