Makeup

Favorite Brushes – October 2016

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Apologies for the delayed post – when I wrote this, I evidently thought today’s date was 10/29. Thanks for bearing with me.

Even if you have a ridiculous brush collection, I’m willing to bet that you reach for the same few over and over. They get use for a reason! Below are my favorite brushes; the ones that put in overtime, the ones that see the most use. Current pricing is listed next to it, many of the nicer ones are available in sets for a better value.

Sonia Kashuk 116 $6 – I’ve had this for years, and found myself agreeing with Sam Ravndahl when I first heard her sing the praises of this brush. It’s amazing for crease work, outer V work … anything, basically, that isn’t densely packing color. I’ve gotten great results using it for concealer as well. Now that I think of it, I need to pick up another one of these! Here’s hoping my local Target isn’t out of stock.

MAC 217  $25- For the longest time I was using a bdellium tools brush that was similar, but the quality and performance difference is night and day. This is one of only two MAC brushes I own at the time of writing this. Don’t buy this one in a set – although MAC does it, it’s a common for them to compromise on quality for the brushes released in LE sets and kits.

Makeup Geek Face Buffer Brush $18 – I haven’t found a new liquid foundation I want to commit to, so I’ve been wearing my Urban Decay Naked Skin powder foundation quite a lot and this is the brush to apply it with. Forget the included sponge-puff; apply with this brush and work your way to an airbrush (yes! with powder!) finish. All that praise given, I actually do not like this brush for applying liquid or cream products. Even though the bristles are lush and full, I find they aren’t as densely packed as I prefer for liquid and cream application. It is not a substitute for the next brush (but maybe their Foundation Stippling Brush is, I haven’t tried it)…

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Long Week, Chit-Chat

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It’s been an extraordinarily trying week for me. Wrapping up a big project at work, had a 17 hour day Wednesday, found out that a family member is having an unexpected medical situation, plus I’m running a weekend-long (starting today!) event at which I will be on my feet for at least 16 hours today, tomorrow, and 8 on Sunday.

Needless to say, I took Monday off. I’m going to give myself some grace here, too, and take Monday off from the blog.

Here’s a round-up of some stuff I wanted to chit-chat about but don’t have enough to warrant a full post.

Wizarding World of…Winged Liner?

potterbrushes

You’ve probably already seen these Harry Potter-inspired brushes. Their wand-like handles are novel, but I question their functionality and quality. Custom design like this is generally expensive. Though they’re fun for those who have affinity for the wizarding world, they also don’t look very ergonomically-friendly; if you’re blending like a boss, your hands are going to be uncomfortable far faster.

Project Pan

depottingresult

I’m trying to Project Pan half of TFEN. I’ve been playing with it for the last couple weeks and even though my initial impressions were good, I’m not getting the performance I now crave. I still adore Totally Fetch and Live it Up, but I can’t wear those most of the time.

History Repeats Itself

theyrereal

There’s a big misconception that Benefit’s they’re Real! Big Sexy Eye Kit is innovative and fresh. Bzzt, wrong – this similar product from L’Oreal came out and was discontinued years ago. It was plagued with the same issues that this product is. I’m all for making beauty routines efficient (read: I am lazy), but some things are worth spending time/effort on. Unfortunately, the attempts at the eyeshadow version of Goober PB&J (which is legit) just aren’t great.

Easier Manicure Clean-Up

liquidlatex

I just bought this liquid latex to use as a barrier when I’m doing my nails. I’m generally a tidy DIY manicurist but I’ve been experimenting with sponge-on application, and I’m trying to limit my messmaking. To use it, I’ll decant it into clean, empty nail polish bottles with an oral medicine syringe.

Banish Blemishes

nexcare

I bit the curiosity bullet and bought these hydrocolloidal bandaids from Nexcare to help tackle any blemishes I might get. I’m interested in observing their performance, and will report back.

