Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Sedona Lace Brush Set Review

This page has moved! Check it out on my new domain Sedona Lace Brush Set Review

Hello lovelies!!

I just want to take a second to apologize for being so absent these past couple of months!! I had an incredibly tough and busy semester. But... I just finished up my finals, and I'm free for the summer! THANK GOODNESS!

Lots of detail in this review, so be aware of that!

I'm going to be reviewing the Vortex Professional Makeup Brushes with Zipper Belt!!

I just ordered this brush set just after Christmas, and I was sooo excited to get it! The set retails for $89.95, and it includes a brush belt with a zipper (there is a version of this set without a zipper) and 13 brushes!

These are all of my brushes in the brush belt. (Including the ones that did not come in this set)


This picture below shows only the brushes that came in the set (13 total).


This is just the empty belt. It's a very handy thing to have, I definitely recommend spending the extra money on this brush belt. It holds all of my brushes plus still has a few extra places here and there!


These are all the brushes that I carry in my brush belt, just so you can get an idea of how many can fit in there. Organized in the belt, the amount the belt can hold is a little deceiving. 


These are the face brushes that come in the set. 


FB 01 Fan Brush:

This is definitely my favorite brush! I was actually a little surprised at how useful this brush was! Currently I'm using it to set my foundation and then to blend my makeup after I've contoured and applied my blush, but this brush has other uses. I've used it to highlight and apply blush. I had a little shedding when I washed it the first time, but after that, nothing much to speak of. This brush is so soft; I love it!

 FB 03 Tulip Contour Brush:

This is also a pretty useful brush. I use it mostly for blush, but you can also use it to apply powder and  contour. It blends absolutely beautifully!! I've experienced a little bit a shedding but nothing ridiculous. It lost quite a bit of it's shape after the first wash, but it's not that big of a deal.

FB 05 Dome Contour Brush:

This is a nice brush. It's just small enough to right into the hollows of your cheeks. Perfect for contouring! I've enjoyed this brush a lot, except for one little thing... This brush sheds. And when I say it sheds. I mean IT SHEDS. I can't wash this brush at all without losing multiple hairs. 

FB 07 Foundation Brush:

This is definitely not my favorite brush. Not even close. Honestly, I hardly use it at all. I'm not sure exactly what it is about this brush, but I just don't like the way that it applies my foundation. I much prefer my Sonia Kashuk flat top kabuki brush. That aside, I don't think I've had any shedding with this brush at all, so that's a plus. It's just an okay brush.

These are all the eye brushes. 



EB 09 Universal Blender:

This is a an awesome blending brush. It's very comparable to the MAC 217, which I also own. I probably like this brush even more than my 217. I'm not sure why exactly, but I just like the way it blends. The brush is bit more tapered than the 217 and not quite as fluffy. 

EB 11 Flat Synthetic:

This is just your standard synthetic shader brush. It's quite large, so it's probably best to apply eyeshadow all over the lid. Other than that it's nothing too special.

EB 13 Synthetic Blender:

This is an awesome brush for blending creams. SERIOUSLY AMAZING! It's perfect for blending concealer, and I especially love it to apply Maybelline's Color Tattoos.

EB 15 Pointed Crease: 

This isn't a brush that I use very often. It's not that it's not a good brush, it's just that the brush lost a lot of it's shape, so while it's still pointed but it's not as pointed. Despite that fact, it is still a detailing brush, so it's good for those purposes. 

EB 17 Brow Spoolie Duo:

This brush is also one of my favorites! It's an amazing brush to fill in my brows, and the spoolie is perfect for blending out the powder. It gives quite a natural look to your brows. 

EB 19 Bent Liner:

I actually don't use this brush at all as I don't use gel liner hardly ever. 

EB 21 Detailed Shader:

This a good brush to do detailed shading (obviously haha). But it really is just that! I use it mostly for shading on my lower lash line. The only thing that bothers me is that it's made of pony hair, so it's not as soft as the other brushes. 

EB 23 Angled Detail:

I use this brush mostly to fill in my brows on the thin part of my brow. This is because the brow brush is a little too thick to get the ends of my brows.

LB 25 Capped Lip Brush:

This is awesome lip brush! I love that it is capped, which makes it's super convenient to take in your bag. The cap, as you can see in the pictures above, can be attached on the end of the brush to make it a full length brush. 

This set was actually designed by beauty blogger
Renelyn Monteloyola, so I feel particularly excited about this brush set! I feel it has so many brushes that are really unique and useful. This set can really satisfy most makeup needs, so I think it's perfect for people don't have a lot of brushes and are looking for a sort of all in one set.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation (130 Shell) Review!

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This page has moved! Check it out on my new domain Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation (130 Shell) Review!

