Monave Mineral Makeup Review

My publicity sample kit from Monave

Mineral Foundation: Teporah and Caroline

NOT BLENDED INTO MY SKIN

Eyeshadows: Lime, Butterfly Blue, Lavender Pearl

Color Correctors-Luster Adjuster: Yellow And Blue

NOT BLENDED INTO MY SKIN

My own Raw Minerals Foundation Brushes I used for application

Raw Minerals Maximum Coverage Brush Works Best For A Full Coverage

*** The Brushes are my own-check sidebar my past RM review***

Up for review today is a few mineral cosmetics sent to me for consideration from Monave Minerals. Monave is a brand that manufactures mineral based cosmetics with natural ingredients and a cruelty free ethic. The company started out by making mineral makeup by hand and includes a skin care, hair care line as well as being a brand which supports various charitable organizations. I was allowed to choose my own products and shades from the website and I chose:

2 Mineral Foundations- Shade Teporah & Caroline. Caroline is a perfect yellow based pigment for fair skin tones! Teporah is a little darker for me. I can alter the shade with Luster Adjuster Mineral.

3 Loose Mineral Shadows-Shade: Lime, Butterfly Blue and Lavender Pearl. (Gorgeous!)

2 Color Corrector Minerals; Luster Adjuster Shade Yellow and Blue. (used it in liquid foundation!)

Caroline And Teporah

Pro: natural minerals, cruelty free, nice pigmentation, affordable, various colors for every skin tone, foundation mineral is buildable with a lightweight feel and medium coverage, Color Correcting Minerals available, a little pigment goes a long way.

Con: shadow pigments a little less than silky but blendable, a little more coverage preferred for my skin

My results: To be honest, when I was choosing the shades to have sent to me from the website I really didn't think I found any true matches therefore I just selected the lightest possible colors. When I received Caroline in my hands and tested it on my skin I was really impressed how it meshed well. The true test would be on my face which I will tell you about in a minute. Teporah is slightly darker for me and has too much of a beige tint to it which is why I chose Luster Adjuster's to be sent along as well. It's new to me that mineral brands sell color correctors on site which is a huge plus for Monave. I'll get to those later.

Shade Caroline: Light yellow undertone for Caucasian and light Asian skin tones, also has a faint pink hue. I love this! It's a perfect yellow based shade to match my pale yellowy skin tone without looking like a yellow pasty face! It's perfect for you very pale skin tones who can't wear the beigey or pinkish foundations. I was surprised how completely natural it looks. Most yellow based shades are too yellow and when you try to build the coverage it looks fake. I was able add layers to conceal flaws without it looking weird on my skin. 

Shade Teporah: A color for light olive-skinned women. This shade is also for light skin but I found it has too much of a beige tint for me. I need Alabaster shades for yellow undertones. If your light skinned with olive tones or less pale then this might work on you. The sample was not a complete waste because I added some Luster Adjuster Blue to it and it was a little better. For future purpose, Caroline is my best match.

Loose Mineral Eye shadows: These versatile Pigments can be used on your nails as well. 

The shadow formula's are very well pigmented and for me just a little bit less silky yet they are easy to blend and build on. the wear is decent but works best with primer.

Lime: GORGEOUS! This is a pale apple lime shade with lots of sheen. It sparkles without glitter or tackiness and you can build it more more depth. It can also be used as a highlighter when applied with a lighter hand. My photo does not do any of these shadows any justice.

Butterfly Blue- A lovely periwinkle blue with a shift of lilac to it which also has a nice sheen.

Lavender Pearl- A Chameleon Shade. Light pearly lavender, purple hint. MY FAVORITE! This color is slightly holographic and you know how much I love holographic anything. It's a pale delicate fairy dust shade with super shimmer! Great for highlighting, used wet and nail art as well.

