bareMinerals Glamour Now QVC TSV - Love!

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

I've tried writing an interesting introduction for this post multiple times. It isn't working, so I give up. I'll try again on the next post. :-)

I recently ordered a bareMinerals QVC Today's Special Value set called Glamour Now. It contains: a Ready eyeshadow quad in The Main Event, a Ready luminizer in This Magic Moment, a blush in Glamour, the Brightening Pearl Perfect Light Mineral Veil, Smoke & Define double-ended liner, a Marvelous Moxie lipgloss in Dazzler, a Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara, a contour blush brush, and a tapered shadow brush.

This set of 9 pieces is set to air on QVC on November 25. It is selling for $49.98 with $6.72 shipping and handling through the official TSV date. If there are any left after that date, the price will go up to $61. Don't count on any being left though. Last year's bareMinerals holidays TSV sold out well before the end of the day. As of right now, QVC doesn't have a retail value listed for this set, but just a Ready eyeshadow quad and a Lash Domination mascara sell for $48, so it is almost like getting the other 7 items in the set for free.

If you sign up for the auto-delivery version, like I did, you'll receive sets with new colors in April, July, and October. If you don't want the auto-delivery shipments, you can pick up the individual set here.

I'm not obsessed with all things rose gold, but I have to admit that the rose gold packaging in this set is gorgeous. The shiny finish does show fingerprints, but it can wipe clean easily enough of they bother you.

Eyeshadows

The Ready shadow quad included in the set is called The Main Event and has the shades Celebrate, Ball Gown, Cheers, and Stiletto.

From right to left: Celebrate, Ball Gown, Cheers, Stiletto

Celebrate is a satin-finish cream shade.
Ball Gown is a shimmery peach-champagne shade.
Cheers is a shimmery grey-taupe shade.
Stiletto is a brown with a plummy undertone that has lots of multi-colored glitter (with most of them being gold and purple).

The shadows are pigmented and buttery smooth. I love the combination of shades. The warmth of Ball Gown works surprisingly well with the coolness of Cheers.

Face Products

The Ready Luminizer included with the set is called This Magic Moment. It's a beautiful rose-gold highlight that adds sheen to the skin without a lot of glitter.

The shade itself is a little bit awkward for my particular skintone. It's too deep to be a highlight for the tops of my cheekbones. I tried using it as a blush, but it has too much sheen to be used on its own that way. So far, my favorite way to use it in conjunction with a blush on the apples of my cheeks.

The blush shade Glamour that comes in this set is a light, neutral pink with fine pink shimmer. It is a really nice, everyday color.

Even though it isn't new, I have to comment on the closeable sifter. The products in this set are the first ones I've owned since they added this feature, and it is really nice. It's well constructed, so there's no risk of product leaking through the sifter holes. Also, the fact that there are only 3 holes allows for a lot of control when dispensing the blush.

From right to left: Glamour, This Magic Moment, and Brightening Pearl Perfect Light Mineral Veil

The last face product included is the Brightening Pearl Perfect Light Mineral Veil. I'm pretty sure this is a new variation on Mineral Veil. I didn't take any close-ups in the packaging because it is essentially the same as the packaging of the blush.

I've only used the Mineral Veil once because the shimmer in it makes me nervous. I don't want to look like Edward Cullen. Once I have some down time and a few days when I don't have to leave the house, I'll experiment with it more.

ETA: I've used the Mineral Veil a few more times now, and I, thankfully, don't notice the shimmer when it is applied. I don't think it's going to become my go-to everyday powder, but I do like it and will continue to use it.

Liner, Gloss, and Mascara

The two-sided liner in this set is an interesting idea. One side has a kohl liner and the other has a liquid liner.

The kohl liner side is a dark brown. In the above picture, I have it swiveled out to show the amount of product it has. It isn't as soft and smudgy as Urban Decay liners, but it still applies easily. Because it isn't as soft, I feel like I have better control over how much of it gets applied. I get my typical fading around the outer corners of my eyes, but it lasts really well.

