Spotlight: NYR Organic Make-Up

Sample Sent For Consideration

NYR Organic Make-Up

 

In a previous post, I reviewed an organic skincare line by Neal's Yard Remedies (NYR Organic).  I really enjoyed the line, and after thumbing through the catalog became interested in the color cosmetics and brushes offered by this cruelty-free brand. The woman who sent me the skincare samples, was kind enough to send some make-up and a brush my way so that I could share my thoughts with you.  I selected the Damask Rose Organic Lip Gloss, Moss Mineral Eyeshadow and Eye Shadow Blender Brush. She also sent me one of their new Organic Lipsticks in the color Date.

I've been testing these products over the past few days, and I am really impressed with the quality of the line. I wore all of the products today to an outing and everything lasted through the hot weather without the eyeshadow creasing or lipstick fading. 

Here is an overview of the items I tested:

Mineral Eye Shadow in the color Moss: This is a pressed powder eyeshadow made of natural minerals, containing light reflecting mica.  The product claims to give smooth even, lasting coverage. You get 2 grams (0.07 oz.) of product housed in a clear dome shaped clam shell compact. The compact is embossed with the NYR logo on the cover. The product is indeed smooth, and upon touching it with my finger for swatching, I noticed it had an almost creamy texture although it is a powder product. I applied it with the NYR Eye Shadow Blender Brush to my lid and found that it did apply evenly.  I found the shadow lasted all day on my lids without creasing and very minimal fading at the very end of the day. I did wear this over a primer simply because I always use primer as part of my normal makeup routine. The color is, as the name suggests, a mossy green. It has a shimmery finish, and when it catches the light, reflects specks of gold. This is a really beautiful shade, and it works great solo as a wash of color on the lid, or in conjunction with other shades as I used it here (see below picture).

 Mineral Eye Shadow in Moss

For the eye look above, I used Moss as my lid color, as well as on the lower lash line.

Eye Shadow Blender Brush: If you've read some of my older posts, you may know that I think the synthetic brush world is lacking in good quality blending brushes. I think this is especially true in brushes of this shape. It's not as difficult to find a soft round domed shape brush, but a stiffer domed brush shaped like this one is not so easy to find.  Looking through the catalog, this is one product that really stood out to me, and I knew I had to try it. Luckily, it did not disappoint. The brush has a smooth navy colored matte handle and nice long silver colored ferrule.  The bristles are soft, yet they are the perfect stiffness for blending. The shape of the brush is ideal, and the look and feel of it is sophisticated and professional looking. The brush is surprisingly light weight, making it very comfortable to hold in the hand. This is a multitasker and can be used with both powder and cream shadows as well as blending out concealer. These animal-free brushes come complete with an environmentally-friendly bamboo handle. If you are interested in other brushes, the line also offers a Face & Body Brush, Blusher Brush, Eye Shadow Brush, Lip/Concealer Brush and their new Kabuki Brush. 

 Note the domed shape of the brush head

 Side View (above)

The handle is a nice length, and looks sleek and sophisticated

 Organic Lipstick in the color Date: Upon first application of this lipstick, I was very surprised at the creaminess of it. It glides on so smoothly, and my lips felt so moisturized that it almost felt like I had applied a lip balm. I went back to the catalog to see what was in it that made it so moisturizing. Sure enough, my hunch was right, it contains argan oil.  I'm a big fan of argan oil, and use it in many formats for many different things. However this is my first time using a lipstick containing argan oil in it. I tend to have chapped lips, so this immediately felt soothing. The color is a raisin red-brown with a cream finish. This lipstick can be sheered out and worn as a stain, or applied full-on for a bolder look. I tried it both ways. First I applied it using my finger to create a light stain, then topped it with the Damask Rose Gloss for a pretty Spring look.  For evening, I applied the lipstick full-on straight from the tube, and was left with rich creamy color on my lips.

 You get 0.14 oz. of product per tube

 This long lasting lip color has a nice shine to it, even before I applied the gloss

 Lip Gloss in the color Damask Rose: This is a moisturizing topper gloss that doesn't have that sticky feel that so many loathe. It feels soft and glides on easily.  This lippie contains 93% organic ingredients and has a slight taste of citrus due to the added organic orange oil. Antioxidants such as white tea also help this gloss sooth and protect the lips.  The color is a sheer dusty rose with very fine iridescent shimmers running through it. It can be worn solo, but I love it best worn over the lipstick. Each squeeze tube comes with 0.5 fl oz. of product and a slanted tip for easy application on the go. I wore mine applied with a lip brush over the lipstick for added shine. 

