Create Your Own Palette: Inglot USA

Hi everyone!

I'm sorry that I've been so MIA with this blog, but I've been crazy busy and I'm hoping to bring it back up again because I've gotten a TON more makeup since I've last blogged and I feel like I know how to use it better as well, so hopefully this time around I'll be a little more helpful. ^___^

Anyways, today we're going to talk about this palette that I put together from Inglot USA.

My 5-Pan Inglot Freedom System Palette

So, I put this palette together through the company's Freedom System, and basically how it works is you get to choose what size palette you want (1 pan, 4 pan, 5 pan, 10 pan, 20 pan, 40 pan, etc.) and you get to choose the eyeshadow shades that you would like in your palette. They also have palettes and pans for face makeup like blushes, bronzers, and powders, as well as pans of lip products and solid perfumes. What I love about this system from Inglot is how much, well, freedom you get with customizing your own palette whether it be all eyes, all lips, all face, or a combination of them all. Inglot has over 250 different shades to choose from in 5 different finishes: Shine, AMC Shine, Double Sparkle, Matte, and Pearl.

However, I decided to just get the eyeshadows to start because I really wanted a high end palette that had colors that I knew that I would be able to use on an every day basis. 

I did pick out my shades and purchased the palette online, just because there are extremely limited Inglot stores throughout the U.S. and I was able to take advantage of a 10% off sale during Cyber Monday. My least favorite thing about Inglot? There are absolutely NO returns on Freedom System items.

I would definitely recommend going to an Inglot store to pick out your shades if you have one nearby so you can swatch the shades and see your palette before purchasing. If not, I would recommend you to use the Beautylish Website to pick out shades because they have swatches for multiple skin tones for over 200 of the Inglot shadows. 

Pricing

So, each eyeshadow pan is $7 a piece, and the price of the palette itself varies based on the size of your palette. The empty 5 pan palette without shadows is $11, so the entire palette was $11 + 5 x $7 = $46. Although this is a pretty steep price, each eyeshadow contains 0.09 oz or 2.5 g, which is much larger than the typical MAC eyeshadow refill, which are now $6 (previously $10) for 0.04 oz or 1.3 g. The Inglot shadows are a much better deal being essentially twice the size of a MAC eyeshadow for just a dollar more.


Finishes/Shades

So, the shades that I chose were, from top to bottom:

Swatches of the 5 shades, no flash

1. 397 Pearl - A pale light pink highlighter shade with shimmer

2. 153 AMC Shine - A shimmery champagne taupe with fine glitter

3. 344 Matte - A matte, rose-toned taupe 

4. 378 Matte - A matte, neutral charcoal-brown

5. 452 Pearl - A burgundy brown shade with shimmer

I picked these particular shades because I wanted a palette that I could use on an every day basis with a good mix of mattes and shimmers. There are numerous looks that you can create from these shades, and I am very pleased with the quality of all of the shadows. 

I chose the 1st color, 397 Pearl to be my highlight because I knew that I wanted to focus on more pink-y, rosy tones in this palette. Rose golds are my favorite shadows to wear on my eyes, so I made sure that this palette complemented this. This pinky highlight really brings out the rosy tones in my #3 shade as well as in the #2 shade. This shade is super smooth and it can also be built up to be used as a light pink wash all over the lid. 

My favorite, the "star of the show", is the 2nd shade in the palette, 153 AMC Shine. I chose this to be my "main" shade because it is a very unique shade because it is a multi-dimensional shade that looks different depending on how the light hits it. I love that in some lightings, it can appear a bit rose gold. It's definitely a gorgeous shimmery shade that looks amazing as an all over color, and it can also be used to highlight the center of the lid. I would definitely recommend getting at least one AMC Shine shade because they tend to have this "multi-dimensional" property. This shade is super rich in pigment and can be built up to be more or less intense. 

I chose the 3rd color, 344 Matte, to be my transition shade because of its rose-tone. This is another gorgeous color that I feel is more unique than using a typical medium-toned brown or taupe for a transition. It blends like a dream and it's definitely one of the smoothest mattes I've ever used. 

The 4th color, 378 Matte, is my crease/defining color. I chose this because of its neutral undertone and its ability to be used lightly to create a small amount of definition or a bit more heavily to create a strong crease shade. My favorite way to use this is to deepen the crease with a light hand and then I like to use a heavier hand to give the outer v more depth and dimension. this is also a super smooth and super rich matte. 

The 5th color, 452 Pearl, is basically my "add on" shade, and I like to use this in the outer v or in the crease to add a more berry-tone to my look. This berry tone works very well with the rosy and pink tones of some of the other shades in the palette. It can be applied more lightly to be a more coppery, reddish brown, or it can be applied more heavily to really allow the burgundy to shine through. This shade, like all the others, are very smooth. Initially, I was a bit disappointed by how the burgundy pigment was not as strong as it looks in the pan. However, I then realized that this shade has a brown tone to it that allows it to be used as a crease color as well as a deep burgundy shade. So even though the pigment on this shade isn't as strong as the others, I find this to be more beneficial than not. 

Swatches of the 5 shades, with flash

The palette itself is very sturdy and has a good weight to it. My favorite part about it is the magnetic, frosted white top that can be be placed underneath the palette to save space when applying your eyeshadows. Having and using this palette really give me that "makeup artist" feel through the very sturdy, "sophisticated" packaging and the simplicity of it all.

I would say that the Inglot USA Freedom System is definitely worth the money IF you know what shades you prefer and if you want to invest in a high end palette. This is definitely at the top of my list for the best choices for high end palettes due to the fact that you can really customize it to JUST shades that you know you'll use. At $46, it's about the same price as most high end palettes, but the biggest benefit of these is that you get to choose shades that you know that you'll definitely use and reach for. So, overall, you're saving money by buying a customized palette rather than investing in a high end palette that might have a couple shades that you won't use.

 Example Look:

One of the "every day" looks I made with this palette

The look shown above is a simple, wearable, "every day" look. This one is super fast and easy to achieve. For this look, I used ELF's Blending Eye Brush as my only eyeshadow brush. 

Steps: 

1. Blend Shade #3 all over the lid up to the brow bone 

2. Place Shade #1 on the inner corner and on the brow bone

3. Pat Shade #2 all over the lid to desired pigmentation

4. Blend Shade #4 into the crease and onto the lower lash line to add definition 

5. Blend Shade #5 into the outer v to create more definition 

Pros
- Great price for the quantity
- Extremely high quality shadows
- Great color selection
- 5 different shadow finishes
- Endless customizability
- Easy to use & gorgeous packaging
- Different size options for palettes

Cons
- A bigger investment when it's completed (shadows + palette)
- Difficult to choose colors online
- Some colors may appear different online or in the pan than when used
- Final sale on Freedom System products

Overall, I definitely am in LOVE with my Inglot palette and I love the versatility of it.  All 5 of these shades are amazingly buttery smooth and pigmented; some of the best shadows I've ever used. These shadows stay on my eyes all day without a primer, and they blend very easily. They're definitely super easy to work with and I love every single shade that I've chosen. Keep in mind that there is such a huge array of colors from brights to darks to berries, so there are definitely tons of shades that will attract each and every person. When making a palette, I would definitely keep versatility, wearability, and finishes in mind while picking out the shades for your personal palette.

I hope you guys found this helpful! Let me know if you have any questions about Inglot or my palette! 

Annie ^___^ 

 

Real Techniques Brushes!

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been gone for like.. 8 months.. Once school started I had issues adjusting to school and all, but I'm back! I'll try to post once a week, but we'll see since it's almost time for finals and all that jazz!

Anyways, our topic of discussion today: Real Techniques Brushes!!
Get excited! I didn't pick up the coveted brush sets that Real Techniques has, but I did buy two individual brushes that I got for a GREAT deal! I'll give y'all a deal breakdown at the end of the review post!

Here are the two brushes that I picked up:

Real Techniques Brushes

First up, we have the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - $9.00

This brush has been raved about all over YouTube and different blogs, and I wanted to try it our for myself. First off, it is super soft. Just about as soft as my Ecotools brushes! This brush is has synthetic, taklon bristles. It's pretty dense, but it's not as dense as my Ecotools Domed Bronzer Brush. It's a relatively small brush, but its size allows you to apply product flawlessly to the smaller crevices of your face without being too small to be easily functionable. It takes me about the same amount of time to apply foundations with this brush as it takes me to use my fingers or a sponge.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - Bristles 

Honestly, I am in love with this brush, it applies my BB creams and foundations flawlessly! Every once in awhile it streaks a little, but it can be easily fixed with a little extra blending. I tend to use my SOHO Beauty Sponge to apply my foundations and BB creams to create a more natural finish, but that tends to lighten the amount of coverage that I get. Using this brush, I am able to get more coverage and a flawless finish. All in all, I love this brush and I will use it to apply my foundation and BB creams when I want a higher amount of coverage, and I definitely recommend it! It's great quality, and I've had no issues with shedding! Definitely pick this brush up if you want to achieve a gorgeous, flawless finish with your foundation!


Next is the Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush!

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - $10.00 

I've been needing a travel kabuki to bring around with me if I ever need to touch up on powder, especially since the weather's been warming up! This Kabuki is also just as soft as the Expert Face Brush, but it is a little less dense. I'd say it is a tad bit more dense than a typical blush brush. This brush is also made out of the same synthetic bristles as the Expert Face Brush.

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - Bristles

It is in a hot pink tin/aluminum casing that has a little metal "shell" that you pull up to help protect the bristles when putting the cap on the brush.

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - Metal "Shell"

The cap is made of a translucent, hot pink plastic that is used to make this brush extremely travel friendly, avoiding any damage to be done to the bristles.

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - How to put on the cap

The brush itself is an angled kabuki brush, so it is very versatile, as it can be used to apply powder, blush, bronzers, highlighters, and basically any powdered product. It is very travel friendly, and it is great for touching up on your powder, blush, bronzer, etc.

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - Shape

It's simply just a great brush that can be used all over your face for many different purposes, which I love. I do wish that the cap of the brush wasn't plastic, because I'm worried about it cracking, but I will keep you all updated on how that goes once I start traveling with it and carrying it around!

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush - Cap On

I find that this brush can pick up product very well, and it can be used to apply product both lightly and heavily, depending on how you use it. This brush is amazingly versatile, and I love that it is angled because it just makes application that much easier. Overall, I say that this is a brush that everyone should have in their collection! It's extremely versatile, very soft, and easy to travel with!

I love these two brushes and I'll definitely be checking out the rest of the Real Techniques line! I'll update you all about how those are the next time I am able to pick them up! They are both great, well made brushes that perform outstandingly.

Lastly, here's the Deal Breakdown:

The Real Techniques Expert Face Brush:

Retail Price: $9.00

The Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush:

Retail Price: $10.00

At Kohl's, they are currently having a BOGO 1/2 off deal on all Real Technique brushes!

So,
$10.00 + 50% x $9.00 = $10.00 + $4.50 = $14.50

Also, I had a 30% off coupon for being a Most Valued Customer:

$14.50 x 30% = $4.35

$14.50 - $4.35 = $10.15

So essentially, I got both brushes for the price of one!

Kohl's just recently started carrying Real Techniques brushes as well as lots of other brands like Pur Minerals, The Balm, Tweezerman, etc. So, if you have a coupon go check it out!

I hope you all are doing well & check out these brushes!

♥ Annie

First Impressions: Soft Lips Coral Gloss Sheer Lip Protectant/Sunscreen!

Hi Everyone!

Today I'll be sharing my first impressions of the Soft Lips Coral Gloss with SPF 10.

I picked this up from my local Dollar Tree when I buying some school supplies. 

I believe this is a discontinued item, but if you can find it at a Dollar Tree or Big Lots or any other place, I say give it a try! (: 

Soft Lips Coral Gloss with SPF 10 - $1.00

So as I said, I picked this up from my local Dollar Tree last week after spotting it in the makeup aisle. I recognized the Soft Lips brand from it's large line of lip balms, but I didn't know that they made glosses. I was excited when I saw it because I really wanted to try it out. So, I bought it, took it home, and tried it out for you all! This is advertised as a sheer lip protectant/sunscreen. It does have SPF 10, and I'm one of those people that almost never uses lip balms with sunscreen in them, but it is a very important thing to do. This comes with 0.15 oz of product, which is less product than other comparable lip glosses.

 

Soft Lips Coral Gloss with SPF 10 - Opened

It has a typical doe foot applicator, just like most lip glosses with this format. It's more of a creamy gloss than a sticky gloss. It's very creamy when it goes on, and it's not very sticky. It goes on extremely smoothly, and it has pretty good color pay off. However, remember, it's not going to go on with full pigmentation, it is advertised as a sheer gloss. I don't find it to be super sheer, and it is buildable. I don't find that it goes on blotchy at all. I find that it applies very evenly and smoothly, and the color is buildable, but I wouldn't go more than two or three coats.

Soft Lips Coral Gloss with SPF 10 - Swatched

As you can see, the color of this gloss is not really coral. I find it to be more of a reddish-pink. It's still a gorgeous color, but I wouldn't classify it as coral. I find this color to be not really a natural color, more of a 'pop of color' type of shade. It's a more bright color, but I think it's still very wearable. There is some glitter/shimmer, but I think it just adds an extra pop to the lips, it's not very overdone. I really do love this gloss.

It applies so smoothly and evenly, and the color helps my teeth look whiter. I feel like it is more like a liquid lipstick than a gloss, but it does have that nice glossy finish.

I am personally not really a fan of lip glosses, because I find that most glosses are too sticky for my liking. However, I am loving this gloss because of it's smooth, non sticky formula.

All in all, if you can find it, get it. I think I may stop by my local Dollar Tree to pick up an extra or two. I have no idea why they discontinued this, because I think it is amazing. I definitely recommend it, and I know that before it was discontinued, it retailed for $3.99, and I would definitely pick up this gloss at that price too. It's an amazing gloss, and if you can find it, definitely pick it up.

Let me know if you can find this anywhere else!

Annie (:

Beauty Hauuuuuuul! - 8/2/13 - Super Cheap & Affordable Makeup Haul + First Impressions/Reviews

Hi Everyone!

I went to Daiso today, one that is much farther from my house, since I was in a different city, and they had many more products from the KleanColor line compared to the Daiso that is closest to me. So, I took advantage of this and picked out a few products that I wanted to try out! After taking these pictures, I tried out all of the products and used it to produce a makeup look using nothing but these products. Each product will have a description as well as a little review of the product. 

Haul - 8/2/13

As you can see, I purchased 4 cosmetic items, and one face mask pack. Just a reminder that all of Daiso's items are $1.50, unless otherwise noted, but these items were all $1.50 each.

So let's start with the mask:

Pure Moisture Mask Sheet - Honey - $1.50

This is the Pure Moisture Mask Sheet. I can't talk too much about it since I haven't tried it out yet, but I'll definitely keep you updated on it! This is a honey sheet mask, and it comes in a set of three masks! 

Moving on to the KleanColor Skin-Deep Lightweight Stick Foundation.

KleanColor Skin-Deep Lightweight Stick Foundation

This foundation is a creamy stick foundation that has SPF 20! This has a decent range of shades, with 12 colors. I have it in Warm Beige. This is the first stick foundation that I've ever owned, and even though there are 12 shades to choose from, I found it difficult to pick out a shade. Warm Beige is a bit too dark for my light to medium skin. This contains 0.26 oz of product. It does have a strange scent, but once it is applied to the face, you can't smell it anymore. 

Swatch of the Stick Foundation 

As you can see, the color is very yellow-toned. I find that it was really hard to figure out which color would match the best, because many of the colors are very similar to one another. I'm also very bad at picking foundation colors, so it could just be me and my lack of experience with foundation matching. 

Anyways, the foundation itself is pretty blendable, but I found that it was difficult to use my fingers to blend in the areas around my nose and mouth, so I used my Ecotools Flat Buffer Brush to buff it into my skin.
It has rather light coverage, and it settles to a very natural finish on the face. Although the color is a tad dark for me, it does blend in well with my skin. 

However, it's not my favorite foundation. I think there are plenty of others that are much better, but for $1.50, you can't beat the price. 

But for me, I think I'll stick to my bb creams. I will try this out some more to let you all know if my opinion changes, but as of now, it's definitely not my new go-to foundation. 

Let's move on to the KleanColor Velvet 3 in 1 Concealer:

KleanColor Velvet 3 in 1 Concealer - $1.50

This concealer's a bit misleading by saying it's a 3 in 1 product, when looking at it, it's only two-sided. The reason why it's considered 3 in 1 is that the stick concealer has a moisturizer center. So basically there are two sides, one stick concealer and a creamy liquid concealer. This contains 0.13 oz in the concealer stick and 0.25 oz in the liquid concealer. I have this in the color Rosy Beige.

Klean Color 3 in 1 Concealer - Concealer Stick

This is the concealer stick side of the concealer. It has a moisturizer part in the center of the stick, and the rest is normal skintone concealer. This is surprisingly smooth, with little tug to the eyes, and it blends in well with the skin. The moisturizer aspect of the concealer really helps to hydrate my undereyes and it has about light to medium coverage, and for me, that's more than enough. However, for those of you with really bad dark circles, you might need to look for a concealer with better coverage. I'll probably switch between this and my Morning Confession concealer, using this when my undereyes are more dry, and the Morning Confession when my undereyes are more puffy. 

KleanColor 3 in 1 Concealer - Creamy concealer applicator

This is the applicator of the creamy liquid concealer, which is just a typical doefoot applicator, really similar to what you'd find on other liquid concealers. When they say 'creamy concealer', they really mean it. This blends so easily, and I use this to cover up blemishes, and it still has light to medium buildable coverage, but it has such a natural and lightweight finish that I really enjoy.

KleanColor Concealer - Swatched
Stick concealer on left, Liquid concealer on right

As you can see, the stick concealer is much lighter than the liquid concealer, which is a great match for my skin tone. The lighter tone of the stick concealer helps to brighten up my under eyes, and the matching color of the liquid concealer makes it perfect to cover up any blemishes or imperfections.

Overall, I'm a pretty big fan of this concealer, and though I don't use concealer very often, when I need to cover something up, I'll reach for this. It's a great product!

Moving on to the KleanColor Twinsies Duo Lipstick.

KleanColor Twinsies Lipstick in Bare Malibu -$1.50

This lipstick caught my eye because of it's duo color. This is much more of a glossy lipstick, and it's quite sheer. It doesn't show up much in pictures, and it is difficult to build up the color. My lips are already quite pigmented, so it doesn't show up much on my lips. It could have been the color that I chose, but overall, I'm not liking this lipstick much. It doesn't stay on your lips for a long time, but if you prefer a really natural look with very little sheer color, then this may be good for you. However, for me, It made me look a little washed out and I just didn't like how the lipstick went on, it wasn't very comfortable on the lips, and it made my lips a little dry as well.

KleanColor Twinsies Lipstick, Swatched

The color, swatched, looks really nice, but it just does not work well for my skintone. On my lips, it barely shows up. I wouldn't repurchase this again, because I feel like there are many other super affordable lip products that are around the same price range that perform a lot better. I wouldn't recommend this.

Well, that's it for my haul! I hope you all liked it and found a few things you might want to try! Sorry for the super late post and lack of blog posts, I've just been busy with school starting and homework, and so hopefully I'll be able to post once a week for you all.

- Tag blog post coming up soon!

- I went makeup shopping... again..

- I'll be doing a back to school series of outfits & makeup ideas! (:

Hope you liked this post!

-Annie (:

Small Fashion Hauuuuuuuuuuul! - 7/27/13!

Hi Everyone!
This is a late post, but I bought a few things from Kohl's and Payless a week or two ago, and I wanted to share it with you, since I got some really good bargaining deals! (:

Fashion Haul - 7/27/13

These are the three fashion items that I picked up from Kohl's and Payless! 

Dexflex by Dexter Black Patent Wedges from Payless  

Believe it or not, I paid only $12 for these gorgeous wedges. The retail price is $27.99. 

That's a saving of $15.99! Payless is having a clearance sale right now, with clearance items over 50% off. 

I don't own a pair of black heels or wedges, and the pair of black flats that I own tend to give me blisters when I wear them, so I decided to pick these up, and for $12, I think it's a great deal. 

