Tag Archives: makeup brushes

Nov19

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Dianna

Current status: still freezing. But thanks for checking. I’ll just be over here wearing socks with my heels, sitting on a heating pad, holding my hand around my nose to keep it warm. Or, looking like an idiot, as it is commonly known.

Gratefully, the weather is supposed to get warmer in the next few days, so perhaps my pouting and whining will calm down a bit. Until the next polar vortex that makes it way through, that is. Me and Winter? We ARE. NOT. friends.

In brighter news, I bought stuff:

A little mini Inglot haul! I picked up a lip paint in shade 59 (in the purple family), a gel eyeliner in shade 82 (also in the purple family; kind of a dark periwinkle), and a pigment in shade 56 (a teal). I have decided that I love Inglot so much. The gel eyeliners are the creamiest and best I’ve ever used. They don’t set for 60 seconds, which works fantastically for me because I am never satisfied with my line on the first swipe. In fact, I need a good 20 minutes – but I’ll accept 60 seconds. I challenge you to buy one of these and then disagree with me. It’s impossible I tell you; they’re amazing. And if you think otherwise, well then you are WRONG. There’s no other way to put it.

I adore the pigments. I reviewed them in my Vegas haul if you’ll recall (and if you don’t, click here), and I still feel very much the same. They are stunning, vibrant, and beautiful. I now own four, and that’s a far cry from the zero amount I’ve owned in the past (i.e., my entire life) (i.e., forty years if you’re counting).

I’ve only purchased this one lip paint, and I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a lipstick or a lip gloss. It’s a very pretty color, but it sheers out somewhat on the lips which makes me think it’s a gloss. But it’s not really sticky. It’s creamy, but not thick. Either way, though, I like it and I might end up buying some more.

More fun with purple. See below:

This is the Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow quad in Glamour Muse. I am so happy that Charlotte Tilbury is now being sold in the U.S. I don’t even know why, as I hadn’t even heard of her until someone on YouTube mentioned her one time. I’m gonna say it’s most likely cuz I wasn’t able to purchase her products that made me want to buy her products. Don’t tell me I can’t have something. That creates a panic in me so fierce that I could probably bend steel rods with sheer OCD force or something. Which I suppose is pretty genius marketing on their part. And also how I ended up with this quad.

Okay, I’m torn about it. At first glance, it’s super pretty. The sparkle is just right. But I bought this because I wanted something PURPLE not just purple. And the vibrant looking shade does not transfer that well onto your eyeball. How unfortunate, for me and for all of the world. Now, if you like a more subtle purple, by all means buy this quad with confidence. Do not be afraid. It will probably most likely be the perfect purple for you.

On a happier note, the longer I wore it (and the more often I stared at myself), the more I actually started to enjoy the eye look. So it turned out alright in the end. It just wasn’t what I was expecting in the beginning, that’s all.

And then! I bought this:

I love having a Color IQ number with Sephora because it tells me when new foundations come out that will match my skin tone. If you haven’t gotten your Color IQ done, I’m pretty sure you’ve stumbled upon this blog by accident, cuz anyone who’s everyone who loves makeup is (or should be) doing this. If you like taking out guesswork, making shopping easy, buying foundation from the comfort of your home without fear and while wearing pajamas, that is.

So here is the Dior Diorskin Star foundation in 32 Rosy Beige. For me, this is a really nice product. It’s pretty lightweight, probably about a medium coverage. Has a nice finish – not matte but not luminous – somewhere in between. It claims to be brightening, which I didn’t really catch, but that might have more to do with my horrid complexion to start with. That’s the problem with a lot of supposedly nice foundations. You can’t put them on top of skin like mine and expect fabulous – it just doesn’t happen very often. So, yeah, I wasn’t wowed or anything. It didn’t knock my socks off. It didn’t make me feel supermodelly (like the Guerlain Tenue de Perfection or Givenchy Photo’Perfexion does). So this foundation will be in my second tier – a high quality, better than average, no IT factor foundation.

I bought a brush:

A Wayne Goss #7 lip brush to be exact. I bought this to go with the Inglot lip paint, as I didn’t feel like going all hillbilly fingers into the pot. We use brushes like refined ladies in here, people. Or else.

What can I really say about a lip brush other than it applies lip stuff? Not much. But I will say the edges are very thin, so if you’re really good at using a lip brush I’d think this one would do a pretty good job for you. Other uses of this brush include gel or powder eyeliner application. I tried the gel version, and you know what? I really suck at gel eyeliner. But others who don’t suck might find this brush a dream. It has somewhat stiff bristles so they don’t go flopping all over the place and allows for some nice precision.

Look at this beauty:

This is the Marc Jacobs Sky-Liner Highliner gel eye crayons kit. Let me preface this by saying this kit is a limited edition. However, the eyeliners themselves are not, so even if it’s 17 months into the future and you are reading this blog, this review should still apply. Unless Marc Jacobs goes out of business, so in that case, kindly carry on.

I love these eyeliners. They are very creamy and easy to apply. The shimmer is beautiful. They last for a very long time on the upper eyelid or below the lower eyelashes. On my waterline, though, they did not last as long. Kind of went patchy in the afternoon. But I have very wet eyeballs so that’s probably the reason. I’ve yet to find an eyeliner with hardcore staying power – the Sumita Beauty one comes the closest, but I’m still on my mission. Regardless, though, these are some pretty, good quality liners and you should go ahead and throw them in your basket.

Whatever you do, do NOT buy the travel size of this item:

It’s the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, and if you try it once you will fall madly in love, then wrestle with your conscience regarding the $105 full-size price. Or you can ignore yourself like I usually do. It’s your risk to take. But I swear, I have no idea what this stuff is made of – okay I do; it’s made of thermal mud from the Hungarian Moors – but it’s truly magical. Has an odd little smell verging on licorice, but I’m most likely conjuring licorice due to its black color. Anyway, I use a very small amount and apply it all over my face. The texture is soothing, soft, velvety smooth. Wiping it off is even better cuz then you are left with the skin of a baby’s bottom. At this point, you’re under its spell and your shopping hand starts to get itchy. Also, it removes makeup very well, but that’s beside the point now isn’t it?

I have since bought an Omorovicza travel kit that includes another jar of this balm. I’m hoping by the time I’m done with both jars, my fascination will have been satisfied and I will no longer feel the pull of buying the full size. Because honestly, I don’t WANT to pay that much for a cleanser. Although, I suppose I will if I won’t leave myself alone about it. I can be soooo super annoying sometimes.

If you like colorful eyeshadows, you should buy this:

Ack! I die. This Urban Decay Vice 3 palette is just lovely. That gorgeous green on the top row is what caught my eye initially. And the golds and purples. There are hearts in my eyes right now. I had no issues with pigmentation or blendability. Fallout was pretty minimal if at all. And it comes in a cutesy little iPad case to help make your shopping decision even easier.

So many stunning looks can come out of this palette. My favorite (other than the green of course) is using Lucky – which is the color of a new penny – all over the lid, then adding Alchemy – a bold raspberry – in the outer v. Of course, I’m sure some makeup artist could do it even better, but I was pretty proud of my invention. Pretty sure Urban Decay is about to call me. Or Vogue.

Behold, look what else:

Is your mouth hanging open? Mine is. It’s the new Gucci makeup, specifically the eyeshadow duo in Fume. It’s shockingly beautiful, very luxurious, fancy schmancy, and ooh la la. Practically too pretty to even use, what with all those little Gs stamped into the shadow. However, I did use it – just once so far – and lemme just say that sometimes I question my own makeup skills. How could something this lovely not turn out even more lovely once applied? There was more pigmentation in the pan than on the eye. What did I do wrong? I suppose I could’ve wet my brush first to see if that made it better, but putting something wet into something dry gives me anxiety, like there’s a never-turning-back event about to happen, and it stops me from doing it. That’s most likely the #1 reason I hate washing my hair. Which has nothing to do with this eyeshadow, but still.

I’ll keep playing with it. I’m determined to not give up. I’ll do it for my people (that’s you), so you will continue reading (and loving) this blog.

We’re at the end. You’ve made it. Now wasn’t that fun? Be sure to come back again and again cuz I write updates all the time. You won’t want to miss out on anything. Trust me.

Nov6

Buying Stuff: Episode 21

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Finally the sun has come out after being non-existent for the past several days. I was starting to wonder if we’d ever see it again. I mean, by all means be 48-degrees if you have to, but at least give me sunlight. Without the sun, I am moody and sad and var var pale. Sunshine sustains me. It’s the only thing that can get me through the disaster that is Winter. I love sun, sunlight, sunshine, and any and all things sun-related. Sunglasses.

Therefore I sit in my car during lunch hour where it proceeded to blaze hot right onto my face and into my eyes. Urgh. Go away, Sun.

Clearly something is wrong with me.

Look, I bought stuff:

This is the Benefit Majorette Booster Blush, and I have no idea what I’m going to do with it. This is one of those circumstances where I bought something cute simply because it was new and would make a good Instagram picture. Does that make me shallow? Probably.

Okay, yes, it’s a cream-to-powder blush so obviously you can use it that way. But I’m not a huge cream blush fan even though this one is pretty idiot-proof. Like the most easiest application and blendability I’ve ever come across. The color is a sweet girly peach. It’s matte and has a great smell. You can also layer it underneath another blush to give that other blush more vibrancy. But those are two things I’m not really interested in. First of all, who has time to be applying TWO blushes? (Superhumans.) And second of all, I didn’t think it looked all that pretty on my face. However, everyone else in the universe seems to love it, so apparently I lose at makeup.

But then I bought this:

Who else has been petrified of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade? I mean, this stuff is a gel-like cream you apply to your eyebrows with a liner brush – freehanded – and hope to God you don’t ef it up. I am not a natural when it comes to drawing on brows. Sure I could just follow the lines like a normal person would, but I do have pictures of myself where I did just that and ended up creating BROWS! with jazz-hands and everything. So I was scared that something as pigmented as this would be messy and worse.

Long story short: I faced my fear. Me and Sephora had a little chat and I decided to go for it. But which color? They’re all variations of brown. Which one would create the most natural look? I wish I could tell you my selection process was more scientific, but it all boiled down to seeing the word “universal taupe” on other brow products from other brands, so I chose the Taupe one and walked away before the anxiety kicked in.

Believe it or not, this isn’t as scary as I expected. If you tap your brush in lightly and very gently sweep over your brows, you can make some natural looking arches. Granted I can’t come close to the pictures I see on Instagram, but it’ll do for me. As for the color, there may have been a better brown shade to suit me, but the Taupe works just fine. Which is good cuz I’m pretty sure this little jar will outlast everything in my makeup collection.

Guess who came to America?

It’s Charlotte Tilbury! This is some exciting news cuz the last (and only) time I bought one of her products, international shipping about made me change my mind. Since I had my pick this time, I chose the Feline Flick eyeliner pen. As my preferred method of eyeliner, I feel as if owning all of them is completely justified. But then again, I write a beauty blog, so EVERYTHING is justified as far as I’m concerned. And nobody can argue with that kind of logic.

But back to the eyeliner. I liked it alright. The nib is pretty sturdy, so it lends a great amount of control in the application along the lash line and drawing the angle in the start of the wing. However, when I tried to connect the wing portion to the base of my lashes, the sturdiness of the nib didn’t make that part as easy. Like I literally had to go over it several times in order to get a good, crisp looking line. However, my own OCD may have played a part in that. And also, I am not very good at winged liner. But aside from those two things, I can’t say this eyeliner is my favorite. I’ve went back to my Kat Von D pen for the time being.

Look how beautiful:

I bought this Laura Geller Baked Gelato blush because it looked like food. Like something I could stick my finger in then lick off. A cupcake top. A vat of frosting. I literally couldn’t NOT buy it after laying my eyes on it. Whoever was in charge of the design of this product is a genius. I own chocolate masks, strawberry moisturizers, and all things coconut BECAUSE of geniuses like this. All other companies should take note. You want me to buy your product? Make it resemble food.

This is a really beautiful blush. The shade I picked out was Guava, and it’s a bright but wearable pink. It’s sheers out really well and creates this lovely flush of color. I’m not sure if it’s a cream that’s been baked or what exactly, but it’s applied like a normal powder blush and that’s all I really need to know. I feel like I need more colors, but I’m trying very hard to be good.

Hahaha, just kidding. I bought this too:

This Smashbox Cherry Smoke eyeshadow set is the perfect fall palette. Instead of your typical grey or black smokey eye, this is a taupe and burgundy version and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Each shadow applied well and blended nicely. I could create a daytime, natural look with it as well so it’s pretty versatile. Although I don’t necessarily stick to daytime/nighttime makeup rules. I want what I want when I want it. Smokey eye at 10 a.m.? Done. But for those who like to stick to rules (and are probably not wearing white after Labor Day), you can still utilize this palette at your 9-5. And back to that whole food thing – the word “cherry”? Sucked me in right away.

One of the best makeup decisions ever made is below:

It’s the Sedona Lace Round Top #480 brush and I’m in deep, passionate love. Ugh. I can’t even express properly how beautifully this applies foundation. It hugs every curve of my face and makes blending practically effort-free. I thought I loved my Real Techniques Expert Face brush, but this (while similar) is so much better. Even the price is good at $18.95 (although I had a 20% coupon as well as an additional $4 off). The bristles are dense, and the round top gets rid of harsh lines that blush or bronzer might create. I don’t think I’ll ever want to use anything different. It’s also pink and adorable and looks pretty on my counter. How many more reasons do you need? Approved! Put it in your basket.

We done for today. I’m now going to get back to fighting with Sephora’s broken website. They are having their 20% off sale and the entire world is on the internet. Boo.

Oct13

Buying Stuff: Episode 20

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

I absolutely cannot wait to share my Las Vegas haul with you guys. The products I bought are what dreams are made of. Well, my dreams, that is. However, because I’ve been meaning to post some other products for several weeks now, I suppose I’ll do it first. So, presenting, THAT OTHER HAUL THAT ISN’T AS EXCITING. (But still awesome.)

I do love me some eyeshadow. I want to own every palette that’s ever been made. I’m addicted, I’m fully aware, but you should see it all. They are like my little eyeshadow children, and I love each and every one of them. These right here are no exception.

I would never guess I would love an $11 drugstore eyeshadow palette. But this Maybelline The Nudes one is awesome. Every color is wearable, blendable, colorful. It is, quite literally, one of my favorite palette purchases. Isn’t that strange that something so inexpensive – it was even on sale for $7 when I picked it up – could turn out to be more precious than my $50 palettes. Just goes to show you, luxury makeup doesn’t mean squat. Although you can forget I said that as soon as my Vegas haul is posted. Cuz money doesn’t seem like actual money when you’re in Vegas. I don’t make the rules, guys. It is what it is.

Aside from that, I recommend you pick up this palette. The concept is pretty cool because it’s strategically placed in pre-designed quads, trios and duos. So if you count in fours (two top, two bottom) that is considered your quad; if you count in threes (all top, then bottom), those are your trios; then count in twos (all top, then bottom), those are your duos. They make it super easy to put looks together. Of course, I rebel and mix all over the place, but that is what professionals do. I am a professional, just so we’re clear.

Another batch of really nice drugstore eyeshadows are the new Milani Bella Eyes. Even looking at them is pretty exciting – they look like little cookies that someone stuck their thumb in. Or maybe that’s just how I see them. In any case, I bought some neutral colors (shown above) because that’s all my local Walgreens carried. However, we got a brand new CVS, and you’d swear it was a Bloomingdale’s or something the way I was carrying on. I made a special trip clear across town to see what kind of makeup they carried. And wouldn’t you know it – the best Milani display I’ve ever seen. Hoards of different things in all the colors. So I picked up a couple more shadows because I really do like the texture. They call them gel powders, and I’m not even gonna pretend to know what that means, but the result is lovely. They blend into each other so naturally. If you haven’t given these a try, I recommend you grab a few.

And then I bought this thing:

It’s a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick highlighter in Beige. In case you’re wondering: YouTube made me do it.

Well, you know how it is. Someone goes on and on and on about something, you start to feel like you’re missing out on the secret to life. I caved and bought one to see for myself. And yes, it does have a very lovely sheen. It’s not over the top sparkly by any means. Sometimes when I use it, I almost feel like I didn’t put on enough, that’s how subtle it looks on me. It comes in several colors, like a bronze, a pink and something else (besides the beige), so perhaps if I had gotten a different one, it would show up more pronounced. Or more likely than not, I just don’t know how to apply highlighter properly. Because when I swipe my finger through it, the color is just stunning. On my cheeks, however – just barely. It’s not my most favorite highlighter I’ve ever used, lemme just say that. Until I figure out how to use it the right way, that is.

Here’s my very first MAC lipstick purchase:

I think I picked a pretty good one for scrolling through a bunch of thumbnail color swatches on the Internet. I chose the MAC frost lipstick in the color Fluid, and it’s a plum brown. Perfect for fall. And the frost finish of it reminds of my first lipstick purchase in 7th grade. I don’t know if that’s a compliment to the lipstick or not, but I like it regardless.

Aside from all that, Ebates had like an 8% cash back or something at Macy’s, and that’s the only reason I bought this lipstick. I make absolutely no sense, I’m quite aware.

Last part of the haul came about from a Birchbox email that enticed me with a 25% off coupon. They know what they’re doing. Oh yes they do.

Sometimes when you’re forced to shop, it can takes days to figure out what you want to buy. There was no way I was letting a good coupon go to waste. I mean, there are starving people in China, for chrissakes.

So after about 3 days, and realizing that I clearly need more responsibilities in life, I finally decided on the Coastal Scents Revealed 2 palette and brushes kit. Oh man! This was such a big surprise to me. Normally I don’t go for palettes that have almost all similar eyeshadow colors (in this case, pink), but I took a chance on this one and I absolutely love it. Every look I’ve done with it has been so pretty. Shadows are blendable and pigmented. Well worth wasting 3 days if you ask me.

As for the brushes, these are pretty decent quality. I got a large shadow brush, a crease brush and some kind of angled blender brush. I can’t think of a feasible use for that last one, but I did like the other two. The crease brush deposits a nice amount of color in the outer v, then blends it out real good. I’ll continue to use them. However, probably not that angled one.

And while I was getting 25% off, might as well buy something else to make it even more worth my while. Decided to go with the Origins GinZing moisturizer, a product I was really curious about. This is an energizing moisturizer, meant to be applied in the morning when you’re halfway asleep, brushing your teeth with your eyes closed. It has caffeine in it to wake up your skin, and it has a nice, refreshing citrus scent. It is very light, and leaves my skin feeling very soft. Not sure if it really peps me up or not, but I can brainwash myself into thinking so.

That’s it for today. October boxes are rolling in so I’ll have those coming up this week. Plus of course the most fabulous haul of all time. Stay tuned, y’all. You won’t wanna miss it.

Jul3

Buying Stuff: Episode 17

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

You ever have those times where you think you are doing so good at shopping, not spending too much, then on the way out the store you see something you most desperately need and end up ruining all your good work? Except you technically didn’t ruin anything because now you have something amazing, therefore you go home feeling like you quite literally saved the world from a stock market crash. Well here is one of those times:

It’s a cute little mask set from Peter Thomas Roth and I am in love. Even if you don’t like masks, you could buy this cuz it has pretty colors, and who doesn’t love that? (Crazy people.) I’ve been wanting to try the two gel masks for awhile, so finding this kit made me var var happy. I didn’t know the pumpkin one existed, so that was a bonus. Although I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin smells. The last pumpkin thing I had was a mask from Michael Todd, and it had the consistency and appearance of baby food. Not necessarily a bad thing if you love pumpkin; however, I do not. But this Peter Thomas Roth thing is an exfoliator and the opposite of baby food, so I think it will be fine.

And remember how I saved the world from a stock market crash. So everything mentioned in this post, including the pumpkin scrub, is immediately justified.

Below is a small Sephora haul:

I love it when I run out of something cheap like body wash or makeup remover. I have a legitimate shopping excuse at that point, and anything else that happens to find their way into my little basket is just a hazard of the emergency. I mean, what can you do without body wash? You can’t take a bath, that’s for sure. So probably “emergency” is too mild a term to describe this situation, but “catastrophic misadventure” is much too long to type.

So I picked up a Philosophy body wash (that triples as a shampoo and bubble bath) in the scent Melon Daiquiri. It smells like summer in a bottle, and I really like it. They have tons of scents to choose from, and I spent an obnoxiously long time sniffing each and every one of them. I almost bought all of them at one point, but finally decided on the melon. But the Animal Cracker and Coconut scents are probably my next buy.

Wanted to try one of the Too Faced La Creme lipsticks because YouTube haunts me about 95% of my day. Lots of my gurus talk about how they like the formula of these lipsticks, and I am easily persuaded, so there ya go. I swatched a few of them in the store, decided on Pink Chocolate, and proceeded to walk around with it in my hand for about 45 minutes. Right before checkout, I had an attack of conscious and realized I didn’t need to buy another lipstick. I put it back, then stood in line at the register behind a lady taking an extraordinary amount of time signing up for the rewards program. Or just long enough for me to ignore my rudely interrupting conscious and grab the lipstick off the shelf again and put it in my basket.

Well. People need to be quicker in dealing with their transactions, that’s all I’m saying. Hardly my fault.

Also got suckered into buying the Sephora #55 airbrush foundation brush because I am helpless and need a psychiatric evaluation. Honestly, how many foundation brushes do I need? In my defense, none of them say the word “airbrush” in the title, and I don’t know about you, but that word sucks me in almost 97.90567% of the time. As evident by the fact I bought the dang thing.

I primarily wanted it because back in May when Sephora opened, the sales girl applied the Kat Von D foundation on me using this brush. The finish was spectacular, which prompted me to buy the foundation. Since that day I have not been able to duplicate the finish. In fact, I almost hate the Kat Von D foundation because it is so thick and dry that applying it is about zero fun.

So now that I have this brush, one of the first things I did was apply the Kat Von D. I read the directions of how to use the brush, and it says to dip it in the product, swirl it on the back of your hand, then apply to your face. I did all that, and I still didn’t get the finish I was looking for. Drat. Perhaps I am not the makeup artist I pretend to be? Perhaps my brush is broken? Whatever the case, I have yet to achieve the look of airbrush, but I’m still working on it.

And then for no reason whatsoever, I needed to buy the Becca Beach Tint Shimmering Souffle. For one, it’s a new product and there was a lot of excitement circling the Becca aisle because of it. And two, the texture of this is pure fun. It’s like the bubble wrap of makeup – you can’t stop touching it. Whoever decided to call it a souffle gets an award, because that’s the perfect name. It’s cushiony, airy, light. Here’s a better close up, complete with finger indention. Not a big one cuz I didn’t want to ruin it right off the bat:

This is the color Guava/Moonstone. It’s a cream blush – but the easiest application of a cream blush I’ve ever used. It’s no fail. If you get circus cheeks from applying this, then you need to sit down, as messing this up would be nigh on impossible. The color payoff is very sheer and subtle, which could be a good thing if that’s what you’re looking for. Beachy and glowy is what it is and var var beautiful. Now, this is the only color I’ve used. The others may be completely different. You may get circus cheeks out of them for all I know. But the Guava/Moonstone is golden and sunkissed – probably works best as a highlighter since the coral in it does not pop like you might expect. I also have medium light skin, so depending on how dark or light you are, this may or may not be your dream blush.

How’s that for a review? Maybe, maybe not, could be, could not be, yes, no … You might just need to swatch them for yourselves cuz I ain’t getting sued for misleading information. All I’m saying is I like it. Mostly because it’s squishy in its jar. I dare you not to want to stick your fingers all in this stuff. If you are somehow able to refrain yourself, you might need to take that show on the road, because that amount of willpower is downright inspirational.

Next up is this horrible picture below.

I can’t even pretend there’s not cat hair all over this blanket. I’m sorry. What can I say? They lay about as if they own the place. And I guess that’s somewhat correct since my girl cat poops wherever she feels like and we still let her live with us.

The only thing in the picture I bought was the Bobbi Brown blush – the rest I got for free. Perks of being VIB Rouge, y’all! Which did not cost me a small fortune to begin with or anything (you know, in case the husband is reading this). But back to that Bobbi Brown blush. I got the color Sand Pink, and it’s a really nice medium shade that looks good with my skintone. I’d say it’s pretty pigmented, but right now I’m distracted by how much cat hair is on that blanket and I can’t think of anything else. I need to page-down real quick or something.

So all that Fresh lip care stuff was a little sample set. It includes the lip polish, two lip balm treatments, and a sugar shine gloss. I am really enjoying these products. Aside from the weird brown sugar smell, that is. I don’t prefer it. But I believe the scrub is the best one I’ve ever used. It keep my lips exfoliated the longest. Which is quite a feat because I have the flakiest lip skin in all the land. I don’t even understand why. It couldn’t be because I sleep with a fan blowing in my face for 8 hours or anything.

The lip balms are nice as well. The Rose one has a slight pink tint, but it’s not super evident, so don’t expect a whole lot. I do like the way they feel on the lips; very moisturizing. The shine gloss is just a top coat. I probably won’t use this as much, but it’s not a bad product. I just don’t wear a lot of clear glosses.

Then I cashed in a couple hundred rewards points and got the next two things. First one is the Aqua Eyes eyeliner by Make Up Forever. I didn’t realize when I got it that it was a brown pencil, but I’m kind of happy it was. I have a lot of black liners, but very few brown ones. I was mostly interested in it cuz I needed a really good liner that stays put in my waterline. And even though this one is waterproof, my eyes somehow, miraculously, couldn’t give a shit. So this isn’t the one, needless to say. Still searching. Story of my life.

Last product is the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer. I know I’m the last person aside from nomads and cavewomen to own this bronzer. Better late than never. I can’t own all the things all at the same time ya know? Anyway, I thought this bronzer would be too dark for me cuz it kind of appears that way in the pan. But it’s PERFECT. Goes on lovely, blends fantastically, and smells like chocolate. Plus it’s matte so old people like me can wear it with confidence. Yayuuuuuus. In short, it’s my favorite bronzer now.

Congratulations, you’ve reached the end of this post. Your reward? Another post tomorrow.

You’re welcome.

Feb10

Sigma Makeup Brushes

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Dianna

Standard

Back a few months ago, I sucked at putting on eyeshadow. I mean, I did enough to get by but it was never anything spectacular. Honestly, it was basically a two-color affair. Lid. Highlight. Done. How exciting can that get? Not much, believe me.

Then I started watching tutorials on You Tube, and I got a little cocky.

I made a mistake. I admit. In my defense, those gurus made it look so simple. Add a little shadow in your crease. No big deal! Define your outer V. Easy peasy! Highlight your inner corner. Piece of cake!

I drag out my arsenal of makeup brushes, or rather the single solitary sad lonely one that didn’t even have a brand name on it. It could’ve been a preschooler’s plastic watercolor brush for all I knew, and not even a Crayola one.

My attempts to duplicate the gurus’ techniques was a sad state of affairs to say the least. I couldn’t create a smoky eye to save my life. On the upside, I made a perfect prostitutey eye. So there’s that.

I kept at it, however. Practiced some more. Got a little bit better. Not amazing, mind you, but verging on something in the less-hooker-like category. An improvement, yes.

But it wasn’t enough. I wanted those other eyes. The art pieces. It became my mission.

Enter the Sigma brushes.

There’s something to be said about nice brushes. They truly do make such a difference. See that first brush, the E30 Pencil brush? Does amazing inner corner work. Also stunning bottom lash lining. And a detailed outer V? Absolutely.

The next three brushes, the E25, E35 and E45 are amazing blending brushes. My crease has never (seriously, never) looked so good.

The E56 Lid Shader is awesome at detailed work. I use it for the outer third of my lid or for precise perfecting of my crease.

And that E05 Eyeliner brush makes gel eyeliner less scary.

Best thing about the whole deal?They’re only $12 each. Yes! Quality brushes at a great price. All my trusty gurus use them. And they have helped out my eyeshadow application by about a billion percent. What’s not to love?

Nothing. There is nothing not to love. Buy these immediately.

The first time, and I mean the very first time I used these brushes, I created something I wasn’t ashamed of. I made art! Granted, it was elementary school art, but more like 5th grade, not 1st grade. Although it still took about 15 hours to get it just right. Well, OCD sucks sometimes. But my point!

My point is that I did it. And that’s a very very good thing.

Snacks On Rotation

surprisingly, not a food blog

Tag Archives: makeup brushes

Buying Stuff: Episode 22

Buying Stuff: Episode 21

Buying Stuff: Episode 20

Buying Stuff: Episode 17

Sigma Makeup Brushes

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: