Bioelements Skincare Wardrobe Giveaway! + My Fave Beauty Tip of the Moment

Can you believe it? It’s been a year since I started my blog! To celebrate, I’d like to revamp your skincare routine! Get your skin in tip-top summer shape with Bioelements, one of my favorite skincare lines. (1) blog follower will be randomly chosen to win a Bioelements skincare wardrobe worth $250. The lucky winner will speak one-on-one with a Bioelements Esthetician about his/her skintype, skincare concerns and select their ideal skincare wardrobe.

How to qualify:

1. Be a Brilliant Farmgirl’s Beauty Secrets™ blog follower!
2. For an additional 3 entries in the drawing, share your favorite beauty secret! It can be anything pertaining to skincare, makeup, health and fashion. Simply leave a comment with your beauty tip of the moment.

That’s all there is to it! Contest will close on 5.29.10 at 11.59pm PST and winner will be announced by 5.30.10. This giveaway is open to all U.S. Residents (For international blog followers: most of my future giveaways will be open to all, so stay tuned!). If winner is under 18, parental consent will be requested.

To kick things off, let me share my favorite beauty tip of the moment. I've been looking for ways to add volume to my thin brows so a friend recently shared her brow-perfecting secret: apply brow powder in 2 different natural shades to add dimensions and natural bulk to brows. Now I know why many brow enhancers often come in 2 complimentary shades (thanks, Susan!).

Drugstore alternatives for my makeup must-haves

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.

I was stunned for about 2 minutes while I contemplated the detriments my skin was about to suffer for the next 1.5 weeks without my essentials. But I quickly became excitedly distracted by the prospect of drugstore makeup shopping. I’d like to share with you the drugstore goodies that came immediately to mind as great substitutes for my current cosmetic faves. This fling with drugstore makeup has re-familiarized me with some great drugstore brands and I’m seriously considering introducing some of these products into my current beauty stash.

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.

My Beauty Stash + Farmgirl Beauty Secrets #22, #101, #111 and #45!

Take a peek into my everyday beauty stash in no particular order:

1. Farmgirl Beauty Secret #22: Do you continue to breakout even though you can’t find the culprit within your skincare regimen? Your brushes could be the problem. I find that no matter how often I wash my powder brushes, I still breakout from using them. For that reason, I rely on Asian cotton squares to apply my mineral powders on a daily basis. This is a great alternative for people with highly reactive skin as it applies powder seamlessly. I keep my cotton squares in this nifty Q-tip travel container.
2. 100% Pure Cocoa Pigmented Bronzer: I’ve been using this as a contour powder. It works amazingly as it contains no orange undertones.
3. Complete Cover Concealer in Light: This is my daily powder+SPF. It applies flawlessly and acts as a protecting barrier against the environment.
4. Farmgirl Beauty Secret #101: For extra lash pizzazz, layer 2 mascaras. Don’t know why this works, but it does! This is why you’ll always find 2 mascaras in my beauty stash. I’m currently layering Clinique Lash Power Mascara and Naris Up Maxigrade Mascara. They’re both tubing mascaras, which applies as a liquid and dries as a solid, polymer tube around your lashes. Tubing mascaras won’t smudge or run and they wash off in neat little tubes when you rinse your lashes in warm water! More on that later.
5. Farmgirl Beauty Secret #111: I like to use LipSense Creamy Pink and Pink Champagne to highlight my cupid’s bow. Because is completely budge-proof, the highlight stays on days through eating and drinking.
6. Senegence LashExtend: I’m obsessed with makeup that does double duty so I’ve been trying this liquid eyeliner+ lash growth treatment.
7. Jane Iredale: 24K Gold Dust in Champagne: This highlighter feigns the most gorgeous glow with real food-grade 24-Karat gold particles! My skin is usually irritated by mica but I remain itch-less with this one.
8. Garden of Wisdom PhytoStemCell Serum: My makeup bag contains everything I travel with, so this is a must. When I’m away from home, this is my day and night time treatment. This anti-aging treatment mists on like water so I can use it without touching my face (which is so ideal for germ freaks like me). Its active ingredients also save my skin during suffocating air travel. I’m obsessed with the entire line, really. I went a little crazy buying/collecting their serums so I might do a review on my collection once I try them all.
9. Bioelements Multi-task Eye Oil: This multi-tasker is my day and night eye moisturizer when I’m traveling. It’s also doubles as a rich facial moisturizer in a pinch.
10. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips in Malibu Strip/Pink Sand Bronzer: I don’t typically allow talc in my beauty products but had to make an exception for this absolutely gorgeous palette. These bricks of blond, copper, rose gold and bronze shimmers are wearable as highlighter, eyeshadow, blush and bronzer.
11. Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Berry Juicy: I bought this because I was drawn to the packaging but as you can see it has suffered some light abuse so the packaging is no longer glossy and new. I was also intrigued by this drugstore cheek/lip tint as it contains some fruit pigments. This is limited edition so consider yourself lucky if you can find it.
12. BeingTRUE Cosmetics Interference Color-rich shadow in Graphite- I hesitate in recommending this as this poorly textured shadow suffers a severe case of fall-outs and creasing while the color leaves much to be desired. You also have to buy the case separately (which I declined to do so I stuck it in a spare case I have). So why do I use it? Well, blame it on my obsession with treatment makeup. I like that it contains anti-aging Dermaxyl. My search for more sophisticated treatment eyeshadows continues and will be ditching this as soon as I find a suitable replacement- any suggestions?
13. Senna Cosmetics Brow Fix in Taupe X: This awesome brow gel comes in the most perfect taupe shade- not too brown and not too grey. My brows are sparse and light, causing a stark contrast to my deep brown hair. When I use this, it doesn’t look like I’ve colored in my brows; it looks like I have brows.
14. Rubotan Super Line in 01: This HUGE container of liquid liner comes with the best slanted brush. This is a polymer liquid liner, which utilizes the same technology as “tubing” mascaras. It washes off completely with warm water and slight friction, leaving zero residues between lashes.
15. Farmgirl Beauty Secret #45: Use your favorite facial cream to subtly highlight your cheekbones and brow bones without the use of a shimmery highlighter. I dot and blend my Garden of Wisdom Majik Coconut Revival Cream on the heights of my cheeks and brow bones. This uniquely-textured cream absorbs completely into my skin while leaving it with a healthy sheen with no residue. It is originally created for healing acne and I find that I can use this allover my face without feeling greasy or fearful of breakouts.

How it's organized:

Farmgirl Beauty Secret #51: MAC LiquidLast Liner is COMPLETELY waterproof.

Despite its fame and highly-touted color selection, MAC has never really impressed me much. Like my skincare, I prefer makeup made of simple, good ingredients and MAC is often the opposite of that. With that said, something compelled me to dissect the ingredient list for MAC LiquidLast Liner and my strong suspicion of it being waterproof proved to be true. Liquidlast is COMPLETELY waterproof AND smudge-proof (don't you just hate the smudges you get w/ "waterproof" eye makeup? they don't budge once they manage to smudge- just horrid!). If you are an eye-lining kind of girl, this is an absolute summer must-have. YES, it will absolutely survive a swim or two. YES, it can double as a liquid eye shadow that's YES, waterproof. Bonus: it is also paraben-free.

The formula is slightly goopy out of the container and the brush leaves much to be desired. However, practice makes perfect with this product. As usual with MAC, LiquidLast Liners come in a great color selection; you’re sure to find a color or 2 that you like. The color Inky is a gorgeous deep blue and it acts as an eye brightener. Point Black is a great basic.

