SUNDAY SPECIAL: My top 10 make-up brushes

I often get asked which brushes are my favorites – do I prefer drugstore brands or is it worth investing into more expensive brushes. I also get asked about fake brushes that you can purchase from various websites – if you want to know about my experience with those, let me know in the comments below!

Anyway, I own both drugstore and high-end brushes – too many of both, to be quite honest with you, since I love buying and trying new ones. As you will see, my favorites consist of both. These are the brushes I use on a regular day when doing my go to make-up look. I listed some prices below, but to find the best deal, check out *this post* I wrote about my favorite online stores and their offers!

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Freedom ProStudio Brush Bath

Dear beauties,

I am guilty as charged. Of what, you ask? Of buying overpriced brushes and not taking care of them enough. Of preaching about skincare but at the same time not making sure that the brushes that daily touch my face are super clean. Yes, I am guilty on both charges.

Before I received the Freedom ProStudio Brush Bath, I used the Makeup Revolution brush cleaner to give my brushes proper care. It did the job well, but soaking the brushes and giving them a nice clean used to take me an hour or more which is why I regularly procrastinated on the topic.

A few months back, I was sent the Freedom Brush Bath by the online store Licila.si and at first I wasn't too sure about it since I haven't had too much good experience with the brand Freedom so far. This brush bath is a solution that is supposed to instantly sanitize, cleanse and condition the brushes.

 The packaging is nice and sturdy and closes well. It contains 100ml of the product. The solution itself looks and feels like soap and has a light scent to it. The directions state to wet the brush and swirl it around in the jar, then work the brush on the palm of your hand to really lather it up (you could use any kind of brush cleaning gizmo here, such es BrushEgg etc.), rinse and squeeze the brush to remove access water. Simple enough.

On the left photo you can see that the surface gets quite messy during the whole procedure. I make sure that the brush I'm putting in the jar is not to wet so I don't waste the product. Once I find the whole thing too dirty, and obviously at the end, I simply rinse it under water and it instantly becomes clean again. There are no dirty cups needed - the jar is the only tool you need. 

For this post, I washed five of my Real Techniques brushes: blush brush, powder brush, eye blending brush, concealer brush and a smaller brush I generally use to apply powder to my under-eye area. As you can see, they were quite dirty and really needed a good wash.

The cleaning took me about 30 seconds per brush with the exception of concealer brush which was so dirty it took about a minute. I could easily also wash a couple of eye brushes at the same time this way. 

In all, I am really impressed with this brush bath. It's inexpensive (get it here for just under 11 € - if you own a reasonable amount of brushes, it will probably last you a year to get through it), super easy to use and leaves my brushes nice and soft. I would definitely recommend this product to everyone who finds washing brushes a hassle and wants to get it over with quickly.

Until next time, stay beautiful!

THE BATTLE OF BLENDERS – Real Techniques vs. Beautyblender

For those of you who remember my post about the Sephora haul from a couple of months ago, you will also probably remember that I got myself a Beautyblender (BB). Now, the BB is apparently the one true original blender and we have quite a few products now on the market trying to give us the same performance for a smaller price. I personally have been using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge for about a year now and I was really excited to do this comparison and see what the big deal is all about. 

Now, obviously the first thing that pops to mind when we talk about the differences is the price. The Real Techniques sponge for example sells on Licila.si for about 8 € and you can get the Beautyblender on different pages, like the Beautybay for a hefty 20 €. 

When dry, the Beautyblender looks absolutely tiny compared to the RT sponge. 

But as any other sponge, both of these give the best results when they are wet. While the size of the RT sponge doesn’t change much, the Beautyblender actually increases to almost double the size. Also interesting – when completely dry, Beautyblender shrinks to its original size. 

Many of you know that I am a true fan of the Real Techniques tools in general and this blender is no exception. It comes in quite a sturdy packaging which gives you some pointers how to use different sides of the blender and how to take care of it.

First Empties of 2015!

This post is way overdue, especially due to the fact that my spare closet was starting too look like some hoarder's wet dream. A bunch of empties and no time to share my thoughts on them with you, my beauties. But this changes - right now!

Let's start with some haircare.

I used up the Schwarzkopf Gliss Hair Repair for dry and damaged hair - and for once, the shampoo and the conditioner both lasted the exact same amount of washes. I don't know why,  but usually I use up the conditioner way faster. Anyway, this came recommended by a friend and I loved the product. It really did make a difference in my hair, leaving it a bit shinier and I've also noticed less frizz and fewer flyaways. I also use the deep conditioning mask, but I've got a couple more uses in that one. 

As for this Essence Road Trip dry shampoo, I just don't know. It was a random purchase and I used it just as randomly. It didn't really convince me in making my hair any less greasy, so I mainly used it if my hair was clean but had a smell (e.g. if I was baking/cooking something with a heavy smell). So I wouldn't repurchase this. 

I have rambled about the Axe Anarchy deodorant so much in my empties, I'm not going to repeat myself. I was however slightly surprised by the Nivea Angel Star Invisible deodorant. I think they changed the formula on that one - when I used it in the past it really did the job, but for some reason this one just did not perform. It's not really empty, but I am throwing it away since it's useless. 

Alas, I also used up an entire bottle of Chloe by Chloe perfume in about 6 months. I purchased a double size of this a couple of months back so I hope it lasts me at least until 2016. I love this smell, but I would not recommend a certain perfume to anyone, since it's completely a personal preference. I will say, however, that it lasts beautifully on my skin - I get compliments on it even after 12 hours. 

For nails, I again used up an entire bottle of Afrodita Chamomile Sensitive polish remover - it's my go to remover whenever other products I'm trying out fail me. This Aveo (a Muller brand) was again just OK - it did the job on the nails, but I had to use up a lot if it every time around. I think the bottle lasted me only about 5-6 manicures. The Alessandro nail polish is not empty, but it dried up on me and it's impossible to use it anymore, so I'm throwing it away. 

For skincare, I did a bit of experimentation with the Yes To cleaning wipes, trying out the Blueberry (age refresh) and the Cucumber (soothing) ones for the first time. We all know I'm a fan of the Grapefruit (correct and repair) ones and I must say that both other versions were just as good. I will however stick to the Grapefruit ones because of the lovely refreshing smell. I would only recommend the Cucumber tissues if you don't mind a strong cucumber smell - it was a bit disturbing for me at times. I get these on Asos for about 5-6 €, they often have promotions where you can get them even cheaper. I'm thinking of investing in a cleansing gel from this same brand, since I'm obviously a fan.

I used up two cleansers in the past months. The Decleor Eye Make-up remover with essential oils is one of my absolute favorite products of all time. It can remove almost any mascara under the face of the planet and although it's quite expensive, I think it's worth the money. The other empty from this category is the Nivea Pure&Natural cleansing milk. It doesn't have quite the power of Decleor, but for the price, I still find it a good product. Plus, I'm a sucker for the classic Nivea smell in the face products - it just makes me feel clean, if you know what I mean. 

I also got the final spritz out of the Urban Decay De-slick setting spray. It is amazing, that's all I can say about it. I've talked about it quite a lot before and considering my most recent haul, you'll be seeing this baby in my favorites quite a lot, probably. 

Last up is a mini sample of Paula's choice. I don't know why I included it here, since I'm going to do a Sample Empties soon. So, you know, just ignore it. 

I've replaced my Real Techniques old nasty blending sponge with a brand new one (which i already mentioned in the most recent haul). I also went through another of the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant pore erasers which I've talked and talked about before. I just have one left and then I'm going to have to live without them until the next USA trip. 

In the foundations, I've gone through two of them. First one is the L'Oreal Mat' Magique which I'm so happy I've finally gotten rid of. It featured in my Worst products of 2015 and I never, ever want to see it again in my bathrom. Read about it here. 

