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MAC Supreme Beam and Dazzleshadow Liquid Review

September 10, 2018

MAC launched two new collections of metallics and shimmers called Supreme Beam and Dazzleshadow Liquid. I feel like MAC created the original glow with so many outstanding items. I think it’s amazing to see how long the shimmer and highlighter trend has been going on since then.

The Supreme Beam Collection has what MAC calls a “heavenly halo” theme. Everything feels like a throwback to the 90’s for me and I can’t get over how nice the new glosses are this launch! By popular demand they’ve brought back some cult classics for the face with the Illuminating Loose Powder and Hyper Real Foundation. The new formula of Dazzleshadow Liquids has a liquid eyeshadow formula that stays put all day. In today’s post we have:

Grand Illusion Glossy Liquid Lipcolour ($21 each for .17 fl oz/5 ml, made in Italy) in 10 new colors
Hyper Real Foundation ($31 each for 1 fl oz/30 ml, made in Canada) in 4 colors
Iridescent Loose Powder ($29 each for 12 g/ 0.42 oz, made in USA) in 2 colors
Dazzleshadow Liquid ($22 each for .16 oz/4 g, made in USA) in 10 colors

The Grand Illusion Glossy Liquid Lipcolour comes in the same packaging as the Retro Matte Liquid Lip Colours. The formula itself isn’t new but there are 10 new shades with this launch. I felt the original launch last year had colors that were too trendy for me. This round has more wearable options. They have a shiny finish (no matte drydown like most liquid lip colors do). They have a very smooth non-tacky feel and have full smooth coverage. Even for metallics they are streak-free. Colors are iridescent and shimmery. Pigment is very good and they have a soft cushiony feel and a slightly minty scent.

Colors include:

Polar Fleece – pale iridescent opal pink
Goldiloxxed – metallic light peach tan
Autumn Russet – perfect warm russet shimmer
Just Hustlin’ – metallic taupe pink lavender shimmer
Party Sparkle – duo chrome pink lilac
Sugar Poppy – iridescent blue pink
Dance All Night – metallic lilac
Ruby Princess – iridescent purple
Spoil Yourself – goregeous metallic pink
It’s Just Candy – metallic candy red

Lasting power is really good. I wish this formula came in soft shimmers or cream colors. They feel comfortable, glossy and lightweight. I can’t pick a favorite, but Spoil Yourself, Goldiloxxed, Dance All Night and It’s Just Candy are really pretty.

There are also two complexion products. They brought back the Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk and Golden Bronze, both must-haves in my book. Silver Dusk is like the perfect fairy dust with a pale silver pink shimmer. Golden Bronze is a deeper bronze shimmer. I’ve swatched them below next to the Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne, Soft and Gentle and Cheeky Bronze.

Hyper Real Foundation is back in four metallic shades. I actually remember this as an actual foundation formula with skin shades and a shimmer glow mixed in. There are four liquid illuminators you can wear under foundation all over, mixed in with your base or on top to illuminate areas. I found it best when I mixed a little in with my MAC Studio Fix Fluid or Next to Nothing Foundation. I did try it all over under foundation and it was too glowy for me. It also worked well as a highlighter on top of my base. Colors include Violet FX (flashes violet), Gold FX (flashes gold), Rose Gold FX (perfect rose gold peach shimmer), Bronze FX (shimmery soft bronze). By comparison the MAC Strobe Creams are thinner and more lightweight in texture with a sheerer finish. I also feel they have more of an iridescent duochrome flash while the Hyper Real Foundation has more of a traditional glow.

The last part of the metallic launches this round is the Dazzleshadow Liquid. These have different finishes. Some are glitters and others are metallic sparkles. Online some have a description called “Satin” for finish but to me the satins are still very metallic and shimmery. These blend easily and stay on the lids all day long. They set nicely and once they do they don’t budge. At the same time they don’t crease and once they dry they don’t make the lids shrink or shrivel.

They have a sponge tip applicator which I use to swipe on the lids. Then I blend with my fingers.

Colors I have are:

Everyday is Sunshine – metallic champagne with a hint of peach sparkle
Flash and Dash – gold and silver glitter
Beam Time – rose gold that flashes champagne
Love Yourself – cool metallic pink
Rayon Rays – metallic brown rose copper

Overall if you’re looking for more ways to glow MAC has you 100% covered. I did try a full look with everything in the collection and for me it was too glowy to wear everything shimmer. I did more testing and found that it was best to incorporate 2 shimmer areas max with this collection, such as face and eyes, or lips and eyes, or lips and cheeks. I think everything is well made but if you have a lot of shimmers I’d recommend you shop your stash. If you’re a true beauty junkie and have been for years there’s a high chance you already own and have been hoarding Silver Dusk from years ago. One jar will last you a long time and if you missed out I highly recommend you get it now.

I think all the formulas are standouts. Everything applies smoothly and blends flawlessly. If I had to pick just 1 item from each category it would be: Gloss in Spoil Yourself, Hyper Real Foundation in Rose Gold FX, Silver Dusk Loose Powder and Beam Time Dazzleshadow Liquid.

You can find the MAC Supreme Beam and Dazzleshadow Liquid collection out now. Available at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

All MAC items featured in this post were provided for review except Dazzleshadow in Love Yourself and Rayon Rays which I bought on my own.

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MAC

MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Full Face Kit + Hot and Heavy Face Powder

June 17, 2018

MAC has quite a few new launches this month and I’m working as quickly as I can to swatch them for you! Up first is the MAC Patrick Starrr summer collection with the Summer Starrr Full Face Kit ($49.50) and Hot and Heavy Face Powder ($34). The items are limited-edition and the whole vibe of this launch is warm.

The Summer Starrr Full Face Kit comes at an incredible value price. You get an Eyeshadow Quad called Heat Stroke, Bronzing Powder in Give Me Life and two Lipglasses in Cream Pie and Fashion Punch. Colors for the lips and cheeks are very wearable for any skintone, the quad is more trendy and VERY warm with reds and oranges. Heat Stroke has four very pigmented and smooth eyeshadows. I’m one who still cannot really pull off the full-on reddish eyeshadow trend although every single one of my friends embraces it. And also everyone else I see wear it looks AMAZING while I do not. The NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette is still one of the few pinkish-toned palettes I can actually wear. Below is a closer look at Heat Stroke Eyeshadow quad. I tried it a number of ways and colors are just not for me.

The Lipglasses are both light and neutral. They’re creams without shimmer. I feel like the Fashion Punch color has been launched before in the older original packaging. It’s a beige cream. Cream Pie is a neutral pink cream. I’ve swatched them below next to the Patrick Starrr Holiday 2017 lipglasses as well since he had two neutrals.

The two cheek products are warm and summery. The Give Me Life Bronzing Powder is part of the Full Face Kit. It’s a warm matte brown that has a soft semi-sheer finish. On my skin it’s warm but not orangey. It’s a lot more wearable than it looks from what I see in the pan. The best item in the entire collection to me is the Hot and Heavy Face Powder which is available separately. It’s a soft golden champagne shimmer which is perfect! Shimmer is fine and smooth without any heavy frost.

The quality is excellent for everything in this launch. Colors are all smooth and apply beautifully. I think the face kit is an excellent value. I also fully support and applaud brand and influencer collaborations like this. It makes me really happy to see these kinds of partnerships! The colors have a good mix of neutral and on trend aspects. That being said, with kits I feel the same way about kits as I do palettes – they can be tricky if you don’t 100% love all the colors. For the Full Face Kit I cannot wear the Heat Stroke Eyeshadow quad by itself. It takes a lot of mixing with cools or neutrals for me to be able to pull off the colors easily – I did test everything for several days and embraced the red eye look at home and while out and about. It was well outside of my comfort zone. The rest of the items are more my vibe although I do think the color are dupeable. If you are looking to add more to your collection at a value price these items are great. If you own a lot of MAC already you may want to shop your stash.

My favorite item is the Hot and Heavy highlighter. It’s the perfect mix of warm gold + champagne for my skintone! I also really like the Cream Pie Lipglass as a wearable pale milky pink. Have you tried anything from this launch yet? What did you think?

You can find the MAC Patrick Starrr Summer Starrr Face Kit and Highlighter out now. The Summer Starrr Full Face Kit runs at $49.50 and Hot and Heavy Face Powder retails for $34. Available now at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Ulta, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillard’s.

MAC Patrick Starrr items provided courtesy of MAC for review.

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Holiday Gift Guide MAC

MAC Snow Ball for Holiday 2017

November 16, 2017

I’m rounding up one of the prettiest holiday collections this year with the MAC Snow Ball Collection. Everything is limited-edition and some pieces are harder to find as there are a few retailer exclusives. By now some of the items have sold out online but you may want to check your local stores to see if you can find anything. The entire collection launched a few weeks ago but as this is a pretty hefty collection it’s taken me a while to swatch, test and review everything. I received a number of press samples but tracked down some items at my local Nordstrom and MAC store. There’s still a massive amount of sets and palettes not featured today so know if you’re into more bold shades, pinks, glitzy glitters etc. there are definitely some other options to pick from that you can still find easily. Featured today includes:

Snow Ball Lipsticks in Warm Ice, Holiday Crush, I’m Glistening and Elle Belle
Snow Ball Lip Bag in Nude
Snow Ball Mini Lip Gloss Kit in Nude
Face Powders in Happy Go Dazzling and Here Comes Joy
Snow Ball Face Bag in Peach with Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Show Gold + 140S mini
Snow Ball Eye Compact in Gold
Extra Dimension Eyeshadows in Frostwinked, Delicate Drift, It’s Snowing, Stylishly Merry and Starry Starry Night
Snow Ball Smoky Gold Eye Bag
Brush Set

MAC Snow Ball Lips

First are some lip picks. I love the MAC holiday lip sets because they often have minis and are color-themed. Being the nude lip lover that I am I knew I had to get the Snow Ball Nude Lip Bag because it has one of the prettiest nude lipsticks!

There are six individual Snow Ball Lipsticks in the collection. It seems they’re sold out everywhere except MAC online. I have four which I purchased including:

Warm Ice which is a metallic pale gold beige (similar to Gel)
Holiday Crush is a metallic soft pink rose
I’m Glistening is a metallic taupe grey mauve
Elle Belle is one of the prettiest deep red creams

The Nude Lip Bag is my absolute favorite even if it seems dupe-able:

Sending Love Cremesheen Lipstick is the one of the most perfect nude pink lipsticks I’ve ever seen
Doubletime Pro Longwear Lip Pencil is permanent, it’s a toffee pink brown
Iced Dream Lipglass is a sheer sparkly pink gloss

The Snow Ball Nude Mini Lip Gloss Kit has three mini glosses all exclusive to the set, I love all the colors and they wear very well:

Below Freezing is a Cremesheen Glass formula with clear base with loads of pale pink sparkles
Iced Over is a Metallic Vamplify formula in a metallic but very wearable beige shimmer
Winter Warmer is a Cremesheen Glass formula which is a warm pink brown with a tiny bit of sheen

MAC Snow Ball Highlighters

For the face there are lots of highlighter options. I don’t even want to admit how many MAC highlighters I own because it’s a ridiculous amount. I’m always surprised they manage to make new ones because it seems like all the colors have to have been done already. There are two individual Face Powders in an Opalescent Finish. They’re called Happy Go Dazzling which is a pale beige gold and Here Comes Joy which is a peachy shimmer. Both are noticeable on the skin but in comparison to other highlighters they have a slightly stiffer texture which makes them sheerer and less metallic. I love these because they don’t look garish on the skin but have a soft diffused look.

There are also some sets called the Snow Ball Face Bag which are a MAC and Nordstrom exclusive. Nordstrom has two options, a Peach Face Bag with Show Gold Extra Dimension Skinfinish (duochrome pink peach with loads of sparkle) and the Gold Face Bag which has Whisper of Gilt (metallic gold). These come with a sequins bag and small 140S brush in a metallic handle.

I added a swatch of Whisper of Gilt that I have from older launches:

MAC Snow Ball Eye Makeup

There are a few palette options, I received a press sample of the Snow Ball Eye Compact in Gold. Palettes can be tricky especially if you don’t 100% love all the shades. This one performs well for a smoky eye look but two of the colors are very glittery with a lot of fallout unless you pat it on the lids.

For eye makeup all the single Extra Dimension Eye Shadows pretty much sold out the day they launched. I tracked them all down in stores and am not really sure why they sold out in record time. They are indeed super beautiful but very metallic. The texture is smooth and easy to apply. On the lids they are perfect party-wear shadows. Only Starry Starry Night, Delicate Drift and It’s Snowing are ones I feel like I could wear for regular everyday wear. The swatch photos don’t capture the metallic quality as well as I’d like but I hope they give you a good reference. Colors include:

Frostwinked metallic white glitter frost
Delicate Drift metallic soft pink glitter
Stylishly Merry duochrome bronze pink glitter
It’s Snowing shimmering silvery mauve
Starry Starry Night shimmering deep charcoal with silver flecks

There’s an eye bag set called the Snow Ball Smoky Gold Eye Bag with a duo of Extra Dimension Shadows of Just Gleaming (champagne pink) and Snowdusk (shimmering taupe) with a Technakohl Eyeliner in Photogravure and In Extreme Lash Mascara in Black.

Last but not least is one of the brush sets which is the Snow Ball Brush Set Mini. It has three short-handled rose gold brushes in a brushed metallic handle finish including 421SE, 535SE and 560SE. I feel like I know my MAC brushes well but don’t remember seeing any of these numbers before. They perform really well for MAC brush sets – I often find the quality of the brush sets aren’t as good as the full size/individual brushes but these are really good for powders.

One last look below. Overall lots to explore and love in this holiday collection. I really think there is something for everyone. If you’re looking for something under the $50 price point for gifts I think any of the lip bags are great. I love the Snow Ball Nude Lip Bag for $39.50 and the Mini Lipstick Kits or Gloss Kits are $29.50 each. I would personally pass on the eyeshadow palettes as I don’t 100% love all the shades. The individual eyeshadows are stunning but are on the glitzy side which makes them a bit challenging for everyday wear if you need a conservative look.

You can find the MAC Snow Ball Collection online and in stores at MAC Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Ulta Beauty, Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. Everything is limited-edition and I’d definitely recommend you browse all the retailers as each store has something exclusive.

Press samples and purchased items featured. Press samples include the Face Powders, Mini Lip Gloss Kit, Eyeshadow Palette, Mini Brushes and Eye Bag Set.

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Lips MAC

MAC x Nicki Minaj Collection Review + Swatches

September 26, 2017

The MAC x Nicki Minaj collection just launched which includes an entire collection of nude lipsticks and glosses. It’s literally a nude lip lover’s dream come true. There are two special edition nudes that were created by Nicki Minaj that come in gorgeous pink packaging along with eighteen other lipsticks and six lipglasses (some repromotes, some are new). I’m one of the biggest fans for nude lips but since I have olive skin and a naturally pigmented lip undertone finding one that works is super tricky. I’ve found over the years the trick with a lot of nude lip shades is that layering with pencils and gloss is key. Luckily brands have expanded their range of neutrals so I’ve actually found quite a few that don’t require extra work.

I bought the entire MAC x Nicki Minaj collection online since MAC select members had early access. The same day my order arrived a beautiful press package arrived so I ended up with two of everything. I’m passing along the duplicates I ordered to a few friends and my niece, but stay tuned I’ll be doing a giveaway on another post later this week. Many of these shades are on the lighter side and a lot look very similar on me (like super pale concealer). Also because I have a pigmented lip my natural lip shows through on many of the swatches which looks like it could be a dark lipliner but I assure you it’s not. It’s just my natural lip tone showing through.

What I have reviewed and swatched for this collection:

MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipstick The Pink Print
MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipstick Nicki’s Nude
Lipglass in: Under the Sheets, N-U-D-E, Please Me
Lipsticks in: Gossamer Wing, 2N, Bare Bling, Creme d’Nude, The Right Note, Derriere, Japanese Maple, Stripped, A Girl’s Got Needs, Easy Babe, Age Sex Location, Among the Fireflies, Playing Koi, Bosom Friend, Pretty Please, Baby’s All Right, Patisserie, Mmmmmmm

Up first are the MACxNicki Minaj Lipstick colors in The Pink Print and Nicki’s Nude. Both have an amazing smooth opaque formula that covers the lip in one swipe. The Pink Print is a pale opaque pink peach however it’s on the soft side and the lipstick broke in the tube. To continue using it I’m most likely going to have to put it into a pot. A quick look at other reviews shows that I’m not the only one with the issue of breakage. Just something to keep in mind when applying – apply if very gently. Nicki’s Nude is a deeper baby peach. This one isn’t quite as soft for me but still smooth and soft.

Next are the MAC x Nicki Minaj nude lipsticks which I’ve split into two groups (based on order they were displayed in the box). Shown below include:

Gossamer Wing a pale soft shimmer pale beige
2N light cream colored nude
Bare Bling light beige tan cream
Creme d’Nude peachy cream nude
The Right Note light-medium tan
Derriere muted medium brown
Japanese Maple pink peach sheer
Stripped medium tan nude
A Girl’s Got Needs medium tan brown
The Pink Print and Nicki’s Nude added in the swatch below

Foundation worn is Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Natural (my MAC Studio Fix Fluid equivalent is NC35/37, these shades are also swatched here). As mentioned above all the lip swatches are on bare lips. There may be a visible dark ring around the edges as that is my natural lip showing through. All lip swatches done on bare lips.

Next set of nude lipstick colors include the following:

Easy Babe is a cafe latte brown
Age Sex Location is a slightly deeper brown neutral
Among the Fireflies is a mauve pink brown
Playing Koi is a pale warm pink (on me it’s like light concealer)
Bosom Friend is a pale cool pink
Pretty Please is a sheer lustre pink with a tiny bit of shimmer
Baby’s All Right is a muted cool mauve pink
Patisserie is a sheer glossy pink
Mmmmmmm is a deeper mauve pink rose

MAC x Nicki Minaj Lipglasses shown below in:

Under the Sheets is a sheer sparkly pale pink
N-U-D-E is a soft peachy pink shimmer (reminds me of Love Nectar)
Please Me is a pale pink cream, alone it’s a bit on the streaky side
Beaux (swatched/reviewed here) is a soft brown tan shimmer
Spite (swatched/reviewed here) is a cool toned neutral pink-brown-taupe
Spice (swatched/reviewed here) is a warm tan pink

I didn’t swatch any of the lip liners repromoted with this collection but in case you’re looking for a nude. I swatched quite a few side by side from various brands in my Neutral Lip Pencil post here.

Bottom line, even though many of these colors are hard for me to wear alone, I still think this launch is a nude lip lover’s dream. If you search for swatches of these online you’ll see many of the colors that look like concealer on me look quite different on those with lighter skin or lip tones. Playing Koi for example actually looks more true to tube on some while on me it’s just a washed out mess.

My favorites include: The Right Note, Japanese Maple, Stripped, A Girl’s Got Needs, Age/Sex/Location, Among the Fireflies, Patisserie and MMMMMM. I think Patisserie is the most natural looking neutral on my complexion and I think it would most likely be one of the more universal shades in the bunch. For the lipglasses nothing would have stopped me from buying Under the Sheets and NUDE however I do think they are similar to existing shades.

What’s your favorite nude lip right now? I know everyone has a different definition of nude so I’d be interested to hear what yours is!

You can find the MAC x Nicki Minaj collection out now, I usually buy mine at MAC and Nordstrom.

MAC x Nicki Minaj collection provided by MAC for review. Items also purchased by me.

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Eye Makeup

New Eyeshadow Palettes from MAC Girls, Marc Jacobs Beauty and Kat Von D Beauty

August 14, 2017

There are some new eyeshadow palettes out and I put three to the test from MAC, Marc Jacobs Beauty and Kat Von D Beauty. At first glance the colors look really similar between the three that I have but swatching proves otherwise. They have varied undertones, different textures, finishes and pigment. I’ll say up front the new Marc Jacobs Beauty palettes win for pigment and blendability, MAC wins for the fun factor and Kat Von D is one I have mixed feelings on.

Up first is the one I had the highest hopes for which is the Kat Von D Shade and Light Glimmer Eye Contour Palette. The colors in here are just perfect but the formulas aren’t the same across the board. There are four formulas in this that Kat Von D calls:

Base Shades are soft satiny shimmers: Porcelain, Dusk and Dune
Contour Shades are perfect smooth metallics: Copper, Cinder, Rust
Define Shades are glitters: Bronze, Onyx, Jasper
Topcoat Shades are chunky glitters: Sterling, Glacier and Quartz

The Base and Contour shades are really amazing in texture and pigment. They’re velvety soft and easy to blend. The Define and Topcoat Shades are where this palette gets high maintenance. There is chunky glitter with tons of fall out in application and after application/clean up. You need to apply with either a damp brush or over a super emollient base to make the shades stick. With some glitters I find applying with a finger in a patting motion helps the shadow + glitter stick better with less fall out but with these fall out happened no matter what. If all of the shades were glitter free or in the contour formula this would have been 100% perfect. I can get it to work but it takes a LOT of extra work and clean up.

MAC launched six personality palettes in their MAC Girls Collection and I received Mischief Minx as a press sample. I stopped by the counter and was seriously tempted by Prissy Princess and Power Hungry – some other gorgeous neutrals but decided for now to stick with Mischief Minx. It has a palette of shimmers and warm shades. Pigment is medium but buildable. This one is fairly warm in undertone but easy to wear (even the orange and red shades which I mix or blend). Each shade has a name but it’s only labeled in a removable plastic insert which is easy to lose.

Swatched from left to right is: Mischief Minx (shimmering orange gold), Natural Tease (shimmering tan gold), V Frisky (light silvery gold), She-Nani-Gains (shimmering warm tan), Flaming Femme (matte rust), Schemer (satiny matte warm brown), Been There Done That (shimmering dark brown shimmer), Totally Trouble (black matte), Stride of Pride (gold peach highlighter)

Last but not least is the Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Glambition. I’m a fan of the original Style Eye Con ones and the new ones have excellent pigment and texture which are just as good as the originals. Glambition is the most neutral option and the texture is super soft with a velvety feel. Pigment is just so SO good. Color-wise this isn’t necessarily the most exciting palette but it has easy to wear mix of neutrals and bolds that just work. They also layer well together.

Colors left to right include She Was (satiny soft ivory cream shimmer), Infamous (soft rose tan matte), Known For (warm pigmented gold), Seeking (fawn brown matte), The Most (pale pink frost), Over the Top (matte warm brown), Glamour (matte black with gold flecks).

I highly recommend the MAC or Marc Jacobs palettes if you’re looking for a new one. The Marc Jacobs palettes have the best formula out of the three I tried but MAC has more fun wearable shade options to choose from. Kat Von D is one I have mixed feelings on – I still think the colors are just so good but formulas are hard to work with and super high maintenance which is not something I have the patience for. If you’re looking for a new eyeshadow palette that’s more streamlined and simple, you might want to check out the Chanel City of Lights Les 4 Ombres – I just bought it and will be reviewing soon.

I had planned to do some eye looks but I’m in the midst of a move and upcoming travel so I’m a bit limited on time for the moment. Have you tried any of these formulas yet? What did you think? In case you missed it my favorite eye shadow brushes listed in this post here.

Kat Von D Palette available at Sephora and Kat Von D Beauty.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette available at Sephora, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Neiman Marcus.
MAC Girls Palettes available at MAC, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.

MAC palette provided for review. Others purchased by me.

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Beauty Favorites Beauty Tools

Favorite Eye Makeup Brushes and Tools

July 19, 2017

By popular request I have an updated roundup of my beauty tools. So many of you have asked me what the best tools are for eye makeup and I’ve often referenced older posts. I was going through some recently and it’s hard to believe the last round up posts were done three years ago! Time literally flies! I’ve been building my brush collection for many years (for over a decade) and yet I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the tools out there. When it comes to makeup brushes and tools I’m a creature of habit. For the longest time I’ve stuck with tried and true staples from MAC because they’re consistent in quality, they have kept the same designs for years and they get the job done. I have explored a lot of other brands over the years and today I have an updated roundup of the best eye makeup tools I own.

If I could just stick with one collection/brand I would – unfortunately no single brand has everything I want. I’ve split these into categories by shape/function. Also note that I don’t have a crease on my lids so I don’t use a crease brush like most would. I do a lot of blending to get a gradient or wash with neutral colors and then I also have a lot of detail brushes I use. I do realize this is a bit of a long list – I’ve included different options from a small handful of brands I really love as some of you may have different preferences for shape, brush size, handle size/width etc. I’ll round up my top picks at the end of the post as well.

Up first are the basic shadow/lid brushes. I like ones that are soft but somewhat dense so I can pick up powders. A lot of these I use for creams as well even though synthetic brushes often work better – I like the soft texture and feel. Shown below from left to right:

Hakuhodo J242G ($18) is a hybrid goat and synthetic fibers making it versatile for all products. It’s a smaller size making it easy to pack on color on the lids.
Hakuhodo B J004G ($20) is my favorite one for the lids, it’s made of goat hair and extremely soft. This is the best lid color brush I have – it picks up the perfect amount of color and blends powders seamlessly.
MAC 239SH ($25) is also another favorite, it’s one of my most-used brushes, the SH version is exclusive to MAC stores and online. It’s soft and dense and perfect for packing product on the lids. It’s not as soft as the Hakuhodo but still very good.
MAC 239 ($25) is the full size version, I like that both the full and short handle have the same size bristles.
Chanel Blender/Shader ($42) is a new double ended brush that’s super soft with a nice fluffy feel. The small end is also dense but fluffy, the larger side is perfect for blending.
Wayne Goss 18 (old, discontinued) is unfortunately discontinued but was the best option that was slightly larger than the MAC 239.
Chanel Large Eye Shadow Brush #25 ($38) is another great option that’s larger than the MAC 239, it’s not as dense and slightly more loose in how its packed, note that all the Chanel brushes with the silver handles (ones in the current collection) are going to be discontinued. New ones will be introduced around the 24th so if you have any current options on your wishlist you should buy them soon.
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Conceal ($30) is actually a concealer brush (which it’s great for) but I really love this one for cream shadows. It has a beveled/angled tip so it makes the creams apply easily to the lids.

Out of all of these my top two are the MAC 239 and Hakuhodo B J004G. I have multiples of both kinds and they’re probably the most versatile brushes I own.

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Next are the blending brushes good for a light sweep of color, for blending or a nice wash. With some of these you will probably be able to use as a crease brushes too. I prefer the ones with white hair as they’re usually soft and super fluffy. They’re small enough so there’s some density to them. Often times I find the darker ones are a bit too loose in the way they are designed. Shown below from left to right:

Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush ($40) is my favorite large domed fluffy brush because of the density. It’s perfect for sweeping color on the lids for a nice wash and it’s also a great blending brush.
MAC 217 (also available in 217SH) ($25) is another great basic blending brush because of the softness. It’s perfect for blending out colors. For the longest time this was my favorite until I tried Tom Ford, Hakuhodo and Wayne Goss.
Wayne Goss 18 (from the Eye Set $130, individual $27) in terms of quality, I feel Wayne Goss has among the best brushes. They’re right up there with Tom Ford. #18 is the closest option to MAC 217.
Hakuhodo J5523 ($19) is made of goat hair and the equivalent of MAC 217. This one is far better in terms of how it picks up color and blends it out.
Wayne Goss 17 (from the Eye Set $130, individual $28) is a smaller sized fluffy brush, good for detail blending or crease blending.
Wayne Goss 16 (from the Eye Set $130, individual $30) is a bit longer and bigger than #18. This is a good all around blending brush.
Tom Ford 13 ($57) is a fluffy blending brush good for blending things up on the lid for a nice gradient. In my opinion Tom Ford brushes are the best brushes I own.
Tom Ford 11 ($57) is the ultimate wash brush. It applies the perfect amount of color to the lids and is super soft in feel. They’re really well made. The ones I have are made with natural bristles – at an event in the spring I was told Tom Ford was moving towards making brushes with synthetic materials but I haven’t received confirmation of when or if it has happened yet.
Hakuhodo J220G ($24) is a larger fluffy flat brush made of goat and synthetic fiber. I like this one and use it a lot but it’s not as dense as other ones so I prefer the other ones for density and this one for it’s size on some occasions.
Bobbi Brown Eye Sweep ($37) is a classic large dense fluffy round brush.
MAC 227SH (discontinued, $32) has been discontinued unfortunately, it’s more dense than the Bobbi Brown, but for now the BB is the next best option.

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For detail brushes my long-time go to has been the MAC 219 Pencil Brush which I’ve had for years. Unfortunately I lost mine either in the move or while traveling (but sometime in the past few months) and never got around to replacing it. It’s the best all around smudge or lining brush I’ve had but there are still quite a few others that are really good. Shown below from left to right:

Wayne Goss 08 (from the Anniversary Set $225, individual $17) is the tiniest detail brush I own. It’s perfect for getting into the tiny corners of the line or right along the lashes. It’s stiff but not harsh on the eyes.
Bobbi Brown Eye Definer (one shown is a special-edition one from a holiday set, but same as regular one) ($34) is a classic angled brush you can use for powder or gel liners. It’s also a good one for brows.
Wayne Goss 07 (from the Anniversary Set $225, individual $17) is the softest mini smudge brush, perfect for a smokey eye or blending out colors along the lash line.
Tom Ford 15 (discontinued) is the best smudge brush I have, unfortunately it’s discontinued.
Wayne Goss 05 (from the Anniversary Set $225, individual $20) is a super soft pencil brush, it picks up color a lot better than the MAC Pencil, but it’s smaller in size so not quite the same.
Laura Mercier Corner Eye Brush ($26) has been discontinued in most places, you can still find it online at a few stores right now like Bluemercury. It’s a good corner eye brush that gets color in tiny spaces with precise application but it’s large enough you can blend it out a little.
Hakuhodo G5514 ($17) is another great detail pencil brush to get that soft smokey eye.

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Misc brushes and tools shown below:

Chanel Large Tapered Blending Brush 19 ($38) this originally came in the brown natural hair, then was released in a white version, but not it appears it’s back to the brown. I have both and they both perform the same. This is a good detail blending brush – I use it for under the eye when I want a very soft diffused line or to blend out shadows along the upper lash line. It’s soft and blends colors perfectly. The shape is perfect. At this time I don’t have the full list of what brushes will be coming out around the 24th, but if this is on your list I recommend you get it soon as Chanel will be phasing out their current brushes and replacing them with a new line.
MAC 226 (discontinued) is the best small to medium blending brush, why they discontinued it is a mystery to me because there’s none other like it! For now one of the Wayne Goss brushes from The Eye Set (scroll up) will perform the same way, if not better because of the material it’s made of. However this one is still a really good one.
Wayne Goss 21 (from The Brow Set, $55) is the best brow brush for powders for me. I love that it’s wider than most and it’s super dense making it easier for me to get even application for both sides.
Surratt Eyelash Curler ($30) is one of the best curlers I own. It took me some time to learn to use because it’s so much wider than other brands. It performs really well.
MAC Eyelash Curler ($22) is my most-used lash curler. It always curls perfectly and I really like the shape.
Charlotte Tilbury Eyelash Curler ($22) is another good one that gets the job done without any pinching.

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That wraps up my favorite eye makeup brushes and tools post! I hope you found this helpful in case you’re looking for new tools. If I had to pick just one brand it would be nearly impossible to do – but at the moment it would probably be Wayne Goss but I’d have to add a couple from MAC. Overall great basics can be found from MAC – it’s easiest to find at stores and counters which means you can actually see and feel the brushes. For the longest time I didn’t buy brushes unless I could try them in person, but even when I lived in San Diego, I couldn’t find them all so finally had to order some sight unseen. There are a lot of great brush blogs out there so if you need more reference or comparison a google search will bring up some amazing reviews. Best quality and performance goes to Tom Ford, Wayne Goss and Hakuhodo. If I had to pick only 10 brushes to use for the rest of my life, it would be: MAC 239, MAC 217, Hakuhodo B J004, Hakuhodo J552, Edward Bess Luxury, Wayne Goss 07, Wayne Goss 08 and Wayne Goss 18.

What are your favorite tools?

Press samples include the Charlotte Tilbury Eye Lash Curler, Wayne Goss Eye Set and Anniversary Set brushes.

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Hauls

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives Nude Lip Haul

July 17, 2017

Today I’m reviewing and swatching my lip haul from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I bought three sets in store from MAC, YSL and Dior for Early Access. After browsing some more online I decided to stick with what I bought for the most part (I ordered a couple more items) as most of the sets consist of existing colors this year. As usual my picks are all in the neutral category. Also since I already have some colors from other sets offered in the sale, check back later today and I’ll have swatches of those up for reference.

Up first is my favorite, the MAC Look in a Box Saint No Angel Mini Lip Kit ($26.50 for a $40 value). Every year the neutral lip sets sell out first so I’m hoping they stocked more this year in anticipation of that. This year has minis which is why the set is less expensive. I love these colors so much I wish they had made them full size instead – I wouldn’t have minded if it were double the price for bigger ones. There are two lipsticks and two lipglasses:

Love Me Lots Matte Lipstick is a medium nude pink
Dandy Apple Satin Lipstick is nude peach-pink
Saint No Angel Lipglass is a sheer shimmering light pearly pink
Totally Buff Lipglass is a neutral pink with a slight hint of mauve

The Dior Addicted to Nude Lip Set ($70) has existing shades and after I got home I realized I already owned one of the colors. There is another option Addicted to Pink (with Baby Dior and Lazy) but my local store did not have it. The price of the individual lipsticks is $35 each so with this one you’re getting the mini Lip Maximizer and bag for free. For the nude lip set option I believe you can get both separately. Inside the Addicted to Nude Lip Set:

Dior Addict Lipstick in Bobo is the perfect coral shimmer, the formula is just so pretty and smooth
Dior Addict Lacquer Stick in Underground is the perfect neutral-cool everyday mauve pink (also wearing it in this beauty look here)
Dior Lip Maximizer mini is a plumping lip product

Last but not least is the YSL Lip Set in Nude ($74 for a $106 value). I don’t own any of the colors in this set, one is a Nordstrom Exclusive for the sale:

Rouge Volupte Shine Oil-in-Stick in Decadent Nude 61 is a shimmery nude pink mauve, the shimmer doesn’t really show up on the lips (Nordstrom Exclusive Shade)
Rouge Pur Couture in Le Nu 70 is a peachy nude
Volupte Tint in Oil in Make Me Nude 9 is a sheer nude with a hint of shimmer that makes the lips look full and voluptous

Swatches of the Nude Lip Set compared to individual existing shades, it appears the Rouge Volupte Shine Oil in Stick 44 and 47 (reviewed here) are sold out almost everywhere online now except for Neiman Marcus and YSL Beauty (in store stock may vary).

Upate: As promised swatches of the Charlotte Tilbury, Chanel and Chantecaille Lip offerings from the sale. I didn’t buy the sets as I already own the colors, for reference in case your store doesn’t have these or if you can’t get to a store I hope this helps!

Chanel has two gloss sets in the Chanel Rouge Nude Mood Coco Gloss Moisturizing Trio with 774, 714 and119 and the Bright on Brights Trio has shades 728, 738 and 172. I’ve put the stock photo next to photos I took of the real live product for reference and swatched them below.

Chantecaille Touch-Up Essentials has a full size Brilliant Lip Gloss in Charm which is pretty much clear on my lips along with the Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara and a mini eye makeup remover.

Charlotte Tilbury has two lip sets. Day to Night Lip Set in Hot Lips Nude has KISSING Lipstick in KKW and Matte Revolution Lipstick in Super Cindy along with Pillow Talk Lip Liner. Day to Night Perfect Pink Lip Set has KISSING Lipstick in Kiss Chase and Matte Revolution in Between the Sheets (previously limited-edition and relaunched for the sale) along with Pink Venus Lip Liner.

For additional reference, the nude lips swatched in this post here. Pink lipstick shades are in this post here.

FYI, in all the swatch photos I’m wearing a mix of MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC25 and NC37 set with the Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium Plus. To sum up the lip options – there are lots of repeats for existing shades. I picked two I could find that have exclusive or new colors. I’m really happy with all my purchases even though it turns out I already own one of the Dior lipsticks. If you’re a beauty junkie like me you might already own a lot of the colors as well and find this year’s offerings repetitive. I found some interesting sets and think a lot of these could make for great gifts later on in the year. I stocked up on some of the MAC ones.

Early Access runs through the 20th and opens up to the public on the 21st. If you’re shopping online don’t forget to check their Gift With Purchase page – it gets updated frequently!

Did you shop the sale yet? Any lip sets catch your eye?

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