These are sold out in black online, but these are the Kortee Wedge Sling in black. They also come in coral and nude. The wedge height is 3 1/4 in, which is a really great comfortable walking height. They also come in wide width, which is great for my wide feet. I got size 5.5 wide, and they fit true to size. 

These are not the most comfortable wedges ever, but they're not too uncomfortable. I wore them for the first time today and my feet started to hurt a bit after 3 hours or so. These wedges are a simple, classic shoe that will never go out of style, so they are a worthwhile investment. 

Total Cost: $12 w/o tax
Total Savings: $15.99 w/o tax

White Chucks - Converse - Kid's size 3 - $30 

These are the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Shoes in White. I've been wanting a pair of white chucks for a veryveryvery long time. Thank goodness for my small feet, so I saved some money being able to get kids sizes. I am generally a size 5.5-6 in women's, and I got these in a size 3 in kids, and they fit perfectly. My mom wanted me to get a pair of sneakers that I could wear to school, where my dress code is black, white, gray, and yellow only, so I went with these. You guys are probably wondering why I don't own sneakers.. I'm really girly, and I tend to wear flats, wedges, Toms, loafers, etc. Basically, I really don't like wearing sneakers. Or wearing socks, for that matter. In the winter, I tend to wear boots, not sneakers, but I'm glad that I have this pair of Converse that I can go to for those lazy school days.

So, calculating the price. 

My mom has a Kohl's card, and she was sent a 30% off discount coupon, so we used that.
$32 on sale for $30

$30 - 30% off of $30 = $30 - 9 = $21

Also, that day, they had a deal where when you buy $25 worth of merchandise, you get a $10 off coupon as well! 

We bought a candy bar or two to get to $25, so, 

$21 - $10 coupon = $11! 

Total price: $11 w/o tax!
Total Savings: $21 w/o tax

So, I can't find the Rosetti Bag on the website, so I'll just talk about it right here. I love this purse, I wanted to get one that I could bring with me everywhere that was a small size  but could still carry everything I needed! 

Rosetti Bag - Inside

What I love most about this bag is that it has an inner part that opens up that is basically a built in wallet, so I don't have to lug around my wallet with it! It has two other compartments, one that is more shallow, and one that is deeper. This way I can hold my cards, debit card, gift cards, etc, as well as some cash! In the other two compartments, I bring things like snacks, lip balm, hand sanitizer, etc. Whatever I feel like I may need! 

Cost: 

$39 on sale for $25 

$25 - 30% of $25 = $25 - $7.50 = $17.50! 

I picked up a bottle or two of nail polish to get the total to $25, so I could get the $10 coupon, so: 

$17.50 - $10 coupon = $7.50! 

Total price: $7.50 w/o tax
Total Savings: $31.50 w/o tax!!! 

All in all, I recommend you all to try to get as many coupons and discounts as you can, I recommend signing up for email lists, and if you like Kohl's, definitely get a Kohl's charge card, or encourage your parents to! 

I'll be back with more bargains for you all soon! 

Annie ♥

Super Affordable Makeup Brand - KleanColor!

Hi Everyone!

I'm going to be talking about the brand KleanColor today! It's a super affordable makeup brand with surprisingly good quality items! I'll be talking about the products that I've tried from the line with pictures, swatches and mini-reviews!

I buy all of my KleanColor makeup from Daiso Japan, a Japanese dollar store, where all items are $1.50.

*All of my products were bought for $1.50 at Daiso, but their retail prices on the website are more expensive. Try to see if you have a Daiso near you or another store that may sell this brand for a cheaper price.

*This is a very lengthy and picture heavy post.

KleanColor Make Me Blush Palette - Stage Beauty - $1.50

This is the KleanColor Make Me Blush Palette in Stage Beauty. It's a blush palette with 6 shades, one is a highlight shade, and one of them could be used as a bronzer, but I just use it as a blush anyways. I am in love with this Palette.

KleanColor Make Me Blush Palette - Opened

The pans are all equal size, and I think the colors are gorgeous.  None of the colors are very similar to one another, so this palette provides a wide range of blush colors. 

The top left is a yellow-toned champagne color that I use as a highlight on my nose bridge and at the tops of my cheekbones. 

The top middle shade is a bright vibrant hot pink that gives a nice pop to the cheeks. 

The top right is a rosy pink that can be used with any look. 

The bottom left is a very shimmery brown-toned rosy color. 

The bottom middle shade is similar to the bottom left but it is more red toned. 

The bottom right shade is a light-medium bronzer shade that gives a nice bronzed look to the face. 

KleanColor Make Me Blush - Swatched.
From left to right, swatches starting from
bottom right to top left.

These blushes are extremely pigmented. It's almost amazing how pigmented each color is. Not a single dud in this palette. With just one light tap of the brush, you have enough product to apply a natural color to one cheek. I am in love with this palette, and it's the only thing I reach for to bring color to my cheeks. It's definitely travel friendly, since I can basically highlight, bronze, and add color to my face with just one palette. It's definitely a steal at $1.50, and I'd still purchase it at it's retail price of $3.99, but of course, who doesn't want to get it cheaper? I'm definitely going to be picking up the other shade soon, and I'll do a comparison blog or just a plain review post on it! I 150% recommend this palette, and I'll definitely repurchase it if I ever need to, I feel like this will last me forever!

KleanColor X-Infinity Volume Mascara - $1.50

This is the KleanColor X-Infinity Volume Mascara. This retails for $1.99 on the website, so if Daiso ever stops carrying it I'll be able to pick it up at a similar price! Anyways, aside from the super affordable price, I am loving this mascara. It's my new favorite! I really  believe that it thickens my lashes well and gives them length. I have very sparse, short lashes, so I need all the help I can get when it comes to my eyelashes. However, this does have a strong perfumed scent, but it does not bother me. And once you apply it, you can't smell it anymore. So keep that in mind if you're sensitive to scents! 

KleanColor X-Infinity Mascara - Back

Another thing I love about this mascara is how it has a mirror on the back of it! It's very convenient, when I need to put on some mascara on the go, or I can just pop it in my purse and pull it out to check my makeup, or even my teeth! The slim packaging of this mascara is what got my attention with this mascara, and it's super convenient to have such a thin mascara, you can basically just slip it in your pocket!

KleanColor X-Infinity Mascara - Wand

What's probably my favorite thing about this mascara is the wand. It's SMALL, which you can rarely find nowadays in mascaras. It's a typical bristle wand, but it's still able to separate my lashes and give it definition. This mascara thickens my lashes, adds some volume, and some length. It can be applied to get a natural look, or built up for a more dramatic look. I usually just apply a few coats until I get my desired look. You can definitely build up this mascara with multiple coats, but don't let it dry between coats or it may become clumpy. This mascara does not clump at all, as long as there is no dry time between coats. Also, the small brush helps to get right at the bottom of your lashline so you can make sure you coat each and every lash from root to tip. I have never experienced any smudging or flaking from this mascara at all. All in all, this is my new favorite mascara and I will repurchase it again and again and again. 

KleanColor Neutral Zone Palette - Born With It - $1.50

This is the KleanColor Neutral Zone Palette in Born With It. This is probably my new favorite neutral palette. It has 11 shimmery shades and 10 matte shades, all in very wearable neutral colors. I believe that these colors are a bit more warm-toned, with a lot of browns and olive colors. The colors are so surprisingly pigmented, but the thing with these shadows are that they're almost like a pressed pigment, so it's best to apply the colors using your fingers, which I actually prefer, because you can really pack on the color.

KleanColor Neutral Zone Palette, opened

This palette is amazing. They give you a great range of colors, from light shimmery browbone shades to deep dark blacks and grays. There are champagne colors, more orange toned colors. grays, browns, even a pink and a gorgeous blue-purple shade - My favorite from the palette. These colors are gorgeous. 

There are two sets of colors, 11 rectangular shaped shimmery eyeshadows, which do have glitter in them, as well as 10 circular shaped matte eyeshadows, which do contain glitter, but it is not noticeable when applied to the eye. 

The only issue I have with this palette is that the matte shadows are very difficult to access. Meaning, it's really hard to get some eyeshadow on a brush or your finger because of how small the pans are. I tend to use my pinky to get some product and apply it where I want it.

KleanColor Neutral Zone Palette, Swatched.
First 5 shimmer colors, from right to left. 

KleanColor Neutral Zone Palette - Swatched
Shimmer Colors 6-11, from right to left.  

As you guys can see, these are all of the shimmery shades in the palette. They are so insanely pigmented, and they can be used to create tons of different looks. This is definitely my new go-to palette. My favorite thing to do is to mix the shimmer and the matte. I like to apply a light shimmery color in the inner corner, a medium-toned shimmery color all over the lid, add definition with a darker shimmery color, then blend a matter color into the crease, and finally use a matte cream-color as a browbone highlight.

KleanColor Neutral Zone Palette - Swatched
Matte Colors, from top to bottom. 

Surprisingly, these matte shadows are almost all quite pigmented, except for the very last black matte color. The very first shade at the top is a cream shade, which is very pigmented, it just doesn't show up on my skin! I love the matte berry shade that they provide, it's gorgeous. The matte shades are basically bone shades, cream shades, and various shades of brown and a gray/black. My only issue with these is the difficulty it is to pick up product with the tiny eyeshadow size. They're about the size of a dime, maybe a bit smaller.

This retails for $6.99 on the website, which is much more pricey than the $1.50 that I got it for, but I think that I would still pick it up at that price, because of how many colors it has, the mix of matte and shimmers, the fantastic pigmentation and the longevity of the shadows. Definitely worth it for $6.99, but it's a steal at $1.50!  

All in all, I love this palette, and it's definitely my go-to palette. I'd definitely recommend it. The pigmentation is spot on, the longevity is great, but I would recommend applying a primer just to help minimize fall out and to extend the longevity of the shadows. My only issues with it are the possible fall out you can get from the shimmery shadows, and the small size of the matte colors. Please note, the shimmery colors are VERY shimmery and glittery. 

