Viva Glam Gaga II Swatch

I'm swatching Gaga II today. It's a Satin finish, so low shine but not as dry feeling as a matte. Gaga II is a strange nude to me. It's got a greyish cast to it, on me anyway. I don't feel it's so pretty on me - for me it's better for girls (or boys!) with darker skin.

Hug Me Swatch

Today's MAC lipstick is Hug Me. A pinkish neutral. It's one of those shades that don't really change the colour of my lips, more just adds a finish. Everyone's MLBB (my lips but better) shade is obviously different, but this is mine. It's a Lustre finish, so very shiny and balmy.

Morange Swatch

Today I swatched Morange by MAC.  It comes in MAC's Amplified finish so has a nice sheen to it but still gives opaque cover. It's orange (rhymes with morange, clever eh?) but is wearable and flattering! Really!

 I find that you can wear it anytime you might normally go for a red. It's almost a gentler choice. I had a look on Google images and found lots of cool looks completed with this shade, it's worth checking out if you're interested. I'm certain that this colour would look good on almost anyone, you just need to wear it with a bit of a swagger.

Pink Nouveau Swatch and LOTD

I said before that I'd like to swatch all of my MAC lipsticks. They are one of my favourite things, even though the green credentials are not so hot. These babies come in the best shades and I love the finishes. I'll tag these posts as "MAC lipstick swatches" so you can just click that label and see all the swatches easily.

For reference, I'm about NW15-20. Medium fair, cool toned.

I kick off with Pink Nouveau. It is a Satin finish lipstick, so pretty matte but smooth and rich. I can't really rave about this colour, it's okay. I think it's quite a pretty colour but not a statement shade.

Anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with how much make-up makes them feel better? I feel like I should be just as confident with a bare face, but the reality for me is that I feel so different with some colour on. I find conversations easier with make-up on. This I realised yesterday, to my dismay. I am a shallow being - sigh. 

Everyday Minerals Passion Passport Eyeshadow

Dry, on primer, foiled with water

Following on from my Art Girl and Wish You Were Here (so I could eat your brains) reviews, here's a review of Everyday Minerals shimmer eyeshadow in Passion Passport. I was looking for a silver eyeshadow but I'd call this one pewter. It's a bit darker and duller than a true silver. 

It goes on quite subtly, even over primer. But it's pretty and very wearable. Not one to go for if you want metallic impact, more of an everyday eyeshadow. I think this would suit most people. 

Make-up Astro: Like a Libra

Make-up for a Libra was quite a challenge, being a Virgo myself (my boyfriend thinks make-up astrology is bonkers - how silly!). So bear with me.

So, what are Librans like? I'm going to focus on Libra ladies here because the men are an odd bunch (John Lennon, Snoop Dogg, Ghandi, Aleister Crowley, Nietzsche, Eminem, Jean-Claude Van Damme, my brother). Libra is ruled by Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Librans are beautiful, refined, immaculate. Monica Belucci, Gwen Stefani, Bridgit Bardot, Dita von Teese, Alicia Silverstone - you see what I mean. 

I think one can definitely class Librans as romantic. Librans soul purpose is to be in partnership, they find themselves in the cooperation, compromise and companionship with another.  Libra likes music, fine fragrance, art and loooove.  Librans rarely put their foot in it, so to speak. They are always in tune with what is appropriate for a particular setting, they are the perfect guest. They also have great taste.  As someone who tends to avoid conflict, I can tell you NEVER to argue with a Libran - you will lose! And if you do end up in an argument with a Libran, you then know that you are very dear to them. They wouldn't waste their energy on you if you weren't. These guys are generally patient and even-tempered, you don't want to see what happens when you push them too far. 

So... make-up. 

In my attempt to disguise myself as a Libran, I paid special attention to my skin. Lots of shimmer free bronzer to contour and shimmer powder to highlight. I tried to keep the skin looking dewy and fresh. The librans I'm aware of always have good looking skin. I defined my eyes and kept my eyebrows slim but defined. No heavy brows for Libra! I've noticed that Librans tend not to go for anything to edgy as far as lip colour goes and will tend to stay neutral unless they have a lot of Scorpio in their charts (Gwen Stefani has scorpio rising and I bet Dita von Teese does too). 

A bit more definition on eyes

Where I totally fell down was in lack of bling (Libra along with the other air signs, Gemini and Aquarius, seem to be most into classic jewellery) and lack of hair grooming. My hair does it's own thing, whereas Librans tend to have carefully tonged or straightened hair. 

So! Now you know how to spot a Libran, or an imposter! 

Here's what I used...

Face:

BareMinerals Original Mineral Foundation, mixed with Lily Lolo highlighting powder in Stardust and BareEscentuals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer

BareMinerals Warmth

Lily Lolo highlighting powder in Stardust

Lily Lolo mineral blusher in Flushed

BareMinerals Mineral Veil

Eyes:

BareMinerals Eyelid Primer

Everyday Minerals Shimmer Eyeshadow in Passion Passport

Lily Lolo mineral eyeshadow in Witchypoo

Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil in Yeyo

MAC Plushlash Mascara in Plush Black

Lips: 

MAC lip pencil in Cranberry

MAC Lustreglass in Love Nectar

FOTD: Girl About Town

A second later and her face cracked

I decided to try mixing mineral foundation with moisturizer. It worked a treat. I think next time I'd take the time to use a foundation brush but instead I just slapped it on. I could have done with a bit less. I'd really recommend this method (not so much the slapping) to my drier skinned friends. My skin felt really comfortable after this and I think it was easier to get good coverage.

Here's what I used today...

Face:

BareMinerals Original Mineral Foundation in Fairly Medium (mixed with BareEscentuals Purely Nourishing moisturizer)

Lily Lolo mineral blusher in Flushed

Eyes:

BareMinerals Brow Colour in Brunette (on brows ;)

MAC Kohl Pencil in Smolder

MAC Plushlash Mascara in Plush Black

Lips:

MAC Amplified Lipstick in Girl About Town

I know MAC lipsticks aren't so hot on the green credentials but I love them! They're my benchmark as far as lipsticks go. I hate how most eco brands think you want to look "natural", what?! I'm on a mission to find clean, green lipsticks in exciting colours. I think I might swatch all my MAC lipsticks and then I can compare them more easily. 

Also, I'm trying to do a Libra look for my astrologically themed makeup posts. However, it's not going so well! I'm struggling to look sharp enough to pass as a Libra. I will keep trying! 

Free Shipping at Cocktail Cosmetics This Weekend!

Hey cats, if you're interested in trying out some funky Everyday Minerals eyeshadows, or getting hold of some Mineral Foundation Sample sets then do it. This weekend you get free shipping.  You just have to use the code SHIPPING when you get the checkout.

They also stock Eco Tools brushes, which come highly recommended. It's the site to get hold of edgy US brands such as Sugarpill, Medusa, Lime Crime and loads more. Their customer service is really good and they ship fast. 

Just sayin'...

Everyday Minerals Eyeshadow Swatch: Art Girl

Art Girl

I recently got some of the travel sized Everyday Minerals eyeshadows. The first that I've opened and tried is called Art Girl and is a very wearable, blue toned purple. I've swatched it on bare skin on top, on primer in the middle and appled damp at the bottom.  

When applied to bare skin it looks very sheer. Not much colour payoff. If this is all I could get from the product I wouldn't rate it very highly. It shows up beautifully both on top of primer and when applied wet. Very nice. 

Applied on top of primer

The applicator is quite interesting, it comes in a little rollerball tube! I just tapped some product onto a little dish and picked up with a brush. I'm sure a little pot would have done just as well. But it's fine. I wonder if you're supposed to roll it straight onto your eye? 

I have hazelly brown eyes and Art Girl brings out the colours in them. I'm sure this would look good on  darker brown eyes too. Maybe green eyes would be better set off by a purple with more red tones in. The only down-side to this shade is that it seems to really show off one's dark circles - the banterous Co-op dude commented on my fatigued appearance today. So get out the concealer when you wear this. 

For only £2.95, this is a great wee product. It's my favourite purple eyeshadow so far, nicer than the MAC ones I've tried (to my surprise). You can get Everyday Minerals in the UK from Cocktail Cosmetics, their customer service is excellent and delivery is fast. Elsewhere and you can order directly from Everyday Minerals. 