On the other hand, I've used up two lovely products I will miss very much. First is the Rimmel Match Perfection (201 - Classic Beige) foundation which was my favorite foundation of the past year. I'm definitely going to repurchase this at the first opportunity (meaning, the first Rimmel sale on Look Fantastic or Feelunique). It's an absolutely gorgeous foundation with just the right amount of coverage which does cover enough but doesn't leave my face feeling heavy. I can give similar praise to the Essence Stay All Day 16h Concealer. I've used this underneath my eyes for my ever-dark dark circles. It covered up the darkness beautifully and what I really loved about it is that it sank into the skin and didn't just sit on top, creasing and looking out of place. Will repurchase if I can find it. 

Last up, my beloved mascaras. If I knew how wonderful each and every one of these three mascaras is, I would have never opened them at the same time. I've talked about them before here - I think it's a good post with a decent comparison. Anyway, it's in the trash with these three and on with the hunt with a mascara that comes even close to these three. 

Anyway, that's it for the first empties of this year. I hope you pick up some good tips and learn from my successes and mistakes alike. Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!

A very OLD Make-up Haul & Mini Reviews

So the thing is, my clients obviously ganged up and tried to see how much I can take before I crack under pressure. I'm still alive, though, so they've been doing a poor job so far. But the thing is that I spent every free second of my days sleeping and recovering and wasn't really up to blogging. It also explains why this post was originally supposed to be just a haul, but now it's going to be a haul with reviews, which is just as well or even better I guess. 

Because, let me be tell you one thing. I can be dead tired, but my make-up will be great nevertheless. Just so we're clear on that front. 

Anyway, this is what I picked up since end of December until the middle of January. 

As you can see, we've got a little bit of everything. Let's start with face and eyes, shall we? I picked up two Real Techniques sponges - one for me and one for my friend (and one of the very few people in my life who know about this blog). I've had the last sponge for about 6 months and it was really time to get rid of it. This costs about 8 € on Licila.si, but they always have special deals you can take advantage of. 

Next, I really, really needed a new foundation. This L'Oreal Infallible was on sale in DM for about 9 €, so I picked it up since I remembered using a similar one from L'Oreal before and being satisfied with it. But, alas, I completely missed the mark on the shade - I got True Beige when I should have gotten Natural beige, a couple of shades darker. So now I basically look half dead before I apply my setting powder. It's an OK foundation, nothing special. What I really want to know, though, is about the primer from the same line - have any of you beauties tried it yet? What do you think about it?

Last thing in this package is the NYX Powder Blush in Taupe. Now I've been obsessing over my bronzers for the past few months ever since I hit pan on my beloved Tarte blush (which I'm now saving for special occasions - is this something you do as well with your beloved products?). I learned that this is supposedly a perfect contour color, since it's not too dark and not too brown and has grey undertones. As I understand, the bronzer used for contour is not supposed to be brown but rather grey-ish, since that's the color that the shade on your face produces. 

Now it's a nice color, but I'm slightly bothered at how unpigmented this thing is. I have to swirl my brush in the pan about 10 times before I can get enough product for one side of my face - and no, I don't contour that heavily. It seems like the whole pan has a thin layer of something over the top which prevents the brush to really get into the product. Perhaps it will wear out in time. 

Continuing with the other swatch in the photo above, it's from my first ELF Smudge pot in the shade Gotta Glow. I got this to wear around New Year as a base for other colors and I must say it works like a dream. I doubled this with some shades from my I heart makeup palette and it created an absolutely beautiful look that stayed in place all night long. It literally costs pennies, so I would recommend this highly.

I had to open some new mascaras since the old ones dried on me. Disclaimer: the word "had" is really not appropriate for this sentence. I actually COULD NOT WAIT to open some new mascaras. 

