November Starlooks Starbox was AWESOME! Honestly, I’ve always been very impressed with their products.
Sign up by December 10th to get the AWESOME December Box – with a 15 eye shadow palette!!!!! http://starlooks.com/
Give the gift of a Starbox Subscription to a friend / loved one for the holidays, and they will receive the December Starbox — an incredible $99 value! — which will contain our 15 Shade Eye Shadow Palette!
Subscribe to Starbox before December 10th to receive the incredible December Starbox, containing our Starlooks’ $99 VALUE, 15 Shade Eye Shadow Palette. Subscriptions are only $15/mo + shipping! http://starlooks.com/
November was an awesome month filled with all kinds of fun and the Thanksgiving Holiday. I absolutely love November because the Winter Holidays are my favorite and Thanksgiving…
I have tried many different Crown Brushes in the course of the last 4 years and I’ve always been amazed at their quality even if they sold at such an affordable price point. I was super excited to get these because 1) I’m a Purple Addict and 2) It would give me the opportunity to try out Crown’s HD Brushes.
Upon receipt of these (via iFabbo) I was very excited because the brushes came in a cool purple pouch all zipped up tight and ready to play. Now, if you know anything about me, it’s that I am a Brush addict (well, makeup addict – but I can’t resist buying a quality brush set), so I couldn’t wait to dive right in. The brushes felt very soft to touch and when I washed them, they seemed to hold up okay through the washing process. There was a bit of shedding but not a crazy amount and surprisingly I didn’t get any color bleed as I have in the past with brush sets that had their tips colored.
After their wash & dry, I was still amazed that the brushes held their Super soft feel and it wasn’t compromised after I gave them each a bath. They are fairly nice in weight. I like my brushes to have long handles so it did take a bit to get used to them, however – they each were pretty comfortable in my hands. I tried the tweezers first. It’s quite sturdy and seemed to work like most tweezers do. It was able to grab onto my little brow hairs so that was a plus.
Next – The Pro Powder Brush: This worked fairly well with applying a setting powder. I do not use Foundation or Face Powders at all, so I took this brush for a quick spin to see it’s overall. It’s fluffy enough to blend your powder (whether setting or foundation) in quite nicely and is super soft so it will be nice on the skin.
Tapered Blush Brush: It has a nice taper to it so it worked well for applying blush and keeping it exactly where I wanted it to go. I also like that it is small and tapered enough so I can also use it to apply bronzer. This brush is probably one of my favorites out of the set.
Deluxe Contour Brush: This brush worked okay for contouring the hollows of my cheeks but since it was pretty small I noticed that it concentrated the product in one area which is not how I like to wear my bronzer. I like to ensure a perfect blend so that it gives the illusion of shadow but doesn’t leave a harsh line or cast. This brush works well to apply color and then I use the Tapered Blush Brush to blend the bronzer out. It also works well to apply bronzer town the sides of my nose.
Crease Blender: This brush was domed shaped – similar to those you see on the market today. I wondered how well it would work since the bristles were so long but it actually worked out pretty well. I used it to blend out my eye shadow and to also apply my transition shade. I like it – it’s one of my favorites.
Chisel Shadow Brush: This brush worked well as an eye shadow brush and to apply cream shadow. Since it is domed and not as thick, it allowed me to pack a good amount of color on the brush and apply to my lids. Be sure to tap off the brush first before applying to keep from fall out when using loose or pressed shadows.
Detail Liner Brush: This one is probably my least favorite in the bunch. The tip itself I think is thin enough for cream / gel liners, but I feel like it’s lacking in body with regard to the bristles. It held the product nicely and applied gel/cream liner to my eye lids nicely – but it takes a little finesse and you really have to coat the product on the brush so that the bristles do not flair out and cause a mess. It works, but it takes some getting used to.
Crown’s HD Brush Set comes in purple, orange and white (with blue tips) and retail on Crown’s website for $27.95 USD. Overall, I think for the price, it’s a great value. The case that the brushes come in is sturdy and great for traveling. I definitely love that it comes with a tweezers and a mirror which makes it a great companion for over night stays or traveling. If I had to make one suggestion it is that I wish that there was a flat top kabuki style brush in the mix. That would be perfect for those who use liquid foundations. I think the powder brush is perfect for foundation application – but now as ideal for liquid. I tried and while the bristles held the product… it didn’t buff it into the skin as effortlessly as I would have liked.
Hmmm… it’s been a pretty crazy weekend for me, but I have still been monitoring all the Cyber Monday Sales that were released through the weekend. I was…
Last week I did a video of my Top 5 Eye Shadow Palettes and the Urban Decay Naked Palette was one of the 5. I always find that I can use this palette for any look. I’ve been asked many times why I haven’t shelled out the money for the Naked 2 and it’s mainly because the colors are much more cool toned and I just wasn’t a fan when I swatched it in person. I have taken my Naked palette with me across the United States… from Hawaii to Washington DC and everywhere in between. It is still a favorite of mine and I find that I have been pulling towards it a lot more this past week.
