• Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush 106S vs. Arbonne Liquid Foundation Brush vs. Sephora Liquid Foundation Brush

    This or That | Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush 106S vs. Arbonne Liquid Foundation Brush vs. Sephora Liquid Foundation Brush

    January 2, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Today I’m doing a 3-way This or That because I had three different brands of foundation brushes. Each of the brushes I bought as part of a set:

    • Sephora- to be honest, I can’t remember what this brush came with and it’s not in my order history. I think it was a travel brush kit. This brush from the PRO collection looks the most similar out of the brushes they currently offer.
    • Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation + Smoothing Skin Equalizer Customizable Set | $83 CAD
      • Step 1 Skin Equalizer smoothing primer
      • Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation (your choice)
      • Artisan Brush 106S (the brush is a short version of the 106)
    • Arbonne Cosmetics Brush Set #7098 (6-piece brush set) | $47 CAD

    The only reason I have a MUFE foundation brush is because it came in the set. I prefer applying my liquid foundation with sponges, so I probably wouldn’t buy a liquid foundation brush on its own.

    sephora brush.PNGSephora liquid foundation brush

    I do have another Sephora foundation brush, but it’s a little worse for wear. It is softer than this travel-sized brush, but performs about the same.

    arbonneArbonne

    100% vegan and cruelty-free

    Liquid Foundation / Flat Brush: Great for liquid foundations
    and concealer for proper blending; features a rounded head to match the natural contours of the face such as the corners under the eyes.

    mufeMake Up For Ever Artisan Brush

    This is a larger variation of a foundation brush for applying and blending ultra fast for an even result with fuller coverage. It can be used with all types of foundations and features straight fibers.

    brushes

    I used the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Foundation for the swatches (the swatches are aligned with the picture of the brushes- top swatch is Sephora, middle is Arbonne and bottom is MUFE). I pumped once directly onto the brush just to see how much product it absorbed. The swatches are after two swipes of the brush. As you can see, the Sephora swatch on the top is shiny which means the foundation was still wet. When I did the second swipe, I did my best to go directly on top of the previous swatches. The Sephora brush fanned out a bit when it touched my skin. The Arbonne brush is denser/thicker (the other two are flatter). The Make Up For Ever brush is the widest and the swatch above shows that. The Sephora brush’s bristles aren’t as soft as the other two. Out of the three, the MUFE one is the softest, but it absorbs the most product.liquid foundation brushes.PNG

    I wanted to do swatches on a flat surface that wouldn’t absorb product, so I used a foundation palette. I pumped three equal-sized dots of Maybelline’s Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation and I swiped the brushes twice to see how much product absorbs into the brush. Again, the swatches are in the same order: Sephora (top), Arbonne and MUFE. The Sephora one is the darkest and MUFE is the lightest swatch because the Sephora brush barely absorbs any foundation and the MUFE one absorbs the most. The Sephora brush has the stiffest bristles which reminds me of a paintbrush. The Arbonne brush is okay, but it’s not as wide as the other two, but it’s denser which means a lot of product gets lost in the brush. The MUFE brush is wide and flat and the bristles are soft. That’s why I have to give the win to the MUFE brush.

    WINNER: Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush

    Do you prefer sponges or brushes to apply liquid foundation? What’s your favourite brand for brushes/sponges?

    Love,

    jen

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  • Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer vs. Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primer (Redness Correcting)

    This or That | Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer vs. Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primer (Redness Correcting)

    December 18, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m comparing two high end colour correcting primers: Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer- Adjust and Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primer- Redness Correcting Primer.

    I own the travel-sized Smashbox primer, but used the 1 oz price to compare it to the Make Up For Ever primer.

    media-20171218121212Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer- Adjust

    Look less red! This green-toned primer color-corrects redness, blurs pores, evens skin tone & reduces the appearance of fine lines.

    media-2017121812Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primer- Redness Correcting Primer

    REDNESS CORRECTING PRIMER instantly neutralizes and evens out red tones for flawless foundation coverage. Green Spectraflex® pigments color correct redness and boost radiance while moisturizing agents provide hydration. Skin tone is evened out for a flawless makeup all day long.

    111224.png

    The Smashbox primer didn’t reduce any redness, when you blend it into your skin. It’s like they added a green tint to their silicone photo finish primer that blurs pores. The green sort of just moves around and doesn’t blend in as well.

    The Make Up For Ever primer has the consistency of a moisturizer/serum and when you blend it into your skin, it actually neutralizes redness. Although if you constantly have to cover up redness, I suggest investing in a colour correcting concealer instead of a primer.

    WINNER: Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primer- Redness Correcting Primer

    If you’re looking at which primer actually conceals redness, Make Up For Ever is the winner. If you prefer Smashbox Primers, I would just buy the Photo Finish one and then use a colour correcting concealer on top of it because when I was blending the swatches on my hand, I was just moving green chunks around on my hand.