Removal for this eye liner is easier than one would expect. Use a q-tip soaked with cleansing Oil (my favorite is Bioelements Sensitive Skin Cleanser). Implement the “twirling motion”described in Farmgirl Beauty Secret #10 to gently remove eye liner. With that said, I recommend saving this eye liner for the beach and pool-side. LiquidLast Liner is quite tenacious and I prefer to not use this on a daily basis.

Conditioning Dream Team: Shiseido Tsubaki + Living Proof. No Frizz Conditioner

I rarely speak of hair care products and tips- most likely because it’s been a sore spot of mine as I rarely take care of my hair. I haven’t stepped foot into a salon for over 4 years as I’ve been cutting my own hair and I’ve been known to reinvent skincare products to double as “hair care” (See Farmgirl Beauty Secret #17).

My hair routine consists of: brushing once a day (if I remember), washing, conditioning and blow-drying. I have the greasiest hair known to man so I HAVE to wash it everyday. Conventional conditioners on the market are simply not strong enough to counter the drying effects of daily shampooing and my ends suffer the consequences. I was also testing various “natural” conditioners” in an effort to go green for my shampoos/conditioners and while I’ve had luck with shampoos, natural conditioners just lack pizzazz. They leave my unruly hair drier, poofier and they strip my hair of shine.

And yes, I am Asian. Isn’t beautiful, glossy hair a trait bestowed upon all Asian women? Where’s my gorgeous Asian hair?! I found the answer within my question- If I want Asian hair, I need Asian hair care. So a few months back, I picked up the famed Shiseido Tsubaki Conditioner (white-gold bottle) at my local Japanese grocery store. No, the ingredients are not as clean as I like it to be. If anything, the ingredient list reads like a pretty typical conditioner, which I was kind of bummed about. But I’ve had much experience with true Japanese skincare products (manufactured in Japan using ingredients from Japanese suppliers), I swear they use different grades of ingredients than they do in the states. For example, “Mineral oil” used in Japanese products feels and works better than “mineral oil” formulas in the states, and that applies to many ingredients. It’s the strangest phenomenon and really challenges what I know to be true about ingredients.

Shiseido Tsubaki ingredients (english, but not a complete list- hate it when they do that!):

Shiseido Tsubaki ingredients in Japanese:

Anyways, I gave Shiseido Tsubaki a shot. I’m so glad I did. Upon first use, my hair was softer than it had been in ages. I need only the tiniest bit to condition my long hair- about 2/3 less than what I need with conventional conditioners, to be exact. It really hydrates and softens my hair, but I still felt like something was missing- what does a girl have to do to get hair that swings and bounces like it’s in a Pantene commercial?

I had to look further than the Pantene hair care aisle, that’s for sure. I started researching hair care and found an awesomely clever haircare line, Living Proof., created by couple of geniuses from M.I.T. Instead of making products with run-of-the-mill ingredients, they have a team of scientists inventing new formulations with ingredients never before used by other companies. The result: not only did it Living Proof. No Frizz Conditioner de-frizz my mane, it completely improved the overall texture of my hair. You know how frizzy, dry hair tends to possess a gravity-defying quality? Well, this made my hair healthier and more substantial while giving my hair a sleek appearance.

Living Proof. No Frizz ingredients:

I feel like I’m on to something here. By alternating between these 2 conditioners, my hair is improving steadily. It provides the benefits of both conditioners but it doesn’t cost more than using 1 conditioner at a time. Do you alternate between conditioners? Which are your favorites?

Here’s my disclaimer: I write extremely researched reviews after extensive, self-conducted testing. I do not review products I dislike; it's a waste of time and typing skills. This review contains product I purchased and product sent by company due to interest in feedbacks. My first priority is to my readers; company gratis does not guarantee placement. Affiliate and non-affiliate links are provided to inform readers of where to purchase products. All in all, you can be sure that items seen on my website are the very few products that qualify for recommendation after rigorous testing.

