My Christmas Gifts!

 My husband I decided to not exchange anything expensive this year and just do really small gifts. He surprised me with Coach Poppy. I wasn't expecting it at all. I had smelled it in an Ulta catalog last month and mentioned I liked it. He went in the catalog and pulled out the sample and saved it so he could remember which one to buy! Super cute!! I also got a couple manicure things, Burt's Bees Lemon Butter cuticle cream and some awesome over sized glitter barrettes in my stocking! Thank you Santa!! The elf nail polish set came from my niece . Earlier in the month my husband sent me in to Ulta with $60 and I came out spending only $20 on a mini Benefit face set and a Real Techniques brush. I could not find anything I needed or really wanted! Crazy!!!

 Benefit Besties set - $12

 I am SMITTEN with Some kind-a gorgeous!!! It is described as a "foundation faker". The product description says, This cream-to-powder formula means silky, even perfection for your complexion. So translucent, its THE finish for most skin tones. Its an instant beauty boost any time of day! 

 I totally agree with the product description. The formula itself is very smooth, It reminds me a little bit of  Benefit Porefessional . Just like Porefessional, as you apply this it just melts right into your skin. Normal pricing on a full size is $30 but to me it is totally worth it.

 You can see how light weight and translucent it is below on my finger. I apply it to my entire face using a stippling brush and it gives the perfect amount of coverage. I am finding lately that my face looks older when I use a thicker coverage foundation but with Some kind-a gorgeous it is so light weight  that it doesn't accentuate all the fine lines I have. The one thing I do not love is the scent. It smells gross in my opinion. I can overlook the scent though because it is a really neat product.

Benefit "that gal" 

 I actually keep forgetting I have this. I will try it out ASAP and do a new post about it.

Real Techniques Shading Brush

 I love my Real Techniques face brushes so I picked this shading brush up from Ulta for only $5.99. I love how affordable these brushes are. Just like the face brushes, this brush is very soft and nice. It is a great eyeshadow brush. It is a great addition to my brush hoard.

 elf Nail Polish Gift Set

 This set was a gift, probably from Target and I would image it was $5-$7. I have a lot of nail polishes but most of these colors were unique and not in my collection so I was happy. I used the nude color once and really liked it.

 Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

 Santa gave me this cream in my stocking, but I have seen it at Target for $5.99 and also in a gift set with a lip balm for $4.99. I have heard great things about this cream. It smells heavenly. I have used it a few times but have not noticed a difference in my cuticles yet. I have pretty dry hands and my cuticles are a mess usually so hopefully this cream works its magic!

 Also in my stocking were these insanely fabulous over sized barrettes!! You can see how huge they are compared to a MAC lipstick!! I do happen to know these are sold at Target and you can find them in the girl's accessory section in the clothing dept. for around $4.

 So that was my little Christmas haul!! What did you get for Christmas? Have you tried any of the products above? If so, what do you think about them?



 Thanks for reading,

I edit all my photo's using PicMonkey! Go check them out!

Some new brushes!!

 

Over the last month I have acquired a bunch of new brushes so I figured I would just lump them into one post to make it more exciting! Are you excited yet? I sure am because in this brush haul is my new favorite brush! Move over MAC #222 because you have competition!

First up is the MAC 168SE Travel Cheek Contour Brush. I found this gem for sale in a facebook group and arranged a trade. I personally HATE travel size brushes but you know what I hate more.... MAC PRICING ON FULL SIZE BRUSHES! I have way too many kids to be affording MAC brushes. So anyway, I decided to give this brush a whirl simply because it was MAC. That was a very good decision because I LOVE this brush. I personally use it to apply blush ( not contour), the angled design and size of the brush are perfect for my face. I have been using the tip from Goss Makeup Artist and only applying blush to my cheekbones and staying away from the apples of my cheeks so the small size and angle of this brush fit perfect into the smaller area.

Next is the Ultimate Eyeshadow Brush from Beauty From The Earth. I received this brush in my prize package last month. Remember I was in the top ten for the Bridal Makeup Challenge on Makeupbee?   This brush costs $9.99 and is available here. I am not sure what this brush is made of but I believe it is synthetic. I have used this brush numerous times and it has quickly become one of my favorites for applying eyeshadow (before blending).  The size is perfect and the bristles are packed just dense enough to grab the right amount of shadow. I could use a few more of these in my brush collection!

Now on to the Sonia Kashuk Crease Brush. These brushes are EXTREMELY cheap and GREAT quality. The normal price for the Sonia Kashuk Core eyeshadow brushes is $5.99. I had a $2 off coupon so this brush was a steal. I use this brush a lot. It is a good addition to my collection. I have 2 other crease brushes by Studio Tools but both are really fluffy so I do not use them as a crease brush but this brush fits nicely into the crease. I like it!

 Then we have the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. I paid around $8 for this brush at Ulta. I wanted this brush and  I do not even know what stippling really is. Someone commented and told me that using a stippling brush with that gold MSF I got from MAC would be a good idea so I got this brush. I have used it once to stipple on some highlighter. I just dabbed it on thinking that was how you used a stippling brush. I have watched some videos and see this brush is quite versatile so I am excited to see how it works. I will update you all!

Last is an elf Fan Brush. My makeup sensei told me I needed a fan brush. I am FAR too cheap to spend good money on a brush that is used to flick makeup OFF my face so I opted for the $3 studio version from elf. I have used it to flick off black eyeshadow and glitter from my face and it works nicely. Before I would wipe it off with makeup remover and make a bigger mess so I am glad I got this brush.

So that is my brush haul from last month! What do you think? Have you tried any of these brushes? if so what did you think? If not, do you have any brushes you are excited about lately? Please share!

 Thanks for reading,
Christina

Real Techniques Makeup Brushes

      I picked up some Real Techniques brushes last month after getting quite a few recommendations from fellow beauty friends and bloggers. I ordered a set from Amazon and picked up 2 individual brushes from Ulta when they were on sale for Buy One Get One 50% off. Overall I spent under $30 for 6 new brushes.

    After ordering I discovered that these brushes were created by  Sam Chapman from Pixiwoo. Here is a little info taken from the Real Techniques website.

 Real Techniques brushes combine high-tech materials with innovative design to make creating a pixel-perfect look easier than ever:

• Taklon bristles are ultra plush and smoother than the hair you'll find in other brushes. Since taklon is synthetic, it's 100% cruelty-free. The soft fibers help create a flawless, high-definition finish in any type of light – from sunlight to harsh indoor lighting.
• The color-coded system corresponds to the key steps of makeup application so you can create a flawless base, enhanced eyes, and the perfect finish like a pro.
• Each brush head is hand-cut to the perfect shape, allowing for precise application from dense coverage to a soft, delicate finish.
• The collection is suitable for a wide range of products and every makeup need – from powders, creams, and liquids to mineral makeup, highlighter, and shimmer.
• Brush names on the handles make for easy reference when creating your favorite look.

 Buffing Brush

 This brush is similar in shape to my old bronzer brush so I have been using it for bronzer. 

 

Detailer Brush

I have not used this brush yet. I normally apply my face products with my fingers but I plan on using it for concealer when I do makeup on other people.

 

Pointed Foundation Brush 

I have used this a few times. Like I said above, I use my fingers to apply foundation and concealer normally. This brush applied foundation nicely but I still prefer my fingers. I wear a very LIGHT amount of foundation and I find that when I use a brush I get quite heavy handed. Once again this brush will be great for when I apply foundation on someone else.

 Contour Brush

I really like this brush and use it quite a bit. It is great for contouring and highlighting. It is one if my favorite out of the set.

  Powder Brush

Gah.....I love this brush. It is so big and fluffy and soft and just all around awesome. I use this to apply my pressed powder and to soften up my eyebrows. It is a great brush.

 Blush Brush

This brush has been a disappointment for me. It is quite big and it doesn't give me enough control when  applying blush. I have to be very careful when applying blush because I have a decent amount of red undertones on my face and if I apply blush to more than just cheekbones I look nuts. This brush is just too big. I have been using it for applying bronzer and highlight to my neck and chest and it does the job quite well.

         Overall I am EXTREMELY happy with these brushes. They are super soft and great quality and are VERY CHEAP especially when you get them on sale at Ulta. They have these brushes on sale quite often so keep your eyes peeled! The only thing I do not love is the handles. I wish they were all the same color and that they weren't so thick. I plan on buying the rest of the brushes such as the stippling brush, the other face brushes and all the eyehadow ones next time Ulta has a sale.

     Do you have any Real Techniques brushes? If so what do you think of them?

Thanks for reading,