 The gloss has tiny iridescent shimmers running through it (pictured above)

 Pictured Above: The gloss over the Date lipstick for added shine and sparkle

Pictured Above: This is how I wore the combo today. I applied the lipstick very lightly as a stain with my finger, then used just a tiny bit of gloss applied with a lip brush for a neutral lip look

Here are swatches of all the products I tested:

 Pictured Above (from left to right): Damask Rose Gloss, Date Lipstick, Moss Mineral Eye Shadow

To further illustrate the versatility of the lipstick, I also used it along my cheekbones as a cream blush.  It created a beautiful dewy finish, giving me that lit-from-within youthful glow.

Below is the completed look. I used the Moss Eye Shadow on the eyelid and along the lower lash line. The Date Lipstick was used on cheeks and lightly on the lips. I then topped the lipstick with the Damask Rose Gloss.

 

I hope you enjoyed this look at NYR Organic. If you've tried any of their products, I would love to hear about it! If you are interested in purchasing any of the products in this post just click the link below. 

NYR Organic

I would like to give a very big THANK YOU to Jane for being so kind and sending me these products to review for my readers. 

As always, if you enjoyed this post, please don't forget to subscribe. It's free and helps support the site.

Here are some previous posts you might enjoy:

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/05/spotlight-nyr-organic.html

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/05/getting-most-out-of-your-makeup-brushes.html

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/05/splurge-worthy-your-guide-to-shopping.html

 

*This post contains products that were sent for consideration by the company. I do not get paid to write reviews. All opinions are my own. I only write reviews in hopes of helping my readers make informed purchasing decisions. All products in this post are cruelty-free.

Getting The Most Out Of Your Makeup Brushes

All Items In This Post Purchased By Me

Getting The Most Out Of Your Brushes

Makeup brushes are an important investment for every makeup artist.  With  a few simple tips, you can get the most out of your brushes. Here are a few that I swear by:

• Cleaning your brushes regularly
• Drying your brushes upside down
• Protecting the shape of your brushes with Brush Guards
• Being aware of leftover product on the brush
• Using brushes for different purposes 
• Using the right size brush for the area you are working on 

While all of these tips may seem like common sense, they are often overlooked. If you have spent your hard earned money on brushes, it is always helpful to know the proper way to use and care for them. For any of the points mentioned above, there are different techniques that people use. This post shares some of the things that I personally find helpful. 

#1. Clean Your Brushes - This is not only important for makeup artists, it's important for everyone that uses makeup brushes. So many people I know who only use their brushes for personal use, neglect cleaning them as often as they should. As a general rule, I spot clean each brush after use and deep clean once a week. Cleanliness is important. Especially if I am using a brush on someone else. However, even if your brushes are only for personal use, not cleaning them regularly can lead to bacteria getting trapped in the bristles, or product getting caked in the brush. In some cases, such as gel liner, a brush not cleaned pretty quickly can get ruined. Cleaning your brushes also helps prevent your colors from getting muddy. For example, if I used a black eyeshadow on a brush, didn't clean it, then went into a light color eyeshadow, the colors would not stay true and simply get muddy. Don't forget to give your handles a good wipe down as well.

There are a whole host of brush cleaners on the market. My personal favorite is this one from Cozzette:  https://www.roquecozzette.com/shop/accessories/aromatherapy-makeup-brush-cleaner-16-oz/ 

#2. Dry Your Brushes Upside Down - I recently purchased the Benjabelle Brush Tree, and it is honestly one of the best purchases I've made. This is absolutely the best way I've found to dry your brushes.  After washing your brushes, and squeezing out any excess water/cleanser, insert the brush into the slot, bristles facing down. If you don't have one of these handy contraptions, be sure to dry your brushes flat or on an angle with bristles angled down. You do not want your brush standing upright, with bristles facing the ceiling or else water or cleanser will get trapped in the ferrule loosening the glue, which can lead to a broken brush.

