I received Mia Mariu cosmetics for review and the opportunity to host a giveaway. No other compensation was received, and opinions are my own.

Today is my birthday, and naturally as bloggers do I am sharing the excitement with you dear readers! I am very into birthdays, so even though they bring on harsh reminders of the aging process and make us realize that another year has passed (so quickly!) it is still an incredibly exciting day for me. I am another year older and (hopefully) wiser, and getting older, growing up, and learning that not everything in life has to be so damn serious is actually pretty great.

I won’t get all sorts of reflective and emotional on you right now, I promise. Instead, let’s talk about something fun — like makeup! Birthdays are all about fun, and hey, you also want to look good while celebrating the day of your arrival into this world.

I actually didn’t get really into cosmetics until the last couple of years or so. When I was a teenager, I made great use out of the one beauty essential of any socially awkward teenage girl — black eyeliner — and lots of it. Other than that, nothing else really seemed necessary, and being raised by a single father doesn’t exactly open up a vast pool of beauty product-related knowledge. As I got older, I expanded upon my collection of black eyeliners to also include a small selection of dark eyeshadows, mascara, and a few lip glosses. It wasn’t until this past year that I discovered the pure magic that could be made on your face with the use of products like concealer and a great bronzer. My goodness!

Throughout the past several months, I have seen the brand Mia Mariu pop up on quite a few blogs I read regularly. The natural health and mineral cosmetics line intrigued me right off the bat, but because I am one of those people who is very weary of stepping outside of my comfort zone regarding anything and trying new things, I held off on making a purchase. Instead, I entered as many Mia Mariu giveaways I could find. I didn’t win any, but imagine my surprise when I received an email from Mia Mariu asking if I would be interested in trying out a few of their products.

Oh, I was surprised. Also, totally thrilled.

Mia Mariu Perfecting Finish Mineral Liquid Foundation

The Perfecting Finish Mineral Liquid Foundation contains natural minerals, green tea, lecithin, and vitamins A and E. I applied it with a sponge and could immediately feel how hydrating the formula was. It blended in easily while feeling extremely light; in fact, once I had applied a thin layer all over my face, it didn’t even feel like I had makeup on.

Mia Mariu makes finding your perfect tone easy with an entire page dedicated to examples of women with different skin tones that are matched with the exact shade of their foundations and concealers. Having a visual aid was an immense help in choosing the right shade of foundation for me, and it worked like a charm, as I ended up with the shade Miel that blends flawlessly.

Mia Mariu Mineral Blush

The Mineral Blush Maria Azucena is a light pink blush with small specks of glitter for a luminous glow. The glow can barely be noticed and merely adds a little pop of something extra to your cheek bones, which I think looks really great on. (You can see a picture of all the products in this post on below.) This blush, in addition to pure natural minerals and color pigments, also includes vitamins A, C, and E.

Mia Mariu Hydrating Stick Gloss

I hardly ever wear lipstick; I’m more of a lip gloss girl. However, what I really like about the Hydrating Stick Gloss is that it is essentially a gloss in stick form with a super hydrating formula. Lipstick usually makes my lips feel dry, some have feathering issues that make my lips look like they are sick, and those are the reasons why I have grown to distrust lipstick altogether. I’m so glad I tried Mia Mariu’s Hydrating Stick Gloss. I chose the Capricho color, which matches the Mineral Blush very well, and is just slightly darker than my natural lip color. I like that because it simply gives my lips a hint of shine without being flashy and is great for everyday wear.

The Hydrating Stick Gloss also contains vitamins A, C, and E, as well as antioxidants to protect your lips and provide long-lasting wear. It goes on so silky smooth and I have only had to touch it up and reapply about three times throughout the entire day, which is pretty good for me as far as staying power goes.

I have been totally in love with the Mia Mariu products I received. Of course, as soon as I did my makeup for the first time using them, I was blown away with how great they looked and proceeded to take approximately 759 pictures of myself. Here’s the one I liked:

(Please tell me I am not the only one who takes a bunch — and I mean a bunch — of pictures of themselves and then ends up liking less than a handful.)

Mia Mariu Cosmetics Giveaway

One lucky Woman Tribune reader will win each of the products I have reviewed here — the Mia Mariu Perfecting Finish Mineral Liquid Foundation, Mineral Blush, and Hydrating Stick Gloss — in your choice of shade/colors.

This giveaway will end November 16th and is open to US, ages 18+. To enter use the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway