In today’s edit, I’m talking about natural vs synthetic brushes, routines, and showcasing some makeup videos for products that I’ve been interested in lately.
articles to read
Natural vs Synthetich Makeup Brushes by Frends Beauty – Lately I’ve been doing some makeup brush research as I try to decide if I want to buy more natural hair brushes or stick to synthetic from now on. I personally see a difference in application. I’m not saying that synthetic brushes don’t apply product well, but I do feel that natural hair applies it better. My issue is upkeep and care. It is just easier to care for synthetic brushes and I’m not as concerned about messing them up. This article from Frends beauty helped me understand why I might be getting better results from natural hair brushes, especially for powder products. If you are not familiar with them, Frends Beauty is a beauty supply store for professional hair and makeup artistry supplies. While they are open to the public, their expertise has been gained by mostly serving professionals since 1940.
The Benefit of Routines – As someone who often thinks I’m boring for doing mostly the same things every day, it was nice to read about how helpful routines can be for both productivity and mental wellness.
Videos to Watch
There have been a lot of new releases lately that I found myself looking into, but ultimately not buying. So I figured I’d share some videos that helped me make that decision in case anyone else had their eye on the same products.
I have to give a shout out to Emily Noel on Youtube for this concept. It has been a while, but she has done a couple older videos about What’s OLD at the Drugstore that I enjoyed. So I thought with the Sephora VIB sale starting soon, I’d talk recommendations that aren’t the newest things to the market. The sale dates are 9 April 2021 – 19 April, 2021 depending on your membership tier.
Shiseido Visionary Gel Lipstick – 212 Wood Block, $26.00
Shiseido Visionary Gel Lipstick in 212 Woodblock
This only has 1.6 g of product and traditional lipsticks have about 3.0 to 3.5 g, so that is something to keep in mind. If you are a bang for your buck kind of shopper, I’d pass on this one.
Shiseido Visionary Gel Lipstick in 212 Woodblock
This formula has somewhat of a slick or slippery feeling when you apply it but it does dry down to feel more creamy. It has nice pigment to it and doesn’t accentuate my lip lines. This line of lipsticks is also well reviewed by Temptalia, so you can check her site for swatches of the other colors.
Bobbi Brown Mini Shimmer Brick Highlighter – Bronze, $25.00
If you have ever been curious about the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick this is already a good deal but even better with the extra percentage off. Since highlighter takes a long time to use up anyway, I don’t think the smaller size is an issue. I find the quality to be consistent with the regular $48 size. I think this is a nice formula, it can get a little shimmery if you pack it on, but with a light hand I do think it can be applied in a subtle way.
L to R: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Sunset Pink and Bronze
Sephora only has the shade bronze currently in stock, but the Bobbi Brown website does have the shade rose in stock as well (they are having 25% off until 11 April 2021 @ 11:59 PT). The shade Sunset Pink was a limited edition color, but this was the only picture I had to be able to showcase the bronze shade for you.
L to R: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Sunset Pink and Bronze
Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat, $29.00
In my mind, this is a naked basics palette. I think that if they had marketed this palette as the Naked Heat Basics Eyeshadow Palette, there may have been a better reception. I think that since the marketing focused on the shades being brand new colors, reviewers spent too much time comparing it to the Naked Heat Palette. Not a lot of people talked about it as a stand alone product, or even as a companion to other eyeshadows you may already own. It is easy to forget that not everyone wants or needs 12 shades of eyeshadow.
Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat
This is a nice little palette. The texture is slightly drier and a little dusty compared to the Naked Heat and the Naked Cherry, but I don’t find that to interfere with performance. However, if you like a creamy matte texture, I don’t think you’ll enjoy this formula.
Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat
Sephora Lip Stories – 10 Yum Yum, $9.00
I don’t have a picture of this product, but wanted to shine some light on it anyway. The formula on this lipstick is smooth and creamy. I was disappointed to find out that something in the formula irritated my lips because I was really impressed by the formula. I don’t think the formula will be in issue for most people. The way they were hyped up back when they were first released, I didn’t hear of anyone else having irritation or sensitivity issues. I do want to warn you that the packaging does feel cheap, but it is only $9.00 at Sephora, so I’d say that should be expected. The entire Sephora Collection will be 30% off during the sale, so that brings the price down to $6.30. This discount can not be combined with the VIB sale code.
Happy Shopping!
9 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – VIB Rouge tier can shop
13 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – VIB tier can shop
15 April 2021 – 19 April 2021 – Insider tier can shop
If you enjoyed this post, please consider sticking around and checking out more of my content.
Brands A-Z: Check out this index if you want to know what products I have posted about in the past.
MAC Cosmetics: I likely have some swatches you’ve been searching for if you love Mac as much as I do.
Shop My Stash: Join me as I share swatches of my products and occasionally search for alternatives to new releases.
**Disclaimer: I purchased all products featured with my own money. This site participates in the WordAds program, receiving a minimal commission from displayed ads. For my full disclosure policy, click here.
The Dior Dune collection for Summer 2021 should start showing up at retailers this month. As usual chicprofile.com has a great breakdown of the entire collection. I haven’t been buying as much Dior in the last couple of years, but I’m hoping for some good reviews.
I am a researcher by nature, so I often find myself doing deep dives into random topics. A little while ago I started looking into the Endowment Effect, which is when we assign more value to an item simply because we own it. I started to notice that I owned products that I don’t think are objectively better, but I still prefer to use them over a comparable better option. That got me thinking about why that might be, and as it turned out, several of them I happened to own longer and have more experience with. As a beauty blogger I spend more time analyzing my makeup products than most “average” consumers, so I get that the “why” of things doesn’t always matter. I just have a curious mind and I tend to enjoy this type of information. The endowment Effect: Why ownership makes you overvalue your things – is a long read, and it gets into a lot of research, but I found it fascinating and wanted to share it.
Videos to Watch
I always find videos from Audrey Coyne helpful, but I thought this video in particular was worth sharing. I thought it was a great example of finding ways to recreate the feeling of an outfit without buying anything new.
I am not at all handy, but I absolutely love watching people restore old homes to their former glory.
I just want to have a quick chat about removing the apprehension around purchasing products that aren’t permanent. Don’t shy away from limited-edition releases. If you’re an “average” makeup consumer (like you have a makeup bag or drawer), then you’re going to love that item and use it up. By the time it is gone, you’ll either be ready to try something new or there will be a better product on the market.
On the other hand, if you’re a makeup “enthusiast” or “collector”(you can’t imagine everything fitting into one drawer), then you may not likely finish that product anyway. And if you do finish it, it’s still true that it will take a long time, and since you’re an enthusiast, you’ll be buying something new anyway. Or you already have another similar item that can take its place.
If you watch beauty videos on YouTube, you have likely heard several people say they can’t keep or use limited-edition products because their audience can no longer purchase them. Well, that circumstance does not have to apply to you. You don’t have to adopt that thought process just because someone you like watching thinks that way. When you find that someone is using a product you want, but can’t purchase, it can be disappointing. I understand that completely. But the truth is, there is always something similar. And since we all have different coloring, sometimes a similar item may work even better for you. For example, if you see someone using a pink blush that was limited edition, you can just use any pink blush that suits your features to get that look.