    I get red on and around my nose and chin, and sometimes the Make Up For Ever primer doesn’t cover it. I think if you get very mild redness, then the primer is okay, but if you constantly need to cover up redness, I think it’s best to invest in a colour correcting concealer and just get a regular face primer. I absolutely love the two other Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primers that I’ve tried: smoothing (For Large Pores & Fine Lines) and hydrating (Universal formula for normal skin with occasional dryness). They have a light scent to them, like a nice perfume. Make Up For Ever has four natural finish primers: hydrating, redness correcting, nourishing and smoothing. They also sell a mattifying one and radiant finish colour correcting primers (blue, pink, yellow, peach, caramel and mauve).

    Some recommendations for a colour correcting concealer: Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid and the NYX HD Photogenic Concealer Wand- Green. The Urban Decay and NYX ones are similar, the NYX one is a dupe for the Urban Decay one in terms of the type of product, but the shades of green are very different and the NYX one is thicker. Even from my swatches below, you can see that the NYX one has absorbed into my skin a bit and the Urban Decay one is more liquid.

    media-20171218

    NYX HD Photogenic Concealer Wand- Green

    Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid

    What are your fave colour correcting products?

    Love,

    jen

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  • This or That | Maybelline Master Precise Curvy Liquid Liner vs. Milani Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner

    October 3, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    I can’t believe it’s already October and Canadian Thanksgiving is this weekend, where has the year gone? It feels like just yesterday everyone was getting read to go back to school, and now it’s almost midterm time for students. Let’s get started on my first post of this series.

    Today, I’m comparing two drugstore liquid liners: Maybelline vs. Milani Cosmetics. Both liners are innovative, easy to use pens for easy grip.

    Let me start off by saying that I’m terrible at doing winged liner, especially getting the wings even. Anything that’s geared towards helping me get that perfect wing, I’m open to trying. I’ve tried gel liners, but my favourite liners are pencils. I use kohl liners to tightline, so I’ve only bought a handful of liquid liners.

    To compare the two, the Master Precise liner is a lot thicker and the liner itself isn’t as dark. It’s a great liner if you’re going for a thicker, Amy Winehouse look. The Eye Tech liner gives a thinner, sharper wing; the tip is rigid enough that I can get a good flick.

    maybelline.PNGMaybelline Master Precise Curvy Liquid Liner

    Master Precise Curvy liquid eyeliner with an innovative grip and patent pending curve hugging tip. Now, you control the curve! This liquid eyeliner features an easy grip pen to provide the ultimate control in application. Maybelline’s patent pending tip, hugs lids for a seamless curvy line.

    milaniMilani Cosmetics Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner

    If you’ve ever struggled with liquid eyeliner before—ever had it skip or smear—the mistake-proof Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner is for you. The high tech, felt-tip tool makes a liquid lined eye a breeze. The non-feathering, water-resistant formula comes in the richest, deepest black available. Use this liquid liner for a long-wearing, intense eye look that’s professionally precise.

    WINNER: Milani Cosmetics Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner

    At some point, I’ll have to test a regular Maybelline liquid liner pen and some other drug store brands to see how the felt tips are, but between these two, I award the win to the Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner.

    What are your fave liquid liners?

    Love,

    jen

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  • Dupe It Out | Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Hairbrush vs. Claire’s Detangling Brush

    August 24, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    Welcome to my first post in the Dupe It Out Series. Today, I’ll be comparing hair detangling brushes: The Original Detangling Hairbrush by Tangle Teezer and a Mint Detangling Hairbrush dupe from Claire’s. I’ve already written a full review on the Tangle Teezer brush.

    Tangle_Teezer_Original_Professional_Detangling_Hairbrush___Black_1511951069Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Brush

    The Original is the ultimate detangling hairbrush. Using our innovative two-tiered teeth system technology, it detangles with minimum fuss, breakage and damage, leaving hair smooth, soft and shiny.

    97288_2Claire’s Mint Detangling Hairbrush

    Look after your hair by getting through all those stubborn knots with our super soft detangling hairbrushes!

    WINNER: Tangle Teezer’s Original Detangling Brush

    The Claire’s one wasn’t ergonomically designed to fit into your palm. I have a fairly large palm and I kept dropping it because it’s so slippery. I’ve had a few close calls where it almost fell into the toilet. I have dropped it on the floor a few times. I bought a Forever 21 detangler with a handle, but it was rock hard and hurt to comb my hair. The Claire’s and Tangle Teezer are much softer on the scalp.

    I was blow drying my hair and using the Claire’s detangler, but I got a bit too close to the heat. The dryer melted the detangler into my hair! I had to re-wash a section of my hair to get the little bits of mint green plastic out.

    *At the time of writing this, the Tangle Teezers with handles didn’t exist yet. I would definitely choose a Tangle Teezer with a handle over the no handle ones.

    Have you tried hair detanglers?

    Love,

    jen

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