Trying Out MAD Minerals

I received a nicely-packaged parcel from MAD Minerals the other day. I was informed by co-mineral makeup addict Nikki that MAD was having a sale on their Indelible gel liners. Now I've always been a fan of gel liners, specifically MAC's fluidlines. I thought (like most MAC fans) that the fluidlines are the best and are often imitated but never duplicated. Well, in the case of the Indelible liners, I was dead wrong. These also have the buttery slip, intense hues and amazing staying power that MAC fluidlines possess. They also have a variety of colors to choose from. I purchased the Indelible gel liners in Chocolate Mousse (deep matte chocolate brown) and Magnetism (black with bronze/reddish reflects), and I am so, so satisfied with these. They are as easy to apply as and have the great texture of the fluidlines. They also do not need to be let dry because they dry up instantly. MAC still has the upper hand though when it comes to beautiful brown shades. MAC's Graphic Brown is still the most gorgeous gel liner I have ever seen, and will still be my top favorite. Unless the Indelible gel liners come up with a beautiful metallic brown, Graphic Brown is still the king of gel liners for me (Indelible's Tanzanite, perhaps? I haven't tried it yet for me to compare the two). Chocolate Mousse looks brown in the pot but turns to an almost black hue on the lids, which in that sense is pretty disappointing. That's eventually forgotten, though, because I cannot be more satisfied with the application and appearance of these liners. Best of all, these liners are incredibly cheap compared to MAC's fluidlines. That just proves that there are some instances that you really just pay more for the brand rather than the quality. Take note that the indelible liners are also sold by other mineral makeup brands like Aromaleigh, Milan, Valerie Beauty, among others. I believe Indelible is a brand in itself and has its own company website.


Clockwise from top left: MAC Nightfish fluidline, MAC Graphic Brown fluidline, Indelible liner in Chocolate Mousse, Indelible liner in Magnetism (notice the reflects). It appears that the fluidlines have more product in the pots, but in reality, I think they just have the same amount of product in each pot. The fluidlines just appear more massive because of the design of the pot and the huge glass bottoms.


I immediately went to the craft store this afternoon to buy additional "eyeliner" brushes for my new gel liners, my Loew Cornell American Painter 4300 shader brushes. These are actually art brushes, and you will not believe how effective these brushes are in applying the perfect line. These work so well with the gel liners, and I get a nice, not-so-thin-but-not-too-thick line each time. I have more control with these babies than those overpriced cosmetic liner brushes that have too soft, sparse hairs that draw smudged lines. If these amazing brushes are good enough for artists, they're good enough for me. Best of all, they are dirt-cheap compared to high-end makeup brushes that are too flimsy and have too-thin heads for my taste. These are less than 2 bucks each, as compared to the $20 or more eyeliner brushes of other brands. Blechh. I found a brush gold mine at Michael's!


MAC Beige-ing shadestick as base
MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow as highlighter
MAC Expensive Pink eyeshadow on lid
MAC Mulch eyeshadow outer V and crease
Indelible gel liner in Chocolate Mousse on upper lashline
Maybelline Turbo Volume Express mascara

Since I bought some gel liners from MAD, I might as well try the foundation, right? I am wearing the Olive Light shade here, and I think it's too light on my almost summer complexion. I will try the Medium Golden next time. This is pretty matte, so if you like a glowy foundation, you might not like this particular formula. It's pretty good for people with oily skin, however. I have a feeling that Medium Golden is my perfect match; can't wait to try it.





Pure Luxe cream eraser as primer
MAD mineral foundation in Olive Light
Bare Escentuals mineral veil
MAC Refined Golden bronzer to contour
Lumiere veena blush in Clay
MAC mineralize skinfinish in Shimpagne

Lips:
Rimmel 1000 Kisses stay-on lipliner in Tiramisu
MAC lipstick in Viva Glam V
Aromaleigh Pure Shine lip gloss in Lush