Brushes: M.A.C 212

My new favorite brush! This is something I can't live without! Got to try this, when a friend left hers with me. I didnt like it at first, but needed to use this after my other brush retired. It takes some getting used to, but once you get a hang of using it nothing can compare to it!

M.A.C. 212
Flat Definer Brush

Info from the M.A.C. website:
Lines and define the eye with colour. Firmly bristled, flat of shape; applies colour in a stroke to provide instant definition. Use with powder, liquid or cream products. Synthetic.

What I like about it:
- Its firm, I hate brushes like these that are too soft and flimsy. You need a brush that's firm when youre lining or making lines.
- It allows you to make precise and clean lines


What I dont like about it:
- Its a bit wide (about half an inch?) which makes it hard when youre drawing or making curved lines. This is why this brush takes some time to get used to.

The Damage: 1,500 Php or $21

Worth it?: Imo, yes. I cant live without this brush and use it daily. Although, as ive said over and over again it takes some time before you get used to it. Id suggest playing around with it at a counter before purchasing =)

Brush Insanity

I know I just posted a review on Kirkland's brush set a few weeks back. And here I am again, about to review another brush set. And mind you, not just any brush set but a 30 piece set! Yes, Yes, I am insane LOL The Kirkland set is for personal use as well as the ** other brushes I have haha.


So why did I get another one? I got this for Makeup Classes and future Clients hehe. I dont think im lacking in brushes haha but its one thing to have brushes to use on yourself and to have to use it on other people as well. For hygiene freaks, that would be nightmare. I suppose you could wash them after using on yourself and before using on other people but thats a bit of a hassle.


I originally wanted the 28 piece brush set from Suesh (costs P4,500) I though it was insane to spend 4,500 cause I knew I was going to need to buy a few more things for makeup school. So I tried to convince myself I didnt need another set. But when we enrolled, we saw this set - they were selling it too. 30 piece brush set by Dashe Cosmetics for P3,400. So thats less than P1,100 and has 2 more brushes! haha Figured, it would be good to invest on a set anyway if I really wanted to pursue this. Soo walah! haha.


Product images:

Brush Roll. Totally deceiving in photos. I felt so
overwhelmed when I saw it in person haha




Insane!

Ive labeled the brushes, Please click on images to view in full size! :D

Why you should buy it?

• Almost all of the brushes are really soft and dense
• I like that there are a lot of e/s applicator spares. Saves time when you need to do makeup on more than one person
• Has extra concealer/ lip brushes too
• The blending brush is awesome
• I like the small round tipped flat srufaced fluffy brush (what a mouthful lol) I only have one thats similar to it so its good that this set has one. I like to use this to highlight or for applying powder under the eyes
• I really like the Brush powder (the one with white and black tipped hair) it's like a kabuki on a stick!
• Its a good set to buy if you plan on taking makeup classes
• Its of good quality
• No shedding at all!
• The mini detail eyeliner brush! I wasnt expecting that this set would have it. I do like this more than the one I purchased at landmark. Its just the right size and makes it easier to draw lines or shapes with precision.
  
• Its a lot cheaper than the 28 piece brush set from Suesh (though I cant compare the two)

What you should consider

• I prefer synthetic brushes, this one is made of animal hair :/
• You have to wash these thoroughly when you get it, almost all of the brushes bled.
• Be careful how you store them, the bigger brushes tend to bush out when placed back in the brush roll/case after drying haha
• Make sure brushes are completely dry before you place the plastic brush holders (to maintain the brushes' shape) cause it will stiiinkkkk!
• The Round tipped flat surfaced fluffy blush brush is a bit scratchy.
• I wish it had one more blending brush
• I dont like the angled brush for the eyebrows, I dont think its stiff enough or maybe im just so used to the one from the Kirkland set.

