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Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman/pixiwoo Travel Essentials Makeup Brush Set Review and Photos

Phyllis — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:18:39 +0000

British makeup artist Samantha Chapman, aka YouTube guru pixiwoo to most of us, has launched Real Techniques, a 10-piece makeup brush collection that claims to help you look pixel-perfect even in harsh light.

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Travel Essentials Makeup Brush Set
I have the Travel Essentials Set, which comes with an Essential Foundation Brush, Multi-task Brush, Domed Shadow Brush – all made with 100% cruelty-free, hand-cut synthetic taklon bristles- along with a panoramic black brush case that doubles as a stand.

The Essential Foundation Brush is about the same size as my favorite MAC #190 Foundation Brush. Just like the MAC, the bristles are very dense yet soft to the touch. It works beautifully with both liquid and cream foundations without soaking up too much product and always leaves behind a streakless finish.

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Foundation Brush

Real Techniques Essential Foundation Brush vs MAC #190 Foundation Brush

The Multi-task Brush is a medium-sized fluffy brush, again with really soft bristles. Since I prefer a smaller brush for the cheeks, I save this for applying powder/bronzer all over and to sweep off excess product and it does a brilliant job.

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Multi-task Brush

The Domed Shadow Brush is a medium-sized brush with a tapered design to smoothly shade and define the eyes. The bristles are similar to that of the foundation brush – dense yet gentle on the skin – and work great for applying both powder and cream eyeshadows on the eyelid.

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Domed Shadow Brush

Another cool thing about these brushes is their extended aluminum handles. Not only do they feel light and rest nicely on my hand, they are color-coded to correspond to the key steps of makeup application. Orange is for creating a flawless base, purple is for enhancing the eyes and pink is for adding the perfect finish. You can also find the name of each brush printed on the back of the handle, making them perfect for newbies as well.

Finally, despite the super affordable price tag (everything is under $18!), these brushes are very durable. They do not shed or splay and still look brand new even after a few washes. Thumbs up overall!

Overall Rating:

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman is available at Ulta stores and Ulta.com.

Disclosure: The products in this entry were provided by the manufacturer for consideration. Please see Disclosures and Policies for more information on my posting policy.

SOHO Beauty Cases Traincase Review

Phyllis — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:13:51 +0000

Looking for a cute, affordable traincase to store all your beauty needs? Then SOHO Beauty Cases is perfect for you!

SOHO Beauty Cases
Available in a variety of portable sizes, these traincases come in the cutest designs like zebra prints, polka dots, girly kisses to glittery and metallic pinks, your classic black and more. Prices are super affordable and range from $9.99 for the smallest size (5″ x 4″ x 4.75″) to $39.99 for the largest (11.75″ x 8.75″ x 9.5″).

The Square Medium, part of a Target Holiday collection, measures 9.5″ X 6.5″ X 6.75″ and comes in black with a snakeskin pattern. There are three tiers with two pull-out trays that can fit more than I need for a short trip with plenty of room left. The lock also comes with keys that I personally don’t care for, but it is a nice touch if you require added security.

SOHO Square Medium Beauty Case

SOHO Square Medium Beauty Case

The Petite ($9.99), which measures 6.5″ x 3.5″ x 4.25″, is a smaller version of the Square Medium, minus the trays and tiers. It can hold up to a foundation, a few eyeshadows, concealer, mascara, eyelash curler, eyeliner, blush and a couple of glosses, which is perfect for a sleepover or a weekend getaway.

SOHO Petite Beauty Case

Both cases are very light-weight and easy to carry around. While they may not be the sturdiest compared to more expensive brands, they do a very good job for the price you pay. I never have a problem closing them or with the trays bending or breaking. The locks also keep the cases shut really tight, so there is no need to worry about your makeup spilling everywhere even if you accidentally drop them.

Bottomline, these are a great deal at this price. I will definitely pick up a few more of the bigger ones during my next trip to Target.

Rating:

The SOHO Beauty Cases are available at Target, Walmart and Bed, Bath and Beyond. You can also go to www.sohobeautycases.com to check out the different styles and sizes.

Disclosure: The products in this entry were provided by the manufacturer for consideration. Please see my Disclaimer for more information on my posting policy.

ink Makeup Brushes Reviews

Phyllis — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:35:19 +0000

Besides being a bridesmaid for my best friend Vanessa (miss you girl!), one of the biggest highlights of my 2-week trip to Hong Kong was discovering ink, a line of premium makeup brushes created by renowned Hong Kong makeup artist, Zing.

ink Makeup Brushes
I first came across ink during my makeover with Christopher Kam at Lane Crawford. But before I go on to gush my obsession for these brushes, here’s a little background info on the mastermind behind them.

Zing has worked with a long line of A-list actresses and singers including Faye Wong, Shu Qi, Sammi Cheng, Kelly Chen, Carina Lau etc. and created some of the prettiest and most creative looks I have ever seen. Due to one unfortunate incident in which he lost his valuable set of brushes that were collected over the years, he decided to start his very own line and so ink was born!

The whole line now consists of 11 brushes, including a variety of eyeshadow brushes, foundation brush, concealer brush, powder brush, lip brush, angled eyeliner brush and even a spoolie. All are handmade with either natural hairs like Russian sable, North American squirrel and Canadian pony hair or synthetic fibers. The brushes measure between 61mm to 105mm in length and come with a black sandalwood handle that not only looks sleek but feels super lightweight.

Onto individual reviews!

* 04 Foundation Brush (HK$350/~US$45) – Made out of 100% sable hair, this is a flat, dense brush that is perfect for applying liquid foundation. The hairs are also super soft and give me such a natural, even application without looking streaky. Highly recommended!

ink by Zing 04 Foundation Brush

* 06 Concealer Brush (HK$260/~US$33) – A smaller version of the foundation brush, this too is made out of 100% sable hair. It works great with cream and liquid concealers but I also like to use it to apply foundation on smaller areas.

ink by Zing 06 Concealer Brush

* 07 Highlighter Brush (HK$170/~US$22) – Made to fit the brow bone structure, this brush is made out of white ox hair and hand-sculpted with both a concave and convex side. The hairs are slightly harder than the rest of the brushes but the concave side fits very nicely onto my crease while the convex side is great for highlighting the brow bone.

ink by Zing 07 Highlighter Brush

* 08 Mini Powder Brush (HK$190/~US$24) – This yellow squirrel hair brush is my favorite from the line and have become one of my must-haves! The fluffy tip makes it the perfect tool for blending eyeshadows and the hairs are definitely one of the softest I have ever seen. When I went back to the store after a few days to grab a few more, it was completely sold out – which just shows how popular and great this is!

ink by Zing 08 Mini Powder Brush

* 13 Eyebrow Brush (HK$160/~US$) – Highly recommended by makeup artist Anita (who did an awesome bridal demo on me), this is perfect for filling in eyebrows, applying shadow on the inner corners or outer v and for softening eyeliner. It is also made out of yellow squirrel hair.

ink by Zing 13 Eyebrow Brush

Although it has only been 2+ weeks since I got these brushes, I am really liking them. I have been using them pretty much every day and they have survived a couple of washings without shedding or changing shape at all. I can’t wait to go back for more!

Overall Rating:

ink is available at Lane Crawford, Pacific Place (Hong Kong) and Lane Crawford, Ocean Terminal (Hong Kong). Prices range from HK$70 (~US$10) for the spoolie to HK$860 (~US$110) for the powder brush. To find out more about Zing and his work, check out http://www.zingmakeup.com/!

Disclosure: The products in this entry were purchased by me. Please see my Disclaimer for more information on my posting policy.

EcoTools 6 Piece Eye Brush Set Giveaway

Phyllis — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:47:09 +0000

Ladies, you’re in luck! Now you can win a free EcoTools 6 Piece Eye Brush Set that I raved about by checking out these helpful videos from celebrity makeup artist Meredith Baraf. More details after the jump!

How To Create A Cat Eye

How To Create A Flawless Face

How To Create A Sultry Smoky Eye

Touch Up Tips

The giveaway is open to everyone and ends on Feb 10th. To enter, tell me which clip you like the best and leave a valid e-mail address. Two winners will be selected randomly and notified via e-mail. Good luck!

Updates:- The giveaway has ended and the winners are EL and Jenn W.

EcoTools Makeup Brushes Review and Photos

Phyllis — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:41:19 +0000

A girl can never get enough of a good set of makeup brushes and recently, I stumbled upon a few gems from eco-friendly drugstore brand, ecoTOOLS, that I must share with you ladies!

The 6 Piece Eye Brush Set ($7.99) has everything you need to create the perfect eyeshadow look. There is a Large Eye Shadow Brush, Angled Crease Brush, Petite Eye Shading Brush, Domed Highlighting Brush and Smudge Brush. Each brush is printed with its name to ensure proper usage with every application. The set also comes in a compact natural hemp and cotton case with a mirror on the inside. Personally, I’m not too fond of the case but it does serve its purpose of protecting the brushes and I do like that it’s made from earth-friendly materials.

The brushes are of great quality and even better than some higher end travel-sized brushes (yes MAC, I’m talking to you!) The synthetic taklon bristles are very soft and feel so gentle on the skin. They also have a nice firm shape and pick up the perfect amount of color. I have used these brushes with Stila, MAC, Yaby and Jill Stuart eyeshadows and they all worked great. Not to mention these brushes survived a washing without shedding, going out of shape or bleeding. Below are closeup pictures of the individual brushes:

* Large Eye Shadow Brush – This fits perfectly on my eyelid and is great for applying a wash of color.

* Angled Crease Brush – This can be a little too big for the crease area so I like to use it to highlight my browbone and to apply a contouring color from the eyebrow to the nose.

* Petite Eye Shading Brush – This reminds me of MAC #228 Mini Shader. It is great for applying color on the inner and outer corners and to define a smaller crease.

* Domed Highlighting Brush – This is similar to MAC #224 SE Tapered Blending Brush. The dome shape works perfectly on the crease and for blending.

* Smudge Brush – This is great for smudging eyeliner out for a smoky look.

The Bamboo Bronzer Brush ($9.99) has the softest bristles that feel so great on the skin! Again, it picks up color easily and deposits it nicely onto the skin. While the bamboo handle does allow easy control, it is a little too thick and takes up a lot of space in my makeup bag. Besides using this to apply bronzer, I love it for buffing powder onto the face and applying blush onto the apples.

Thank you ecoTOOLS for sending me these awesome products for review! I can’t wait to pick up a few more next time I hit up the drugstore. If you ladies would like to try them too, stay tuned for a giveaway later this week!

Overall Rating: