Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection: Yea or Nay?

First, can I say what up, Kohl's Cash? You can spend that stuff in their makeup section, and that is the bomb dot com.

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I really don't know what to make of this brush from the Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection. I certainly love many of the Real Techniques brushes I've tried, so their (pricier) new range seemed worth trying. This is the 201 Pointed Crease Brush, which you can get for $16. Now, I do like the long handle, and it's comfortable to hold and has a nice weight to it. It was just a little...stabby, when I tried to use it in my crease. The synthetic bristles are very densely packed and evenly trimmed, so they did a good job picking up color, I just felt as if it was a little difficult to apply it to my eyelid given the stiffness of the brush.

I'm not willing to fully give up on it, I'm going to put it to the test again after I give it a good wash. Look for an update here when I reach a final verdict. Have any of you experimented with this line? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

blendercleanser solid by beautyblender

Before you say anything, yes, I know that it makes more sense to just use liquid hand soap, but sometimes I will pay a premium to make my life easier. This makes my life easier. Not only does this cleanser get my beautyblender squeaky clean, but it works great for all of my other makeup brushes, as well. I just swirl a damp brush on the bar for a second and then rinse it clean. The best part of all is that the full-size solid cleanser is super travel-friendly, which is extra nice when you're taking one of those longer trips during which your brushes could you a mid-trip wash. It doesn't leave any residue that I've noticed, and my brushes dry nicely afterwards.

blendercleanser solid by beautyblender can be purchased from Sephora for $16.

MAC Pro Palette for Blush and Eyeshadow

This Christmas, one of my beloved cousins gifted me something that approximately blew my mind: a MAC Pro Palette with fifteen eyeshadows and six blushes, as well as three new brushes, including the fabled 217, after which I have lusted incessantly for the past three years.  Since we're into April now, I can share with you my favorites from my new collection (sorry if I faint from giddiness).

This is the real life awesomeness...

...and these are some handy charts I made on MAC's website so I don't have to keep pulling the pans out to remind me what's what.

You'll notice there's a blank space in each one, which is because the colors available online don't always match up with what's in stock at the store. Still, this is handy enough. The missing eyeshadow is Brown Down, and the missing blush is Pinch O'Peach. I did each chart based on how they're arranged with the hinge facing up, FYI.

As you can see, the colors look TOTALLY different in real life than they do online.  That's about as strong a recommendation I can give for doing first time makeup shopping in person.  No way would you think Expensive Pink looks anything like it actually does based on the website color, and the blushes?  Fuhggedahboutit.

I'm sure you can tell that some shades are more loved than others, though they are all beautiful and have pretty uniformly great texture and payoff.  My only disappointment would be Blackberry, which seems like it would have some nice purple/red tones to it, but mostly reads brown on me.  If I had to pick three faves, Twinks, Amber Lights, and Contrast beat the others by a nose.  Twinks is a maroon shimmer that's been serving me well as a crease color, as its warmth and subtle shimmer go beautifully with a wide range of colors.  Amber Lights is a bronze-gold shimmer that really packs a punch as an all over lid color for a night out, and provides a nice accent on the lower lid when you want to keep it more toned down.  Contrast is a satin navy that reads a little purple in the pan, but goes on straight up traditional pea-coat on the eyes; its awesome depth goes great in the crease and it also makes a fab eyeliner when applied wet for something just a little different than traditional black or brown.

Where the blushes are concerned, the variety of finishes MAC offers in their powder blushes gives a crazy number of options in application.  Hands down Blush All Day gallops past the finish line as my go to in this palette.  It's a dusty rose that leans quite a bit browner than I'm used to, but I love that it gets me out of my comfort zone.  I reach for it most often when I'm having a natural makeup day, as it suits my skin tone in a way that just makes me look healthy. (Side note: Temptalia hated this, which just goes to show that sometimes you won't know if you like something until you try it for yourself.)

Now for the brushes!  In addition to the overwhelming color boost my collection received, I added three more brushes: 129 Powder/Blush Brush, 217 Blending Brush, and 219 Pencil Brush.  Though the 129 does a fairly good job picking up color and has a great shape for easy blush application, I find the texture of it really rough.  It feels like it's scratching my face every time I use it, in addition to which it seems to have some difficulty maintaining it's shape after a wash.  The 217, on the other hand, is everything I've ever dreamed of and more. It's the perfect shape for blending out your crease, but I most like it for softening out the edges of your shadow so that nary a harsh line mars your look.  Add in absurd softness and it's basically the perfect eye brush.  Last but not least, the 219 makes packing a dark color into the corner easier than a hooker at Mardi Gras; it's also great for a quick smudge of color beneath the lower outer lashline when you've got to do your nighttime makeup in a hurry.  I actually have a Special Edition travel size of this brush that I got in a set an alarmingly long time ago, but I find the longer handle makes it mush simpler to use, so I'm sold on the full-size.

Phew!  That about wraps it up, I hope you enjoyed this peek into my newly enlarged color collection.  If you have questions about any of the other shades, please leave a comment on the post and I'll be happy to give you an answer.

Happy Monday!

Into the Deep

Deep clean, that is.  I must admit, shamefully, that I was one of the many who neglect to clean makeup brushes until well after they are obtained.  The importance of doing so cannot be over estimated!  Seriously, when I first washed the brushes I got for my prom makeup -- an embarrassing amount of time after I obtained them -- they were literally so filthy that they washed out black.

Ew.

I had been touching my face with that crap?  One of them was so far gone, I had to toss it.  Vom.  So now, I try to do a deep clean once a week to make sure nothing terrifying is going on.

The ethereal glow in that second picture is on account of my having a not good camera and taking the picture at nighttime with the vanity lights in my bathroom. #madphotoskillz