Ive already used these brushes and I do like them, no complaints at all really. I dont understand the Nose contouring? brush though haha it's odd shaped but im sure i'll find some use for it. But other than that, all the brushes from this set are great. I did mention that the round tipped flat surfaced fluffy blush brush (whew!) is a tad bit scratchy, it isnt as scratchy as the brushes you get at Watsons haha but compared to the rest of the brushes from this set, it isnt as soft.


Very happy with my purchase and very excited to use this for school. See? Im almost done with my list of things to buy for school. Oh well haha at least ill be more prepared for it by January :D

Mini Haul

Rarely get to go to Makati anymore so figured I'd drop by to see what they have in Landmark since I was in the area. Caby raves about it to me almost every week lol. Okay, pretty impressive. I usually go to Watsons. But darn it, they really dont have most of the things I need. Anyway, heres what I got


Please Click the images to view in full size :D

Happy Camper!

Splurge or Save? SAVE!!

This looks similar to the lashes I love but got from ebay. This one doesnt come with glue though. P49.75 (about a dollar)



Little Sifter Jar! With cute little puff ( I dont really like the puff though) But I like that jar. It looks sturdier than the last one I got. Though the cap can be kind of annoying to screw and unscrew. But at P49.75 (about a dollar) im not complaining lol



San San Eyeshadow Pencil (03). P46.75 (about a dollar). I was looking for an alternative to my UDPP for base. Sorry camera washes out almost everything



Swatch: Its actually a very light peachy color



And it broke while I was swatching. Guess have to be careful when I re-sharpen it.



Swatched: M.A.C. Limit and Chrome Yellow. It did sort of change the colors a bit. It is peach afterall. The orange turned almost brown orangey the yellow was okay though



Short handled Concealer Brush: P39.75 (too lazy to compute but less than a dollar lol) I actually asked to open everything to check before deciding on getting any of the brushes. Im a little picky with the brushes I get hehe. This one was dense and soft and cheap too! Used to long handled brushes though so we shall see. But overall, I like the quality :)



Fan Brush: P39.75. Okay this one I love. Its as dense as the fan brush I have and soft. It also comes in a sleeve and a brush sleeve



Eyeliner Brush: P99.95 (about $2). Also comes in a sleeve and a little tube like plastic to help protect the itsy bitsy brush. I wanted to get one for finer detailed lining and what not. Its okay. I find the plastic tube annoying though cause You obviously need to put it back if you want it to last longer. But I get scared removing it, I always think that im going to accidentally grab the bunch of brush hair when I pull haha



Tried using it haha. The straght line on the left I used my regular flat liner brush. I dont know though if my gel liner is starting to get dry but using this brush with the gel liner was not easy. I probably wouldnt use this as a regular brush for eyeliner cause it would take me longer.

I forgot to take a picture of the spatulas and the 2 jars I got that also came with a spatula. 2 spatulas go for P5.95 (please dont make me compute--its dirt cheap! lol) and the two jars that comes with a spatula is P27.95 (about a qaurter or so haha)

I am the most unorganized person haha my room is a big mess. But I wont ever dip my fingers or brushes into a pot of concealer, jar of moisturizer, or willingly share my lipstick. LOL
I try to keep my makeup sanitized so they will last longer and be uhm germ free hahaha. I was almost running out of mini spatulas. So Landmark is heaven sent. I plan to go back and stock up on little jars and spatulas. OC!! haha :)

Big Difference

Another brush post.

I just have to say, blending brushes make a BIG difference. I used to use about 4 to 5 brushes just for eye shadows. And with a blending brush, i can apply them with any kind of brush blend blend blend and tadah. Another one of those things where I wonder how I ever lived without em. LOL. I dont even reach for my MAC 219 which is sad. If I knew how this brush wouldve made my life easier, I wouldve gotten a 217 or a 224 instead.

M.A.C. 224 $28

M.A.C. 217 $22.50

Sonia Kashuk Blending Brush $7.99

The 224 is more like the Sonia Kashuk brush which im using. If you can find one, theres a smaller one which you can get for 5.99. It has a regular white handle though but it gets the job done. Would be better to use on people who have smaller eyes too.

The 217 can also be used for concealing. After applying your concealer, fluff it out with a 217 brush to minimize the product from settling into lines or from looking cakey.


Anyhoo, thats it! :) Get a blending brush, you wont regret it.
Oh and I got the teal train case too, I hope its as cute as the picture or better or back to the store it goes haha.


Sephora is having a %15 off everything for Beauty Insiders until the 21st! Dont miss it!
Have a safe and happy 4/20 everyone! LOL

Toxic

A couple of months ago, I would dread the time when I needed to clean and wash my brushes. I had about 10-15. Todayyyy....

Gack. I know the number of my brushes is nothing compared to most people. Buuutttt! I "manually" deep clean and condition them (baby shampoo and conditioner), then you have to wipe them and reshape them. Blech. But theres never an excuse to NOT clean your brushes even if you only use them for yourself. Can you imagine the product build up and the germs gestating in them? haha. But my hands are so dry from washing them, I should really get a brush cleaner 0.0

M.A.C. Brush Cleaner 233 mL, $11

I just spent most of my morning cleaning them after a "raket" yesterday.

Yes! Raket haha. I did a trial makeup for someone who wants me to do her makeup for a wedding. But we were at a party haha so I ended up doing another persons makeup and threaded someones eyebrows. I was pretty nervous about it because I didnt want to look like the fool who had so much makeup with her but ended up making the "client" look like a clown haha. I think the way I do my makeup is pretty outrageous LOL. Well okay not outrageous but it might be a little too much for older people. I guess it was a good thing that for about a year, I only had neutral colored makeup so I got used to neutral smokey eye whatev looks.

Anyhoo. It turned out pretty good. I dont think the other person wouldve asked me to do her makeup too if it wasnt lol. I got good feedback, so yay for me :) This is my first "real" makeup gig haha. About 5 years ago I kinda did the makeup for a fashion show at school but the biznats who was organizing it was too high strung and too busy basking in her awesomeness to give me credit for it. I do makeup for friends when theyre willing haha, I did one of my professors makeup and blah blah. So this is the first paid gig. haha I think she liked the makeup so im guessing im doing her makeup for the wedding next weekend.

Ahh it was a good thing I had the Studio Sculpt that didnt match my color. It was perfect for them. See, this is why its hard to do makeup on other people when you dont have a decent kit. I kinda have more than a typical person but its just not enough to cover differnt skin tones. And I dont plan on buying more for ocassional rakets until I actually start going to school.

Before the holidays, 2 small cosmetic train cases were enough to hold my makeup. Todayy... I would need about 5. LOL. My mom promised to get me a bigger train case, so yay! I was supposed to order one last night. But Sephora had to confuse me by coming out with a limited edition teal train case. I originally wanted the black one but but teal ahh confusion haha

Sephora Brand Metro Train Case - Teal



Sephora Brand Midnight Train Case

I cant wait to get it though, Im excited to organize all my makeup in one case HAHA dork. And lugging around with different cases is such a hassle. My "toys" are already occupying one corner of the room haha so im just giddy thinking about how everything or at least most of my stuff will be in just one case.

Anyhoo heres a picture of me from yesterday. I like this picture :) Although it kinda looks like im punching her or something haha I was contouring. Too bad I didnt get to take decent before and after pics. I was under time pressure lol since they kinda needed to leave for another party.

Maui

Brushes

There are tons of brushes and brush sets out there. And my friends usually ask me "What do I need?". I started out with a few and until I got, hmm, "a few more" (lol) I thought I did just fine. When you get used to using brushes you kinda think how you managed without them.

There are tons of sets that you can get online, I personally think that most brushes that come in it are useless. But if you're like me, id just buy the whole darn thing and figure what I can and cant use. But thats just me.

I helped a friend pick out brushes on her recent online shopping spree. And instead of advising her to get a whole set, I told her to get 2.

Why? Because the brushes you need really depends on which you want to emphasize the most. For most people its usually the eyes.

Click on the links to get an idea of what kind of brush im talking about :)

• For eyeshadows you need the 2 most basic brushes. A Shader brush which you use to apply and to pack on color onto the lid; and a Blending brush which is very necessary to blend out harsh lines.
  

• Another good eye makeup brush to have is an Angled eye shadow brush which I used for a very long time instead of a pencil brush or a blending brush. An angled brush or a pencil brush helps you create that <>

• If you like wearing eyeliner, its good to get a Flat eyeliner brush. And choose one that best suits your need. I usually like making thin lines so I got a paintbrush at a craft store. The usual flat eyeliner brushes that come in a set are a bit thicker but they make decent lines I just really like subtle thin lines. There are a variety of eyeliner brush but again it all depends on your preference. I personally have two one for gel eyeliner and one for powder/eye shadow
  

• Id go on saying that you might want 2 of each but again, thats just me :)

• On to face brushes. The most basic one that most people probably have is a Blush brush. If you dont have one, i'd suggest getting an Angled blush brush because it can be used for blushes and for contouring.

• Foundation brushes: First consider what type of foundation you use. If youre a fan of liquid foundation, you can get a Foundation brush thats similar to that ( <--link) . I do find that this brush sometimes leaves streaks so I just use it to apply the foundation on my face and blend it out with a wet sponge.

• Another brush you can use for liquid foundations is a Stippling brush. Though its quite costly. You need a dense and un-flimsy one if you want to use it for liquid foundation so the cheaper versions will not do for foundation application (unless ou find a good one). A stippling brush, when used correctly can create a finish that is quite close to airbrushed makeup.
  

• If you like pressed powder foundation or mineral foundation you'll want a Powder brush or a Kabuki brush. The difference between a powder brush and a kabuki is the finish. A powder brush gives you a soft finish with light coverage which is good when youre setting your makeup. I also use a powder brush to buff out any excess. A kabuki brush gives a more evened out, better blended and better coverage.
  

• Concealer Brushes: I personally dont use one. Ive tried but it kinda streaks. It really depends on what works for you. It might work for other people. I use my fingers to warm the concealer and pat it lightly around the eyes. But I do makeup mostly on my self. A concealer brush is necessary when youre doing other peoples makeup for hygienic reasons.

• Lip brush: I dont like lipstick so maybe thats why I find no use for this. And I mostly do makeup on myself and prefer not to share (especially) lipstick with other people. You'll need this one if you do a lot of other peoples makeup; can you imagine spreading or getting a cold sore?! (ew!)
  

• Most sets come with a sponge tip applicator. Those things are useless, I find that they eat too much of the product and do not pack on the color too well. If i had to choose between using a sponge tip applicator or my fingers. i'd use my fingers! haha

• Fan brush: I use this to apply highlighter, apply a light sweep of blush or brush away eye shadow fall out, but its not necessary.

The links on this post are mostly of M.A.C. There are good quality brushes out there that are cheaper and unless you have money to burn I wouldnt suggest getting the expensive ones. I have yet to find cheaper alternatives for the brushes in the Philippines. But here in the US you can find good brushes at a craft store (yes! the paint brushes!) Like Loew Cornell or American Painter theyre even cheaper (around 2$ - 4 $) than the ones you can find at a drugstore and sometimes work even better! Sonia Kashuk brushes from Target are nice too.

The set that ive been using for quite some time now is the Kirkland set from Costco! Although I think they come out with one once a year (during the holidays) and the set varies every year. It comes in a roll and have about 7 or 8 ( I cant remember) for around 20 bucks. Theyre of good quality. No fall outs for me during first wash and theyre pretty durable (I have one from 2007).

So if you have the patience, I suggest you buy pieces instead of a whole set. Buy the ones that you need and just buy the rest later on.

Coastal Scents Product Images and Reviews

I guess its about time to give a review about the stuff I recently just got from Coastal Scents. Im sure there are a gazillion of them, but most of the ones Ive seen were made by people who have light to fair skin. I was looking for reviews made by people who had the same or similar coloring as me and I think I only found one. So I hope this helps.