To create this look I used the following eye shadow colors from the Urban Decay Naked 1:
Naked – Transition and blending color
Half baked – lid color
Darkhorse – outer corner and slightly into the crease
Hustle – outer v
Virgin – brow highlight
Smog – lower lash line
Sin – inner corner highlight
Other products used:
Primer – Urban Decay Primer Potion
Eye liner – Jesse’s Girl Waterproof Liquid Liner
Mascara – Urban Decay Super Curl Mascara with Elizabeth Mott’s It’s So Big mascara
Lips – MAC’s High Tea Lip stick over ELF’s Studio Moisturizing balm in NIce & Natural and topped with Buxom’s White Russian gloss
I took photos at different times of the day so that you could see what it looked like in different lighting. The photo above (brown background) was taken just as the sun set. The photo with the white background was taken when the sun was still pretty bright… about 3:30pm.
It’s been about a year since I decided I would eliminate Foundation as a part of my makeup routine. Since being diagnosed with Eczema last year, I have…
Anyone who knows me – knows I’m a makeup brush addict. Well, a makeup addict in general, but really – I have quite a huge selection of Makeup Brushes and Sigma Beauty offers some of the best on the Market today. I have tried makeup brushes from many many companies, MAC, Bare Minerals, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Sedona Lace, ELF – the list goes on and on. But I still find myself pulling at some of my favorite Sigma Brushes and it was the first thing that came to mind when I was building my Holiday Wish List.
Recently Sigma released their Advanced Artistry Set. I was truly bummed that I haven’t yet had the opportunity to get my hands on the set yet, but it’s on my wishlist and I can’t wait to get it. #determined
The first brush I ever received from Sigma Beauty was the E25 Blending Brush. Having been a fan of MAC brushes for many years, this brush amazed me and I still use my E25 brush today. Many of said to come close and many have, but after 3 years and a lot of washing and sanitizing – my Sigma E25 has been awesome and held up to the abuse. I added this to my wishlist but I need like 3 of them at least, it’s my favorite and such a universal brush.
If I really had to choose one of the Artistry sets to select as an ideal gift, honestly – the Perfect Blending Kit would be my choice. The brushes look very unusual from what we are used to seeing on the market – but that is what intrigues me so much. Could these be the brushes that I need in my Brush Arsenal to create better looks then what I do now? I won’t know until I try it out and I’m determined to try these out soon.
Everyone I know, knows I am a eye makeup addict. Out of everything in my collection, eye shadows are my favorites and therefore, I really really want to try out this kit. The Performance Eyes Kit is supposed to be a kit that will really be perfect to create any eye look and this is a kit I have had my eyes on for a while now. #needit
As a makeup lover – I believe that your tools is what allows you to be as good as you are. It’s not a requirement of course, some people just have kick ass skill but your tools like your brushes really top it all off. I have been a lover of Sigma Beauty brushes for over 3 years and I look forward to trying them all out. What’s on your Wishlist for Sigma? Do you have any special products you would like to try? Let me know in the comments below.
Did you guys take advantage of the QVC’s Special Value yesterday? The Tarte Bow & Go set was on sale for Special Value at just $49.98 plus shipping and handling. Such a steal considering all that you would receive in this kit. Those of you that did not take advantage of it – that’s okay – because it is still on sale on QVC for just $54.98 – which is a steal even if you it is $5.00 more. The regular price will be $61.00 once the discount ends.
Now, is it worth it? Of course – even at full price on the site, the whole kit is definitely a steal. A 24 piece collection with full sized goodies to melt any heart this Holiday Season. I think it’s not only an awesome value but a great buy and of course, Tarte is probably one of my favorite brands, so I was happy to get it at such an awesome deal yesterday.
Info from QVC’s Site:
What is it: A 24-piece, three-box holiday collection with a 16-shade Amazonian clay eye shadow palette, four LipSurgence(TM) lip cremes, two smolderEYES(TM) Amazonian clay waterproof eyeliners, and two lights, camera, LASHES(TM) 4-in-1 mascaras.
Who is it for: Any tartlette who wants a complete collection or three separate, exciting gifts for themselves, or a loved one.
Why is it different: Share in the tarte of giving this season with tarte’s 3-in-1 gift set! We’ve taken the guesswork out of giving with this 24-piece collection overflowing with everything you need to create an endless array of looks for the holiday season. Create stunning, sultry eyes with a palette of 16 Amazonian clay eye shadows (brush not included); four LipSurgence lip cremes; two smolderEYES Amazonian clay waterproof eyeliners; and two lights, camera, LASHES 4-in-1 mascaras. Add the perfect finishing touch to any look with brand new shades of LipSurgence lip cremes to give you velvety rich color with a hint of peppermint. Infused with skin-vigorating ingredients like Amazonian clay, olive esters, and vitamins A and E, your look is sure to keep up with you throughout the season.
Keep the whole set together to give the perfect gift to any tartelette, or break into three single gifts to share the love. Each is housed in beautifully packaged gift boxes and even includes a luxe goldtone ribbon for effortless bow & go(TM) wrapping!
I’m always super intrigued by Skincare products that are geared towards sensitive skin or those with eczema after being diagnosed with eczema last year. I have heard of…