 
Above is my very first Essence mascara - Get big! lashes Triple Black mascara. This mascara felt kind of funny going on, since it was quite dry despite being brand new. But I've learned the trick - I let it sit for about a week and it became considerably more wet after that. I cannot phantom why this happens but I don't care. I must say I'm quite impressed, especially for the price. It gives a lot of length and a lot of definition to my lashes. The only thing is that it really does not hold the curl very well, so I usually have to touch up during the day. 

The other mascara I opened was the Clarins Wonder Waterproof Mascara. I tried it only once and then ran out of my good make-up remover, so I dare not put in on my lashes until I purchase a new one. I'll probably do a separate review for this one.

Nails... ah, this will require a story of its own, I believe. Let's just say that I had clip-on nails in this picture below. But the color starring on them is the Essie in Double Breasted jacket, which for some reason seems a wildly inappropriate name for this color. But I absolutely love it, it's the perfect color to brighten up the gloomy winter days.

And then lipsticks, or better said, one lipsticks and  three beautiful, fantastic lipglosses. 

I added another NYX Round Lipgloss to my collection, this time in Frozen Frosted Plum. I absolutely love the darker red or plum colors for winter and this one has a slight shimmer to it which makes it even more special. On lips, it's similar to Alverde Lipgloss Maximize Effect in Forest berry, but as said, the Alverde doesn't have the gold sparkles and is a bit less intense as well. I'll put it like this - I would dare to put the Alverde on without mirror, but I can't say the same for NYX gloss. 

I also picked up the Becca Glossy Lip Tint in shade Frisco a while back from eBay. I love this as a substitute for a regular lip balm as it gives me just a minimal amount of shimmer to look like I've made an effort. 

Last up was an attempted bravery on my part - I bought a Sleek lipstick in Raisin Razzle. Now... I got the package at work and put it on in my car while I was driving home. My hubby never, never notices anything about my make-up (except the sheer quantity of products in the bathroom), but he laughed so hard at me when I walked through the front door that I was just... OK, let's just say that I think I'm going to keep it for Haloween only. I know the swatch below doesn't do it justice but it's way too dark for my skin tone and I just look like a girl playing with her mom's make-up. 

Now, I think that I'll be able to actually get two more posts up this weekend - one of them my new empties since I've got nowhere else to put the empty packages and bottles. Keep your eyes open. 

Until next time, stay beautful, stay awesome!

Best of 2014 - #1 Make-up

The end of the year is always the best time to look back at all the good and the bad that happened and the same goes for our beauty world. It's taken me ages to go through everything and really gather my thoughts, but I've picked out the best of the best and I'm ready to share them with you. To stay organized, I've picked only one product from each general category (well, I cheated in a couple of them, but I really TRIED, so don't hate me). Let's start with make-up. And let me just say in advance that I've tried to keep it short, so the reviews are really minor. If you want to read more about these products, check out my monthly favorites and the reviews by categories I've done in the past months.

First up are the basic tools. I've accumulated a bunch of new brushes and applicators this year (obviously, since I did not own any before) and I must say that considering my inexperience in the field, I've done quite well. 

A couple of my favorites are to be found on the picture above. We have the Real Techniques blush brush – an amazingly soft brush which is just large enough to hit the apples of my cheeks perfectly. I included two of my Ecotools blushes – the powder brush which I actually use for bronzing but is a great all-around brush, and the Ecotools large eye brush which I use for simple application all over the lid and is just big enough to make my job a lot quicker in the morning. I was considering including my Sigma e40 as a blending brush, but to be honest, this Essence blender does the job just as well – I just can't seem to find them anywhere anymore. Let me know if you know where I could get my hands on some more of these!

For face products, I've picked some I've loved recently as well as those I could not live without during the summer months. I won't go into a long rant about the face primer – I've talked about the Maybelline Baby Skin instant pore eraser so much already that if you've been reading my blog, you know that I absolutely adore it. For foundation, I'm going to go with the Rimmel Match Perfection which is not a heavy duty foundation but not exactly lightweight, either. It covers up most of the blemishes but does not look unnatural. 

