Brush me good

Oh well, let me bring you a bit of regular brush-porn.

Or, it's just this one so the verbal use of 'porn' would be more of the 1920s-peekaboo-sheer-shirt-without-a-bra type. 

My gawwwwgeous Surratt Artistique Concealer Brush Petite !

I'm still on a journey in brush-land so I do not have anything really constructive to say in the style of sweetmakeuptemptations. However, since I've been stocking some faves from the grande lines like Chikuhodo, Wayne Goss & Surratt I get more of a preference... 

I think that might be the deal. There are so  many experts on beautiful face brushes on internet, but in the end it is you that has to get along with a particular type of brush with that specific blend of hairs.  

I'm also beware of a certain kind of brush-snobbism around: I think there are some fabulous cheaper brushes around that work quite good. Also, on a lously/lazy day I could bring on my best brush but still look like a deconstructed art-project.

With all these beautyblenders around, I still see various makeupartists still working with the power of their hands. 

Nevertheless, I still like this precise little number from Surratt as it is truely firm and gentle at the same time, it packs up the right amount of concealer and you can be so precise blending it in around the corners of that pesky premenstrual pimple.

Same Canvas - New Brushes

't was the time for some investment-beauty!

And so this fairytale does not imply a fairy-godmother, but it does apply a new couple of [semi]-magic wands that my slightly ageing canvas will be delighted about.

* RMCA KO-5 part series palette*

A while ago I discussed a flare up of my skin. I had to take the ease of to baring flesh [think: the gym etc] and buy some high-quality cover for my body. My body is slightly more tan than my face so the variety of the 5 shades are wonderful to match up the different rates of pigmentation. And, ofcourse, it's totally suitable for face as well.

* Rae Morris Square Kabuki no 4*

Let's blame brush-enabler sweetmakeuptemptations for this one [this particular article] and another blog who gave thumbs up for a really good exchange rate on the Aussie dollar. First I struggled to use it properly until I read of using it as a finisher to buff away earlier work done to rapidly [see here, mentioned for the Radiance 7 brush but this one is capable too].

* Surratt Smokey Eye Small*

I was looking for the perfect blending brush for my eyeshadows when I stumbled upon Wondergondigo review [here]. I could not rave more about the softness and efficiency of this brush. Moreover, I found an even better use for this baby: blending in undereye concealer:

The video:

Vincent Oquendo uses YSL Touche Eclat but I've never been a fan of it. I do my version with Charlotte Tilbury the Retoucher and like the effect on blending in concealer for blemishes as well.

* Rae Morris  Brush 2: Mini-Kabuki *

This functions predominantly as my nose-shaper brush. Other uses:

 

Morris also uses it for body-contouring like shaping a six-pack: ofcourse, this one will probably work better when the abs are flat already. Cool idea, btw.

*Chikuhodo Z Series Z-4 Cheek/Highlight*

I'll spare you my measly brush-description skills in order to leave it to the pros of hugely fanatics. But it's pure brush-gasm! My beautiful powder blushers have been waiting for the one and now they have to share him? Scandalous! I have to bring more of these in their lives so the fairytale perfect ending will continue.

The Blush of my dreams & other newbies I'd been eager to get...

Holy purchasy October...

I've finally caved on a couple of items that were very wishlist for a while. 

It has been a yes/no/yes/not-yet debate, resulting into visiting certain sites frequently, making a cart, leaving the cart behind, getting reminders from websites I have a cart (I KNOW, it's so hard to forget), pretending I don't want it, visiting the same reviews over-and-over again to decide I still want it...

I've scored the most perfect blush I have encountered in a while: Meet my Surratt La Vie en Rose.

After falling in love with the neutral Grisalle shader (here) I upgraded towards colour. I picked a colour most closely to my own flushed cheeks (after working out/being embarrased/in love, ect): a rosy flush. 

Picking a colour like this is like adding youth to your face. It's my effortless colour, though I need a softer brush for application (think NARS Mie Kabuki) as it is delightfully pigmented. 

I have been wearing this blush 7 days in a row: a record! Then I decided my other ones felt neglected and I went for some peachy pink again: sometimes I like to look made-up dolly instead of natural :).

The other haul: my 1st Suqqu & Chanel brush.

After debating for more than 1 year I've finally have my 1st Suqqu blend palette in the most neutral no. 10 Kochueza. As for elegance sake, I added the Chanel brush No. 19 for eyes that is supposed to be quite the catch (review here & here)

I'm glad I caved to see what's the deal about Suqqu blend, but I'm also slighty underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong: Suqqu's texture is simply amazing, but the colours are too neutral for me. It's a "maybe in 3 years"-type of palette.

And finally that horribly pricy Tom Ford brush no. 2: foundation-time.

Tom Ford's brush no 2 feels slightly too limp. Oh gosh, I could imagine telling mr. Ford that his brush it too limp, and then I couldn't. Perhaps I'm too used to Real Technique's expert face brush firmer bristles. Temptalia reviewed this one as the most flawless foundation-brush ever and I'm probably not that used to it yet....

*Practice-makes-perfect?*

And sorry, I don't have any reviews or swatches going on yet. It's been busy and if it wasn't, it was just too cloudy for photos outside. I might take it slower on this blog as I'm slightly too obsessive/high maintainance on beauty lately: think full-face makeup to the gym whereas the other girls go bravely barefaced (or mascara only). Just a bit easier on being pretty on the outside to focus more on my inner beauty, or such... :). Well, we'll see...

Some December Newbies

December often makes me feel more (self-) indulgent than normally:

 I finally ordered my first Charlotte Tilbury! I've read some mixed reviews but couldn't resist the name "Golden Goddess" and it's stunning hues:

The Golden Goddess upclose

I absolutely like the effect of the colours in the dictated suggested Tilbury colour scheme. However, I have some brilliant primers (hello mr. Bess) so I do not feel the need to overlayer. I received the compliment "wow, nice eyeshadows" from a makeup expert so I guess I put it on in a kinda right way too? Oh jolly!

However, I do not feel like glam shimmer & flecks on everyday base even though Charlotte T thinks everyone can benefit from that (can't remember where I read that but her line proves she likes shimmer). But I rarely have a standard eyelook anyway so I like this addition to my bronzy stash.

Relaxing in times of pre-Holiday tension is not only an indulgence: you'll be a much nicer person towards others and get some more focussed gifts as well. I think a bath is relaxing but most importantly warming when temperatures drop.

I've bought a bottle of Tisserand De-stress bathoil based on a good & detailed rave on naturisimo (here): I agree! I've really think its an awesome blend and it really outdoes it pricetag. I've had samples of Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax bath & shower oil and this is quite similar, only a whole lot more afforable: and that's relaxing as well

And yes, you can use it as a shower-oil as well!

 Kate = Queen...
whether it is the Dutchess of Cambridge, the ubermodel Moss or our Driveller-guru. So when she declared Suqqu M eyebrush to be a superior choice over mr. Ford (review)... I added it instantly to my Selfridges cart.

Thanks to its superior quality my blending skills have gotten better. Also, I have been rediscovering older infatuations such as Sienna Orchid.

 I've become more curious about natural and personalised blends so I ordered a couple of samples from Pollen & Wax: Among it their Peridot Cleansing Oil:

The Peridot Cleansing oil really smells refreshing, more like a Spanish Cava than a Peridot but I'm hardly the wine connoisseur. Most importantly, it cleanses the more profound makeup with the most gentle and beneficial of ingredients (listed here)

The Gold Petal facial serum (=oil) is indeed of a golden colour and smells more neutral. It is made for "{sensitive, ruddy, inflamed, combination, dry, irritated skin types}" so the amount of fraganced essential oils is not too strong. I detect the rose geranium.

Both have been really lovely. They last about 2 times and I do think I need a bit more to give out a good conclusion. 

Hakuhodo Mizubake

After my introduction in Hakuhodo brushes I went for a speciality brush aimed for cream formulas: the Mizubake:

It was not my only item:

I also picked a cheaper facebrush for on-the go: the K022

I like the K022 enough but I am baffled by the performance of the Mizubake.
 Let alone that it looks so incredibly beautiful and expertised as a tool for the face.

First I went 'skinny-dipping' into the products I bought it for: My cream formulas of foundation & cream blush.

I did a a *Cinderella Moment* to see if the brush fits: 

it was slightly too large for the RMS and the Julie Hewett cheeky, 

however,

the shoe brush fitted perfectly for my Lotree cream blush:

Mizubake dippin'  in

So I swatched that one...

The colour deposit afterwards:

I don't know which reviewer(s) it was, but I agree with her that it looks so satisfying when having a white brush: you can see perfectly how the formula is distributed on the brush: really equal:

same Mizubake & Lotree, only taken with flash

And that is how it translates on the skin:

 

[I used soft, swirling motions and *deliberately* didn't blend out to the sides so you can see the position I placed the brush]

Actually, since I have this brush I started to rediscover my *slightly* neglected older cream blush formulas like the Lotree one above. I have been loving peachy blushes lately so this colour above fits the bill.

Also, it works like a dream with the RMS concealer/foundation: it's spreads out so much thinner than if I would do it with my hands or another brush.

Conclusion:

• Incredibly beautiful brush with that hint of 'Orientalism'
• excellent for cream formulas
• equal colour disposition of cream formulas 
• perfect for thicker formulas of (cream) foundations, especially when spritzing the brush beforehand with a toner/filtered water/etc
• pleasure to feel it swirling on the skin 
• rediscovered my beautiful 'wallflower' blush thanks to it

A more expertise review and what got me going for this one is on LolasSecretBeautyBlog and TheNonBlonde has been pretty convincing as well. GlossedIntoTranslation loves it so much it even became her header...can you figure?  

It's available from Hakuhodo over here.

Using, Used, Gonna Use...

I'm keeping up my "use it up" spirits in the [almost] 5th month of 2013. And even though I am totally au contraire anything that could hint towards "no buy" (I really have to, though): I've picked some investment tools instead:

* [almost] Used: Kiko Instant Perfection Primer:
This is one of the products that is not the most perfect or the most hyped about, and I still love it! Perhaps travel melancholia (buying it in sunny Mediterranean) and perhaps it is not too silicony and feels totally fresh and healthy on the skin.
I'll absolutely repurchase when I get to any of the Kiko selling countries.

*Using: Hakuhodo Brushes
I've jumped the beauty-bandwagon on buying the most popular brushes on the block. A modest haul to start with, mostly eyeliner based (the infamous K005 for tightlining), brow (K016) and that fluffy diffusing J5522BKsl

still "gonna use" over here, my Hakuhodo haul

I've based my collection on the extensive reviews of makeupartist Sweetmakeuptemptations (especially this post), Arsaromatica had a perfect post too, ofcourse TheNonBlonde and my regular read of DrivelaboutFrivol.

Ehm, there will be more brushes...[extends that "no buy" even further into the future]

Gonna Use:
Dior Diorskin Nude Tan in 001 Miel/Honey:

Something to fake the tan with...I picked the lightest shade for it's lack of orangy tones, and because I'm quite light-skinned anyway.

Catrice Neo Geisha lipbrush; or the art of neo-NARS-ing

I really like Catrice: it's easily available in this part of Europe and has decent quality for the price.

My eye did spot something familiar in their latest Neo-Geisha range:

Wow, a totally gorgeous lipbrush with that bonding on the stick. However, haven't I seen it before (let's say, last week)?

It's not the first time Catrice has done something that looks-a-lot-like-something-else (see here)

According to the webpage:

The Neo-Geisha limited Collection is a beautiful range, but I found the lip/cheekcolours to be lacking any intensity to make a beautiful colour on either lips or cheeks. Also, their eyeshadows felt slightly gritty and didn't swatch beautifully: I might bring my smaller UDPP next time so see how it looks on a layer of eyeprimer.

So, I only bought the lipbrush to add a sister for my NARS Yachiyo I dearly love.

