Basic advice on buying good product on the Internet

I wrote this on a forum I'm on after being surprised by the number of people recommending products by known repackagers (or people who just mix mica with a base). The member had also recommended EDM and Aromaleigh. The former I won't buy from, and the latter nobody can anymore. :(

Anyway, I thought it was a helpful summation of everything I know about how to buy good makeup over the Internet.

"I don't shop at Everyday Minerals anymore, and haven't in over a year. This is why.

Aromaleigh is also closed now, she started the process over the summer. I'm still pretty bummed about that.

Other companies I've personally found trustworthy and high-quality:
1. Fyrinnae - hands down your best choice for bright eyeshadow
2. adorned with Grace minerals (excellent foundations for warm toned fair-to-medium ladies, wonderful blushes)
3. Silk Naturals - excellent everything, also has lip stuff and skin care.
4. Hi-Fi cosmetics (etsy) - good stuff!
5. Darling Girl cosmetics (ecrater) - she's new to the game, but her stuff is really, really good.
6. Meow (though you want to wait for their free shipping specials - normally they gouge you on that)
7. Sassy Minerals (I forgot this one in the post, but I have stuff I'd like to get from them.)

Some new ones I've heard positive things about from bloggers I trust but haven't tried yet because I have bills to pay instead: Brazen Cosmetics, Shiro Cosmetics, Scaredy Cat cosmetics, Sobe botanicals

This is an old post by Phyrra, but it's a helpful guide to seeing if the company you want to buy from is a good bet.

You ALWAYS want to google a new-to-you company plus the word "repackage" because otherwise you might end up paying top dollar for unblended mica, which will fall off if you don't have a base and means that the "creator" hasn't been doing anything more "creative" than transferring powder from baggies into jars and "creating" the idea that she made them herself. If you want unblended mica, you can get entire tablespoons direct from the supplier, TKB trading. The TABLESPOON of product in their smallest size only costs $1.50, so you could get 14 colors and just meet the order minimum.

Also, some companies have been remarkably unscrupulous in selling unsafe product, harming people, and somehow getting away with it. This post by Ana of Lipsticks and Lightsabers horrifies me in more ways than one."

EOTD - over the rainbow

I was inspired by two videos to do this look, the tutorial below I saw on YouTube, and the eyeliner videos Blix posted to her blog (http://themoonmaiden-blix.blogspot.com/2010/02/winged-eyeliner-tutorials.html):


Here it is: you can see that I went a little heavier on the green and blue and less heavy on the red than the original.




Products used:
Fyrinnae Shadow Primer all over lid and under lashline
Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy all over lid and under lashline
TKB Trading Pops Micas (I've mixed mine with a bit of Fyrinnae Oil Control Powder for better adhesion)
-tangerine on inner third
-lemon drop on middle third
-green apple on outer third
-blueberry on outer V and under outer lower lashline
-grape in outer corner (just a little) and on middle lower lashline
-raspberry on inner lower lashline
-strawberry on inner crease
Silk Naturals Sonic to highlight
Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips for Blue Eyes liner - the black one
Gabriel Color Mascara in Black Brown - upper lashes only

Normally, I use two or three colors, not eight! But it was fun!

Some thoughts on finishing powders

Someone over at Chanty's mineral makeup forum posted a question about finishing powders, which got me thinking about the ones I've tried. Here's my thoughts on them:


1. EDM's (discontinued) Silk Powder - I loved this. It was the first EDM product I ever used a full size of up, and I got it at the same time as the Natural Reflections, in my first non-sample EDM order.

2. TKB Trading Micronized Silk Powder - got this because I loved EDM's and couldn't get it anymore. The tablespoon sample baggie and a 25g jar to put it in cost me less than an EDM sample. I reach for this most of the time now, and when I run out, it's only $1.50 for a new baggie (though the company has a $20 order minimum, but I always want at least that much stuff from them).

3. EDM's Natural Reflections (light) - I haven't noticed any good oil control benefits or that it sets my makeup particularly well, but I do use it for added sun protection. I'm down from a full size jar to a 10g size jar. It was one of the first EDM products I bought in a full size.

4. Fyrinnae Fluff. I have a 10g jar, which is fine as I don't use it often, but it has a blurred soft-focus effect. I can toss it and a baby buki in my bag if I need to touch up later. I've also used it without makeup to reduce shine and blur imperfections.

5. EDM's Start-to-Finish Kaolin. I disliked this enough to give it away mostly full. I don't think my face likes kaolin.

6. Fyrinnae Oil Control mineral powder. I bought this in a full size and wish I hadn't. Again, my face doesn't like kaolin. I should have known. I am using it as a base for DIY eyeshadow projects.

7. Physician's Formula MineralWear pressed powder. I used this for years, but it irritated my skin. Maybe I should have tried it with better brushes, but I think it might have been the product.

In the distant past, I also tried the Corn Silk powder in the blue compact (grainy and itchy making!), and Bonne Bell used to make pressed powder that I used in my teens. At one point, I tried Cover Girl's loose powder and it was also ok, if nothing special.

I am expecting to get one of Physician's Formula new precious gems pressed powders (no scary ingredients!) sometime soon, and I am also waiting on a sample of SN's Date Bait.

I currently own the TKB Trading silk powder, EDM Natural Reflections Light, Fyrinnae Fluff, and Fyrinnae Oil Control Mineral powder.