For pressed powder, I was debating between two and ended up deciding for the Bourjois Silk Edition compact. It's a lightweight powder which offers reasonable amount of product for the price and I mainly love it because it matches my current skin tone perfectly. It does not cake on the dry spots which is another bonus. The choice for concealer was an easy one – my absolute favorite has to be the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser. Not only is it super easy to apply, it blends wonderfully and you will get a ton of product for your money's worth. I also included the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge which is perfect for applying foundation and concealer. I just ordered a new one because this one is seriously dirty already.

Continuing on the face theme, I HAD to include my Sleek blush palette (left) which I have only owned for about 2 months now but I must say that it’s possibly not only my favorite in the blush category, but my favorite overall this year. Two powder blushes and one cream blush offer amazing pigmentation; they blend really well and come in an absolutely beautiful sleek palette.

The e.l.f. blush/bronzer palette above is the St. Lucia – apparently, the blush is a dupe for the NARS Orgasm and the bronzer a dupe for the the NARS Laguna. I don’t care much for the blush but the bronzer is a.ma.zing. It’s absolutely my new favorite, although by now I have hit pan on my Tarte bronzer that I bought in July. That one will be getting some well-deserved rest now since I have a new love in my life. The bronzer is not orange at all so it doesn’t leave you looking dirty, it blends like a dream and is also just dark enough for some minor contouring. 

Last but not least, we have my absolute favorite highlighter – the Mary Lou-manizer from The Balm. It’s lightweight, it’s pretty but not too in-your-face and although it’s a bit pricier, you will probably be using this product for years. 

The Urban Decay De-slick Make-up setting spray is probably my biggest regret also, but only because I’m wondering why, oh why I only bought a travel size. I am dreading the day when I run out of this and have to pay the EU price for another one. This product will keep your make-up in place like nothing you’ve ever seen before. I’ve given mine many different challenges and expected it to fail numerous times, but it never did. I. LOVE. IT. 

Now for the eyes. My favorite palette for this year shouldn't come as a surprise to those who follow my blog – it's the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette which I absolutely adore. I've had it since July and I'm just about to hit pan on two of my favorite shades in the palette. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who just wants to own one single palette for (almost) every look imaginable. 

 I can’t possibly imagine leaving my house now without doing my eyebrows – it’s silly what a year of dabbling into make-up will do to a girl. A year ago I didn’t even give a second thought to my eyebrows other than just plucking them when I felt like it. Anyhow, my go-to product for brows is my well-loved and very dirty NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in blonde. It also comes with a way which makes it perfect for easy traveling. 

I won’t go to much into mascaras. The Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express – The Colossal Cat Eyes is my absolute favorite and that is saying something, since I’ve gone through about 15 different mascaras ranging from 2 € to 30 € this year. This mascara gives length, volume and definition and will not clump up until it is completely dried up. 

I had a hard time deciding between liners but in the end I think that the Maybelline Master Precise was the least disappointing one. I was not wowed by any of the liners very much, though. 

The lipstick always comes last in my beauty routine and I must say that I’m only slowly getting a bit braver when it comes to them. I still tend to stick to the nudes and light shades, though. 

 It was not particularly difficult to choose my favorite lipstick. It is L’Oreal Color Sensational in 740 – Sunset diamonds. These Color sensational lipsticks are super creamy and hydrating and I’m also partial to the packaging. The color itself is a bit darker than my natural lip color and it also has a tiny bit of shimmer in it. It’s been a statement lip until now but well... I will probably try to use this up and go for something bolder in 2015. 

For gloss, I have loved the NYX gloss in Apricot. It’s the your-lips-but-shinier almost nude color which is perfect when I just want to pop something on the lips and walk out the door. It’s so nude I also dare to apply it without mirror, which is a plus for a girl on the go. 