There is a larger range of the collection, see their webpage here

Caressing Face: NARS Yachiyo Kabuki

I have a confession to make: I am not really good at applying blush. I have abandoned and swapped away some really gorgeousy bright blushes because I knew I am not good at it. Or,  when I reach for subtle colour or high-end blush I  do not suffer from "obvious blush" application, but what about my brights and cheapies around?

Enter my latest NARS Yachiyo Kabuki Brush

With the packaging starts the luxury-effect: I still like NARS minimalistic packaging as nothing else.  The thin glossy black lettering on a matte black background is just genius.

Like a virgin: still in it's foil

From NARS site:

Inspired by traditional Japanese beauty rituals Kabuki Theater, the NARS Kabuki Artisan Brushes meld heritage with modernity, in both concept and function. The multi-functional design of the Kabuki Yachiyo Brush, with its tapered dome head, makes it excellent for defining cheekbones, highlighting the complexion, and blending and diffusing color on or around the eye area.

• Made with very soft Pen Super Goat hairs, which are ideal for blending pigments
• The hand-spun black wisteria handle preserves its unique traditional character

 The oriental-esque detailing on the brush absolutely makes it a true tool of art, as you can see below:

I also like the idea that these types of brushes are used in Japanese Kabuki theatres. I have an affinity with Japanese cosmetics and respect their grooming rituals. Even though I feel too westernized to spend the same amount of delicacy and time into skincare or makeup, I can see that a bit of slow-time and delicacy into taking care of my face and makeup does show off in my appearance.

The tapered brush-head:

 

I can see it is made from real (goat)hair instead of synthetics. See that tiny white hair somewhere in the brush? I like a good synthetic brush as it is often good for sensitive skin, but this quality is ace too and feel truly soft.

 

I went for an experiment with one of my darkest and cheapest sort of blush from a Coastalscent's palette (the purplish berry). I could have gone for my high-end Rouge Bunny Rouge or Burberry, but that would made the experience less exiting. Nor would I really test the transforming and blush-diversing quality of the brush.

Verdict:
It dispends the blush in a lighter manner, although the colour is still quite strong. Nevertheless, it makes the berry more of a *flush-inside* than the *pantonime player*. Also, I often struggle flushing up the blush up my temples: this time it looked like an convincing flush instead of *blush-gone-wild/1980s* effect.

Conclusion:
I really like this Yackiyo Kabuki and I have to agree with the multitude of reviewers giving this one a rave. It is a gorgeous tool of art that is not cheap, but gives a brilliant effect when applying one of the most youthifying makeup-products around: applying good blush!

Editor's note: I wanted to name this post "Caressing Cheeks", until I saw the double meaning of it. Mind you, it's a beauty blog and the rest have millions of other options to watch the various state of the double meaning that could have been applied.

Less succesful products: Bison Finland Spa Relax bath & ELF daily brush cleanser

The title is a bit of a euphonism, but I want to keep it a bit more positive than to say that these products were utterly useless, because they might work for some people.

My first 'meh'-moment was a powdered bath product from Bison. This product has been based on the powdered Japanese bath products that are sold from various Japanese brands. Lotuspalace has been raving about Kracie Tabinoyado bath powders, and honestly, I have tried one sachet of those (thanks to a freebie from Lotuspalace) and those were excellent!

I am a bit of a cheapskate every now and then, so I wanted to purchase the budget version before splurging on Kracie Tabinoyado. Or, it is not really budget but it was available by one package.

The Bison Finland spa relax Lemon Grass & Herb was not really my thing. It smelled like Lysol (or any other superartificial lemon scent that you can get from old-school household cleansing products) for 30 seconds, and then it dissolved into a superlight scent.

The sauna effect was not present. As you can see on the package, the person is surrounded by steam. Ofcourse, it is mentioned to create a similar experience as a Finnish sauna.

Ingredients in Japanese for Japanese readers

Well, I have never been into a Finnish sauna so I have absolutely no personal experience. However, I am quite sure that the effect of the bath powder was nothing like a Finnish sauna (use of steam, heat, cleansing herbs, etc).

A yellowish powder for the bath

I did see a colour change in the water, as it turned into a yellowish colour. However, I did not experience anything like the Kracie Tabinoyado sachet, which made the water really coloured and fun with a strong but pleasant scent.

Ofcourse, my opinion is only personal, as Lotuspalace has been enthousiastic about Bison Finland Relax Spa's. The rates on sasa.com are really positive as well, so I might be a bit spoiled ;p

I bought the sachet on sasa.com.

From a Japanese bathing product back to the American cosmetics...more specifically E.L.F studio range.

It would not be a surprise to know that I wear makeup every now and then (why would I blog about it so fanatically, right?). And if you wear makeup, you will use brushes too. Although a large amount of makeup products are really easy to apply by hands as well, I still like to use my brushes for precision and for hygienic reasons.

And if I like the brushes because they are hygienic, then they should stay hygienic as well. I wash my brushes often because why would I contaminate my own skin with old, accumulated bacteria (eww). My cosmetic tools should be as clean as possible.

So when I saw the E.L.F. Daily Brush Cleanser on the E.L.F. site (uk), I thought I would hit the jackpot. Fantastic, a product that cleanses and has anti-bacterial effects!!!

Althought the product is quite effective in cleansing brushes, it was actually more time-consuming to clean with the spray than with the normal shampoo-and-rinse-method.

So the method of cleansing with this spray is too labourous:

• You first have to spray it on and distribute it over the entire brush, reaching all the hairs.


• You have to get a paper or normal towel to remove the spray and the remains of the makeup


• Not all makeup is removed after this process


• The brush is still quite moist and wet after this process!!! Actually, the brush has to dry for at least a day to get dry!!!


• which is just as much time as drying my brushes when washing them the standard way


• The scent is absolutely too poignant...it lingers for a couple of hours in the room when using it.


• The same scent will be there when you will use the brush (when finally dry)...

Conclusion: if it would had an instant-dry effect, I would find it to be very useful. However, when I have to wait as long for it compared to the ordinary method, I would certainly prefer the normal method, which is better on hygienic fronts as well

So it is not really an alternative to the normal cleansing method.

I am not the only one who is 'meh' about it. The reviews on makeupalley are not really raving as well.

Remember, these are just opinions. I try to be as honest as possible on my blog, so when I am positive about something, I actually like it and it works for me (at that moment).

THE cutest blushroll from bittenbefore

The title is really dodgy today, but how to describe my joy about my new brushroll?

Oh, I was slightly jealous of the lucky bloggers who were able to haul from Yumeko's first brushroll-sale on her blog bittenbefore: these cuties were selling like hot-cakes!

THIS time, I was so lucky to buy one myself!!! it was one of the last ones, but actually, I found it the cutest design of all!

Sometimes, I really have to guess what is in the package: what did I order...with this cute package, I had instant kawaii vibes: It must be my new brushroll from Yumeko!



Kawaii-cuteness starts already with the sticker tape on the envelope...

OMGBBQ! Wowza, it looks so cute in real life...look at that candy, annnnnnndddd, the girl included a hot-a@# fantastic eyeshadow palette. I LOVE those colours: Yumeko, are you psychic?

More cuteness with the transparent 'Love' wrapping and THAT card is too cute....

This is why I loved the design so much: it is romantic with a childish twist

Stich & Angel are sitting in a tree...K..I..S..S..I..N..G...

Smoochtastic:

The blue band holding the brush-roll together matches the roll so good.

And how about the lining? I loooove polka-dots...

Running, or kicking a tree? I first thought these yellow dots with black mini-dots inside were birds, but I think they are coconuts (?) now...

Kawaii Sanro character: I find these character more original than Hello Kitty...because they are not seen so often over here...She is PIIIINKK

Look at the eyeshadow again...it looks buttery smooth and has gorgeous silver and silvery blue colours...mmm...I need to make an EOTD with it tomorrow!

Oh Yumeko, this is awesome! I love love love the roll! I will become addicted to kawaii Japanese fabrics for now on!

HAVE a WONDERFUL and KAWAII weekend!