Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Brush Set Haul and First Impression

Saturday night, I stopped by Target to pick out a gift for my nephew's birthday and I also happen to be walking by the beauty isle. Not surprising...However, the moment I spotted this brush set, I was smitten! In my head, I was screaming out loud "come'on gurl, you don't need anymore brushes!" yet another voice in my head was saying "wow would you look at how beautiful these are!" So I stood there for a good 10 minutes debating whether I should take it or leave it and eventually bravely put it back on the shelf.

Went home slightly disappointed but started obsessing over it and started to look up for reviews and finally decided that I just needed to go back and grab the damn thing before it sells out. Ha! So you guessed what happened next, I went back to Target yesterday. There was still 3 boxes on the self. I grabbed one for myself and as soon as I got home, started taking pictures of them, bathed them, and pet them like a newly adopted puppy.

Anyways, I cannot believe none of the bloggers I follow mentioned about this brush set. Are you for real? I think it is worth mentioning even if you don't plan on getting it. The packaging is gorgeous and mostly the selling point for me. Look are the gorgeously purple tinted bristles, the deep eggplant purple handles, and the gold accent ferrule. What's not to like?

There is a total of 15 brushes for $39.99. You're probably wondering, is it worth it? Is the quality any good? Well...let's take a look.

First thing I noticed when I washed them is that the purple dye wasn't bleeding or coming off. There is very little shedding. The one that lost a little more hair was the powder brush, granted I'm pretty rough when I was my brushes.


Powder brush - very fluffy and soft. Not as dense as I would like but it would still be good for setting powders.

Blusher brush - very fluffy and soft. A bit too big for blusher brush, IMO. I would probably prefer to use this one for setting powders rather than the powder brush.

Duo-Fiber Buffing brush - it's a bit small for using with foundation but I think it's the perfect size for contouring or brushing. It's soft and has a good density to it.

Synthetic Angled Multi-Purpose brush - this one is also soft and would be good for applying foundation although, it's slightly small. Density is also good.

Contour Brush - if you want a very defined contour then this is the brush for you. It's dense and soft.

Foundation Brush - probably the least exciting brush of the pack. Most people would not use this for applying foundation since it can look pretty streaky and uneven.

Concealer brush - it's small and good for small spot concealing or can be used as a lip brush.

Blending brush - it's soft, fluffy, and dense. I think it's a good blending brush.

Crease brush - medium size, round, soft, and dense. I think it'll do the job well on the crease.

Small eyeshadow brush - I think it's a good size, especially if you have smaller eyes. I like the shape and density of it.

Fluffy eyeshadow brush - this would be perfect for blending. It's soft yet very dense and a bit big. You could use this as an all over eyeshadow wash.

Precision Smudge brush - it's more of a pencil brush. Nice size and shape and would do well for smudging as well.

Synthetic Angled liner Brush - it has a very thin point and perfect for lining the eyes.

Smudge brush - It's pretty small and good for small details, smudging eyeliners, or applying eyeliners.

Spoolie - yay for a purple spoolie! I don't have a spoolie brush so I'm happy for this.


Overall, for the price, I think you get a pretty nice set. I love the packaging and the purple bristles. As far as quality goes, it's not top notch but it's not bad either. They have a good quality and feel to them. Certain brushes, I wished were bigger or smaller. I will have a use for all of them eventually, except maybe the foundation brush.

If you need a good and affordable brush set, I would definitely recommend the Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary brush set but hurry this is limited edition and won't be around for long and I heard each store only carry 2 or 3 sets of these.

Thoughts? Would you be getting these?

Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon Nudey Nude - Swatch and Review

I guess one of the reason why I wanted to try the Sonia Kashuk lip crayon is because the packaging reminds me of NARS lip pencils...Ain't that funny eh? Ever bought something because it reminded you of something else? I do that quite often, especially if it reminded me of something I like.

Packaging

• Jumbo lip pencil. I like the fact that it has the plastic seal when you purchase it so you know that no one has tempered with the product.
• .08 oz or 2.3 g

Product

• The first time I opened the cap, I was overcome by this strong waxy plastic smell. Whew, it almost knocked me out but with use, I find that the smell isn't as potent as when I first cracked it open. It's still there though and wears off a few minutes after you've applied it.
• Nudey Nude is what I consider one of those nudes that are more flattering because it's not so light that it can make you look pale as a corpse. It's a nice medium brownish nude with just a bit of pink in it. 
• I find it to be decently pigmented and it applies smooth and creamy on the lips. If you look up close you can see a very faint shimmer in it; however, it still manages to look matte. 
• I didn't think it was moisturizing and neither drying
• I got about 2 1/2 or 3 hours of wear before it starts to fade. It really doesn't last very long. Most matte lipsticks I've tried usually last about 4 hours. 

Final Thought

The synthetic smell is a bit of a bother but not so much that I can't tolerate. Other than that my other complaint would be that it doesn't last long enough. The pigmentation and color is nice and the texture is smooth. Overall, I like but I don't love it. 

Rating: 7/10

Price: $7.59

Availability: Target

My Face Brushes - Contour brushes (Part 3)

Here are my contour brushes. They are all shaped differently but still give out similar result. If you missed my previous posts about my powder and foundation and blush brushes, feel free to check them out too.

• Sigma Angled Top Kabuki F84, $16. This one is multi task, IMO. You could use it for applying or buffing foundations, blushes, and bronzers. It's very soft and dense and will pick up a lot of product. If you are using this for application, keep that in mind and use a light hand especially if you are using a powdery/pigmented product. The quality is very good and never shed.

• Sigma Round Top Kabuki F82, $16.00. I'm very impressed and pleased with Sigma's HD brushes. They are made of great quality and are so soft. I particularly prefer to use this one to buff the bronzer on the hollows of my cheeks.

• Real Techniques Buffing Brush.  This is not as dense as the Sigma brushes but still a pretty good brush that does the job. You could use this for applying foundation as well. Never once shedded on me.

• Sonia Kaskuk Flat Top Sculpting brush, $12.99. If you want that very structured contour, this would be the perfect brush. It's flat but very soft and dense. Never had any problems with shedding.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of these brushes. If you take good care of them. They will last you many years. I've had all these for over a year and they still retained their shape and still look and feel as good as new.

Thanks for reading. Let me know if you have any questions.


Luuux Shared Link

My Face Brushes - Blush Brushes (Part 2)

These set of brushes are my blush brushes. They can also be used for highlighting or contouring. If you missed the post about my foundation and powder brushes, you can view it HERE.

• Real Techniques Contour Blush. Great brush, dense, very soft, and the perfect size. The fibers are synthetic and this never shedded on me.I'm not sure if this one is sold own its own but I did get it from the set, which cost $17.99.

• Crown Brush C405 Contour Blush, $7.49. Feels fluffy but it's definitely not flimsy either. Does a great job at delivering just the right amount of product and blending it seamlessly. Minimal shedding when cleaned.

• Wal-Mart Angled Blush brush, $5.97. This brush is very soft but a bit flimsy. It is still a decent brush though. It never shedded on me and has lasted me well for the past couple of years. This would be a good brush to use for highly pigmented blushes that requires a light hand.

• Crown Brush IB105 Tapered Blush, $6.49. Nice sturdy brush with decently soft bristles. This is made out of Italian Badger hair. Minimal shedding when cleaned.

• Sonia Kashuk small powder/blusher brush, $8.99. Loooove this brush. The handle isn't so fancy but the brush works well and is soft. Minimal shedding when cleaned.

• Crown C404 Small Duo Face, $6.45. Everyone should have one of these. It works very well for very pigmented blushes and cream blushes. Hasn't shed on me so far.

• Coastal Scents C427 Tapered Duo Fiber Blush. If you like using cream blushes, this would be the perfect brush for it. It's sturdier than the one above and makes blending a lot nicer. Hasn't shed on me so far. I can't no longer find this on Coastal Scents website but I'm almost sure that this is actually made by Crown Brush. http://crownbrush.us/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_14_23&products_id=280

Some of these brushes can be used for contouring but I personally like them better for blush and highlight.

Hope you found this post helpful.


