Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Eco Tools Beautiful Expressions Kabuki Set







This Eco Tools Limited Edition Kabuki Set is made of recycled aluminum ferrules and cruelty-free taklon Bristles.This kabuki set has the essential brushes for your face.

"Create custom coverage with four different kabuki heads, providing multiple brush functionality for a total face makeover. The set is designed to conceal your imperfections, bronze for a sun-kissed glow, contour your cheeks, or buff on the perfect powder for an all over flawless face. Each brush has an eye-catching artist-designed limited edition ferrule and incredibly soft, cruelty-free bristles." (EcoTools Website)


(NOTE: On the website the angled kabuki is for contouring and the round kabuki is for bronzing but mine came in this order and all the other ones I've seen in stores were in this order so I'm thinking they may have messed up on their site, i don't know but it doesn't matter because you can use them however you like)

Conceal Kabuki

"To start out with a flawless base, the Conceal Kabuki, complete with a short, rounded tip and compact dome, provides optimal coverage and is perfect for hiding blemishes. Use it with liquid concealer or foundation for custom coverage." (EcoTools Website)

I really liked this brush because it really blends the concealer well into the skin and it makes it look like a flawless application. The bristles are very well compacted together which makes for great blending. The only bad thing is that you have to wash it often because since the bristles are sturdy and compacted, it builds up product very fast, therefore making it a bit harder to blend but overall its great to blend concealer.

Bronzer Kabuki

"The Bronze Kabuki is equipped with thick, fluffy bristles that unveil a gorgeous, natural glow! Expertly apply and blend bronzer all over to create a warm, sun-kissed look." (EcoTools Website)

This brush is the most flimsy out of all of them so it doesn't pick up a lot of color which i think it could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how your using it. I mainly use it for blush because its great for blending but i have to keep picking up blush to get a good amount. If your actually using it for bronzer it's great because you will get a sheer application. For that purpose you don't want a lot of color because you don't want to overdo the bronzer or you will end up looking too dark or too orange. Overall this brush is my least favorite but i still keep using it and i like how it blends, making your blush/bronzer look more natural.


Contour Kabuki

"When it comes to shaping, shading and sculpting, there's nothing the Contour Kabuki can't do! Gently apply blush in an upward motion to center and enhance the fullest point of cheeks." (EcoTools Website)

I desperately needed a contour brush and this is nicely rounded and it has a dome tip that fits perfectly under your cheekbones to contour. This brush is a little flimsy too and it doesn't pick up a ton of color but i think that's good because you don't want your contour to look too dark or fake. It contours my face really well and i love how it blends because it gives a natural contour



Buff Kabuki


"The Buff Kabuki is designed for smooth, luxurious coverage. Just sweep the flat-top brush in controlled circular motions to also boost a natural, translucent radiance. Buff over face to smooth and remove excess powder for a flawless finish."

This brush is not very sturdy but it does a great job for applying loose or pressed powder. It really buffs in the product for a flawless/natural look. it's super soft and it applies powder effortlessly.

Price: $14-$16

Where to buy: Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, CVS, drugstore.com, some super markets

Pros:
- Very soft
- cruelty-free taklon bristles
- great price for 4 good brushes
- blends product well
- Can be used in different ways
- Eco friendly
- the set comes with essential brushes
- They don't shed

Cons:
- some of the brushes don't pick up a lot of color
- the conceal kabuki builds up a lot of product
- you have to get used to holding their small ferrules

Overall- They are all super soft and do a great job at blending and paying $15 for 4 great brushes is amazing and it makes this brush set worth it.


Thanks for reading!

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

MAC MatchMaster SPF 15 Foundation







I know I'm late on this review but i just got my hands on it so i thought i would still put it up. Sorry if it's a long post but I really want to get in depth to make sure i gave a good review and covered all the details since people are usually hesitant in trying a new foundation.

So This is MAC's latest foundation that is suppose to have a shade for every skintone. It's suppose to work with your skintone to find your perfect match and make it look natural.

What MAC says:
"New Foundation technology using translucent pigments to enable a fully personalized finish influenced by the subtleties of your own skin's undertone. Moisturizing demi-matte finish. Medium buildable coverage. Line-reducing soft-focus powders.
New Foundation technology using translucent pigments to enable a fully personalized finish influenced by the subtleties of your own skin's undertone"

This Foundation is meant for a wide variety of skintones and it doesn't have yellow or pink undertones like their regular studio fix fluid line. This Foundation is more neutral toned so it works for everyone. The translucent pigments in it are suppose to work with you skintone to create your perfect match.

