I couldn’t resist getting some MAC goodies while on lunch break last week.
Some might think this is rather boring, a bunch of brushes, a few eye shadows and an eye cream…. but you know how I love brushes! 😛
MAC Purchases: Brushes, Eye Shadows…
brushes
Inconsistent Products
Today I’m looking at product inconsistencies. Specifically, how does a product differ from batch to batch? This might be a crazy thing to some people, but I do own multiples of the same makeup item because I like to have back-ups or have more than one to use at the same time (as in the case with makeup brushes). Here are some things that I’ve found to be inconsistent:
MAC 217 Blending brush and the like
The 2nd installment of “Comparison Week” will feature the ever popular MAC 217 Blending Brush:
This versatile brush regularly appears on “Best Makeup Brushes” lists due to its high quality and multi-purpose-ness (yes that’s a word now). It is rated 4.7 out of 5.0 on MakeupAlley with 946 reviews and 92% stated they would repurchase this brush again. It is a universally lauded beauty tool. But should you rush out to buy one?
Review: hakuho-do + SEPHORA PRO Kusabi Brush
I thought I’d review this brush sooner rather than later since it is a limited edition item, and on Sephora’s site, it shows a couple of the styles (including this one) as “only a few left”. So if anyone was interested in buying one of these, now is the time!
As you may recall, I purchased mine on complete impulse upon seeing the display at the front of the store in Sephora’s “Hot Now” section. There are 5 brushes in this collection (ranging in price between $38 – $68) which are described in detail on Sephora’s site so I won’t rehash it here.
I’m focusing on the Wedge Sloping Powder (Kusabi) Brush which is described on Sephora as: A large angled powder brush with a brand-new shape developed by the Sephora Pro team for the self-application of powder, bronzer, or for neck shading.
The first thing you’ll notice about the brush is the packaging, each individual brush is housed it a distinctive red textured cardboard box, very reminiscent of how Asian calligraphy brushes are stored.
Since this is a collaboration between famed Japanese brush brand Hakuhodo (side note: not sure why Sephora hyphenated “Hakuho-do”? Hakuhodo themselves don’t hyphenate) and Sephora, the styling pays homage to the source.
It’s my birthday and I’ll buy if I want to
I went to Sephora with the intention of picking up my “free” birthday present. And maybe if they had the Surratt Relevée Lash Curler, I would pick it up, cause, you know:
The Surratt curler wasn’t in stock but the “Hot Now” display was screaming out at me – they were featuring the new hakuho-do + Sephora Pro brushes with the red lacquered handles:
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Back-up Worthy Items
After being burned one too many times with discontinued or limited edition items that I LOVE, I decided to take matters into my own hands and purchased back-ups of certain products for insurance purposes. Here are some items I have unopened in my stash:
Anna Sui Dolly Girl Lipstick in Natasha 003 – $25
I’ve already used up an entire tube of this – this is my second tube, plus I have another unopened one in my stash. It’s a gorgeous sheer coral shade with tiny shimmers that’s very hydrating. I use this as a tinted lip balm and it goes with any makeup I’m wearing. The pretty packaging and bullet design are just added bonus! This was a limited edition item from 2011.
Club Monaco eye shadow brushes
I briefly mentioned my Club Monaco #02 eye shadow brush in my brush stash post. I called the brush as one that I would run back into a burning building to rescue.
Club Monaco Beauty was a full range of makeup sold at Club Monaco (CM) stores in Canada and at Sephora in the US. [Fun fact: Club Monaco was a Canadian company until they sold it to Ralph Lauren in 1999] The makeup line included signature items such as the infamous Monica Lewinsky lipstick (Sheer Lipstick in Glaze), Eye Grease (cream eye shadows), and Cheek Dew (cream blushes) – all in sleek brushed silver and frosted lucite packaging. I feel they were ahead of the time since no other makeup lines in the early 2000’s offered items like theirs. From the line, I owned an eye shadow palette, a powder foundation, a concealer, a handful of lipsticks and lipglosses, and even a metal eye lash comb (I wish I had saved the lash comb but it wasn’t very good). I could go on about the history of CM but that’s for another time! Today I’m here to talk about the eye shadow brush #02 which I acquired from the eye shadow palette:
What makes this brush so special is that not only is Club Monaco Beauty no longer available – making this brush somewhat of a collector’s item – the quality of this brush is outstanding. I’ve had this brush for at least 10 years and it has retained its shape and all its hairs.
Beauty Tools Tag
I almost renamed this Tag to “Tool Time Tag” – anyone remember the show Home Improvement? 😛 I was tagged for this first by Joy, and then by Shareen. Thank you!
Rules:
• Tag up to 5 people & let them know you tagged them.
• List what you want. If you got three things that are unbelievable or twenty… Don’t care, just share.
• Cannot be actual makeup, skin care, or hair care products – just the tools/gadgets you use.
Review: MAC 137 Long Blending Brush
Finally, the actual review of this brush! For all the talk about lemming it, then buying it, now I can review it and stop pining for this brush! I’ll cut to the chase: this brush is AWESOME! The true test for me was when I first touched it to my face to apply blush, and immediately thought, “I must get a back up of this!” 😀
Firstly, this brush was released as part of the “MAC is Beauty” collection, and MAC describes it as:
A long-haired blending brush for the face made of natural fibres. This ultra-soft and silky tapered brush allows for a light dusting of any powder, making it perfect for an all-over wash of colour. M∙A∙C professional brushes are hand-sculpted and assembled using the finest quality materials. They feature wood handles and nickel-plated brass ferrules.
Here it is in all its unwashed, unused glory:
The brush cost me $50.50 ($42 USD) and is made in Japan.
Tip: the country of origin information is no longer etched into the handles of MAC brushes, this information can now only be found on the clear wrapper / sleeve that brushes come in:
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I did it: MAC 137 Long Blending Brush
I bought it. Yup. What happened? Let me tell you the tale.
On a fateful Thursday, I received an email from Hudson’s Bay VIP Rewards to let me know that my points balance was 9,494 (for non-Canadians, Hudson’s Bay is like Macy’s). This means I actually have enough to redeem for a $40 gift card (2,000 pts = $10). Then I scroll down and I see an offer:
That’s like getting $10 back for spending $50 – that’s 20% off – pretty good. But only on cosmetics and fragrances – hrm. Never mind.
stash matters 