Glam and Uncensored

Purchased by Me

There are plenty of pretty looking makeup brushes on the market; ones that have handles which look like a unicorn horn, or have purple glitter, or swirlly handles, etc. But pretty makeup brushes do not always equal high quality makeup brushes. If you want your makeup to come out looking its best, you are going to need a brush with a good reputation and one which performs well. Here are some of the cosmetic brushes I love and recommend based on research and experience.

• REAL TECHNIQUES – If you are searching for basic makeup brushes, these have an excellent reputation. The brushes are soft, versatile and cruelty-free. The Real Techniques can be used with liquid, cream or powder makeup. The brushes were specifically designed to create detailed contouring and highlighting, the application of smooth foundation, and precise eyebrows. The price for the Real Techniques individual brushes starts around $9.00. A set of brushes starts around $17.00 and may be purchased at http://www.realtechniques.com or ULTA.

• MORPHE BRUSHES – Looking for good quality makeup brushes without maxing out your credit card? Morphe brushes are the answer. The brushes are sold individually and by the set. Whether you are new to the makeup scene or a professional makeup artist, the Morphe brushes are superior in quality and affordable, allowing you to have a complete assortment. For me, their foundation brushes cannot be beat. And I love their contour and eye crease brushes. You can buy individual Morphe brushes starting around $10.00. A set of Morphe brushes begins at $14.00. The brushes may be purchased at http://www.morphebrushes.com. This year Morphe collaborated with Liveglam and now have a month club selling a set of three to eight brushes. The monthly club is $20.00 per month. More information about the monthly club can be found at https://liveglam.com/morphe-brushes/.

• ELF COSMETICS BRUSHES – Great quality, cruelty-free and affordable, ELF provides all of the things we look for in a cosmetic brush. When you think of ELF, you do not necessarily associate the brand with excellent makeup brushes, but these brushes are soft to the touch and densely packed and allow your makeup to be evenly applied. The ELF brushes are sold separately and in sets. What really got me hooked on these brushes was the powder brush. It was large, soft, dense and would work well when applying loose powder. The cost of the of the brushes begin around $3.00. The ELF brushes may be purchased at http://www.elfcosmetics.com, Walgreens and ULTA.

Of course there are higher end makeup brushes. But I wanted to review brushes that are known for being high-quality AND affordable at the same time. The best place to purchase the above listed makeup brushes is the Internet. Makeup stores do not always carry the brush company’s full line of brushes.

I hope this blog has given you some ideas of good-quality, affordable makeup brushes which will live up to its name.

Purchased by Me

Eyeshadow palettes. Who doesn’t love them? From very neutral colors to the very bright, you will have very little problems finding a palette you like. In fact, you may find your self choosing between two or three eyeshadow palettes. In order to help you make that all important decision, I have written a blog regarding the top eyeshadow palettes ranging in price from $1.00 to $150.00. So read on and find a palette which best suits you.

PRICE RANGE OF $1.00 – $25.00

1. COLOURPOP COSMETICS GIVE IT TO ME STRAIGHT EYESHADOW PALETTE – $16.00. The 12 eyeshadow palette is comprised of seven matte shadows and five metallic shadows. The colors include various shades of pinks and browns. They blend easily and the metallics can be worn wet or dry. You can find this palette at www.colourpop.com.
2. REVOLUTION COSMETICS REDEMPTION EYESHADOW PALETTE ICONIC 3 – $7.00. For the low price, you do get a very nice eyeshadow palette. The palette has both matte and glitter shades which are very pigmented, last nearly all day and highly blendable. Colors include pinks, nudes and a couple of darker shades to pull everything together. You can find this palette at www.revolutionbeauty.com.