Foundation Formula: The minerals blend well on your skin and dissolve nicely without any streaking left behind. They have a natural lightweight feel and there is no shine after application. The coverage for me was medium and build-able without getting flaky or weird looking. I have a few dark patches that made me feel a little less than 100% comfortable without adding some concealer. If you skin is flawless then you'll be fine. I applied moisturizer underneath and the wear was pretty decent without any flaking but if you don't exfoliate or have some skin issue then the powder will show up as with most powders. I'm happy with the quality of all the products I tried.

Luster Adjusters: Color Correctors

Blue-A light-medium blue powder that can be mixed in with any light-medium Monave foundation. This shade is used to create a more cool/alabaster, or olive tone to a foundation. 

Yellow:A light golden powder that is especially helpful for women with Asian or Latin skintones that need a warm tone without red. 

I love these! I added some blue pigment to this really dark beige foundation I had laying around and it turned it into a viable light shade for me to wear! This comes in handy when you need to get a perfect match and saves all the wasted dark foundations purchased from being thrown out.

Packaging: The minerals come packaged in plastic containers with sifters and are stack-able. You can order them in multiple stacks to buy larger quantities at a time. You can also purchase a inexpensive sample before committing to the full product.

I'm impressed with what I tested and love the various shades of cosmetics Monave offers as well as the fact they are natural and cruelty free. The prices are pretty decent as well and maybe pricey for some but a little pigment goes a long way. This is a brand which is new to me and I would recommended my readers try it out for themselves. The color adjusters were a life saver for converting dark wasted foundation into something I can use. I'm giving Monave a fabulous 4.5 starfish rating for all the reasons mentioned above. My only little concern would be shadows with more silkiness to them although this is personal taste. And a little more coverage for the minerals would be nice. I hope everyone has the opportunity to try out Monave products and let's me know what you think of the brand by commenting below. Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability: Monave  Eye Pigments 5g $7.50 Foundation Mineral 10 g $19.50 Luster Adjuster's 7 gram $10. Other sizes and samples available.

1 RATING=WORSE 5 RATING=BEST SUPER STAR=SUPER PRODUCT!

NATURAL INGREDIENTS:: 5 stars

PIGMENTATION:: 5 stars

EASE OF USE:: 5 stars

FORMULA:: 4.5 stars

PRICE & VALUE:: 4.5 stars

OVERALL PRODUCT:: 4.5 stars

In other news: I will be adding all the photo entries from everyone who entered the Hold Me Bag Giveaway Tomorrow and shortly the winner will be announced. Thanks to the participants! XOXO

Everyday Minerals "Art Girl" Rollerball Eye Shadow

travel size

easy to blend rollerball

gorgeous purple with sheen

Here you have it, the last piece in my publicity sample kit to be reviewed: Everyday Minerals Rollerball Eye Shadow Shade Art Girl. The roll on applicator is really easy to use, travel friendly and this particular shade is gorgeous! I specifically asked for it and it was nice to have it sent to me because usually you are given random colors. And not only is the color beautiful but proceeds from the sale of Art Girl will go to the Art School Expansion Project and Scholarship Fund.  Sweet! Some product info before getting to my results below:

"ART GIRL" EYE SHADOW is our way of saying thank you to all those who remind us to look at things again for the first time! Life is so full of wonders to rediscoveries and endless opportunities for artistic expressions. It makes me smile just thinking about it. When you add Art Girl eye shadow to your cart, 100% of the retail price (minus discount and taxes) will be given to AMOA.You will be helping the Art School Expansion Project and Scholarship Fund. www.amoa.org

Pro: well pigmented, blends easily, travel friendly, cruelty free, various shades, decent wear, very affordable

Con: would love to see these in larger size rollerball

My results:  I found using this rollerball shadow was not only fun but quick and easy. It's also very blendable and you can feel free to work with a shadow brush or your fingers.  If you think you might not like the roll-on it's also available in a pot. They also offer other shades. It had a decent wear to it on it's own but lasts longer when primer is applied first.