Farmgirl beauty secret #6: Use liquid foundation to wipe away eye makeup mistakes or “raccoon eyes”.

This tip is a spin-off of Farmgirl Beauty Secret #10, which is great for mascara mistake removal. #6 is a great tip for getting rid of eyeshadow and liner smears or if you are experimenting with different eyeshadow colors and want to remove the color easily. Simply dip a clean q-tip in your favorite liquid foundation (I like to use Illuminare Fantastic Finish Foundation for this purpose), blot q-tip to remove excess and gently swipe the q-tip where the eye makeup mistakes are. Repeat if necessary.

The emollients in liquid foundation combined with the texture of the q-tip will pick up the eye makeup residue and lay down a thin layer of coverage to conceal any hard-to-remove color. This is also great for “mid-day raccoon eyes” and eyeshadow fall-outs. If you are removing color from a larger area, try the same technique using a cotton ball. The result: a fresh canvas. This allows you to erases makeup mistakes without having to wash your face completely.

Winner of the Easy Peasy Farmgirl Beauty Giveaway!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! Congratulations to *~Kay~* of Fresno, CA for winning the Easy Peasy Farmgirl Beauty Giveaway, a collection of beauty prizes valued at over $64. I’ll be conducting more giveaways in the near future so stayed tuned for other opportunities to win Farmgirl-approved beauty products!

If you can choose the next Farmgirl Giveaway, what would you like to win?- cosmetics, skincare or a mixture of the two?

Product-analysis: LipSense in Creamy Pink

So, I’ve been searching high and low for an YSL Rouge Volupte Lingerie Pink dupe. I wanted something that was an opaque baby pink with no shimmer, hopefully with some staying power so I don’t have to re-appy throughout the day. I was never one to mess with lipsticks because most lipstick applications take precise application and that is just asking too much from this lipgloss-only gal. However, I’m liking the subtle definition this color gives and I definitely wouldn’t mind having a lipstick that allows me to do my lipcolor once and forget about it for the rest of the day. If it sounds like a makeup miracle, it sort of is. We all remember when cosmetic big shots like Cover Girl/Max Factor came out with budge proof, all-day lipcolors. It was all the rage. I had one too and while I really liked the concept, I was not at all impressed with the muddy colors and the clumpy results. When my lipcolor started separating, I chucked it into the trash bin and didn’t think twice about it.

Now that I have this baby pink lipstick obsession, I knew I couldn’t count on those lines to provide the color I wanted. I’m no novice when it comes to googling for miracle beauty products. So with my knuckles cracked, I set out to search for this lipstick I envisioned. My search brought me to a brand called LipSense, which is a budge/kiss-proof lipstain. Unlike the Cover Girl/Max Factor version, this doesn’t contain any wax or resin in the formula, rather they’ve suspended a blend of pigments in a base of Alcohol SD-40. Despite the alcohol base, I was very intrigued. I started weighing the pros/cons and decided that having a product that dries and sets for an entire day with the help of alcohol may be a more desirable option compared to applying and ingesting conventional lipsticks all day.

I wanted to find my magic lipstick and LipSense sounded like the ideal candidate. Their wide color range is enough to make any lipstick addict swoon and the collection keeps growing with Limited Edition colors they launch seasonally. Beyond different finishes and shades, I learned that colors can be layered to create an endless number of color combinations. The website swatches bare zero resemblance to the actual colors so pay no attention to that. I was able to find real images of many LipSense colors on the internet and was completely blown away from how updated the color options are (simply google: lipsense colors under Google Image). I love their wide range of Pinks, Berries and Nudes. They have a cult following for their amazing Reds like Blu-Red, Cranberry and Red Cherry (Christina Aguilera and makeup artist Kandee Johnson amongst the fans). But what really captivated my attention was their offering of peaches/corals. I’ve never been a fan of orange shades, but I really want to try theirs! The shades Apple Cider and Summer Fling are so soft and beautiful, they would look amazing on any skin tone.