LOTD: 15th September

I mixed this lip colour too! Again, using the OCC Lip Tars. It was good fun blending a nude colour from just pure primary colours. Here's what else I used:

Face:

Everyday Minerals Semi-Matte foundation in Multi-Tasking Neutral

BareMinerals Mineral Veil 

Lily Lolo bronzer in Waikiki

Lily Lolo highlighter in Stardust

Lily Lolo blusher in Flushed 

Eyes:

Bella Pierre eyeshadow primer

Lily Lolo mineral e/s in Smokey Brown

Lily Lolo mineral e/s in Witchypoo

MAC kohl pencil in Smolder

MAC Plushlash Mascara in PlushBlack
BareMinerals Brow Colour in Brunette

Lips:

OCC Lip Tar, custom blend :)

Free P&P at Lily Lolo Today

I'm a big fan of Lily Lolo makeup and today they are offering free shipping on all orders over £15! Click here for their website, and enter the code SEPT11 at the checkout to take advantage of this deal. 

LOTD: Bella Pierre green eyes

Further to my previous post on the Bella Pierre set that I scored, here's a quick look I did using a couple of the colours. 

I used...

Face: 

BareEscentuals, BareMinerals original foundation in Fair

BareEscentuals, BareMinerals Mineral Veil 

Lily Lolo mineral blusher in Flushed

Lily Lolo mineral bronzer in Waikiki

Lily Lolo mineral concealer in Nude

Eyes: 

Lily Lolo finishing powder in Matte as primer

Lily Lolo mineral eyeshadow in Witchypoo

Bella Pierre mineral eyeshadow in Forest

Bella Pierre mineral eyeshadow in Discotheque

Lily Lolo mineral eyeshadow in Vanilla Shimmer

Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Yeyo

BareEscentuals, Mineral Brow colour in Brunette

Lips:

MAC lip liner in Naked

MAC lipstick in Naturally Eccentric (limited edition)

LOTD: Purple!

I read that if you wear red lipstick, you're a cheerful person. Pink, and you're romantic. Orange, and you're an eccentric attention-seeker. What does violet mean then? 

I've used BareMinerals original foundation in these pictures. Previously, I was disappointed with this product but I made a couple of changes and now really feel I'm getting the best from it. I'd been matched to Fairly Light, a neutral pale shade. But this made my skin look a bit dull. Plus, I was finding it uncomfortable to apply. I had a feeling though, that this could be good as there as so many good reviews out there. So I found a sample in Fair, a more cool (pinky) tone and I'm so pleased with it. The coverage is fab and the finish is lovely. I love how it relaxes onto your skin after a bit. My skin seems to be loving it too, it's so clear just now. 

I also changed the brush I was using. I'm applying it with EcoTools mineral powder brush. It's so soft, no more scratching on! It seems to work so well with the powder. And it's cruelty-free! Hurrah! I got it in the EcoTools mineral brush set. 

On my eyes, I used a tip I got from Zoe Foster at Primped, and ran the pencil on my upper waterline only. It's a magical tip that gives a really clean, defined look. 

My last secret here is OCC Lip Tar!!!!!!!!!! I am amped about this. I actually mixed this colour myself from primary red, blue and white! I have a yellow as well so the colour spectrum resides in my make-up ammo. Yyyyuussss. I'm going to write you a post all about these babies soon. 

So, here's what I used. 

Face:

BareEscentuals, BareMinerals original mineral foundation in Fair

BareEscentuals, BareMinerals mineral veil

Lily Lolo mineral powder blush in Flushed

Lily Lolo mineral concealer in Nude (undereyes)

Lily Lolo mineral bronzer in South Beach

Eyes:

BareEscentuals Mineral Brow Colour in Brunette (in brows)

MAC eye kohl in Smolder

MAC PlushLash Mascara in PlushBlack

Lips:

OCC Lip Tar - a mix of RX, Feathered and NSFW

Wash Your Face! Update

My Lush routine wasn't working out for me anymore.  I was getting spotty, the kind that are quite sore. My skin also had a sticky feel to it, I think it was having used Aqua Marina for too long. Perhaps the glycerin, or the calamine just built up too much.

I'd been reading The Green Beauty Guide. The author, Julie Gabriel, recommended good ol' fashioned (mild) soap and water as a cleanser. Yikes! I wasn't ready to try that, I have memories of having a very sore face from using soap on it before. But foamy cleansers I have liked. Back in my pre-green days, Clinique sorted out my skin beautifully with it's facial cleansing bar. And I was desperate, as I said, my skin was baaaad.

So, I tried washing my face with this...

Ingredients:   Aqua, Sodium coco-sulfate (from coconut), Cocamidopropyl betaine (mild cleansing, foaming agent from coconut), Decyl glucoside (gentle foaming agent from corn), *Chamomilla recutita (chamomile) extract, Levulinic acid, *Aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) powder, Yucca schidigera (yucca) extract, Aroma [^*Anthemis nobilis (chamomile) oil, *Santalum spicata (sandalwood) oil], Potassium sorbate (gentle preservative system), Citric acid (pH regulator), *Limonene, *Linalool (from essential oils). *81.80% certified organic ingredients ^Fairly Traded.

I'm only using it at night, in the morning my skin's still feeling clean and a rub with a clean muslin cloth and water is all I feel I need. It's not too drying that way either. I have no more spots and my skin is definitely looking a lot better. 

I'm still looking for a greener moisturizer. The Lush ones contain parabens, and Liz Earle's moisturizer doesn't quite reach the green standard either. They're not terrible though, and I think it's wasteful to throw things out unfinished. 

Something for the Weekend? 2nd September 2011

Couldn't find any cool waitresses, so I give you vampires!

• Is your favourite brand cruelty-free? Check here and always look for the Leaping Bunny logo.
• Interested in mineral foundation? Why not order some testers? They're only £1.29 here, free when you pay shipping (not to UK) here, and coming soon for the UK here.
• Need some make-up inspiration? Check out this flickr pool of MAC face charts!
• Here's a recipe for facial cleansing oil from the author of The Green Beauty Guide.
• Some top eco-friendly beauty products from an old post by Marie Claire magazine.
• Have you heard of these? I want to try one. These little sponges are eco-friendly plant sponges that are meant to have lots of skin benefits. You can get clay infused ones too, interesting...
• How cute? Jewellery carved from nuts! 
• This journalist got to hang out with Mark Constantine of Lush in her kitchen and got lots of DIY beauty recipes!

Bella Pierre Green Shimmer Kit

Bella Pierre: Green Shimmer Kit swatches

Bella Pierre is quite an expensive mineral makeup brand. They have a great selection of mineral eye, blush and lip colours. I've not been impressed with their foundation purely because of the limited shades on offer (I get a bit uppity at being told I can just buy two pots and mix my own shade!).  Their products are certified cruelty-free.

Being on a budget, I'm always on the lookout for free samples, good deals and bargains. I found myself a great bargain with this product. I'm not a TK Maxx fan, I hate jumble (even H&M is too much for me), but I do scour the makeup tables if I pass one. Last time I found this kit...

Three 100% mineral eyeshadows, a primer base and two brushes for £9! It's normally £39.99! I was very excited.

So here for your visual pleasure are some swatches. I've still to do a Look with it, but I'm on it. Life and my baby girl have been keeping me soooooo busy this last week. The top one on each picture is the minerals applied by themselves, middle is with water, and third is on top of the primer. 

Discotheque

Forest

Reluctance

As you can see, you can get a good range of tones from these products. I think that Discotheque looked best applied with water, as did Reluctance. With the primer I lost some of the sheen, but got a deeper colour. Forest looked far better with primer, a lovely opaque green. I'll do a few different Looks with these to show them off. 

So keep your eyes peeled when you go TK Maxx shopping! Let me know what you find!

Sun in Virgo: LOTD

I like being a Virgo, but there's been times I wished I was a Scorpio or an Aquarius. Something more interesting, I thought. You see, I didn't know many Virgos. Things have changed, more Virgos have been met and I know more about myself. I like the deep quirks in the Virgo personality, I like the idiosyncratic interests. Fiona Apple, River Phoenix, William Burroughs, Greta Garbo, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker all share the Sun sign, see not too boring!

I think of Virgo as a kind of Tim Burton character. A little bit quiet, a bit spooky, a bit introverted. Strong as steel inside, and misleadingly willowy on the outside. Bony faces seem to be typical for Virgo, I can sometimes tell a Virgo from their nose alone!

And Virgo's don't like to smile in photos. As you'll see if you click on the links to the famous ones. So, enjoy or endure...

For this Tim Burton-esque, undone look (Tim Burton is a Virgo and is always perfectly, totally dishevelled), I kept my face sleep-deprived and bare. I used some yellow colour corrector and concealer under my eyes, and focused on heavier brows and smokey eyes. 

Face: 

Lily Lolo mineral eyeshadow in Cream Soda as under eye colour corrector

Lily Lolo mineral concealer in Nude 

Eyes:

Lily Lolo mineral eyeshadows in Vanilla Shimmer, Smokey Brown and Witchypoo (applied as liner)

MAC eye liner pencil in Smolder

MAC Plush Lash Mascara in Plush Black

I'll try to make myself look like a Libra next month! 

Lily Lolo Mineral Eyeshadow Swatches

I'm quite into the Lily Lolo mineral makeup brand and their mineral eyeshadows are very healthy little products. They're made of pure minerals and contain no questionable ingredients at all. Lily Lolo are a UK based company and they are certified Cruelty Free by PETA. They're pretty well priced too and will last for aaaaages. I've taken some pics of them on bare skin (I'm NW15-20 if that helps, cool-toned and pretty fair) appled normally and then with a damp brush. As you'll see, you can get a really dense shade with a damp brush.

Dry then Wet

Witchypoo

Smoky Brown

Soft Brown 

Mudpie

Vanilla Shimmer

And below is a quick peek at the shadows applied to the eye. Vanilla Shimmer and Smoky Brown predominate with Witchypoo applied as a fine eyeliner. 

I'm looking forward to saving up for some of the brighter colours! Check them out on their website, www.lilylolo.co.uk 

Makeup Brushes and Other Excuses

Something for the Weekend?

Silkscreen by Peter Blake

It's Friday, and in keeping with popular internet practice I've got some links for you! Limber up your clicky finger...

> Christine over at Temptalia has been reviewing some new BareEscentials eyeshadows, I like the look of this one.

> Here's Lily Lolo's guide on how to apply mineral foundation. 

> I love this girl's blog. She uses some mineral products, but mostly just creates very cool looks.

> For all you online shoppers, have you seen this? It's a foundation colour matrix, you put in your undertone (ie, cool, warm) and the shade (ie, light, medium, dark) and you get to see a comparison chart of loads of different brands of foundation. It's especially helpful if you know your MAC shade.

> Do you know your enneagram type? Here's a quiz to help you find out. Then check this out, fashion style for each type. I'm a 4 and violet is my favourite shade. C'mon and share, what's your number?

Have a great weekend people, thanks for checking out my blog xxx

Wash Your Face! Lush-y Routine

Skincare is of utmost importance when it comes to having cool make-up. You can't ask your make-up products to do the job of your skincare products. Though, you can do some clever concealing and correcting later. 


I've tried many different products and routines over the years and this one is suiting my skin at the moment. It is important to think of your skincare as being for your skin at the moment and not forever. 


My skin is combination and prone to the occasional spot. If I use products which are too harsh for it, it gets tight and spotty.  If the products are too rich, then my skin gets congested and dull. So I aim for balance. 


Step 1: Make-up & Grime Removal

I take off the day with Lush's Ultra Bland and a clean muslin cloth. I use Liz Earle's muslin cloth but to be honest, any clean facecloth does the job. A muslin is nice though as it's so pliable that you can get right into the corners of your eyes and around your nose easily. I recommend having a good few cloths so you can always use a clean one, I have about five. 

2. Gentle Cleanse

Just now I've been using Aqua Marina by Lush. It's a totally natural, preservative free cleanser. Made with a base of kaolin and calamine, it's calming, cooling and oil-absorbing. If your skin isn't on the dry side this is just lovely. 


You should just be able to massage a little blob onto damp skin then rinse off with water, but I find it a little sticky so I like to use another clean muslin to rinse off. 


When I was pregnant, my skin really dried up. I found Aqua Marina exacerbated the dryness so switched to the Lush classic, Angel's on Bare Skin. This is a ground almond and lavender cleanser which is a bit more moisturizing. I thoroughly recommend you try this is you have dry skin, the staff at your local Lush store will eagerly give you a free sample or demonstration. 


3. Moisturize


You might notice that I skip the classic "tone" step. I find it unnecessary with the products I use, I just splash with cold water after I've finished cleansing. 

I'm using Lush's Enzymion to moisturize with. It has lots of natural, fresh ingredients including lemon infusion, aloe vera gel and papaya. These allegedly help to mop up excess facial oils and to brighten the complexion. It moisturizes with cocoa butter, wheatgerm oil and evening primrose oil and harbours lots of lovely essential oils too. It does contain a tiny percentage of parabens as a preservative, which may be off putting for some. 


I've found this moisturizer to be effective and pleasant to use. It stops my skin feeling tight, makes it feel nice and smooth and has makes your face smell all fresh. 


Back when my skin was drier, I used Celestial by Lush. It's more suitable for drier, sensitive skins. It worked a treat when my skin was so dry that it itched. I might return to it in winter, as Enzymion just does enough just now. 


4. Weekly Face Mask

I never really went in for the whole skin treatment thing 'til recently but I've converted to weekly face masks. I use Lush's Cosmetic Warrior to keep spots at bay and keep my skin feeling comfortable. 

For slightly drier skins, try BB Seaweed. Oatifix is lovely for very dry skin. This range of face masks are so natural and truly fresh. They have to stay in the fridge as there really are no preservatives here.


What's your routine? Any natural, or nearly natural products that work well for you? Or do you have problem skin and struggle to find the right product?

Clean, Green & Mainstream!

I was chuffed to see that Sanex have brought out a shower gel that has no parabens, no colourants, no phthalates and no phenoxyethanol. They've brought out Sanex Zero 0%, which is biodegradable and kind on aquatic systems.

At last! I was just talking to a friend yesterday about how hard it is to buy ecological and economical products. I'm not sure how they're pricing the Sanex product yet, but I'd have thought such a big company would be able to make it affordable? I'll get some to review once I finish my Lush stuff.

LOTD and More Eyebrow Thoughts

I used the BareMinerals foundation again today, being more heavy handed in the hope that I would like it. Alas, it's not for me. I just felt it emphasized the imperfections in the texture of my skin. I wanted to wash my face as my whole makeup felt wrong. But I only have time to do one application, my baby girl doesn't nap for long! So today, a bit of winged black eyeliner and ORANGE lips! 

Morange!

After my recent post about eyebrows, I thought I'd show you a photo of this look without any definition added to the eyebrows. Eyebrows really do frame your face, and it's important not to forget them if you're going for a groomed look. The following picture should demonstrate this.

Freaky!

Yay! Eyebrows! Hmm, and a Wren.

Face:

BareMinerals mineral foundation in Fairly Light

Lily Lolo mineral e/s in Cream Soda as colour corrector under eyes

Lily Lolo mineral concealer in Nude

Lily Lolo mineral blush in Flushed

Lily Lolo mineral bronzer in Waikiki

Eyes:

Lily Lolo finishing powder in Translucent Matte on eyelids as primer

Lily Lolo mineral e/s in Soft Brown

Lily Lolo mineral e/s in Witchypoo applied with damp brush as eyeliner

MAC Plushlash mascara in Plush Black

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Yeyo on waterline

Brows:

BareMinerals Brow colour in Brunette

Lips:

MAC lip liner in Subculture

MAC lipstick in Morange

LOTD: Electric Eel & BareMineral review

Today, I have been mostly wearing...

Showing off the new brows

Face:

BareMinerals Matte mineral foundation in Fairly Light

Lily Lolo mineral finishing powder in Translucent Silk

Lily Lolo mineral concealer in Nude

Lily Lolo mineral shimmer powder in Stardust

Eyes:

Lily Lolo mineral finishing powder in Translucent Matte as a primer

MAC eyeshadow in Electric Eel

MAC eyeliner pencil in 

MAC Plushlash mascara in Plush Black

Lips:

Lily Lolo mineral blush in Flushed mixed with Lush's Ultrabalm

I'm not so sure about the BareMinerals foundation. It didn't feel to comfortable upon application, almost like my skin had been blasted by some nasty weather.  The powder felt rough on my brush too. I hope this isn't just me imagining things after the reading I've been doing on Bismuth Oxychloride. Please see the latter half of yesterday's post for more information.  However, I had the regular version of this product applied at a beauty counter a while ago before I'd read about this issue and had the same experience. 

As the day has progressed, my skin's felt quite comfortable. But looks wise, I'm not sure. Though I don't tend to go for a heavy look from foundation, this is really subtle. It hasn't evened my skin out in the way that I'd like it to. The foundation has imparted something to my skin, but it's not rocking my boat.  I expected to love the finish of this foundation, but no.  Lily Lolo is still the winner. 

I also mixed up some mineral blusher with some of Lush's Ultrabalm.  The look was quite sheer but this could easily be built up with more blush in the balm.  It lasted surprisingly well (lasted through lunch) and I'm looking forward to more experimentation. 

Still loving the BareMinerals Brows!