Makeup Tools

Bring Out Your Inner Makeup-Loving Mermaid With the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Makeup Brushes

April 6th, 2016 by Jessica Revitte 13 Comments

Color correcting with the Tarte Double-Ended Color Correcting Brush

In addition to a whole boat load of amazing marine inspired products, Tarte also introduced a set of fabulous brushes fit for Ariel herself with their Rainforest of the Sea collection.

I tend to feel like brushes don’t get enough love… I mean, it seems like we generally only talk about them when we’re complaining about washing them (guilty as charged). On top of that, I’m one of those former kids that just loved finger painting and can’t get enough of my (clean) god given applicators when I’m putting on my makeup each morning. BUT, an artist is only as good as their tools, and a good makeup brush can make all the difference.

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Face Brushes

Tarte Double-Ended Foundation Brush ($34) — This brush was designed with the brand’s Sea Water Foundation in mind. Each end is composed of duo-fiber bristles with a different intended purpose. The smaller side of the brush is ideal for facial contours and concealer application. I personally prefer working with smaller tools, so I also find this side helpful when applying foundation across my entire face (particularly with Sea Water Foundation, as it requires speedy blending before it sets). The larger end of this brush can be used to buff and blend, and per Tarte creates an “airbrushed effect.”

Tarte Double-Ended Highlighter Brush ($34) — This brush would be ideal for fans of strobing. The precision end allows you to really pack on highlighter wherever you desire — on the tops of your cheekbones, brow bones, the inner corners of your eyes or on your Cupid’s bow. The larger fan-shaped end still deposits a fair amount of product; however, it creates a more diffused effect. I can see the large side of this brush working equally well for blush application as it does for highlighter. (And, if I’m honest, this is my favorite of the bunch!)

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I’m Finally Trying Zoeva! Here Are My First Impressions…

April 1st, 2016 by Adia Goss 34 Comments

So, I have been wanting to try Zoeva makeup brushes and cosmetics for the longest time. I’ve seen so many bloggers and YouTubers rave about them — the pigmented eyeshadows and gorgeous brushes — and the day has finally come. I’m finally trying Zoeva!

I wanted to share my excitement with you guys, so I filmed my first impressions in this video:

I also have photos and swatches of everything I talk about in the video (down below), so that hopefully you guys can get a good idea of what Zoeva has to offer.

ZOEVA History

“ZOEVA is a German brand, founded in 2008 by Zoe Boikou. The brand name ZOEVA is composed of ZOE, the Greek word for ‘life’ and EVA, the very first woman. From a basic range of only 10 makeup brushes, ZOEVA now offers a professional portfolio of over 50 makeup tools and 100 colors for a full face makeup routine. Our products are designed to make a real difference in the way women experience their beauty rituals.”

— www.zoeva-shop.de

Zoeva Warm Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette

Zoeva Warm Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette swatches from top to bottom:

zoeva first impressions — L to R: WR 130, WR 100, WR 070, WR 040 and WR 010

“ZOEVA is dedicated to the self-confidence and unique beauty of all women. Every ZOEVA product is made with love and designed with conviction and passion for makeup. Our ultimate goal is to offer luxurious, high quality products. Helping every woman to discover her individual beauty is our highest ambition. ZOEVA means celebrating yourself and being aware of your individual beauty.”

— www.zoeva-shop.de

Zoeva Luxe Color Blushes in Burning Up and He Loves Me, Maybe

For size comparison, here are the Zoeva blushes compared to NARS and MAC blushes:

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The Special Edition Hello Kitty 5″ Sensor Mirror by simplehuman

December 8th, 2015 by Karen 18 Comments

You’re never too old for Hello Kitty.

The evidence: this OMG-inducing Hello Kitty 5-inch Sensor makeup mirror by simplehuman.

How adorable is this special edition mirror?!

Straight-up, though, it’s $150, which…I KNOW. But it’s a technological marvel. Plus, HELLO KITTY.

If you haven’t heard of simplehuman before, they make all manner of streamlined, modern-looking products for the home, including waste baskets (I have a small one in my office right now), dish racks, shower caddies — all kinds of practical doodads and gizmos. And they also have a line of fancy makeup mirrors.

This one folds up/down to fit in her very own carrying case with red bow (aw!). There’s even a little Hello Kitty charm on the zipper.