I'm not a fan of liquid liner, so I wasn't all that excited about this end. However, it has a nice felt tip and is a deep black.

The lipgloss in Dazzler is beautiful. It's a soft peach with gold shimmer. It isn't what I would normally pick out for myself, but it is sheer enough that it's really easy to wear. The formula is slightly sticky but not annoyingly so, and it smells like a candy cane. I'm really bad about reapplying colored lip products, but I can see myself reaching for this one because it is easy to apply without a mirror.

Left to right: kohl liner, thin and thick lines of the liquid liner, lipgloss

I have had the worst luck with mascara lately. Everything seems to flake or smear. I switched to waterproof mascara at the end of the summer. I was hesitant to try this one, so I was thrilled when it didn't flake or smear. The listing doesn't say that it is waterproof, but it is tough to remove. With my current mascara troubles, I'm okay with that. The spiraling brush seems to do a really nice job of separating my lashes too. Overall, this mascara is a winner for me.

Brushes

I owned a couple of bareMinerals brushes back in the day, and I wasn't impressed. They were scratchy. Based on that past experience, I wasn't expecting much from the brushes in this set.

The first brush is a contour blush brush. The natural-hair bristles are soft, but they aren't as soft as the synthetic bristles that I prefer. The shape isn't bad. I've only used it once for contouring, and it worked okay. It also seems fluffy enough to work for blush as well. I'm not in love with this brush, and it won't be one I reach for regularly, but I could use it in a pinch.

I haven't used the tapered shadow brush yet. I keep meaning to, but I automatically reach for my regular brushes and keep forgetting. Just the look and feel of the brush though is disappointing. The bristles are scratchy, and the cut of them looks really crude. It's not a high-quality brush. I'll keep it around for when I get desperate, but it won't make it into regular rotation.

Final Thoughts

If you are considering picking up this kit, get it! It's fantastic! I might not love all of the products, but even just for the products that I do enjoy, it's an amazing value.

Will you be indulging in this kit? Are there any other holiday TSV sets that have caught your eye?

 Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things Palette - One of My Favorite Things

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

I haven't had very good luck with Too Faced eye shadow palettes. I've only tried a couple of them, but I wasn't overly impressed.

When I saw their A Few of My Favorite Things Palette pop up on Sephora.com, I couldn't resist giving it a try. With its mix of mostly light to medium neutrals and a few pops of color, it's something I think I would get a lot of use out of it. 

Price

This palette retails for for $56 and is a Sephora exclusive. It comes with 20 eye shadows, 2 blushes, 2 bronzers, 1 Lip Injection Color Bomb!, 1 mini Better Than Sex mascara, a clutch, and a look book. That breaks down to about $2 an item. 

Packaging

The clutch included with the set has a pink and gold chevron print and is big enough to hold the rest of the items in the kit. 

The palette itself has the same pink chevron print. It isn't overly decorated or bulky like some of Too Faced's past palettes. It has a magnetic closure. This is a little bulky for taking on short trips, but it would give nice variety for a longer vacation. I wouldn't feel comfortable just throwing it into a bag, but I would be comfortable taking it with some careful packing.

I'm going to go ahead and include this as part of the packaging. Just like with their other palettes, Too Faced included a look book. While I don't always use them, I love the thought behind it. These types of palettes can be overwhelming, so giving people a place to start with looks is a great addition.

Product

Eye Shadows

Row 1 swatches (from left to right): Snowflakes, Whiskers on Kittens, Milk Chocolate, Moon on Their Wings, Dark Chocolate

Snowflakes is a shimmery cream shade with a subtle gold tone.
Whiskers on Kittens is a soft pink/peach shade with sparse gold glitter.
Milk Chocolate is a matte, cool-toned medium brown.
Moon on Their Wings is a champagne shade with chunky glitter.
Dark Chocolate is a matte, cool-toned dark brown.

