Updates + Natural FOTD

I know, I haven't been very good at keeping up with some requests/comments, sorry about that ! :S I'm going to try and get more of them done.

First, some updates to some products I recently reviewed:

- Coastal Scents Duo Fibre brush

Some of you recommended I try it with liquid foundation. Unfortunately it failed to work for me with liquid foundation either. Part of it wasn't its fault, its just that my skin was dry at that time and would not let the foundation spread evenly. However, I found the brush to be useless to distribute the foundation. The bristles made the foundation streaky, and the bristles were shedding (which didn't happen with mineral makeup). I guess the brush hairs shed more easily because I had to use a heavier buffing action for the liquid compared with powder foundation. Still, picking off the hairs is annoying as hell. I guess I won't be using this brush except in an emergency, and only for powder products. Maybe I'll use it as a body brush to highlight collarbones etc?

- Kiss Me Heroine liner

I still like this a lot, but I've noticed the black colour isn't quite as black as MAC's Blacktrack. Somehow it seems less potent, so I have to go over the same area a few times if I want the line to be really black.

- Coffret d'or 3D Lightning Eyes

Jie-jie asked if there was fallout with this product on one of my earlier posts. I find there is some of fallout, especially if you are using a regular eyeshadow brush. However if I stick to the sponge applicator the fallout is reduced, probably because I can apply the product with a 'patting' motion instead of sweeping it across. So basically, yes it does have a bit of fallout, but much less fallout than the Lunasol Sheer Contrast palette and the T'estimo ones. Hope that helps! :)

- MAC Lip Erase

I haven't done a review of this one yet, but to answer a question I received earlier (sorry I can't remember who it was), it does work similarly to MAC Satin lipsticks like Myth. There are some differences, but if Myth already works for you then you can skip this. But I like the texture of Lip Erase more. Will do a review of this soon :)

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Buff'd foundation review: (Emilee requested a review of this foundation a few posts back)

Coverage:

Buff'd foundation provides heavier coverage than the other brands I've tried, which are Everyday Minerals Intensive and Silk Naturals. Coverage is even better when paired with Everyday Minerals concealers (another combo recommended by Christiana). All 3 shades I ordered work on me, but I think the closest match for me is Sand, a pale shade with heavier yellow undertones.

The finish is quite matte which I like. However I find a finishing powder is definitely necessary as the foundation will get a bit oily after a few hours without powder to set. I used my sample of Silk Naturals Perfecting powder, and after a few hours it does get more dewy but not oily at all. Note that I have dry to combination skin, so am not sure how this will look on oilier skin types.

I do like how this doesn't oxidize / change colour on you. I used to find that Silk Naturals would oxidize on me and get darker after a few hours, but not with Buff'd.

The coverage of the foundation is quite good when wet. However I still have to test that part out more, as the one time I tried spraying some toner over the foundation, I sprayed too much moisture and it made me look super dewy haha. I'm not sure if it was the toner (because the toner was the hydrating type with aloe in it) or just too much moisture, so I have to try that again with less moisture, and maybe just a water spray.

Other general observations:

I noticed the foundation is less free-flowing than other foundations I've tried. It almost lumps up into tiny balls when I am swirling the brush in it. As a result I do have to be a bit more patient to apply it.

Also it was harder to pick up the powder with my duo fibre brushes. My Sephora brush didn't like it at all, it just refused to pick up enough of the powder lol. Fortunately my MAC 187SE was more cooperative. Not sure why...but I think its related to the more clumpy nature of it. So I've been using the MAC 187 SE for Buff'd and using my Sephora brush to apply my finishing powder.

Ordering/shipping information:

You can order samples off the website at $1.50 per sample. All samples have free shipping. It might seem daunting to choose a colour, but the descriptions on the website are quite accurate. Also you can always email them and ask for some recommendations :)

I was a bit put off by the general shipping costs on the website because it said something like $10 for shipping within Canada, but Christiana alerted me to the fact that they have refill kits, which come with free shipping (under the Kits section). Sweet! :)


FOTD with Buff'd and Lancome SOS Pink lipstick:

Buff'd foundation in Sand
Silk Naturals perfecting powder

Everyday Minerals B&B blush
MAC Emote blush to contour

MAC Lip Erase
Lancome 302 SOS Pink lipstick




Minimal eye makeup: Kate Square Cut liner in Natural Brown, Maybelline Cool liner in Chill the Champagne, Blinc Kiss Me mascara







Note that SOS Pink looks a brighter pink in real life...

Review: Coastal Scents brushes

I've finally tested most of the brushes I bought from Coastal Scents. There are two I still haven't had the time to make use of - the refillable dispenser brush and the angled chisel eyshadow brush. These are what I've tried so far.

1. Eyeliner brush
2. Facial Cleanser Brush
3. Italian Badger Buffer Brush
4. Duo Fiber Stippling Brush


1. Eyeliner brush

I was annoyed with this brush at first because when it arrived the bristles were bent due to the inadequate packaging of the shipment. However I managed to reshape it after washing so it looks alright now.

This brush works well for lining. The tip is firm enough that you can draw either a thin line or a thicker line depending on the pressure you put on it. Also I like that the handle is short, that way it doesn't get in the way when you're leaning close to the mirror to draw that line.

Overall: Decent lining brush

Here I used it with Indianwood Paint Pot to line my upper lashline.





2. Facial Cleanser Brush

The brush head is a good size for exfoliating my face, and it does come with a cap which would be handy when travelling. However, I don't like this. The ends of the bristles feel rough on my face. I would use this only with a light hand, but still I feel a bit paranoid I might be doing more harm to my skin than good.

Overall: Definite no-buy



See those little fibres that are longer than the rest? Looks like sloppy worksmanship to me.


3. Italian Badger Buffer Brush

From L-R: MAC 188. MAC187SE, Sephora Stippling Brush, Coastal Scents Duo Fibre brush, Coastal Scents Italian Badger Buffer.




The italian badger buffer is quite fluffy yet dense at the same time. The bristles are nice and soft. This is my first flat top/buffer brush, so I'm no expert at using it. I find that I need to use a stippling brush first to apply the mineral makeup on my skin, before using this to 'buff' the foundation in. I can't use this to apply the foundation directly otherwise my skin looks cakey. But for buffing purposes, it works quite well.

Overall: Great buffer brush, especially at that price.



4. Duo Fiber Stippling Brush

You might notice from the previous picture, and this one, that the CS brush looks a bit more fluffy than the other duo fibre brushes.

L-R: MAC 187SE, Sephora Stippling brush, CS Duo Fibre brush



Actually, in real life the brush head is quite a bit more fluffy than my other duo fibre brushes. The bristles do feel very soft and gentle on the skin. However I actually find it hard to apply mineral makeup with it. Its hard to blend foundation on the skin with it because the bristles don't offer much control over the application. As a result, my makeup looks quite cakey if I try to use this.

I don't like using this for blush either. The head is too fluffy so it distributes blush over too large of an area, over my entire cheekbone which I don't want. I want the colour to just be on the top 2/3 of my cheekbones because otherwise my face just looks too red/pink for my taste.

So....I didn't think I'd say this, but I dislike this! I don't even know what to do with it now, since I can't use it for foundation, blush, or powder. Maybe I'll try it applying liquid foundation with it and see how it does.

Overall: Would not repurchase or recommend.

Note that a common complaint for this brush is shedding and some bleeding of the black dye during washing. The brush shed a little when new, but after washing it 1-2 times it didn't shed anymore. It does turn the water a little grey when washing, but not much. Doesn't leave a stain on the paper towel on which its drying either so that isn't a problem.

***

I have noticed though, that Coastal Scents brushes tend to generate very polarized feedback. Either you love them or hate them. It seems that the quality of their brushes can vary widely from batch to batch. So...read up on other reviews first before you decide to buy!

Initial thoughts on Coastal Scents

I got my Leap Year haul from Coastal Scents last week....which arrived in my mailbox ripped open :(



At first I thought someone had opened it on purpose to see if there were any valuables inside. But then I noticed there was no customs declaration on the package, so most likely it was Canadian customs that opened it. So thanks a lot, Coastal Scents for your incompetence :S I was lucky nothing was missing from the package, because customs didn't even tape it back up, freaking retards.


In any case this is what I picked up:







Closeup of the brush heads:






Brief rundown:

1. Eyeliner brush is now wonky due to inadequate packaging -.- I'll wash it and see if that'll help put it back to shape.




2. Angled eye brush is a bit stiffer than I was expecting...not something I'd recommend to anyone.

3. Face cleansing brush is okay. Nothing to rave about, the bristles are supple, but the tips are a bit scratchy. Also I don't like how there are 2-4 'mutant' bristles that are a lot longer than the rest....

4. Powder dispensing brush I've yet to try, will update when I do.

5. Duo fibre brush - very soft. Bled a little during washing, a few hairs shed. After drying the brush head was very fluffy.

So far I've only used this for blush and it works great but the brush head is too fluffy :( so it spreads blush over a larger area than I would like :( Also, because its so soft I don't find I have much control over the application as with my other skunk brushes. We'll see how it does with mineral foundation.

6. Italian Badger brush - very soft and dense. No bleeding during washing, no shedding either. Like the duo fibre, it becomes fluffier after washing and drying.

I was afraid it'd have some funky bleeding problems after reading Ilurvemakeup's experience with hers, but mine was ok in the first wash. It does have the smell people describe as "wet dog" smell, but honestly, if I hadn't heard that term I wouldn't have thought of the smell that way. To me it smells more like lacquer and brushes, haha I don't know how to describe it. But fortunately for me I don't get bothered by it. We'll see how it does after some more washes and uses.

Coastal Scents weekend sale *update*

Thanks to Grayburn, I just found out there is a Leap Year sale at Coastal Scents - 20% off all makeup brushes!

The sale is good from Friday Feb 29 til Sunday March 2 at midnight.

No idea whether midnight is EST or PST or whatever...I would get the stuff by midnight EST to be on the safe side.

Not sure if I will get anything yet. Thinking of trying the duo fibre brush and possibly the pink kabuki ...haha that brush looks so girly I'll either love it or hate it :P


*Update 3/1/08*

What I bought off Coastal Scents:

Item No.	Item	Qty	Unit Price	Ext. Price
	Duo Fiber Stippling Brush	1	$6.36	$6.36
	Facial cleanser brush	1	$1.99	$1.99
	Chisle Angle Fluff Shadow Brush	1	$1.60	$1.60
	Italian Badger Buffer Brush Large	1	$9.56	$9.56
	Sifter Jars 10 gram with Sifter Seals Options: Choose One::1 Sifter Jar	3	$0.59	$1.77
	Refillable Powder Dispensing Pump Brush Silver	1	$5.56	$5.56
	Eyeliner Brush - Super Fine	1	$1.59	$1.59

Will review the brushes once I try them out :)