My Face Brushes - Powder and Foundation (Part 1)

I know I rarely talk about my makeup brushes so I figure I'm going to have to introduce them to you eventually. Above is my entire collection of "face" brushes. If you are interested in the eye makeup brushes that I use, you can view them by clicking HERE.

Once I laid them out, I had more than I realize. I seem to always pick on the same ones. I'm dividing my face brushes into 3 parts. In this first part, I will be discussing about my foundation and powder brushes. Part 2 will be about blush brushes and Part 3 will be about contour brushes. I will post part 2 and 3 in the next couple days.

• Sigma Large Power F30, $19.00. This one is not the softest brush I've had but it is decently soft. Slightly dense but still has that fluffiness to it. This brush is good if you want to set your liquid foundation with powder but don't want to look cakey or over-powdered. It will deliver just the right amount so that your face can still look natural. The one thing I don't really like about this brush is that it sheds and the bristles always fall on my face or fall off when I wash it. I lose on average of 3 hair per use and 5 or 6 when I wash it. It's a bit annoying but not out of control.

• Sephora Professionnel Contour blush/bronzer. I really don't get why they would think of using this as a brush/bronzer brush. It's very dense and has shorter finer bristles so it will pick up a lot of product if you use this for application but I can see using this brush to buff out the blush or bronzer that has already been applied. I typically use this brush for powder and when I feel that I want a little more coverage and that matte porcelain doll skin finish. This brush is fairly soft and hardly shed but takes a bit longer to dry after you wash it. I wouldn't recommend it for loose powders though. I think this brush may have been discontinued.

• Gotta B' Urban Kabuki brush. I found this brush at either Marshall or TJ Maxx a while back. I thought the black and while pattern was cute and I like the fact that this kabuki brush comes with a longer handle. This is a nice brush. It's very soft, dense, and never shed. I did experience some color bleeding during the first few washes but doesn't happen anymore after that. Since the bristles are synthetic, this brush is perfect for both powder and liquid foundation.

• Wal-Mart Powder brush, $6.97. This is a very soft brush. It's flatter and tappered but not as dense as I would prefer it to be. Really nice for applying powders. It's a little small but still feasible. This never shed on me. 

• Real Technique Stippling brush, $9.99. The quality of this brush is pretty impressive for the price. I love the color of the handle. I also like the fact that you can also have it standing up right on a flat surface.The duo fibers are dense and soft and I also like the fact that they are a little shorter so it gives me a lot more control. This is great for applying liquid foundation. It never shed on me and my only complaint is that I wish the brush was a little wider. That would have allowed me to do my face faster. 

• Coastal Scents Classic Buffer Large Synthetic, $14.95. I think this is the perfect size for a foundation brush. The bristles are densely packed and never shed. I can't think of any flaws. You could use this for either powder or foundation.

• ELF Powder Brush, $3.00. The synthetic bristles are very soft and dense. This is my most used brush for applying liquid foundation. Why? Because it allows me to work quickly, spread foundation evenly and easily, and I loooove the finish. My face looks air brushed and flawless when I use this brush. My biggest complaint is that the built of the brush isn't that great and after a few uses the ferrule starts to wiggle and get loose. But in spite of that, I keep coming back for it...weird, lol.

• Sigma Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki F80, $16.00. This is the much better version of the ELF powder brush which comes with better quality. It is also denser so drying it takes a little longer, which is my only complaint. It applies liquid foundation flawlessly and effortlessly.

I love using all of these brushes but my mostly used ones are the ELF powder brush, the Sigma F30, and the Sephora Professionel. I guess I use them so much that I've developed a habit of reaching for them.
If you like using liquid foundation, I highly recommend that you use synthetic bristles. You are less likely to ruin them and you may also find that they are easier to clean and maintain as compaired to natural bristles. You probably don't have to have that many brushes but it is always good to have extra in your arsenal just in case the other is still drying or dirty.

What are your go-to face brushes?


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NOTW - Delicious Raspberry Jelly Sandwich

I must've taken a hundred pictures of this mani. First because I couldn't get my camera to capture how freaking gorgeous it is and secondly because I just can't get over how freaking gorgeous it is. I was so happy with the result that I was getting high off of it. Ain't that something eh? lol.

It was one of those gloomy weekend and I was just sitting at home trying to think of what I'm going to wear on my nails. After digging through my pile of nail polishes, I found one jelly nail polish that I had neglected. Actually, the truth is, I didn't love it when I first bought it because it looked so pretty in the bottle but ended up being so sheer.

After my first and successful attempt at making a jelly sandwich, I was determined to come up with another one, hoping it will come out just as pretty. By the way, if you missed out on that post, you can view it by clicking HERE.

Products used:

• One coat of Sally Hansen Triple Strong. This has become my favorite base coat. If you have weak and thin nails. I highly recommend that you give this a try. I noticed that it does a really good job at reinforcing my nails and making them strong. I've tried a few products and they didn't do anything for me but this stuff really works. On top of that, it fills in your nail ridges so you have a smooth surface to paint your nails and it dries really fast. My nails have been in such a good shape lately, I couldn't be happier. 
• Two coats of Barielle Elle's Spell. It's a sheer jelly raspberry polish with iridescent greenish-gold flakies.
• One coat of Icing Frost Yourself glitter top coat. This polish is packed with large and small holographic glitters.
• One coat of Elle's Spell again. 
• One coat of Seche Vite top coat. 

And voila! Here's the final result...D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S sandwich! I tried Elle's Spell with a few different glitters and I wasn't completely happy until I paired it with Frost Yourself. The flakies and the different size glitters gives this mani a lot of dimension and when the light reflects on the flakies, they look like light sparkles and the holo glitters look like a firework. It is fantastic in person, much sparklier. I could just stare at my fingers all day.

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Urban Decay Friends and Family Sale Haul

Good evening lovelies,

I receive my order from the Friends and Family sale yesterday. The processing and shipping of my order went pretty quick. As you may already be familiar with it, the sale allows you get a 20% off discount on your entire order, which is why I usually put off anything I want from UD until they have a sale, lol.

With that said, I'm probably one a the few who still didn't own the Naked 2 palette until today. I knew I was going to get it eventually but I didn't feel the need to buy it when it first launched. The Naked 2 palette includes a dual ended brush and a mini Lip Junkie in the shade Naked. I'm sure you all have seen many swatches and reviews of this palette already so I doubt I will do a review. My first impression is I like it. It's very similar to the first Naked palette but I like the packaging of Naked 2 much better and I'm glad they included a brush and lipgloss, which are things from UD that I haven't tried.

Secondly, I purchased a few sales items so that I can get the free shipping, lol. I picked the lipstick in the shade Confession ($3) and two vintage eyeshadows, Purple Haze and Woodstock. They were on sale for $6.00 each. I will post swatches and reviews, hopefully soon.

UD included a few freebies:

• A sticker. Seriously? I don't know about you guys but what am I going to do with it? I have no use for it. 
• Samples of eyeshadow primer and complexion primer potions. These are only one time use samples. 
• A $5 coupon for my next purchase. 

 Did you take advantage of the sale? If so, what did you get?

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Swatches - CoverGirl BlastFlipstick Flashy

This is another one of those products I picked a long time ago and completely forgot about it. I believe this was close to $9.00, which I think is pretty expensive for a CoverGirl product. I got it during a sale so it ended up being a little less for me.

In terms of packaging. I think it is just ok. My main complaint would be that the lipsticks cannot twist all the way down so you can possibly nip the product when removing or putting back the cap.

You could use these together to create a duo-tone lip color or you can use them on their own if you like.

One side is a reddish purple with some blue shimmers. This one reminded me of MAC Violetta but I think it is a bit more red. It is very pigmented and opaque. It also has a frosty finish. I like the color of it and how it looks on me but I hated the way it stained my lips. When you remove this color. You are left with a neon pink stain for the next 24 hours. Hmm, I've had the same issues with this type of shade from Cover Girl.

The other shade is a medium pink with blue undertone and frosty finish. Although still pigmented, the intensity of the color is more toned down. It's got some pink and purple glitters in it that I can feel when I apply this lipstick. Not really liking the texture of this lipstick but it does apply fairly evenly. There is a bit of staining but it isn't as bad as the other color.

I have not tested these for wear but based on my swatches, I feel that these seem like they would wear for at least 3 hours and then you are left with the stains. I like that they have just the right amount of slip and creaminess to them upon application but I doubt that these will be moisturizing. They have a sweet cosmetic scent to it that I don't really like but I think I can deal with it.

I think these are just ok lipsticks. Nothing to write home about. They have more toned down colors if you feel that these shades are not your cup of tea.

Have you tried these? If yes, what did you think of them?

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Laser Cut Venitian Mask

I have always wanted to own a masquerade mask but never got around to purchasing one. While googling for one a week ago, I found this mask on Amazon.com for only $23, including shipping. That was a steal because most of the laser cut mask I found were at least $35 to $100.

What I love about this mask:

• The intricate / lacy details
• The fact that it doesn't completely cover my face
• The rhinestones add a nice touch to it 
• The price

This mask is made out of metal and is somewhat delicate so you will have to handle it with care. Since Halloween is right around the corner, this would be a good time to get one and sure plan on doing a look which will include this mask. I am debating if I should paint this mask in gold. I think the gold would look a lot nicer on me.

If you are interested in this mask, here's the link of where I bought it from. http://www.amazon.com/Venetian-Laser-Cut-Details-Black-Design/dp/B009AKI01M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1350017185&sr=8-3&keywords=laser+cut+masquerade+mask


So have you figured out what you going to be for Halloween?

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Swatches - Dots Pink Metallic

Some of you may not have access to Dots but if you do, I think their nail polishes are a worth a look. I know they don't have a huge selection of colors to choose from but I have bought 4 nail polishes from them so far and I am pretty pleased with them. They are always BOGO 50% and I think one nail polish is less than $3.00.

I don't have the correct name labeled because I think it must have fell off the packaging so the Pink Metallic is totally made up. This shade goes on a bit thick but applies fairly evenly and is opaque in just one coat. The color reminds me of a brand spanking new penny...very shiny and metallic.
Not too crazy about it but it may be a good polish for doing design and possibly nail stamping.

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Small Mario Badescu Haul

Hello there!

This is just a really tiny haul. About two weeks ago, Mario Badescu was on sale on Hautelook and though I didn't really find anything that I had to have, I did manage to pick up this facial spray.
It contains aloe, herbs, and rosewater. It can be used to set makeup, refresh, and hydrate your skin. It also has a nice rose scent to it. This is an 8 oz bottle, which is pretty big and I can see this lasting me a while.

So basically, I plan on using this as a toner. I like the fact that there is no alcohol. Last night, after exfoliating my face, I sprayed some of the product on a cotton pad and wiped my face with it. I was actually horrified when I noticed that my exfoliator didn't do such a good job at removing my face makeup since the cotton pad picked up what it failed to clean. I like how this spray helps lock in moisture for me when I applied my night cream afterward.

I really appreciated that they included a gift with my purchase so I got these travel size shampoo and conditioner for free.

Have you tried this spray? What is your favorite face toner?


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