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Showing posts with label Make-up Tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Make-up Tools. Show all posts

2/17/16

Secret Brush


Oval makeup brushes.

 Once frowned upon. Howww???, they did that hand gesture. Toothbrush, they mocked.

Yes, I was one of they. Until I decided to try of of said toothbrushes....


 The Etude House My Beauty Tool Secret Brush 121 Skin

What it is: It's s synthetic brush for applying cream products, as well as powder products - no hard rules here.

What I LOVE about it: The brush blends base products effortlessly. The sponge is like a polishing tool, because my skin looks like polished wood - what I mean is 'sheen' - after I give it a good buff with this & it makes all my pores non-existent.

 The only complaint I have is that when I'm using the sponge, it sometimes comes off because it doesn't fit into the handle tightly enough. 


11/25/10

Inglot Makeup Brushes Review

This post is especially for Ki, who wanted me to do a review on the Inglot 30T Eyeliner Brush.
Inglot brushes are much cheaper than MAC brushes, and  unlike most Sigma brushes that sells merely on the basis of being MAC dupes, Inglot brushes have originality.
I've only got 2 brushes from Inglot so far- 30T angled eyeliner brush & 24SS Dual-sided brush.
Here are my thoughts on them:


Inglot 30T brush 

Handle- Wood
Fiber ~Synthetic Taklon
Price: Rs.640


10/16/10

Sigma Makeup Brushes Review

I've been using the Sigma Professional Makeup Brushes for 8 months now. I've washed them many many times and have used them everyday, so this review is long overdue. Sorry to those who asked me to review them since then.
Almost all of these brushes have different names & numbering now, which I'll write in brackets.


Face Brushes: (top to bottom):
  • SS150 (F30) Large Powder Brush ~ For powder application. It's very soft. But it sheds a little, although it's not really an issue for me. Hey! The hair on my head sheds everyday so... =D. 
  • SS187 (F50) Duo Fibre Brush ~ For Foundation, powder, blush. I can't live without this. The cons about this it's not as stiff as I'd like it to be. It splays way too much sometimes. BLEEDS while washing & sheds a little too, so I have to remove pieces of bristles every time I use it.
  • SS166 (F40) Large Angled Contour ~ I don't really like this for contouring, coz it's a little too soft, but I like to use it for applying blush.
  • SS190 (F60) Foundation Brush ~ This is a good foundation brush, but I've used a Vega one that is as good too. 
  • SS194 (F70) Concealer Brush (6th from top in the pic down there)* ~ Not bad, but I prefer using my fingers to this or the SS224 (E40) below.


Eye Brushes (top to bottom):
  • SS224 (E40) Tapered Blending ~ This is one of the best. Great for blending eyeshadows & for applying and blending concealer too.
  • SS239 (E60) Large Shader ~ I use it for cream eyeshadows. It is a must-have brush if you like to use pigments and glitter.
  • SS219 (E30) Pencil ~ Too soft to be called a pencil brush. It's great for applying shadow right on the crease, and defining the outer V
  • SS275 (E70) Medium Angled Shading ~ This is a must-have for doing smoky eyes, specially is you're a novice at applying eyeshadow, coz it makes it easier for you to shape your eyes.
  • SS230 (E55) Eye Shading ~ This is great if you want to pack on color on your lids coz it picks up a lot of eyeshadow. I use it for blending too.
  • Concealer brush* 
  • SS209 (E05) Eyeliner ~ I don't like this at all! It's too thick for applying eyeliner
  • SS266 (E65) Small Angle ~ This is a nice angled brush for applying gel/cream eyeliners, but it's hard to get a thin line and to wing at the corners with it. I use it mostly for tightlining. I'm positive you'll find a better one out there.



F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush ~ This is my favorite brush of all. I use it for almost everything! Foundation, powder, blush (powder/cream), bronzers. I wouldn't mind using it to apply my moisturizer too if it's clean =D. It's super dense and gives a flawww....less finish. If you're on a budget and can get only ONE Face Brush, get this one.

Since I ordered twice, I got 2 SS217 for FREE! :)
These are two of the most useful freebies I've ever received. My makeup routine is incomplete without them. Amazing blending brushes, and you can use them to smoothly apply all over color. Plus, like like that they're short, which makes them very easy to handle.

Bottomline ~ I really recommend the Sigma Professional Brushes. Well, just the ones I really like & my must-haves :)

I hope you found this review useful if you're thinking about ordering these brushes. In case I missed to mention something, feel free to ask me any questions. About prices, please visit the Sigma website.

To see my review on the Sigma Princess Grace Kabuki Brush, please click HERE


♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

10/14/10

How To Tightline Your Eyes (tutorial) & The Actress I Learnt it From


Tightlining still confuses people. I still see "What did you mean by tightline??" comments on Youtube and blogs. Tightlining is when you apply eyeliner right onto the base of your upper lash line to give the appearance of thicker lashes and is a method used for most "no-makeup" looks.

I learnt to tightline my eyes back in the year 2000, when the movie 'Jungle' came out (Don't laugh! ;p) You know, the one with Urmila and Fardeen Khan? I loved that movie! I watched it about 4 times back then haha...

So, I was watching it and thought to myself, Urmila has no makeup on (coz she's a hostage in a jungle and all), but her eyes still look dark as though she has eyeliner on. How come?
I went close to the TV and stared at her eyes for a long time.
Ohhh...I get it! They applied eyeliner just on the inside! Yup,"the inside" was my exact thought. I was too much of a novice to think "lash line" and such words at the time.
From then on I started applying eyeliner there. I didn't know the term 'tighlining' until a few years ago.
*Now I don't know if I should send a 'Thank You' note to RGV or Urmila =D

Anyways, here's how I do it....

First, which type of eyeliners to use for tightlining:
Gel, pencil, kajal.
Gel~ With a flat/angled brush
Pencil & Kajal ~ Directly or with a flat/angled brush


~ With Pencil ~
Apply right on the roots of your lashes. You can also coat your lashes with it a little to make your lashes look darker.


~ Using a Brush ~
  • Push the brush right onto the base of your lashes. Fill in all the gaps
  • Use a Q-tip to wipe off any smudges outside your lash line.
  • If you have very thin lashes like mine, apply a coat of not-so-volumizing mascara on your lashes, concentrating on the base. On your lower lashes too if you want.
Optional : 1. Using an eyelash curler before mascara, 2. Putting false lashes (natural looking ones OR individuals), 3. Applying mascara on your bottom lashes.
    Don'ts
    • Avoid pulling and tugging at your eyes to prevent premature wrinkles and sagging. Instead tilt your head back so you can see the base of your lashes. If it's absolutely necessary for you to lift your lid, then use a Q-tip instead of your fingers. It's gentler for your delicate eye areas. 
    • If using a pencil, avoid applying in a haphazard way coz this might break or damage your lashes Use short strokes instead and try to apply in one direction.
    • Don't use a liquid eyeliner. It is not safe for the insides of your eyes, and it won't last anyways.
    I hope this is a helpful tutorial. Feel free to ask any questions.


    ♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

    10/9/10

    Pink Makeup Brushes


    I've always wanted to have some pink makeup brushes, so I grabbed these from Sasa. They are so pretty! Okay, we've covered the looks, now let's talk about the personalities.
    So far, I'm very impressed with these. Actually they are my favorite brushes right now. 

    E04 Eye Smudge Brush (Taklon) ~ This is pretty stiff, which makes it an amazing brush for precision shading, defining the crease, applying liner & shadow on lower lash line, smudging pencil eyeliners, and also to highlight the inner corners. I love it!


    E03 Eye Contour Brush (Goat) ~ I use this to apply all over color on my lids, blending, or just to apply color on my brow bone. It's great for blending contouring powder on your nose and eyes, and for applying concealer too. 
    This is similar to the Urban Decay Shading Brush....

    I bought these for RM 35.90 each from Sasa. That's a little over Rs.500, which is a decent price I think, considering I bought a Colorbar smudger brush  hardly use for Rs.550.
    I checked Sasa website, they might ship to India, although I'm not so sure coz I've never ordered anything.

    Now I want a whole set of pink brushes! Hmph... I opened a window...

    ♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

    10/6/10

    Stage Cosmetics Haul

    I mentioned Stage (a Malaysian cosmetics brand)  in my previous post. Stage is very MAC/Inglot-ish, with their black packaging and how the products are displayed in their store.
    Although I didn't get their Naked Infatuation Palette, I got another limited edition 5 Shade Shadow palette called 'Floral Flirtation'



    The red packaging is so pretty I couldn't resist. The eyeshadow quality is good too. Pigmented, vibrant and blendable. The dual-sided blending brush is nice and usable, unlike those flimsy sponge tip applicators that usually come with most eyeshadow palettes.
    I bought this for about Rs.1200 after discount. It was RM 135 (Rs.1941), which I wouldn't have paid for a brand I'd never tried before.

    Shades ~ Silver, yellow, green, baby pink & purple


    I also got their Keep it Clean Brush Cleaner...


    It does a pretty good job at cleaning my brushes. I love that it's in a spray bottle, so cleaning by spritzing is fun. I just spritz a bit of it on my brushes and wipe on a tissue. When using a brush cleaner once or twice a week, you can deep clean with a mild shampoo once a fortnight or monthly.
    And it's CHEAP! Well, compared to the MAC one. It's about Rs.360!


    I would definitely buy more Stage stuff later after trying these.


    ♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

    9/17/10

    Pretty Japanese Store 'Yokoso Shiyuki' & Essential Tools Haul


    Can I have those Japanese umbrellas to go, please? Pretty please? ;)

    Yup, that's what I wanted to say before I left this Japanese store called 'Yokoso! Shiyuki' which sells all Japanese-made skincare, makeup, accessories, showpieces and more.

    Those umbrellas are decorated on the ceiling. How creative! Don't you wish you had one room in your house done like that?! 

      You can stand under my umbrellas...Ella ella ay ay ay....under my umbrellas... ♪  


    The SA's wear kimonos. Authenticity at best.



    I didn't want to buy their skincare products coz, you know, I'd never heard of any of them and most didn't have a word of English written on them. I can take chances with makeup but not skincare items...nah-ah. So I stuck to tools, a couple of them things I've wanted to get my hands on for a while now.
    Here's what I got:


    These are compressed cotton DIY Face Masks. You put them in your choice of skin nourisher- toner, milk, green tea, juice etc. and they'll splay out into a face mask. How cute! I got heart-shaped ones too. Can't wait to try them!


    This is a twist and pull springy tweezer to pull out facial and body hair. I saw it everywhere in blogosphere and always thought it's such a handy tool.


    Strawberry sponge hair rollers: Okay these I desperately wanted. If these can give me perfect curls in minutes, then I would just scream in joy


    Oil Cleansing Pads


    Malian Roller Makeup: Never got my most wanted Loreal Roller Foundation coz the first time they didn't have my shade and then later I just lost interest, so I got myself these. 


    Hair velcro to keep your fringe/hair from your face while doing makeup or washing your face. Must-have for me


    Dental Peeling Sponge. Okay, I'm not quite sure what these do exactly. They're for cleaning or whitening (?) teeth. The 'can-barely-speak-English-but-sweet & helpful' SA said "They take out yellow" =D haha...



    They're all cheap too. I got all of these for about Rs.585 :))

    That's all for now. Happy Friday all!



    ♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

    9/4/10

    Inglot & Mac Products I'm Trying Out...

    The reason I didn't blog at all yesterday - An all day shopping trip with my friend. For a change, my haul wasn't all makeup. I just bought a few items from Mac and Inglot and some clothes ~ One fabulous & most expensive dress I've ever bought and one cheapest fabulous dress I've ever bought ;)

    By the way, I wasn't tempted by Mac Petticoat & Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish from the recent In The Groove Collection, coz.... well, I didn't like them AT ALL! I mean, wth was the fuss all about?! I swatched them and almost felt guilty that my heart didn't sing hallelujah. It's also a shame that I could have easily gotten them but didn't, when some other people who really really want them are pouting coz they're either sold out or not available in their country :(

    Anyways, the first item is an Inglot Freedom Palette of 3 eyeshadows. You can customize anything you want in the freedom palettes: Eyeshadows, Lipsticks, Concealers, Eyebrow Powders and Wax, Blushes, Pressed Powders.


    It's so fun (and confusing!) to hand-pick shades and have your very own customized palette. I'm not a fan of single eyeshadows, which is why I don't buy them much. I prefer my eyeshadows  in a palette.


    Inglot Freedom Eyeshadow Palette (Rs.1200)

    Each eyeshadow cost Rs.300 and you pay another 300 for the palette
    Inglot eyeshadows has 3 finishes: Double Sparkle, Pearl & Matte.

    After about 40 minutes (!), I fickle-mindedly finalised my palette.  

    DS 500, DS465, Pearl 444

    I've yet to use them on my eyes, but I'm quite liking the textures and pigmentation of these so far.


    Swatches: 500, 465, 444


    I've wanted to try an arched eyeliner brush since forever and I've only seen one at Inglot here in Delhi, so I finally bought one.

    Eyeliner Brush 30T (Rs.640)



    I love how Inglot pack their brushes. Sterilized and tightly packed (unlike MAC brushes :\)



    The only Mac product I got is the Fix+, a 'love it or hate it' product. I had to find out for myself whether it deserves the hype or the diss


    Mac Fix+ Skin Refresher/Finishing Mist (Rs.900)



    So, those are things I'll be using a lot now.

    Enjoy your weekend =)


    ♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

    8/26/10

    Quick Tip: How To Store Your Kabuki Brushes (The Cheap Way)


    Most kabuki brushes come packaged in those transparent sharp-edged boxes, which in time look old and get discolored. I live in a dusty area, so it makes me cringe every time I even think about leaving my brushes out in the open.

    So, one day I was dusting and arranging my vanity and I just dropped my kabukis into this empty Johnson's Buds container without thinking....




    I thought it was one of the smartest things I ever did LOL ;D



    I took them like this while travelling too.

