Saturday, January 31, 2015

SEPHORA COLLECTION SU Easel Brush Set

This brush set is PRICEY! Its $556! Now normally when any Sephora brand anything goes online for hundreds and hundreds of dollars I usually respond immediately with something along the lines of "You have to be effin kidding me!!", but to be honest, I think this set is quite a reasonable price..... for what it is. I have actually been fairly impressed each time I have tried one of the brands brushes, and this set is a great deal for what you actually get. I must admit, I would personally much rather get a few of the brushes here, and a few there to slowly build up even though it would be more costly in the long run. 

But to buy each of these individually would be $759 so you are saving about $200. That being said unless you are a brush collector  hoarder like me you probably don't need every one of these brushes. And to be honest I have quite a few Sephora Pro brushes on my wishlist, but frustratingly thankfully none are in this set making it easy for me to pass on! 


What it is:
A complete, 27-piece set of professional-grade brushes.

What it does: Inspired by the set used in Sephora University classes offered to our cast and clients at certain stores, this complete set of 27 Sephora Collection PRO brushes is perfect for the budding makeup artist or seasoned professional. This is the largest set of all PRO Brushes that Sephora carries and includes a standing easel pouch for convenient travel and setup.

This set contains: - PRO Crease 10 brush
- PRO Smudge 11 brush
- PRO Allover shadow 12 brush
- PRO Shader 18 brush
- PRO Gel liner 26 brush
- PRO Brow 20 brush
- PRO Lip 81 brush
- PRO Precision powder 59 brush
- PRO Flawless powder 40 brush
- PRO Foundation 47 brush
- PRO Flawless airbrush 56 brush
- PRO Precision blush 73 brush
- PRO Precision concealer 45 brush
- PRO Flat concealer 76 brush
- PRO Tapered crease 19 brush
- PRO Small shadow 15 brush
- PRO Shadow 14 brush
- PRO Cream shadow 28 brush
- PRO Precision smudge 29 brush
- PRO Domed crease 16 brush
- PRO Angled liner 22 brush
- PRO Flat liner 25 brush
- PRO Flawless light powder 50 brush
- PRO Air brush 55 brush
- PRO Precision foundation 58 brush
- PRO Angled blush 49 brush
- PRO Airbrush concealer 57 brush
- Quilted easel stand case


So Susan Universal Blush Review & Swatches!


This blush from So Susan retails for $23.29 and can be purchased off of the So Susan website. They ship to both Canada and the USA and this came in my November Glossybox. To get a full sized makeup item is always great, but this blush looked especially promising.


So Susan describes this blush as being a micronized jet-milled blush which works with your skin's natural chemistry to create an universal healthy flush to flatter all skintones. They also say it contains Beruti Oil to supposedly repair the epidermis and improve skin's elasticity though I wont even start to mock or discuss the lunacy of a blush sitting on top of your skin repairing anything. But in reality, its a gorgeous medium rosy pink shade with very subtle gold shimmer that is much more noticeable in these swatches than it is in reality. You all know how much I detest shimmer on the face but this is just a beautiful subtle glow.


Just like the Bourgeos and Dior universal blushes, I feel safe in saying this does no such transforming thing and is simply a good neutral blush that will work on many skintones. Overall, I really love this blush and would be very interested to try some more products from the line.

If anything, the only flaw to me is the packaging. Its a fairly pricey blush, and the packaging to me is not in keeping with the quality or price tag of the blush itself. Its a cheap plastic that has no function or mirror. Without knowing, had I seen this blush I would have assumed a dollar store product. And for a $25 blush, that seems to not mesh. But again, the product is great so its not a deal breaker, just a disappointment.


Limited Edition Nude Purism by CATRICE - Coming Soon!

Ease. Elegance. Freshness. In spring 2015, designers are loving the interaction of transparent fabrics and beautiful, flowing cuts. Soft nude tones, off white, sand and pink go hand in hand. The new wardrobe embraces elegant, all-over nude as a trendy understatement. New interpretations of 90’s fashion are convincing with their pure minimalism. The Limited Edition “Nude Purism” by CATRICE picks up on the trend with a perfectly aligned “no make-up” or “nude” look; a feminine and extremely natural-looking make-up style that dominated all the big fashion shows this season. From the end of February until the end of March 2015, this edition offers long-lasting quattro eyeshadows, lipsticks with a glossy finish as well as nail polishes in taupe, coffee, rosé and a cool light blue. Nude sets the tone – by CATRICE.

