Sterling Silver Finds

For my daughter's birthday I ordered her several rings from Overstock.com. She loves jewelry but isn't into expensive stuff yet because she fears she may lose/misplace it. So these rings were $30 or less. 

First is a moonstone handmade ring. This one is gorgeous. It runs a little small- I wear a size 6 on my ring finger and ordered a 7 in this ring but it just barely fits on my ring finger. I've worn it and gotten compliments on it. There's something magical in moonstone and how it captures light in the stone. The setting is very pretty and the ring is pretty comfortable to wear even though it's quite sizable due to the tapering in the back.

Next is a gorgeous smoky quartz ring. This one runs true to size. I love the smoky quartz stone-- there's something nice about the earthy tones in this gem. I really like the setting and how arty it is. My daughter loves both of these rings and wears them often. Little aside on the picture taking in the 2nd photo of smoky quartz ring. I couldn't get it to stay up nicely like the side view of the moonstone ring so I place a little Buddha statue DH brought home from China under the blue throw to anchor ring on. 

Last is a sterling silver bracelet I picked up at TJ Maxx. Every time I stop in that store, I check out the jewelry. My MIL love bracelets so I always see if I can find something for a future gift for her. This year I'd found a few bracelets and forgot about them-- so this one ended up being very close to another one- so I guess I'll just have to keep it myself. LOL I've already ordered more jewelry from Overstock for Christmas gifts. I'll be sharing them soon. 

Swirly Bowls for Minerals.

For me one of the cheapest yet best investments for mineral foundation application is the "Swirly Bowl." Most mineral makeup addicts have their swirly bowl- some were found in 2nd hand shops, some at dollar stores, and even stores like Target carry good swirly bowls.

I love a swirly bowl for a few reasons. One is a swirly bowl can protect the integrity of the foundation since only the amount of foundation used in an application comes in contact with anything that is likely to cause contamination (brush which touches skin or liquid if using damp method.) Mineral makeup has an extremely long shelf life if contamination is prevented and a swirly bowl insures this long shelf life. Secondly a swirly bowl protects another investment- your brushes. The smooth sides of the swirly bowl not only loads the brush better, it prevents breakage of the outer bristles that would be cut/rubbed by the threads of the jar lid if using lid for swirly bowl.

Above are a few examples of swirly bowls I've found. The red one is a dip bowl from Target  about $2. The clear one is one of a trio of ingredient bowls found at a dollar store-- $1 for all three. The white one is also a dollar store purchase of two different sized bowls for $1. The stainless steel one comes in a three pack with plastic lids- I've seen these at Target and TJ Maxx for about $7 for the set of three. I use the stainless steel one as my swirly bowl since it is unbreakable and small enough to travel easily. The lid is an added bonus since one could take just the swirly bowl with a little foundation for a one day trip- rather than full size foundation. When I travel, I take my foundation in a 5 gm jar and use my swirly bowl because lid is too small to swirl into with a big brush. After foundation is applied I then wash and dry swirly bowl to use for bronzer and blush application- especially if these are in smaller jars where the brush head would not fit easily into the lid.

What's in a size???

I am closing in on having lost 20 pounds since January and have had to revamp my wardrobe- especially bottoms since the majority of my weight loss was from my belly. Even when I was heavier, I had issues with fit because I have a lot of "junk in the trunk" and thighs too but my waist was always on the smaller size- so I would have gaping at the back of my pants if I got ones that fit my rear and thighs.  Now I have even more fit issues because my waist has gotten much smaller but thighs and rear haven't caught up with it.
I spent many hours at various stores trying on shorts and pants only to be unhappy with the gaping waist when my thighs looked like two sausages in casings in almost every pair. In all this time I had found one style that actually fit-- same style as my favorite Levi's jeans only in knee-length shorts. So I bought 2 pairs in blue and one black pair as my summer "uniform." I also found one pair of shorter Levi jean shorts but I don't wear them very often for two reasons- I feel self-conscious in public in the shorter length & I also got tan lines from my workout gear which were very obvious in these shorter shorts. (My workout gear is almost like a uniform because of my fit issues. I have multiple pairs of these longer running tights because normal workout shorts end up riding up my thighs and I actually get chafing from my thighs rubbing together. The workout tights prevent this from happening so I wear them for every workout & thus get tan lines.)
Anyway, my search for bottoms that fit was pretty unsatisfying with only one style really fitting. So I decided that I would sew my own shorts in the future. I also thought it would be a good time to teach DD to sew since she tends to have sizing issues too. She is quite tiny but still has quite the rump and athletic thighs which is even more difficult to fit because it seems like the smaller sizes take way more out of the thighs & rear than waist. So when the local fabric store had patterns on sale I decided I would pick some up and I had my "What's in a size? epiphany."
While looking through the pattern catalogs I became concerned because the patterns didn't come in size 4 & under like DD is in clothing. So I asked the sales lady if there was a brand of pattern that had smaller sizes. She said that anything smaller would be in petite or children but to take actual measurements because pattern sizing is different. A size 4 in the store is NOT the same as a pattern size 4. The pattern sizes have continued to be consistent- I happen to have some old patterns dating from somewhere between 1996 (when I got my sewing machine) and 1998 and the measurement chart is exactly the same as those on todays' patterns. So I thought I'd share a little comparison between pattern sizes & brand sizes.
In most brands, DD wears a size 2 bottom yet according to her measurements, her size in patterns is a whopping 12!! A size 14 in a pattern has a 28 inch waist, 36 inch bust, and 38 inch hip- rather modest measurements- definitely not our idea of size 14 these days.  A size 6 in a pattern has the corresponding measurements of 23 (yes, you read that correctly twenty-THREE) inch waist, 30 1/2 inch bust (do they even make a bra that small?)and 32 1/2 inch hips. Like I said, DD is quite petite by today's standards so I can only imagine how tiny a size 6 pattern is!!
A few weeks after this pattern size epiphany I saw on the news that clothing brands are making mens clothing bigger without changing the size. They even mentioned the Seinfeld episode where Jerry was sewing old (smaller) labels onto his jeans to look like he had a smaller waist. In this story, there were several inches of discrepancy between "waist 32" and actual waist measurement. The clothing labels explained this as the jeans are meant to be worn lower than the waist, so thus the larger than 32" measurements, -not a ploy to make consumers feel good about themselves in being able to fit into smaller jeans. LOL
Obviously there is a discrepancy between sizes today and those of yesterday. Today I can fit into "size" 4 jeans but when I remember back to my HS size, I want to say I wore a "size" 8-10 and that was a pretty normal "size." I was still a bit thinner in HS than I am now, so it does seem like the clothing manufacturers are doing vanity sizing trying to make us feel better (and buy their brand) by making the clothing bigger while making the size smaller.
When I mentioned this to a friend she pointed out how Marilyn Monroe was a size 12, so we think of her being a today's size 12 and not the picture of sex symbol body. So I did a little research. Marilyn's Studio measurements were 37-23-36 and her dressmaker had her as 35-22-35. She did wear a size 12 dress,  size 8 pants and 36D bra. According to her measurements in a pattern- her bust size puts her in a size 12-14, her hips put her in a size 10-12 yet her waist puts her in a size 4- remember these are pattern sizes. In today's clothing her hips would have her in about a size 2 jeans. Her bust size was what put her in a "size 12" and definitely wasn't ever "fat." What could be perceived as fat was that she had an amazingly small waist in comparison to her bust & hips--- she was very curvy.
So it only goes to show you- what's in a size anyway??

Avon Lippies Review

This summer I made several purchases from Avon. It isn't your mom's old Avon offerings anymore. Avon has a plethora of skin care products and all kinds of makeup now. Since I make my own mineral makeup, the only makeup that interested me were the lippies. I love lip glosses and though I could make them, it's often simpler to just purchase. All colors were bought at some sort of discounted price but was so long ago that I can't remember all the details.

I bought several colors in 3 different lip products.

Avon Perfect Wear- Purchased Everlasting Petal, Eternal Rose, and Endless Watermelon. My take-  this lip gloss comes in tube with doe foot applicator. The consistency is rather thick for a gloss- almost like a mix in texture between lipstick & gloss. It does wear decent- I tend to "eat" gloss RIGHT off- but this stayed put for longer than typical lip product on me. I wish they were a bit more glossy since I have thin lips and glosses tend to give the illusion of more plumping. The three colors are all very pretty. Everlasting Petal is a bit more color than my typical choice but still wearable. Eternal Rose and Endless Watermelon are very close in color with Endless Watermelon being a bit warmer/coral.

Avon Glazewear Shine- I purchased this in two colors Mauve Movement and Cherry Liqueur. These glosses remind me of Bare Escentuals Lip glosses in consistency (thinner than Perfect Wear) at a much cheaper price. They come in a tube with a doe foot applicator. They have nice shine and I adore the color of Mauve Movement which is a nice My Lips But Better color with a beautiful gold shimmer. Cherry Liqueur is quite bold compared to my usual choices but since it is no shimmer, it gives a nice red lip for those special occasions.

Avon Plump Pout- I bought all four colors offered in this choice. There is a honey flavoring and you feel a slight tingle with these.  I love the brush applicator that these come with because you can put plenty of gloss on in one sweep. With a doe foot applicator I am constantly having to reinsert it to get more gloss on the applicator, not so with a brush. I like all of these because they are sheer and they do give a plumping effect. Spun Sugar is a brownish gloss with sparkles, Pink Nectar is a favorite of mine because it has no sparkle and is a nice peachy nude color. Honey Delight and Soft Honey are very similar- with Soft Honey being the lightest color offered. Mostly these both just give sparkle. I would love to see more color choices in this line. 

Overall I would repurchase any of these Avon Lip Products at discounted prices. Luckily Avon 
has frequent sales. 

Old Vox Public Posts Link

Since Vox is shutting down as of Sept. 31, 2010- my old vox blog has been moved to Typepad... VOX blog LINK  All my previous public vox blogs are available to be viewed here- I really didn't feel like transferring one by one all the posts, photos, etc to this blog so Typepad will be my archive of public vox blogs.
I will continue my public posts here at Hoozey's Blog and those old vox friends will get my more private musings on Facebook. I hate to have to do this, and lose those who are not part of Facebook, but it's the only option I've been able to find to continue my blog without the privacy setting that vox allowed individual posts. Vox will be sadly missed and should any readers come across a free blog setting that has their unique privacy settings I hope she will share it with the rest of us.
I hope you will continue to enjoy my blog. Dayna

TJ Maxx Finds This Week

I'm lucky because we have a TJ Maxx right across the street from the closest WalMart, so I am able to pop in frequently to see if there's any "finds." That's the thing with TJ Maxx- you have to stop in often because like they advertise, "It's never the same store twice." I do tend to haunt certain "departments" every time I walk in the door- handbags, jewelry, "beauty area" for makeup brushes, shoes, kitchenware, & bedding. I will usually only shop the women's dresses (for daughter,) lounge wear & bottoms from time to time. On very rare occasions I will look through sweaters for dressier stuff but seeing that I usually wear a T-shirt I don't really require TJ Maxx options.
This week I stopped in before grocery shopping and came out with a sterling silver bracelet for MIL (Yep, already started on Xmas gifts- gotta get them when you see them because they won't be there next week,) a pair of Lucky Jeans for myself and LiLique Contour brush.

