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?
This post kicks off “Comparison Week” here on the blog! I’ll be comparing a bunch of products, showing differences and similarities, and maybe even unearth some dupes!
Today I’m comparing 2 foundations with the same name: MAC Face & Body and Make Up For Ever Face & Body. Having the same name and similar claims naturally lend them to be compared against each other. Since I posted my base stash not long ago, I had a few questions about my opinion on them, so I hope this comparison will help.
MAC F&B comes in a plastic squeeze bottle, whereas MUFE comes in a glass bottle with a pump (the addition of the pump is a recent phenomenon, it used to be just a pour bottle).
It’s been a while since I’ve done an Untrieds nail polish post! Today I bring you Illamasqua Purity.
It is described on Illamasqua’s site as:
Peach.
Uh, ok. Short and sweet. To add to this, I’d say this not a soft peach, it’s a bold peach if there’s such a thing. Almost a neon peach.
Years ago, I used to love an inexpensive enzyme mask from Life brand, which is the private brand of Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM), Canada’s leading drugstore chain. It was called “Dermavive Renew Enzyme Facial Peel” and had just the perfect amount of AHA (in the form of glycolic acid) that gave my skin a bit of a tingle, but wasn’t so harsh that it made my face red. Of course, they discontinued it. 😥 I, being that customer, actually emailed SDM to inquire about an alternative, but they could not recommend one. SOL, I decided to try to find a replacement.
First, I tried the Freeman Facial Pineapple Enzyme Mask but it was so mild that I could not feel any tingle or skin sloughing effect. I also tried O’slee Rosehip Peeling Gel which was the rage a while back – the idea is that you apply this clear gel on the face like a mask, and then rub it off in bits like you’re removing glue. All that manual rubbing wasn’t good for my skin – this left my face red and irritated so I discontinued using it. That brings me to today’s review; Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask – $12 for 50g (iherb and health food shops):
I was in The Face Shop store to stock up on more of my konjac sponges and came across some new mask offerings they had at the store, including this Paraffin Nutrition Nail Pack. It was only $2 per pack. I had recently removed gel nail polish which left them quite dry, so I thought it would be a great time for me to test the paraffin treatment to help re-hydrate my nails.
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.
For the road trip, I brought along 2 of the items from this 3-pc kit, which I got for $5 as a purchase with purchase last year when I bought some skincare at The Face Shop.
The kit includes:
• THE THERAPY Essential Formula Emulsion – $40 for 130ml (Deluxe sample is 32ml, worth $9.85)
• THE THERAPY Secret-Made Anti-Aging Cream – $45 for 50ml (Deluxe sample is 10ml, worth $9.00)
• THE THERAPY Essential tonic treatment – $35 for 150ml (Deluxe sample is 32ml, worth $7.47)
The total value of the kit is $26.31, which is definitely worth the $5 I paid for it.
When someone touches my arm in passing and blurts out, “omg your SKIN, it’s SO soft!” I’m a bit embarrassed and surprised – I mean, I really have no frame of reference to the degree of skin softness on other people. This invariably leads to said person asking someone else to touch my skin to verify that it is indeed SO soft, which leads to petting time at the zoo…
I can’t pinpoint exactly why my skin is “SO soft” but I can attribute it to a few things:
• Genetics 60%
• Skincare products (soaps, shower gels, lotion, body butter) 25%
• Salux cloth 15%
What is this Salux cloth? It’s like the cherry on the cake!
First, let me insert my usual disclaimer here that I’m no expert on skincare – I’m just a skincare enthusiast. I’m also by no means a guru on all things Shiseido – there are just my experiences with these products. I’ve been using skincare from this brand starting about 5 years ago. I would categorize the brand as high-end but not luxury, with the skincare above the $50 price point and mostly below $100 each. Shiseido is sold primarily through department stores and inside special beauty boutiques in some drugstores. All of the products shown are made in Japan. The line has some nice moisturizers and cleansers that I’ve repurchased – but like all brands, there are good and bad products within the range.
I thought I’d provide a quick overview of some of the products that I’ve tried. I’ve categorized the items into Love, Like, and Loathe.
I’m no expert on face primers. I don’t have issues with foundations lasting on my skin, and I don’t have skin texture concerns that primers often address (large pore, uneven skin, excessive oiliness). Up until a few years ago, I never used a face primer but I’ve since incorporated it into my skin routine. I mainly use face primers as another layer of protection against the elements.
Today I’ll review 2 primers that I own, and they’re probably not the more popular brands that are often reviewed online (Smashbox, Benefit, Hourglass) but they’re good for what need.
stash matters 