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Hey everyone!! Sorry I’ve been absent for so long. School has been pretty rough on me this semester… I’ve had Nearly Naked since Christmas break, so I’ve had it long enough to form some real opinons on this one. I’m in the shade 130 Shell. My opinions of this foundation change somewhat when you use it with the Nearly Naked Powder, which I will try to get a review on out soon. I’ll post the link here when I get it.
This foundation being a “Nearly Naked” foundation is a light to medium coverage (it’s definitely buildable). If you have mostly problem free skin and your looking for a foundation that feels light on the skin, then this foundation will definitely do the job of evening out your skin without giving you that cakey feeling. If your more prone to acne, then you’re definitely going to need to use a concealer. (If you’re looking for a more full coverage, you can use the Nearly Naked as your setting powder and you’ll come pretty close. But I’ll talk more about that in my review of it!)

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Find the rest of the post here: Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation (130 Shell) Review!

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

Playing with My New Brushes!

This page has moved! Check it out on my new domain Playing with My New Brushes!

I just got my new Vortex brush set from Sedona Lace last week (which hopefully I will do a review on, sometime in the future...), and so I thought I'd have some fun and do my fabulous friend's makeup!  Looks gorgeous on her, don't you think?!








And in case you were wondering... she is a natural red head! I'm soo jealous! 


Sunday, January 27, 2013

Request: CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation 832 Swatch/Pictures


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 This page has moved! Check it out on my new domain name CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation 832

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Hello everyone! This post is fulfilling a request that was made for swatches and pictures of the CoverGirl’s new foundation. (FYI, because this foundation has SPF, the flash makes the foundation on my skin look slightly lighter than it actually is.)
CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation in 832 Nude Beige
Blended Out.
Comparison to Other Foundations (L to R: Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour in 102 Warm Ivory, CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous in 832 Nude Beige, Revlon Nearly Naked in 130 Shell)
Blended out.
On part of my face (You can see the redness in my cheeks).
On half of my face.
Face with foundation only.
Face after foundation, setting powder, bronzer, and blush.
All done!
Bangs!
Hope that helped!

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 Find the rest of the page here: CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation 832

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Drugstore Makeup Tutorial :)



This page has moved! Check it out on my new domain Drugstore Makeup Tutorial

Hello everyone! 

So, like Kaley, I have a video makeup tutorial for you! And (as the name suggests) it is all drugstore makeup! :) This look features Maybelline's Color Tattoos and Wet N Wild Eyeshadows. Hope you enjoy it!!









Here's my video tutorial!



Products Used:

Eyes: 
UD Primer Potion
Cargo Matte Bronzer in Medium
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk 
Wet N Wild Comfort Zone
Wet N Wild Palette in Blue Had Me at Hello 
Wet N Wild Fergie Collection Palette in Desert Festival
Wet N Wild Trio in Knock on Wood

Face:
Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Correcting Primer in Nude
L'Oreal Studio Secrets Anti Redness Primer
Hard Candy Glamouflage Concealer in Light
Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation in 102 Warm Ivory
Sonia Kashuk Brightening Powder
Rimmel Natural Finish Bronzer in 022 Sun Bronze
Milani Baked Blush in Bellissimo Bronze

Lips:
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 08 Rosetto






Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Too Faced Smokey Eye Palette Tutorial

Hey guys!

Today I have a video tutorial for you of a smokey eye look I did with Too Faced's Smokey Eye palette. I'll be using White Lie (a white shimmery color), Cloves (a golden-toned shimmery brown), and Smokin Hot (a black matte color).



During the second half of the video, I'll also show you how I do the rest of my makeup (primer, foundation, concealer, powder, blush, brows, and lips) so stay tuned! :)



Here's the video:



Friday, January 11, 2013

Look of the Day 1/11: Wet N Wild Blue Had Me at Hello

Hey girlies,

I got this amazing new Wet N Wild palette with fun blues and navys!! I'm thinking of maybe doing a video tutorial of this look on my YouTube channel, so be on the lookout for that! Hope you like it :)










Products Used: 

Eyes:
UD Primer Potion
Wet N Wild Color Icon Palette in Blue Had Me at Hello
Jordana Fabu Liner
Milani Liquif'Eye Liner in Black
Tarte Eyelash Primer
Tarte Gifted Mascara

Face:
L'Oreal Anti Redness Primer
Benefit Porefessional
Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Cream Glow
CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation in 832 Nude Beige
Sonia Kashuk Brightening Powder
Cargo Matte Bronzer in Medium
Smashbox Posy Pink Blush

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation Review!


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 This page has moved! Check it out on my new domain CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation Review!