Seems Legit: Galaxy Lash

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I don’t tend to buy a ton of makeup from Amazon. Generally, my criteria is that it must be shipped from and sold by Amazon.com, or at least sold by a highly-rated third-party Amazon seller. I check reviews, I only buy products that pass muster. That doesn’t mean I don’t come across random and questionable products. Case in point? Galaxy Lash Serum

Seems Legit: Galaxy LashSeems Legit: ‘Galaxy Lash’ Serum

I’m skeptical of lash serums in the first place, but a three-star-rated, normally $89-but-on-‘sale’-for-$41 serum for sale by some random third party…

…that is shamelessly, unabashedly, ripping off Samsung. Seriously? Why would you even do that? Oh, wait, it’s because the product is shady as hell and you (company) can’t even be bothered to establish your own brand.

samsunglogo
Oops

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Why I Canceled Sephora Play

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Several months ago, I signed up for my first beauty subscription box, Sephora Play. Optimistic that retail beauty giant Sephora would have the insight required to kick ass and take names in the sub box arena, I eagerly signed up.

After four boxes, I’ve canceled my subscription. I will receive and review October’s box, but that is the fifth and final Sephora Play box I will receive. Unfortunately, I found that Sephora Play is plagued by the same issues as any other beauty subscription box – for now, at least. My optimism, unfortunately, was unfounded.

Where I Take Issue

To date, it seems as though Sephora concocts two boxes based on the profile you create at sign up. The product selections are made for you; they spin this as a convenience. Personally, I’d rather take five minutes to pick from a pool of samples (like when you place a normal order) than have someone pick for me and make choices that don’t work for me.

They spin the fragrances as a bonus but they aren’t really. Let’s be honest, those vials are included in the $10 per month valuation.

There’s this big hoopla about the box being a surprise, even though manufactured leaks occur – there are several Sephora Play, “spoilers,” sites out there.

Instead of consistently getting exciting content in the boxes, they have people creating Spotify playlists. Seriously? Who is actually jumping at the chance to listen to this stuff? I’m a Sephora customer because I’m interested in beauty products, not because I’m seeking sweet hipster tunes.

Sephora Play List

To give you an idea of why I’m canceling, here are my hits, misses, and OKs.

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September 2016 Favorites

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September 2016 FavoritesUrban Decay All Nighter, $29-39 / MUJI 5 Drawer Acrylic, $35 / EcoTools Eye Enhancing Duo, $5 /
Hot Tools Titanium Digital Flat Iron, $60 / OPI Bubble Bath,$8

It’s October! I got my Halloween decorations up over the weekend. I went to Starbucks on Saturday around 10AM – when it was 65+ degrees in my area – and facepalmed at all the hot PSLs taking up the baristas’ time. Well, at least it’s legitimately seasonally appropriate, even if it isn’t weather-appropriate.

Note: My ribbing of PSL-drinkings is in good spirits – if you enjoy the drink, that’s awesome. I’ve got to say, though, give a flat white a try – they’re tasty. You can add your pumpkin spice goop to it, too, and I bet you’d like it at least as much.

Details on my September 2016 Favorites…

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NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

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Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, $29
pic from the NARS Instagram

I neglected to give NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer a shot, dismissing its praise as fangirl hype. As one of the higher-priced prestige (not quite luxury) concealers out there, it was low on my list.

Then, fortunately, Sephora started carrying a travel size. What better way to try NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer than to pay only $12 (.05 oz) for a tube rather than $29 (.22 oz)? Sure, the price-to-product ratio is better in the full-sized, but it takes me forever to get through concealer. This time, overall value loses out to gross spend.

Shades

The diminutive tube only comes in Vanilla and Custard. The two, respectively, are the second- and sixth-lightest in the line. Overall, the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer line features sixteen shades, including five deeper ones that would suit some people of color. As for me, I picked up Custard – a yellow-toned concealer for light-to-medium tones.

My gripe with the line? Make some of the travel sizes for people of color, damn it.

More after the jump.

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