The Packaging: The loose pigments come in a handy plastic roller-ball tube which is about 2 inches long and very travel friendly. There is absolutely no mess involved when using this product and you can build on the color intensity with desired applications. It's actually less messier than the potted pigments.

The Formula: The pigmentation is really nice and soft. It's not super silky but it's not dry either and you can blend it easily onto your lids with ease. There is a fabulous sheen to it but no glitter so you can use it for daytime or evening use. It would be perfect for creating a sultry smokey eye at night. Art Girl is a deep purple shade almost mimicking grape juice with a very subtle shift of silver to it.

I would definitely recommend you grab a few of these handy little roller-ball pigments in your favorite shades. You guys already know from my previous reviews what a fantastic brand I think Everyday Minerals is and this item is another reason to fall in love with them. This product gets a 4.5 starfish rating from me for it's wear, price, being cruelty free, ease of use and because it donates proceeds to art education. I feel it could have been a tiny bit more of the silky side and perhaps a larger size applicator but other than that it's a great product and really affordable. Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability: Everyday Minerals $4.50 Roller ball $7 pot

1 OUT OF 5 STARS

1 RATING=WORSE 5 RATING=BEST SUPER STAR=SUPER PRODUCT!

PACKAGING:: 4.5 stars

LONG WEAR:: 4.5 stars

EASE OF USE:: 5 stars

FORMULA:: 4.5 stars

PRICE & VALUE:: 5 stars

OVERALL PRODUCT:: 4.5 stars

Everyday Minerals "Cypress" Pearl Loose Eye Shadow

gorgeous color and shimmer!

 light application but it's buildable to a more rich earthy green

 a light application only to show off the golden highlights

This review is for Everyday Minerals Loose Pearl Pigment Shade "Cypress" which is one of two loose eye colors sent to me from publicity, the second review is for a travel roller ball shadow next in line. If you missed my last reviews introducing you to Everyday Minerals- you can read them both here and here. It's a fabulous cosmetic company that sells cruelty free, all natural mineral makeup at affordable prices. This Cypress shade is outrageously gorgeous! It's such a rich pearly shade that can almost pass for two of my fave Urban Decay shadows being a cross between UD Smog and UD Stray Dog.  It comes up a little more green on the websites computer but is more like a taupe bronze with golden highlights and you guys know how much I drool over colors in the taupe family. The sparkle is outrageous! Ever since discovering this brand it's been torture trying to choose which shades to purchase because they have the largest assortment of fantastic mouth watering colors! Some information below before posting my results.

Cypress:

A pearly shimmery evergreen shade with earthy browns. Vegan, No animal testing, Natural minerals, No artificial ingredients or fillers. Paraben free. Fill weight 2.5 gram loose pigment

Pro: long lasting formula, rich pigments, cruelty free, affordable price, natural ingredients, vegan, assorted shades to choose from, spill proof container, non irritating formula, travel friendly

Con: the filter insert could be a little better to allow the pigment out more when your working fast, wouldn't mind a larger pot

My results: The shade sent to me-Cypress is part of the pearl collection-if pearls are not for you they have matte and shimmer shades available. I can't say enough about this color. It's gorgeous! It's listed as evergreen with earthy tones and in my opinion it's like a taupe-y bronze green with loads of golden highlights. The shimmer is ridiculous in here but it's not glittery to a tacky degree. It's super rich and if you like Urban Decay's Smog or Stray Dog this color can be likened to a combo of those two colors.

The formula: The pigments are very rich and fine with a long wear. I have had this on since this morning without any primer and it's still holding. I did swipe the lids of my eyes with some of my foundation first so if you use primer I'm sure you'll get even more wear out of this. The powder has a very light feel to it and not at all grainy or clumpy. It's very buildable- one or a couple swipes will give you more of a golden shimmer effect more applications will allow the deep bronze green to really show up. In the added swatch, I only did a very light dusting on my skin because I wanted to show the golden effect you get plus I didn't want it to look darker than it is but if you look at the first of my camera photo it's pretty much true to shade.

The packaging-this is packaged in a small little plastic pot with a sealed mini filter. The holes are so tiny I completely didn't see the filters and had a hard time removing the plastic top only to see them after! It's spill proof enough but wish they holes were larger so when your in a rush you can get more product out faster. Other than that it's an average fill weight for single eye shadows at 2.5 grams, travel friendly and it's clean enough to use with no mess.

I have never really been a fan of loose pigments because I thought they were hard to work with but I'm finding it's not the case and learning to experiment with them more. This brand is a new find for me but so far I'm in love with what I have seen and would definitely recommend everyone try the products out as there is something for everyone. I'm giving this loose pigment eye color a full five starfish rating for the formula, natural ingredients, cruelty free but most of all the price. The final Everyday Mineral Roller ball Shadow review is coming up nest. Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability: Everyday Minerals "Cypress" Loose Pigment Shadow $7 2.5 grams

1 OUT OF 5 STARS

1 RATING=WORSE 5 RATING=BEST SUPER STAR=SUPER PRODUCT!

PACKAGING:: 4.5 stars

LONG LASTING:: 5 stars

PRODUCT WEIGHT:: 5 stars

FORMULA:: 5 stars

PRICE & VALUE:: 5 stars

OVERALL PRODUCT:: 5 stars

Everyday Minerals Cheek Glam Guru Blush

 spill proof lock sifter top

gorgeous loose shimmery earthy pinkish rose pigments

click image to see the sparkles up close

 ** blush was not blended in completely to show you the pigment color **

Up for review today is the second item in my mineral kit sent over from publicity-Everyday Minerals Cheek Blush Shade Glam Guru. As I mentioned in the previous post, I was a little apprehensive on how the blush would work on my light skin tone but it looks darker than it truly is and the earthy tone works wonderfully on me. I was sent shade Glam Guru which is a gorgeous sparkly earthy piny rose color with coppery shimmer. They have over ten different shimmery shades that I counted with fabulous names like B&B orange shimmer which also caught my eyes and may buy really soon. If shimmer is not quite for you they also have an assorted variety of matte and sheen formula's as well. The shimmer is super fine and gives a spectacular diamond dust effect when swept over your skin. Love it! Some product information below before my results are posted.

Everyday Minerals Blush

Sumptuous gleams of coppery shimmer wonder throughout this wearable soft and earthy pink pigmented blush. Available in various shades of shimmer, matte and sheen. 00% Vegan, Natural & Cruelty Free. No Parabens, no fillers, no artificial ingredients. Fill weight 5.5 grams 

  Pro: lightweight, soft, blendable, buildable, super fine shimmer, long pasting formula,travel friendly, no spill lock container, cruelty free, natural ingredients, great price point, larger fill weight, non cake formula, doesn't settle into lines- you must blend correctly-large variety of colors for all tones

Con: for me none whatsoever :)

My results: This loose mineral blush is just as fabulous as the bronzer reviewed yesterday, It actually has more color in it because it's a blush and shows up nicely on my light skin tone. Makeup usually looks darker in the container than it actually is sometimes so if your not sure on what color to purchase you can always request a sample size for about $2.50 or click on the try me free link to snag a goody. The color I tested was Glam Guru listed as an earthy pink with coppery shimmer throughout. I find this to be more of a pinkish rose color which gives my skin a nice flush of color without the heaviness. I didn't blend in all the way on purpose in my swatch because I wanted you to see the color of the pigment straight out of the case but it does blend beautifully into your skin with a lighter hand and lots of incredible fine shimmer which looks gorgeous under bright lighting. This shade would probably work best with fair,light and medium skin and on darker skin it could still be used for the shimmery effect. Oh how it shimmers! Not tacky flakes mind you but super fine almost fairy glam dust producing a diamante effect on your skin. If you don't like shimmers you can choose from the matte or sheen formula's.

