Today the Molton Brown Friends and Family Sale starts on their US site where everything is 25% off with code FRIENDSUSA. All orders also receive free standard shipping (woohoo!). The sale starts today and goes on through Monday October 5th. There are a number of cute gift sets including this Mini 4-Piece Candle Set and this gorgeously packaged Hand Cream Trio.
A few holiday sets have launched early. The Holiday Shower Gel and Hand Wash Baubles are back. Gingerlily is sitting in my cart right now because it’s the most heavenly relaxing scent I’ve tried and the boxes this year are more beautiful than ever. The Fiery Pink Pepper Holiday Cracker (for her) and the Re-Charge Black Pepper Cracker (for him) are super cute for stocking-stuffers. Also in my cart is the Men’s Travel Luxuries Set for my husband and the Women’s Travel Luxuries Set (it has minis of all the Gingerlily items, body wash, body polisher, body lotion, hand cream + a mini shampoo). I hear the Lip Saver is really good – so I might give that one a try as well. If you have any recommendations on the Hand Washes I’m all ears – the ones I have are running low so I need a replacement soon.
Do you have any Molton Brown favorites you’d like to recommend? I’d love to hear about your tried and true. The Shower Gels are always a winner for me. I’m obsessed with their Hand Creams and the packaging is compact, super cute and pretty affordable. The Holiday Baubles were so cute last year, I am glad they are back again.
Be sure to enter the code FRIENDSUSA at checkout for the 25% off. Code is valid on their US site online at Molton Brown until Monday (+ free standard shipping on all orders).
Press samples featured above were sent for review consideration.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a MAC haul – I’m usually not on top of my game with new collection launches, so many times everything sells out literally in the blink of an eye. This time I was on top of my e-mails and ordered a few items from the new MACnificent Me! Collection right when it launched (it launches in stores this Thursday). Also I picked up some of the Pro Longwear Lip Pencils from my local MAC store so I thought I’d do a roundup of my recent MAC acquisitions.
First up is the MACnificent Me! Eyeshadow Palette ($40 for 9 mini eyeshadows). I have a couple other x9 eyeshadow palettes in Amber and Burgundy – they are on the small side but are super cute and nice to bring along for travel if you’re super tight on space. The colors in the MACnificent Me! palette make up the perfect neutral-cool-soft rose-nude-plum mix and the texture/pigment far exceeds the other two. The pans are very tiny – I prefer the full size pans, but the pigment in this one is really good.
Top Row: MACnificent Me! (f), Quiet Type (f), Dance in the Dark (m)
Middle Row: Fabulous DNA (f), Pleasing to the Eye (m), Sable (f)
Bottom Row: Frankly Frosty (m), In my Element (l), Cool Complement (m)
A quick look at the Burgundy and Amber next to the MACnificent Me! for comparison purposes:
Next up are the Patentpolish Lip Pencils ($20 each) from the MACnificent Me collection. I tried a few of these from the MAC Kelly Osborne Collection (from summer 2014). I ordered mine sight unseen as they looked like the perfect neutrals. I knew there might be a chance one or two of them would be too pale but I didn’t want to miss out, so I ordered 4. These are indeed on the lighter side, but 3 of the 4 worked. These are super glossy chubby pencils. Lasting power is medium – better than the MAC lustre lipstick formula, but not as long as the matte formula. I like that they twist up so there’s no sharpening required.
Make Me Proud is the perfect baby rose pink cream
My Flip Side is a really good nude brown color that doesn’t make me look like a corpse
It’s Really Me is a peach pink nude, on me it turns slightly pinkish, it’s a gorgeous nude
Pleasure’s All Mine is a weird super pale pink, in the heat of the sun, these started to melt a tiny bit when I was photographing it, this one turned a lighter color on the outside, on the lips, it’s like concealer but worse
Last but not least is my first look at the Pro Longwear Lip Pencils ($20 each). I picked up three neutrals in the store – I should have been more discerning and picked up colors that were more different but I had my hand covered in at least 20 pencil marks. These lip liners are seriously long-lasting. They stay put on the lips for like forever. I was hoping to do lip swatches with my lips lined and filled in – but the formula does not look good on my lips all over. It’s too thick and the pigment is super rich so it makes my lips look super dry. As a traditional lipliner though these are really good. There are a lot of good colors to choose from.
