Stopped by the Shu Uemura store today to try out their new Eye Brow Gel in Seal Brown and am happy to report that the new brow formula is much easier to work with than their hard formula pencil. I wouldn’t quite call these a “gel” – it’s more like a cream-powder mixture that is sheer so you can easily fill in the brows without it looking too harsh.
I have dark black-brown hair with natural red highlights and have a hard time finding a good brow product. Black is often too harsh, and it’s difficult for me to find the right shade of brown. At beauty events, Chanel makeup artists always use the Blonde Eye Brow Pencil on me – sometimes it works, other times it looks way too ashy. Shu Uemura looks deceptively pale in the photograph, but worked well on my dark brows.
I finally got my hands on the new Stila Smudge Pots in Black Cat, Kitten, and Little Black Dress. I found these at my local Ulta – I’ve heard several sighting posts around various message boards. The store near me didn’t have them on display but the manager on duty this morning was kind enough to allow his staff to pull them from the back since I told him I didn’t need to test them out and knew what I wanted to get already.
Here are the new shades compared to Golden Noir from the Indian Summer Collection. Each retail for $20. Not all of them are online yet, but the release dates for each collection are September, so I expect these to be trickling in soon. FYI, from the Barbie Loves Stila collection, there are also two other smudge pot shades. Check stilacosmetics.com for more details.
Left to right: Golden Noir, Black Cat, Little Black Dress, Kitten
Descriptions + links to Stila’s and Sephora’s websites:
* Golden Noir – a black base with gold shimmer, according to stila, “This new twist on the cult favorite Smudge Pot sprinkles genuine 24kt gold flakes into the rich matte black base leaving eyes gilded and glam.”
* Black Cat – a soft black with a cooler base than Golden Noir, but this might be due to the silver sparkles that are in the product (haven’t seen this online yet)
* Little Black Dress – described online as a “black with pink shimmer” this really seems more like a deep purple infused with pink and violet shimmers which was surprising to me, especially since it swatched brighter than what it looked like in the pot
* Kitten – this is a shimmery nude champagne pink, similar to the powder eyeshadow version, seems like an odd shade to have as a liner, but I will probably use this more like a cream eyeshadow
Close up photos of the black smudge pots with flash:
Close up of smudge pots in natural sunlight:
Swatches of the shades with comparisons (with flash on bare skin):
1) Bobbi Brown Black Ink 2) Stila Golden Noir Smudgepot 3) Stila Black Cat Smudgepot 4) Stila Little Black Dress 5) Bobbi Brown Violet Ink 6) Stila Kitten Smudgepot 7) Bobbi Brown Beach Honey Cream Shadow 8) Benefit RSVP Creaseless Cream Shadow
Swatches in natural sunlight without flash (same as above):
I first saw the new Bobbi Brown Pewter Metallic Eye Set on Nordstrom.com about a month ago and immediately inquired about it at several stores while I was in Seattle & Portland and also when I got back home. I was told that it wouldn’t be released until October for the Nordstrom Trend Shows. I finally caved in and ordered it online and here it is (retails for $40):
Close up of Black Ink & Pewter Metallic:
Swatch of Pewter Metallic & Black Ink on bare skin:
Product photo comparisons to other Bobbi Brown greyish eyeshadows:
Product photo comparisons to other brands:
Swatch comparisons:
1. Bobbi Brown Long-wear Cream Shadow – Galaxy 2. Urban Decay Cream Eyeshadow – Mushroom 3. Becca Loose Shimmer Powder – Mermaid 4. MAC Starflash Eyeshadow – Smoke & Diamonds 5. Stila Eyeshadow – Diamond Lil 6. Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow – Pewter 7. Shu Uemura Metallic Eyeshadow – ME Brown 851 8. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow – Stone 9. Chantecaille Iridescent Eye Shadow – Sel 10. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Wash Eyeshadow – Rock
Swatched next to MAC Mink & Sable to show that it really isn’t green:
At this time I am not quite sure if this Pewter Metallic Eyeshadow will be the same as the Pewter Chrome Eyeshadow that will be released with the Chrome Collection in October (details and photos at PinkMelon). All I know is that the packaging material is different – the metallic one from nordstrom is in the regular black compact while the chrome looks like it will be in the same size/shape of compact, but a different color to go along with the chrome theme.
