Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Face Secrets Facial Cleansing Brush
karen1245 12/29/2011 5:50:00 PM
This retails around $2 USD at Sally Beauty Supply stores. This is a mini brush which is under 5.5” inches in height and about 1.5” inches in width. This is ideal for travelling! This brush is a good addition to your skin care routine. The brush hairs are in the circular fashion at the head of the brush which are soft. For reference think of the head children’s tooth brushes. There’s a Face Secrets logo on the handle of the brush. Additionally there is a clear cap for the brush head. This is manual facial wash brush you can use to wash your face every day or exfoliation depending on your skin. I personally use this brush every day. Though if I think you have sensitive skin, it may be too rough for everyday use. I wet the brush head and apply cleanser to the brush head and proceed to wash my face using a circular fashion. So, I say definitely give this brush a chance in case you’re not ready or prepared to shell out money for a Clarisonic.
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Mascara -E.L.F. - Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara
karen1245 9/14/2011 7:49:00 PM
This product retails for $1.00 USD. So this is ELF’s version of clear brow gel which also functions as clear mascara for your eyebrows. This is a dual ended product with two spoolies (one for eyebrows the other of eyelashes). The product is a clear gel, though I believe it’s the same product! As a Brow Gel I find this gel helpful in keeping my brows put. This is definitely a cheaper alternative to Anastasia’s Clear Brow Gel (retails $20 USD). Though once you already filled your brows and applied the brow gel, you’ll pick up some of your brow product and ‘contaminate’ the rest of your brow gel in the container as soon as you put the spoolie back. [The product I have in the tube is now tinted brown gel now.] Using this product as a brow gel I didn’t find that the gel did anything. I applied the gel by itself and prior to mascara application, it did nothing for my eyelashes. Applying the gel only to my eyelash didn’t help me to keep my lashes curled. And as well applying it after mascara application only helped to tint the gel darker. I would use this product as a brow gel. I wouldn’t say this gel is the greatest. But for $1, why not?
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Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Carbon Black Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner
karen1245 9/14/2011 7:12:00 PM
This is definitely one of my go-to liquid eyeliners. (Though I must point out I’m not the best at applying eyeliner. I can’t just draw a line in one swoop. I don’t know how you awesome people do it; you probably have awesome hand-eye coordination. Ok…but I digress!) So this product retails for $7.99 USD (at my local CVS). This eyeliner has a felt tip which is thin at the tip and it gradually thickens. I highly recommend using felt-tip eyeliners as they are more forgiving when lining your eyes. The cap is long enough for you to hold it like a pencil. Do shake this product, as you can hear the agitator clicking, before using. As for the felt tip I would say it's thicker than the Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eyeliner. So, some might find this tip too thick to draw a thin line. I don't have a problem with it. If you have trouble drawing a thin line, I can only recommend using a lighter hand and placing the eyeliner perpendicular your eyelid. The color ‘Carbon Black’ is an opaque black. The consistency of the eyeliner is wet, so do give several more seconds for it to dry. During application I noticed it’s a bit glossy during application. The gloss will mute a bit when it’s completely dry. It seemed like an issue for some. However, this product also claims to have an 8-hour staying power and I completely agree. I do think this is a great dupe for Lancome’s Artliner which costs $29.00 USD! Also this product isn’t waterproof. Though with that said, removal is super easy! You can easily remove this eyeliner with makeup wipes alone sans eye makeup remover. And on a final note, this product comes in four colors: Carbon Black, Black Mica (soften Black color), Earthen Rock Brown, and Mineral Grey.
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Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Mr. Pumice - Pumi Bar
karen1245 6/16/2011 3:22:00 AM
I should point out there the Purple Bar in the images if the Mr. Pumi Extra Coarse Bar ($2.39 USD). And there’s the regular Mr. Pumi Bar ($1.69 USD). I noticed that when I get pedicures that the nail technician would use a rectangular pumice bar and I thought it was the most amazing thing on Earth. Luckily, they had Mr. Pumi at the Sally Beauty Supply store! I use the Mr. Pumi Bar on a daily basis as I love to wear sandals and flip-flops. (This will be gross but whatever, but it’s really satisfying to see the dead skin you scrubbed off on the pumice stone! You know it working!) It’s a great buy for such a low price. In case you have calluses or require more heavy-duty work, consider using the Extra Coarse bar instead. I use the pumice stone on my boyfriend’s feet and it works wonders! He has major calluses and that helped to remove most of them provided they were being maintained.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Make Up For Ever - HD Microperfecting Primer in 1 Green
karen1245 6/16/2011 2:27:00 AM
This product retails for $32 USD for 1.01 fl oz. (30 ml). This product is used for color correcting redness on your face. A pump is included (which should be standard nowadays). This was my first Make Up For Ever purchase and I was very disappointed. This was a green tinted moisturizer. I also noticed the pleasant fragrance, it’s not too overpowering. The primer is runny similar to liquid foundation. I find that it’s best to apply this with fingers rather than a brush because it would soak up the product. After initial application, it didn’t really cover my cheeks. The application was too sheer for me. I saw my rosy cheeks peeking through the sheer green layer on top. So the application is sheer. Though unfortunately, I broke out with pimples everywhere. Just to make sure it wasn’t an extraneous factor, I used the primer several more times and had the same results. I broke out every time. I had high hopes for this product. But turns out it just wasn’t for me.
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Eyeliner -Maybelline - Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
karen1245 6/15/2011 3:15:00 AM
This product retails for $9.99 at the Target I visited. This is the dupe for Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Gel Liner in Black Ink. Maybelline’s gel liner includes (0.1 oz) of the gel liner in a glass container and a travel sized eyeliner brush. From the packaging, it looks like you’re getting a lot of product, but if you examine it carefully, you’re really getting a portion of that. The liner applies on smoothly and is quite moist! I’ve used the product for 6 months so far and the product applies the same as if I just purchased it. I was very impressed! It product applies on great on top of primer and eyeshadow. For the duration of the day, the liner did not crease whatsoever. The included eyeliner brush is awesome! It’s similar to the Bobbi Brown brush but the Maybelline brush head is slightly smaller. And well because it’s travel sized obviously the length of the brush is small but not bad whatsoever! You can use the brush over and over! What’s a steal! This product comes in three colors: 1) Obviously, Black, 2) Brown, and 3) Plum. Price comparison, Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Gel Liner costs $21.00 and the Ultra-Fine Eyeliner Brush costs $25.00. Depending where you shop, you can save at least $35.00!! You can purchase all three colors with what you saved!
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Concealers -Laura Mercier - Undercover Pot
karen1245 6/15/2011 3:00:00 AM
This retails for $34 in stores. I think it’s a great value that you are getting three products in one. There are two types of concealers and a translucent setting powder. The concealer on the left is the LM Secret Camouflage concealer. The concealer on the right is the LM Secret Concealer. The Secret Camouflage is a drier and opaque formula aimed to cover any blemishes/discolorations on your face exception to your dark circles. I find that when I use the Secret Camouflage on my skin, it does conceal my blemishes but it appears flaky because I have dry skin even with moisturizer. The Secret Camouflage is definitely heavy –duty (IMO) because it’s so thick. (So for those of you with other skin types, it might appear better on your skin.) The Secret Concealer is a wet formula, which seems more properly suited for dark circles. Though in the end, I ended up using the Secret Concealer on all my blemishes altogether. The Secret Concealer definitely goes a long way so don’t over apply and slather this. I find it great that this product includes Translucent Loose Setting Powder. The powder applies flawlessly on my dry skin without appearing white. This is a great product to have while travelling because this would be beneficial in dry or humid areas. If you want to try out this product, purchase this within the Flawless Face Kit ($65); it’s such a great value! If you do purchase this product, this is a great introduction to Laura Mercier concealers.
For reference, I am a NC 37 and I purchased this product in shade UC-3. The Secret Camouflage and the Secret Concealer are salmon color in case you were wondering.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Stila - Kajal Eye Liner in Onyx
karen1245 4/27/2011 2:49:00 PM
This product retails for $18.00 USD. But I purchased this in a set from Costco for $12, so check your Costco if they still carry it. This is a standard black eyeliner pencil which you have to sharpen. It sharpens easily with my inexpensive and expensive sharpeners. I find the black color quite pigmented. The great thing about this eyeliner is that it glides onto your eyes very easily! I didn’t have to tug on my eyelid nor applied extra pressure to my waterline. The eyeliner smears everywhere. So, if you have hooded eyes, this eyeliner is a pain. So prepare to have panda eyes! In case you were wondering, I tried this with eye shadow primer as well and ended up with the same results. However, I don’t want to throw this product out, so this product is great for creating a smoky eye look since it does blend very easily with a brush! So as a caveat, if you have oily or hooded lids, this will probably smear all over the place.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Maybelline - Define-A-Brow
karen1245 4/27/2011 2:21:00 PM
At the time of purchase, this was $6.99 USD at CVS. The product is .001 Oz (or .05 g). This is a mechanical brow pencil on one end and the other end has a comb. This product comes in 6 shades. In my opinion, this is the drugstore equivalent to famed Anastasia’s Brow Wiz (Retails $20 USD). Simply swivel the pencil end to dispense product (a couple clicks should suffice). I found that this product applies best with small short strokes. The product itself feels quite hard and waxy. Because of its waxy nature, this product lasted all day on me (8-10 hours). Though for you with oily skin, I’m not too sure! The tip is quite small which is extremely helpful for precise application! Application of this product is not as smooth as other eyebrow pencils but that’s a minute detail. Blending requires a bit more effort. I wish Maybelline had included a spoolie end rather than comb end, because I don’t use the comb at all. So, if you have any extra spoolies lying around in your brush kit/makeup collection do use it (or use a Q-Tip). This is an OK eyebrow pencil, but do try to purchase this from your local drugstore when they have a Maybelline sale. I think this is great for travelling because it is so compact and light weight.
For color reference: Define-A-Brow in Medium Brown 643 is comparable to Anastasia’s Brow Wiz in Medium Ash. And Define-A-Brow in Dark Brown 642 is comparable to Anastasia’s Brow Wiz in Ebony.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sigma - F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki (was SS197)
karen1245 3/14/2011 1:16:00 AM
I bought this product based on many people’s (fellow MUAers and YT Gurus) recommendations. A lot of reviews raved the flawless application with this brush. First off, the bristles are amazingly soft! This brush helps you to conserve liquid foundation when you use this brush. Sometimes when you use liquid foundation, the tools you use can absorb the foundation which could’ve been on your face. Because of the high density of the synthetic bristles, the foundation sits on top of the brush head. I use quarter size amount of foundation (usually around 1-2 good pump). However, the F80 is great for both liquid and powder! That’s a plus! This is truly versatile brush because you can either stipple or buff foundation into your skin. Though, do let this brush do the work for you! (I have dry skin and we all know what a pain flakey skin is when applying foundation.) You don’t have to deeply buff it into your skin. When buffing your foundation, do it gently. It’ll still apply flawlessly. Ever since purchasing this brush, I’ve had no issues with bleeding and shedding. This is a truly valuable product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sigma - Essential Kit - Make Me Blush
karen1245 3/14/2011 1:12:00 AM
This review is for the Sigma Complete Kit with Brush Roll. This brush set is priced at $99 with the brush roll. Though, you can purchase without the brush roll for $79 USD. For $99 USD and for 12 brushes, that averages $8.25 USD per brush. What a deal! The brush roll is made of faux leather (plastic) material. Many individuals have mentioned of a strong odor emanating from the brush roll. To me, it reminds me of new car smell. I didn’t find the smell obnoxious. However, aesthetically, the brush roll is indeed unique to Sigma. The brush roll closes using a metal magnetic clasp. The brushes are made of a wooden handle with a black matte finish. (There is also a pink equivalent to this set; it’s the same, just a different color. Not too sure if the Pink version is discontinued though.) The ferrule is appears to be nickel-plated metal. Some brushes have either synthetic or natural hair bristles. (Sorry Vegans!). On the handle, the Sigma logo is printed on next to the identification of the brush. The Complete Kit comes with 12 brushes:
1. Large Powder Brush F30 (SS 150). This brush has a huge brush head. For myself, I find it useful to use this brush when I’m in a hurry and need to cover my face quickly with powder. Though, it also helps that this doubles as a body brush (which you can still use it if you don’t like using it on your face). This brush has shedded hairs (around 12 hairs) following its initial washes.
2. Duo Fiber Brush - F50 (SS 187). People love to use duo fiber brushes as a foundation brush. I wasn’t as impressed with this brush. The brush head was quite sparse. And when applying foundation, the bristles didn’t seem as stiff. (I don’t own a MAC 187, but I do down a Sephora Professional Platinum #44). Though, I found it to be more useful to apply my blush or bronzer! The dark bristles did bleed into the white bristles. This usually happens so to remedy the situation I wash this brush twice ensuring that the brush has been blotted prior to hanging it dry.
3. Large Angled Contour Brush F40 (SS168). This doesn’t stand out to me. Honestly, it’s a mid-price version of my Essence of Beauty Dual End Blush & Powder brush. It applies blush decently. The brush hairs were frayed. Try to wash this brush thoroughly after using a product because you wouldn’t want the brush hairs to be stained by products.
4. Foundation Brush F60 (SS 190). This is a standard foundation paddle brush. Ideal when using liquid foundation. Through the application may be streaky, but extra blending can resolve that.
5. Concealer Brush F70 (SS 194). The bristles are sturdy. The toe (or tip) of the bristles was quite narrow, which is ideal for applying concealer in the outer corners of the nose. I personally prefer to use the foundation brush to apply concealer rather than using a firm
6. Tapered Blending Brush E40 (SS 224). As a blending brush, this is quite a huge brush for the eye area. Though it does what it needs to do, it’s great a blending brush.
7. Eye Shading Brush E55 (SS 239). It’s a great eye shadow brush. I love using this every day. To me, the bristles are quite soft.
8. Large Shader Brush E60 (SS 252). This is a paddle eye shadow brush. I love how much eye shadow can be picked up from this brush. Simply pat this brush onto your eyelid and it places a substantial amount of shadow. The bristles are somewhat stiff. Though given the size, I use this for setting powder over my concealer. I’ve encountered no shedding with this brush so far.
9. Medium Angled Shading Brush E70 (SS 275). I honestly don’t use this brush enough. Though, if need to, I find this brush suits best for blending in the crease area.
10. Pencil Brush E30 (SS 209). I used this pencil brush mainly for my crease area. Also this brush is quite suited to smudge eyeliner. Sometimes, if another brush isn’t available, I use this brush to line my eyes with eye shadow. As mentioned with the Large Angle Contour Brush (F40), the pencil brush has white bristles just be sure to thoroughly clean this brush to prevent staining of the bristles.
11. Small Angled Brush E65 (SS 266). I use this brush to fill in my eyebrows. I also like to use this brush when lining my eye with gel liner. After several washes, the a couple bristles are starting to splay.
12. Eyeliner Brush E05 (SS 209). This is a fine point tip brush. As I find that the point tip hurts when I apply eyeliner. I don’t use this brush, so hopefully you can!
Sigma usually includes a travel sized Blending Brush E25. But for this purchase, I received a travel pink F50 brush. The travel F50 is definitely a lot smaller in comparison to the full-sized F50. I think the brush head is just perfect, no complaints. The Sigma Complete Brush Kit with Brush Roll is ideal for individuals new to makeup or anyone who wants a complete makeup set. This premade set is a better value than customizing your own set from Sigma.
*12/06/2011* So I rechecked the Sigma Website, they don't sell this Complete Kit with the Brush Roll together. You can now purchase the Complete Kit (Brushes) for $89.00; the Brush Roll is now $20.00. So now it's $109.00. My brushes and brush roll are still holding up. The pencil brush E30 as mentioned can easily stained. I can avoid this by double or triple deep cleaning the brush. But something to consider.*
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No