Here is a picture of my brushes drying in this genius invention:

http://pinterest.com/pin/388435536581077634/

You can purchase the Benjabelle Brush Trees here: http://www.benjabelle.com/products/original-brush-tree  

#3. Use Brush Guards - Another good option for drying your brushes is using The Brush Guard by Coastal Scents. I don't use them when drying my brushes.  However I do use them to help protect the shape of the bristles. I have certain brushes that are pointed and I want them to keep that nice tapered tip. These mesh guards really help my brushes keep their shape.  Brush Guards can be purchased here: 

http://amzn.com/B004ZD2LIW

 

 Pictured Above: To apply the brush guard, slip on from the bottom of the handle to up over the bristles.

 Pictued Above: Cozzette S120 Diamond Blender Brush - one of my favorite pro brushes

#4. Be Aware Of Product On Your Brush - Pick up a brush that you used this morning to apply your makeup. Now rub the bristles on a clean white paper towel. What do you see? There is a good chance some product came off onto the paper towel. We often dip back into more product when we don't need to. Instead, work with the extra product on your brush. For example, I will often use an eyeshadow brush on the lid, then without dipping back into product, just take what is left on the brush and sweep it along the lower lash line for a lighter more subtle effect. Similarly, when bronzing the face I'll take whatever is left on the brush and buff the product down onto the neck or chest. Sometimes you don't want full-on product application. This is a good way to get the most out of your product and use your brush to it's full potential.

 These are a few of the brushes I used today. Note the product that is left on the brushes.

#5. Think Outside The Box - Some people like makeup brushes that are labeled with its intended use. For example, a large face brush might be labeled "powder brush" or "blush brush."  There is nothing wrong with this, and it can be helpful for beginners. However, we must be careful not to use the brush only for that purpose. Labels are only suggested use, and often what the brush was created for. However, throughout the years, I have found that some of my favorite brushes are ones that I use in  a way other than its intended purpose. An example of this is the Bdellium Tools #953B Duet Fiber Foundation Brush works great for foundation as intended. However my favorite way to use it is with cream blush. Specifically, I love it for cream blushes such as the Flower Beauty Win Some, Rouge Some or OCC Creme Colour Concentrate. These are great products, but the container is so small, that a traditional blush brush would never fit inside of it. For professional use I would simply scoop some out of the jar and onto a palette. For my own personal products, it is often nice to just dip right into the container and this handy little brush makes it easy to do so.

My friend Catherine from Buying Cruelty-Free also thinks outside the box. Find out which brush she likes to use to apply this product by clicking here: Buying Cruelty Free

#6. Size Matters - That's what she said. Just kidding. Seriously though, I often see people using brushes that are far to big for the area they are working with. As a general rule, the size of your brush head should match the area you are working with. For example, the Bdellium Tools #787P Duet Fiber Large Tapered Blending Brush is a great brush. However, it is far to large to use in the crease of most eyes. Therefore, I go back to rule number 5. Although it is too large to blend color on the eye, I find it works perfectly for blending concealer or applying powder beneath the eye.

I hope you found this post helpful. Please don't forget to subscribe! If you have any tips for getting the most out of your makeup brushes, please leave a comment below! 


Here are some other links you might enjoy:

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/03/pointed-crease-brushes.html

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2012/09/spotlight-bdellium-tools-green-bambu.html

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/05/splurge-worthy-your-guide-to-shopping.html

Splurge Worthy: Your Guide To Shopping High-End vs. Budget Brands

All Products Pictured in This Post Purchased By Me

Splurge Worthy

One question I get asked a lot is, "What products are worth spending money on?"  In other words, beauty items are available at all price points. How does one know when to buy a drugstore version versus going to a department store and spending more for a high end product?  If I were writing this post ten years ago, it would be much easier, as the discrepancy between drugstore and high end makeup was much greater.  However, drugstore makeup has really stepped up in recent years, so much so that I've actually found certain products to be nearly identical to their high end counterparts. While this is a good thing, because we can all save money, it can also be a bit confusing for people to know which items are still splurge worthy. 

Makeup really falls into three categories in my opinion. You have the budget friendly brands such as those you can find at the drugstore, as well as low cost independent brands. These brands are companies like Milani, Wet n Wild, NYX, etc. There is the super high end luxury market with brands like Hourglass, Koh Gen Doh and Trish McEvoy.  There are also a ton of what I call mid-priced brands. Many people refer to these brands as high-end as they cost much more than drugstore, but I think places like Sephora and Ulta offer many products that fall somewhere in between the super luxurious and drugstore prices.  These are brands like Stila, Too Faced, and Tarte, to name a few. Most of the items in my personal collection fall in the mid-priced range.

It is important to note that the term affordable is a relative one. What is affordable to me, may not be to you. I never suggest that you shop outside of your means. You can find good quality makeup at all price points, and today there are enough choices on the market to satisfy just about any beauty budget. My suggestions in this post are general guidelines, and should be taken in conjunction with common sense and keeping your own personal needs in mind.

In general, these are the items I think are splurge worthy. It is important to note that there are exceptions to every rule, a notion which I will expand upon as we go along:

• Brushes - buy the best brushes you can afford. This will be different for everyone. However, good brushes will last you a long time, and you will see a real difference in your makeup application. 
• Foundation - Foundation is the number one makeup item you should splurge on. It's directly touching your skin, and is the base for every makeup look. Color matching is key, which is something that is simply not possible at most drugstores.
• Concealer - A concealer with the right coverage and texture is important.  For the same reason as foundation, this is worth spending a little more on. 
• Bronzer - If you get the wrong shade of bronzer, the golden glow you covet will simply look orange and unnatural. Getting a good quality matte bronzer in the correct shade is worth the splurge.
• Skincare - This is especially true as we age. If you are looking for any type of serums infused with antioxidants or special properties, you may have to spend a bit more as cruelty-free skincare is limited at the drugstore. 
• Unique Products - There are full websites dedicated to makeup dupes (low cost duplicates). However, since new products are always coming to market, there are simply some mid to high end products that are not available in cheaper form.  
• Things You Wear Everyday - For example, if you rarely wear bronzer, you might not want to spend a lot of money on it. However, if you are the type of person who has one signature lipstick that you wear all the time, you might want to go ahead and splurge for something a little more high-end. In short, don't spend a lot of money on stuff that you won't use. If you are shelling out more coin, make sure it's for a product you really love and use. 

Where you can save:

• Mascara - Mascara is meant to be thrown out every 3 months. Therefore, spending a lot of money on a tube that won't last you very long doesn't make a whole lot of sense. However, there is always an exception to the rule. For me personally, I haven't found a great waterproof drugstore mascara yet. Therefore I'm shopping from the mid-priced selections available. However, should a drugstore version come along that I love, I will absolutely buy that instead. 
• Lipstick - I personally change my lipstick a lot. It's for this reason that I tend to shop the budget brands for this product. It is much more practical to have many different colors of an affordable brand. 
• Gloss - Some of the budget glosses available are so good! I really can't tell the difference between some of the more affordable brands and higher end glosses on the market. Plus, once it's on your lips no one will know if you spent $30 or $3. 
• Eyeshadow - Like lipstick, I wear a different eyeshadow look every single day. Eyeshadow is one of the most fun makeup items to experiment with because the color combinations are endless. Not every budget brand is good, but there are some on the market that really work well without breaking the bank. 
• Eyeliner - When looking for a basic black eyeliner, you should have no trouble finding a budget friendly version. Most every brand offers these, and there are many more good liners than bad on the market. The only time you might have to go high-end is if you are searching for a very specific color. Although, brands like NYX and even Milani offer so many options these days, that going high-end is becoming less and less necessary.  
• Lip Liner - I only own one or two luxury lip liners and they were total splurges. High-end lip liner is totally unnecessary. The majority of my lip liner collection is from budget friendly brands.
• Lip Balm - Unless you have severely dry lips, it should be easy to find a  budget friendly lip balm. 

Now that you know which products I think are worth spending a little bit more on. Here are some real life examples of brands that I recommend and reasons why they are worth the splurge:


Brushes 
As I mentioned above, I think it's worth buying the best brushes you can afford. Affordable means different things to different budgets. These two brands are personal use luxury brands. I have every brush from both of these lines, and they are truly amazing and worth the splurge in my opinion.