The packaging: It's in a large round flat plastic case with a fabulous no-spill lock slider on the sifter top so you can shove it in your purse without worrying about spills. The size is around 2.5 in diameter, which is pretty big and the top cap doubles as a pigment plate for adding your pigments and dipping your brush. This blush has more product than the bronzer at 5.5 grams and I'm not complaining about the size seeing that this puts more color on my face I need even less than the bronzer reviewed yesterday.

The formula: It's very fine, soft and lightweight feeling almost barley there on your skin. I didn't notice it settling into my pores and it makes me glad knowing it's a natural product. Glam Guru is a very shimmery formula and catches the light beautifully. The glimmer is coppery toned and fine dust like, there are no chunks whatsoever and it feels like a mature blush to me not something overtly glittery a tween would wear. I want to add that even though it's glimmers it blends in nicely and you won't look like your heading to the disco making it a good daily blush from the office to a night out on the town. It lasted all day long and didn't produce any oiliness on my face but if you have extremely oily skin I don't know how it would work on you. I'm not certain but I think mineral powders help with oil or shiny face appearance more than the gel or creamy formula blushes. Once blended in the powder gives a soft radiance to my skin but if I need more contour or drama it was buildable adding that pinched cheek look. Although I prefer wearing my blush blended completely making it more natural looking.

My only problem is how to choose from all the drool worthy shades that are offered and don't get me started on the eye shadows, they are all gorgeous! I couldn't find anything wrong with this product whatsoever and genuinely recommend you buy it for yourself and see how great it really is. I know I mentioned this before but to clarify-no compensation was made to me for my honest review. This product gets a full five starfish rating for it's formula, long lasting wear, natural and cruelty free ingredients, awesome spill proof case, brand motto and super affordable price. Nest up are the two eye shadows I received for review which I'm head over heel's for, can't wait to share that with you. Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability: Everyday Minerals Glam Guru Blush $9  5.5 gram

1 OUT OF 5 STARS

1 RATING=WORSE 5 RATING=BEST SUPER STAR=SUPER PRODUCT!

PACKAGING:: 5 stars

LONG LASTING:: 5 stars

PRODUCT WEIGHT:: 5 stars

FORMULA:: 5 stars

PRICE & VALUE:: 5 stars

OVERALL PRODUCT:: 5 stars

Everyday Minerals Soft Bronzer

mineral test package

blush, bronzer, loose pigment, roll on pigment

fabulous light shade of bronzer

convenient container has slider for no-spill protection

 

 slide the plastic inset and viola~! shake out your desired amount

 what you see is what you get-translucent light sandy shade

Up for review today is Everyday Minerals Soft Bronzer from the publicity kit sent to me that I tweeted about last week. I'm going to split the reviews into different posts as not to turn my findings into a jumbled review making it easier for you guys to read so stay tuned for the other product results. I'm especially thrilled with the eye shadows! The team was nice enough to send me a shade I personally requested which is a gorgeous purple tone shadow. I did some reading into this company and am satisfied with the values they are setting in bringing wonderful cosmetics naturally made and cruelty free which I will share with you below with more on the brand along with the soft bronzer product description. I was worried about using the bronzer when I saw it in the container because it looks dark but publicity picked the right shade for me as I told them my skin tone is light and this shade meshes beautifully with fair to light skin! They do offer other shade options if this might not be the right one for you. My results will follow below.

Everyday  Minerals Soft Bronzer:

Soft Bronzer is a unique bronzing product as its translucent, which allows you to apply it to your entire face for a healthy glow. It’s also used as a contour product for lighter skin. Its properties catch the light and give you a dewy glow.

Information About The Overall Brand

Everyday Minerals products are free of nanotechnology, carmine,dimethicone, fragrance, animal by products, bismuth oxychloride,silicone and lake dyes. We are a vegan line, offering high quality mineral makeup at a price affordable to all women.

Everyday Minerals is about:

1)  Being healthy. That means taking care of my skin by using all-natural
products that are actually good for it! That¹s why I started this mineral
makeup company.

