This Week

Hey Guys!

As you've probably noticed, I haven't posted anything this week. I'm pretty bogged down right now since I'm getting ready for a trip to LA. There won't be any posts this week, but I will be back to normal posting next week.

After my post on the Chikuhodo brushes, I got some feedback on the high cost of the brushes. It's one of those things that can be hard to explain unless you know how brushes are manufactured and what they are made out of. Most of your everyday, run of the mill brushes are made in mass production with synthetic, pony, or goat hair (goat is usually nicer and therefore more expensive). In mass production like this, the bristles are cut to create a uniform shape, which can result in a rougher brush. Even if the bristles are laser cut, it still isn't as nice as a completely cut free brush. I thought I would post a link to a Beautylish article about how Wayne Goss' brushes are made. They're also made in Kumano, where Chikuhodo is made (I think that Chikuhodo might make Wayne Goss' brushes, but don't quote me on that), so this gives a pretty nice little idea of the work that goes into these handmade brushes. Check it out here.

That's all I've got for the time being and I'll see you guys next week!

Bisous

FOTD : 4.18.14

First off, I apologize for a lack of a post yesterday. We had a employee appreciation day at work yesterday and when I got home, I immediately passed out for a few hours and then had a LA trip meeting with my friend. I had zero time yesterday, but I still hope to get a post up for "tried & true" at some point this weekend (I'll be in the car for two hours on Sunday, so that seems like a good time!). Also, if you follow me on social media, then you might have seen that my hair has changed, quite drastically! I'm fairly blonde now (if you haven't already looked at the pictures below...) with some massive dark roots. For those of you who don't know me in real life, I kind of love punk and grunge influences, so I decided to just go for it with the hair. I haven't done anything to my hair in three years, so it felt like it was time to switch it up. In fact, I'm thinking about doing a wash out pink for Easter and if I do, I'll post it on my Instagram (the link for that is juuuust to your right, follow me for fun!). Anyhow, on to my face for today!

These photos turned out fairly yellow and while I could have tinted them, I didn't. My hair isn't quite as brassy looking as it is in these photos, but it is a mix of ash and more golden blonde.

Face

• NARS Sheer Glow in Gobi
• Revlon Age Defying Targeted Dark Spot Concealer Treatment in Light
• NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder Translucent Crystal - I decided to purchase the loose version to keep on my vanity and I have the pressed version for travel!
• Milani Luminoso Blush
• NYX Blush in Taupe

Eyes

• Noir Longwear Eyeliner in Black
• Sonia Kashuk Jewel Toned Palette with all of the purple shades (LE)
• Lorac Pro Palette - White & Nude to highlight
• Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Brown - they changed the name of these! My shade used to be called Medium Ash and is now called Medium Brown... they better not have changed the formula/color
• ELF Clear Brow Gel

Lips

• Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Blood Orange  

What do you guys have planned for Easter weekend? Let me know down below!

(contains affiliate links)

Bronze Spring Eye (Lorac Unzipped Palette) : Video

Maybelline Tastefully Taupe Shadow : Product Review

I feel like it's been a hot second since I've reviewed anything from the drugstore, so it only seems appropriate to kick of my weekly posts with a drugstore item. I actually wear quite a bit of drugstore stuff, so I don't know why I don't put it up on here more often. Perhaps I should do a "Best of the Drugstore" type post soon... Regardless, let's dive into this, shall we?

The Facts

Price: $2.99 (in Kansas)

Amount of Product: .09 oz.

Number of Shades: 20

Claim: "Extraordinary Color from our ultra-blendable pigments. Long Wear with sensual finish that lasts up to 12 hours." 

Shade that I used: 250S - Tastefully Taupe

Shades and the powder itself: I used to use almost exclusively Maybelline eye shadows when I was in high school, they were kind of my go to brand, but I cannot remember anything about the Expertwear shadows aside from the two shades that I wore religiously (Silken Taupe and... Shell [?]). I don't remember if they used to offer matte and shimmer shades, but they definitely do now. There were several matte shades, but the majority of the shadows were the slightly shimmery type that Tastefully Taupe is. 

For having talc as the first ingredient, the powder doesn't reek and it's surprisingly un-powdery; both of which I'm completely fine with.

Finish and Color: I purposely bought Tastefully Taupe because it looks exactly like what Silken Taupe used  to look like. The current Silken Taupe looks a bit lighter and frostier than its older counterpart. The finish on Tastefully Taupe is definitely that of a shimmer shadow, but there isn't any visible glitter.

The color is fantastic when applied with your finger, but it is really hard to pick up with a brush. If you want a sheer wash of color, then apply with a brush is awesome, but if you want it to show up on your lids like it is in the pan? Use your fingers or, and I can't believe that I'm going to suggest this, use the sponge tip applicator that it comes with. Yup, this shadow actually applies better that way.

Wear Time: I always wear a primer with my eye shadows, but even with primer, eye shadows can still crease. This however, did not crease and wore well for the entire day.

Does it deliver on its claim? Yes. The shadow wore for 12 hours (albeit with a primer, but no powder shadow lasts on me for 12 hours without a primer). The shadow is very blendable and you can get great color, you just have to know how to apply the shadow. For $2.99, this is a great all over lid color to pick up!

Chikuhodo Brushes : First Look

If you guys watch my YouTube channel, then you will have seen the box that these three bad boys came in. If you don't watch, then you have no idea what I'm talking about. Regardless, a few weeks ago, I decided to make the investment that is Chikuhodo brushes. If you are not "that into" makeup, then these brushes will seem completely ridiculous to you and even if you are someone who spends a lot of time at the makeup table, the price point may be enough to scare you away. The three brushes pictured above cost me a grand total of $150 and that was with a discount. 

So, what makes these brushes so expensive? Everything about them, basically. I've pulled this from Chikuhodo's site:

CHIKUHODO Co., Ltd. is a makeup brush manufacturer, which adopts traditional Japanese brush making style and is located in Kumano, Hiroshima prefecture. Receiving orders from many domestic and overseas client companies, CHIKUHODO has been engaging in manufacturing of all types of high-quality makeup brushes. Today CHIKUHODO has grown into the No.1 company in original equipment manufacturing (OEM) of makeup brushes in Japan.We feel so grateful to many top-ranking makeup artists both inside and outside of Japan for giving us precious opinions and knowledge, which we feel has lead us to come so far as a high-quality makeup brush manufacturer.We will continue delivering high-quality makeup brushes and bring satisfaction to all our clients and users through an all-out effort by the whole employees in our company.Your continued support for CHIKUHODO is greatly appreciated.

Not all of Chukuhodo's brushes are ungodly expensive and there are actually affordable options, but they come from a different series of brushes than the ones pictured above. The Z-series, which the three brushes come from, is one of Chikuhodo's more expensive lines. The Z-1 brush (which is not pictured as I don't own it) comes in at $226.

The Z-series, aside from the lip and brow brushes, is made of 100% Gray Squirrel. If you are a vegan only type of brush user, then stay far, far away from Chikuhodo. I've never owned squirrel brushes before, so it's safe to say that these are by far the softest makeup brushes that I have ever owned. My friend once let me touch her red squirrel face brush once and that was so soft that it felt as if I weren't actually touching anything. These aren't quite that soft, but pretty damned close.

What I'm trying to get at here is that unless you are obsessed with makeup, a true professional makeup artist, or someone who loves to collect makeup brushes... these might not be for you. However, if you fall into any of the above categories, keep reading for some good old fashion brush porn.

This post is just a first look at these brushes as I have not even dared use them on my face yet (mostly because I wanted to make sure I could get photos of them in their most pristine state). I cannot wait to start really using these and write some reviews for you guys so that you can know all about these brushes.

I got mine in a special set from Now E-Project, which is an official retailer of Chikuhodo and the easiest to order from if you're located in the US. There is a $100 minimum on any order and shipping is $35... so if you're interested, it's best to place an order over $300 (free shipping after that most of the time) or get together with some friends and place a group order.

Questions or comments? Let me know down below!

60s Inspired Cut Crease : FOTD

Hey guys! Just thought I would show you a little look that I put together this weekend. I hope you all had a great Saturday and Sunday.

FOTD : 4.11.14

We've made it to the end of another week. Spring is finally starting to show up here, but in typical spring fashion, it will only be in the 50s next week. However, I'm going to live it up while it's in the 70s for the next few days; midwestern weather is so fickle. I'm going to fish fry tonight with my mom (even though neither of us are Catholic or even religious) and I can't wait to chow down on some delicious fried fish.

AND I've figured out how to get my pictures to stop looking like I've photoshopped the crap out of my skin. I have to upload them as PNG rather than JPEG, which sucks, but I'll go with it!

 Face

• Becca Evermatte Foundation in Shell - I like this, but it's really dry, so I think I need to save the rest of my sample for when it actually gets hot and humid.
• Revlon Age Defying Targeted Dark Spot Concealer Treatment in Light
• NARS Pressed Light Reflecting Powder
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Incandescent
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
• NYX Taupe

Eyes

• Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials in Demure
• Lorac Pro Palette - Cream, Mauve, and Espresso
• Stila Stay All Day Brow Pen in Medium
• ELF Clear Brow Gel
• Guerlain Maxi Lash - which smells like floral perfume and I just can't. Thank god it's a sample and I didn't spend $30 on this.

Lips

• NYX Butter Lipstick in Juju

Spring Fashion Haul (Forever 21, Nordstrom, H&M + More) : Video

It only took two entire days to actually get this video to export from my computer, but it is finally up and ready to view. It's a long one, so grab a snack and settle in!

Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara : Product Review

The Facts

Price: $32 (it was $30 when I purchased, Armani just did a price increase recently)

Amount of Product: .23 oz

Number of Shades: 1

Claim: "Dress the eyes with powerful, plush, separated, voluminous lashes. Fine, fluid Micro-fil™ technology creates intensely captivating lash texture. Micro waxes combined with a fineness agent allow for smooth and easy application, revealing weightless volume for lashes. As a final touch, the target-smooth agents coat each lash, creating uniform volume and texture from root to tip."

Formula: The formula of this mascara is definitely more wet than the Chanel or YSL than I tried, but not nearly as goopy as the Marc Jacobs gel formula. I've been using this for about a month now and it hasn't started to dry up yet, but only become a touch less wet than when first opened.

Brush: A true bristle brush mascara! I love mascara wands like this, so I was happy to see it when I opened up the container.

Color: Black. It's definitely on the darker end of the spectrum of black, not grey or diluted at all.

 

Volume, Length, and Flaking: No flaking at all! This just sticks to my lashes perfectly. I will say that it doesn't leave my lashes as soft as Chanel Inimitable Intense, but not nearly as hard as YSL Babydoll. This doesn't fall under flaking, but in a similar vain, this mascara does not agree with my current under eye concealer. I hold a camera up to my face for the majority of the day, which pushes my lashes against my face and I tend to get a little panda eyed on that side of my face. On days that I'm not shooting, I don't run into this issue, but that's only on weekends.

Volume and length? Why yes, this delivers on both of those! The formula is not so wet that it doesn't build any volume and it's not so dry that it can't build up the length of your lashes. My long time drugstore favorite mascara is Maybelline Full N Soft because it manages to give me both length and volume and that's what this reminds me of. No clumps, just nice volume and length!

I need to tweeze my brows, sorry guys

Does it deliver on its claim? Yes, it does deliver on the claims. 

Final Verdict: I definitely think that if the day comes that I want to spend $30 on mascara, I will definitely pick this up again. I've heard so many people say that this is their holy grail when it comes to mascara and I can easily understand why. Like I said, I'm about a month in on using this mascara and the texture hasn't changed at all; it's still that slightly wet, slightly dry formula that allows length and volume.

I also love the sleekness of the tube and the engraved name on the side; it just looks classy. And speaking of the tube, whatever device they have inside does a great job of picking up excess product; I barely have to wipe the tip of the brush. I definitely see this lasting me at least two more months with great results (I typically kill mascara in three to four months).

Questions, comments? Let me know down below!

YSL Babydoll Mascara : Product Review

I'm going to apologize right off the bat, but I don't have a before and after of my lashes with this mascara. You'll find out why down below, but I thought that I would let you know in advance. In other news, it's my birthday today! Still kicking through my twenties, but getting a little bit closer to the end of them... 

The Facts

Price: $30

Amount of Product: .2 oz

Number of Shades: 2

Claim: "Baby Doll creates a full open-eye effect by lifting and separating lashes. The patented formula creates long-lasting volume and intense color that is evenly dispersed with no flakes, clumps, or smudges for up to 24 hours. Reach every lash, including the baby ones for a full fringe effect. The brush has duo-length bristles that adapt to all lash types, separating, coating, and multiplying lashes for defined volume."

Formula: The formula of this mascara is somewhere between dry and wet; almost like a mascara that you've already had open for a week or two and it's dried out a bit to its ideal consistency.

Brush: Sigh, it's a plastic brush. Not my favorite type of brush in the world, but I was willing to go with it. This brush reminds me of the Covergirl Clump Crusher in some ways.

Color: I got this in the black shade and it is black, but not the darkest black that I've ever experienced. The other shade is comes in is "Wheedler Brown", but I honestly don't have much interested in brown mascara.

Volume, Length, and Flaking: As for flaking, it was extremely minimal. Maybe by the end of a 14 hour day there was a flake or maybe two, but not much at all. Related to the flaking, but not related at the same time is how this made my lashes feel. Chanel Inimitable gave me color and volume while also keeping my lashes incredibly soft, but it flaked. YSL gave me color and volume, but it also made my lashes a little bit... crunchy. Not something that I enjoy, but it also didn't flake.

Then we come to volume and length. The full name of this mascara is actually "Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Babydoll" which basically translates to Volume Mascara, False Babydoll Lash Effect"... so it should be making your eyelashes look, for lack of better description, fucking amazing. However, I don't think it was knock my socks off amazing, just very good. It did work well at both giving volume and lengthening, better than the Chanel Inimitable, but there were a few things that irritated me about this mascara. 

from an old FOTD

Does it deliver on its claim? Yes, it does deliver on the claims. But keep reading to see a few important points.

Final Verdict: This is the important stuff you need to read, so make sure in reviews you always read the "Final Verdict". Would I buy this again? No, definitely not. While it made my lashes nice and long and voluminous, it also dried out in a little less than two months. I don't know if I've ever had a mascara dry out that quickly. It was closed tightly every time that I used it and it wasn't dry when I opened it, so I don't know why it puttered out so fast. Mascaras typically only last me three months, simply because I use it almost every day and I have a lot of lashes to coat and coat them all, I do. But honestly, this one was drying out at a month and a half in. 

Also, this mascara is scented! It smells like sweet melon or something like that, which I actually loved about it. If you're sensitive to scented products though, this would definitely be one to stay away from. Like I said, I loved that it was scented and it stays scented for a good while after you apply it, so consumer beware.

For $30, I expect mascara to basically be a god send, but if it's going to dry out in a matter of weeks, then there is no way I can justify spending that kind of money on it. Sorry YSL, we're done.

Blue Eyes, Red lips? : Challenge

I have made it no secret that I actively participate on Reddit. In the last year or so, it has easily become one of my favorite websites. In fact, I think I can safely say that I spend more time on Reddit than I do on Facebook and my blog... combined. Anyhow, in some of the subs that I read, there are makeup challenges and I decided to participate this weekend! However, I did all of the work and then headed to the boys house with just my memory card. He has a gaming computer and no SD card slot :( I missed out posting on Reddit, but I figured I would post the fruits of my labor here instead!

For the first look, I used a bright blue liquid liner and basic red lips. If you were following me last July, then this look probably looks fairly familiar since I did a similar tutorial for Independence Day.

For the second look, I decided to try out a blue smoky eye. I used a Sugarpill pigment and I definitely should have used a stickier base and done all of the shadow work wet. It was difficult to work with and you can see that it is a bit blotchy in the close up.

And then I did a for fun, "editorial" look! Hope you guys enjoyed this post :)

FOTD : 4.4.14

Well, spring was a cruel temptress and popped up for a few days and then has seemed to disappear again. It's currently a balmy 45 degrees here and it doesn't look like it's going to be nice again until mid next week. In fact, it's supposed to rain on my birthday :( Regardless, I have crossed over into spring makeup and I'm not going back; screw the weather, I do what I want.

Face

• Dr. Jart Black Label BB Cream
• NARS Sheer Glow in Gobi
• Revlon Age Defying Targeted Dark Spot Concealer Treatment in Light
• NARS Pressed Light Reflecting Powder
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
• NYX Taupe
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Incadescent

Eyes

• Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials in Demure
• Stila Shadows in Kitten and two other, unidentifiable colors; a shimmery taupe and a matte dark brown (they came in a trio and are not labeled)
• Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara
• Stila Stay All Day Brow Color in Medium
• ELF Clear Brow Gel

Lips

• Bite Beauty Liptick in Vidal

March 2014 Favorites : Video

March, it has come to an end, which means that it's time for favorites! It's almost all makeup this moth with a quick appearance from one hair item.

Products Mentioned:

ELF Clear Brow Gel
Stila Stay All Day Brow Pen
NYX Natural Lip Pencil
Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Madeira
ByTerry Rouge Terrybly Lipstick in Terrybly Nude
Alterna 48 hr Bamboo Volume Spray
Illamasqua Blush in Hussy
L'Oreal Colour Riche Aqua Lacquer Stain in Coral Tattoo 
Dr. Jart Black Label BB Cream
Lorac Pro Palette
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish : Tried & True

I'm definitely one of those people that always complains about how the week is dragging on and then it's suddenly Thursday afternoon and I'm thinking "Where did this week go?".  I've brought back Tried & True for this week because I realized that I had been neglecting these two products, which is sad since I love them both so much. I'm not a huge fan of all of MACs products, but Mineralize Skin Finish line is one of those things that MAC does very, very well. I don't currently have any traditional powder from them right now, but the two that I am currently rocking (and you've undoubtedly seen pop up on here in tutorials and videos) are Soft & Gentle and Redhead.

Redhead on the left, Soft & Gentle on the right

I will admit that I was a bit reluctant to talk about Redhead because it was a LE shade, but I know that it's been rereleased at least once because I bought it during a rerelease. MAC seems to do that a lot, don't they? They have these LE items, but they rerelease them all the time because people love them so much (MAC's insane number of limited edition items is on of the things that I don't like about them). There were also Blonde and Brunette shades of the MSF, but the sales associate recommended this for me. The reason that I like Redhead so much is because it is unlike any other highlighter that I have; it's pink based whereas a lot of highlighters are very golden. That pink undertone let's it create a very ethereal and romantic look which is exactly what I want sometimes. 

Soft & Gentle, on the other hand, is much more golden but has a bit of pink, or perhaps copper, to it. It's loved my many, many people and the reason is because it's so universal; neutral, olive, warm, and cool undertones can all get away with this as a highlighter since it reflects so differently. On me, with my warmer skin tone, it reflects with a bit of a copper sheen but on someone who is cooler, I imagine that it would reflect a bit more golden. 

Redhead on top, Soft & Gentle on bottom (TWSS?)

The powders are soft and easily transfer from the brush to your face to give it a really nice soft sheen. There is glitter in these two MSF, but it's so tiny and so fine, that you have to be right next to someone's face to be able to see it. Otherwise, it just comes across as shimmer. One of the most fantastic things about these powders (aside from everything that I just listed) is how long they'll last you. Yes, sure, they're $30, but I've owned Redhead for a year and a half and I've just start to make a dent in the dome; Soft & Gentle barely has a dent. 

If you are looking for a new highlighter, I would definitely recommend stopping by MAC or a counter and checking out Soft & Gentle, I think you'd love it. Unfortunately, MAC's website appears to be out of Soft & Gentle, but it's on basically everyone else's sites.

Questions or comments? Please feel free to leave them down below!

Get Ready with Me : Video

Finally, actually getting a video up on Tuesday! As I said previously, I am filming two more videos this week so keep your eyes peeled for those as well.

I was getting ready to go to a friend's bachelorette party and decided that it might be a fun Get Ready With Me. The looks that I do in tutorials are always things that I would wear out of the house, but this is something that I was wearing out immediately after. I planned on showing my finished hair and outfit, but my camera straight up died as I was finishing up my makeup :( If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw my hair and dress, but if not, you can find the link on the right hand side of the screen (my personal Insta!).


Products Used:

Dr. Jart Black Label Detox BB Cream (this helps to control my oil better than most primers and provides another layer of coverage)
NARS Sheer Glow in Gobi
Revlon Age Defying Targeted Dark Spot Concealer Treatment in Light
NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder
Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials in Demure
Kiko Unexpected Rosy Taupe Eye Shadow Quad
MAC Fluidline in It's Physical (Limited Edition - I used this as an eye shadow base because it's taupe and has purple microglitter in it; just like the shadows in this quad!)
Physician's Formula Lash Booster Liquid Liner Pen
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara
Stila Stay All Day Brow Pen in Medium
ELF Clear Brow Gel
NYX Blush in Taupe
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette (LE) in Incadescent and Radiant
NYX Lip Liner in Natural
Bite Beauty Lip Pencil in Madeira

Questions or comments? Let me know down below!

Insta Insta

Hey guys! There will be a new video up in a few hours, but I wanted to give you a quick update on something else. I've decided to create a new Instagram account that is solely for makeup and my blog/youtube channel. I figure that some people probably don't want to see pictures of my dog (ok, I don't think that's anyone, he's adorable) and food that I'm eating or dressing room photos, so I've made a whole account just for makeup. I'll be adding a link to it in the sidebar tomorrow, but if you want to check it out now and see it in it's glorious baby stage of life, then look me up under @bisousdarling!