Photo courtesy of nordstrom.com

This weekend I went to my local Macy’s to see if MAC’s Mineralize foundation was out…and to my surprise it was!! It’s funny, because I can’t find it at the MAC website. Anyways, I went to the counter to try it out. Luckily, it was earlier in the morning, so it wasn’t crowded…in fact, only one other customer was at the counter.

Anyways, so the MUA looked at my skin and took the shades Medium and Medium Deep from the testers. Btw, I’m a NC35-40. She poured the mineral foundation onto tissue and applied it on me with something that looked like a skunk brush? (I’m not familiar with MAC brushes). Anyways, she first applied Medium Plus on me – it had pink undertones in it, it seemed to match my skin but it looked a little too pink. Then she tried Medium on me – which was fit for me, because it has strong undertones. She was trying to buff the foundation…and there was foundation flying everywhere…it was kinda funny. The MUA even tried to use the sponge tip applicator from the tester to even out my face…I immediately stopped her, because I knew that was a breeding zone for germs. After she finished applying it on me, I told the MUA that I was going to walk around the mall and see how my skin reacts to this makeup, because I told her that I had reactions with other MMU…*ahem – BE*. Luckily, she was super nice about it and understood and let me be on my way. For some reason, whenever I go to MAC counters, I get both extremes…they’re either extremely nice or a real b&*#$.

My Review:

The Good: If I was to buy this foundation, Medium is a perfect fit for skin color. The coverage of this foundation was really great for my skin, it left a creamy finish for my acne prone skin. Most mineral makeup accentuates pores, however, this foundation minimized the appearance of my pores. Unlike most MAC products, this foundation felt really light on my face which I loved. At the end of the day, my face did not itch like BE and my foundation did not budge. Overall, a surprisingly great product – great coverage, staying power and I did not break out (however, this was only after 1 use).

The Bad: First off, I really don’t like the sponge applicator. If I was to buy this, I would not use that applicator. Secondly, there are only 8 shades – so it might not be a perfect color match for everyone. Thirdly, I don’t think you can remove the sifter, so you can’t transfer this to another jar (I could be wrong about this). And lastly, it’s a steep price tag – $29.50.Would I buy it? If I was rich and had the money, maybe…As of right now, I will not be buying this product. I found other mineral foundations that work just as well and are about half the price tag – ex. Everyday Minerals, Buff’d, Lumiere. But for MAC addicts, I would definitely recommend this foundation over their other foundations/powders.

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I got tagged by Nanzy to list my favorite hair products. This is a little difficult to me, because I still haven’t found some of my favorite hair products..and I’m really lazy when it comes to hair. However, I do have hair products that I really like, so I will do that…

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As promised, I’m going to list several beauty tips from the book that I found very useful and interesting. There are actually a lot more tips in the book, but I’m only listing the good ones to me..hehe. I notice that lot of products mentioned in the books are stuff we can find in our local beauty store or market, such as various oils and are great alternatives than buying expensive products!

Tips from Europe
- Eye makeup remover>> Almond Oil as a makeup remover – this delicately removes eyemakeup, while hydrating your eye area (I might give this a try)

- Lash growth >> Castor Oil – when applied to lashes it can stimulate and strengthen lash growth. ( A bottle a CVS costs about $3)

- Lip softener >> The Polish use Honey, yes honey…to soften their lips. It acts as a humectant and draws moisture from the air…Grab that honey bottle from your kitchen and give it a try!

- Burned skin?? >> Instead of reaching for that bottle of aloe vera, why don’t you try sour cream? lol….that’s what the Russians do. Okay…I found this a little weird, but if you dont’ have aloe vera….you can try this??

- Less makeup is more >> Heavy makeup can look too fake…so to make it more natural…apply foundation first and then follow up with concealer in necessary ( I admit that I use this technique and it makes me look less cakey and I get my makeup done faster!)

Tips from Asia
- Having problem sleeping?? >> In the Middle East, women place a bowl of Jasmine potpourri next to their bed. This is suppose to reduce anxiety and relax you. (I might give this a try, sounds cheap and at least my room will smell good!)

- Instant Face Brightener >> Mix 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a circular motion. A secret to radiant skin from flight attendants from Singapore Airlines

- Strengthening thinning hair >> Indians use coconut oil to help strengthen and get shiny hair. It’s considered one of the riches oils in the world and is great for stimulating hair growth, repairing split ends and strengthen hair altogether. (This sounds really promising, but it might be a little too oily for my thin hair).

Okay, that’s it for now….later on in the week…I’ll share US beauty tips and Australia….=)

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