2)  Saving money. I am not going to pay 25-40 bucks on foundation. Period.
Our products are ridiculously inexpensive.  That¹s also why I started this
mineral makeup company. Women shouldn¹t have to pay a premium for
looking stunning.

3)  Thinking globally in everyday actions. As a woman and mother with
a daughter, women’s issues are very important to me. At Everyday
Minerals, we believe that women’s issues are the moral battleground of
this century. As such, we recently launched our Everyday Forward
mission, in which all proceeds from a designated product go to a
selected woman’s charity, such as Kiva.org, Womenforwomen.org,
Care.org, and Globalliving.org. One day every woman in the world will
be given the love, dignity, and appreciation they deserve to fulfill
their gifts and dreams.

  Pro: lightweight, rich pigments, buildable & blendable,natural looking, non cake formula, travel friendly, color options for all skin tones, cruelty free, vegan, natural ingredients,suited for lighter skin, super price points

Con: could be offered at higher weight in grams than 5 grams

My results: As I mentioned above the color in the container made me nervous because my skin is so light but to my surprise it blends in perfectly almost invisibly with the sheerest hint of a soft warm sun kissed glow. They offer a few other shades- Everyday Bronzer in medium and Happiness Bronzer in deeper sun kissed tone, Natural Reflections Summer in light & Natural Reflections Summer medium, Kaolin Powder for light to fair complexions. In the event your not 100% sure you can order a sample for only $2.50 to try it out for yourself.

Let's start with the packaging: the product is packaged in a flat convenient round plastic jar which is well constructed. When you twist the cap off there's this fabulous plastic slider on the shaker filter which keeps the powder safe from spills. All you do is turn the lever and shake out the amount needed on your brush or on the inside top which can double as a product plate to dip into since the cap is nice and wide. Throw it in your purse and forget about accidents! I would say the jar is about 2.5 inches in diameter making it a great size. The fill weight is 5 grams which isn't too shabby but the average powder compact is a little more than that at around 8 grams. But keep in mind it is loose powder so you probably will need less. It's not a huge concern since the price your pay is fabulous! I thought I would mention it to be fair.

The formula: This Soft Bronzer is super lightweight translucent, you can't feel in on your skin at all and there is no caked residue it leaves behind. I would recommend exfoliating properly because dead skin flakes will show up as it does with any powder product. It's highly blendable and works well with fair to light skin disappearing seamlessly onto to your face. The color is very light warm barely sun kissed tone which I love and plan on using in the winter as well when my skin get's more pasty faced. This will allow that warm fleshy tone to wake & brighten up my skin in the winter. It doesn't even feel like a bronzer to me, just adds a subtle warmth and sets my foundation beautifully. I didn't experience any oiliness throughout  the day either. Soft bronzer can also double as a face contour powder and gives you a dewy look. The best way I can describe this shade on light skin is that it's a warm fleshy tone almost as if the blood circulated back into your skin but not obvious that you have it on, it's completely natural looking. I'm in love with this and am excited to test out the blush which also seems a little dark for me in the container.

I'm not only satisfied with the product's formula and performance but I'm genuinely excited for the brand itself and what they stand for. This along with Beauty Without Cruelty are two of my cherished finds these past several months and it's a testament to what the huge corporate & designer brands say can't be done in regards to natural , cruelty free cosmetics in this industry. Big giant corporations have been proven wrong and I suspect in the decades too come they will disappear or reassess how they manufacture products that we all willingly purchase. WE DON'T WANT CHEMICALS IN OUR BODIES ANYMORE. WE DON'T WANT DEFENSELESS CREATURES TO SUFFER FOR OUR VANITY ANYMORE. This product gets a full five starfish rating from me for it's performance, formula, innovative packaging, brand motto, cruelty free and it's affordability. $8 dollars-are you kidding me. Awesome! Just wished it had a little more product in the case. Please visit the site and check out all the fabulous items they have to offer and the many beautiful shades of loose shadow pigments. More Everyday Mineral reviews coming up soon. Stay beautiful! XOXO.

