Bat an Eyelash is a lifestyle blog about jewelry, makeup, belly dance, or anything else that my catch my interest.
I am a merchandiser for Chloe + Isabel. Please check out my boutique or share it with someone who may enjoy it. www.chloeandisabel.com/boutique/loriannlv
I took advantage of some holiday sales but didn't go too crazy. I also have upcoming MUA and e.l.f. hauls to post but first my latest Sephora and Ulta hauls. I fell in love with the L'Occitane hand cream from November's Sample Society Box so I wanted to try more. L'Occitane has a holiday set featuring 1 oz tubes of five of their hand creams. They are Lavande, Pivoine Flora, Classic Shea Butter, Fleur Cherie, and Cherry Blossom. Unfortunately it was sold out a BeautyBar.com. So I picked it up from Sephora (where it is also now sold out). These retail indiviually for $10. I picked up the set for $40 and I believe I got 8% cash back from Ebates.
L'Occitane Hand Cream Confections Set
I can't decide if I'm going to keep them all or send a couple to my mom and sister with the beauty goodie bags I'm putting together for them.
Sephora Freebies
Sephora Freebies
I got a pile of free stuff with my order.First up are my picks for the usual three free samples. Benefit So Radiant which features samples of the Triple Performing Face Emulsion, Total Moisture Facial Cream, and It's Potent Eye Cream. I've try the eye cream in the past and liked it. I wasn't amazed by it but I did like it. Clinique High Impact Mascara was my second choice because I'm always up to try a new mascara. Third choice was Lady Gaga's Fame perfume. I have to admit I was curious. The scent reminds of Liz Taylor Poison from back in the day. Sephora was also offering mystery bags of samples. Mine included two cards of Sephora foundation in Light and Medium, a foil pack of Sephora Instant Moisturizer, Clarins High Definition Body Lift, DDF Amplifying Elixir, and a mini bottle of Versace perfume. I had a sample of the DDF before but it traded it. I may keep this one and actually try it out. I'm pretty sure I'm sending the Versace to my mom though. I'll definitely try the rest.
Ulta was still doing a buy one get one 50% on Real Techniques brushes so I took advantage of that. I picked up the Expert Face Brush and the Stippling brush. I also decided to try a new moisturizer and eye cream. I'm not really loyal to any particular moisturizer and I still haven't found my HG eye cream yet. I like the Eucerin so far but haven't been impressed with the Neutrogena eye cream.
Ulta Holiday 2012 Haul
My Ulta order also contained several items for my Mom but I won't post them on the off chance that she reads this. There was a mix of makeup and skincare products for her. I also scored cash back from Ebates for my Ulta purchase.
Overall, I managed to rein myself in a bit. I'm really trying not to go crazy with my spending lately. I managed to stay mostly on budget as far as gift buying is concerned and only bought a few things for myself. YAY.
Even though I'm trying to do a Low Buy for the next few months, I braved a trip to Ulta. I had $5 off coupon on a purchase $10 or more and my quarterly reward to pick up (which I've never actually used before). Ulta had also mailed me a postcard announcing their new Clinique counters. To celebrate, they were giving away a free lipstick. So I made my plan of attack and went in. The only two items I was intending to buy were the Real Techniques Blush Brush and OPI Nail Polish in Bubble Bath. Ashley over at Blush Bug did a post not too long ago about her Favorite Nude Polishes and I fell in love with Bubble Bath.
O.P.I. Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath Original price $8.50 after coupon $6.07. This polish is the perfect pale pink color. I did two coats and it's still pretty sheer but still gives a hint of color. Love!
Real Techniques Blush Brush Original price $8.99 after coupon $6.42 I don't have a blush brush that I love. Everyone raves about these brushes so I thought I'd give it a shot. It was a tough call between this brush and the Expert Face Brush. I'll definitely get the Expert Face Brush next time around.
Clinique Long Last Lipstick in All Heart Original price $15. FREE! I believe this is full size but I can't find the weight on the tube. The color All Heart is a deep mauve/berry color. It really suits me. I used to use a lot of Clinique skincare products but I haven't ever really used many of their makeup products.
Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil .35 oz Original price $6.50 FREE! I hardly ever cash in my quarterly points at Ulta. I always forget. When I saw this as one of the options, I was way more motivated than usual. I love this stuff! I'm still working through my 1 oz bottle from Beauty Army. I swear I'm actually going to buy it one day.
Even though I went to the NYX display twice and everything was buy one get on 50%, I managed to not walk away with anything. I'm so proud of myself for sticking to my plan of action. It definitely was not easy! My total spent before taxes was $12.49 that's like a record low for me.
I like to use a lot of cream blushes and I tend to apply them with a stipple brush. The first stipple brush I bought was the e.l.f brush a few months ago. I just got the Coastal Scents Stipple Brush in mystery box. Let's see how the stack up against each other.
Coastal Scents Stippling Brush and e.l.f Stipple Brush
Overall Design: The Coastal Scents brush is longer. I tend to hold it close to the ferrule anyway so that doesn't really make much of a difference to me. The handles are slightly rounded for grip. Winner: Tie
L to R: Coastal Scents, e.l.f.
Bristles: These are both made with synthetic bristles. The Coastal Scents brush has thinner bristles that are more densely packed. This definitely gives a more controlled application. The e.l.f bristles are a little bit stiffer and not as soft against the skin. Winner: Coastal Scents
Durability: I've had the e.l.f. brush for a few months and I use it fairly regularly. I haven't noticed any shedding and there has been minimal fraying of the bristles. Cleans easily.
e.l.f bristles
The Coastal Scents brush starting shedding immediately. I've washed it a few times and it still sheds. I find bristles stuck to my face or in my blush. There are also more bristles that are going off in their own direction. I also had a very difficult time getting this brush clean. I really had to work in the brush cleaner and let it sit to get this brush completely clean.
Coastal Scents bristles
This is only after a few weeks of off and on use. Winner: e.l.f
Price: These are both reasonably priced. Coastal Scents is $6.95 available on the Coastal Scents site. and e.l.f is $3 available on the e.l.f siteWinner: e.l.f
Overall Winner: e.l.f. This is a great brush for the price and has held up nicely. I do wish the bristles were a little bit more densely packed but I will still reach for this over the Coastal Scents brush.
Awhile back Coastal Scents was offering these mystery boxes. I believe they originally sold for $50. I picked mine up when they were on sale for $19.99. I had seen a few other people post about them and the contents looked decent and I love a good mystery box. This seems like a mixture of discontinued, slightly irregular factory faults, and sale items. Here's what was in my box.
Mini Contour Brush & Mini Lip Brush
I tried to use the Mini Contour Brush for cleaning up my cuticles after painting my nails but it didn't work very well. You could possibly use it for really targeted blending. The lip brush would be good for travelling or throwing in your purse for touch ups.
Classic Stippling Brush, Classic Shadow Large Natural & Medium Natural, Natural Fan Brush, and Classic Blender
I like that I received a mixture of synthetic and natural brushes. I always love trying new brushes. I've been using the Stippling Brush for apply cream blush. I'm going to do a comparison with the e.l.f Stipple brush soon. I haven't decided what to do with the Large Natural or the Natural Fan brush yet. I gave the other two to my sister who had no brushes.
Five full sized mineral shadows! I actually don't use a lot of mineral makeup though. These colors were all recently discontinued. Balara is a dark brown color unlike the orange tint it has in the photo. Ignite is a light brownish pink. Fiji Twist is a bright sunshine yellow. Lace Sparkle is a light mauve. Lagoon Mist is periwinkle. Emerald Sapphire is a cool toned sparkley green. These can be applied wet or dry. If you're interested in swatches let me know. I may just put most of these in my trade pile.
Mineral Bronzer
I was all set to send this straight to the trade pile but this seems light enough that it won't just make my complexion look muddy. I'm going to give it a shot.
Quad Eyeshadow Palette: ??, Peach, Deep Grape, New Penny
This quad was being sold as a dramatic look for green eyes. I'm a blue eyed girl and I don't think I can pulll off this combination. The mystery shade and Deep Grape are matte colors. The mystery shade is very sheer. Peach has a satin finish. New Penny has a more metallic finish. You could easily pop these out and put different colors in. I have a medium and small Z palette though. If I need to travel, I just put my selected colors in the smaller Z palette.
Whimsical Lashes
I love lashes. I don't have a pair with this crisscross pattern so I'm pretty excited about these. I usually only wear lashes for dance performances though. Not sure when I'll get around to trying these out.
I also received a bottle of facial cleanser with grapefruit and green tea extract. It foams up out of the bottle and has a very fresh and clean scent. I haven't tried the African Black Soap yet.
For what I paid, I definitely think I got my money's worth. There are some products I definitely wouldn't have picked up on my own. What are your favorite Coastal Scents products?
When I started this blog back in January, I thought that maybe a few of my friends and family would read it. I never dreamt that so many other people would start reading it! Sometimes I don't have as much time to devote to my blog as I'd like to but it inspires me and pushes me to know there are people out there reading this and enjoying it. I love all of your comments and feedback.
In appreciation of hitting the 100+ follower mark, I'd like to send out a small thank you gift. I've chosen the e.l.f. 11 piece Studio Brush set because I think it's a good basic set of brushes. Many of these I use everyday. These are also fully synthetic and vegan friendly. The set includes: Eyeshadow "C" Brush, Small Smudge Brush, Small Angled Brush, Small Precision Brush, Contouring Brush, Concealer Brush, Blush Brush, Complexion Brush, Angled Foundation Brush, Powder Brush, and Fan Brush.
I'm also giving away my two favorite colors of the NYX Xtreme Lip Creams. My reviews of those are my most read posts. I'm giving away Buttery Nude and Absolute Red. NYX products are cruelty free.
You can read about them here and here. I know NYX isn't a brand that is easily accessible to everyone. So I wanted to spread the love.
This will be open to my international readers as well. Winner will have 48hours to respond. If a response is not received, a new winner will be chosen. I really hope one of my actual readers wins this so you will not find a "Tweet About This Giveaway" or "Blog About This" option. Of course, if you feel like sharing it you can . :)
The month of August flew by! This month I have been using some new products and some products that have been sitting in my makeup drawer neglected for awhile.
e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush, UD 24/7 Stray Dog, MUA Heaven & Earth, Macadamia Healing Oil, e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set
e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush This brush is so soft! I've been using it lately in place of my Estee Lauder powder brush and I love it. It's only $6 from e.l.f. I picked this up last month when they were having a sale for only $3. I'm really amazed at the quality for the price. This brush is fully synthetic and vegan.
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Stray Dog This was party of the 24/7 Travel Set in Naked. I don't believe this color is part of the permanent range. I picked the set up when it was Hautelook last time. The color is a nice taupe brown. It just happens to go perfectly with the eyeshadow combination I've been using from my MUA palette.
MUA Heaven & Earth Palette MUA is a UK drugstore brand that lots of bloggers rave about. I finally got my hands on some of their products. Here's my haul post if you missed it. Their products are well priced even with the exchange rate. I'm happy to report that they live up to the hype. This palette is pigmented with a nice texture. I've been creating some really nice smokey daytime looks. I'll try to do a full review soon.
Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment This was from my first Beauty Army. This smells amazing and leaves my hair very shiny and soft. I definitely plan on purchasing the full size version in the future.
e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set This is another of those products that I use everyday and tend to take for granted. I really notice a difference in how long my makeup lasts when I don't use it. The ingredients include aloe, green Tea, cucumber and vitamins A, C & E. There are probably better setting sprays out there but for $3 I don't think you can beat this one. It also tends to last. I've had this bottle for awhile and I'm just now getting to the halfway point..
My day to day makeup routine hasn't changed much since June. I'm still wearing minimal makeup because it's hot. So this month thought I'd share a few products that I use every day that are sort of my unsung heroes.
Estee Lauder Powder Brush I got this from my mom years ago who got it as a GWP. I love this brush for applying powder. The bristles are soft and don't shed. I've been using this for years.
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light. This is a little pricey at $29. I've had this for a couple of years but didn't start using it every day until this year. So it should last for a while. I use this to set my foundation or BB.
Smith's Rosebud Salve I keep this beside my bed and apply to my lips before going to bed. It does a great job of keeping my lips hydrated throughout the night. I sometimes use this on my elbow as well. I have a tendency to prop my left elbow up on my desk and rest my chin in my hand. This makes the skin on my elbow rough. :( I need to start using this for my cuticles more.
NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara This is my new favorite mascara. If you haven't read my review you can check it out here.
Day of the Dead Hot/Cold Soothing Pad My sister made this for me when I was having my gall bladder removed. Then I would microwave it for a few minutes and put it on my shoulders to alleviate the pain of the gases from the laproscopic surgery leaving my body. I rolled my ankle really bad a few weeks ago and I've been keeping this in the freezer so I can prop up and ice my ankle. Thanks Weaz!
This month I indulged and bought myself some more high end items for my birthday but other than that I haven't been buying many products this month. I've actually been using a lot of things from my subscription services and from free samples with purchase.
NARS Blush in Orgasm I have to admit this is very similar to the Milani Luminoso blush which was my favorite blush in February. I like the formula of the NARS a little better for some reason I can't really describe. It just has the feeling of a higher quality product.
AmorePacific Tinted Treatment Moisturizer I got these samples with my birthday haul. Generously sized I got multiple uses out of the first little pod I tried. Fell in love with it! The lightest color works well for me. I tried out Fair today and it's just a tad too dark. Unfortunately the full size of this product is $70! So I don't see myself buying it anytime soon. I will have to admire you from afar AmorePacific. I still have the Light-Medium and Medium samples if anyone is interested.
Bond No.9 Nuits de Noho This came in my May Sample Society Box. It smells slightly exotic and indulgent. I absolutely love it. I don't wear it everyday because I'm trying to make this sample last. I wore it recently for one of my belly dance performances just to give myself that extra boost.
StriVectin SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles also from May Sample Society and the QVC Test tube. I was using this for a few weeks prior to my performance. It definitely lessened the appearance of my belly stretch marks and the scars from my recent surgery. I'm a believer.
e.l.f. Angled Blush Brush I originally bought this brush with contouring in mind but I like it for general blush application. Besides I still haven't quite figured out that whole contouring thing. The fibers are really soft and seem to pick up just the right amount of product. I just looked and didn't see these on e.l.f. Hopefully they aren't discontinued. This brush is cruelty free.
Sorry I've been neglecting my blog. I did get sucked into Diablo3 but I also really got sucked back into belly dance. I had an amazing weekend last week at a festival. I may blog about it. Would you guys be interested in a performance video?
So I tend to buy myself pretty indulgent birthday and Christmas presents. No one knows what I want better than me right? So this year for my birthday I gave in and bought myself my first high end cosmetic purchase. I went for the Guerlain Meteorites Powder in Teint Rose (#10). I also picked up a cute little set of brushes that is going to work out great for throwing in my purse.
I can't wait to try out this powder. I'll post a full review in the future. The packaging is beautiful!
Sephora also sent me a large batch of goodies for free. The Beauty Insider free birthday gift is a small duo of Sugar Lip Treatment and a Tinted Lip Treatment. I've heard really good things about the Sugar products and I love tinted lip balms!
Sephora Freebies
In addition to the normal three free samples with purchase, Sephora was offering six perfume samples in different themes which I got a booklet about in my last Sephora order. The choices were addictive, casual, playful, and chic. I chose addictive because I really liked the two fragrances featured in the booklet. They were Balenciaga and Angel by Thierry Mugler. Sadly, I didn't get samples of either. The perfume samples came in nice black pouch which I wasn't expecting. This would be good to throw a few makeup items in or maybe to throw some jewelry in for travel.
List of freebies:
Sugar Lip Treatments
Shiseido BioPerformance Serum
Dr. Dennis Gross Daily Face Peel (this is a substitution. Pretty sure I selected the Ren mask because I love it)
Amore Pacific Tinited Moisturizer (this came with four shades to sample)
I haven't been wearing as much makeup this month as I usually do. I've also been trying not to buy anything makeup wise unless I really have a need. I really need to use up some products and samples. I've been somewhat successful so far. Two of my favorites this month came from my March Birchbox
MAC 217 Brush I had quit using this for awhile in favor of the MUG Crease Brush but I've been reaching for it a lot lately. This is a great brush fir getting into the crease or blending. I've had mine for years and it's held up nicely.
Harvey Prince Yogini Perfume There was a sample of this in my Birchbox last month. I loved it so much I had to order the full size bottle. The light, clean fragrance features top notes of purifying sandalwood, refreshing grapefruit, and sensual Egyptian myrrh. Subtle cues of golden amber, incense, and star jasmine.
Kerastase Elixir Ultime Was also from my Birchbox last month. This mixture of hair oils is lightweight. The scent is a bit herbal but the shine payoff is great! If I could get the fragrance of the Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil serum and the effectiveness of the Kerastase in one serum I would be a happy Bat indeed.
Almay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover I've long been on the hunt for an eye makeup remover that I liked. I've tried the Clinique Take the Day off and MAC's makeup remover. Neither compares to this drugstore find. It removes eye makeup easily.
NYX Blush in Pinched I love the cream blushes from NYX that I have so I picked up Pinched when Ulta was having their NYX sale. It's a perfect peach color for summer with just a hint of shimmer.
What are your April favorites? Is there anything you can't wait to try in May?
March was second month for MyGlam and the end of their probationary period with me. I've been giving all my subscription services two months before I decide whether to cancel or continue. This month there were three standard samples and a mix of three items as deluxe sample. Those were the 3Lab cleanser, Pur-lisse Lip Comfort, and Murad Absolute Bronzing Boost. I would have preferred the Pur-lisse but anything is better than the bronzing boost for me.
I had heard online that some people received bags that stunk. I thought last month's bag was stinky so I was somewhat prepared when I opened my package or so I thought..The smell was strong and noxious and somewhere between moth balls and gasoline. Maybe gasoline soaked moth balls? All of the samples inside were tainted by the smell but the bag itself was the worst! I took all the samples out and filled a bag with baking soda and left it to air out. The next day my samples had aired out enough to handle them but the bag was still awful. I couldn't get within two feet of it without being hit by the fumes. More on that later. First the samples.
Keracolor Color Enhancing Leave In Treatment"This leave-in treatment is especially designed to enhance, protect, strengthen, and hydrate all hair types." You mix the two sides together and work into damp hair. They also claim this sample will be enough for 2-4 applications. I'm pretty sure I'd get one use out of it. I haven't tried this yet. Experimenting with skincare products is one thing. I'm not so sure I want to experiment with hair color treatments. If anyone has tried this, I'd like to know how it worked for you.
Pur-lisse Pur-Protect SPF 30 Essential Daily Moisturizer " ... delivers reliable broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection plus rich hydration, thanks to a couple of exclusive complexes, vitamin E, soy protein and calming antioxidant white tea. Skin is left calm and smooth." It's a moisturizer. I was neither wowed or disappointed by it. I did get about four uses out of this. I probably could have gotten five but I was tired of dealing with the foil packet.
Murad Eye Lift Perfector "Increase your skin's firmness by 50% in as little as 15 minutes with this revolutionary product, which relies on exclusive firming and luminating complexes to address dark circles, both instantly and long-term. A subtle tint adds just the right amount of coverage. I tend to get dark circles. I used this once and didn't really notice a difference. I think I have enough left to give it another shot.
MyGlam Classic Crease Brush & Case "Hand selected by Michelle from her recent trip to Hong Kong...Freshen up your spring makeup routine with this MyGlam exclusive classic crease brush and case." This seems rather large for a crease brush. It also seems like a lower quality than even my e.l.f brushes. At first I suspected the brush case as the culprit for the horrible smell. So I threw it in the trash can beside my desk. I'm not a pink kind of girl. I think the only other pink item I own is my MAC Brush Cleaner. So no big loss. I may give this brush a good wash and see how it holds up. Mine still smells and already looks a bit frayed.
DermStore $25 Gift Card On purchases over $50. Not a gift card. A coupon code.
3Lab Perfect Cleansing Foam"Using only the highest-grade botanicals and state of the art technologies, 3LAB aims to perfect skin by firming, smoothing and evening the complexion." I tried this a few times. I liked the way my skin felt afterwards. I will have to use it more to see if it causes any issues with my skin. Do not get this anywhere near your eyes or it will sting! There are also several ingredients that are known pore clogging ingredients including the very first ingredient. So if your skin is prone to breaking out you may want to avoid this.
So back to the mystery toxic cloud. Let me start of by saying I don't have any respiratory issues nor am I overly sensitive to chemicals. But I could still sit at my desk and smell the brush holder. If I sat here too long I would start to get a headache. I finally took the trash out. My bag itself has been airing out since Monday when I unpacked it and it smells just as bad as it did when I first took it out of the bag. MyGlam's official response has been that is the glue used to construct the brushes. 1. That makes me not want to use the brush at all 2. It's my actual bag that still reeks after being out for five days. I'm not buying it. I've read about other ladies getting migraines from the smell or even those with respiratory issues needing breathing treatments. This is no exaggeration on how noxious this thing is. I couldn't get within two feet of my bag without being hit by the fumes for four days.
I was going to give MyGlam one more month because overall the samples in this month's bag are better than February's Bag even though there were no makeup samples. The longer it took my bag to air out, the more disenchanted I became. So I cancelled my account yesterday. I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. There just seems to be so much drama and disappointment surrounding this service. I hope in the future they improve on quality. Until then I have my Sample Society and Birchbox.
e.l.f. was offering a Mystery Bag on Leap day valued at $20 with any purchase of $20 or more. Even though I was technically cut off for the rest of the month of February I let this one slide. I mean it was Leap Day so really it was more like March anyway. Besides $20 of e.l.f products goes a long way! Some e.l.f products are really great finds and others are pretty much worth the $1-$3.
So first the stuff I bought:
Lip Tintin Berry $3 Contouring Blush & Bronzer Powder I don't contour or use bronzer but it's something I'm curious about. For $3 I can afford to experiment. Makeup Mist and Set $3 Can this live up to the standard set by my MAC Fix +? Nourishing Cuticle Pen My cuticles aren't as bad now that I don't work with my hands everyday but they still need some lovin'. $1
Eyebrow Lifter & Filler in Ivory/Medium I really don't pay as much attention to my brows as I should other than keeping a basic shape.$3 Studio Stipple Brush I don't have a stipple brush. $3 Mineral Angled Blush Brush No angled blush brush either. This is the big ticket item in my order...$5
Now the free stuff! So much stuff I wasn't quite sure how to arrange it to get it all in the picture.
Shimmer Palette These are all creams so you can use them on the eyes, lips or face. Retail value $3 Silver Box Duo Eyeshadow Collection Four duo eyeshadows plus a brush. These look like some good color combos.Greenish Silver/Purple. Matte brown/bronze. Shimmer Pink/Matte Light Gray. Sparkly Black/Matte Silver Gray. Retail value $5 Minty Lip Gloss In Miami. This definitely smells minty. Retail value $3 Single Eyeshadow in Butter Cream This reminds me of a color I have but I can't quite put my finger on it right now. Retail value $3 Mineral Concealer Brush Feels soft Retail value $5 Hypershine Lip Gloss in Sugar Plum Looks like a nice plum color. I'm not really into brush applicator lip glosses. Retail Value $1
So quite the mountain of stuff. I'm not even really sure where to start! e.l.f. usually has some good deals. It's worth it to sign up for their emails.
It's important to clean and condition your brushes for hygienic reasons and also to extend the life of your brushes.You should get in the habit of deep cleaning your brushes every two weeks or so to remove product build up and disinfect. I've been experimenting with a couple of different brush cleaners to find out which one is my favorite.
The brush cleaner I've been using the longest is the Mac Brush Cleaner. It comes in 7.9 oz bottle for $13.00. This cleaner works really well as a disinfectant and for deep cleaning. It cleans powder and liquid based products out of your brushes well. There is no obvious scent to it either. The only problem I have with it is that my bottle leaks. So I typically pour some product in the cap and dip my brushes in it. Instead of trying to pour it out onto my brushes. Bat's Rating: 9
The Sonia Kashuk Brush and Sponge Cleanser comes in a 5.1 oz bottle. You can find it at Target for $6.99. I've found this the cleaner works alright on brushes with powder based products on them but not so much for brushes used for lipstick or concealer. I can't really detect a smell from it. The spray bottle makes application very easy. Bat's Rating: 7.5
As a daily brush cleaner, I've been using the e.l.f. Daily Brush Cleaner. This comes in 8.5 oz spray bottle. It retails for $3.00. You may be able to find this at Target. They do carry the Brush Shampoo. This product is mostly designed to be used as a daily disinfectant. It does removes some product from the brush but does not fully clean. It works equally well on powder and liquid based products. There is a very pronounced scent to this product. It's a bit flowery and tropical with an underlying chemical hint. It reminds me of a beauty salon. I don't mind it too much but the scent does linger a bit. I wished it cleaned a little bit more and smelled a little bit less. Bat's Rating: 8
In my many years as a technician, one of the most valuable lessons I've learned is that the proper tools make the job go a lot easier. This is just as true when applying makeup. You may think that makeup brushes are confusing, expensive, and only for professionals but there are many good brushes out there that won't break the bank. If you try to use those little foam wands that come with some eye shadows, you won't be able to blend or precisely apply. Invest in a set of brushes to make your life easier.
The bare bones of any brush collection should be a blending or crease brush, a flat brush, and a small brush for more precise application. If you wear a lot of gel liner, you should also add a bent liner brush to your arsenal. Last but not least don't forget your brows and lashes! Add a double sided brow and lash comb and you'll be all set to really start experimenting with eye shadow.
I highly recommend the brushes from Makeup Geek. I use the Outer V ($5.99) everyday for applying shadow to the crease. I recently picked up the Crease Brush ($4.89) and it's quickly becoming a go to brush. It works well for blending the crease. It is very similar to the MAC 217 but is a little smaller (which I like) and is about a quarter of the price. These are natural fiber brushes and have held up well for me.
Bottom to Top: MUG Outer V, MUG Crease Brush
I do have a collection of MAC brushes. I only use about three of them regularly. The aforementioned MAC 217 ($22.50) is a great brush for applying color or blending. It's soft and feathery. Next is the MAC 219 ($24.50). I have a smaller holiday special edition set from a few years ago. This brush is used for a more precise application of color or blending. I use it under the brow and in the inside corner of the eye. The brush I use the most after the Outer V is the MAC 239. This is used for applying color to larger areas of the lid. It has flat rounded bristles. I've had my 219SE & 239SE for at least three years now and they are still in excellent condition. These are also natural fiber brushes.
Bottom to Top: MAC 217, MAC 219SE, MAC 239SE
Perhaps the most bang for your buck can be found in the e.l.f. Studio 11 Piece Brush Collection ($30). I just recently purchased this set and I'm in love. It's a nice mix of eye and face brushes and it comes in in a soft case for storage or travel. I'm really impressed with the Eye shadow "C" Brush. It blends like a dream. The Contour Brush is similar to the Outer V and the MAC 217 but is probably the most stiff of the three. I use the Small Precision Brush and the Small Smudge Brush frequently. They are a great size for applying or smudging eyeliner. The face brushes are super soft. I've really started to use the Fan brush quite a bit. I need to explore using the other face brushes a bit more. If you forget what a brush is for or how to use it, there's also a cheat sheet. e.l.f. products can also be found at Target. These brushes are fully synthethic so that means they are vegan friendly. If you shop soon, you can use the code: SAVE50 to get $7.50 off. That's like $2 a brush. Go do it now. Open a new tab. ;)
e.l.f. 11 Piece Studio Brush Set
Finally, if you use a lot of gel liner or are thinking about buying some gel liners, pick up the Sonia Kashuk Bent Eyeliner Brush ($5.79 at Target). The angle makes it a lot easier to apply eyeliner comfortably and precisely.
Don't forget to pick up a brush cleaner to clean and condition your brushes. I will post a review of different brush cleaners soon.