PRICE RANGE OF $25.00 – $50.00

1. MORPHE COSMETICS 24G GRAND SLAM EYESHADOW PALETTE – $29.00.  It’s a supersized palette made of pinks, peaches and browns. The highly pigmented palette has 24 shadows which range from soft and shimmery shades to chrome metallic. I enjoy how these colors blend and how the shimmery shades have little fall out. You can find this palette at www.morphebrushes.com.
2. ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS SOFT GLAM EYESHADOW PALETTE – $43.00. This palette has 14 shadows in which some are matte and some are glitter. There is a little bit of fall out with the glitter shades, but nothing drastic. Together the shadows are pretty and work great together. You may find this eyeshadow palette at and www.sephora.com.

PRICE RANGE OF $50.00 – $150.00

1. LIME CRUSH VENUS  XL PRESSED POWDER EYESHADOW PALETTE – $56.00. Lime Crime eyeshadows are known for their highly pigmented eye shadows. This particular eyeshadow palette has 18 eyeshadows in colors such as pinks, berries, corals and mauves. The consistency of these eyeshadows are made of matte, glitter and metallic. And unlike some glitter eyeshadows, these shadows stay put. You can find this eyeshadow palette at http://www.limecrime.com.
2. NATASHA DENNOA SUNSET EYESHADOW PALETTE – $129.00. This eyeshadow palette is very high end. But I must say that I do find myself lusting over these colors which actually do remind me of a sunset. The palette has 15 eyeshadows in shades raging from matte, metallic, duo chrome and chroma crystal finishes. It is a beautiful palette which blends very well, and is highly pigmented. It’s one amazing formula. You can find this palette at www.natashadenona.com.

There are so many eye palettes out there, so it is sometimes hard to choose which palette is best. I in no way substitute my opinion for anyone else’s. But I do hope that you find these palettes as beautiful as I do.  Have you tried any of them? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Purchased by Me

By now we know if we wish to highlight our face, we have the choice between two types of highlighters; a powder or a liquid. All of which come in colors such as gold, bronze and rose giving our complexion a radiant shimmer. Unlike most liquid highlighters, Kiko Milano’s lightweight, metal infusion highlighter, dries faster and has a higher concentration of pearlescent and metallic pigments. It is a face highlighting liquid with a metallic finish. The light formula of this innovative product provides a velvety finish and illumination of variable intensity. And it has an ultra silky feel with an even film which just seems to melt into your skin.

The Highlighting Drops can either be mixed with foundation to achieve a glowy look or simply used as a liquid highlighter. The Kiko Milano Metal Infusion Highlighting Drops are indeed light and come in colors which compliment any skintone. The very high concentration of pearl in the drops help reflect light and give off a dazzling effect at first glance. The formula isn’t very opaque (which I like) and I love the way it glows in the sun. Also, you have a selection of three colors from which to choose: Platinum Rose (blush shade), Sweet Dreams (bronze shade), and Gold Mine (gold shade). So what is holding you back? Go out and get your dazzle on!

The Kiko Milano Metal Infusion Highlighting Drops retail for $14.00.

For the best and easiest way to use the Kiko Milano Metal Infusion Highlighting Drops, click on this link: www.makemeprettyplz.com. It is run by my best friend Ashley Gaspard who has been a makeup artist for as long as I can remember.

Purchased by Me

We all want a foundation which is high-performing and low in price. Wet-N-Wild underwent seven different photo lighting conditions to make sure it delivered a camera ready foundation each time. The product features light-adjusting complex to aid in the prevention of white cast in photos. And was expressly made with a matte, light-diffusing complex to give the skin with no filter perfection.

I wear the color Creme Beige, for my medium toned skin. However, this particular foundation has a light, funny scent when you first apply it, but the scent disappears within the hour. This particular Wet-N-Wild foundation comes in 20 different shades. So do not worry about finding a shade which is close to your natural skintone. And what’s really great is the paddle applicator. No more worries of tipping over the bottle and spilling the contents. Instead, use the paddle for applying the foundation without a big, huge mess. But keep an eye on how far you tip the bottle, as a little bit goes a long way. If need be, you can go back and add more foundation later.

 

Finally, one of the better parts about this 1.0oz bottle of foundation is it will only set you back $5.99. It may be purchased at WalMart, Target and ULTA.