Srsly…? Cute overload. 🙂

A rechargeable LED ring light encircles the mirror providing awesome light, and it’s rechargeable with the included USB cord. Charges last up to five weeks, too, so if you bring the mirror somewhere with you, you probably won’t even need to bring the cord.

The light is also BRIGHT — supposedly twice as bright as the average makeup mirror light — and daylight balanced. A sensor detects as your face approaches the mirror and automatically increases the brightness of the light, so YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO TOUCH ANY BUTTONS.

Welcome to the future.

The tru-lux light system

“At 550 lux, the tru-lux light system is more than twice as bright as the next best. The light from surgical-grade LEDs is dispersed evenly with a unique pattern of micro-reflectors throughout the ring. No light loss or hot spots.

With a color rendering index (CRI) of 90, the tru-lux light system closely simulates natural sunlight and the full color spectrum to show every detail. Looking good in this light means you will look flawless in any setting.”

— simplehuman.com

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Look Out! There’s a Leopard in the Brush…as in the New Brushes in the Sephora Collection Holiday 2015 Brush Sets

December 7th, 2015 by Karen 13 Comments

Leopard print, rose gold and glitter.

All fantastic elements by themselves, but together? Easy to go waaay over the top.

Weirdly, though, they don’t in these new holiday Sephora Collection brush sets.

It’s that time of year again — time for Sephora’s limited edition brush sets — and these are some of the prettiest I’ve seen from them.

They range in price from about $54 to $130 per set, depending on the number of brushes, which varies from six up to 12.

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5 Awesome Face Makeup Brushes I Use Every Day

October 15th, 2015 by Karen 7 Comments

Survey says that I WILL use most, if not all, of these five face brushes every. Single. Day. They’re my brushes with destiny! — my makeup main squeezes, and my main workhorse tools.

1. NARS Mie Kabuki Brush ($55)

LBD, baby! Little black dress. The NARS Mie Kabuki is the little black dress of my face brush collection because of all the many things it can do. Sometimes I’ll use it to apply face powder, other times I’ll use it as a bronzing brush, and sometimes I’ll use it to highlight or apply blush.

Unfortunately, the price. It’s $55… Buuuut, it can do so much, and above all, it blends like a mofo! I can really see a difference between when I use Mie to blend bronzer or blush, and when I use something else, and I think it’s because of that point in the tip (see the pic below) and how the tip slopes. It makes it easy to buff out edges and get smooth gradients. If you like the sound of that, Mie is available now at NARS counters, boutiques and online.

2. MAC 138 Tapered Face Brush ($53)

Another pointy tip! I mostly use the MAC 138 to apply face powder to specific spots, like the center of my forehead, on and around my nose and mouth, just below my cheeks and on my chin, and while big, fluffy face brushes are fun to use with face powder (and feel great on my skin), I still prefer this smaller brush.

Why?

Well, because when I apply too much powder, my face makeup looks heavy and très obvious, and with the 138, I can really target where I’m placing my powder, which means that I can generally get away with using less. It’s available now at MAC counters, stores and online.

3. MAC 109 Small Contour Brush ($35)

The MAC 109 face brush has a small, rounded head that fits just perfectly in the hollows of my cheeks; that makes it a bronzing/contouring champ.

I’m a big bronzer gal, so I rarely use this one for contouring, but I think it’s an absolutely awesome bronzing brush.

I always have to resist the urge to go heavy with bronzer, and I’m tempted put it everywhere (NO, SERIOUSLY), but this brush basically saves me from myself, LOL! It’s available now at MAC counters, stores and online.
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Ulta Adventures: Trina Sun Daze Makeup Bags

May 18th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

trina sun daze train case — The $30 Trina Sun Daze Double Zip Train Case, toot-toot!

I need to go on vacay so I have a really good reason to stuff these juicy makeup bags to the brim.

These fruity cuties are by Trina, and I spotted ’em the other day at Ulta.

They are…

The Trina Sun Daze Floral Wristlet ($20)
Trina Sun Daze Floral Pencil Case ($12)
Trina Sun Daze Valet ($25)
Trina Sun Daze Double Zip Train Case ($30)

trina sun daze wristlet — Trina Sun Daze Floral Wristlet ($20)

trina sun daze pencil case — Trina Sun Daze Floral Pencil Case ($12)

trina sun daze valet — Trina Sun Daze Valet ($25)

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The MAC Wash and Dry Collection Brushes, Makeup Bag, Bronzers and Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Sets

May 5th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Hmm… Just five quarters left!

