Makeup

Worth It? elf Small Stipple Brush

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This legacy post has been given a facelift! Content and opinions remain the same, but have been edited for clarity. A 2018 Update has been added to the conclusion. Enjoy!

elf Small Stipple Brushelf Small Stipple Brush, $3

I can’t argue with the price-point of the $3 elf Small Stipple Brush, but how does it perform?

Back in the Day

I owned one of these back in 2013 and attempted to use it for foundation when I was still figuring out how to do facepaint. I ended up having some streaking and coverage issues with foundation application, though and ultimately got rid of it in favor of a flat-top buffer (I have one from Coastal Scents and from Sigma) and my beautyblender.

Interest Renewed

Now that I’m into cream blush, though, I want to explore other application methods. So far, my beautyblender has done beautifully, but exploration is fun, so I picked up another one of these at Target.

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Recent Repurchases

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift and some 2018 updates! Enjoy.

When it comes to finding products that really work for you, you tend to sift through a lot of BS:

  • overpromising, underdelivering products;
  • overhyped (by the community) products;
  • or things that just, through by no fault of anyone, don’t work for you.

Trying new things can be fun, too, but when you find products that REALLY work for you, you tend to cling to them. I do, anyway. Here are my recent repurchases.

Recent Repurchases
Recent Repurchases
1. Eucerin Daily Replenishing Body Lotion, $10 / 2. Urban Decay All Nighter, $30 or $39 for 2
3. L’Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black Mascara, $8 / 4.  Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil, $16

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Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencil

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Esqido Gel Eyeliner

First things first: I received a pair of Esqido Gel Eyeliner Pencils for the purpose of a review. Otherwise, I did not receive any compensation or incentive to write this content, and as always, all opinions are my own.

Background

Esqido has provided me with lashes to review in the past. Even though I didn’t become a worshipper, they reached out to see if I’d be interested in giving their new eyeliners a shot.

I’m not a huge eye pencil user but eyeliner fits into my life a lot more than luxurious falsies do; I took them up on it.

Colors

For now, Esqido offers gel eyeliner pencils in black and brown; I received both. Between the two shades, I find myself favoring the brown for daily use.

It isn’t clear whether or not other shades are in the works.

Features

The first thing that struck me as clever as hell about these eyeliners is the silicone ring on the barrel that the cap will fit snugly over. Gel eyeliners, regardless of format, are notoriously susceptible to drying out; this ring protects the product by creating an airtight seal. CLEVER. Even my husband, who obviously gives zero bothers about cosmetics, thought it was cool and clever!

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Is the Cosmetics Company Outlet Legit?

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift! Content is the same but may have been edited for clarity and readability.

In early April, my husband and I went to one of the outlet malls near us to do some minor clothing shopping. Having never been there and not wanting to waste time perusing stores that weren’t interesting to us, I printed a map beforehand, looked up the listing, and marked off the stores we wanted to check out. While I was going through the list, one caught my eye even though it was entirely off-base in terms of the purpose of our trip: The Cosmetics Company Outlet.

What Do they Sell?

A quick-and-dirty search revealed precious little other than The Cosmetics Company Outlet carries discounted MAC, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, and some others. As these brands are traditionally not available anywhere except brand counters, sites, and sometimes at select Ulta and Sephoras – I was immediately skeptical. Like what is this, some flea market-esque booth peddling otherwise semi-exclusive wares?

Are the cosmetics for sale within legitimate?

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