That's Enough Brushes For Now

After hearing about iHerb from Pam and Michelle, it didn’t take long for me to make my first order. Though I already have several Real Techniques brushes that I treasure and adore, I still wanted to get my hands on the Travel Essentials set, mainly for the Multi Task Brush. Shipping was surprisingly prompt (7 working days) and reasonably priced, though the packaging left me unimpressed. There wasn’t a whole lot of cushioning going on, just a sheet of tissue paper lining one side of the box. The other side wasn't protected, so the plastic casing of my Travel Essentials set was shattered on the left side and top right hand corner. But at least the brushes remained intact.

Essential Foundation Brush I don’t really use flat foundation brushes very often, if at all, but this one seems promising. It’s larger, thicker and softer than the Pointed Foundation Brush in the Core Collection, but if you run your fingers through the bristles, there’s still quite a bit of firmness. I’ll have to try this out to see how well it works in applying liquid foundation, but from the outset I'm not convinced there's the same ease of use and speed you get from a rounded top brush, like the Real Techniques Buffing Brush or the Sigma F82.

Multi Task Brush The reason that I bought this set. One of the most prized brushes in my collection is the Real Techniques Blush Brush and I assumed this one would be very similar, just differently shaped. And that’s pretty much what it is. It’s gloriously soft but shaped more like a traditional powder brush, unlike the Blush Brush which has a tapered end. The newly released Setting Brush seems to be a like mini Blush Brush, with the same super soft bristles that the pink-coded finishing brushes have (except the Stippling Brush, which personally is a little spiky), so naturally it's my latest wishlist addition. I don’t use powder all that much, but the Multi Task Brush would be a better choice than the Real Techniques Powder Brush, which is lovely but freaking ginormous.

Domed Shadow Brush A versatile, fluffy eyeshadow brush. You could use this to apply a wash of colour to the lids or for blending. The Pixiwoo sisters use it primarily for concealer. It reminds me a lot of the Models Prefer small eyeshadow brush (MP24), but longer and firmer.

I just washed all 3 brushes and they didn’t shed a single hair. Speaking of cleaning brushes, the other day I made a major effort to wash every single one of my brushes. It was oddly satisfying seeing them all laid out to dry on a towel, partly because it was so tedious to clean them, and partly because I was grateful to have them all. I don’t feel any need or desire to try out or buy brushes from higher end brands because of the impressive quality of Real Techniques brushes. They’re the ones I use on a day-to-day basis and hopefully I’ll be able to for years to come.

Twice Naked

Being devoid of self-control, it was inevitable I'd cave in and buy the Urban Decay Naked2 palette. Let me just say upfront: I don't regret it. In fact, I kind of wish I hadn't held out for so long. I've purchased so many cheaper "alternatives" in the hope of replicating some of the shades in the palette, when really I should've just bought the real thing months ago.

It's natural to compare Naked2 to the original Naked palette. Naked2 comes in a far sturdier and heavier tin case, which I find a little thick and clunky. On the surface, the packaging seems a lot more impressive than the cardboard of the original, but when it comes to usability, I actually prefer the thinner and more lightweight design of the first Naked palette. The magnetic strip which satisfyingly clicks when you close the front flap makes the eyeshadows more readily accessible than the tin casing of Naked2, which requires a bit more effort to open and close. Included is a dual-ended brush which is quite stiff and synthetic-feeling. I'm not interested in using it as I prefer smaller and much softer, fluffier brushes. There's also a mini Lip Junkie gloss which has a nice cooling mintiness, though the travel size Primer Potion that came with the original Naked would've been a more popular inclusion.

Minor complaints about the revamped packaging aside, the colours of Naked2 are absolutely gorgeous. I dare say I prefer them to the the original Naked palette. I bought the first Naked palette two months ago and while I do love it, I find the overall shade selection to be on the darker side. For everyday wear I've been using a combination of Smog/Darkhorse or Toasted/Hustle, the lighter colour over the lid and the darker one closer to my lash line and blended out. Occasionally I'll use Sin and/or Virgin as an inner corner highlight or Gunmetal over the lid for a smokier eye. I basically haven't touched the two matte shades (Naked and Buck), Half Baked, Sidecar or Creep. Half Baked is repeated in Naked2, which has drawn understandable criticism. It's a pretty shade, but being a very warm, yellow-leaning, shimmery gold, it's not versatile enough to get much use on a day-to-day basis. It could just be the excitement of the new, but I just feel that there are more standout shades in Naked2 (Suspect, YDK, Snakebite and Busted) that are the type of colours I consistently find myself searching for, and that I'm truly glad to own in this palette. The colour selection is also more tailored for everyday wear.

Naked and Naked2 are sufficiently different to justify having both, especially if you're a neutral eyeshadow fan. If anything, rather than being a deterrent, one of the main attractions of these palettes is the price. You're looking at $50-60 for 12 superior quality eyeshadows in an array of wearable and more dramatic shades. Having both palettes would comfortably satisfy most of your eyeshadow needs.

Peachy Match

I've previously mentioned Revlon Top Speed in Peachy, but it deserves a post of its own. Judging from the bottle, I was a little concerned this would be too bright and neon, as opposed to having that milky pastel quality I favour. I find Peachy to be quite unique, in that it's very much like a bright orange polish, but with a distinctive pastel peach tone. Rimmel's I Love Lasting Finish in Apricot Punch, which I initially thought would be very similar, is clearly darker and more red-toned. I needed 3 coats of Peachy to get saturated and smooth coverage. Formula was a little on the thick side, but dry time was reasonable.

With flash

Botched attempt at rudimentary nail artwork (the wonky ring finger ruined it)

I've noticed that I've been wearing a lot of bold, colourful polishes lately, possibly in a modest attempt to brighten up the office drudgery of my weekdays. Purely coincidentally, my blazer and nails one day were an uncanny, perfect match. Evidently my brain can't get enough of this colour.

Less Than Adored

Sportsgirl’s beauty products have always been a little hit and miss. I have a heap of their nail polishes, and while the formula isn’t amazing, it’s perfectly adequate for the price point ($7.95, but often on sale for $4.95 or cheaper). The large array of shades are constantly updated to deliver the latest trends and there's one to fit every occasion and mood. I use their dual-ended eyeshadow brush every day and I’m a fan of their liquid eyeliner pen and matte lipstick in Fruit Tingle. Some of their lip glosses were huge disappointments though, with very little pigmentation, synthetic smell and taste, and gimmicky packaging (I don’t really need my lip gloss opening up and emanating blue public toilet lighting).

I spotted this Work of Heart eyeshadow palette few months ago when it was on sale. The cute packaging and the combination of wearable and bolder shades made me curious to give it a go. There wasn’t a tester in the store and while I’m usually a little wary of cheap eyeshadow palettes, I'd been using two neutral shades in Sportsgirl's Time to Shine Bronze Cosmetic Palette almost on a daily basis, so I had fairly high hopes I'd like at least a few of the colours.

For the sake of taking a photo, these were swatched like my life depended on it. To cut to the chase, as pretty as they look, these eyeshadows are not good. They're powdery, chalky, lacking pigmentation and devoid of staying power. I wiped these off my arm with a tissue without a trace of residue. There are more matte and light shades here than in the Bronze Cosmetic Palette, which probably accounts for why Work of Heart is chalkier and less pigmented. If you were so inclined, you could try to make these work with a primer and a white base, but that's too much effort for me.

Notwithstanding the fact I can't imagine myself wearing the more colourful shades (that red on the end looks especially challenging), the fact that they're so underwhelming in quality effectively makes them useless. The second and third shades from the left (the glittery peachy gold and lilac-toned silver) are the only workable ones that aren't complete duds in terms of pigmentation and texture. They're actually quite nice colours and I did wear them out once when I first bought the palette. Not sure whether it's worth keeping the whole thing just for them though. Either way, for affordable makeup, Sleek this ain't. I'll definitely need to be convinced from swatching available testers at the store if I decide to take another chance on Sportsgirl eyeshadows in the future.