First of all, I would like to say a sincere "thank you" to everyone who participated and took time to write why they wanted a particular package. We received 449 entries, and since only one entry per e-mail and IP address was allowed, I knew that there were a lot of you who really hoped to win. I was so touched with some of the answers. Some say that they were laid off from their jobs and couldn't afford to buy makeup, some are nursing a broken heart and they were hoping to win to boost their spirits. Some however didn't think of themselves but thought of giving the package to a loved one - a mom, a friend, a sister. I really, really enjoyed reading the entries, I liked it so much that I am thinking of doing another contest soon! I reserve that for some other time, however, because the spotlight is now reserved for the two winners of each of the packages.

The winners were randomly chosen by The Contest Machine. When I read the results, the winner of package 1 wanted package 2, and the winner of package 2 wanted package 1! I didn't want to disappoint them when they receive their packages, so I just switched their prizes.

Here are the winners!!!

(CLICK for winners' names)

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Here is a collective haul from some of my mineral makeup companies. If you check the "Labels" at the bottom of the right-side bar of this blog, you'd see that I have written about many, many mineral makeup companies and their products. I love mineral makeup because the minerals are just soothing, calming and healing on my skin, and don't break me out. With the aid of a hydrating facial mist, you can make your mineral makeup as dewy, natural and glowy as you want it to be. Mineral shimmer blushes are also amazing, as well as mineral eyeshadows (I'm obviously a mineral 'ho!). That said, here are my newest acquisitions with some more to come. Swatches of the mineral shadows and looks using these are coming up soon.

I got my haul from Earthen Glow Minerals during their Buy-One-Get-One sale, and I love the stuff I got. For some reason one of the eyeshadows were not included in the picture, but it's supposed to be eight of them. I bought four and I got another four as freebies because of the BOGO sale. The other full-size mineral foundation I got as a freebie, Soon, is not included, but I have a comparison picture below. Yuan Yuan is my perfect shade right now in Earthen Glow.

As you can see, Soon is much yellower than Yuan Yuan. I hope I can use Soon in the summer when I turn darker than my skintone right now. As it is, Yuan Yuan is just perfect, and I can't be happier that I am using it straight (no mixing with other shades). I love the coverage and how it brightens up my complexion.

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As promised, here is another contest from The Shades Of U, and this time, international readers are welcome! The contest is open to everyone 18 years old and above, and has a valid mailing address. Two winners will be picked randomly, and each will win one of the prize packages described below.

Take a look at the yummy prizes in store for everyone!

PRIZE PACKAGE 1

Prize Package 1 includes the following:

Green By Nature Mint Green Tea hand lotion
MAC Dame Edna lipstick in Kanga-Rouge
Milani Glow-Natural Brush-On liquid makeup
Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss in Struck by Beauty
Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Definer duo (pencil and clear brow gel), and
MAC Dazzleglass in Miss Dynamite

PRIZE PACKAGE 2

Prize Package 2 includes the following:

MAC Hello Kitty Pink Fish tinted lip conditioner
MAC Eye Shadow Suite in Blue Zone
Milani Smooth Finish cream-to-powder makeup in Buff 09
China Glaze Romantique nail polish in Emotion
Milani Distinct Lash in 109 Black, and
Aromaleigh Rocks! Sonic eye shadow in Spellbound

All of the prize items are unused, untested products. The MAC Pink Fish TLC was my backup as I loved this product so much, but in the spirit of Easter, I am giving it away to the lucky winner. I am confident that you will love the products here.

How To Join:

All you need to do is fill up the contest entry form below, include your name and e-mail address (don't worry, only I can read your information and these details shall not be published). You also need to answer the question, "Which prize package do you want to win and why?". For international readers, you can answer in your native language (I can easily have it translated by an online translator). The answer will be a guide as to which package the winner will get, but it does not guarantee that the winner will get the package of her choice. However, the winner's choice will b e taken into consideration in awarding the prize.

The contest shall run starting today (April 1, 2009) till Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009 at 11:55 p.m. EST.

The Shades Of U will ship the prize packages to anywhere in the world via First Class mail. If the winner is a resident of the US, it will be mailed with delivery confirmation. For international winners, the package will be sent via International First Class mail. It does not have a tracking number, so the package cannot be tracked. The postage receipt will be kept as evidence of the shipment. The Shades Of U shall not be responsible for delays in the delivery of the package after the prize has been mailed, nor shall it be responsible for customs duties or fees.

