Hello, fair readers. I greet you today with a 102.6 degree fever. I was sent home from college, for heaven's sake. I had planned to go outside and retake all of my Real Techniques pictures, and write ahead those posts for them. I've gotten the three new brushes, and I'm unhappy with a lot of the other pictures. However, as I said, I'm ...indisposed.
Finals are next week. I'm hoping that I'll have some more time in the summer (and I usually do, check the archives) to blog, but I'm taking a full load of classes, so we'll see.
Thank you thank you for following, commenting, and keeping up with me. I hope to write to you all soon!
Love, Becca
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Real Techniques: Core Collection review
This is an updated review. It is mostly the same, but I updated prices and availability, and added a few more thoughts. I will post a link to this updated version in the old post. I plan to update the photos as soon as possible.
Some of Real Techniques' gems hide in kits like these, the Core Collection of face brushes. This set contains the Contour, Pointed Foundation, Detailer, and Buffing brushes, as well as a handy case.
I'll go through each brush individually, just to make it easier. Please click the link below to read the rest of the post.
Some of Real Techniques' gems hide in kits like these, the Core Collection of face brushes. This set contains the Contour, Pointed Foundation, Detailer, and Buffing brushes, as well as a handy case.
I'll go through each brush individually, just to make it easier. Please click the link below to read the rest of the post.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Real Techniques update
The original Real Techniques post was dated July 10, 2011. As of April 4, 2012, I got through 8 of the (now) 22 available brushes. I think I might just delete those old ones and repost them along with reviews and photos of the rest of the original 19 and the three new ones. I really fail at blogging. Just in case, here are 2012 price comparison updates and links to the old reviews. I apologize if you came here looking for these reviews. They will be my first project this summer.
As of April 2012, price comparisons have changed. Within the last week or so, three more brushes became available. I have added those brushes in to the total price; the only price increase I've noticed is that the sets are now $17.99. They were $15.99 at the time of my purchase. The brushes are now available through www.realtechniques.com. When I bought them last summer, they were only available at Ulta. I believe that Ulta and the Real Techniques website are the only place to purchase these.
All 22 brushes total US $135.87 at Ulta and $136.00 at RealTechniques.com (the discrepancy comes from Ulta charging, for example, $5.99, where the RT website charges $6.00). For ease of convenience, and because the difference is so small, I'm doing the conversions as if I bought the brushes on the Real Tehcniques website. On April 4, US$136 equals £85.72 and €103.22. I can't find listings for international prices on the Real Techniques website.
The Real Techniques brushes are still at www.love-makeup.co.uk, and have recently become available in the UK at Boots stores. The only price difference that I notice is again with the sets--at love-makeup they are £20.99, and on Boots' website they are £21.99. Neither website has the full 22 brushes, but I do see that Real Techniques are 3 for 2 right now at Boots. I have no idea if the whole collection available in the US is also available abroad.
I included my original review/roundup post from July below for reference. Almost all of the prices are no longer accurate, although the old exchange rate provides a telling look at the European economy. As always, feel free to comment!
All 22 brushes total US $135.87 at Ulta and $136.00 at RealTechniques.com (the discrepancy comes from Ulta charging, for example, $5.99, where the RT website charges $6.00). For ease of convenience, and because the difference is so small, I'm doing the conversions as if I bought the brushes on the Real Tehcniques website. On April 4, US$136 equals £85.72 and €103.22. I can't find listings for international prices on the Real Techniques website.
The Real Techniques brushes are still at www.love-makeup.co.uk, and have recently become available in the UK at Boots stores. The only price difference that I notice is again with the sets--at love-makeup they are £20.99, and on Boots' website they are £21.99. Neither website has the full 22 brushes, but I do see that Real Techniques are 3 for 2 right now at Boots. I have no idea if the whole collection available in the US is also available abroad.
I included my original review/roundup post from July below for reference. Almost all of the prices are no longer accurate, although the old exchange rate provides a telling look at the European economy. As always, feel free to comment!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadows: Review and Swatches
Soooooooo this is a little late, as these were released in February. I picked them up over a period of maybe 5 weeks, waiting for sales, etc. They are more than a dollar cheaper at Walmart than anywhere else, averaging about $7. By now they should be available everywhere. There are 10 shades.
Before I begin, let me confess that I am a cream shadow newbie. I don't know how to blend these well on their own, and I have not had good luck applying these with anything but my fingers. What I do like them for is eyeshadow bases.
Here they are in number order (evening sunlight):
From left to right, they are 05 Too Cool, 10 Fierce & Tangy, 15 Audacious Asphalt, 20 Painted Purple, 25 Bad to the Bronze, 30 Pomegranate Punk, 35 Tough as Taupe, 40 Tenacious Teal, 45 Bold Gold, and 50 Edgy Emerald.
Too Cool is a mostly sheer, shimmery white. I absolutely love this as a base for any color, especially mattes. It adds such a rich, velvety texture. On its own, it works as a brow/inner corner highlight. Fierce & Tangy is carrot orange, with low shimmer. I found this one didn't blend as well. Sugarpill Flamepoint looks AMAZING over the top. These two together really jump off the skin. Audacious Asphalt is a shimmery gray/green silver. Painted Purple was a disappointment. It's a great color but look at the payoff compared to the rest of the colors. It's fine for a base but it's too fussy to use on its own.
Bad to the Bronze is AWESOME. It's a perfect "old gold" color, and I love it to warm up taupes. This is one of the better performers on its own, too. Pomegranate Punk is like Urban Decay Last Call in cream form, but warmer, almost rusty. It feels like a wintery color to me so I haven't played with it much yet. It works well alone, and paired with Bad to the Bronze. Tough as Taupe is tricky--it's completely matte, darker than I thought it would be, and very gray. The pot looks more full than the other ones, with product right up to the rim. It might be due to storage, I don't know. It's very smooth but like Fierce & Tangy it doesn't blend out as well as some of the shimmery shades. My go-to look lately has been Tough as Taupe topped with Lancôme Click with some dark lashes and liner, it's very no-fuss and the color stays all day!
Tenacious Teal had, on a much smaller scale, the same problem as Painted Purple. The color was a bit thin, not densely pigmented like the others. On the other hand, it was nowhere near as disappointing as Painted Purple. Perhaps because it's brighter? Not sure. Regardless, the color isn't teal but a very pretty frosted robin's egg--lovely for springtime. Bold Gold is on par with Bad to the Bronze--rich color, easy to blend, fabulous texture. This one works well as a base and on its own. Edgy Emerald is something of a misnomer: this is a very close to teal, aqua, or seafoam. When I hear "emerald", I expect a deep, rich green. That said, this is a very pretty color and lacks the performance issues of some of the other bright colors.
A few things: these do dry fairly quickly, so you have to be on top of blending right away. As I said, I'm still kind of cream shadow inept, so I've been mostly using them as colored bases, which is working really well. They don't crease at all on me (but not much does), and I'm impressed that one launch had such a variety of colors. This strikes me as more of a "trend" product, so I expected the bright purple and blue and green (the orange was a nice surprise). However, Maybelline included some really lovely neutrals, so everyone can have a comfort zone.
The texture is nice, but could be better. For a product that costs around $7, I'm impressed. My favorite cream shadows so far, Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams, are a fair bit smoother, but cost $22. Some other differences--MUFE does, of course, have a larger color selection, and their shadows are waterproof. I prefer the plastic MUFE pot to the glass Maybelline for weight and ease of storage, but the packaging isn't bad. Shadows are clearly labeled and the glass is clear so you can easily tell color. The Color Tattoos are also more gel-like and overall more metallic/less outright sparkly than the Buxom Stay-there cream shadows, and much bigger.
These were just released in the UK, and as far as I can tell, they are the same colors with different names. The only ones I've seen on blogs is Bad to the Bronze (On and On Bronze), Bold Gold (Eternal Gold), and I think Totally Turquoise.
Overall, I am impressed with the Color Tattoos. I'm glad there's a fun, colorful cream shadow range available at drugstores. These are definitely worth a look!
Before I begin, let me confess that I am a cream shadow newbie. I don't know how to blend these well on their own, and I have not had good luck applying these with anything but my fingers. What I do like them for is eyeshadow bases.
Here they are in number order (evening sunlight):
From left to right, they are 05 Too Cool, 10 Fierce & Tangy, 15 Audacious Asphalt, 20 Painted Purple, 25 Bad to the Bronze, 30 Pomegranate Punk, 35 Tough as Taupe, 40 Tenacious Teal, 45 Bold Gold, and 50 Edgy Emerald.
Too Cool is a mostly sheer, shimmery white. I absolutely love this as a base for any color, especially mattes. It adds such a rich, velvety texture. On its own, it works as a brow/inner corner highlight. Fierce & Tangy is carrot orange, with low shimmer. I found this one didn't blend as well. Sugarpill Flamepoint looks AMAZING over the top. These two together really jump off the skin. Audacious Asphalt is a shimmery gray/green silver. Painted Purple was a disappointment. It's a great color but look at the payoff compared to the rest of the colors. It's fine for a base but it's too fussy to use on its own.
Bad to the Bronze is AWESOME. It's a perfect "old gold" color, and I love it to warm up taupes. This is one of the better performers on its own, too. Pomegranate Punk is like Urban Decay Last Call in cream form, but warmer, almost rusty. It feels like a wintery color to me so I haven't played with it much yet. It works well alone, and paired with Bad to the Bronze. Tough as Taupe is tricky--it's completely matte, darker than I thought it would be, and very gray. The pot looks more full than the other ones, with product right up to the rim. It might be due to storage, I don't know. It's very smooth but like Fierce & Tangy it doesn't blend out as well as some of the shimmery shades. My go-to look lately has been Tough as Taupe topped with Lancôme Click with some dark lashes and liner, it's very no-fuss and the color stays all day!
Tenacious Teal had, on a much smaller scale, the same problem as Painted Purple. The color was a bit thin, not densely pigmented like the others. On the other hand, it was nowhere near as disappointing as Painted Purple. Perhaps because it's brighter? Not sure. Regardless, the color isn't teal but a very pretty frosted robin's egg--lovely for springtime. Bold Gold is on par with Bad to the Bronze--rich color, easy to blend, fabulous texture. This one works well as a base and on its own. Edgy Emerald is something of a misnomer: this is a very close to teal, aqua, or seafoam. When I hear "emerald", I expect a deep, rich green. That said, this is a very pretty color and lacks the performance issues of some of the other bright colors.
A few things: these do dry fairly quickly, so you have to be on top of blending right away. As I said, I'm still kind of cream shadow inept, so I've been mostly using them as colored bases, which is working really well. They don't crease at all on me (but not much does), and I'm impressed that one launch had such a variety of colors. This strikes me as more of a "trend" product, so I expected the bright purple and blue and green (the orange was a nice surprise). However, Maybelline included some really lovely neutrals, so everyone can have a comfort zone.
The texture is nice, but could be better. For a product that costs around $7, I'm impressed. My favorite cream shadows so far, Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams, are a fair bit smoother, but cost $22. Some other differences--MUFE does, of course, have a larger color selection, and their shadows are waterproof. I prefer the plastic MUFE pot to the glass Maybelline for weight and ease of storage, but the packaging isn't bad. Shadows are clearly labeled and the glass is clear so you can easily tell color. The Color Tattoos are also more gel-like and overall more metallic/less outright sparkly than the Buxom Stay-there cream shadows, and much bigger.
These were just released in the UK, and as far as I can tell, they are the same colors with different names. The only ones I've seen on blogs is Bad to the Bronze (On and On Bronze), Bold Gold (Eternal Gold), and I think Totally Turquoise.
Overall, I am impressed with the Color Tattoos. I'm glad there's a fun, colorful cream shadow range available at drugstores. These are definitely worth a look!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Some random thoughts collected
None of these thoughts are enough for a full post, really, and I'm also successfully avoiding studying for an exam. Woo!
1. I recently tried cleaning some especially dirty foundation and eyeshadow brushes with MAC Cleanse Off Oil followed by Dr. Bronner's and/or Baby Shampoo. OH MY LORD, guys. It was awesome. I got the stubborn spot of foundation out of the middle of my Sigma F80. My buffing brushes are so clean in the middle. I'm in love. I also need more cleansing oil.
2. Speaking of buffing brushes, just today I finally saw the light about buffing foundation in vs. using a paddle foundation brush. I finally didn't have pores! I will have to try this with my other formulas but it worked well with Lancome Teint Miracle.
3. Also speaking of washing brushes, I picked up a couple packs of Brush Guards and am liking them so far too. Only used them once, but so far so good. I still dry my brushes on the side, not upside down, but whatever. I wish the Real Techniques brushes didn't have that stand on the handle so the guards fit.
3. I'm loving the Maybelline Color Tattoos as bases. Still haven't gotten the knack of blending two colors of cream shadow together. I promise to swatch these!
4. The Revlon 3D Photoready mascara doesn't suck like I thought it did when I first got it. I meant to return, but threw out my receipt. I picked it up two or so weeks later, and now that the formula isn't so wet I'm actually really digging it. Still don't get the pointy-on-the-end wand a la Benefit's They're Real. This mascara did remind me how much I adore silicone/rubber brushes, and made me wonder if I should get MAC Studio Fix Lash again.
5. I haven't swatched the Sleek Blush By 3 trios yet. I will, I promise. Lately, I haven't had any days off on the weekends, and any time I'm not at work I'm doing homework or with my boyfriend (really I'm just using him for Skyrim).
6. I GOT SHINY TODAY. This is an awesome moment for me. The skin on my forehead is actually relaxed and comfortable. I wonder if it's the foundation, because I skipped my morning routine (what little of it there is) because I was running late.
I'll get back to regular posting eventually, I promise. I'm in my senior year and I'm just swamped lately. Thanks for sticking with me :)
1. I recently tried cleaning some especially dirty foundation and eyeshadow brushes with MAC Cleanse Off Oil followed by Dr. Bronner's and/or Baby Shampoo. OH MY LORD, guys. It was awesome. I got the stubborn spot of foundation out of the middle of my Sigma F80. My buffing brushes are so clean in the middle. I'm in love. I also need more cleansing oil.
2. Speaking of buffing brushes, just today I finally saw the light about buffing foundation in vs. using a paddle foundation brush. I finally didn't have pores! I will have to try this with my other formulas but it worked well with Lancome Teint Miracle.
3. Also speaking of washing brushes, I picked up a couple packs of Brush Guards and am liking them so far too. Only used them once, but so far so good. I still dry my brushes on the side, not upside down, but whatever. I wish the Real Techniques brushes didn't have that stand on the handle so the guards fit.
3. I'm loving the Maybelline Color Tattoos as bases. Still haven't gotten the knack of blending two colors of cream shadow together. I promise to swatch these!
4. The Revlon 3D Photoready mascara doesn't suck like I thought it did when I first got it. I meant to return, but threw out my receipt. I picked it up two or so weeks later, and now that the formula isn't so wet I'm actually really digging it. Still don't get the pointy-on-the-end wand a la Benefit's They're Real. This mascara did remind me how much I adore silicone/rubber brushes, and made me wonder if I should get MAC Studio Fix Lash again.
5. I haven't swatched the Sleek Blush By 3 trios yet. I will, I promise. Lately, I haven't had any days off on the weekends, and any time I'm not at work I'm doing homework or with my boyfriend (really I'm just using him for Skyrim).
6. I GOT SHINY TODAY. This is an awesome moment for me. The skin on my forehead is actually relaxed and comfortable. I wonder if it's the foundation, because I skipped my morning routine (what little of it there is) because I was running late.
I'll get back to regular posting eventually, I promise. I'm in my senior year and I'm just swamped lately. Thanks for sticking with me :)
Monday, March 12, 2012
A little break
So I think I'm getting bored of the 30 in 30 90 posts. I'm on spring break right now, and if the weather agrees I'm going to try to retake as many of my pictures as I can on a better camera with more consistent lighting/angle/size. I schlepped home a good chunk of my makeup and I'm going to swatch as much new-to-me/the blog stuff as I can--I didn't buy all of the Revlon Lip Butters and Maybelline Color Tattoos for nothing, right?
I hope y'all aren't too heartbroken. I'll go back and finish the rest of the questions at some point. Suffice it to say that experiment...could have gone better. Thanks for sticking by me anyway :)
Tanky/Becca
I hope y'all aren't too heartbroken. I'll go back and finish the rest of the questions at some point. Suffice it to say that experiment...could have gone better. Thanks for sticking by me anyway :)
Tanky/Becca
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
30 Makeup Posts in 30 Days: #20
20. What is your favorite nighttime look?
This:
I'm still a bit skittish about posting my face online due to my career aspirations, so if this picture disappears I'll describe it. Sorry it's so dark!
This:
I'm still a bit skittish about posting my face online due to my career aspirations, so if this picture disappears I'll describe it. Sorry it's so dark!
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