Here's a close-up shot of Whiskers on Kittens to show the gold glitter that doesn't show up in the wider shot. I haven't actually tired this shade yet, but I don't think I'm going to like it because I dislike Peach Fuzz (look below for comparison swatches). The base color is too sheer, and the gold glitter is too sparse.

Another close-up, this time of Moon on Their Wings to show the chunky glitter in it. I haven't used it yet, and I'll wait until I have a day at home when I can test it out because I have a feeling I'll end up looking like a fairy threw up on me.

Row 2 swatches from left to right: Cream Colored Ponies, Honey Honey, Buche de Noel, Evergreen, Blue Satin Sashes

Cream Colored Ponies is a matte cream shade that leans slightly yellow.
Honey Honey is a shimmery gold shade that leans slightly bronze.
Buche de Noel is a shimmery medium brown that has a bit of a green undertone.
Evergreen is a shimmery forest green shade.
Blue Satin Sashes is a gorgeous matte navy with multi-colored glitter.

Row 3 swatches from left to right: Coquet, Taffy, Crisp Apple Strudel, Woolen Mittens, and Soiree.

Coquet is a soft pink with a golden sheen.
Taffy is a cool-toned baby pink shade with a subtle satin finish.
Crisp Apple Strudel is a cool-toned shimmery brown.
Woolen Mittens is a medium-toned grey-brown shade that is matte.
Soiree is a burgundy shade with fine, multi-colored glitter.

Row 4 swatches from left to right: Tinsel, Bluff, Ooh La Orchid, Party Time, and Pure Glam

Tinsel is a shimmery sage green.
Bluff is a satin finish blue-based purple.
Ooh La Orchid is a bright matte purple that leans more red than it appears in my pictures.
Party Time has a sheer blue base with tons of fine blue shimmer. I haven't tried it yet, but it is gorgeous, and will be a really fun layering color.
Pure Glam is a matte black with lots of multi-colored glitter.

Here's a close up of Party Time to show off the shimmer of it better. Like I said, it's gorgeous!

One of the things that I haven't seen mentioned in the reviews I've read of this palette is that there are several shades that are nearly identical to other Too Faced shades from previous palettes. I don't have a lot of Too Faced Palettes, but I found several nearly identical shades when I compared the shades in this palette with the shades that were in the Glamourland palette from a couple of years ago.

Swatches from left to right: Tinsel, Honeymoon, Whiskers on Kittens, Peach Fuzz, Cream Colored Ponies, In the Buff, Coquet, and Silk Sheets.

Tinsel is the same depth but less yellow than Honeymoon. Whiskers on Kittens leans a little more pink than Peach Fuzz. Cream Colored Ponies has that yellow undertone whereas In the Buff is more of a pure cream shade. Coquet and Satin Sheets are essentially identical to my eyes.

Face Products

Swatches from left to right: Raindrops on Roses, Melt into Spring, Chocolate Soleil, and Sun Bunny.

Raindrops on Roses is a bright, cool-toned pink with gold shimmer.
Melt into Spring is a matte, muted coral shade.
Chocolate Soleil is a matte medium-toned bronzer. If you don't know about this bronzer, it has real cocoa in it, so it smells like chocolate. Yum!
Sun Bunny is a shimmery bronzer that leans warmer than Chocolate Soleil.

Extras

Included with the palette is a full-size Lip Injection Color Bomb! in the shade Bee Stung (exclusive to this set), which is a nude pink. This is a plumping lip product, and the stinging is INTENSE. I've only used it once so far, and I'm not overly tempted to use it again. If you have sensitive lips, I would avoid using this.

The set also comes with a mini Better Than Sex mascara. I haven't used this yet because I already have a couple of mascaras that I'm using right now. That's why I don't have a picture of the brush; I didn't want to open the tube yet. The brush has traditional bristles and an hourglass shape.

Final Thoughts

So far, I'm really happy with this palette. I haven't tried all of the shadows yet, but there are only two that seem to be duds (in my opinion) - Whiskers on Kittens and Moon on Their Wings. The mixtures of neutrals and brights along with the mixture of finishes makes it easy to create a variety of looks. The face products are a nice addition as well. Chocolate Soleil is a cult classic. I personally have to be a little careful when applying it, but I can make it work. If you can deal with the intensity of the lip product, you have can create a full face look with this one set.

There's only one more day left for the Sephora VIB sale, so if you've got a code and haven't ordered yet, I would suggest picking this set up.

Are you picking this set up? Did you take part in the Sephora VIB sale? I'm skipping out on it because I think I've got all of the holiday sets I really want (even though I would like to pick up some other ones).

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Finished It!!! Volume 10

Disclaimer: Most of the products in this post were purchased by me. A few were giveaway prizes, were given to me by a friend, or were promotional freebies. All opinions are my own. I have included my referral link for The Honest Company. 

I'm working on editing pictures from my big holiday set hauls. Sadly, there seem to be some that I need to retake because they are blurry. I hate when that happens. I wish I had been able to get more of them up during Sephora's VIB sale, but that's life. 

In the meantime, I've been trying to clean my office (again). One of the things that I need to do is get rid of the pile of empties that have accumulated. 

The Body Shop Strawberry Shower Gel - I bought this during The Body Shop's Cyber Monday sale last year. The smell was okay. I wasn't in love with how well the lather lasted. I don't plan on repurchasing.

Dr. Bronner's 3-in-1 Hemp Almond Pure-Castile Soap - I use this for hand soap. I put it in a foaming bottle with about 1/2 to 2/3 of the bottle being water, which means this huge bottle lasted a long time. I recently started using Dr. Bronner's soap as a face wash too. I'll get back to you on how that works for me.

Macadamia Rejuvenating Shampoo - Over the summer Target had Macadamia sets that were essentially by-one-get-one free. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought the shampoo because I need shampoo that combats a flaky scalp, but I came up with the solution of adding tea tree oil directly into the shampoo in order to use it. Since this shampoo is quite expensive (retail is $21 for this size bottle) and it doesn't meet my hair needs, I won't be repurchasing it. 

Alba Botanica Very Emollient Cream Shave in Mango Vanilla - I stopped using a special shaving product several years ago; I just use my shower gel to shave. I'd heard good things about this cream shave on YouTube, so I figured I would give it a try. While I an understand why people like it, it wasn't for me. It was really thick, so it accumulated on my razor. Using a separate product to shave with also added a step to my shower routine. I won't be repurchasing.

Luxury Lane Soap Triple Care Hemp Wash in Vanilla Oak - This was a really nice body wash made by an indie company. I reviewed it here. I really liked it. The product is currently being reformulated, and I do plan on trying the new formulation when it becomes available. I also want to point out that Luxury Lane Soap is offering free shipping from now until they close for the holidays, so it is a great time to give their items a try.

Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser - This has been my regular face wash for several years now. I love how gentle it is. It does a decent job removing the majority of my makeup (stubborn mascara and eye liner tends to stick around). I already had a back-up bottle ready to go when this one was finished. 

Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser - For a few months, I used this with my Clarisonic Mia after I did an initial wash of my face with Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser. I got lazy though and haven't done that in a while. I did have a back-up bottle ready to go though when this one was finished. Sadly, I heard recently that Mario Badescu products are being sold in China, which means that I no longer consider the brand cruelty-free and will not purchase from them any more.

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Foaming Scrub - This was in a bag of products a friend gave me that she didn't like. I used it on my body instead of my face to use it up because I didn't want to be wasteful. Neutrogena is not a cruelty-free brand, so even if I did like this product, I wouldn't purchase it again.

CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM and PM - I picked these up because CeraVe is one of the few cruelty-free skincare brands that I have easy access to and because the day lotion had an SPF of 30, which is a requirement of mine. I liked both of them. The only thing I didn't like is the packaging. I dislike products like this with pumps because it makes is really hard to impossible to get the last of the product out. Because of that, I didn't repurchase them, but I might in the future. 

Maybelline Expert Eyes Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover - I bought this a long time ago, mostly because of the bottle. I hate the eye makeup remover bottles with the caps that have the cardboard at the top because half the time the cardboard disintegrates before the product is gone and the bottle starts to leak. I didn't particularly care for the product itself (and rarely use an actual eye makeup remover anyway), and Maybelline isn't cruelty-free, so I won't be buying this again. I might keep the bottle around though because I think it could be handy.

 

The Honest Company Shampoo & Body Wash - This was part of the free trial set I got from The Honest Company (referral link) over the summer. The scent is Sweet Orange Vanilla, which was okay but not my favorite. I did buy a full size in one of my bundles I have received since my trial kit. I may or may not repurchase this in the future. It is a good body wash, but I like others more.

The Honest Company Face & Body Lotion - This either came in a box I got from Totalbeauty.com or from the free trial set I got from The Honest Company. It was okay as a body lotion. I didn't try it on my face. I didn't notice anything special enough to repurchase it. 

Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap and Citrus Body Cleanser - I got a $10 gift certificate from Mario Badescu for my birthday back in September (they do this for everyone registered on their site), which I used to pick up one of their toners, and these were two of the samples I got with my order. Again, I no longer consider Mario Badescu to be cruelty-free, so I won't be buying a full size of either of these. 

Tata Harper Rebuilding Moisturizer - I attended some sort of Facebook "party" where Tata Harper Deluxe Beauty Sets were being given away as prizes. This was a nice enough moisturizer, but I don't think it was special enough to justify the $100 price tag for a full size. 

John Frieda Conditioner (from a hair dye kit) - I have been using John Frieda hair dye for a while because I thought it was cruelty-free (but now I'm not so sure). I have a couple more boxes left in my stash. I think my goal is to get myself through the summer and then try a henna hair dye. If you've got any suggestions for cruelty-free hair dye options, please let me know. 

Kiss My Face Peaches & Creme Moisturizer - I have dealt with lots of bumps on my legs for years, and now I'm getting them on my arms. I have self-diagnosed myself with keratosis pilaris. I've tried multiple ways of exfoliating to get rid of the bumps, including this lotion with AHA. I liked the scent, but it didn't solve the problem. I think I have another one of these tubes that I need to use up. I probably won't repurchase it. 

EVOLVh Shampoo and Conditioner - These came in a box I got from Totalbeauty.com. The brand is expensive, so I wouldn't consider repurchasing. I don't know their cruelty-free status. 

Holika Holika Essential Petit BB Cream - I liked this BB cream. I bought it because Phyrra reviewed it. Our skin tone is essentially the same, so when she reviewed this and said that it matched her, I figured I would give it a try. I've got too many foundations to work my way through before I might consider repurchasing. I'm also not positive on Holika Holika's cruelty-free status since it is an Asian brand (Phyrra reviewed it a long time ago before she went cruelty-free). 

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach - This is a staple product for me. I use it daily under my eyes. I do find it a bit drying sometimes, but I keep using it to hide my dark circles. 

Silk Naturals Maybe Baby Blush Sample - This is a clone for MAC's Blushbaby, which is a nude toned blush with a hint of pink. It was an okay color, but it wasn't anything special enough for me to repurchase it. 

Paula's Choice Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 30 in Level 1 Fair/Light Sample - This was a nice tinted moisturizer. The color match was good for me, and I liked that it had SPF 30. I might buy a full size at some point, but I won't be purchasing it right now. 

Make Up For Ever HD Powder - This came in a value set I purchased from Sephora last year. It was okay, but it is expensive for what it is (100% pure silica). I can buy the same thing from TKB Trading for a lot cheaper. Make Up For Ever is not cruelty-free.

Meow Uncharted Eye Shadow Sample - This is a sample from Meow's Caribbean Escape collection that is only available during the summer. Meow describes it as a neutral beige taupe with gold shimmer. I already have a full size of this shade in my collection.

Silk Naturals Bone Eye Shadow (the empty pan) - This was a matte highlight shade. I had pressed it, which is why it is an empty pan. I think I added too much binder to it when I pressed it because it was a bit too hard. I also prefer Wet n Wild's Brulee for my matte highlight, so I don't plan on repurchasing. 

Alima Pure Foundation Sample in Neutral 1 - I had this for a long time. It was a little too dark for me, so I mixed it with the MUFE HD powder to use them both up. I won't be buying a full size.

bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil SPF 15 - This was in another Sephora set I bought a long time ago. I wouldn't go out and buy a full size, but I would use it again if it came in another set.

Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara - I've had major issues with mascaras. They seem to want to flake on me, and at the end of the summer, mascaras were smudging onto my browbone all the time. I liked this one when I was using it. It didn't flake or smudge. I wasn't using it in extreme heat though, so I don't know how well it would have held up then. I've got another one of these in my stash (I got them in Tarte QVC sets) that I'll pull out eventually, but I've got a couple of mascaras that I'm already using at the moment.

Silk Naturals White Chocolate Macadamia Lip Balm - I enjoy Silk Naturals lip balms. I really like the texture. I don't always keep them on hand, but when there is a flavor that catches my interest, I make sure and pick it up. 

A Bunch of Random Samples - I've been trying to work my way through a backlog of skincare samples lately. None of these really stood out to me since there's really not enough of any of them to decide of I liked them. I will say that I didn't care for the La Fresh wipes. Several of these are from brands that aren't cruelty-free. 

theBalm TimeBalm Juniper Oil-Free Face Moisturizer - This was okay. It should have been in the other picture, but I missed putting it there. 

Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towels - I primarily using these types of wipes to remove swatches. These did the job okay, and they were free in a sample box from Walgreens. Neutrogena is not cruelty-free, so I wouldn't repurchase them. I'd love to know of some good, inexpensive, cruelty-free wipes if you have any suggestions. 

Another load of empties gone! I'm happy to see so many products leaving my stash, especially all of the ones that aren't cruelty-free that won't be coming back into my stash. 

Do you have any suggestions for cruelty-free hair dye or makeup remover wipes? 

Disclaimer: Most of the products in this post were purchased by me. A few were giveaway prizes, were given to me by a friend, or were promotional freebies. All opinions are my own. I have included my referral link for The Honest Company. 

Urban Decay Ocho Loco 2 - Review and Swatches

Disclaimer - The products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

I placed my orders that I was debating a couple of posts ago, and they've all come in. It's exciting and overwhelming at the same time. I just spent my evening editing pictures, and I haven't even photographed most of my new things, let alone started testing them.

However, since most of my recent purchases are limited edition items out for the holidays, so I want to try and get as many of them up as quickly as possible.

That being said, I figured I would start with something that is relatively easy to review, Urban Decay's Ocho Loco 2 set.

Price

The Ocho Loco 2 set retails for $59, but I picked mine up from Sephora with a 20% off coupon during their Employee Appreciation Sale. The set contains 8 full size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils ($19 retail value each) and a Grindhouse Double-Barrel Sharpener ($10 retail value), so the retail value of this set is $162, making it an awesome value.

Packaging

There's really not to much to comment on here. The set comes on a foam tray. The variegated color scheme that matches the liner shades is really pretty. My only complaint is that the liners are a little bit difficult to get out.

Product

These liners are considered by most to be one of the best on the market. They are really creamy, generally really pigmented, and long lasting. I already have quite a few of these in my collection, and they are the liners I reach for most days. I don't have any problems with smudging and only experience a little bit of fading throughout the day, mostly in the outer corner of my eyes, which is where all liners fade on me.

Swatches from left to right: Roach, Twice Baked, Crave, Perversion, Deep End, Mars, Ultraviolet, and Tornado.

Shade descriptions according to the listing on Sephora.com:

Roach (deep copper brown shimmer)
Twice Baked (rich brown satin w/gold micro-sparkle)
Crave (deepest, darkest brown-black matte)
Perversion (blackest black matte)
Deep End (bright metallic peacock shimmer)
Mars (bright metallic green shimmer)
Ultraviolet (bright blue-violet shimmer)
Tornado (dark eggplant pearl)

I love the variety of colors in this set. Just like the set from last year, there are four neutral colors and four bright colors. The only shade that is a little bit lacking for me is Ultraviolet. When I swatched it, it looked a little patchy. Another thing that really drew me to the set is that two of the brights are still dark enough to make them relatively easy to wear to work.

I've only used a couple of the colors so far, but I think one of my favorite colors is going to be Crave. Being a blackened-brown gives it the effect of a black liner without being as harsh, which is perfect for fair-skinned girls like me.

The Grindhouse sharpener is a good-quality sharpener. The top collects the shavings, so there's no need to use is right over a garbage can. The bottom also pops off for cleaning, and it does have a cleaning pick built into the design. It's a nice addition to the kit. I like when sets include a tool that is necessary to use the product (like liner pencils that need to be sharpened).

Final Thoughts

What can I say, these are really good liners being sold at a fantastic price. Yes, it is pricey as a whole, but when you break it down, it is about $7 a liner, which is getting to be on-par pricing with drugstore liners. If you are going to use 4 or more of the colors in this set, I suggest you pick it up. It's sold on Urbandecay.com and Sephora.com. If you want to get a bit of a discount, Sephora's VIB sale is from November 7-11, and the code for 20% off your purchase is VIBTOPIA. I don't know if the code will work for non-VIB members, but it is worth a shot.

Will you be picking this set up? Are you going to take advantage of the Sephora VIB sale?

Disclaimer - The products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

Face Buffing Brushes - Comparison and Review

Disclaimer: All the of products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

My renewed blogging motivation has caused me to start digging back through my older files looking at pictures of products that I got but never got around to reviewing.

This particular review is actually going to be well-timed because we are quickly approaching Black Friday sales.

Last year on Black Friday, I ordered both Midnight Lace sets offered by Sedona Lace because they had a 50% off everything sale that day. It was a great opportunity to try out brushes like the SigMAX sets offered by Sigma, which I had always wanted to try.

Then over the summer, I saw similar sets offered by Royal Care Cosmetics being sold through Amazon. Their price was even better, so I picked those up as well to compare the sets. Please ignore the fact that some of the pictures have dirty brushes. When my Royal Care set came in, I was too excited to get pictures taken to worry about washing my Sedona Lace brushes first.

Basic Information

Sedona Lace's Midnight Lace Collection comes with (from top to bottom) an angle top brush, a flat top brush, a round top brush, and a kabuki brush. It retails for $49.95, and shipping on this set alone is $3.26, but if you get your order up to $50, you can get free shipping. If Sedona Lace has a 50% off sale for Black Friday again this year, you can get the set for $24.97 plus shipping.

The Royal Care Cosmetics brush set comes with (from left to right) a round top brush, a flat top brush, a pointed top brush, and an angle top brush. According to Royal Care Cosmetic's website, these brushes have a regular price of $38.95 and are on sale for $19.95. However, every time I have looked they have been on sale, so I think that is just a marketing tactic. Shipping from their site is $6.45. Currently,if you order them through Amazon.com (just search for Royal Care Cosmetics), this brush set is selling for $17.95 with $5.17 shipping; when I ordered them, they were $14.95.

Quality Comparison

Construction - The basic construction of these two sets of brushes is nearly identical.
Density - The Sedona Lace brushes are marginally more dense, but not enough to notice while in use.
Softness - The Sedona Lace brushes are also a little bit softer than the Royal Care brushes, but they both sets are nice and soft to the touch.
Shedding - I may have had a few bristles shed from the Royal Care brushes when I initially washed them, but I haven't had any since. I don't remember any shedding with the Sedona Lace brushes.

The one area where the Sedona Lace brushes really stand out for me is in the cut of the bristles. There were some obvious imperfections with the Royal Care brush bristles when I got them.

There were small areas of bristles on the Royal Care angle top brush that were visibly uneven with the rest, and there are a few bristles on the flat top brush that are longer than the rest. I went ahead and pulled out a pair of scissors to carefully trim the bristles on the angle top brush. I believe I pulled out a couple of the longer hairs in the flat top brush using tweezers, but I didn't worry too much about those.

The Royal Care brushes also had a plastic-y smell to them when I first got them. It did take a few washes for the smell to disappear.

Brush Shape Comparison

The shape of the angle top brushes are quite a bit different between the two brands. The Sedona Lace brush is much flatter. I have used it for contouring. The more rounded shape on the Royal Care version is really nice for applying powder all over the face.

The shape of the flat top brushes is practically identical. The bristles are the same length, and the diameter looks to be the same as well. I have used these for both liquid foundation and powder. I prefer using them for powder.

The only real difference between the two round top brushes is that the Royal Care brush has bristles that are a little bit longer than the Sedona Lace. It isn't something I notice while using them. These have become my go-to brushes for applying liquid foundation.

The last brush in each set is so different that they aren't really worth comparing, but here's a closer look at each.

The Royal Care set comes with a pointed top brush. I honestly don't think I've used this one yet. I've gotten so used to a buffing motion when it comes to applying foundation, and I don't think this would work well for that. I don't know how else I would use this brush.

The Sedona Lace set comes with a traditional kabuki brush. My favorite way to use this brush is to blend out my blush, which is habitually over apply.

Customer Service Comparison

I purchased my Sedona Lace Midnight Lace Set last year during their Black Friday sale. Unfortunately, they were woefully unprepared for the number of orders they received during that 24-hour sale. In 2011, they got 300 orders during their Black Friday sale, and last year they got over 3,000 orders. It turned into quite the debacle. Even though I placed my order within the first few hours of the sale, it took two months for my order to ship to me, and the free gift that was part of the Black Friday offer didn't ship until nearly a month after that.

I tried to remain patient throughout the process. I did get irritated by the fact that their shipping department did not ship out orders in the order they were received. According to a post done by Sedona Lace on their Facebook page, " The shipping department has their way of efficiency to get orders shipped by location-product-weight etc.. Thank you for being patient we know you will love your products when you get them." Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but their "system" is likely what caused me to have to wait two months for my brushes, as I made my order within the first hour or two of the sale. 

I genuinely believe, though, that the Sedona Lace team meant well and did their best to deal with the over-whelming number of orders they received. I have faith that they learned from their mistakes last year and their Black Friday sale will go more smoothly this year. I would be hesitant to order brushes from the sale in the hopes of giving them as Christmas presents though, just in case there is another shipping delay.

I did not have any issues with Royal Care Cosmetics in terms of customer service. My brush order shipped out quickly, and I didn't have any need to contact them directly about anything. 

Final Conclusions

I really like these two sets are both good options if you are looking for face brushes like this for liquid foundation and/or powder. The Sedona Lace set is normally quite a bit more expensive, but if you are able to take advantage of the Black Friday sale that I assume is coming, it isn't that much more expensive than the Royal Care Cosmetics set. The quality of the Sedona Lace brushes is better, but it isn't enough to make a huge difference. I use the flat and round top brushes from the two brands interchangeably and don't notice a difference in application. Since three of the four brushes are nearly the same, the fourth brush in each set might be a deciding factor. If you're like me and aren't really interested in the pointed top brush, the Sedona Lace set might be more appealing. 

Will you be picking up either of these sets? Are there any Black Friday/holiday sales that you are looking forward to taking advantage of?

Disclaimer: All the of products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.