CLICK here to join!!

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I've had this starter protocol kit from Olay for a couple of months now, but I held off on making a review in order to give the products a chance to work. I'm sure many of you have seen, heard or read about this new professional anti-aging starter regimen from Olay. The Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol is your introduction to the three-part daily program. It contains starter sizes of Age Repair Lotion SPF 30 (for sun protection, moisturization and anti-aging appearance benefits), Eye Restoration Complex (a specialized treatment that improves the look of dark circles, puffiness and crow's feet) and Wrinkle Smoothing Cream (smooths uneven textures with moisture, combating the look of fine lines and wrinkles). Olay claims that each product in the daily regimen contains a unique combination of the Olay’s highest recommended levels of proven anti-aging ingredients in a patented formula. I will state a description of each product in the kit, and I shall follow it with my own thoughts on the skincare product.

Pro-X Age Repair Lotion with SPF 30 is designed and professionally tested to help shield your skin from harmful UVA & UVB exposure. This Primary Solution also hydrates to fight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Usage:
Apply liberally to skin in the morning, spreading evenly over the face and neck as needed.

Key Ingredients:
The core Olay anti-aging ingredient combination of Pal-KT and Pal-KTTKS Peptides, Carnosine, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), SPF 30 ingredients.
Size: 1 Ounce

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I've worn short hair most of my adult life, and most people would think that short hair is low maintenance and would not need as much care as those long tresses. That is just so wrong. Sure it dries faster than long hair and would probably need less time to style and all that, but short hair like mine (and especially my style) would require a dedicated precision-cutting hair stylist who can texturize the cut and give it a piecey look. My hair is colored too, I go to my colorist every 6-8 weeks or so, and I'd been looking for hair care products that not only would take care of my hair but would also preserve the color and shine of my color-treated tresses. L'Oreal EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care System just about provides every hair care product needed to protect and care for color-treated hair. EverPure is also a complete sulfate-free color care system that frees your hair from harsh surfactants, sulfates, and salts that can strip and dull your hair. Instead of strong chemicals, EverPure uses gentle naturally-derived surfactants that cleanse hair without compromising on lather or luxury.

L'Oreal expounds on why this hair care system is different from the many others out in the market:

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I have been given the Honest Scrap Award by Mhean and Nikki, two amazing ladies who share my love for mineral makeup and polishes (and Mhean and I love MAC as well). Nikki was my schoolmate in high school (and elementary, correct?). We were educated in a Catholic all-girls' school run by strict nuns. Our hair ribbons had to be only white, blue and black, the colors of our school uniform. No makeup and nail polish could be worn at school. What did all that repression do to us? We became addicted to makeup and polish and now run beauty blogs later in life! Hahahaha!

This award comes with this "requirement":

“When accepting this auspicious award, you must write a post bragging about it, including the name of the misguided soul who thinks you deserve such acclaim, and link back to the said person so everyone knows she/he is real. Choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are because you don’t have seven friends. Show the seven random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog. Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon. List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself. Then pass it on!”

Here are the 10 honest things about me:

1. I love books. I could read books all day and night. I don't read any kind, though. When I was in high school, I loved romances (like everybody else at that time), then now I am so into forensic science, political suspense and thriller/suspense. I used to love Patricia Cornwell but lately her recent works aren't that thrilling anymore. I loved her earlier writings, though. The stories are really fascinating, engrossing and outright gripping, keeping me awake till the wee hours of the morning. I also love how the smallest of clues, like a small feather found in the gown of the victim, or the lingering scent of maple syrup in the crime scene, eventually led to the identity of the killer. It's a classic "whodunit" story with a modern forensic science twist. Now, I am more into David Baldacci (love Absolute Power, Total Control and the rest of his subsequent novels), and Dean Koontz (heart-stopping suspense!). All this book-reading in tandem with my regular dose of Forensic Files and The Investigators on Tru TV actually help me live out my fantasies as a forensic scientist without the blood, gore, and stench of decomposing human flesh. Gross. Haha!

2. As I said, I love Court (now renamed Tru) TV. While working on my blog late at night, my TV is turned on to Forensic Files. I am really fascinated with how the smallest of clues can lead to the killer. And before you ask, no, I am NOT into CSI. I prefer documented, real cases with real people in it. Case in point: I've seen this episode in Forensic Files about a girl from the Philippines who became a mail-order bride because of the extreme poverty of their family. Her family lived in one of the poorest, most desolate places in Cebu (the narrator pronounced this as "See-boo" ), and her father declared that the only way for her family to escape this plight was for her to be a mail-order bride. Following the proddings of her dad, she had her name and picture and contact details published in Cherry Blossoms, a publication specifically for Americans who are looking for mail-order brides. She eventually married this rich, old American who came from the military and fought during the Korean war. The American began to make good his deal with the girl's dad, sending $250 every month to Cebu which by the way was a small fortune compared to the $3 the father would earn a week.

She had a son with him, and after a few years, she mysteriously disappeared. To make a long story short, her American husband killed her by drowning her and buried her in a shallow grave. Digging into the past of her husband, the authorities found out that 2 of his ex-wives died under mysterious circumstances (the Filipina was wife no. 4), the 2nd wife's death was ruled a suicide and the 3rd wife, a Japanese woman, died drowning, as her husband claimed. They eventually found him guilty of murder and liable for the death of these 2 ex-wives; and eventually, through the help of forensic science, they were able to locate the shallow grave of the Filipina and identify her through her dental records. In short, the American was convicted for the murder of 3 of his wives.

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As I mentioned in the previous entry (check out this post for product photos and swatches of Brunette Blonde Redhead), here is a look using some of MAC's Brunette Blonde Redhead collection products and a tutorial on the Urban Decay Ammo Shadow Box that I had purchased a month or so ago. I am SO in love with the pigmentation of Urban Decay shadows. They are so smooth, buttery and glide on the lids like a dream, and they are hella pigmented, even more pigmented than some of MAC's shadows. I want to collect Urban Decay shadows, if only they aren't that expensive! I think I will get the boxes or book of shadows instead of the individual pots, as I believe they are more value for money.

Here is the Ammo Box of Shadows that I used in this look. All products Urban Decay unless otherwise noted.

Apply primer potion on lid and lower lashline. Blend with finger. Apply MAC paint pot in Indianwood using concealer brush on lid.

Using MAC 239 brush or Loew Cornell Maxine's Mop 3/8" brush, apply Maui Wowie on lid.

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Lipstick: (LE) - $14.00USD

Brunette

* Chignon – Red plum (glaze)
* What a 'Do! – Neutral pink coral (frost)

Blonde

* B-Babe – Rich pink (frost)
* All’s Fair – Light purple pink (lustre)

Redhead

* Marquise d’ – Sandy cream peach (lustre) (Repromote from Antiquitease: Royal Assets Coral Lip Palette)
* Blow Dry – Pink coral (frost)

Lipglass: (LE) - $14.00USD

Brunette

* Quick Tease – Red purple
* Soft Wave – Tan bronze

Blonde

* Strawberry Blonde - Deep red pink
* Peroxide – White pink

Redhead

* Live and Dye – Cool pink
* Red Devil – Coral orange

Eye Shadow (LE) $14.50USD

Brunette

* Deep Shade – Dusty blue (frost)
* Henna – Dark gold (veluxe pearl)
* Femme-Fi – Frosty golden cream (veluxe pearl) (Repromote from Neo Sci Fi)

Blonde

* Pincurl – Dusty white (frost)
* Knight – Dark grey (veluxe pearl) (Repromote from Antiquitease: Royal Assets Smokey Palette)
* Top Knot – Deep black purple (velvet)

Redhead

* Flip – Bronze gold (frost)
* French Cuff – Burgundy purple (lustre) (Repromote from Tailor Made)
* 100 Strokes – Ice pink (frost)

Brow Set (Permanent repromotes) $13.50USD

* Show Off (Brunette) – Full-bodied brown
* Clear (Blonde) – Colour free
* Girl Boy (Redhead) – Fawned over blondette

Eye Kohl (Permanent repromotes) $14.50USD

* Smolder (Brunette) – Intense black
* Phone Number (Blonde) – Smudgy charcoal
* Teddy (Redhead) – Dark-eyed bronze

Mineralize Skinfinish (LE) $28.00USD (Each has four stripes of colors)

* Brunette - Soft coral to copper bronze degrade
* Blonde - Soft pink to rose degrade
* Redhead - Gold to salmon degrade

Brushes

* #165 - Tapered cheek, highlight brush (LE) $24.00USD
* #226 – Small tapered blending brush(LE) $24.50USD
* #214 - Short shader brush (LE for counters, but will become permanent at MAC stores) $23.00USD

SOURCE: Specktra.Net

(Click for swatches and look)

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