Looking through LipSense Colors brings euphoria reminiscent of being a kid in a candy store, but I was able to buckle down and focus on a color that I thought could compete with my YSL Lingerie Pink: Creamy Pink. When I received the color, the YSL and the LipSense was nearly identical with 2 differences: YSL Lingerie Pink is actually slightly warmer and LipSense Creamy Pink was laced with the finest gold highlighting dust. It’s definitely not shimmery enough to be called “shimmer”. At first glance, you can barely detect the iridescence because the shade is so opaque it looks nearly matte. Only upon closer inspection do you see the gold dust. Wow, it’s truly a beautiful, unique color (how did I not know about the joy of lipsticks before?!). LipSense Creamy Pink becomes an intense bubblegum pink when you apply 3 layers (as the company suggests for all their lipcolors). But I prefer to wear just 1 layer for a sheer baby pink.

When I tried this for the first time, I nearly fell out of my chair. The formula sets as soon as you brush it on. Being a complete lipstick newbie, I was not prepared and ended up looking like I had the poorest hand coordination because I didn’t know how to blend out the streaks. I later found out this shade is more difficult colors to apply because it’s lighter than my lipcolor. Their more natural shades (like Sheer Berry and Praline Rose) are easier to apply. Anyways, I'm getting better at application by the day and I am really happy with the results. This lipstain is so tenacious that it lasts for an entire day. It is completely transfer-proof so it never comes off on the mug or Boyfriend. After LipSense application, you are to follow and set it with their Moisturizing Gloss. Their gloss feels extremely comforting and plush on but if you are already inundated with glosses, you can use your MAC clear Lipglass or Nars Gloss to set it (just avoid glosses with oils in it because oils can weaken the hold of the lipstain). If you’re not a lipgloss person, they have a Matte Gloss that just sounds so interesting (I’m really itching to try this).

As for the effect I was looking for, this is a winner. I apply it the same way I do with the YSL (lipstick on the outskirts of lips; a hint of berry lip tint in the center). It defines and highlights like my YSL Lingerie Pink does, except it stays on the entire day and I never have to re-apply (please don't look too close; I'm still working on my application skills ;P).

While I do prefer the look and feel of bare lips for an everyday look, I’m beginning to understand and appreciate the allure of lipsticks. Is there anything you've learned to love recently? Tell me about it, perhaps you'll start a lemming!


Here’s my disclaimer: I write extremely researched reviews after extensive, self-conducted testing. I do not review products I dislike; it's a waste of time and typing skills. This review contains gratis sent by company due to interest in feedbacks. My first priority is to my readers; company gratis does not guarantee placement. Affiliate and non-affiliate links are provided to inform readers of where to purchase products. All in all, you can be sure that items seen on my website are the very few products that qualify for recommendation after rigorous testing.

Skincare Routine Snapshot: What works for my skin.

I’m going to start documenting my skincare routine on my blog. Not only is it going to give me an overall view of what I’m currently doing for my skin care and how it progresses, I can also share with you all about what’s working for my skin- think of these products as my most current Farmgirl Beauty Secrets.

Skin Description: hypersensitive, mild to moderate rosacea, oily, breakout-prone, dehydrated.

Top Skincare Concerns: My biggest concerns are hydration and anti-aging. Although I rarely get breakouts now, I find that I’m still highly susceptible to breakouts. I’m always searching for products that’ll give me hydration with zero residue and anti-aging benefits without breakouts.

Daytime Routine:

1. Cleanse with Acne.org Cleanser: A no-frills cleanser that is sulfate-free. I’m looking to find something better and cheaper though.
2. Treat with Garden of Wisdom Concord Grape Anti-Oxidant Serum: Amazing antioxidant serum to help aid sun and environmental protection.