    Of course it would look much flaunt-worthy in a cute & girly (pink?) container. Yes, I have to get me some of those.
    For now, this will do ;)

    ♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

    8/10/10

    My 'Darling Cutie Pie' Makeup Brush ~ Sigma Princess Grace Kabuki


    I guess the title says it all already, huh?

    The Sigma Princess Grace Kabuki Retractable Brush. It is the softest thing that ever grazed my face (sorry honey! ;) )

    It is always in my handbag for those blush and powder touch-ups. It's so very versatile! What can't you apply with it?! Foundation, powder, blush, bronzer, highlighter....I want to wash my face with it too =D (♪ ♫  lather, rinse, repeee....eeeat ♪ ♫ like Phoebe Buffay sang)



    And it's PINK! *ting ting ting*


    I don't know what else to say.....I love it to pieces!

    It's also available in: BlackRed (Check them out here

    I ordered it from the Sigma website for $25

    At the end of this video you will see a *fantastic* tip on how to make the best use of this brush....


    Rating ~ ♥♥♥♥♥ 5/5 


    ♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

    7/6/10

    My Manicure BFF: Conair Beauty Essentials Nail Dryer & NOTW


    This is the Conair Beauty Essentials Nail Dryer Model CND2WH.
    I've had it for 5-6 years. I don't even remember how much I paid for it. I bought it from Bangkok, and it is one of the best & most useful beauty tools I've ever bought. 
    I love it so much!

    6/21/10

    Eyeshadow Blending & Coloring Pencils

    Image Source

    The only thing that can make your eyeshadow look off is if you don't blend it the right way or don't blend at all! I still see a lot of people use the sponge tip applicator that comes with their eyeshadow palettes and instead of "applying" with a light hand, they "draw" the colors on their lids.

    The school tools you need to keep in mind when doing your eye makeup are:

    Color Pencils



    6/11/10

    My First YT Video ~ Night Out Make-up

    Hi all,

    I finally finished editing my first YT video. IT'S NOT SO GOOD btw. There's no sound during the first few seconds when I'm blabbering, coz I was having trouble combining own audio and without own audio (which had a lot of noisy background sound) Thanks to Rihanna's Te Amo! At least now I know that I shouldn't play music when filming! I'm sorry about that. I'm still learning...
    You can just fast forward to the make-up part. I will put up another one with the audio in a few days.

    I wanted to put up the video anyways coz I didn't sleep at all last night editing this, so I didn't want it to be a waste :)

    Sound will start at 0:56




    Products Used:
    • Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
    • Mac Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder (Review here )
    • YSL Touche Eclat
    • Eyeshadow Primer ~ I mixed Mac Studio Finish Concealer with Pond's Age Miracle Dual Eye Therapie (the pink one) and then dusted Mac Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder on top. You can mix them all together, but that's a different story :) (Review of the Pond's eye cream here )
    • Mac Dsquared Sculp & Shape Duo in Bone Beige/Emphasize
    • Eyeshadows ~ BF 120 palette (Details here ) 
    • Eyeliner ~Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner (applied with Vega angled brush)
    • Eyelash Curler ~ Shu Uemura
    • Brows ~ Mac Brow Set in Beguile
    • Lashes ~ Revlon Beyond Natural False Lashes (Review here )
    • Mascara ~ Bourjois Maxi Frange (Waterproof)
    • Bronzer ~ Bourjois Delice De Poudre Bronzing Powder (Review here )
    • Blush ~ Mac Give Me Liberty Of London Summer Rose
    • Lips ~ Bourjois So Delicat Lip Cream in #51 Rose Poudre & Bourjois Eau De Gloss in #13 Rose a l'eau
    • Makeup brushes ~ Sigma & Vega

    To see outfit click~ here

    Thanks all for watching.
    Have a good weekend!


    ♥ Cynthia Z.

    5/21/10

    This Will Complete My Life (ok maybe just my Vanity Room) =)


    You must have seen this doing the rounds in beauty blogosphere, but I thought this blog needs to mention anything pretty & girly, especially if it's named 'Vanity' ;)

    This is the Vanity Girl Hollywood 'Starlet Lighted Vanity Mirror'

    I want the Floating (wall mounted) one actually. Hah! As if I even get to choose!

    Price~ $269
    Available in Black, Silver, Pink and Grey (You can check them out here)

    I want it so much that I'm thinking about finding somebody here in Delhi who can make something like it for me ;p

    Oh, the girly whims!!! Le sigh....


    ♥ Cynthia Z ^.^

    5/15/10

    Another Bourjois Haul =)

    Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation #53

    So Delicate Lip Cream ~ Rose Poudre 51 (Rs.575)
    I already had 3 of these and I love them so much. When I swatched Rose Poudre at the store, I couldn't believe I chose Rose Veloute (which looks a little dull on me) over it the first time.