KleanColor Morning Confession Eye Roll-on Concealer

Last but not least, this is the KleanColor Morning Confession Roll-on Concealer, which is a concealer with a eye-roller that is targeted for covering up dark circles and the under eye area. I love the concept of having this eye roller, which is generally seen on eye serums for "de-puffing" the eyes. I use this whenever I want to cover up discoloration underneath my eyes. This concealer comes in 6 shades, with one shade that is dark enough for deeper skin tones. I have the shade 03 Natural, which to me, comes off with a very slight pinky salmony tone.

KleanColor Morning Confession Concealer
Eye-roller applicator

This is the applicator of the concealer, and when you put it on, it feels very cooling underneath your eyes. Basically you just roll the applicator underneath the eye a few times and the roller dispenses the product as it "de-puffs" your eyes. I don't have terrible dark circles or anything, but sometimes I do have some discoloration, and I like to brighten my under eyes just to make myself look more awake in the morning. I'll apply it in a triangular shape underneath the eye, and then blend it in with my fingers. It has a slightly tacky finish, has about medium coverage, but it is buildable. it has never appeared cakey, even when applied in several layers. Since I do not care for the tacky finish, I use my Ecotools mini face brush and apply a little bit of Rimmel's Stay Matte powder to set the concealer.

KleanColor Concealer, swatched

This is a swatch of the color, and if you look closely, it has a very slight salmony undertone, which helps to cancel out the blue-tones in dark circles. 

I love this concealer, and it retails for $1.99 on the website, which is not a far stretch from $1.50, so if Daiso ever stops carrying it, I'll be able to order it on the website. I love that it gives you decent coverage without appearing cakey, even after being set with powder. It doesn't set into fine lines and it has a very natural finish. I'd repurchase it again and again and again, and I love the concept of the eye-roller as the applicator, definitely helps with de-puffing the eyes. 

All in all, I love all the products from the KleanColor brand, and I highly recommend you check them out, especially if you have a Daiso nearby you that carries these products! Their nail polishes are also great! It's a really great affordable brand with great quality products. I can't wait to try out more from their line, and I'll keep you all updated on any new products I might get!

Annie ♥

My Makeup Brush Collection!

Hi Everyone!

I'm doing a post about my makeup brushes today, so you guys can know what I use to apply my makeup and which brushes I use to apply what product! I'll have a description of what the brush is, how much I like it, and what I use the brush for!

Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush - $9.99

This is the Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush, now renamed the "Domed Bronzer Brush". I love this brush. It's incredibly dense and super soft. I'm a huge fan of Ecotools brushes, but I don't really have much use for this brush.. It's far too dense to use to apply bronzer, unless you're using a very light color and buffing it out. I tend to use this brush to apply liquid or cream foundations/products or I use it  to buff out any overdone makeup. My favorite use for this brush is to buff everything out, but since I go for a very natural look, I don't need to use it very often. I love this brush, no doubt, for it's versatility, softness, and size. I just wish I had more use for it in my daily makeup routine. It essentially is a round kabuki with a longer handle- Easier to use!

Ecotools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush- $6.99

This is the Ecotools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush! It's essentially a Stippling brush, but on a curved kabuki handle. It has duo-fibers, and it is also extremely soft, just like all of the Ecotools brushes I own are. I use this brush to either stipple on foundation, or apply light amounts of a bright blush, or if I want a sheer coverage of powder. I use this most for applying powder, because I like how it gives the most natural finish. It is a bit larger and wider than a typical stippling brush, but I find that the kabuki handle makes it easier to control. I have had no issues with the slightly larger side of this brush.

Ecotools Buffing Brush- side view

Ecotools Buffing Brush- Front view

This is the Ecotools Buffing Brush , now renamed the "Custom Coverage Buffing Brush". This has to be my favorite brush ever. I lovelovelove this brush. It's dense, soft, and it's multi-functional! I use this mainly to buff in my foundation/bb cream. I also sometimes use this to buff out rough edges like I do with the Ecotools Buffing brush. I do tend to reach for this brush more because of how functional it is. I love using this to apply foundation because it helps to blend the foundation into my skin well. I love using this brush, and it definitely is my most used brush. I definitely recommend you get this! It's a great brush for the price.

Ecotools by Alicia Silverstone- Blush Brush

This is the Blush brush from the Ecotools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set & Bag, which retails for $15.99 for 5 brushes, which I think is a steal. I love this blush brush so much. It fits perfectly on the cheek area, it's the perfect size. It picks up product well and it blends blush very well. It provides a natural application of blush, and it's probably the only blush brush I'll ever use. It's not too dense, but it definitely has a good amount of bristles for the perfect blush application. It's absolutely perfect and I have no complains. It applies blush flawlessly and it is so soft. I use this brush to apply blush and sometimes for a light application of bronzer. Definitely love this brush, a big thumbs up from me!

Ecotools by Alicia Silverstone Mini Foundation Brush

This is the Ecotools by Alicia Silverstone Mini Foundation Brush, which is basically a smaller foundation brush. I've never really been a big fan of these types of foundation brushes, I find them to leave a streaky finish and take a long while to apply the product. So, I don't reach for this brush very often, but I sometimes use it when I apply concealer. Kind of an "eh" brush for me. Don't hate it, don't love it.

Ecotools by Alicia Silverstone Mini Face(Powder) Brush

This is another brush from the Alicia Silverstone set, and I lovelovelove this one. It's another one of the brushes I reach for constantly. I use this to apply highlight to the tops of my cheeks, to contour the sides of my nose with bronzer, and to set my concealer with powder underneath the eyes. It's super soft and essentially a mini version of the blush brush, with a nice taper. I love how functional this brush is, and I use this every time I apply makeup. Definitely a go to brush. It's not as small as an eyeshadow blending brush, but it has a similar shape to one. I believe this is the first time I've seen a brush of this shape and size, and it's definitely a great unique brush. 

Ecotools by Alicia Silverstone Detailed Eye Shading Brush

Also from the Alicia Silverstone kit, this is the Detailed Eye Shading Brush. This is one of the only eyeshadow brushes I have. I don't wear eyeshadows often, but I do have a decently sized collection of eyeshadows and palettes. I tend to use my fingers when I apply eyeshadow since I don't have a blending blush. I tend to use this brush to apply darker eyeshadows close to the lash line and also smudge darker colors on the bottom of the lash line. I also sometimes use this to apply dark colors on the outer edge, as well as pack on colors. As this is one of the only eyeshadow brushes I have, I get good use out of it. I tend to apply the main color and use this brush for the darker colors and defining. Overall a good multi-functional brush. 

Ecotools by Alicia Silverstone Spoolie Brush

I don't know what it is about this spoolie brush, from the Alicia Silverstone kit, but I love it so much. I definitely have used other spoolies, one by ELF and some of those disposable spoolie brushes. But the thing about this brush is that it's so soft. I find the other spoolies to be rough on my skin when I am grooming my brows, but this one is so soft and it helps me to shape my brows wonderfully. It's slightly angled, which makes it even easier to shape my brows the way I like them to be. I love this spoolie brush, and I don't ever want to use another one after this. I definitely recommend this! 

ELF Essential Concealer Brush - $1.00

This is the ELF Essential Concealer Brush. Mine is black and says 'Professional' because I got it in a 10 piece holiday brush set, but I've lost most of the brushes from that set, and some I just threw out due to the bad quality of the brushes. This brush, I don't have much use for. If I ever use it, which is very rarely, I use to shadow-line the eyes by the lash line, due to it's stiffness and small size. Not really a good brush to me. I just keep it around for a very rare use every once in awhile. I wouldn't repurchase it, not even for $1. 

ELF Essential Blush Brush - $1.00

This is the ELF Essential Blush Brush. I don't really know how I feel about this brush.... It applies bronzer okay, and I use this for contouring the hollows of my cheeks sometimes, but it's kind of itchy and scratchy and the brush does not have enough bristles to have an amazing application. I don't know.. I don't reach for this brush much.. I keep it around for when I want to contour, but I rarely reach for it. I wouldn't buy this brush.. I'm definitely going to look around for an angled blush brush of better quality. I don't recommend this. 

ELF Essential Blending Eye Sponge - $1.00

This is the ELF Essential Blending Eye Sponge. I kind of have mixed feelings about this. It's basically a rounded sponge on a stick.. I mean, I haven't really found a major use for it. I keep it around if I'm going for a smudgy eyeliner look, and for that purpose it works well, but I don't smudge my eyeliner often, I barely use eyeliner, for that matter, since I go for more natural looks. It's another 'eh' brush for me. I'll try to find other uses for it and keep you all updated!

ELF Essential Brow Comb & Brush - $1.00

This is the ELF Essential Lash & Brow Brush. This is probably my least used brush. I never ever use this. On a super super rare occasion, if I have terribly clumpy lashes, I may use this to attempt to separate them, but overall, I don't have a use for this. I honestly don't really know why I keep this around.. Not worth the $1 in my opinion. 

My Makeup Brush Collection & Set up

Well yea, that's my Makeup Brush Collection. Nothing really fancy or extensive. I do want to get some more brushes, especially eyeshadow brushes, but as for now, these brushes are enough for me. I love most of my brushes, and I always go for more affordable brushes. 

When I bought the Ecotools brushes, I bought them during the Cyber Monday sale of 2012, and all of the brushes were 50% off, and I got free shipping as well, so I got all the brushes for a great price. The ELF brushes were a Christmas gift from my friend, but this is my honest review of them. 

As for shedding/cleaning of my brushes, I use a facial cleanser that didn't work out for me, L'oreal Go 360 Clean for Sensitive Skin, and I just wash them in my hands with the cleanser. None of these brushes shed on me, but the more dense brushes, like the Ecotools Buffing Brush and the Ecotools Bamboo Bronzing Brush take a lot of effort and time to clean, and take a long time to dry as well. 

As for the holders of my brushes, I use 2 glass vases from Ikea, which I got for $1.99 each, and I filled it with a bottle of fake blue sea glass, which was $1.99 for a bottle. I love the look of this, I think it looks very simple, classic, and pretty. I leave the Ecotools Bamboo Bronzing Brush and the Ecotools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush on my makeup area due to their large bases and size. 

What do you guys think of these brushes? Do you have any affordable brushes that you recommend?
Let me know!

Annie ♥

P.S: Expect a haul post soon! (: