6 posts tagged “lauress”

I had a little dilemma with LaurEss because after hearing all the raves about the Minimalist formula of the foundation, I really wanted to try it but I only know my shade in the Original. Lauren (the owner) and I have been e-mailing back and forth and she told me that if I have a match with Elemental, then I should stick to it because the Elemental shades are dead-on matches of their Minimalist counterpart. That was the problem, though: I have not nailed my shades in Elemental, although I know my Original formula shades (are all these making your head spin by now?). So I asked Lauren for the color/shade conversion chart that was posted up on her website a few months ago when people were still trying to convert their shades from the Original to the Elemental. She immediately sent me these charts and I was very grateful because I thought I had narrowed down my choices to two shades. Check them out: Shade Conversion Chart and Color Progression Chart. My choices for the Minimalist colors would be Soft Yellow or Pure Yellow. As I was cleaning my makeup stash, though, I was surprised to find a sample of Soft Yellow in the Elemental formula. I wore it for this look and I can say that my shade is most probably a mix of Soft Yellow and Pure Yellow in both the Elemental and the Minimalist, mainly because I feel that Soft Yellow is a tad too light, while Pure Yellow may be a bit dark.

Since I was wearing khaki that day, I decided to wear Valerie Beauty mineral shadow in Classy, a pretty khaki color that is a gorgeous neutral shadow as well.

Lastly, just want to share a cute little project hubby did for me. I asked him if he can do something so my damp brushes that I'd just washed can stand upside down while drying, and this is what he came up with:

(Click for FOTDs)

Here are a couple of looks featuring my Milani Runway Eyes Wet/Dry eyeshadows and Quad 5 of The She Space. I am a little disappointed with Rockin' Egyptian from that particular quad because I didn't think it was pigmented enough even though I applied it foiled. I should have used All That Buzz instead from She Space's Drama Queen collection because the one is pigmented with a capital P. I just mentally filed that observation away and will use All That Buzz next time (a vivid pure gold color). The other colors in that quad, namely Down and Dirty and One Dark Night, were pretty pigmented especially when foiled, and they pretty much met my standard for vivid, pigmented eyeshadows.

In my She Space look, I used Lumiere's Cashmere foundation in a mix of Medium Golden and Light-Medium Golden. I am more inclined to use Medium Golden straight when summer really unleashes its full force here in a few weeks. I love how Lumiere's Cashmere gives off a really soft glow on the face, very much like MAC's mineralized loose foundation but in a purer mineral formula.

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I love to use MAC shadows as opposed to minerals when I'm running late. They are very user-friendly, don't spill, blend easily, glide like a dream, and almost fool-proof. That's not to say that I don't like minerals. Minerals are okay as long as you are used to your mineral eyeshadow brand's slip, pigmentation, color pay-off, and texture. If you are not, or if you are trying out a new brand, it is better not to use them for the first time when you're in a hurry to avoid disaster. I usually use my most trusted minerals when I don't have the luxury of time - Valerie Beauty, Lumiere, She Space, and I usually foil the lid color for maximum vibrancy. However, if I am REALLY pressed for time, MAC is the way to go for the above-mentioned reasons. I also love that whatever I do, as long as I use my trusted Beige-ing shadestick underneath, my MAC shadows stay vibrant, crease-free, and gorgeous all day long.

This particular look was done in a hurry, and I don't know exactly what I used, but I will attempt to enumerate them (all MAC unless otherwise noted). I used Beige-ing shadestick as base, Baby Pink Petals from Heatherette Trio 2 to highlight, Gateaux on tearducts and inner corners, Swish on inner to mid-lid, Nocturnelle on outer V, Cassette from Heatherette Trio 2 on crease, Indelible gel liner in Tanzanite to line, MAC and Rimmel mascaras.

Also, one of my favorite mineral brands, LaurEss, is having a sale. Take a peek at their fabulous products and even more fabulous prices. I love LaurEss because it never fails to give the illusion of smooth, perfect-looking skin. It has one of the best finishes of mineral foundation that I've tried, and whenever I want to look polished, LaurEss never fails to save the day. I was a fan of their Original formula foundation but it has been discontinued (what is it with cosmetic companies discontinuing your favorite products?). They launched the Elemental formula which is supposed to be a sheerer, softer-focus and less matte than the Original formula, but I found it a little bit too sheer and less matte for my taste. Now, Lauren, bless her heart, has created a new formula that is as close to the Original as can possibly be - the new Minimalist. I compared the ingredients and they are just about the same, and I love the fact that they are having a sale to herald the comeback of the formula that I've loved. I am glad the Minimalist is here, because I know that it is just about the same in terms of finish, staying power and coverage as the Original formula. In this look I am wearing the Original formula in a 50-50 mix of Radiant Gold and Pure Gold.

(Click for the FOTD)

I love MAC's Guacamole eyeshadow! It's just THE perfect green. I love my greens so much so having a really gorgeous shade in my palette is just a treat. It's not a grass-colored green but a little bit deeper, a little less vibrant and less lime-y than Wondergrass but, as the name implies, is kinda similar to avocado green but prettier. I did a mix of greens in my look so it the Guacamole failed to stand out, hence its true color is not reflected in my EOTD. Nonetheless, I believe it brought some depth to the hues I used.

I also used my LaurEss mineral foundation today and I absolutely LOVE the velvety feeling it gives. I wore a mix of Pure Gold and Radiant Gold in the original formula. As much as I love LaurEss, I still prefer the original formula over the new elemental formula as the staying power is a lot better on my oily skin. I just love my mineral foundations, they can withstand the triple-digit heat and don't melt into a greasy mess at the end of the day. The feeling is uber-light despite the scorching temperature. Best of all, the feeling is so light that you don't feel you have makeup on, without the goopy gunk.

Speaking of mineral makeup, I gave my friend some Meow samples (naturally, she'd never heard of the company before). She's a makeup artist and does freelance work. She just called me today to tell me that she's fallen in love with Meow and just bought munchkin sizes of Naughty and Frisky Korat. I'm just amazed at how people can just drop their old foundations and convert to minerals without looking back. I guess there is truth to old adage that "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". You just have to try it (and try different brands not just the most popular ones before judging) to believe it.

(Click here to see photos and products used)

I love Green Stroke! It's the perfect base for all my greens, and application and blending are so easy with the paint pot as a primer. It also makes the greens pop and colors stayed vivid throughout the day. I had this on in the morning and had a million things to do before a dinner with friends later in the day. I was amazed the eye makeup was still intact when I was preparing to retire. I missed my Lauress foundation so I used today, and it never fails to wow me after application. It feels absolutely divine on the skin (I ran my knuckle along my jawline and it was velvety-smooth) and I really like the awesome finish. I likewise used my Meow Feliner in Purr and I really love the color; it's the perfect partner for greens and blues and even neutral colors to give them some oomph.

Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Lauress mineral makeup in Creamy Yellow and Delicate Yellow (50-50 mix)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC blush in Fleurry
MAC mineralized skinfinish in Northern Light over blush

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Wild Clover
MAC lipglass in Sex Ray

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC Green Stroke paint pot on lid
MAC Wondergrass eyeshadow innner to mid lid
MAC Springtime Skipper eyeshadow mid lid
MAC Humid shadow outer lid
MAC Black Tied eyeshadow on outer V and crease
MAC Lustre Leaf eyeshadow to highlight browbone
Meow Feliner in Purr mixed with MAC mixing medium to line
Maybelline XXL mascara

For the life of me I can't think of any prose to go with these looks tonight. So let's just have the pictures do the talking, shall we?

Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Meow Flawless Feline mineral foundation in Naughty Abyssinian
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
Meow blush in Europpa

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Wild Clover
MAC lipstick in Honey Moon
MAC lipglass in Crescent

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
Shu Uemura eyeshadow in ME Blue 638 on lid
MAC pigment in Azreal Blue inner to mid lid
MAC eyeshadow in Blue Edge on crease and outer V
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom to highlight browbone
Almay Amazing I-liner (liquid liner)
Maybelline XXL mascara

Camellia Rose Skin Smoothing primer
Lauress original mineral foundation in Creamy Yellow and Delicate Yellow (mixed)
Mary Kay undereye concealer in Ivory topped with
Bare Escentuals Well Rested
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
Meow blush in Orgasmic
NARS blush in Oasis

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Wild Clover
Wet 'n Wild Glassy Gloss lip gel in Mocha Glaze

Eyes:
MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
Valerie Beauty multi-purpose mineral in Miranda foiled with MAC mixing medium on lid
Valerie Beauty pan mineral eyeshadow in Dolce Vita on crease and outer V
MAC pigment in Vanilla to highlight browbone
MAC Graphic Brown fluidline to line upper lashline
Maybelline XXL mascara