Availability: Everyday Minerals Everyday Naturals Soft Bronzer $8

1 OUT OF 5 STARS

1 RATING=WORSE 5 RATING=BEST SUPER STAR=SUPER PRODUCT!

PACKAGING:: 5 stars

LONG LASTING:: 5 stars

PRODUCT WEIGHT:: 4.5 stars

FORMULA:: 5 stars

PRICE & VALUE:: 5 stars

OVERALL PRODUCT:: 5 stars

Guerlain Meteorites Poudre De Perles Compact

Since investing in a few of the Guerlain Meteorites Pearl Collection, I'm going to go ahead and review them for anyone interested in buying some. The price point is high but you have to own at least one from the entire collection, it's so worth it.I already reviewed the mini meteorites so next up is my review for my Guerlain Meteorites Poudre De Perles Compact. This illuminating pearl powder compact is in shade Nacre Des Mers which was from last years Guerlain Summer Splash Collection. My French is so off to the left but I believe nacre des mers means shell of the sea. The compact is a full 10 gram size which is pretty generous. The pan doesn't go deep but the pearls are raised somewhat so there's plenty of lasting powder. It's not a traditional compact that flips open but more like a case which you twist the top like you would a container. The case is very sturdy and has the signature faux pearl inlaid design on the top which was actually inspired by a box Marie Antoinette had on her vanity table. When you open the case it has the usual distinct Guerlain Meteorites fragrance of a soft powder floral type scent. The pearls vary in size with larger pearls at the outer rim growing gradually smaller as it spirals into the center pearl. The pearl shades alter from gold beige, pearly pale apricot,  light ivory pearl finishing off with a blue pearl in the center. Guerlains ad campaign stated this was inspired by the Akoya of Tahiti. The tonal palette illuminates the complexion in light while the blue heart pearl hides small imperfections. Of course there are ground pearls in the formula which feels very lightweight on the skin. It makes all the difference using the right professional brush when applying this and you control the intensity. A couple of swipes or pats add a sheer touch of luminosity while more product adds a deeper glow. This isn't glittery but a bit of pearly sheen shows up on your skin. Your face radiates nicely under bright lights. Some people who have used meteorites say it's too shiny on their skin. This could be due to a heavy handed application or oilier skin type but it's nothing I noticed on my skin. I only gently swirl my brush a couple of times and that's it. there are different shades which might be more appropriate for different types of skin tones, you can ask the store consultant or even use one of the store testers to see which one might work best for you. I did notice that the first few applications the powder had a shinier hand on application because the pearls have this extra silvery finish on top but after you use it a couple of times that finish wears off and the high shine is less noticeable on your skin. My skin is yellow based and pale that all the different shades I have, none of them really look that different form each other when applied on my skin and all the shades seem to work fine with me. This shade sold out but Sephora is selling the new collection and I believe that the Beige Lumineux 03 comes closest to this Nacre Des Mers except for the center pearl being lavender. This is the reason why I'm on the fence to get the beige but the lavender pearl is pretty. This would also make a lovely gift for a best friend and a definite must have for yourself. Does anyone have this or any other meteorites shade? What do you guys think about it? Stay beautiful!  XOXO

Availability:Sephora $65 ( beige lumineux is almost similar to the nacre des mers )