For lip liner, I haven’t had much luck with my purchases this year, but this UMA Automatic Lip Liner really stands out from the crowd. It’s a simple nude which I use when I don’t want any lipsticks to bleed over the edges. It really matches my lip color perfectly so I can get away with using it with all neutral or pink shades. 

I’ve also included the e.l.f. Lip Exfoliatior in my favorites, since this is the second one I’m using right now. It does a great job at keeping my lips looking decent – it’s a bit harsh compared to some others I tried, but it does the job and smells and tastes great as well. And I've included one of my e.o.s. balms, but I love all of them equally and have them distributed around the house, in my purses and office.

Last up, the nail polishes. I’ll do this really quickly since most of these products have already been included in my favorites during the year. Essie Mint Candy was on my nails and toes throughout the summer – it’s a perfect mint color and I absolutely love this particular Essie formula (yes, as I’ve already mentioned, I don’t think all Essie formulas are the same). The OPI in True Red has similarly replaced the Essie polish once it got a bit colder outside. It is the truest red color I own and I absolutely love it. 

I had a massive rant about Essie Good To Go top coat a couple of times already, so I won’t repeat myself. Let’s just say that you really will be good to go in about a minute after applying this. And last but not least, we have the Barry M 3-1 Base coat, nail haredner and top coat which is quite a recent addition but I must say it really makes a difference to my routine. Just make sure to shake it up well before using it – take my word for it. 

I would love to hear about your favorites! Let me know below or leave me a link to your blog post about the TOP 2014 make-up or other beauty products! Oh, and stay tuned for the biggest flops of 2014 as well. 

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!

 

Fun Friday - Low maintenance?

Yesterday, my significant other watched me put on make-up from start to finish while he was taking a shower. When I was done he was utterly amused by the fact that I am writing my blog under the »low-maintenance beauty« name. Because, in his words, I'm anything but. And you know what? After reviewing my morning routine I realized he is right. What I want to know from you is if you find the bottom list something normal – something you do as well – or am I taking it a step too far?

This is the list of everything I put on yesterday + all the tools I used for application in the exact order I use them.

• moisturizer (Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel) and lipbalm (EOS)
• face primer (Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser) + fingers
• eye primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance) + fingers
• liquid foundation (Rimmel Match Perfection) + Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
• compact powder (Bourjois Healthy Balance) + BH Cosmetics Powder Brush
• light concealer (Make Up Revolution Concealer) + Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
• under-eye concealer (Instant Age Rewind Concealer) + Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
• bronzer (Tarte Mineral Bronze Powder) + Ecotools powder brush
• blush (NYX Blush in Pinched) + BH Cosmetics Blush Brush

• eyebrow powder (NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder) + brush that comes with it
• eyebrow gel (Essence Lash and Brow gel)
• eyeshadow (Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette) + 3 BH Cosmetics eyeshadow brushes for application and blending
• eyelash curler (no idea of the brand, picked it up at Walmart for a few $)
• mascara (1 coat of Maybelline Volum Express Colossal Mascara + 1 coat of Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara)
• eyeliner (Maybelline Master Precise liquid eyeliner)
• lip liner (Uma Cosmetics)
• lipstick (Barry M)
• setting spray (e.l.f. Make-up Mist & Set)

 Total? 19 products and 9 tools.

I'll be the first to admit that this is a full face of make-up, although I apply it in a way that is still appropriate for daytime. I mainly separate daytime and night time looks by the amount of contouring and the darkness of the eyeshadow – there is probably some other things that could also be taken into account? How do you change your daytime/night-time make-up?

At the moment, putting this on takes me a good 15 minutes, which is a ridiculous amount of time. I hope to get a bit faster eventually, but so far it is what it is. What I will say though is that I absolutely love the mornings now because every day I get to play around with make-up and try something new, which is something I never did before. 

What is your favorite part of mornings?

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!