Overall thoughts: the Pewter Metallic Shadow is absolutely gorgeous. It’s an extremely complex taupey/silvery/pewter shimmer shade with a hint of gold tones. If you’re a Bobbi Brown fan, I highly recommend checking this out at your local Nordstrom counter!
This is part one of a week-long series featuring my favorite beauty basics for makeup application and grooming. This week you’ll see the tools I use and skincare items that work for me. The lists are by no means comprehensive and some might not work for you. I’d like to get your input on what you’ve tried and what does or doesn’t work for you.
In this feature – eye brushes! I’ve separated the eye brushes I have into different categories by shape and style. Most of these are the full sized versions within each brand (several lines carry both short handled and long handled versions of the same brush). I will admit that my brush collection is quite massive, you might ask how many brushes does a girl need? Definitely not all of these. Infact there are several brushes that seem almost identical in shape, size, and material between various different brands. At the end of this post, I will let you know what my top essential eye brushes are.
All Over Lid & Eyeshadow Brushes: I like larger or fluffy brushes for applying an all-over wash to the lid, or for applying a matte base color. The brushes that are more tightly packed (more dense) allow for a heavier application which include Stila’s #5, Trish McEvoy’s Laydown Brushes and Laura Mercier’s All Over Eye Color Brush. Fluffy lighter brushes like the white bristled MAC #217 & #239 are nice because they make blending colors easy.
1. Trish McEvoy Eyeshadow Brush #10 2. MAC Square Shader Brush #259 (pro) 3. MAC Large Fluff Brush #227 4. Stila All Over Shadow Brush #5 5. Laura Mercier All Over Eye Colour Brush 6. Trish McEvoy Sheer Application Brush #45 7. Trish McEvoy Large Laydown Brush #21 8. Trish McEvoy Medium Laydown Brush #40 9. MAC Blending Brush #217 10. MAC Eye Shading Brush #239 11. MAC Fluff Brush #213 12. Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow Brush 13. Chanel Eyeshadow Brush #2
Crease & Contour Brushes: The brushes here are intended for the crease area. For those who do not have a crease, some of these tools are still handy for creating a soft gradation of color from darker near the lash line to the brow bone or blending shades together. I found out about the Studio Tools Brush (labeled #6) thanks to Karlasugar! The brushes with a smaller tip are great for creating a smokey eye, or even just smoking out/blending eyeliner for a softer but still defined look.
1. Stila All Over Blend #9 2. MAC Tapered Blending Brush #224 3. Laura Mercier Pony Tail Brush 4. Stila Double-Ended Shadow #30 5. MAC Small Tapered Blending Brush #226 6. Studio Tools Crease Brush (from Target) 7. Trish McEvoy Tapered Blending Brush #29 8. Chanel Eyeshadow Crease Brush #3 9. MAC Pencil Brush #219 10. Stila Double-Sided Crease & Liner Brush #15 11. Trish McEvoy Round Eye Contour #6 12. Trish McEvoy Smudge Brush #9
Odd Shaped & Cream Eyeshadow Brushes: One of the very first brushes I bought was the Trish McEvoy #23 hoof shaped brush which I like to use for an easy simple one-step eyeshadow application (use in a windshield wiper motion). (Note that the Trish brushes with golden handles are her original version, she has since revamped her brushes with clear lucite handles.) Unfortunately, I think she has discontinued this brush, so the next best closest tool is one from Laura Mercier. I believe Nars also carries a hoof-shaped brush as well, but I have not checked it out. For cream eyeshadows, I also like to use concealer brushes!