Pictured Above: It Cosmetics Fan Brush* and Hourglass Cosmetics Foundation/Blush Brush

Foundation

Anything directly touching your skin is worth spending a bit more on. With foundation, it is so important to get color matched when purchasing a brand for the first time. In general, high-end brands often offer a better color selection and many offer different formulations for various skin types.  I have never seen a display in a drugstore where you can test out cruelty-free foundations before you buy them. For this reason alone, it's worth the splurge. 

 Pictured Above: Hourglass Veil Fluid Makeup Oil Free SPF 15 (vegan)

Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation 

Concealer

Overall, I am not very impressed with most drugstore concealers. I have pretty dark circles, as well as acne scars that need to be concealed. This one from Tarte, is one that I have repurchased time and time again. The coverage is amazing, plus it's smooth and blendable, leaving a natural dewy finish on the skin. For under eye concealing, it creases far less than any other brand I've tried. You only need a tiny amount so 1 tube will last you for months. 

 Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer 

Bronzer

As you can see from my picture, my skin tone is quite fair. Those with a very light skin tone have to be extra careful with bronzing. One brush stroke too many, and you can look dirty, rather than bronzed. Those with skin lighter than mine may be better off skipping bronzer altogether. However for me, this bronzer from Too Faced Cosmetics in Milk Chocolate Soliel, is the perfect matte bronzer for contouring, or just adding some warmth to the face. This is a product that I have repurchased because no other brand looks as natural on my skin.  

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Light/Medium Matte Bronzer

Skincare 

Of all the products in my beauty arsenal, skincare is the area where I have spent the most money. All the makeup in the world won't look good if there isn't a good base to apply it to. I believe makeup is best used for enhancing your natural beauty rather than camouflaging imperfections. Don't get me wrong, I obviously use concealer to hide my imperfections.  However, my first goal is to get my skin looking right.  I have tried more skincare brands than I care to count. However there are a few brands that I continue to stick with. Dr. Dennis Gross (not pictured) makes a great skincare line, as does Nude. In particular, I favor this toner from Nude which I really find helps balance the oil production in my skin.  It doesn't contain any parabens, synthetic fragrances or dyes, so it's non-irritating to my finicky skin.  I just pump a little bit onto a cotton ball after cleansing and wipe it over my skin.  Plus this product is completely vegan.

Nude Skincare Purify Toning Water

Unique Products 

These are some products that I splurged on simply because they are unique. I love makeup and beauty items, and I honestly just bought them because they make me happy. I haven't found any dupes for these, and truly feel they are worth their price tag. You have probably seen these products mentioned in previous posts because I love them so much!

 Pictured Above: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

 Pictured Above: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer & Hourglass Solar Tan Self-Tanning Primer

 Pictured Above: Josie Maran Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil

Things I Wear Everyday

This product has also been mentioned in a previous post.  Hourglass N 28 Lip Treatment Oil is certainly a splurge!  At $42 many will wonder if I've lost my head paying this much for a lip product.  However, this really is something I use every single day. I use it at night as a treatment, in the morning under my lipstick and even solo on days where I just want a little healthy shine to my lips.  I've been using this basically since it hit Sephora.com and I honestly do notice a positive change in my lip texture. My lips seem smoother, and more supple. Furthermore, if you have issues with chapped lips as I sometimes do, you'll find this really is splurge worthy. 

Pictured Above: N 28 Lip Treatment Oil

Now that we know where all my money goes, here are the areas where I save:

Mascara
Tons of makeup artists use drugstore mascaras. Oddly, I didn't until fairly recently. The reason being, I could not find a good cruelty-free drugstore version.  However, luckily sometime late last year, I discovered a few gems from Physicians Formula. I really like these and find they rival higher end brands I've tried.  The one exception is waterproof. I have not found a good cruelty-free drugstore version, so if you know of one I should try, please let me know in the comments below!

Pictured Above: Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Lash Boosting Mascara and

 100% Natural Origin Mascara

Lipstick

Some people might disagree with me on this.  However, I change my lipstick a lot. I wear a different shade every day, and sometimes even change my lip color mid day. For example, I may wear a nude lipstick during the day, and change to a bolder lipstick at night. I highly recommend the new Milani Color Statement lipsticks. I bought the whole collection, because they offer such a great color variety and the formula is smooth and creamy. The one exception is when I need a very long lasting lip color. For example, if I were to attend an event and needed a long wear formula where I wouldn't be able to reapply, then I would opt for Tarte Glamazon 12-hour wear formula which although pricey, in my opinion is worth the splurge.  

Pictured Above:  Milani Color Statement Lipstick (budget friendly) & Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance 12-Hour Lipstick (mid-priced to high-end) 

Gloss

I rarely wear gloss solo. I usually use it as a topper over my lipstick. With the exception of some super highly pigmented glosses, most of the sheerer formulas are better off being purchased at the drugstore. Notable favorites are picks from Milani and NYX. I also have to say the liquid lipstick from E.L.F. which is really just a high shine gloss, is amazing especially considering it only costs $1! 

Pictured Above: e.l.f. Essential Luscious Liquid Lipstick, Milani Crystal Gloss 

Eyeshadow

This is another low-cost pick that may surprise some. However, once applied to the eye, you will be hard pressed to figure out if the shadow is high-end or budget friendly. The main difference is texture and pigmentation.  However brands like NYX and Milani are pigmented, smooth and easy to blend. I really think if these were depotted and in a Z-Palette, many people would have difficulty telling them apart from a higher end brand. NYX offers a huge color selection with many shades comparable to MAC. Inglot is another brand that offers great color and formula selection at a fraction of the price. Also, newer to my collection are the Makeup Geek eyeshadows which have really impressed me. 

 Pictured Above: Milani Powder Eyeshadow in Pearl

Pictured Above: NYX Trio Eyeshadow Nude/Taupe/Dark Brown

Eyeliner

This is one pick I think many will agree with me on. I know people that regardless of price, would still choose a drugstore eyeliner because they are so good these days!  Some of the drugstore versions are even better than their high-end counterparts. My favorite brand for eyeliners is NYX because they have a huge color selection.  They offer both the traditional pencil format as well as a mechanical pencil version.  The Milani Shadow Eyez chubby liner below is nearly an exact dupe for the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils. The only difference that I can find is in color selection. For liquid liner, try the Physicians Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner in Ultra Black.

Pictured Above: Milani Shadow Eyez 12-HR Wear in Champagne Toast, NYX Slim Eyeliner Pencil in Yellow and NYX Mechanical Eye Pencil In Golden Olive

Lip Liner

As mentioned above, I own very few high-end lip liners. I find little difference between the high-end brands and my lower cost picks. The majority of my lip liner collection is from NYX and Milani, though I do have some from Stila that I purchased on sale from Haute Look. When it comes to lip liners, you really don't need to have a lot. Many people can get by with just a nude. However if you have a nude, red, pink and berry color, you are probably good to go.

Pictured Above: Milani Color Statement Lip Liner in 03 Nude

Lip Balm

It may be a little confusing for me to list lip balm here since I mentioned the Hourglass Lip Treatment above. However, I really didn't need the Hourglass Lip Treatment. It was a special treat that I bought for myself. For those just looking for a normal lip balm, there are many on the market to choose from. Lately, I've been enjoying this chubby one from Wet N Wild. It moisturizes the lips while adding a little shine. Plus, it smells like strawberries!

Wet N Wild Juicy SPF 15 Lip Balm in Strawberry

As a reminder, you should only buy what works for your budget. The above is just a guideline of how I think about beauty products, and what I personally buy. I do have high-end and drugstore items for just about any makeup product because I am always open to buying new things. If I am in the market to try a new foundation brand, there is a good likely hood that I pop into Sephora and get color matched. However, if Milani comes out with some new lipstick shades for summer, you better believe those are going to end up in my shopping basket. 

I hope you found this post helpful. Please let me know what your latest splurge or save was!

*All items pictured in this post were purchased by me. However, IT Cosmetics has sent me other brushes in the past for review. The brush pictured above was purchased by me, and I have purchased other brushes and cosmetics from the brand with my own money. I do not get paid to write reviews or include any specific brands in my posts. All opinions are my own, and I only share specific brand names with you in hopes of helping you make informed purchasing decisions.

Spotlight: Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes

Purchased By Me

Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes

What if I told you that you could buy makeup brushes that are shaped by hand, never cut, with silky soft bristles that are manufactured right in New York? What if these very same brushes were so luxurious that they featured a unique fibre blend and patented brush design that you won't find anywhere else?  Not only are these brushes available, but they are also completely vegan.  Although I've mentioned Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes in other posts, I really feel that this brand deserves more attention. It's for this reason, I decided to write this post and share with you a little bit more about one of my favorite brush  brands.

I had the pleasure of communicating directly with the brand's creator, Kelley Quan, who had a lot to say about what inspired her to launch this line. Kelley is a makeup artist. Like most makeup artists I know, she loves brushes!  However, sadly the truth about the animal hair and fur harvesting needed to make most makeup brushes is just heartbreaking. While some try to claim these animals are "humanly" euthanized or the hair is collected in a non-cruel manner, it's simply not the truth. Buying animal hair brushes supports the fur trade. Yet many people who would never think of wearing a fur coat, use animal hair makeup brushes without giving it a second thought. It isn't that most people are cruel. I believe that most people truly don't know what goes into making an animal hair brush.  Knowing the truth about this cruel practice, Kelley decided to take matters into her own hands and design a line of vegan brushes with bristles that actually mimic the texture of real animal hair. 

The main complaint from makeup artists about synthetic brushes that I've heard is that synthetics don't pick up powder products well. The reason for this is the synthetic bristles of yesterday have a smooth cuticle.  If you look at animal hair brushes, they are made of many different types of fur: goat, rabbit, badger, blue squirrel, etc. These different fur types serve different purposes, and can pick up and blend product in a specific way. Understanding this notion, Kelly knew she had to make her brushes different than other synthetics on the market. She set out to create actual faux blends of these specific animal hair types so that her brushes would function in the same manner as their animal hair counterparts. 

Many synthetic brushes are mass produced overseas, which can often lead to a sacrifice in quality craftsmanship. Each Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brush is created with a brush head that is hand crafted, shaped, never cut so that the integrity of each and every bristle is maintained. These brushes keep all of the positives about an animal hair brush (pick up and blend product well), while removing all of the negative components (cruelty, allergy, unsanitary) making them a truly superior brush.

These are three of the Kelley Quan eye brushes that I own and love. These PETA certified brushes were purchased by me last year and have been a staple in my kit ever since.

Here is a look at the brushes I own from Kelley Quan New York:

Synthetic Black Mink Oval Flat #11 - This brush can be used for eyeshadow, concealer or lips. I use it as my primary flat shader brush to pack eyeshadow onto the lid. Because of it's flat tapered edge, it can easily work to place eyeshadow on the lower lash line as well.  I find it to be a perfect size for most lids, neither too large nor to small. 

 This brush is about 6.25 inches in length.

Synthetic Black Mink Fluff #9 - This is a really great eyeshadow blending brush. I love this for crease work, and just overall blending out color. This should be a staple in every makeup artist's kit. It's very versatile as it can also be used for applying concealer or setting powder to the under eye area.

 Each smooth black handle is marked with Kelley Quan's signature pink logo and numbered.

 Brush #9 is approximately 6.75 inches in length

Synthetic Red Sable Patented Wave Brush # 17 - This is my favorite of the three brushes, and a favorite among my entire brush collection. This unique brush is my holy grail brow brush. The Wave Brush is designed specifically for the eyebrow area and can be used with waxes, powder, mousses and gels. The special wave design helps mimic brow hairs creating the most natural look possible.

 Brush #17 is approximately 6 inches in length.

Here is a closer look at all three brushes together:

 Each brush you purchase comes housed in Kelley's signature pink and white box. Although I've had my brushes for sometime now, I can't bring myself to throw away the boxes because they are so pretty!

Though I probably don't need any more brushes in my collection, I fully intend to buy more brushes from this brand because of their quality and craftsmanship. If you are a makeup artist, or just a makeup lover who is looking for a luxurious, high performance brush, Kelley Quan New York is a brand that shouldn't be missed. 

These brushes and other vegan beauty brushes are available for purchase at Kelley Quan New York.

I hope you enjoyed this peek at my brushes!  Feel free to drop me a comment below. 

Thank you for reading! 

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Related posts:

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-top-5-makeup-brushes-collab.html

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/04/spotlight-kelley-quan-mascara-wand.html

http://makeupmattersbylnc.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-perfect-brow-trio.html

 

*The brushes in this post were purchased by me. I do not get paid to write reviews. I do not get any commission if you purchase any of these brushes. I simply write reviews in hopes of helping my readers make informed purchasing decisions.