I also have a "green cap" mascara, since their brown is closer to natural on me (fair w/ freckles, strawberry blonde hair) but the MK one in black because of the "pow" factor! :)

I started using medium coverage and the loose powder way back when I first started selling, and though I have tried the mineral powder (samplers) it just didn't cover as much as i wanted, and felt too dry for my tastes.
I will say that the new mineral versions of the eye and cheek colors however are IMO better colors, better staying power, and more versatile.
it might have been the highlighter, try either a shade lighter concealer in that area, or a matte white or nude shade of eye shadow instead.
At a glamour training I went to a long time ago (before Color insider came about) over foundation they used the vanilla eyesicles or a pale concealer to accent small areas just above browbone, apple of cheeks, inner eye, jawbone (contouring) then dusted the matte powder over all to help blend, then color on top of that.
I guess the "naked" feel of the minerals is just too different, since I am used to the heavy cake style makeup for stage productions (I think it was ben nye?) that would only come off with a thick layer of noxema cleanser and extended scrubbing after being baked under stage lights for 2+ hours of a play.
I haven't done much in the way of falsies, and have always wondered if hey are attached over applied makeup, does the powder make them harder to attach? (also bindis glued over makeup?) And I have used covergirl liqid liner some, but wondered what your opinion was of the Mary Kay version, as I have not yet tried it?