Everyday Minerals Haul

As I've mentioned before, I bought Everyday Minerals make-up when I saw RiceBunny talk about it back on her Xanga days. Oh RiceBunny... she's probably the best 18 year old sales person of her day. ;) Thanks to her, I bought
-- Boots No. 7 lipgloss in "Flirt"
-- a Lancome Designer eyeshadow in Metallic that I use for the smokey eye look (just like what she recommended...)
-- Everyday Minerals (a tonne of stuff, even stuff she didn't recommend)
-- aspirin... and became a devout user of the aspirin mask
-- L'oreal H.I.P duos in Dynamic, Flashy and Reckless (Will blog about them another day)

But after a while I stopped because most of the stuff could only be gotten in America, or were from websites that only shipped within the US. Also, because after I used Everyday Minerals and liked it a lot, she did a turnaround and then said it wasn't as good as _____ brand. I was like... huh? Suddenly EM is NOT good? But I wasn't rich enough to rush off and buy the new brand, and I was pleased with the results I got from EM, so I continued using it.

I started using Everyday Minerals before mineral make-up became a big thing in Malaysia and you could get mineral make-up from the bigger brands like Maybelline, Revlon, etc. (Now I can't seem to find it anymore as the "in" thing now is BB Cream.) However, had to order it online, and they only shipped within the US, so I've not been shopping there recently. It's a shame because I really like the stuff there. They've also severely revamped the website til I don't know what's going on. I also used to like the "sets" that they had. It made the things there affordable. Now you can't get sets anymore and you have to singularly buy the stuff there. Kinda meh for me. I also don't really like their packaging because it is prone to spillage. There was once when I opened my package and there was fine powder all over the package. Found out one of the powder blushes had leaked. Sigh...


Having said all the negative stuff, the make-up itself is really good though. Based on what I've tried there, here are my opinions :

(1) EM brushes are AWESOME. Especially the kabuki brushes. They are easy to clean, and they feel so soft on your face. Other brushes that I've used don't even come close. (I once had a Maybelline kabuki brush that felt more like coconut bristles... and the Boots one, though soft, is not as soft as EM's one).

This is the picture of the kabuki brush that I have, from the website. Forgot to take a picture of my brush, now lazy to upload. :p

(2) The foundation series with four different formulas, great for every occassion. I've only tried 3 out of the 4, but here's my take on what I did try :
a. Original Glo - very light coverage, great for those who have flawless skin to give light complexion coverage and highlights, and a dewy, glowy, look. However, I am not such a fan of it because in Malaysian weather, this tends to look oily rather than dewy after a few hours. When I was in US, it looked great though because I barely sweat there. It's a really good foundation to perk up dull skin.

b. Semi-Matte - alright coverage which doesn't clog pores. No "sparkliness" like Original Glo, but we are going for more coverage here, not dewiness. I like Semi-Matte and I think it's suitable for our country.

c. Matte - super "full" coverage which I use sparingly, or mixed with original glo because I feel like it might be too "heavy" for my skin.

d. Intensive - the website says that this formula is "oil absorbing, perfectly matte and used for heavier coverage in humid climates. It is for those with oily complexions who want the look of matte." This would sound like it's perfect for Malaysian weather, but since I felt that matte was already so "intensive" for me, I was glad that I didn't get it. However, in the spirit of trying all things out, I do plan to get this in the future. ;P

(3) The blushers and eyeshadows come in some pretty amazing shades and there's so much of it in each full-size pot that it's hard to finish. I love the shimmery, sleek finish of the ones that I got - Spin Cycle, Pressed Olive and Movie Night! All 3 colors are suitable for casual outings or for work.

Spin Cycle - a very light shimmery lilac.

Pressed Olive - a light shimmery green color.

Movie Night - a barely-there nude shade. I don't think it's very "movie night" as that name spells glamor to me, but I think it's more like a "let's go and watch a flick in the cinema" type of casual date "movie night".


For blushers --- I don't think I'm ever going to be able to finish my three full-size pots - Apple, Sunday Brunch and B&B. Apple looks like a light pink color, but it comes on darker and is suitable for a sexy look, suitable for night events. This, despite the website saying that it is a "light and rosy" shade. Maybe I'm a little too heavy handed!


Meanwhile, Sunday Brunch looks darker, but when applied, looks earthier, giving a suntanned type of look. I actually use Sunday Brunch more often than Apple, because it's a more suitable daytime look. By the way, this is a discontinued shade, you can't find it anymore on Everyday Minerals.


As you can see from B&B, this is a super coral shade, with lots of shimmer! Better for bronzing and shading actually. When I wear this, it's super orangey, and I'm not used to it! But I'll try to make this work, must not let it go to waste!


Oh, I also got a black powder eyeliner shade from them, but have not used it as I'm not sure HOW to do so. Hahahhaa. *lame*


(4) The free gifts! I try to make my purchases when they have free giveaways (you can find out by clicking on "Try Me Free" and then "Promos". At the moment, they are giving away Kaolin Powder Sunlight, Natural, Pearl Beige and Pink Ribbon Blush for all purchases over $18). During my last purchase, I got 2 free eyeshadow shades from their Christmas collection specials. During festive seasons, they have new shades that can't normally be bought off-season. I got a glittery-gold-green shade called Tinsel Time and a dark green shade called Mistletoe.


When I first saw Mistletoe, I was pretty aghasted. When could I EVER wear such a glittery dark green shade? I'm pleased to say that this shade actually works quite well for a smokey eye look with a difference!


(5) The free samples! To lure you into buying full-size ones in the future? You get to choose a free "Try Me" kit with every purchase, and it's a mixture of foundation colors and blushers (I think, I can't really remember). I got a few foundation shades to try out, but in the end Olive Fair was the shade for me and there was no doubt about it. I also tried Sunkissed Fair (Olive Fair is a better match, though this was not too bad) and Sunlight (too light for me).

Thanks to the free samples, I also got All Smiles, which is a matte blusher in a very light, rosy pink. It's not too bad, but because it's in a tiny sample kit bottle, I have to transfer it to a bigger pot to use, and that can be annoying. Color-wise, I find it similar to my Dandelion powder from Benefit, except Benefit is more shimmery.

Oh, I didn't talk about this (cos I rarely use it - regret buying the full size), but I also got the multitasking concealer & finishing dust. It's alright when I want to go all "heavy duty" with my make-up...


I plan to replenish my base foundation, but Everyday Minerals *still* does not ship to Malaysia. This would be ok for me, as now they have stuff like VPOST to do the re-directing to your home country. The trouble is, my BILLING address also can't be Malaysian. This sucks! :( I really wanted to get the following stuff :

-- Olive Fair for original glo, semi-matte, matte & intensive
-- Chamomile eyeshadow - a light yellow shade with sparkles!

-- Oasis eyeshadow - a shimmery copper shade!

-- The Imagination Kit which consists of 4 eyeshadows (Floating Feathers, Lip Lock, Prettier in Pink and Samba Lessons), 1 lipstick (Enough Talk, Kiss Me) and 1 blusher (SoCo), comes in a drawstring bag.

P.S : if you're wondering how I managed to get my stuff LAST time, I used to know someone who was willing to lend me their credit card number. ;p