1. Laura Mercier Angled Eye Colour 2. Trish McEvoy Angled Contour Brush #23 3. Stila Eye Enhancer Brush #20 4. Bobbi Brown Eye Contour Brush 5. MAC Large Shader Brush #252 6. MAC Shader Brush #242 7. MAC Concealer Brush #195 8. Becca Eye Color Brush #11 9. Becca Eye Creme #31 10. Shu Uemura Synthetic Brush #10 11. Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Brush
Detail Eyeliner & Smudge Brushes: These smaller stiffer brushes are nice for getting those corners, for the waterline, or for simple eyelining. The angled brushes to be the most precise and they can also work well for brows. I find that I use smudge brushes for eyelining more frequently than I use the eyeliner brushes when lining with powder eyeshadows. For gel liners, Stila #4 and Bobbi Brown’s Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush are my absolute favorites.
1. Stila Dual Sided Brush #23 (from 6 pan palette) 2. MAC Flat Definer #212 3. MAC Small Angle Brush #266 4. Trish McEvoy Angled Eyeling Brush #50 5. Laura Mercier Corner Eye Colour Brush 6. Bobbi Brown Eye Liner Brush 7. Stila Precision Eyeliner Brush #4 8. Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush 9. Shu Uemura 2R 10. MAC Short Shader Brush #214 11. NARS Smudge Brush 12. Trish McEvoy Va Va Voom Smudge Brush #54 13. Studio Tools Smudge Brush (from Target) 14. Laura Mercier Smudge Brush 15. Trish McEvoy Precision Smudge Brush #41
If you’re just beginning your brush collection, I’ll narrow down the selection from over 40 different eye brushes down to what I think are the essentials:
* All over eye brush – MAC Large Fluff Brush #227 * Best all purpose basic eyeshadow brush – MAC Blending Brush #217 * Smudge or detail brush – Laura Mercier Smudge Brush * Eyeliner brush – Bobbi Brown Eye Liner Brush * Cream eyeshadow brush – anything from Shu Uemura or Becca * Crease brush – Stila Double-Ended Shadow #30
You might ask – are these brushes really worth the price tag? It really depends on your personal preference & budget. Yes, there are duplicates of the more expensive ones for less $$$ in other brands. I don’t think you need to spend a lot for basics, however, that being said, many times “you get what you pay for.” At least 1/3 of the brushes that I’ve own were purchased some 10 years ago. I’ve found the quality of many to be excellent, so I believe that sometimes higher prices = higher quality, which translates into longer lasting tools, which means a better deal for your $$$.
Looking for other alternatives? Look for brush sets! You can often find better deals by buying brushes that come in a multi-product set. There are some great sets from all different price ranges at Target (Sonia Kashuk or Studio Tools), Sephora, and higher end sets like MAC, Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Bobbi Brown and Chanel. Do be warned that brushes that come in sets aren’t always the same quality or size as the full sized individual versions. Some brands use different production methods (machine made versus hand made) for their sets. One brand I believe you can never go wrong with is Laura Mercier – her short handled brushes are just as good as the full size! The sizes might be different for her travel collections, but still work as well as the bigger ones.
Also note that brush sets are sometimes seasonal with holidays, or annual event sales, or with certain color collections. If you want to find a great brush set, wait a couple months – I’m sure there will be a few nice holiday sets coming out from MAC, Shu Uemura, Bobbi Brown and more.
Are there any eye brushes that you absolutely love? Please share!!!
Fall collections are already trickling out, but I wanted to do a feature on some pretty bronzey colors from Trish McEvoy who released a small collection of new products in her Sparkling Bronze collection this past May. I love the line for her high quality brushes, unique planner system, and innovative products. This was one of the first high end lines I got into years ago with an interactive makeup lesson at Saks Fifth Avenue where the artist has you repeat the makeup application to one side of your face after each step so you can recreate the look on your own at home.
Every single artist from the line I have met has been amazing – all talented in creating pretty looks, friendly personalities and super fun. It’s been a while since I’ve purchased things from the line because of the continuous product revamps (I must have seen at least 5 different versions of her Sexy Lipgloss as she has changed the formula and color of the years), but still check out her new products every once in a while.
* Bronzer in St. Tropez – a soft shimmery natural bronzer, she describes this as having “the ideal proportions of pink undertones to mimic the prettiest naturally tanned complexion.”