Etude House Precious Mineral Brightener

My Etude House Precious Mineral Brightener arrived today! If you follow my blog then you are already aware of my highlighter obsession. Seriously, it's gotten out of hand... I'm going to take a photo of my entire collection one day just to show you guys. This craze probably comes from the fact that my skin is pale with yellow undertones and highlighters and glow creams enhance the brightness of my skin while adding a flush of life to my tone. Also because it helps decrease or eliminate the "redness" from beige pigments in foundations I use. This is why I always get excited when I find products that work wonders on pale skin and just want to share the love with my fellow pasties out there. LOL! Generally I scour Asian beauty shops for foundations and cosmetics to match my tone because they cater to women with pale or yellow skin undertones. The closest match I get is from L'Oreal foundation believe it or not but most other cosmetic brands generally think only of the needs of medium skin tones. Medium color foundations are the largest color group that's outsells every other shade, I did some research, it's the most popular skin coloring for cosmetic companies. That's not to say they don't have light and dark shades available but when they create light shades they add too much red pigments which show up really bad on pale skin. Hence, me shopping the Asian brands. I'm sure Latina's and African American women feel the same way when they try to match their skin tone perfectly and an exact match comes up short. It's frustrating to say the least when you need special options and it's slim pickings on the market. My opinion on this is that the companies are just manufacturing products which are "popular" at mass retail selling the most and making them the most money. It's a shame because these corporations lack of interest in every type of woman is an untapped market. Now of course there are brands out there that sell to specific ethnic groups but they are too high priced and you have to go out of your way to find them. My angst is for the mass retail brands that you can easily and inexpensively find at your local Target or pharmacy. Anyway, back to my review. I'll start with the packaging which is a cute holographic silver box with the bubblegum pink plastic compact having a round scallop trim. You get a generous size mirror powder pan. It just doesn't appear to be that deep and I can't find the gram size because it's written in Asian. The powder has a lovely design of a half moon and spheres in different shades or pearl. The powder formula contains minerals and ground pearl powder. Although the colors in the pan consist of  ice pink, pale pink, pale gold and pale blue swirls it all comes up as one shade on your skin which is a pinkish pearly white but. The glow payoff is decent without being too bright and there's no glitter in it so you can use it during the day. The powder is somewhat dry and you need to swirl the brush and swipe it a few times to get maximum glow. Plus you need the right brush, one that is less full and smaller. Since this is very lightweight in terms of coverage it could probably work well with all skin tones because it should cast a soft natural sheen. It's not the best highlighter in my collection but it's fun and affordable. They could have improved on it with a creamy formula and maybe adding a little puff for when you want to pat on specific areas. I'm glad the Etude House has a USA site which you can order from saving me the trouble of paying international shipping fees since this brand is made in Korea. This is great to have in your purse when you need a little extra glow to energize your skin. Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability: Etude House USA $19.99

Sleek Divine Minerals-Bohemian Palette

I'm a week late in posting this review since I tweeted about it but here it is! This is Sleek Divine Minerals Bohemian Palette. This palette is mostly matte with three sheen shades. All the colors are completely different from the other two Sleek palettes Sunset & Circus reviewed by me. The minerals are nicely pigmented but a little more on the sheer side than the silky sheen colors probably due to the fact they are matte making this a plus for me being that I'm a huge fan of matte shades as opposed to the super sparkly formulas. The only shade I found a bit dry was that light cream color sitting between the yellow and the charcoal. There was some furious rubbing with my brush just to get a small amount of pigment to show up. There's always that one color in any palette that is so darn irritating! However they did a great job with color selection because every shade seems to be workable in combination with each other. The Bohemian name is very appropriate for this eclectic earthy palette which any women can pull off. Don't let the brightness of the pigments scare you because they have a nice sheerness to them without the heavy impression you get from tacky clownish make-up. My favorites are that gorgeous bright green-the royal blue-purple-earthy green taupe sheen and the rich burnt orange sheen. The  flash of my camera dulled & washed out the richness of the pigments. They are way more lovelier in person. This set is really beautiful to have on hand allowing you to create stunning day time looks then shifting gears for nighttime exotica. Also by having twelve pigments available for you to choose from makes for a great value even if the pans are a bit on the tiny side. The case itself is a very sleek white, that includes full mirror and a nice long smudger brush. I'm glad I added it to my collection even though my favorite so far is my Sunset palette. I'm genuinely impressed with the Sleek brand not just for the value of it all but also for reasonably decent quality minerals that give a fair amount of color payoff. Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability:Sleek Cosmetics $10 + $13 international ship fee