Cultured is the lightest one, it’s a neutral pink mauve with a hint of pearl (it goes perfectly with Chanel Wild Rose Glossimer and makes it look really good)
Staunchly Stylish is a deeper pink
Double-Time is the perfect cafe brown pink neutral
My MAC lip picks swatched side by side:
I’m really pleased with everything with the exception of Patentpolish in Pleasure’s All Mine although I knew there was a chance at least one of the pencils would be too pale for my skintone. The MACnificent Me! eyeshadow palette is a real winner in the collection – it’s the perfect rosy-toned neutral palette for fall I think will suit a number of skintones. Be sure to visit the MACnificent Me section of MAC’s site to see the beautiful before and after photos transformations with the different beauty looks.
At this time, I believe all the items I featured are limited-edition MAC colors (except Staunchly Stylish). You can find the items in stores and counters right now. Online at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and MAC.
Did you pick up anything from the MACnificent Me collection? Or have you picked up anything from the regular line recently?
Earlier this month, NARS finally launched their first customizable palettes with inserts for eye and cheek products. They are called the NARS Pro Palettes and the palette themselves come in two sizes, Small ($14) and Large ($18). A select number of their colors are available for purchase as inserts in blush, highlighter, bronzer, contour duos, and eyeshadows (prices range from $18 to 30). I’ve been a long-time NARS fan and I’ve depotted some of my powders to put into other palettes. The rubberized casing sometimes gets ruined and sticky over time so the only way for me to keep using them is to depot. I’ve tried a number of methods and about half of the products became ruined (cracked, dented, burned, etc.) I am so so happy that NARS finally has launched these palettes. I have the small one to share today. Prices and options are as follows:
Both palettes come in a magnetic black case (not rubberized like the full-size packaging). The small one measures a little over 7 inches wide and a bit over 5.5 inches tall, depth is about 1/2 an inch.
Each insert comes in a clear sturdy plastic case:
Products are labeled on the back in case you mix them up, you will still be able to see what colors you use if you look on the back:
The base of the pan is magnetized so the pans adhere to the bottom. I tried several variations and found that there is plenty room around the pans which makes it easy to insert or remove without touching the edges. Since everything is magnetic – once they are set in the pan, the pans stay put.
A few variations I tried to show what fits where and in what combinations. Online at on the Build Your Own Pro Palette Section of narscosmetics.com you can customize your own palette by playing with the different colors to see what fits. The small one fits the powder blushes perfectly. The other items have a lot more room around them which I don’t mind – it makes it easy to interchange the colors or move them around.
Swatches of the shades featured above: Miss Liberty, Angelika, Desire, Orgasm, Deep Throat, Torrid, Luster, Lovejoy and Laguna Bronzer
Eyeshadow duos in: All About Eve, Alhambra, Sugarland, Cordura, Kalahari
Here’s a quick size comparison of the NARS Pro Palette in Small to that of a couple MAC Pro Palettes (Blush x6 customized by me and Nordstrom’s Finest x15):
I’m overall beyond thrilled that NARS has released these palettes. Since they are designed for makeup artists, they’re currently exclusive to NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com. The shade selection is limited but I really hope they will expand the color offerings soon. In the meantime I’m going to be ordering a few more base palettes and attempt to depot some of my current compacts as carefully as I can.
As a quick update, there was a mess-up with one of my NARS orders so I ended up with a few duplicates. Instead of returning them, I’ve decided to give them away! Entry details below in the widget (must be 18 years or older, USA or Canada residents only). I’m giving away 1 small palette with Orgasm, Torrid, Deep Throat, All About Eve, Kalahari, Alhambra and Cordura (all brand new), entries must be made via the widget below. Good luck!
Today I’m sharing my first look at Birchbox subscription boxes along with a review of a limited-edition box they launched a few weeks ago. I’m a relatively new subscriber to Birchbox – this is my second monthly box that I’ve received and so far I’m pleased. I opted for the basic $10/month box – although I’m learning there are other options and upgrades you can select. For $10/month you get 5 samples each month based on a beauty profile you fill out on areas ranging from skin, hair, style, etc.
Each month you receive a different small cardboard box with different designs. September’s box design was inspired by moodboards created by subscribers which I think is super fun. These are the items I received – based on what I’ve seen on social channels and other reviews, everyone gets a slightly different box based on preferences in your profile.
Featured in my September box from left to right:
POP Beauty POP Eyeshadow Trio Sugar Plum – this has three shadows from the POP Beauty line, the colors in mine are all cool-toned and I’m not a fan of purples so I actually gifted mine away to a friend who adores plum colors, I didn’t have a chance to test or swatch it
Davines LOVE Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner – I used to use Davines when my salon carried the line and I loved it, this is my first time trying the LOVE line. Both are infused with an olive extract and are super hydrating on the hair. I have normal thick hair and wash it daily. This Davines left the hair super soft and well moisturized, I wouldn’t use it for everyday, but it has a soft scent that is fresh and clean. It’s slightly floral and a tiny bit sweet – it’s hard to describe but I love both. Enough that I’m seriously considering purchasing the full size for winter.
Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel for Sensitive Skin – this is a super liquidy thin-textured peel. I have sensitive skin that feels any tingly sensation immediately. I didn’t feel any stinging, pain, or tingle with this one. I’ve only used it five times so far on a small portion of my face. I haven’t noticed a huge difference – the skin is smoother on the area I tested it. I think I’ll need to do more testing to see, but I like the concept of a super gentle peel that won’t sting the skin. I suspect since it’s gentle – it will take a bit more use to see more visible results.
English Laundry Eau de Parfum Signature for Her – this is the only thing I did not like, it’s a strong bright floral rose, it’s not horrible, the scent is just not for me – I found it too floral and too sweet.
Malin + Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser and Vitamin E Moisturizer – I’m a fan of both, I’ve bought and used up full sizes of the face wash, I’ve gone through many sample minis of the Vitamin E Face Moisturizer. The Grapefruit Face Wash is a nice gel-like cleanser that is super gentle but cleans the skin and helps clear it up without drying out the skin. The Vitamin E Moisturizer is a super gentle moisturizer that I find good for normal to oily skin. If you have dry skin, it probably won’t be moisturizing enough for you.
Next up is the From Korea, With Love Beauty Collection Box ($35). Unfortunately this sold out in a matter of a few days and although you can buy everything individually, each item is also currently wait listed. I was happy I was able to purchase a box before it sold out. Right now it’s available on waitlist for subscribers as an add on for the October Box. I’ve been told that it will also be available in the Soho Store in New York mid-October.
Items featured in this box are all very cute with a youthful look and feel to the packaging. Here’s what came in the collection box:
Too Cool for School Dinoplatz Escalator Mascara – This is a really interesting mascara. It has a twist function on the cap on the wand end that allows you to control the length of the mascara wand. If you twist it up to extend it, the wand lengthens and allows for a more lengthening and defining application. If you twist it down to shorten it, bristles shrink closer together and you get a thicker more volumized lash look. The color is a true deep black. It holds the curl of my super straight lashes and doesn’t smudge at all. I have super skimpy lashes so I wish it volumized more, but it defines and stays put so I’m a happy camper.
IPKN Twinkle Lips in Glow Pink – This is a clear light pink lip color in the tube, but it’s like the Dior Lip Glow – it reacts to your lip chemistry and turns color. On me it transforms into a deep rosy flushed pink. There’s no tingling sensation and it feels very moisturizing. I like that there is no scent and it lasts a long time even though it’s glossy it stays put.
Tonymoly Panda’s Dream Brightening Eye Base – This is a brightening eye base for under the eye. It’s a sheer white pearl cream that comes in a twist up tube. The packaging is really cute, but even though I’d like to call myself young at heart I don’t know how I feel about having a panda packaged eye brightener. The product itself does brighten the eyes – I’m borderline too tan for it – it’s very white (even though it blends out). I do get lighter in the winter months so I think it will be perfect in a couple months. I’ve been using it alone under foundation and also under concealer. You only need a tiny swipe of it and it goes a long way. So far it stays put, it doesn’t cake or crease.
Too Cool for School Egg Cream Mask – This is something I’ve been reading about and it has so many raves I was excited to try it. This mask has extracts of egg white and yolk which to me sounds less than appealing. I was relieved to find that it was pleasantly scented. The sheet mask itself is super saturated – I found mine a bit drippy, so I recommend applying it over a sink. This is one of the most soothing masks I’ve tried. It feels really nice on the skin and helps to calm it down. I have mixed feelings about the results – it does leave the face soft, smooth and hydrated but the texture is thick and slippery – I couldn’t leave it on the skin after removing the sheet. I had to rinse my face off. The effects of the mask after use aren’t the same as SK-II, Tatcha or Kiehl’s (all of which I can still feel after it’s removed). That being said the skin does look more refreshed and radiant after use.
Tonymoly Magic Good Banana Hand Milk – Is a thick almost pomade-texture cream. It smells like sweet candy bananas which seems more suitable for eating than for skincare. The good news is that the scent fades after a few minutes. The texture absorbs quickly into the skin and makes the hands look super smooth and soft. I wish it had a different scent and then I’d be all over this one. I’m not sure how I feel about wearing banana-scented skincare.
CLIO Waterproof Pen Liner in Kill Black – This is an eyeliner one of my friends has been raving about. She wears liquid liner daily so she’s tried tons of them. She says this one is the best one she’s ever tried. I gave it a test run and am also impressed. It’s a true glossy black and is super easy to apply. The tip is sturdy but not pokey. It stayed put all day long on me without fading or smudging. I’m a convert.
Overall I’m really happy with the Birchbox subscription service so far. Each box comes with a small description card. September’s box came with a 20% off coupon which was a nice surprise. At $10 a month – I think it’s fun to try new things without having to buy the full size of. Still, over the course of the year it can add up and I know some would prefer to choose things rather pay for a random selection of samples. This is the first beauty subscription service I’ve tried – I know they’ve been around for years so if you’ve tried any, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Or if you haven’t tried them, if you have any Korean Beauty loves, please share! I’m starting to explore more and have fallen in love so far. I’m going through several different brands of sheet masks and hope to have a roundup review soon.
You can subscribe to the boxes online. Birchbox Women are $10/month, Birchbox Man costs $20/month. Or you can visit their store in Soho to build your own box (which I hope to visit someday!).
This fall Buxom launched a new lipstick formula called Big & Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick ($22 each for 2.8 g / 0.09 oz, exclusive to Sephora). These are described as vividly bold moisturizing lip colors that come in a unique gel-like formula. The texture is lightweight like a gel, but super creamy and they are so pigmented they cover the entire lip with one swipe. There are 30 shades total and they come in two finishes: satin and matte. I’m excited to share that I’ve teamed up with Buxom to share a couple of looks and swatches of all the colors.
The lipsticks come cased in an ultra modern black magnetic tube with the Buxom name embossed on the side. The Satin Formula comes in a glossy black lacquered tube while the Matte Formula comes in a black brushed matte finish tube. Color below is my favorite out of the entire collection called Coral Confession. The lipstick bullets fill up the tube entirely to the sides, I find the packaging sturdy and they look really sleek. Caps are magnetic.
The color selection is quite impressive. There are a lot of colors to
choose from in both textures ranging from light pinks, neutral roses,
soft beiges, bright reds, deep plums and corals. Both formulas are really good in terms of pigment. The Satin Finish colors have a creamier feel with a slight sheen that gives the lips a glossy lush look. The Matte Finish colors have a lightweight texture that glides on the lips. They are mattes with dimension though and are pretty moisturizing for a matte finish lipstick. The gel lipsticks do have a medium to strong vanilla scent, but it’s not overly sweet. Lasting power of both is quite good. I find the mattes last really long on me, about 4 hours without fading (transfer does happen when I drink coffee or tea). The satins last pretty long as well for a lipstick with a glossy sheen, about 3 hours without fading (more transfer happens to cups or bottles.)
Here are two looks with Coral Confession (bright peachy coral satin) and Red Inferno (blue-based matte). I’m wearing the same base of makeup in both photos. I was really impressed with how the look was transformed entirely with just the lip color.
Same colors are featured in both looks above except the lip color, left photo features Coral Confession, right photo features Red Inferno:
Eyes: Buxom Customizable Eyeshadow Bar Palette shown in top photo, left to right has Diamond Darling, Designer or Die, Star Treatment, Bold Bling, Invite Only and Glitz Factor (all colors used and blended for a soft gradient)
For swatches, to keep things simple, I split all 30 shades by color family. I had several favorites in each formula – there are lots of options to suit everyone’s personal taste. There are 15 matte colors and 15 satin shades. Up first are the pinks:
Wicked Pink (satin) is a cool toned glossy pink
Uncensored Candy (matte) is a baby pink matte
Defiant Bloom (matte) is a blue-based cool tone deep pink
Pink Coquette (satin) is the perfect glossy baby pink
Pink Decoy (matte) is a matte hot warm pink
Fuchsia Fetish (satin) is fuchsia perfection
Forbidden Berry (satin) is a deep berry red
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Next are the bold reds. Many reds turn fuchsia or bright pink on me. The ones from Buxom are true reds that don’t turn color. They are extremely saturated in color and have slightly different undertones. There’s bound to be one that will suit your preferences.
Extreme Heat (satin) is a glossy red
Wildfire (matte) is a deep orange red
Rogue Red (satin) is a glossy bright orange
Toxic Cherry (matte) is a blue-based red
Classified Crimson (matte) is the deepest red option in the lineup
Burning Desire (satin) is a true red
Red Inferno (matte) is a pink-toned red
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My favorite lipstick category, the neutrals. I love a good neutral lip and there are tons to pick from in this lineup. My lips are ultra pigmented so some of the lighter colors contrast with my natural lip tone. A lot of these are deep enough and wearable for my pigmented lips. With some of these, I found the True Nude Lip Foundation in Naked (clear) to be a lifesaver in helping smooth out my natural lip and prep it for even application.
Naturally Daring (matte) is a matte light pink beige
Guilty Angel (satin) is a light neutral-warm pink beige
Racy Reveal (matte) is a warm medium toned peachy pink
Rebel Rose (satin) is a perfect mauve rose pink
Sinful Cinnamon (matte) is a brown-nude rose
Evocative Petal (matte) is a brighter warm pink rose neutral
Nude Exposure (satin) is a light beige cream
Poison Nectar (satin) is a pink nude cream
Coral Confession (satin) is a coral peach
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Last but not least, the darker and dramatic colors. These are super bold colors that fall into the purple and plum lip color category. There’s a good mix of satin and matte finishes.
Sultry Mauve (satin) is the perfect neutral mauve
Voodoo Spice (matte) is a deep plum with reddish tones
Ruby Temptress (matte) is a bright but deep dramatic red
Ultra Violet (matte) is an electric violet lilac purple
Shameless Magenta (satin) is a super bright magenta
Graphic Grape (satin) is a bold purple
Vampy Plum (matte) is a dark vamp
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In summary, lots to love with the Buxom Big & Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick formula. I’m really impressed especially with the price tag which makes these affordable. My top five favorites: Rebel Rose, Pink Coquette, Forbidden Berry, Coral Confession, Red Inferno.
Have you tried the lip gels from Buxom yet? If so what colors? I’m so impressed with the texture of the shadows and am completely obsessed with the Customizable Eyeshadow Palette Bar. They have pre-made palettes, but I love how you can build your own. I highly recommend looking into it when you get a chance. I plan on making another one with more shades very soon.
You can find the Buxom Big and Sexy Bold Gel Lipsticks for $22 each, exclusively in store and online at Sephora.
Created in partnership with Buxom. Many thanks to Buxom for sponsoring this post.
I have a small but well-loved collection of Wayne Goss brushes. His latest release is The Brow Set ($55) which has three brow tools, all designed by Wayne and hand crafted in Japan. I’ve only been testing these for a few days but have fallen in love already. My brows are the most-neglected beauty-related area for me. I groom them with a recycled mascara wand and although I have a few brow products that I really like (the Dior Brow Styler, NARS Brow Perfector and By Terry Eyebrow Mascara) I have been in need of a good set of brow tools and the Wayne Goss set does not disappoint. (On the nails above, Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Daisy.)
There are three brushes in The Brow Set. They come cased in a cute black cylinder, wrapped to perfection in black tissue paper and a black bow which shows love and care. The presentation as usual, is beautiful.
The brushes have medium length handles, they aren’t too long but not too short. Each brush has a black lacquered handle. According to the information on Beautylish, these are cruelty-free and hand crafted. From top to bottom is: Brush 22 (double ended), Brush 23 (spoolie) and Brush 21 (angled flat tip).
Brush 21 is designed for use with all types of brow products (powder, cream, wax). I really like this one because it has a wider flatter tip compared to most angled brow tools. It has a stiff dense tip that makes application super easy.
Brush 22 is a double-ended brush that has water badger bristles on one side
and a fine-toothed comb to groom and define brows and lashes alike. These both comb and brush brows to perfection. I like that the comb teeth are short.
Brush 23 is described as “an upscale take on the classic spoolie.” I am usually not a fan of spoolie brushes because they are never sturdy enough to last long (hence the reason why I recycle my mascara wands). You have to see it to believe it, but it is indeed another level of spoolie. It’s extremely sturdy and well made – it feels like it will last a long time. It has a cone-shaped brush and is densely packed but the bristles are soft enough so it doesn’t poke the skin.
Bottom line a winning set. The brow tools are extremely well designed, sturdy and made with extremely good craftsmanship. At $55 if you break down the price per tool it’s an affordable $18+ per brush. I’m ordering another set for one of my friends right now.
You can find the The Brow Set by Wayne Goss exclusively at Beautylish. Do you have any favorite Wayne Goss brushes? Which ones? I am hoping he will release more white-haired brushes this holiday or in the next year!
Many thanks to Beautylish for sending the set for review.
It’s been over a year since I’ve featured anything from Le Métier de Beauté. Long-time readers know that I used to be a huge fan of the line. Their kaleidoscope kits feature some of the most beautiful colors for eyes and cheeks – over the past 5+ years I accumulated quite a few and loved them (I still do). However I found that many kits contained repeat colors and at $95+ each, I found them too pricey to end up with duplicate colors (as seen in one of my last posts on the line from 2014). Fast forward to this month and I decided to splurge on two for the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event (which ends tomorrow 9/23) – both of which seemed unique enough to justify. One is the Ken Downing Paris Eye Kaleidoscope $125 (which isn’t new, but still available for purchase) and the other is a new one called Full Stream Kaleidoscope $95.
The Le Métier de Beauté Ken Downing Paris Eye Kaleidoscope has four eyeshadows. This one is more expensive than most, priced at $125 for 0.49 oz/ 14 g. I was also really drawn to the Ken Downing London Kit, but 2 of the 4 shades seemed very warm. In my experience, Le Métier de Beauté always surprises me with how wearable the reddish/orangey shades are on the eyes, especially when layered with cooler tones, but I decided to opt for the cool version.
The four shades include a soft satiny cool pink shimmer, a warm copper metallic, a cool pale silver dove grey shimmer and a warm brown shimmer. The mix of warm and cool is pure genius, especially when the colors are layered together (although I’ve shown them swatched separately). Pigment is easy to build. The two lighter shades are sheerer in finish with a soft satiny texture while the darker ones are more metallic, more buttery in texture and more pigmented.
Close ups of each shade:
There are four new Kaleidoscopes exclusive to Neiman Marcus. The four are called Full Stream, Lift Off, Bon Voyage and All Aboard (not available online yet). Each kit has a translucent pressed powder and variations of blush, bronzer, highlighter and eyeshadow. I originally pre-ordered two, but since all have a pressed powder, I remembered my hesitation in getting duplicates and picked Full Stream.
All four photographed in store from Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills:
Full Stream has a translucent powder, one cool pink shimmery blush, a warm tan bronzer and a soft peachy shimmer eyeshadow (also works as a highlighter). The kit is very simple and basic – but it’s perfect for on-the-go and touchups. I was worried the powder would look really white on my face because swatching it showed it was really pigmented. On the face, even on my tan skin, it disappears and leaves a matte-looking finish.
Close ups of each color:
I’m happy with both of my purchases. They did make a serious dent in my wallet and although Full Stream is easily dupeable with other colors, sometimes it’s nice to have something basic that doesn’t require much effort or thought to apply. It brightens the face in a natural polished way and adds color without looking overdone. I can see this going really well with bold lips. Even though these are expensive at $95 and $125 each, if you break it down per pan, it’s about $23 to $31 per color which isn’t too bad given the product amount. Comparing it to other brands at the per gram or per ounce price, it’s reasonable. Still, if you’re like me, you probably budget beauty splurges at the bottom line total, so yes, these are still pricey. The only gripe I have about these two is the sticker at the top. I like the fun designs and they are really pretty – however the kits have a slightly rounded top and the stickers are flat so the result is a bubbled sticker that looks uneven. I had one in my purse in my makeup bag (I don’t recommend doing this) and the tops are not scratch proof. One of mine wasn’t applied on the kit evenly so the edges started to come up. It bothered me enough that I pulled the sticker off which is a shame because the designs are really cute.
In summary, I think the new kits are definitely worth looking into. You can find both the Ken Downing Paris and Full Stream Kaleidoscope exclusively in store and online at Neiman Marcus.