* Lip Gloss in Irresistible – a super sparkly bronze gloss with micro-glitter. I would say this has the same sparkle factor as MAC Dazzleglasses, but this has more pigment. Has a nice slightly minty scent which gives a cooling effect.
* Lip Color SPF15 in Golden Glaze – this is a sheer soft golden color. Reminds me of MAC High Tea lipstick but not quite as pale.
* Pen Luminzer in Luminous Bronze – this is my favorite, gives a soft glow to the skin in a twist up pen.
* Eye Definer Pencil in Sparkling Bronze – a unique dual-sided chubby eyeliner with a smudge tip on one end to blend the color. I wouldn’t really call this “sparkling” but it is a gorgeous deep brown shade.
Swatches, left to right: Bronze Illuminator, St. Tropez (applied heavily over foundation/primer), St. Tropez (applied over bare skin), Sparkling Bronze Eye Definer, Golden Lipstick, Irresistible Lipgloss
Comparisons, left to right: MAC MSF Sunny by Nature, Trish McEvoy St. Tropez, MAC MSF Cheeky Bronze(so you can see how pink it really is)
I have to admit, when it comes to beauty products, I’m a high-end snob 99% of the time, but as soon as I saw Karla Sugar’s review, “New Brush Discovery!” featuring Studio Tools, I ran right away to Target to track down this steal.
What I came home with, from top to bottom: * Sonia Kashuk Beautifying Blush in Pink #14 – $8.99 * Sonia Kasuk Eye Definer in Iced Coffee #24 – $5.99 * Studio Tools Crease Brush – $1.99 * Studio Tools Smudge Brush – $2.49
Sonia Kashuk Eye Liner in Iced Coffee Swatch & Pink Blush Swatch (can barely see it on the right but goes on better than it photographs):
So far I’m really happy with the brushes. You can’t beat that price. Bristles are full enough so they aren’t flimsy, but still soft enough to move them easily over the eye for blending.
I’m always on the search for crease brushes like this one. I have so many already (from MAC, Stila, Trish McEvoy, Laura Mercier and Chanel), but some are too big, not full enough (making them flimsy), some are too tightly packed, and some are too short. Before finding this Studio Tools Crease Brush, my favorite was the Stila Double Ended #30, but in recent years I’ve found Stila’s quality to have changed somewhat, especially with their brushes. The double-ended factor also makes storage a pain as one side will always end up somewhat smashed from storing them in various cans and containers.
For Sonia Kashuk, I was really impressed with the items she has! She has a great range of neutral eyeshadows. Unfortunately, the downside of drug-store beauty is that there are rarely testers of products. To me $8.99 for a drugstore blush isn’t exactly “cheap.” I decided to try and find reviews first of other products before purchasing more items.
The texture of the blush is very nice though, soft and powdery. The eyeliner is gorgeous, especially for all taupe-fans.
I placed an order from Saks NY for their Brushes with Greatness Event and received a cute Stephanie Johnson makeup bag filled with tons of little samples and goodies. Also with Dolce & Gabbana, they were having a gift of their Eyeliner Pencil in Black and a mini Body Cream.
What I ordered: * Smooth Eye Colour Quad in Nude * Luminous Cheek Color in Nude * Classic Cream Lipstick in Charm * Crayon Intense Eyeliner in Coffee
Left to right: Coffee Eyeliner, Black Eyeliner, Charm Lipstick
Nude Eyeshadow Quad & Nude Blush with Flash:
Close Up of the Nude Eyeshadow Quad:
Close Up of the Nude Blush:
D&G gift with purchase:
Saks Gift with Purchase:
Haven’t had a chance to play with anything yet, but after my first haul back in May, I’ve come to really like the texture of the eyeshadows. Overall, I feel the line is still overpriced but I do like the colors I have purchased. The only thing I don’t love is the Stromboli eyeliner, but I had to get Coffee because I’m a huge fan of shimmery browns. I will try and do some comparison pictures of the lipstick with the others I ordered before in the next week or so.
Interested in more Dolce & Gabbana? Check out this link to see pictures of more eyeshadow quads, lipsticks, and eyeliner:
