SEPHORA COLLECTION hakuho-do + SEPHORA PRO Kanpeki Perfection Brush Set

So I am completely and totally OBSESSED with this limited edition Hakuhodo/Sephora collaboration. Six brushes I want and NEED in my life. 

Forget the adorable keepsake box these brushes come in, I freaking want the brushes!!!

1. Small Teardrop Pointed Highlighter
2. Wedge Sloping Powder Brush
3. Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush
4. Angled Concealer Brush
5. Crease Brush

And did I mention this set was under $150?? (ok, $185 for us Canadians). This set was sold out by time I got to the website a few days ago to try and buy it but I have everything I can crossed that it comes back in stock!!

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

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. 

IT BRUSHES FOR ULTA Your Superheroes Full-Size Travel Brush Set

Exclusively at ULTA!

Your Beauty Revealed! These are the brushes you want by your side for whatever the day (or night) may bring! Be your own beauty hero no matter where you are! Reveal your most beautiful you with 6 unstoppable brushes for full face flawless! IT will save time on your makeup routine. IT saves the day! Great brushes do the work for you!

A $100 value!

Includes:

• Unstoppable Powder: Plush, large domed brush head for even powder application
• Seamless Foundation: Dense, tapered brush head in flat paddle shape
• Effortless Crease: Narrow, tapered head designed to fit into the crease of the eye
• Smoothing Concealer: Small thin, tapered flat brush head great for getting into small hard to reach areas of the face
• Absolute Shadow: Small, soft rounded head designed for the delicate eye
• Flawless Liner & Brow: Firm, flat angled brush

AVAILABLE AT ULTA (SORRY CANADIANS, WE ARE OUT 

OF LUCK) FOR $50 HERE!!

MAKE UP FOR EVER Brush Book

OMG! I 100% do NOT need this. And yet I got so excited when I saw this pop up on sephora. I just have images of all my brushes being stored in these books. Face brushes separate from eyes, everyday brushes in some, ones I rarely use yet still cant give up in others...... I would love to get 3 or 4 of these! They are pricey, but the complete brush addict in me is overwhelmed with the idea of moving my brush storage to these! And then oh so easy to pack!

What it is:
A faux leather, professional brush carrying case that can hold up to 22 makeup brushes in an array of shapes and sizes.

What it does:
This unique, professional brush book features the ultimate makeup brush carrying case, with slots to hold an array of artist’s brushes. A favorite for professional makeup artists, it folds open for easy access to all brushes, and it can be folded back up for taking it on-the-go.

AVAILABLE ON THE SEPHORA WEBSITE HERE FOR $61.20

Alexis Bitar For Sephora Collection Brushes

Alexis Bitar, the designer, known for his stunning, sculptural jewelry, has created a limited-edition line of makeup brushes and a dual mirror compact set, which is now available at Sephora and sephora.com/sephora.ca.

"I was going for a '70s New Wave vibe," Bittar was quoted saying. "When it came to the design, I was thinking about Studio 54 and what you'd have in your bag for a night of dancing."

Now these brushes may have a scary price tag but they are supposedly amazing and perform excellently. Having tried out Sephora line brushes before, I can honestly say I have been consistently impressed with the quality to begin with. And if these are better than the normal line........ The price tags sure are heavy though!!

 ALEXIS BITTAR LIQUID GOLD: COMPACT MIRROR - $53

ALEXIS BITTAR LIQUID GOLD: BEAUTY BRUSH + TRAVEL WRAP - $73

ALEXIS BITTAR LIQUID GOLD: BEAUTY BRUSH SET + STAND - $219

I have to say, I think there was a really big missed opportunity here with Sephora. Instead of having the only single brush be a big $70+ makeup brush, I really wish there had been one smaller eye brush available on its own. So you could try out a brush around the $30 mark to determine if you wanted/needed the large $200+ set. I am not sure I am willing to drop nearly $100 to test out the line, but I would have been willing to drop the money had I been able to try and fall in love with one of the brushes. Oh well. There is always the potential for picking it up on clearance I guess. 

Tarte Brushed With Destiny Set

A limited-edition, full size brush set and whimsical travel case ideal for any jet-setting journey.

The limited-edition set features:
• contourtionist™ bamboo cream blush & contour brush
• the balancing act™ bamboo foundation brush
• the buffer™ airbrush finish bamboo foundation brush
• double-ended bamboo eyeshadow brush
• undercover lover™ bamboo concealer brush
• limited-edition collector’s brush & makeup bag

AVAILABLE HERE!

All for One: Full Magnetic Travel Brush Set From Sephora

So since there has been so much new stuff on sephora recently, I have been sharing a lot of the new products with you. Or trying to. It is so easy to overlook a new item when there is little discussion or online buzz about it so I have chosen to share with you the things I find most interesting and the things I have no my list to check out! At $70 this is pricey, but if it functions as well as their full sized brushes (which are surprisingly quite fabulous) then it would be a very reasonable price for a compact easy to use travel set. That is however a big if. 

What it is:
A six-piece magnetic brush set with a versatile double-ended handle.

What it does:
This set allows you switch and combine brush options at will for the ultimate space-saving set. With six synthetic face and eye brushes you can achieve an endless variety of looks without the hassle of carrying a full-size set. The stylish faux-leather zip-around case with elastic bands and a mesh pocket makes for easy organization and protection of brushes and products. The patented magnetic brush heads and sleek gunmetal handle ensure you always look chic while traveling.

This Set Contains:
- Powder Brush
- Angled Brush
- Foundation Brush
- Angled Shadow Brush
- Smudge Brush
- Brow Brush
- 14cm x 7cm x 14cm Travel Friendly Pouch

Royal And Langnickel Revolution Brushes Reviewed

So I already showed you all the SILK line of brushes (HERE).  I really do love them, and I love these ones even more! These are a SLIGHTLY more expensive line and like the other ones, some are genuine hair, some are synthetic. These are the four I got (must get more!!).

BX-35 Revolution Highlight Contour - Royal & Langnickel

This is a great brush. Its unique in my stash, and is perfect for contouring. it gets right into the hollow of the cheek but does not create a sharp or harsh line. its flat, but it kind of flares at the end making the shape quite unique. And also allowing it to pick up the perfect amount of product! Its not too dense, and has been WONDERFUL! 

BX-20 Flat Top Kabuki Brush - Royal & Langnickel
This is my magical eraser. Its just perfect for buffing out products you over applied or applied badly. Its dense, but super soft, and I chose the synthetic version so it works with liquids as well. This was the most expensive Royal and Langnickel brush I got at $39.99 retail (Think the pro price was $24?). This brush being as big and as dense as it is does waste a lot of product, and like the Shiseido perfect foundation brush it is a bit of a bitch to clean, but it also is like the Shiseido in that it takes mere seconds to buff in a product over your entire face! Totally and completely worth it, and I would put this along with the BX-35 as my two favourite brushes I own from the brand. The shape has not quite stayed perfectly round, irrelevant in its purpose or application, but worth noting. Its handle is also slightly thinner than the SILK one I got which makes it more comfortable to hold in my hand.

BX-95 Lg Smudger Brush - Royal & Langnickel
I love this brush for defining the outer V, getting in to apply shadow as liner to the bottom lash line and to getting shadow into the crease. Its just the perfect dense (but not too dense), super soft, and pointed brush. I actually may need to pick up a back up of this one! Its smaller and more pointed than the one from the SILK line I reviewed last time and I must say I tend to reach for this one more than that one.

BX-80 Detail Brush - Royal & Langnickel
This brush is a little more flexible and fluffy than the MAC 239. Its good for applying shadow to the lid. I find its just a little less dense than would my imaginary PERFECT brush in terms of product pick up as I really like the brush I use on my lid to pick up more product, but if I were honest, this probably does a better more concise job for that same reason.

And here are all the Royal Langnickel brushes that I have been using over the last 5 months together. I really really am impressed by these and look forward to picking up a few more. I do have some sigma brushes I picked up in January that I have not yet started to use (I was busy trying these) and I will start to put those in to rotation to give a fair try, but so far, these are the TOP of the list for me for NON luxury priced makeup brushes. They don't feel at all like budget brushes, and yet are still quite on the affordable side!

**please note as with the other Royal and Langnickel these were given to me by the brand to review and test out and not purchased. That being said, we all know that has never stopped me before from being totally 100% honest!