That should be enough for this last load of MAC Wash and Dry collection products. We have two brushes, a makeup bag, four bronzers and some bits for brows.

Beginning with the brushes and bag…

MAC Wash and Dry Collection: Brushes and Bag

THE BRUSHES

How many are there in the release? There are two brushes in the collection — the 125 Split Fibre Dense Face Brush ($38.50) and 126 Split Fibre Large Face Brush ($46)
Uh…what’s a Split Fibre Brush? Good question. The brush heads are like two sides of a coin and have natural fibers on one side, and synthetic fibers on the other, so it’s designed to work with both cream (the synthetic fibers) and powder products (the natural fibers).
They’re surprisingly handy. Mostly, I’ve been using these for applying products and blending them out, and I’ll apply whatever I’m working with — bronzer or blush, for instance — with one side of one of the brushes, and then I’ll flip the brush over and blend out the edges with the other side. It’s akin to having two different brushes in one.

Both sides feel soft, with the synthetic bristles being slightly stiffer, which makes them ideal for picking up lots of product (like with the Studio Sculpt Bronzing Powders).
How well do they work overall? I think the 126 Split Fibre Large Face Brush ($46) is probably the better value. I like the size of the brush head. It’s big, so it covers a lot of surface area and is good for quickly erasing and diffusing edges. I’ve used it with bronzer, powder and blush, and it works well for them all. It’s a true multitasking tool — yes, on the expensive side, as it’s almost $50 (!), but it’s well-made and versatile.
As for the 125 Split Fibre Dense Face Brush ($38.50), it’s an adequate contouring brush, and it looks cool…but unless you plan to contour every day, you may not get as much use out of it as the Face Brush.
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3 Fascinating (and Slightly Frightening) New Beauty Tools From Sephora

February 9th, 2015 by Karen 26 Comments

1. Sephora Collection Show Curl XL lash curler ($17)

I’m a dedicated Shu Uemura lash curler girl, and when mine went missing a few years back, I seriously lost my sh*t! Like, I had a full-on ballistic meltdown.

But I’m also a curious kitty who likes to meow new thangs.

This one is designed, first and foremost, for deep-set eyes (which I don’t really have) and incorporates advanced Cyberdyne Systems-like technology, like an “extreme curved band shape” for dramatic lash curls. It’s also extra large and has a long handle to help you get as close as mathematically possible to your lash lines…

Or something like that. More importantly, it comes in three colors (of course my favorite one is the one with the hot pink band), and each one includes two spare replacement pads.

Sephora Collection Show Curl XL (bottom) with a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (top) — The Sephora Collection Show Curl XL (bottom/front) with a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (top/back). See how Show Curl’s band is curved?

“But does it work!?” she cried, clenching her fists by her sides and stomping her feet in a fresh storm puddle.

Yeah…it actually does, but it takes a little getting used to. It’s quite large, and I kept pinching my lashes on my first few tries, which could be partly due to muscle memory, since I’ve spent 10 years using Shu’s curler.

This curler nicely lifts my lashes, though — especially the ones on the ends that are inherently harder to curl — and the effect is pretty dramatic and defined. It’s a good starting point for mascara.

Sephora Collection Show Curl XL (right) with a Shu Uemura Lash Curler (left)

I’m still hooked on Shu’s curler and don’t see myself ever giving it up, but the Sephora Collection Show Curl XL is a worthy contender. It might also be the cat’s meow if you have deep-set eyes.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B/B+

2. Sephora Collection Long Lashing Contoured Eyelash Comb ($14)

HOW SCARY IS THIS CONTRAPTION?

The first time I ran the comb through my lashes, I thought of that chant from the end of A Christmas Story. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”

Thankfully, I have not, yet.

Not as of 2:56 p.m. on February 9, 2015.

Um…so this one’s truly innovative. It’s a lash comb, but the teeth are arranged vertically, so instead of holding the handle parallel to your lash line, you hold it perpendicular.

I think it’s about a million times easier to use than conventional lash combs, like, I don’t have to hold it at weird angles. I just hold the brush above my lashes, and brush down a few times.

That’s it.

It’s way more intuitive and, I guess, ergonomic than old-fashioned lash combs. Definitely easier to manipulate and hold, and it separates lashes well.

Added bonus? The comb folds in half for travel-friendly convenience.

Bravo, Sephora! 🙂
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+
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