Over the summer I had found a pair of my favorite Levi's 515 that fit nicely since losing weight for $15- so I have started checking jeans more often now. Once again they had a pair of 515s but I've learned that even with the same brand & style they don't always fit the same. So when I tried them on- they were way too tight in the thighs so I passed on them, but I had taken multiple options into the fitting room- the key to finding decent jeans. Out of 8 options I only purchased these Lucky Jeans. I was shocked at the $88 original price tag- call me cheap but $40 is about the limit I'm going to spend on a pair of jeans- unless they make me 6 inches taller with thinner thighs. LOL The TJ price was $33 and I was quite pleased with the fact that the thighs were not the "sausage casing" look. The waist still gapes ever so slightly but if I lose a few more LB's they would still work, just fitting a little lower around hips.

The other find was a LiLique contour brush. I am a complete makeup brush ho but have actually become rather picky about ones that make the cut now. I will no longer buy a brush unless I am able to get into the packaging and feel the bristles- a good reason why one should ALWAYS wash a makeup brush before using-- you never know what weirdo has been feeling it. (I'm also the weirdo you may find sniffing shampoos, lotions, etc before purchasing.)

This LiLique brush has a round full head but very soft (I believe natural) bristles. I liked that it had a short handle. Long handled brushes are excellent for a makeup artist working on others but for applying eye shadows up close in a makeup mirror, the short-handle options work better IMO.  The comp price was $10 (I wouldn't have paid this) with $4.99 as the TJ price but it was on clearance for $4 -made my cut at this price. I think it will be an excellent brush for eye crease and blending. The short handle may have made this one that makes my travel bag cut too.

Naturalizer Haul

I ordered Naturalizer Boots & Shoes from Online Shoes last week. They arrived Tuesday (due to Labor Day- longer wait) and I am so pleased with both.

The boots are to replace my cheap "No Boundaries" ones I bought years ago. I loved these boots because the chunky heel/platform allowed me to wear regular length jeans without the bottoms dragging on the ground. I don't like petite jeans because the rise is usually smaller- & Hoozey's got "back" & thighs. LOL Alas last year, I developed a crack in the one sole-- so thus my quest for a new pair of boots.

One of my daughter's favorite pairs of heels are by Naturalizer so I decided to look there first. I liked the look of the "Giddy" boot for a couple of reasons. #1 it's not a tall boot- along with "back" & thighs, I have huge calves-- I blame my flat feet on this condition. I can NOT fit into boots that go much above the ankle. Case in point I tried on rain boots one day with daughter and she was shocked that my calf BARELY fit into them. I also like that the toe is somewhat rounded. I feel like my feet are a bit large (size 8) for my 5'2" stature so I tend to steer away from super pointy shoes/boots.  I love that they are leather and well worth the  $85 purchase price (20% sale.)

While browsing through the Naturalizer shoes/boots I came across the "Carnivale" style of shoes. I couldn't resist and I am now thinking that these will get more wear than the boots. I love the little "collars" at the top. The heel heights are identical to the boots- 2 & 3/4 inches with a fairly chunky heel so plenty of support. I think they will look darling with jeans but could also see these with sheath dress and tights. I prefer this brown color to the boots redder brown. I think these were about $65 with 20% discount so pretty reasonable for leather shoes. I think they will be a good "price per wear" item in my wardrobe.

A Little Respect- April 2007 Vox post

I made my first matte MMU blushes today and I have to say that I give kudos to the companies that make matte blushes. I started with a base and added mostly red oxides to get plummy colors similar to a favorite of mine BE Glee that I can't wear anymore due to the Bismuth Oxychloride itch. I'd remove some color to save in a baggie with the "recipe" and then add more colors. After about an hour, I had 4 blushes- ranging from plummy red to a brownish blush. It wasn't so easy and the difference in color isn't vastly apparent. So, for all those MMU lines that have lots of matte blushes- WOW! They are really working hard to get variations and all those colors! Holy smokes... that's pretty much the last time I try that experiment... I'm ordering my matte  blushes from now on!