Luuux Shared Link

Collective Haul -- Ulta, CVS, Big Lots, and Target

Today, I made a trip to Ulta to redeem my reward certificate and because Mario Badescu skincare were all 25% off. I needed to restock on skincare product so this was the perfect opportunity. Tomorrow, Boscia is on sale at Ulta for 20% off so I will have to make another trip to restock on my favorite eye cream and night cream...Yikes! Oh well, at least I don't feel bad spending money on skincare because I do take care of my skin and I usually don't let my skincare product go to waste.

Products I purchased from Ulta:

• Mario Badescu Almond & Honey Non-Abrasive Face Scrub, $11.25 (original price $15.00). This is a pretty big jar, 4 oz. I was pleased with the pricing.
• Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream, $15.00 (original price $20.00). It felt very silky when I tested it in store so I decided to give it a try.
• Mario Badescu Collagen Moisturizer SPF 15, $16.50 (original price $22.00). I received this moisturizer as a sample a while ago and I liked that it was moisturizing, fast absorbing, and light weight.
• OLAY Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel System, $27.99 minus $3.50 coupon. I've always wanted to try this ever since I read the review that Angelic Betrayal did. Feel free to check out her review HERE.
• It's A 10 Miracle Leave In Product, Free but normally retails for $18.00. I redeemed my reward certificate for this leave in conditioner. I've used this product for about a year now. I absolutely love it.

CVS Haul:

• Wet N Wild Fauna Collection. I was absolutely thrilled when I spotted this new limited edition collection from Wet N Wild. $4.99 for 4 products, that is a steal!
• Wet N Wild Flora Collection, $4.99.
• Schick Quattro refills, $12.29. What I love about these blades is that they have the little wire between them and they help a lot. I get no cuts and less irritation from them.
• Confetti nail polishes, To Teal to Handle and Bayou Blue, $1.99 each.
• Revlon PhotoReady Concealer, light medium. $9.99 minus $3.00 CVS coupon and $1.00 manufacturer coupon.
• Essie No Chips Ahead. Free with CVS coupon.

With another CVS coupon, I received an additional 25% off on my total.

Big Lots Haul

• White Cloud Premium Cleasing Pads. $1.20 each.
• Sally Hansen Color Quick Pens, $1.50 each. Lyndsay uses these for nail stamping and I just had to get these too since they were so cheap.

Target Haul

• Sonia Kashuk Full Volume Eyelashes with glue, $4.99. I just had to try these. They look so pretty and natural.
• Sonia Kashuk Flat-Top Sculpting Brush, $12.99. I have not seen any brush like this one and I just have to have it. It's the perfect tool for sculpting your cheeks! It's soooo soft and dense.

Finally, I almost forgot about this last product that I picked up from Sally Beauty Supply. It's a lip and cheek stain duo by Femme Couture. I thought that the product was interesting so I grabbed it. $9.99.


Whewwwww. I think that is it for now. Hope you found something that peaked your interest.



Luuux Shared Link

Sonia Kashuk Lipsticks - Sheer Calypso & Soft Pink Swatches

I've always been curious about Sonia Kashuk cosmetics but never really felt compelled enough to pick them up. However, when I scored these two lippies for less than $3.00 each. I didn't want to miss the opportunity.
I believe these are being discontinued. Last time I went back to Target, these were replaced by new lipsticks and they were in a black case. With that said, I'm not going to do a full review but just give you a few thoughts about the products and share some swatches with you.

• These lipsticks are reminescent of the Revlon Lip Butters.
• They are semi-sheer. You can definitely get color from these but there is still some sheerness to the product.
• They do have a little more slip, which affects the staying power and doesn't last more than 2 hours on the lips. They won't make it though a meal though.
• They look very glossy, feel comfortable, and are somewhat moisturizing.
• I like the sleek and classy packaging.
• They have a pleasant sweet scent.

  

Sheer Calypso looks like a pinkish coral on my lips. By the way, in case you were wondering my lips are pretty pale. I don't know why the application looks blotchy on the picture but I didn't notice that in real life.

 

 Soft Pink is a light pinkish nude. Both shades are suitable for every day wear.

 

 

I apologize for the lighting. Most of my free time are at night so that's why I always take pictures in the dark, lol.

Have you tried Sonia Kashuk's new lipstick line? I'm curious if they are better than these.

Luuux Shared Link