May 31, 2011

Becca Halcyon Days: Nail Polish in Tangerine Dreams


the other nail polish shade (next to Summerdaze) i bought from the Becca Halcyon Days collection is called Tangerine Dreams. this is the first time Becca does nail products, and i find they're doing it really well!
their polishes have rubberized tops and a wide flat brush. Tangerine Dreams has a liquidy texture and applies very evenly, better than Summerdaze. it dries quickly to a glossy finish and smells much less offensive than other polishes i own. it's free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Camphor and DBP.
this shade is a cream peachy coral and is a great bright summer nail polish but still very wearable thanks to its sheer and light appearance. it's opaque in 2 thin coats, but it's already very even in one coat so you could surely wear it sheer like that.
it looks great on tanned skin and warm skin tones. this is the perfect colour for everyone who wants to try out THE colour of this summer *orange* but doesn't go too bright. also, a real yellowy orange doesn't look good on many skin tones and pale skins, but this shade is very flattering because it's more of a coral with orange hues.
it lasts over 2 days on me without chipping and tipwear, but i had to remove it then so i can't say more about longevity.
it contains 14ml and costs 12£/14.40€. i ordered it on zuneta.com.




comparison
click to enlarge so you can see the swatches better ;)
MNY 009A - Becca Tangerine Dreams - Essence What Do You Think? - Catrice I Scream Peach

Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush


as i have told you earlier, i also bought the Luxury Face Brush by Edward Bess since i'm such a brush-fanatic and actually can't really resist not to try at least one or two of each brand. luckily this brand only offers two brushes at the moment, so i can both enjoy to test out their brushes but can also proudly state that i own their whole brush collection haha (this sounds better than it looks in real ;)).
click here to read my review on the Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush.
this little face brush left quite a big dent in my budget with its 44£/~52€ price point, but i love face brushes and from all the amazing reviews about it, it seemed to be a no-brainer ;) (and hey, if you follow Edward's philosophy, you would only need this one brush for your face make up so the price relativates). i ordered on zuneta.com.

this is what they say about it (and the brand) on zuneta.com:

"Investing in good brushes is always worth it. As with the rest of his collection, Edward has kept his collection edited with only a luxury face brush and a luxury eye brush. The majority of his collection has been designed to be easily applyable with your fingers.
This is what Edward says about his brush:
'Experience ultimate luxury for the face. Perfectly designed to define and accentuate. Expertly crafted with hand-shaped, natural bristles set in sleek weighted metal for superb application. Presented in a signature black box'.

Edward Bess is a stunning, sexy new make-up line, made up of wearable shades, luxurious formulas and simple, design led packaging. Edward started his career as a successful male model, spending his time between London & New York. In 2006, he decided to focus fully on developing his cosmetic line, concentrating on bringing to life his vision of female beauty. Edward’s gentle nature combined with his extremely qualitative products has insured the brand has become an instant success. Edward Bess is currently stocked at Bergdorf Goodman (NYC) and Zuneta.com."


this brush comes in it's own gift box and would make a really classy gift for any cosmetics-lover. it has this little acrylic (! - not thin plastic) protection tube around it that you could use to adjust the density and head size of the brush with when you leave it on the brush like a belt (hope you can imagine what i mean). of course my head was full of air when i received the brush, drooled over it and somehow lost (or maybe even thrown away) this helpful little tool - this usage idea hasn't even come to my mind at the time (i have read about it afterwards) and i only wanted to tidy up the photo-location ;)
it's a kabuki type brush with a short stand up handle that in fact is longer than most kabuki brushes and is made of metal. it feels heavy and secure in my hand, still not too heavy and the handle is not too thick. the brush is made of natural hair, i think it's goat hair even though i can't find out anything official about the hair type. it's densely packed but not as dense as your usual kabuki brush, it's more like a more dense face brush that's round bounded and flat dome shaped.
it's quite slender at the beginning but fluffs out quite a bit after washing. it washes nicely without shedding and it only bled a bit of greyish dye. it dries quickly (in about 6h) but you should find a way to let it dry upside down. for washing tips, you could take a look at my brush-care post ;)


pre-wash
post wash

let me state that this is not a soft brush.
that's the main let down for me - experiencing so many great brushes that are soft but still have a good resistance and fluffiness (hello Trish McEvoy, i love you!), i was somehow disappointed that i don't really like the feeling of this brush on my skin. it's made of a blend of uncut (that means the hairs have naturally grown ends) and cutted hair (which is cheaper and would add volume and resistance to a brush but feels prickly on the skin) - with this brush maybe 70:30%. but since the cutted hair is not bounded shorter than the soft hair but with the same length, it feels a bit harsh on my skin when i touch it with the brush head surface. with the Luxury Eye Brush EB shows that they can do it, i don't know why they don't use the same technique here. swiping is ok, but tapping feels not so great.
this is really only nagging on the highest level, but still has to be said.
if you feel ok with MAC brushes like the 150, 116 or 129 - this brush is better in hair quality so you won't be disappointed.
because it's still a good brush that works perfectly fine. i like it to apply sheer bronzers like the Chanel Bronze Rosé or also the Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream. it picks up the ideal amount and has the perfect size and fluffiness to apply in seamless sweeps on your bronzer-areas.
you could also use it for powder or blusher, it's supposed to be a multi-purpose brush (the video on zuneta is again very helpful since you can see how the master himself uses it :P). although i wouldn't recommend it to apply mineral foundation or buff in any product since it's too loose And prickly for that.
however i reach for other brushes more often - for the similar type and size i like my MAC 181 mini kabuki brush. it's denser so i have to be more careful with application but also a lot softer.


MAC 182 - Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush - MAC 181
MAC 182 - Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush - MAC 181

UPDATE ;)

look what i found:


it's that acrylic tube. now my brush keeps its shape even better and i can use the tube to adjust the density/head size. great, huh?
so don't forget to keep this nice little helper ;)


May 30, 2011

Becca Halcyon Days: Nail Polish in Summerdaze


Becca launched three nail polish shades for the first time in their summer look Halcyon Days. all really wearable, beautiful shades which i had to have 2 of after i watched the application video on zuneta.com (the one i didn't get was a nude shade). the polishes are free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, Camphor and DBP.
this comes in a normal bottle with a rubberized top (which allows a good grip and control) and has a slightly wider flat brush.
today i want to show you the colour Summerdaze. it's a cream pinky peach shade, i like that it's soft and not too bright. the colour really enhances your tan since it doesn't contain too much white. i also really like that it doesn't smell too strong at all.
the texture is very good, it's liquidy but not too runny and applies as an even thin first layer - you could easily go with one layer for a very subtle sheer warm pink nail. the second coat makes it opaque, however you should buff your nails first or apply a base coat to avoid an uneven finish. it dries quickly to a glossy finish, but i still like to use a top coat over it.
it lasts well on me - i had no chipping or tipwear after over 2 days (but had to remove it then).
this nail polish contains 14ml and costs 12£/~14.40€.



comparison
click to enlarge so you can see the swatches better ;)
Alessandro Clementine - Emily Papaya - Essence Heart Chakra - Becca Summerdaze - Artdeco 26 - MNY 009A


Guerlain Ecrin 6 Couleurs in #2 Place Vendôme: looks




in my post about my 3 Guerlain Ecrin 6 Couleurs palettes from the beginning time of this blog, i haven't done eye looks with each palette like i tend to do now. but i really want to show you some looks you can create with it, so you can see how versatile they can be (especially at the high price point of 72€).
click here to get to my review of these palettes.
i want to start with the #2 Place Vendôme first.



  1. satin ivory/bone beige
  2. satin gray toned beige/golden sand
  3. shimmering cool toned old gold (my favourite colour)
  4. matte cool dark gray/charcoal
  5. pearly royal blue in the center
  6. satin deep indigo with royal blue pearl as liner colour
  7.  


neutral look:






smokey blue:


  • #1 as brow bone highlight with Hakuhodo S121G
  • #3 on the inner third of the lid and 2/3 into the lower lashline with Sigma SS239
  • #5 on the outer parts of the lid  up into the crease and lower lashline with MAC 242 and blended together with inner third in feathering strokes
  • #2 used to blend everything up into the crease with Rouge Bunny Rouge Crease Brush
  • #4 to smoke out the outer corner and feather out to a cat eye with MakeUpShow H13 Blending Brush
  • #6 used wet as eyeliner with A'Squirrel Angled Liner Brush





i did one look on each eye ;) for the rest of my face i used:
  • La Roche Posay Cicaplast as primer
  • Hourglass Veil Liquid Foundation in no.1 mixed with Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Almond Milk Parfait applied with the BeautyBlender
  • Edward Bess Platinum Concealer in Soft Beige for under eyes with Hakuhodo 212
  • Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre in #20 Clair with A'Squirrel Powder Brush
  • Shiseido Brow Pencil in GY901 and Alverde clear brow gel
  • The Body Shop Big&Curvy mascara
  • Becca Mineral Blush in Flowerchild
  • Chanel Rouge Allure Lacque in #77 Santal on the lips



May 29, 2011

Becca Halcyon Days: Mineral Blush in Flowerchild




i fell in love with Becca's summer look Halcyon Days and ordered some items on zuneta.com - today i want to show you the Mineral Blush in Flowerchild.
it contains 6g and costs 25£/~29.49€ which is a fairly high price tag - but i really wanted to try their blushes since i've heard so many good things about them. also the product videos on zuneta.com are very helpful so i doubted less.
it comes in a really sturdy rubberized compact with the signature Becca-medal on the lid.
Flowerchild is a coral pink with very fine gold shimmer. it's smooth and pigmented and has a very finely milled texture. it swatches almost like a satin finish but applies evenly as a warm light cotton candy pink flush with a fine pale gold sheen without beeing greasy or emphasizing on uneven skin. i like to use a soft squirrel hair brush with it to avoid it to get messy, i only need to tap twice into the pan for one cheek. it's easily buildable to a richer flush.
it stays all day on me without getting blotchy or oxidizing. this is a pretty colour that goes with many eye make ups and looks great with a slight tan.
however i find i a bit hard to choose the blush colours sight unseen and find this shade a bit too "common" for my stash, but i get lured into such colours over and over again ;)

Becca Mineral Blush in Flowerchild in natural lighting: swatched heavily and blended out

this is how it looks worn:


comparison:
NARS Orgasm - Laura Mercier Orange Blossom - Becca Flowerchild - NARS Deep Throat - MAC Shell Pearl
NARS Orgasm - Laura Mercier Orange Blossom - Becca Flowerchild - NARS Deep Throat - MAC Shell Pearl



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