Stuff I got:
1. 88 Ultra Shimmer Palette
2. 88 Matte Palette
3. 10 Blush Palette
4. Gel liners in Envious (green), Sky line (light blue), and Indigo Blue
5. Contour and Blush Palette
6. Italian Badger angle brush
7. Synthetic angle blush and define
8. Pink Blending Fluff Brush
9. 8 pack 26 mm Magnetic pans





88 Ultra Shimmer Palette and 88 Matte Palette (5 out of 5)

Okay, so it might seem a little crazy to have both based on what the pictures look like. They have similar colors but the formulas are different. The Matte palette of course has matte colors a few shimmery and satin ones too. The Ultra Shimmer palette speaks for itself. haha Overall, I find them to be very good. There were only a few shadows thar were not as pigmented and would fade after a while. The Matte palette is a little bit chalky and you really need a base for these shadows; pretty sure that they would eventually fade if you dont use one. And since its a bit chalky theres more fallout than the usual. The Shimmer palette is crazy-chalky too! but it gets the job done and for the price, you really cant complain.

Before ordering I already knew that theyre quite small, the pans are about as big as a dime. But I really didnt realize how small they were until I saw them. But, since theyre very pigmented, you do not need much. *I've also seen some on evilbay, starmakeuphaven and on multiply. The same products that come from the same Manufacturer and theyre a bit cheaper. I just chose to get it from Coastal Scents because ive heard that customer service was great and I didnt want any hassle on returns if I got broken shadows/palettes.

These palettes deliver! 5 out of 5 becuase theyre highly pigmented and good color pay off, has a variety of colors, I liked the variation in the formulas too. The only thing I dont like is there seems to be a lot more fallout than the usual since most tend to be chalky but im overlooking that because for the price, nothing beats it! haha

I dont like the new packaging. It used to be plain black and now they have Coastal scents printed on it, I think it kind of makes it look cheap with the font that was used. I actually tried rubbing it out off with acetone haha which made it worse. But I planned on covering it up with something anyway




They both look the same. But theyre actually very different




Left: Matte; Right: Shimmer

Left: Shimmer; Right: Matte




Size compared to M.A.C. Eye shadows

10 Blush Palette (5 out of 5)

This was the only palette that I wanst sure of getting. The reviews I saw online were mostly from either fair skinned or darker skinned girls. I wasnt sure about it because the colors seemed a little too intense for my coloring and I do not fancy looking like a clown. But it was around 16 dollars! One blush from M.A.C. is 18! do the math. Even if I end up using 2 - 4 blushes, this palette saved me a lot of money. But this has got to be my favorite out of all the stuff I ordered. The blushes can be as intense or as sheer as you want them to be depending on how heavy or light you apply them. There are 4 matte blushes and the rest are kind of shimmery/sheer.

5! 5! 5! These blushes are gorgeous! im in love with it! go get this and do not hesitate im glad I did :)

Plain Black Matte Case (Just the way I like it-pretty sure theyre all going to have that tacky label soon though) 1st , 3rd, 4th and 5th on the bottom is matte

Size Comparison: Next to M.A.C. eye shadows and Pressed iridescent powder (belightful)

6 Color Contour and Blush Palette (4 out of 5)

I was most excited about this one. I got M.A.C's sculpting duo a couple of months back and loved it. I wanted an alternate though because I didnt want to use it every single time I go out (it's too precious to waste haha) So I was thrilled to see this on the Coastal Scents website.

The first time I tried it, I used the Italian Badger Angle Brush (I bought it for this palette) and i ended up looking like I had dirt on my face :( The highlights made me look ghastly, it was a little too chalky. But I knew I had to try it again sooo. I used a different brush and the contour powder was great, similar to M.A.C.'s shadester. I really do find them easy to use and they can go on as light and as dark as you want them too; pretty much like the blushes, it all depends on how heavy or light you apply them. I found that you have to go a little light with the highlighters, I use the second one on the top. I dont think i'll ever have any use for the white one maybe i'll use it to pack under my eyes before applying eye shadow to catch fallout but I havent tried. The highlighter on the bottom I can use for my brow bone and maybe try it when my tan fades lol

BUT the blushes make it worth it. The blushes that come with it are not in the blush palette, and these colors are perfect for my coloring! They remind me of something like M.A.C.'s margin or cubic. And the pans are HUGE!

4 out of 5 because I just dont think that the highlighters are very useful to people who have the same or similar coloring as me.

This has that tacky label too :/ I wish they left it alone or did something better with it.

Size Compared to M.A.C. Iridiscent pressed powder (belightful)

Gel Liners (5 out of 5)

Its not very often that I see an eyeliner that looks interesting. I got these because I thought skyline and envious were pretty nice colors and I planned on using them as a base too. Skyline and envious were great, the only annoying thing was the mouth of the pot is a little small but other than that its fine. The indigo blue, which I actually got for my mom was disappointing though. When I opened it, it was kind of misshaped and was kind of moist very far from how the two others were. We didnt see it though after a few days so I couldn't get a replacement. But ive read some reviews saying that the replacements were the same as well. So I guess its because of the formula or something. What I do with it though is I put it in the freezer before use.

5 out of 5 for Envious and skyline - nice colors, multi-purpose and does the job!
1 out of 5 for Indigo blue :( too bad, I really liked the color but everyone seems to be having a problem with theirs too.

TOP: Loreal HIP eyeliner (ya'll know what it is, I forgot exactly what its called) and M.A.C. Paint pot (Delft)
Bottom: Indigo Blue (i dont know if you can see it, its a little watery), envious (green), skyline (sky blue)



Big Difference! Oily/watery indigo blue and creamy solid envious

Pink Blending Fluff Brush (4 out of 5)
Im not sure if its obvious in the picture, but this is huge! I dont think i'll ever use this for eye makeup unless im just putting a wash of color. But for what its supposed to do? nahh. I use this for highlighting though, tried contouring with it but its a little to fluffy and flimsy. It works well buffing out harsh contour lines though. I like this brush but im giving it a 4 out of 5 because it doesnt do what its supposed to do! haha but there are many other uses for it so im keeping it in my kit.

It did shed quite a bit when I washed it (2-5 hairs and some that broke) but its so dense and soft too. It did however, become a little more fluffy after it dried.

Synthethic Angle Blush and Define (3 out of 5)

Ive only used this a couple of times. I still prefer my stippling brush or my 2$ elf brush (that came with a bronzer btw) for contouring and blush. Yes! I would rather use a semi prickly brush over this! haha

I love how its soft for a synthetic brush but its not as dense as it looks :/ I feel like im wasting a whole lot of product whenever im using it. It picks up color, but the color stays on the brush! haha the only good thing about that is you dont have to worry about getting too much on your face on the first application. I was disspointed, but its an okay brush better than the one below.

It did not shed when I washed it, it didnt have a strong odor to it either and surprisingly it was back to its old shape when it dried.

I aplogize for the dirty brush lol

Italian Badger Angle Brush (1 out of 5)

The only reason why I gave it 1 out of 5 is because I like how it looks haha. Its a little smaller than I expected but I thought it would be perfect for contouring. I was so excited to use it, so I washed it immediately only to find that it lost its shape after washing. Im not mean to my brushes and the ones ive had for 2 years look fine so you cant put the blame on me! haha

One wash and it was blech. It also isnt as dense as it looked like. But I still tried it, I tried contouring with this brush and it made me look like I had dirt on my face! Im not an expert on contouring or what not but other brushes seem to work well soo if my technique and the other brushes work then clearly this brush doesnt! haha.

But seriously, I was so excited to get this. sad oh well. I'll probably keep it as a back up blush brush or to buff out excess blush. But keep your $6-7, not worth it!