Review: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I'm not the type of person to hop on the band wagon when it comes to anything beauty related. I like to wait for YouTube or blog reviews before I actually go out and buy them, at least most of the time =P

 I've never owned any real techniques brushes despite hearing all the rave reviews on YouTube and the blogosphere. If you asked me why, I couldn't give you an answer but a couple weeks ago Ulta was having a BOGO half off sale on Real Techniques and I also saw that there were 3 new brushes, one of them being the expert face brush with reminded me of a Royal and Langnickel brush that one of my best friends loves. I believe it was the Silk Pro Super foundation brush BC142.

 The expert face brush sort of has a paddle shape but instead of being flat, it's rounded which makes it perfect for buffing in your foundation and doesn't leave any lines because it has no edges. It's also small enough to get into those hard to reach places like around the nose and even under the eyes for concealer if you wish. I've tried this with liquid & cream foundation which applies it effortlessly. Even with cream blush and contouring, I couldn't find any faults. If I could point out something I didn't like about this brush, it's probably the wide base which makes this brush somewhat of a hassle to store but I can look past that fact because it doesn't affect the performance of this brush at all.

Like all of the brushes in this line, they're cruelty free made of synthetic taklon bristles. It's super soft, dense and doesn't absorb foundation. The bristles also don't bunch together as fast as some other foundation brushes so you don't have to wash it every other day( I'm talking to you Sephora Airbrush #55!) washing this brush is a breeze and it dries pretty fast too!  The way the expert face brush performs, you would think it costs more then the low $8.99 price tag it has.  Ulta is always having sales so be on the look out when they have these on sale. Even if it wasn't, I'd still purchase it because it has become my favorite way to apply foundation.

 I hope you found this review helpful if you re in the market for a new foundation brush but are on a budget. 

Have you tried out this brush or any other real techniques brushes?

Review & Comparison: London Soho New York Beauty Sponge (Possible dupe for the Beauty Blender)

  A couple weeks ago I went to Walgreen's and I spotted a new display by a company called London Soho New York. The display consisted of some makeup brushes and this sponge that looked a lot like the Beauty Blender.  Of course being the beauty junkie I am, I bought it :) I also wanted to see how it compares to the Beauty Blender.

Just like the Beauty Blender, it's pink and has the same egg shape but it has this sort of ring around it which makes it more ergonomic which I feel does help it from slipping out of my hands. It also expands to about double its size when you wet it. You can use it dry if you like but I prefer to use it when it's damp so that it won't soak up a lot of foundation. The sponge is bit more firmer then the Beauty Blender and you have to give a little more pressure when stippling and blending out any foundation but not so much where it feels unpleasant. The tip is more narrow but performs pretty much the same and I get the an airbrushed finish as I do with the Beauty Blender.

Left: London Soho NY Beauty Sponge, Right: Beauty Blender

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase. So if you've been lemming for the Beauty Blender but don't want to spend so much on a sponge, this a great affordable dupe/alternative.

Where to buy?
Retails for $7.99 at Walgreen's

Review: Revlon Photo Ready 3D Volume mascara

2 weeks ago I hauled some makeup from the drugstore and the new Revlon Photoready mascara was one of those items. It was on sale for $5.99 at CVS and there was a $3 extrabucks with purchase and of course, I couldn't pass it up. There are 3 colors available; Blackened Brown, Black and Blackest Black (the color i picked up).

I was curious because the brush looked somewhat similar to Benefit's They're Real Mascara. I've been wanting to try Benefits they're real but I'm not too keen on spending so much for a product that has such a short shelf life and I think the drugstore has plenty of Mascaras that are just as good as some high end ones. Plus most of the reviews that I've seen for They're Real are from gals who are blessed in the lash department. Which I unfortunately am not. My lashes have been healthier and more fuller then usual because I don't wear makeup everyday so they don't get the normal wear and tear as they used to before when I wore mascara all the time. They still are short and thin though so I can always use some volume and length.

some creepy close up eye pictures:

Bare lashes before

with 2 coats of Photoready 3D after

My expectations for this mascara wasn't so high because Revlon isn't really known for their Mascaras but I am impressed.  The formula is a little wet but not as wet as Maybelline The Falsies Mascara and I love how black it is. It adds a good amount of length  and some volume without clumping my lashes together.  The rounded end is great for getting into my inner lashes that most big mascara wands don't allow me to coat.  There are a few things that I didn't like but not enough to make me stay away from this mascara like how the end has a lot of product on it (which is inevitable). I experienced some slight smudging but nothing terrible like I have with L'oreal Voluminous mascara (both water proof and regular) and the wand is a little shorter then most Mascaras.

To sum it up:

Pros:

• Inexpensive ranging between $7-9 dollars depending on where you get it
• Drugstores usually have BOGO sales and combined with coupons you can get them even cheaper!
• The brush itself is great thanks to the rounded end which can get to the hard to reach lashes and bottom lashes
• Adds length and volume
• Separates and defines lashes
• Minimum to no clumping
• No flaking
• Comes off easily with makeup remover
• Doesn't Weigh down My lashes or makes them hard
• The packaging looks sleek

Cons:

• It doesn't add as much volume as I like
• Slight smudging ( but I have really oily lids and for a non waterproof formula, it didn't smudge as much as I originally expected).
• The wand is a little short and maybe be a bit awkward to hold

Overall I'm happy with this mascara and would repurchase it again.

Product Review: L'oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base