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This is the first foundation review that I’ve done, so let me just mention a couple things. Everyone’s skin different (obviously), so what works for me, might not work for you. All of my reviews are just personal opinions of products that I’ve tried. I’ll tell you what I like about them and what I don’t like about them. Now that I’ve got THAT out of the way :)
There are a few things to cover that I think are really important when it comes to reviewing a foundation : Coverage, Application, Finish, Longevity, and Type (what skin type it’s best for)!
Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation
I’ve been wearing CoverGirl’s Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation (in 832 nude beige) for the past week and here are my thoughts:
Coverage
This foundation (I believe) claims to be a full coverage foundation, and it achieves it’s claim pretty well!  I don’t have very acne prone skin, but any small blemishes I do have, it seems to cover pretty well. I have pretty red skin, and even though it’s full coverage, I found that it didn’t cover up my redness unless I used a color correcting primer, and even then sometimes some redness would peek through which I didn’t like too much…. The only foundation that I’ve had that really covered up my redness enough to use without a primer is Revlon ColorStay, so I don’t knock too many points for that (I’m just being picky)!!

Application
The way that you apply foundations can greatly affect how it goes onto the skin and the finish that it gives, so before you decide you don’t like a foundation (or even that you do), it’s best to try several different ways of applying so that you get the most out of your makeup! I tried this foundation with both of my foundation brushes (Sonia Kashuk Flat Top Kabuki and UD Optical Blurring Brush), my fingers, and a blending sponge. My favorite way to apply this foundation is with my blending sponge. I found that it gave the most flawless finish. When I applied it with the foundation brushes, I found that it accentuated my pores, which is one of my biggest concerns when using foundations.
Finish
I really liked the finish of this foundation, which is very matte by the way! The foundation itself isn’t super liquidy, it’s more creamy, which is a bit different than most of the liquid foundations that I’m used to, but I like it! When I finished putting on the foundation the finish was very smooth, visually and to the touch. It feels very nice on the skin!
Longevity
The problem that I find with a lot of foundations (especially drug store foundations) is that they tend to fade as the day goes on. I personally have oily skin, so a lot of foundations require that I reapply powder or blot throughout the day to maintain a shine free face. This foundation is no exception. I found that the coverage does last most of the day (although my redness does tend to peek through a bit). The problem with this foundation (as with many) is that by the end of the day, if you aren’t occasionally reapplying powder, you can expect an oily face and more noticeable pores as the foundation tends to seep into skin more as time passes (which can be a problem if you have large pores like me!). But overall, I was impressed with the lasting coverage, which leads me into my next category!!
Skin Type
I definitely wouldn’t categorize this foundation as good for people with oily skin, but as far as foundations go, I don’t think it’s particularly bad for them either. If you have oily skin, just make sure to carry a powder with you to keep your face shine free. I think this foundation would be best for people with normal to dry skin. It feels great on the skin, almost moisturizing, which would be great to help with any dryness.

Bottom Line
This is a great foundation if you’re someone with normal to dry skin (if you have oily skin, definitely use powder) and you’re looking for a full coverage foundation. The price point is good as it’s only $10, but as far as drug store foundations go, Revlon ColorStay is still my #1 choice.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Sephora VIB & 500 Point Perk!

So I went to Sephora yesterday and after my purchase, the sales lady told me that I qualified for Sephora's VIB Status (which I qualified last year, but they gave me a new card for use starting this year!) My new card came with a 10% entire purchase coupon, a free shipping coupon, and a free 45 minute makeover session.




I also chose to redeem a 500 point reward! The 500 point reward at my local Sephora was a 4 piece Buxom Eyes, Lips, and Face set. It includes a 1 oz Illuminizer in Venus, Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Sugar, Buxom Lash Mascara, and Smokey Eye Stick in Silver Smoke.






So far I've only tried the Luminizer and the Lip Gloss, but I love them both!! The luminizer is a gorgeous gold shimmer that is perfect for a highlight or an overall glow to the skin. The lip gloss is amazingly long lasting, and the color is beautiful on the lips! If you've ever tried a Buxom lip gloss you know that it has a minty tingly feeling that's feels amazing! Even the luminizer has somewhat of a tingly feeling. 


Bottomline:
This is a great 500 point perk if you're looking to use your points! I highly reccomend!!





Wednesday, January 2, 2013

After Christmas Haul!

Kaley and I went shopping a few days ago, and I've been to Walmart a couple times since Christmas (so naturally I bought lots of new makeup!). So today, I have a haul of everything I got for you today.


Here's what I got from Walmart:

CoverGirl Clump Crusher by Lashblast ($6.99)



Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation in 832 ($9.99)




Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate in 12 Rossetto ($4.49)










Rimmel London Eyeshadow Palette in 761 Sapphire Moonstone ($3.49)




L'Oreal Infallible The Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner in Black ($7.49)




L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in 222 Infinity Sky ($6.99)






Milaini Liquif'Eye Eyeliner Pencil ($6.99)




Wet N Wild Eyeshadow Palette in 383B Knock on Wood ($2.99)




Here's what I got from Ulta:


NYX Roll on Shimmer in 12 Platinum ($4.49)




NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk ($4.49)




Here's what I got from Sephora:


Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Cream Glow ($32)




Optical Blurring Foundation Brush from Urban Decay ($24)




Here's my video version of this haul: