another 3 brushes! this time it's the eyeshadow brushes! technically speaking i have 4, but i'll save that last one for another post because it's not something you can buy on its own.

for a very long time, i work without eyeshadow brushes because japanese eyeshadows have a formula that is best picked up by finger, also, the sheerer colour makes them extremely easy to work with and blend out. even unblended eyeshadow can look really natural, so i never saw a need to use a brush.

of course, as i learnt more about makeup, i realize certain tools are required to achieve certain looks. i purchased my first eyeshadow brush not knowing much. i thought all brushes were made equal - how wrong was i!!!


placed next to iphone 5s for a size comparison.
from top to down: elf eyeshadow "C" brush | essence eyeshadow brush | essence smokey eyes brush

the online reviews for the elf eyeshadow C brush looked good, so i chose it. now i wonder if i'm using it wrongly or not, because i certainly did not experience the positive effect of this brush like the other users. there were only 2 eyeshadow brushes in the studio collection, i picked this over the angled contour brush. on hindsight, i think i should have picked the latter. this is a case of not knowing my needs and wants, which resulted in an unhappy purchase.

i purchased the two essence eyeshadow on a whim because they were really affordable. there're not much reviews online, but the price point is low enough for me to take the risk to test it out, and so i did. i quite like them, in fact, much more than the elf eyeshadow brush. i'll explain more in a moment.




the elf eyeshadow "C" brush has the shortest bristles compared to the other two. it is also the widest. the essence eyeshadow brush has slightly longer bristles and a narrower width, which suited my smaller features pretty well. the smokey eyes brush is a bullet brush with a round top, the bristle are as long as the eyeshadow brush.

i learnt how important it is to judge a brush not just based on what others say, but also on how they appear. i'm not talking about the superficial packaging or appearance. how the brush look directly affects its application.



comparing the side view of the elf studio eyeshadow "C" brush and the essence eyeshadow brush, you can tell that the former is much more denser (just look at the amount of hair it has! almost twice the width of the essence eyeshadow brush!).
// a denser brush tend to grab onto pigments, making them perfect for sheering out colours.

the roundness of the tip of the brush matters too. the elf studio eyeshadow "C" brush is much more rounded, whereas the essence eyeshadow brush is more tapered. this makes the latter more efficient at packing pigments instead of eating them all up into the brush (which was what the elf brush did to me... and i wondered why my eyeshadows appeared so sheer).
// a more tapered brush is better for packing colours onto the skin, while a rounder brush tend to hold onto pigments.

of course, the texture of the bristle matters too. i noticed the essence eyeshadow brush bristles are not as perfectly straight and smooth as the elf eyeshadow "C" brush, what this means is it has more surfaces to grip powder from the eyeshadow pan. the patting motion will deposit the pigments onto well primed lids.
// in effect, it appears that a brush with rougher bristles is able to apply colour much more efficiently.

lastly, the length of the bristle matters too. how so? the shorter the bristles, the harder the brush becomes. the bristles will maintain their position when you're brushing it back and forth, giving you a well defined boundary. whereas if you were you use a brush with longer bristles, chances are you'll end up with a more diffused boundary which blends in seamlessly into your natural skin tone.
// a stiffer brush (normally with shorter bristles) will result in more precise colour application, while a fluffy brush (normally has longer bristles) will give you a more diffused and well blended look.

using the above criteria, we can get a feel of what each brush work like.

ELF STUDIO EYESHADOW "C" BRUSH: eats up pigments like nobody's business, but it's awesome for blending out eyeshadow on top of eyeliner thanks to the stiffer bristles. i'd liken this to a chubby smudge brush. it's simply too huge for my eyes, not flexible to cover my eye hole, and doesn't do me much good. even though it sheers out the colour, the stiffer brush leaves behind a well defined boundary. may be useful if that's the look i'm going for, but more often than not, i prefer a slightly more blended look.

ESSENCE EYESHADOW BRUSH: soft enough to blend out colours pretty nicely, but it's strength is actually the ability to build and pack on colours on my lids. the tapered end is precise enough for me to use it on my lower lash line as well, which is always a good news for lazy bum like me because i don't fancy the idea of switching between 20 brushes to get one look done. the synthetic brush isn't as soft as they claimed - it's slightly scratchy, but it doesn't pose any problem to me. also, the bristles aren't all pointing in one single direction (honestly, i don't know if they are synthetic or not. they looked a little like natural hair because of that different direction thingy), resulting in some fall outs during application.

ESSENCE SMOKEY EYES BRUSH: even though the bristles have the same length as the eyeshadow brush, the increased density made it a little stiffer. this is perfect for blending out eyeliners with eyeshadow. the increased precision makes it more suited for my eyes as compared to the elf brush! also, this is wonderful for applying eyeshadow to my inner corners because it fit in just right! however, this isn't a blending brush, so don't expect this to blend out colours as flawless as an actual blending brush would.

i'm still trying to find better use for the elf eyeshadow "C" brush! i'm not the kind who'll discard of something just because it didn't work for me. instead, i try to work with it to see if i can discover new techniques or uses, sometimes they requires me to experiment and think out of the box. if i do chance upon something good, i'll share it again over here :D

after being exposed to so many different styles of makeup (god bless the internet!), i'm tempted to get a blending brush and experiment with more eye looks. if you have any affordable and good blending brushes, as well as shading brushes, do leave me a recommendation!

Essence Sun Club Shimmer Bronzing Powder 10 Sunkissed (Swatch and Review)

definitely an impulse buy. i was lusting over a bronzer for some reason a while ago (and i still am). i'm not one who tans, so i'm actually looking for a shading powder.. but.. i must have gotten them mixed up. i ended up with this shimmery bronzing powder - not only does it NOT shade my face appropriately (as my skin isn't thaaaaat fair), it's also loaded with shimmer so... shading? nope. not gonna happen.

essence is pretty new in singapore, however i've seen them online before. they originated from germany and it's aim is to provide affordable and trendy makeup. it's so affordable that.. this purchase was made entirely on impulse, and that happens very rarely to me because i usually think thrice before buying anything cosmetics. at SGD$5.50, i didn't see any reason to NOT give it a try. even if it doesn't work well as a shading powder for me, i'm sure i'd find some other use for it.


ooh-la-la, there's a sexy lady embossed onto the powder.


i got it in 10 sunkissed meant for people with fair skin.


in the pan it looks like a beige with a yellow undertone.


concentrated swatch on the left, blended out on the right.

when swatched, it appears a little more orange-y on my skin. when swatched heavily, the colour is quite striking. however, it blends out to a subtle sunkissed glow. this product is pearly AND shimmery. however, the micro shimmer is really fine and isn't captured by the camera. the sparkles is quite subtle and really very very fine (when i rotate my hands, i can see tiny specks of light being reflected back, it's actually kinda pretty).

the powder is very smooth and soft to touch, a lot of product comes off by swirling my brush (and finger) over it!

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: this product is scented - smells like vanilla to me. i don't like it. but it wears off after a while. i don't enjoy my face product smelling so artificially sweet.


seen from three different angles to show the sheen and finish.


IMHO:
while this product is definitely not suitable to give me more defined cheekbones, it works as a blusher for me! that is if i used my brightening foundation prior to that to lighten my skin tone a little first. otherwise, it looks too close to my skin tone and i look a little washed out - but with shimmer.

maybe i can get it to work by going really strong handed when applying this along the hollows of my cheek? but.. i'd not risk that. i think this powder can be used on my body to give it that glow! i've yet to try that though.

now i wish i've gotten this a shade darker, perhaps it can give me the effect that i was looking for. still on the search for a shading powder.

i bought this for SGD$5.50.

White Formula Extreme Hyaluronic Acid Essence First Impression

my first essence! i've been eyeing one for a while, this seems to fit my needs and budget well, so i purchased it after seeing pretty good reviews on urcosme, the taiwanese peer review site for beauty products.

white formula is a taiwanese brand, i think it's pretty new in town, for they have just reached the singaporean shore a few months ago. i got this from hong kong because just 6 months ago, it wasn't in singapore yet.

this is purely for hydrating and moisturizing - packed with hyaluronic acid. read on.



on the back the product description.
let me do some translation!

"complete hydration - the ultimate and improved version. get hydration in just one drop thanks to the high density hydration delivery technology.

the high density water delivery techonology couple concentrated hyaluronic acid allows for the instantaneous release of moisturizing factors. with 4 patented beefed up hyaluronic acids, it is able to penetrate the skin to supply strong and long lasting effects of moisture induction, moisture replenishment, and moisture retainment. you just need one drop for perfect hydration.

- high technology moisture induction hyaluronic acid SYN-HYCAN, aims to inject dry skin with water, works in synergy with collagen.

- low molecular weight hyalurnoic acid Hyalo-Oligo, able to penetrate deep into the skin, allows the skin to be hydrated inside out.

- high density water retaining hyaluronic acid Sodium Hyaluronate, forms a strong net to keep the water in.

- concentrated hyaluronic acid Hyaloveil-P, powerful moisturizing capabilities, constantly supplies the skin with hydration."


ingriedients list.
even though it's a taiwanese brand, it's made in korea!

it comes with suggested usage instructions:

suitable for extremely dry, dehydrated, and sensitive skin.
use it twice a day, morning and night. after cleansing your face, take an appropriate amount of the essence and gently massage it into the face and neck.



pump dispenser.


i really like the blue bottle, looks pleasing and relaxing to my eyes! there are also simple instructions (same as the one on the box) at the back of the bottle.




it's slightly more viscous than the whitening lotion.



similar to the whitening lotion this is extremely slippery, and there is a slight stickiness to it, when i apply it on my face and pat it with my palms, it will resist me from pulling it away from my face (as with all other products containing hyaluronic acid).

IN A NUTSHELL

texture: slightly viscous, very slippery, spreads easily and absorbed quickly.
after-feel: a slight adhesive feeling, skin feels soft and hydrated.
fragrance: no fragrance. in fact, there's a chemical smell to it because they didn't add any fragrance to cover it up.

IMHO

i've only started using it recently, so i can't give too much comments yet. as far as the texture goes, i kinda like it. the slippery feel makes me think of the snail mucin products (even though i've never tried it, but i've linked slippery-ness to moisture retaining effects). the scent is a little turn off because the chemical scent is quite apparent, and the thought of slathering chemicals on my face isn't that appetizing at all. nonetheless, it is a very hydrating product and i can get away with it as my creams at night, perhaps even in the day. but that sticky feeling is something i try to avoid during day time because i need it to be compatible with my make up (meaning, my face should feel hydrate and smooth, not hydrated and slightly sticky, which may result in uneven application of my powders!).

full review will be up in at least 2 months time for me to observe any differences.

my gf picked this up from HK for HKD$110.

Make Up Haul #1 (and a very short review) for the year of 2014

i prefer to collect beauty purchases because it makes me think that i'm not dealing a heavy blow to my wallet. self deception at its best!

over the first quarter of the year i've added a few items to my make up collection.

essence sun club shimmer bronzing powder in 10 sunkissed is really more of a shimmer than a bronzer, perhaps it'll work better as a bronzer on very fair skin. not a big fan of the vanilla scent.

bourjois small little round pot blush in 32 ambre d'or is a beautiful orange toned blush flourished with golden specks of metallic dust, it's too small to be called a glitter or shimmer. it imparts a beautiful glow to the face, i love to use it as either a blush or an eyeshadow.

catrice made to stay highlighter pen in 010 eye like! is a pink toned shimmery highlighting pen that really does what it claims - it is made to stay! perfect for lining the waterline and lower lids where it's prone to smudging or creasing.

l'oreal color riche lipstick in P511 touch of amaranth is a super pigmented and creamy lipstick in one of my favourite colour right now - hot pink. it's a pretty blue based pink which shows me gorgeously on photos, it helps to brighten up my skintone too! not sure if this is a good thing, it stains your lips.

l'oreal lucent magique liquid light touch-up pen in fair is supposed to help diffuse light off your face to fill out any sunken areas. i've yet to give this a good try, full review will be up soon!

what are your latest beauty buys?

xoxo
karman