Emily Ellen

Friday, May 27, 2016

Zoeva Rose Golden Complete Eye Set Vol. 2

I wanted these for the longest time, not just because they are pretty, but because Zoeva brushes have such a high rating everywhere and are often cited as some of the best brushes around. They are very expensive, though. Some might disagree with me, but 75 € for a set of brushes is an unreasonable price as far as I'm concerned. However, since most of my brushes are budget versions and a lot are not the best shape for my eyes, not to mention very old, I decided to take the plunge and invest in these. I'm very happy I got these and some of the brushes became an instant favourite, however, there are a few that aren't as good or the best shape for me. They started selling these individually, so I could have got them cheaper if I just got the brushes I now know are indispensable to me. There are twelve brushes in the set, the blending ones are simply outstanding and you basically have every brush you could wish for an eye makeup application, but I would switch some with my old ones. Included is also a rose gold bag that's well-made and soft.

Rose Gold is the centre of attention here, or the coppery shade of gold that the ferules are made of. The base of the brushes is a pale peachy colour and all the brushes have these two minor details that make them even more special - an oriental pattern engraving on the metal part and the name of the collection on the end of the brush. Every brush has a name printed on them, unfortunately placed exactly where you hold them, so they are bound to wipe off, just like off Mac's brushes.

The bag is soft and well-made, a love that so much attention was given to the details - the satin-like lining with an inscription and the metal zipper with an oriental design. Such a lovely bag.

I got these for the eye-watering price 75 € + shipping which wasn't cheap either. I ordered from the official website and it arrived really fast, I believe it was three days, but it is from Germany, so not that far. These are also sold on Beauty Bay, but for some reason they don't ship these in Slovenia (because god forbid we'd get free shipping with these). They are also sold in Austrian Douglas shop, I'm just no sure it's sets as well because I hear they don't have palettes. I also hear that Zoeva keeps raising their prices which is very unjust to their customers and it almost made me not order from them.

Do I think this is the perfect set? No. But, it's close. The blending brushes are outstanding and that 235 Contour Shader as well as 231 Luxe Petite Crease deserve all the praise, but I prefer Mac's 239 for a classic shader brush to Zoeva's 232 Luxe Classic Shader, my Alverde bent eyeliner brush to 310 Spot Eyeliner and my other cut eyeliner brushes to 322 Brow Line. I would build a different set from all the brushes they have available and though you could do that by buying brushes individually, it would exceed the price of the set by a large margin. I've found two dupes: Zoeva's 230 Luxe Pencil and MAC's 219 as well as Jessup's brush from the 5pc set and Zoeva's 142 Concealer Buffer. Some brushes I know I won't use much, but there are some that are absolutely fantastic and have already become my all-time favourites. If you plan to buy any of the individually, I highly recommend 231 Luxe Petite Crease brush, 228 Luxe Crease, 235 Contour Shader and 227 Luxe Soft Definer.

Saturday, May 07, 2016

THE BEAUTY BLENDER. HIT OR MISS?

The Beauty Blender. The sponge that is E V E R Y W H E R E. Why? How? Who would have thought a sponge would take over the likes of everyone's beloved buffing brush for foundation? But it has. I bought this about a year ago now in Sephora in New York and i have to say, since buying it there has not been a day i haven't used it. It's amazing. I use it for primer, foundation, concealer, cream contour, highlight and also my newest discovery.. Baking underneath my contour and on my under eye highlight. Amaze.

Since the launch of 'The Beauty Blender' a lot of companies have jumped on the bandwagon and tried to compete and make their own version. I must say a drugstore option sounds a lot more appealing to people seens as this sponge is £15-£20 just for a sponge, and that may seem a little extreme. However, I can totally see why people spend that on it. I have tried, Models own, Real Techniques, Make up Revolution and NONE of them compare to the real thing.

I try and explain this to my friends when they ask why i don't just use a sponge from boots. What i found with the cheaper sponges is that when you were to dampen the sponge with water before use (I never use my sponge dry as it soaks up all your foundation) it would never expand like the beauty blender does and is really stiff compared to the elasticity of the BB. You can squeeze the BB flat however the other sponges don't expand as much as the BB. This means that my foundation didn't blend as well into the skin and i couldn't use 'the bouncing' motion that is needed to blend it in. Instead, it just held a lot of product that i wanted as coverage on my skin.

Another thing i found with other sponges was that they either ripped after a few months of use or they just never washed the foundation out of the sponge fully. Obviously that is so unhygienic and will cause break outs and a spread of nasty bacteria on your skin. The BB cleans out amazing after every use. I just use a face wash/ baby shampoo. It looks brand new after every time i clean it AND i've had this sponge for over a year now, thats so good. So in my opinion i have definitely got my money's worth buying the real thing instead of buying cheaper alternatives.

THIS SPONGE IS A MASSIVE HIT. Im obsessed.

Because i love the Beauty Blender so much (clearly) i am going to be featured on 'Get The Gloss' later this month speaking about why i love it. For now though you need to go and check out this guide on their website. I've had a read myself and it is full of interesting information about the tools used to apply make up over many decades and LOTS of tips from make up artists and their recommendations on what tools you should have in your make up bag.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

FINDING THE PERFECT FOUNDATION

Foundation is one of those makeup items that, although essential in most peoples routine, still really scares others. Foundation really isn’t as scary as it first seems and finding the perfect foundation for you is something that is quite easily achieved.

1. Highend or Drugstore

Although I think spending a little more on your foundation is nice I don’t think it is necessary and the drugstore has some amazing ones for a fraction of the price of the highend ones. That said you do get a little more guidance on higher end makeup counters but don’t worry if you can’t afford it, opt for a drugstore one.

2. Work out what you want from your foundation

Do you want a full matte foundation that will last all day or are you after something more light in coverage with has a dewy finish? Keep in mind your skin type and what you want this foundation for, if it’s for evening then a heavier one might work better and for the daytime people typically go for a lighter foundation (but it’s completly up to you!)

3. Look online

There are so many reviews online that it would be silly to ignore them, I rarely buy a makeup item without first reading reviews. Find out about the finish, coverage, colour range and longevity particularly from someone with a similar skin type to you, if reviews are generally awful all over the internet then I would probably stay clear.

4. Colour Match

Colour is very important when it comes to foundation but potentially the hardest thing to get right, particularly if you’re quite dark or very fair.Unless you’re repurchasing ordering online is very very difficult and should only be done at a last resort. For higher end brands I would always recommend going in and getting the counter staff to help you and allow them to apply it to your face so you can really see what it will look like. I always try two or three shades on my jaw area and pick my favourite one to be applied all over.

Drugstore can often be a little trickier but doable. Try a few shades on the back of your hand and compare them to your face in a mirror, then pick a few shades to also apply to your jaw line to find the perfect shade. If you’re a little worried about this take a friend to help you decide on the best colour for you.

Avoid going a shade lighter or darker particularly in a heavier foundation and keep in mind the undertone of your skin, if the colour is too warm have a look if they have a cool or neutral range or move onto a different foundation all together, colour is so important and an off undertone can make your head look disconnected to your body.

5. Try before you buy

I very rarely buy a highend foundation without first wearing it for the day. I go into a counter in the morning and have it applied, I then have a nice look at the colour/finish in natural lighting and go about my normal day. By the end of the day I can tell if I’ve had a breakout and reaction to the foundation, if I like the foundation and how it wears. I think when you’re investing £25/£50+ in a foundation it’s important to make sure it’s right and if i like it I will always return later in the week to purchase it. You can explain this to your counter staff, people do it all the time and since you’re planning on buying it if it’s good enough it isn’t cheeky or anything like that.

A lot of counters will also offer you a few days/weeks sample of a foundation and I would really recommend taking full advantage of that. Trying a drugstore foundation is much harder, I’ve heard of people taking their own little pots to take a few pumps of foundation to try before they buy but I’m not too sure if this is widely acceptable but do let me know in the comments.

So onto some of my favourites (I have normal-dry skin)

Drugstore

L’Oreal True Match Foundation, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (be careful if you’re sensitive to scented products), Revlon ColorStay and L’Oreal Infallible

Highend

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, MUFE Ultra HD and Too Faced Born This Way