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I made these blushes in order, so the recipes are based on the original color and then adding in other iron oxides and sometimes additional base. I now have quite a bit of #4 because that was the last one I did. I have a feeling my friends and family are getting some #4 or else I'll have to wear it every day  for the rest of my life. I haven't tried any out since I haven't done my makeup yet today. If only you could see how unglamorous I actually look right now. Hair in a pony tail, no makeup on, and I'm wearing a "jelly" apron (found at Sally's Beauty Supply) because I just got done doing the clean up from my MMU making. I am very sloppy and this vinyl apron keeps me from getting drenched while doing dishes. Yep, it's not a pretty look.

I did make some eye shadows yesterday and have to say that's much more fun and easy. Basically I mixed various micas in plastic sandwich bags with a bit of something to make it adhere better. The neat thing about this is that you can get unique looks by adding in some of the white micas that are what I call "color changing". When I get my makeup on, I'll take some photos of me in some new colors and add to this post.

Even though the eye shadow making is easy, I am still drooling over several companies' shades, especially Fyrinnae, and am thinking BUY, BUY, BUY. I guess it really boils down to I'm an eye shadow junkie and I don't want to have to work to get all the pretty colors to get my fix. I'm the kid that wants the biggest box of crayons offered- don't try to satisfy me with that puny box of 24. Where's the limited edition, one that has every color ever made? So you can bet that I'll be posting about my Fyrinnae haul and loving life.

OK. Here's my makeup done ala my own foundation, blush and eyeshadows. The blush is #3- no reason I picked that except it was on top. The eye colors are all mine except for Monave's semi-matte white as brow highlighter. Also I use BE bark for filling in my uneven brows. Also used Monave's white liner pencil to line inner lower lid. One of the eye colors seems pretty darn close to BE Nude Beach. Did a lot of purple/brown colors because I love them. Used Milan gelle drops to wet line my eyes. Boy- I need a haircut or at least a hair style.

Gonna Make My Brown Eyes Green- April 2007 Vox post

When I was a little kid, my uncle that I share my birthday with always teased me about my brown eyes. He'd say "You know that means you're full of poo up to here." and point right above my brows. As I got older my eyes changed, now they are mostly green and when I told someone about my uncles' comment she told me "Well, now you're just a pint short." LOL. I always love shadows that make that green stand out and I find purple with a bit of brown undertone do just that. 
Here's an example of what I mean. All over the lid I am wearing Lumiere Chameleon (a lighter purple sparkle that has all kinds of flashing colors, thus the name.) In the contour I am wearing BE Passionate Plum. It's a medium dark matte shadow. I dry lined with BE Sugar Plum liner. A reddish plum that I just love, love, love. One of my favorite liners. Last but not least on the brow I have Monave semi-matte white. This color is a staple in my makeup regiment. I use it almost daily to give my brow a lift... if only it could work on other parts of the body. HEE. HEE. 
On the face shot I am weaing my own foundation I made, Milan Minerals' Pretty in Pink (often referred to PIP) Lips Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in Plum Wicked with LaurEss Minerals Treasure lippie. (Love this line of lippies- slight chocolate smell and sheer light feel. She sent it to me as a freebie and I couldn't have picked a better color!)  

They Don't Call Me a Mini Martha Stewart for Nothing...Vox April 2007

I have become quite the Do It Yourselfer. At first I ventured into DIY because I had champagne tastes and beer budget. As a stay at home mom, my time was free. So I started sewing and making stuff for myself.
Eventually when money wasn't so much the issue, I kept at DIY because I found that I was getting exactly what I wanted. I started getting pickier and if I didn't make it, I wasn't going to get it. After numerous moves, I was confident enough in my decorating skills that I made a business out of it here. It isn't about the money but it gives me projects to work on and I enjoy that whole creative process. I am always shocked by my clients' reactions to my work. They rave about what I've done and I am thinking "It's not that hard" but I am starting to realize that I may have something called "talent" or a "knack" for things.

I'd always been a good cook, but not so much a baker. Give me an ingredient list and I may come up with an exceptional meal, but I hate measuring and I am always tweaking things, which can lead to disaster in baking. So when ladies posted at Makeup Talk about making their own MMU, I have to say I was both impressed but also thinking, "Hmm, that sounds like something I'd like." I read the posts, took notes and thought that would be a good project for next winter. I mean, my hubby spent this winter drywalling our basement and my turn to do some work was here. Plus with three kids, oldest running track, and the end of school quickly approaching, not to mention 3 birthdays within 10 days in May, I didn't think spring was the best time to tackle this new project. Oh, I also do most of the yardwork, I actually prefer that to cleaning. Last spring I spent hours each day moving sprinklers for the new sod. This spring I will be moving sprinklers for the newly planted grass on the lot next door that we purchased last summer.

Some of the DIY MMU girls kept encouraging me and telling me that it really was worth the effort, so one sent me a list of what to buy and I was on my way. I ordered the supplies listed and much more because I am so intrigued with natural skincare too, but that's another story. So, Saturday my package arrives from TKB- it's heavy too. I quickly hide it away... laundry room, hubby will never venture into there. I've been married long enough to know that some times I am better off not informing my hubby of my insane plans. Then if it didn't work out, I wouldn't be explaining to him why I'd wasted money AND time on this idea.

Monday morning rolls around. I have "mom" stuff to do but that package in the laundry room is so calling me! I get my duties done and break out the notes and powders. I first try a base recipe that is suggested and get a peachy yellow foundation. I figure I can work on the color later and apply some of this to my whole face. Oh no, it doesn't feel like my lovely Lumiere, maybe I've made a terrible mistake? I then calm down and think, DUH, why not base the recipe on the ingredients you know works? So that's what I did the next day. No, I didn't have any idea exactly how Lumiere makes it's FF, but I read the ingredients and based my foundation on those first listed are going to be in the highest amounts. Then when I got to the iron oxides, which I knew were the colorants, I backed off on the amounts of the later ingredients. The toughest part was keeping track of what I put in because when it comes to the coloring, that has to be done little by little at first to get it right. I still have other ideas to work on- a concealer formula for that darn spot on my forehead. Just think of me as Lady MacBeth "Out, out, damn spot." only rubbing my forehead vigorously.

So, I imagine you want to see pictures... should I, of course. I have to say, the before is brutal to do. It's one thing to be seen in person without makeup, but to have it in a photo is very unforgiving. I am always shocked to see how awful Iook without makeup in photos. Notice the brown patch above my right eye. Yep, that's my nemisis in my makeup world.  The first afters are from yesterday, quickly applied out of excitement, I used the lighter of the two foundation colors I made. The last shots are today and I used the darker shade I made- actually a better match right now.

First photo, outside... sun obviously bothering me--- the old "11" is out between my eyes.  Second, side view no makeup. Third, lighter version of my own foundation. Fourth, darker version. Fifth, darker version... does it match my neck?? Last photo, up  close to get a sense of the texture.

Rest assured MMU companies, I will not be venturing into this business. I love that I got exactly what I wanted out of my foundation. My formula is lighter feeling than Lumiere Flawless but still gives decent coverage. I also didn't add the squalane because I figure if I really need it, I can put it on my skin before I apply my MMU. I kept thinking that maybe in the summer, I may not want that in my foundation. I could NEVER see myself doing this for other skin tones. Once again this is about getting exactly what I wanted and not about money. If you find exactly what you want in a MMU, then I encourage you to just buy. Especially if you don't like cleaning up messes and don't have time to tweak and play around with it. It's not hard but it does take a time investment and most MMU wearers will find a formula perfect for them already out there in the market place. I will still be buying my colors from them and still trying samples of their foundation-- just in case they make one like mine. 

My Holy Grail- April 24, 2007 Vox post

I wore Bare Escentuals mineral makeup for over 4 years but then around Christmas I started getting very itchy. I then noticed that my eye lids got very red and even a little scaly. I had heard about the dreaded B.E. itch from the Bismuth Oxychloride and I guess with age and my skin getting drier, it got me. Of course I couldn't go back to the "goop" so I used a flesh toned eye shadow without Bis. O for my eyes and started searching for my new Holy Grail, enduring the itch until new MMU arrived.
First stop, Monave since I'd seen that brand at littlestuff4u (who's own foundation I had tried but found too dry for my skin.) I ordered both light-medium and medium-dark sample sets from Monave. Should have read the information a little better- when they say they cover the whole spectrum of colors, they really mean it, so the darker set was a total bust for me. I looked at the colors and thought "Oh, there's BE light" and started applying the Monave that looked the most similar. Doh!! Another mistake, I looked jaundiced because it was very intense yellow. My match ended up being one of the lightest colors, one that I had deemed "way too light" for me. The coverage was amazing- we are talking a tiny pea size was all that's needed for a layer, but even this light, I found the Monave accentuating fine lines around my eyes. It also felt a bit dry, even with moisturizer.
Not to fear, I'd already started my sampling spree- actually tried Signature Minerals before Monave, but ordered Monave first. Signature was similar to Monave but not quite as intense coverage. It also showed my fine lines and just wasn't HG material for me.
I soon received my samples from Lumiere. By this time, I'd figured out this sampling stuff... I didn't want to wait for multiple shipments so I ordered Light, light-medium and Medium golden in both foundation bases. At this time, early January they only had two kinds of  foundation. I didn't stop there because Lumiere's prices were so affordable. I was used to BE's prices so I was already buying up e/s (10 full sizes for about the same price as drugstore brands- who can beat that?) I learned to swatch the colors on my arm before going to my face and found light-medium golden disappeared into my skin. I tried the flawless foundation since that was geared towards dry skin. OMG, not only did it cover my flaws, mostly hyperpigmentation on my forehead, but my pores seemed to disappear. What is in this magic stuff? I mean, BE was lovely on me but this stuff opened a whole knew meaning to the words Holy Grail. This wasn't foundation this was complexion perfection in a jar. I immedately ordered that night two full-sized foundations for less than one BE, one in light-medium golden and then the medium golden for summer. Jump ahead about a month when I started posting my mug at Makeup Talk in the before/after thread, and I started retesting the other samples for it. I noticed two things- #1 all these other brands went on better after I'd been wearing just Lumiere FF for so long, and #2 I couldn't wait to put my Lumiere FF back on the next day.
A few things learned in my rush to find a HG--- order the color you know works, but maybe not the "summer color." Once I started getting a little sun, I thought I'd pull out the Medium Golden and was a little perplexed at the color. It was certainly darker but was quite olivey at this level of color. I had mentioned at Makeup Talk that this color wasn't going to work and someone asked if they could buy it from me. I sent it to her for free because it was my silly mistake and I still felt like Lumiere was a bargain even at double the price. I learned another valuable lesson, sometimes no big deal to you is a big deal in someone else's life. This lady that I sent the foundation that was unusable for me ended up being someone who went through Katrina. I think I was the winner in this deal once I found out how I had made a bad day for her turn a little better. Makes me realize that even a small bit of goodwill can be quite an impact.
Now, don't think just because I found my HG that I quit sampling other companies. Since finding Lumiere, I have tried LaurEss (elemental and original formulas--- even bought full sizes of the orginal because they were on sale) I'd have to say that this brand is my #2 favorite. The elemental feels like nothing on your skin, my only issue is that I need more coverage. The original is a little heavier feeling but not too bad and certainly for half price, I am glad I bought them.
I also tried Milan since they were expanding their foundations into yellow tones. I found my match Kiana, but it was a little dry feeling on my face. Another MMU that requires barely any product to get coverage and stays put. Then Meow was getting a lot of buzz and I ordered samples from them. I found a good match without mixing but there's something about Lumiere that doesn't make me feel the least bit dry. So at least when I am sampling these other's it reinforces how great Lumiere is for my dry skin.
Now if we are talking other HG's, say "Illuminizers" that's a whole post on it's own.  

My start into blogging world-- my first blog on vox.

Hi. I have been wearing mineral makeup or MMU for almost 5 years. I started this journey when my hubby was working late one night and I was killing time watching QVC. Saw this powder mineral makeup that was supposed to feel like nothing and make you look flawless. A few days later, I ordered since they have a money back guarantee. 
At this time was I less than satisfied with my traditional makeup. I was getting racoon eyes from smiling and my mascara migrating to under my eyes. I had tried waterproof mascara and even not doing my lower lashes but it still kept happening. I also wasn't too please with my color selections. I found that most makeup was too pink and weird looking. Very few brands had golden colors in foundations. I also lived in a rather rural area and honestly didn't really feel like spending an arm and a leg for a foundation at the mall. 
The Bare Escentuals arrived and I fell in love. My color was an easy choice in Light 2.0- golden undertones. That's me! I quickly ordered more and more products. I was soon bewitched by this mineral makeup and once I tried my first mineral eye shadow, I knew I could never go back to traditional makeup. I am a stay at home mom and when I wore traditional makeup, I really only applied it when I was going somewhere but this mineral magical stuff made me want to wear it every day for fun. I felt beautiful and it was effortless. 
Soon I was telling everyone about this stuff, my college roommate, my sisters in law, my friends and neighbors. Even my husband knew more about makeup than he wanted to because I was in love with it. I would send samples to everyone spreading the joy of this magical powder. A full-sized product could last a lifetime and there were way too many other colors to try out. In turn those I told about mineral makeup started "using", yes I call it using because it does become an addiction, but a good one. My one sister in law was sold on it because while visiting her I brought over my "crayon box" and swirled some of my foundation on the back of her hand just to show her how it felt. She was sold on it when she was doing dishes later in the day and it was still there.
Jump ahead about 4 1/2 years from my maiden voyage into the world of MMU and things turned a little murky. My face started getting itchy and then my eye lids turned red and scaley. Not a pretty look. I had heard about the dreaded itch because BE contains a lot of Bismuth Oxychloride, a filler in the makeup and I was now faced with a crisis. I knew I couldn't go back to the goop. 
I had ordered other mineral makeup by this time online. My one sister in law found one that sold smaller sizes of BE colors and told me about it. I started ordering from littlestuff4u for the smaller BE products but soon started venturing into her Pure Minerals brand. The eye shadows and blushes were lovely and I became a fan of her stuff, except for the foundation. It contained kaolin clay and I found it didn't work well with my dry skin. Sandra also sold another brand of mineral makeup. I went to that company and found a rave about the brand and about Makeup Talk forum. So I ordered samples from Monave and started reading Makeup Talk forum, especially the Mineral Makeup section. Soon I was finding out that there are lots of mineral makeups out there that the average Jane doesn't know about, and they are wonderful. Most have inexpensive samples and truly care about the individuals wearing the makeup. I went on a sampling frenzy to find my HG- Holy Grail in foundation but I always seem to pick up something else that I just had to try. The wonderful ladies at Makeup Talk would rave about a brand and I just had to try it out for myself. I also found friends at Makeup Talk who shared my love for mineral makeup and my willingness to try almost anything. 
Now I have found my HG- more on that in later posts and realize that my wealth of information about MMU is valuable to others out there. Thus my new venture into blogs. 

Moving-- my blog, sigh.

Due to vox closing at the end of the month, it looks like I will have to move my blog. Sigh... I am hoping I can do this without too much trouble.