Not long after sharing my go-to beauty stash with you all, I left for a last-minute trip and forgot to pack my blue beauty stash bag. Now, I’m known for being an absentminded packer, often forgetting essentials like socks and underwear (gasp!). But when it comes to my beauty stash, I check and double check. Not only does it contain beauty necessities like mascaras and SPF powder, it also holds my skincare arsenal. Unless I’m begging for a face full of rashes and pimples, I absolutely cannot subject my skin to drugstore or department store skincare products. Ok, so maybe I’m being a tad melodramatic, but I wasn’t thrilled about dealing with bad skin while traveling.
Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Pressed Powder SPF 16 in Translucent: If you’re interested in mineral makeup and only have access to drugstores, I highly recommend that you check out this entire line. Not only do they have a full range of mineral face and eye makeup, the texture is high quality. Even though they all contain mica, an ingredient that usually make me itch, the mica in these products does not induce itchiness. I first bought the loose version of this. It was velvety smooth going on but the lightest shade was still too dark for me. The pressed version still has the velvety smooth texture, it is more matte and glides on like a creamy powder. You can really pile this on and not feel cakey, which makes it ideal for touch-ups. The physical SPF 16 is such a plus. My only reservation about this product is I don’t know if Physicians Formula uses micronized minerals (which should be avoided). I have reached out to PF about this and hopefully I’ll have an answer for you guys by today. Tip: Physicians Formula always includes a signature crappy brush with their face powders- please keep this away from your face. It is rough and does not do this powder justice. You’re better off buying some smooth cotton squares and storing it in the convenient brush compartment for hygienic applications. Edited to add: Finally received news about whether PF Mineral Wear uses micronized minerals- Yes, they do. This is unfortunate news for me as I was really liking this powder. I think I'll keep this as a back-up, perhaps I'll store it in my luggage in case absentmindedness strikes again.
Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner in Blackest Black: I knew there are currently no drugstore polymer liquid liners so I wanted to find a stable liquid liner that is dark, performs well, stays all day and washes off with no residue left on my lashline. This one passed the test with flying colors. I just recently began winging my lines and its sponge tip does it with ease. One downside: I get extremely oily around my eyes and while the line stays perfectly intact on my upper lashline, it does transfer a bit onto my under eye area. People who don’t have freakishly oily skin should be fine though.
Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Eyeliner in Black Night: I usually like to smoke out my eyes with a little bit of grey or charcoal eyeshadow. After buying and returning several, I realized that the pencil I keep in my purse is better than any of the dark eyeshadows I tried. This pencil is fairly soft so it performs almost like a jumbo pencil. It’s in a base of jojoba oil and beeswax so it is going to fade and crease after a while, but it fades and creases in the most natural-looking way, making your eyes look like it’s naturally shaded.
L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Lash Extension Effect Mascara in Black: In the U.S., there are currently 2 drugstore polymer tubing mascaras on the market- this one and Prestige Lash Matrix. The L’Oreal version is far superior than the Pretige version in every way. Only downside: the brush is too big; I was tempted to trim the bristles down with scissors! Tip: This is advertised as a 2-step mascara- you are to apply the white base first, tubing mascara second. For me, I like to apply it 3-step to really maximize the volume- 1. Tubing mascara, 2. White base, 3. Tubing mascara. I’m not crazy about the ingredients in the white base so this really helps to trap the white base between 2 layers of the tubing mascara.
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17 comments:
Hi you! Haven't visited your blog in a long long time for some reason! Glad to know you're thriving. :)
I've heard lots of praises for the Physician's Formula line. I'll definitely have to check it out next time. But buying drugstore products is like buying a black box to me, haha. I'm so used to seeing testers before buying.
Hi Miss Wiggle!
That's definitely 1 of the downsides to drugstore makeup! I had heard lots of praises before I bought it but I never bought it because of the mica. I'm glad I finally tried it!
Farmgirl
hi! thanks for the info on the mineral wear, i was actually wondering about that too cuz i wear this sometimes..
Hi Joey,
I know what you mean, I couldn't find any info on that. It's kind of a bummer but I discovered a pressed mineral that doesn't contain micronized minerals! I'll share the results once I receive it :)
Farmgirl
*I meant, once I test it ;) It might take a while because I need to make sure it doesn't break me out.
Farmgirl
Hey Farmgirl...I'm tired of not having full beautiful lashes. My problem is that I don't have a lot of lashes to begin with. What is your take on Peter Thomas Roth's "To Die For" Eyelash conditioner? Do you think it'd work on Asian eyes?
I want to put an end to eyelash extensions and false lashes. Well...at least on a daily basis.
Hi Dyane!
Lash treatments from the likes of PTF and other prestige brands are expensive and iffy on the results. You'll want to check out Ardell Lash Growth Accelerator Treatment. Many have had luck with this and the damage it does on your wallet is nothing compared to expensive lash treatments (the Ardell version runs about $6 in drugstores and can be found in the false lashes section!).
The thing with lash treatments is that they work amazingly on some people while results fall short on others (pun not intended). It's impossible to know if it works for YOU until you actually try it. Good luck and let me know if you find something that works!
Farmgirl
really nice blog :)!
Thanks Candyce ;)
Farmgirl
I just discovered your site and I love it! I did not know about micronized minerals, and now I'm concerned because I have been using Loreal Mineral makeup for years. Would you happen to know which mineral makeup brands are safe to use? Thanks so much!
Chris said:
I just discovered your site and I love it! I did not know about micronized minerals, and now I'm concerned because I have been using Loreal Mineral makeup for years. Would you happen to know which mineral makeup brands are safe to use? Thanks so much!
*Reply*
Hi Chris,
Thanks for reading! I'm sorry, for some reason Blogger won't allow me to publish your comment. I think it's an internal bug they're experiencing. To answer your question, I just recently discovered a baked mineral foundation powder that is not micronized. Here's the address:
http://www.rejuvaminerals.com/store/bakedfoundcompact.html
I've tried it a few times and so far so good! The L'Oreal minerals are most likely micronized although I'm not completely certain. Most minerals in the mainstream marget is micronized because it feels silkier and looks finer when applied. I avoid them because I'm currently uncertain of their safety.
Thank you so much! I'm going to check out that link.
Why should we avoid micronized? Just curious :P
Hi Kay,
I try to avoid any cosmetics and skincare that are micronized or of "nanotechnology" because of the controversy surrounding it. Powder-wise, it's good to avoid micronized products because the particles are so tiny, it promotes unhealthy inhalation of the products and may seep into skin deeper than necessary. This is my opinion/interpretation of researches out there.
Farmgirl
Hey, I love your blog! :)
I love this pencil! Yes, it does indeed fade and crease after a while, but when going out for only a few hours it is perfect. And it is my pencil of choice when doing my waterline :) I think it is perfect for that, especially when it comes to ingredients. You don't want harsh chemicals inside your eye.
I couldn't agree more, Lady Rosenred! So many ladies line their waterline but conventional liners are filled with chemicals that have no business being there.
Farmgirl
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