Coverage:
This Foundation is light to medium coverage but it is buildable. The foundation is made to be a sheer coverage so you can still see your skin. I would say that it is medium coverage and i do have to use more than one pump if i want full coverage but if you do that then it might defeat its purpose of a "natural" look. What i like about this foundation is that its light on my skin but if you apply a lot then it does feel heavier and cakey. The shade that i got (5.0) is a bit more dark and it has more of a red tint than my normal go-to foundation, so it did scare me a little bit after i applied it but when i blended it out and waited a few minutes i did notice that in the end, it did blend in with my natural skintone and although it did end up looking a bit darker than my skin, i didn't mind because it matches with my body since my face is typically lighter than the rest of my body. Another thing is that it didn't cover up all my flaws but it was easily fixed with concealer. Depending on how much foundation you use, it could look unnatural but i don't think its a huge problem because its nearly impossible to find a foundation that actually looks like 100% skin (impossible!)

Performance:
Since this foundation has a demi-matte finish i would think its better on oily skin. I have combination skin and i have to say that this foundation kept my oily skin at bay and it kept it away, which is great! so with that said you don't need to powder this foundation which makes it even better. Now the bad part is that because it is somewhat matte, it did cling on to my dry skin and it enhanced the dry patches i have around my nose which is a thumbs down. So i make sure that before i apply this foundation, I moisture the dry areas really well so that they're not visible afterwards. I would say that this foundation might work best with people with oily/combination/normal skin and if you have dry skin then there's way to work with it but if your skin it extremely dry then i would skip this foundation. I do get 8 hours of wear with this foundation and more if i powder. It's really not necessary to powder but i do use translucent powder to make it a bit lighter. Even with the powder it doesn't feel any heavier unless you put on a lot.



Shade 5.0




Shades:
1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10.0

Foundation Guide:

1.0- N18, NC15
1.5- NW15, NW18
2.0- NC20, NC25, NW20
3.0- NW22, NW25, NC30
4.0- NW30, NC35, NC37
5.0- NC40, NC41, NC42
6.0- NW33, NW35, NC43.5, NC44, NC44.5
7.0- NW40, NW43, NC45
7.5- NC50, NC55
8.0- NW44, NW45
8.5- NW46, NW47
9.0- NW48, NW50
9.5- NW50, NW55
10.0- NW58, NW60, W60

*Since a lot of skintones can match one matchmaster foundation,then that means you can match more than one matchmaster foundation, so you want to go personally check and try it out before buying it.




Packaging/size:
It contains 1.18 fl oz and it comes in a clear glass bottle with a pump which is great! because a pump makes it much easier to get foundation and i love it. Also the foundation pump can twist to lock and unlock when ever you want to use it and when your done using it which is neat.



Where to buy: MAC Website

Price: $32.50

Pros:
- its lightweight
- it blends in with your skintone
- its great against oily skin
- No need to powder
- Natural looking
- a lot of skintones can fit one matchmaster foundation or more
- lasts 8 hours
- it has SPF 15


Cons:
- It clings onto and enhances dry skin
- not full coverage
- if applied too much it will look unnatural
- you need a good amount of foundation to cover up your flaws


I hope this review was helpful and again i apologize for the super long post but i hope you enjoyed and maybe you will try this foundation in the future

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Sunday, January 1, 2012

MAC Vintage Grape Blush Ombre Review


This blush ombre is from the Daphne Guinness for MAC collection and i only have one of the two because the other one i felt would be too light for my complexion. I was so excited to get this blush because it looks so pretty and honestly its the only thing i wanted from the collection. The Blush Ombres from the collection (Vintage Grape and Azalea Blossom) are repromotes but still limited edition.



I really love this color because its a beautiful berry color and it looks wonderful on medium to dark skin tones.
Fair girls can also get away with this pretty color if applied lightly with a stippling brush, if not you can check out azalea blossom(Great color for light skin tones). My only complaint is that my brush doesn't pick up a lot of color so i have to swirl my brush in there a few times to get a good amount and i have to blend in very well onto my cheeks. I don't mind that because overall its great pretty color. It's kind of pricey ($26.00 for 0.31 oz) than your regular MAC blush ($19.50 for 0.21 oz) but still keep in mind that you are getting more than the regular size blush. The Blush ombre is similar in size as MAC's MSF


 L-R: light shade, Dark shade, Mixed together

This is a great blush because you can use the top blush for a pretty barbie doll pink, you can use the bottom for a nice rich wine color or you can swirl them together and get a pretty berry color.

Where to buy: MAC Cosmetics
Price: $26.00
Size/Amount: 0.31 oz

Pros:
-3 shades of blushes in 1
-its has a good amount so it will last you a long time
-The Mixed color is super pretty
-The Blush ombre is very unique and pretty to look at =)

Cons:
-A bit pricey
-Hard to blend
-its not very pigmented but it still picks up a fair amount.

Overall: I really love this color and its unlike anything that i already own so i really like it and it's versatile.


Thanks for Reading!

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