NUDE EYE COLOUR QUATTRO

Neutrals. There are two convincing versions with four trendy nude colours each: sand, rosé and coffee are complemented by a cool light blue; taupe, pale pink and soft pink are accompanied by a dark aubergine. Both clusters of four contain matt as well as silky-shimmering shades that can be combined to create an expressive eye make-up look with fabulous shading. The smooth textures are long-lasting, offer maximum coverage and are easy to apply.
  • C01 Naked Brown
  • C02 Taupe-less

GENTLE LIP COLOUR

Soft and Shiny. The four subtly graduated nude nuances light toffee, feminine pink and rosé as well as classic rosewood create soft and natural colour accents on your lips. The creamy texture has a shiny finish.
  • C01 Barely Pink
  • C02 Silky Rose
  • C03 Delicate Rosewood
  • C04 Nearly Nude

PURE SHIMMER HIGHLIGHTER

Skin Couture. The most beautiful (under)statement of this edition is a true eye-catcher: the Pure Shimmer Highlighter. The attractive 3D relief structure of the ultra-silky pressed powder is reminiscent of a softly shimmering honeycomb. Finely graded nude and light-reflecting pigments set subtle highlights on your face and neckline.
  • Pure Shimmer Highlighter

NUDE NAIL LACQUER

Pure Perfection. Coffee, rosé, taupe and cool light blue are welcoming the spring season and are a perfect match for the new nude shades of the designer dresses. The Nude Nail Lacquer promises ultimate colours – with and without effects – ultimate coverage and ultimate shine, which is sure to turn these limited shades into the must-haves of the season.
  • C01 Taupe-less
  • C02 Barely Pink
  • C03 Pure Blue
  • C04 Naked Brown

Friday, January 30, 2015

Julep Stargazer Gel Eyeliner Set Swatched


I have already established on this blog how much I love the Julep Gel Eye Gliders. They are so smooth, pigmented, they glide on effortlessly, they stay put and well, they simply are awesome.


I bought this set on julep.com for $16.99 and also got one as the savvy surprise (so yup, the mother unit got the other one).


Top to bottom: Champagne Shimmer, Cosmic Black Shimmer, Emerald Shimmer, Sepia Brown Shimmer and Amethyst Shimmer.



And here they are watched.



So I now basically need the others. I seem to not have rich brown, regal teal, navy smoke, olive, graphite and bronze shimmer.

Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes

I have loved hourglass eyeshadows since I first tried them. It is the only brand that I can think of besides Laura Mercier where I have had to literally replace a shadow because I have hit pan. The texture, wear and application of their duos is to die for and if these are half as lovely they will be big winners. Now these have been out for a bit already, but they are pricey and I am torn on shade selection. So as soon as these land IN STORE I will be playing with them and deciding which lovely palette comes home with me. 


What it is:
An artist-inspired eye shadow palette with seamless color transitions —offering effortlessly blendable and wearable shades in a range of finishes and textures.

What it does:
These palettes flaunt five complementary shades of soft and airy, finely-milled formulas in a curated selection of shades, finishes, and texture. Designed with the innovative multi-press technique, each palette features an array of finishes from matte to shimmer for a number of looks with depth and dimension. Available in seven unique and wearable color palettes, these shadows are exceptionally buildable in color, giving you unprecedented control over the intensity of your look.

 







Have you picked one of these up yet? If so, which one?

Lip Monthly November & December Bags Review - And Why I Am Exhausted With Dealing With Them!


Let me start by saying I was originally excited by this subscription box. Its $10 a month (first month you could get for $5 or even free depending on promo and I subbed) and I shared it with all of you and got quite a few referrals. Each referral was supposed to be a free month. THEN - they decided that the bags would not be sent to Canadians for free, only Americans. I was not impressed with that, and did however change my address to my American post office box to get the earned referrals. Then they revamped the entire system and got rid of the Ambassador program all together. I got no info about this, just went to log into my account one day and it was gone. It took 4 emails before they could find a record of me or any of my referrals. I was told that you now only got points to use in the store (think birchbox). This was not something I was interested in since the store had almost no products in it. I was told that they would honor the first 5 of my referrals giving me 5 bags.

THEN - already royally annoyed and not much feeling the love of the sub box anymore I got my October bag. Addressed to Shayna Leibowitz. FYI- Thats not my last name. Not even close. My last name does have an e and an i in it, but that is about it. I think they went "she must be Jewish, I cant bother to look up her last name, so lets guess". I emailed them after I got the October bag to say "you got my name wrong". They told me they had no record of me whatsoever and again, it took quite a few messages back and forth for them to find me. They said they would fix it.

So now, its the November bag. And I get one addressed to Shayna Leibowitz, and one addressed to my REAL name that looked like this:



Now this is pretty much how all the bags look. 4 drugstore $2-$4 items and one item that is a Sephora type of brand or level of product that I am usually interested in trying. For $10 if the service was fabulous I would be good with the bag even though I usually on even want to try two of the items. Usually a lip gloss (in this case a lip brush) and the higher end item.

I ALSO got a third bag, also addressed to the mysterious Shayna Leibowitz that was also a November bag, but that looked like this:




I actually quite like this bag, the lipstick and the lip liner are both interesting to me, the liner is a different shade than the one in the first November bag, and the lip brush is also interesting to me.


So all in all I got 3 bags in November and no response when I emailed them. So I gave up. I am not going to jump through hoops to return the extra bags. I did give out the extras and the products not interesting to me so others could try them. 

And then I got the December bag. Well, two of them. I got a bag, and so did Shayna Leibowitz. 



And so once more, my mom gets a Lip Monthly bag. I have to say I am interested in trying the Magnolia Makeup product and the liner is actually a good shade to go with it. And like the pattern goes, the box contains 4 cheapo drugstore products and a product I find interesting enough to try.



The value of these boxes is good for what you pay. The boxes are very heavy on cheap drugstore items, but always have at least one higher priced item. That being said, the confusion and the customer service and the exhaustion in trying to deal with it make it a brand I really don't want to recommend. 

the Balm Mr Write Now Eyeliners

As you all are well aware, I have started to obsess a bit over eyeliners. So imagine my excitement when I saw that the Balm is coming out with a line of them! the Balm Mr Write Now Eyeliners will be $17USD and should be up on their website now! Shades include: Brian B. (Beige) Jac B. (Bronze) Bill B. (Mocha) Scott B. (Bordeaux) Wayne B. (Khaki) Vince B. (Charcoal) Raj B. (Navy) and Dean B. (Onyx) .


Thursday, January 29, 2015

Julep Shipping - When Does It Improve?


So this is what I ordered. You can see from the shipping notice above. I ordered the Fa La La Trio, The Getaway Trio, Ice Queen Trio and the Savvy Surprise.

This is what I got:


The Getaway Trio had Marzia and Aurora in it, but instead of Devon I got a second Aurora.


The Ice Queen Trio had 3 polishes in it, sadly they were all wrong.



So I got 6 polishes in 4 different shades, only two of them being what I ordered. I called, and they were very nice about it, and promised to send me Devon, the Ice Queen trio, the Fa La La trio and the savvy surprise. So another two weeks pass and I get this in the mail.


Now I have what I was supposed to have recieved (what I ordered):


Getaway Trio:


Ice Queen Trio:


Fa La La Trio:


Savvy Surprise:


So yes, as is the normal, Julep did fix the mistake. And I got to keep two random polishes and two extra backups. BUT..... it took almost a month to get what I ordered in the first place.

This leaves me with the eternal question asked once again. "What on earth do they drink in the Julep processing facility and can I have some?"

Limited Edition Rock-o-co by CATRICE January 2015-March 2015

Time travel. Pioneering, but not futuristic. This season, the designers are looking back on the 18th century as a source of inspiration to develop new versions of fashion. An extremely detailed couture full of Rococo references such as precious brocade, playful frills and flounces, elegant satin ribbons and opulent bows. Implemented in an ultra-feminine way, yet with an inescapable strength resulting from the heavier, defined cuts of the fabrics. The Limited Edition “Rock-o-co” by CATRICE is also inspired by influences from the era of Marie Antoinette and incorporates them in a powdery beauty collection. From the beginning of February until mid March 2015, the limited products are available in spring colours such as pastel pink, light blue, vanilla, deep pink and apricot, as well as grey-black and blue-grey for a more modern contrast. Discover the beauty défilé – by CATRICE.

TRIO POWDER EYESHADOW

Louis XVI likes it! The Trio Powder Eyeshadows offer three perfectly aligned shades each for an expressive look. The light pearl-effect in pink or light blue makes your eyes shine, the light vanilla nuance serves as a highlighter and the dark grey is fabulous for shading. The embossment with a Rococo design turns the Trio Powders into true beauty gems.
  • C01 Bouquet de Fleurs
  • C02 Bouquet de Roses

POWDER BLUSH

La mode Française. Intensive apple-cheeks à la Marie Antoinette are en vogue again. Set circular colour highlights directly beneath your cheekbones with the Powder Blush – available in a choice of pink or fuchsia. The light, powdery texture is especially easy to apply with the Kabuki Brush. Its premium Rococo embossment turns this powder into a true highlight.
  • C01 Macarons pour Marie
  • C02 Madame De Pinkadour

MATT LIP COLOUR

Crème de la Crème. This creamy Matt Lip Colour provides intensive, long-lasting colour without drying out your lips. The results are bright and satin matt – in a choice of fresh pink or peach.
  • C01 Apricoco
  • C02 Madame De Pinkadour

MATT NAIL LACQUER

Meet me at Versailles. The nail polishes display the full range of Rock-o-co colours: fresh spring shades like peach and pink, soft pastels in light yellow and sky blue as well as a modern grey. The satin, matt finish is ideal for the powdery Rococo trend. And the unusual packaging with a white ornamental print and spherical lid is a special eye-catcher.
  • C01 L´Ombre À Sanssouci
  • C02 Lilas Bleus
  • C03 Soleil À Solitude
  • C04 Apricoco
  • C05 Madame De Pinkadour

KABUKI BRUSH

Décadence moderne. The professional kabuki brush with thick synthetic bristles has a super-stylish pink and white colour gradient. Thanks to the high density of bristles, this brush is ideal for the application of all kinds of powders. And it’s perfect for the limited Rock-o-co Powder Blush shades in pink and fuchsia.
  • Kabuki Brush

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