3. Moisturize eyes with Bioelements Multi-Task Eye Oil: I prefer to use oil-based moisturizers in the morning, including around the eyes. This oil-based eye cream has the best ingredients and silkiest texture. I love using this under my mineral powder, the 2 products blends together to make the perfect glowy veil around the eyes.

4. Moisturize with Garden of Wisdom Emu Oil: You can buy quality Emu oils from many brands, I just settled on this one because it’s cheaper than most and I order other must-haves from them. I’m sickly addicted to this brand and I keep back-ups of everything I use in the fridge. I’ll be doing a post about why I love using oils as a moisturizer for my acne-prone skin, stay tuned!
5. Protect with Mineral Basics Complete Cover Concealer: This 4-ingredients powder works AMAZINGLY as a foundation while providing sun protection. It's so difficult for me to find SPFs that won't break me out so I rely on this as my daily sunscreen product. I'll be doing a more detailed product-analysis on this in the near future.

Nighttime Routine:

1. Oil-cleanse with Bioelements Sensitive Skin Cleanser: I am a cleansing oil addict. Of the many I’ve tried, this is THE BEST cleansing oil. It melts off all grime and residue of the day and loosens hardened impurities in the pores. This is also the only cleansing oil that leaves me super clean. The intoxicating aroma makes me feel like I just had a facial- it’s a real treat. Contrary to box directions, I massage this onto DRY skin, tissue some off and rinse.

2. Cleanse with Acne.org Cleanser+cotton balls: Cotton balls are the only type of exfoliation my skin can take. Read about it here.
3. Treat and hydrate with Garden of Wisdom PhytoStemCell Serum: Amazing! I can’t really describe it, all I can say is if I can only use 1 skincare product, this would be it. I have back-ups of this in my fridge.

4. Treat eyes with Pevonia Timeless Eye Contour: Packed to the brim with potent anti-agers, this is of La Mer/Cle De Peau caliber. When I use this at night, I wake up with my fine lines plumped and diffused. Their eye serums are so worth checking out; they’re at least double the size of other eye treatments.

Easy Peasy Farmgirl Beauty Giveaway + Must-share H&M Find.

It’s time to win some beauty freebies! One lucky blog follower will be randomly chosen to be the owner of:
Smashbox O-GLOW Intuitive Cheek Color With Goji Berry-C Complex ($26 value)
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara ($21 value)
Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer Deluxe Travel Size- 1oz. ($12 value)
Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive Try Me Size ($5 value)

My loss, your gain. I’m also including the Giorgio Armani samples I got from my last Bloomingdale’s haul. They’re such nice samples but I’ll never use it:
Deluxe Samples of Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani Lipstick
Deluxe Sample Tube of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Sample packets of Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

How to qualify:
1. Be a Brilliant Farmgirl’s Beauty Secrets blog follower. Simply click on the "Follow" tab on the top of the Right-hand sidebar.
2. For an additional entry in the drawing, share thoughts on your favorite post! I’d like to get an idea of what you want to read more of. Place (1) or more comments, questions or suggestions on your favorite Farmgirl Beauty Secret or Product-analysis under the comments section. All previous comments will qualify.

That’s all there is to it! Contest ends 3.16.10. Winner will be chosen and announced on 3.17.10.

Also, I wanted to share my recent find at H&M. I dropped by H&M to check out the newly launched Sonia Rykiel Collection. Didn’t find anything that floated my boat but I did discover another new collection called The Blues. If you’re a denim lover, you must check this out! I got the cutest denim style button down shirt. It’s made of the softest fabric with an authentic denim look. It has the most adorable puff sleeves and also fits like a dream! But what made me do a double take was the $9.95 Original Price tag! They also have the most handsome cropped denim jacket for $14.95 (also regular price). Kudos to H&M for accommodating to the economy. I tried to capture the true shade of denim that the top comes in, it's something between the 2 images below leaning more towards the one on the right. If you are interested in the top, please note that it runs small. I'm wearing a size 6.