review

Review: MAC 137 Long Blending Brush

~ stashy ~ 41 Comments

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:
MAC137brush8
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:
MAC137brush9
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Review: Wonder Cloth

~ stashy ~ 9 Comments

Last year I was Christmas shopping for the boy at Bed Bath and Beyond and came across this washcloth, called the Wonder Cloth.  After reading the claims on the box, and doing a quick search for reviews online on my phone, curiosity got the better of me and I shelled out $14 for it.
wonder-cloth
According to the Wonder Cloth official website, here are the claims:
• All Natural Make Up Remover Cloth
• Hypo-Allergenic & Dermatologist Tested
• Helps to exfoliate skin
• Removes all make up quickly and easily with just water.
• Rinses clean with water, no stains remain on the cloth!
• Machine washable
• Re-usable – economical – Use Wonder Cloth over and over
• Bleach-safe cloth lasts twice as long as a standard washcloth

Keep reading to find out if Wonder Cloth is full of wonder

Mascara topcoat: Clarins vs bareMinerals

~ stashy ~ 21 Comments

I use a mascara topcoat from time to time, when the non-waterproof mascara I’m using isn’t as water resistant or long wearing as I need it for the day.  Why don’t I just wear a waterproof mascara to begin with, you say?  Let me tell you a couple of reasons:
1) Waterproof mascaras are too harsh for me to wear daily – removing it causes my lashes to fall out more
2) Waterproof mascaras are hydrophobic, meaning it does not dissolve in water, however, by that very nature, it has oleophillic properties, meaning it dissolves in oil.  What happens when someone with oily eyelids wears a waterproof mascara?  Smudge city.

So my solution has been to add a mascara topcoat whenever the occasion calls for it.  Here’s a cross section of how wearing a mascara topcoat solves the above 2 issues I have regarding just using waterproof mascara:
mascaratopcoats2
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Mascara Base: Shiseido vs Dr. Mascara Fixer

~ stashy ~ 38 Comments

Continuing with Lash Week, today I’ll be looking at mascara bases.  What is a mascara base?  It’s like a primer for your lashes.  I didn’t believe the hype until I received a gwp sample of the Shiseido, and then I became a convert.
mascarabase2
Late last year, I ordered a Korean mascara base by Etude House that had been highly reviewed online, which costs $9 each, vs $25 for the Shiseido one.  Let’s see how they stack up against each other.

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Mini mascaras, mini reviews

~ stashy ~ 30 Comments

This post kicks off “Lash Week” on my blog!  I will be posting products and tools catering just to eye lashes, one of my most obsessed over facial features.  Like most of you, I’ve got a stash of mini mascaras through gwp and beauty sets.  This year I’ve been making a conscious effort to go through mine to see if there are any hidden gems among the lot.

I trialed the following 4 mini mascaras for one week each:
Buxom Sculpted Lash – $24 (Sephora)
Clinique High Impact – $19 (Sephora, department stores, Beauty Boutiques)
Benefit They’re Real! – $29 (Sephora, Beauty Boutiques)
Shiseido Perfect Defining Volume – $30 (Sephora, department stores, Beauty Boutiques, select Rexalls)
minimascarareviews4
The value of the samples are actually quite good when you look at the full sized price and how many ml you get in the samples:
minimascarareviews2

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Yves Rocher Tradition de Hammam Oriental Soap with Argan and Olive Oil

~ stashy ~ 23 Comments

I just finished up another ill-gotten bar of hotel soap (L’Occitane Shea Butter soap in Milk, my fav) and decided to open up a full sized soap next.  The Yves Rocher Tradition de Hammam Oriental Soap with Argan and Olive Oil was something I bought on a whim, in order to qualify for free shipping on an online order.
YvesRocherTraditiondeHammamSoap2
It’s listed as $17 for a 5.3 oz. / 150 g bar, but I know that I paid less than half that price when I bought mine. That’s the thing to always keep in mind with Yves Rocher (YR): never ever pay full price for anything from there.  They constantly have sales and all the products go on sale in rotation.

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Grading skincare routines – part 2

~ stashy ~ 30 Comments

It was inevitable that after I posted the Grading my friends’ skincare routine entry that my other friends also wanted to have their routines reviewed.  I also had a reader asked me in the comments to review her skincare – which is very trusting of her! Below are their self-reported skincare routines.  My comments are in [italics].  Brace yourself, this is a wordy entry.  Again, as per my previous post’s disclaimer: I’m not a dermatologist or trained esthetician, I just play one online. 😀

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Shiseido Benefiance Instant Treatment Eye Mask

~ stashy ~ 26 Comments

Shiseido Benefiance Instant Treatment Eye Mask ($72 for 12 pairs) is something I’ve been curious about for a while since it has great reviews online.  They’re expensive, at $6 per treatment, so I’ve resisted buying them. One day, my co-worker (the one who gave me all the freebies) came to work and handed me a pack of these and said, “Try these, they’re amazing”.  She’s a skincare junkie (as well as facial treatment junkie – she does peels, lasers, light therapy, the like) so I tried it that same night and I was hooked from the first use!
Shiseido_eyemask1
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I bought a $12 spray pump

~ stashy ~ 28 Comments

I was just itching to buy something at the MAC store.  I was at a mini-makeover a few weeks ago with my coworker and while she was making her purchases, I spied this:
MACpump2
It’s a spray pump.  I asked the makeup artist how much it was. $12 CAD ($10 USD).  Against my better judgement, I said, “I’ll take it.”  I’m now the proud owner of a $12 spray pump from MAC.

Yes I really bought a $12 piece of plastic

Trash Stash: April 2015

~ stashy ~ 36 Comments

April was another stellar month for using up more products from my stash!  Let’s get right down to it:
trash201504_1
These are ALL full sized products, folks!  #soproud

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