IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Powder Brush

IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Powder Brush 

Today, I want to share with you a look at my new IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Powder Brush.  This is a newer brush to my collection, but it has become a fast favorite. Since, I got this brush, I've been using it every single day to apply my powder products. It works great with both pressed and loose powders, and even buffing on bronzer. 

What makes it so special?

This brush is just so soft, and the bristles are so extremely dense, that you get a perfect airbrushed application with every use!  It even works with liquid foundation if you prefer to buff on  your base, this brush will do it with ease.  Due to the large head of bristles, this brush also cuts down on the time it takes for your foundation and setting powder routine. When I first got this brush, I just couldn't stop rubbing my hand over the bristles! Yes, it feels that amazing. The rubber handle provides the perfect grip.   The best news? This super plush brush is 100% cruelty free!  There are so many bristles in this brush, that it really helps with an even distribution of product, no matter what medium you are working with. 

Here is a closer look at the brush:

As you can see from the above photo, it fits perfectly in my hand. The shorter handle is nice, if you like to sit close to a mirror when applying your makeup, as you don't have to worry about the handle bumping up against your reflection.

I read once that if your makeup skills are average, but you add in a superior quality brush to your routine, that alone will step up your makeup game. I am always looking for ways to make my makeup application easier, and save me time in the morning. This brush really helps with that for sure.

I hope you can really see from the above picture just how dense these synthetic bristles are. They pick up the perfect amount of product every time, and blend like a dream. I would certainly say "Heavenly Luxe" is an appropriate name for this luxurious powder brush.

If you are interested in purchasing this brush, you can do so at QVC or QVC.com for $48 in the United States. If you are in Canada, this brush is available at The Shopping Channel & theshoppingchannel.com

I hope you enjoyed this look at my new favorite powder brush!  Do you own this one? If not, will you be picking it up?


*Note: This brush was sent for consideration by the company. This in no way alters my review. I do not get paid to write reviews. I promise my readers that all opinions are my own. I am recommending this product because I truly love it, and I hope you do too!

Spotlight: Kiss My Sass Cosmetics

Kiss My Sass Cosmetics

As you may have read in a previous post of mine, this year I vowed to review more independent makeup brands. I first saw Kiss My Sass Cosmetics used in a YouTube tutorial by another beauty blogger/YouTube makeup artist. She mentioned that the brand is cruelty-free and offers many vegan options, which is why I decided to try it. Luckily, the brand was kind enough to offer me a discounted sample bundle for purchase where I was able to pick out several shades to try. Over the past couple of weeks or so, I've been testing these loose shadows both dry and with the use of a mixing medium, and I am very pleased with the brand. 

There are numerous shades of eyeshadow offered in a variety of finishes.  The brand also offers other color cosmetics, which I plan on buying in the future. 

Here are the shadows I tested from KMS Cosmetics:

Pictured Above (from left to right): Sandcastle (vegan), Beach Sand, Sahara (vegan)

Sandcastle is an awesome highlight color. It's a matte cream, that is very pigmented, and works great just under the brow or as a base color for other looks. Beach Sand is described as a pale nude with a peachy-pink undertone. To me, it looks like a light champagne color with very subtle shimmer. I use it as an inner corner highlight, on a very small brush, just under the brow bone, or sheered out over the lid for a wash of color. Sahara is a matte clay color. I love this as a transition color when doing a smokey eye to add some warmth.

Pictured Above (from left to right): Tea Rose, Bubbles (vegan), Blossom (vegan)

Tea Rose is a peachy pink with subtle golden shimmer, perfect for an allover lid color. Bubbles is a matte light mauve. This is a great spring color, that can be washed sheerly over the lid, or built up with darker colors for a smokey eye.  Blossom is a matte peachy pink. It's similar to Tea Rose, minus the shimmer though Tea Rose leans more on the peachy side than Blossom. 

Pictured Above (from left to right):  Cocoa (vegan), Nutmeg (vegan), Chocolate Truffle (vegan)

Cocoa is a medium matte brown. I used it to create the below brown smokey eye by blending it into the crease of my eye. Nutmeg is a medium warm brown, that I packed on the lid for the eyeshadow look below. Chocolate Truffle is the reason I wanted to check out this brand. The tutorial I watched used this color, and I was blown away by the richness of the shadow. This is a darkened brown with with pink, red and copper shimmer. The color has a lot of depth to it, and looks extra beautiful when used with a damp angled brush as liner.

Pictured Above (from left to right): Charcoal (vegan), Negligee (vegan), Cemetery Gates (vegan)

 Charcoal is a matte slate gray, perfect for a smokey eye, or liner. Negligee is a muted plum/purple with colored shimmer. I actually love these 3 shadows used together to create a smokey eye with a little added interest because of the plum shadow. Cemetery Gates is another favorite for me. It's a metallic silver, with a green sheen to it. This color really helped bring out the light gray flecks in my eyes when I wear it.


All of the shadows I tested were true to the descriptions listed on the site. I found these all to blend well on the eye and the matte shadows are true matte, while the shimmer shades, all have very fine sophisticated shimmer rather than chunky glitter.

Here are swatches of the shadows:

 Pictured Above (from left to right): Beach Sand, Nutmeg, Chocolate Truffle, Cocoa

 Pictured Above (from left to right): Charcol, Negligee, Cemetery Gates, Sahara, Sandcastle, Bubbles, Tea Rose, Blossom

And here is a closer look:

 First picture above: Charcol, Negligee, Cemetery Gates, Sahara, Sandcastle

Second picture above: Sahara, Sandcastle, Bubbles, Tea Rose, Blossom

Here is a brown smokey eye I created using the brown shadows from my sample pack:

To start, I used Sandcastle as an allover base, highlighting more strongly with it under the brow and on the inner corner and inner 1/3rd of the lid.  I then patted Nutmeg onto my lid using a flat stiff brush.  I swept Cocoa into the crease for added depth. To deepen the look further, I used Chocolate Truffle on the outer corner of my eye, in the crease, and then on a dampened angle brush as liner. For added warmth, I swept Sahara where my crease and highlight color met just to soften and ensure a smooth transition. On a very small brush, I took Beach Sand and put just a touch around my tear ducts and on the inner corner of the eye, and just a little bit right under my brow. 

This brown smokey eye works with all eye colors and was very easy to create, as the shadows blend quite smoothly.

 If you are interested in purchasing full sizes of any of the shadows seen in this post, you can click here: 

http://kiss-my-sass.com/Kiss My Sass

I hope you enjoyed this peek at Kiss My Sass Cosmetics. I also just want to add that the owner, was super sweet to deal with, and I personally like giving business to nice people, so I will buying more from this brand for sure! 

If  you like what you've read, please do not forget to subscribe! It's free, and subscribing helps support the site, and let me know that you enjoy my posts!  xoxo LNC

 

Spotlight: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders 

If you've read my January Favorites post, you'll know that I have really been enjoying the new Ambient Lighting Powders by Hourglass. With six beautiful colors to choose from, you may be wondering which is right for you. Luckily, Hourglass put out something for everyone!  While I don't have all six, I do have five of them. Some of you have been asking to see swatches, so I thought I'd include swatches, better descriptions and which brushes I prefer for application.

Here is a closer look at the shades I have:

 From left to right: Ethereal (white), Diffused (yellow), Luminous (champagne), Mood (lavender), Radiant (golden beige with shimmer) - Above with flash, below without.

 These were somewhat difficult to swatch because the shades are sheer. They are not highlighting powders, but rather meant to be worn allover the face as a setting powder. Therefore, they are not heavily pigmented like an eyeshadow, but rather bathe the face in a sheer cloak of light. 

Ethereal Light is a sheer opalescent, cool white powder. This is ideal for those with very fair skin and is meant to mimic a moonlit glow.  If used on a darker skin tone, it could work as a subtle highlighter rather than a setting powder.

Diffused Light seems to be the best match for my skin tone. It's a soft warm pale yellow which is great for those who wish to neutralize any redness in their skin. This is my favorite of the ambient powders because I feel like it really has some corrective properties in addition to setting my makeup.

Luminous Light is a champagne shade that will work best on those with a medium skin tone. However, I feel that of all of the shades available, this one is probably the most universal. Keep in mind the finger swatches are deceiving, because when applied with a brush, you get a light sheer effect, not the concentrated one seen in the photo below. I felt it was important to show a more concentrated version, to give you a better idea of the colors. This does appear to have some super fine shimmers in it, but the shimmer is undetectable on the face. Luminous creates the illusion of a candlelit glow on the face.

Mood Light is a sheer lavender/pink. Don't be scared of the word lavender. It's very light, and creates a brightening effect on the face. This is best for those who suffer from a dull or lackluster complexion. If you are looking to use some of the powders together, this one also looks pretty over a cream or powder blush just on the cheekbones. I also like this dusted lightly on the eyelids for a more awake appearance.

Radiant Light is a good choice for those with darker medium complexions to deep skin tones. This is the powder I reach for when I am going for a super bronzed look. I love this over a bronzer or self-tanned skin dusted lightly along the perimeter of the face. This really enhances deeper skin tones beautifully, and for those with lighter skin, it can help enhance the appearance of a faux tan.  This is the only powder with real noticeable shimmer in the pan and in the swatches. However once applied to the face, the shimmer is so subtle, it creates more of a satin finish than anything, but certainly does not look like glitter on the face by any stretch of the imagination. This is a very warm toned powder and the most pigmented of the ones I have.

Dim Light (not pictured) is a mix of warm and cool tones. It is a neutral peachy beige powder that I didn't purchase because I simply feel it would be too dark for my complexion and I don't think I would get much use out of it. However I am very happy that Hourglass Cosmetics included shades for everyone. It is rare that brands take all skin tones into account, so I commend them for doing so.

Now that you know the available shades, you are probably wondering how to apply this beautiful powder! I did purchase the Ambient Powder Brush (sold separately) which comes in a convenient pouch to carry in your purse without it getting dusty or damaged. I originally thought this powder would work with any large powder brush. However, I've had these for a few months now, and find they apply best with a flat brush that allows you to paint the product on rather than using a buffing type motion. 

These are the brushes that I have found work well to apply these powders:

 Pictured Above: OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics) Large Powder Brush

 Pictured Above: Cozzette S125 Oval Powder Brush

 Pictured Above: Purely Pro Cosmetics Vegan Brush - Large Pointed Face

 Pictured Above: Everyday Minerals Kuuki Brush

 Pictured Above: Eco Tools Tapered Blush Brush

 Pictured Above: Hourglass Ambient Powder Brush

I am not saying you have to run out and buy one of the brushes I've mentioned. However, I do feel this product is best applied with a flatter brush rather than a round bronzer type brush to get the full effect of the product. I tried to include brushes in every price range as I realize the powders are a bit of a splurge, and adding the cost of the brush is not feasible for everyone. 

The texture of these powders are amazing. They are finely milled, not chalky at all, and just blend so smoothly. These powders are housed in a mirrored gunmetal-like compact, which is the signature packaging of Hourglass Cosmetics. They come with a warning that they are fragile, but I am pretty clumsy and haven't had any mishaps yet (knock on wood). These miraculous powders have the ability to control shine, yet add luminosity, a task not easily mastered by any other makeup product in my arsenal. These are not highlighters, so if that's what you are looking for you may want to try another product. Like all Hourglass products, the price tag can be a bit of a shock at first. However, I think these are a worthy investment. If you are going to splurge on one makeup product this season, this should be it. These are unique, they do what they claim to, and most importantly, they really help you look your best. I am in love with these and really happy I purchased them. 

If you end up picking one of these up, I'd love to hear about it! Drop me a comment in the box below. As always, comments are approved individually, so don't worry if you don't see your comment right away. 

All products and brushes seen in this post were purchased by me. I never accept money in exchange for writing a review. As always, all products seen in this post are cruelty-free!

The Balm Cosmetics - Yes, they really are CF!

This is a bit different than my normal posts, but I think it is an important one. I know that when contacting companies about their cruelty free status, sometimes they don’t get back to us, or their reply is confusing. I have contacted The Balm on two separate occasions, and both times they got back to me promptly and with an answer that I feel is pretty clear. It is my belief that they do not test on animals. I believe that each person has to make her own decision about how they want to read into company’s replies to these types of inquiries.  I decided to post the exact wording of their response to my inquiry so that you can decide for yourself.  I have removed the name of the woman who replied for privacy purposes. 

This e-mail was sent to me today at 1:34PM:

Hi Liza,

I can tell you for certain that theBalm does NOT have an office in China, and we do not have any vendors in China that sell our products. Our site ships internationally, including to China, but they are not tested on animals here or in any other country. I hope this clears everything up. Please let me know if you have any more questions.

[Name Removed for confidentiality]

theBalm

Here is another message I received from them on January 20^th of this year:

-------- Original message --------
Subject:RE: Product question
From:The Balm Info <info@thebalm.com>
[My personal email address removed for privacy]

Hi Liza,

Thanks for your email. We do not test our products on animals.

Suppliers of raw materials used in our products certified that they have not been tested on animals since December 31, 1990 and our products have not been tested on animals.

Thanks for sending us your information, we will definitely check out your blog!

Thanks,

[Name Removed for confidentiality]

 

January Favorites

January Favorites

If you follow me on Pinterest you've probably seen my board of January favorites. I decided to write this post to go into a little more detail about why some of these things are my favorites.  To narrow it down, I only included makeup items in this post, but if you are interested in seeing brushes that made the cut too, you can view my Pinterest boards under MakeupMatters1. 

These were my top 5 favorite makeup items during the month of January:

#1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders: These setting powders really take your makeup look up a notch, making your face look as though it is always in the perfect lighting. I've worn one of these nearly every day since I purchased them. When I first got these, I thought they were highlighting powders. However, they truly work as an allover setting powder when used with a flat brush. I have never really seen a product like this before. It's unique and does exactly what it claims. Plus, these work on every skin tone, as they come in multiple shades. 

 Pictured Above: Diffused Light is a soft, warm pale yellow. This is great for neutralizing any redness

Pictured Above: Ethereal Light is a sheer opalescent, cool white powder.  This mimics a moonlit glow.

Pictured Above: Luminous Light is a champagne pearl powder that creates a candlelit glow

#2. Stila All You Need Is Love Cheek Palette: This blush palette contains four universally flattering shades that can be used individually or swirled together to create the perfect flush. I picked this up on my first trip to Ulta Beauty, and I'm really glad I did. This is the perfect blush for Spring, and even though there is still snow on the ground, I've been using this as my transition into the next season. I think it's just perfect in every way. It's compact, portable and very pretty both in the palette and on the cheek bones. 

#3. Too Faced The Secret To No Makeup Makeup Fresh & Flawless Face Palette: The "no makeup look" is a must for Spring. Mastering it is really easy with this palette. However, if you can't figure out how to use it, Too Faced cleverly inserted a How-To Glamour Guide which shows you three different looks you can achieve with the palette. I found myself using the Luminize portion of this palette quite a bit last month. 

While this may not work for all skin tones, it worked perfectly for mine.  You get a bronzing veil, concealer, cream & powder blush, luminizer and brightener.

#4. The Balm Shady Lady Vol. 2: This is not a new palette, but for some reason, it's new to me. I must have been living under a rock to not have discovered these awesome eyeshadows sooner!  The Balm really wins in the eyeshadow department in terms of texture and pigmentation. This palette gives you 9 buttery shades ranging from light to dark plus a full sized mirror. Favorites in the palette include Bossy Bobby and Insane Jane. 

#5. Balm Jovi Rockstar Face Palette: Another winner from The Balm, this creatively named palette includes a nice variety of matte, shimmer and glitter eyeshadows, a blush, luminizer and two cream colors that can be used on lips and cheeks. The bottom of the palette opens up to reveal suggestions for what colors to wear together to create a specific look. If the adorable packaging doesn't win you over, the smooth texture of the shadows and blush inside will.

All of the products in this post were purchased by me. I hope you enjoyed this look at my January favorites. If you would like to see me post my favorites every month, let me know in the comments below. I am also happy to do a more detailed review of any of the products seen here, or a tutorial if you'd like to see one.

What products did you reach for most in January?