Beauty Bargain - Sonia Kashuk brush set (Target)

Don't you just love when you see this sticker at Target stores?

Sonia Kashuk LE Tools Starter Set

Alright, what we have here is a limited edition set of basic brushes from Sonia Kashuk's line for Target.  These are the black handled brushes.  I really like the white handled brushes, especially since they are such a great bargain, but find the quality of the black handled one to be more consistent and just a bit nicer.

Sonia Kashuk black handled brushes

Kashuk Tools Starter Set includes:

• Blusher brush (retails $17.99 USD)
• Small eye shadow brush (retails $9.99 USD)
• Large Domed eyes shadow brush (retails $9.99 USD)

The price of this LE kit was $24.99, but I got it on clearance for $12.48.  The brushes, if purchased separately would have been $38.00!!!  Holy Bargain Batman!!!!!!

I wanted to make sure that the quality of the brushes was like those that are packaged individually, and they are.  I had some trouble with the small eye shadow brush did shed a bit more than I would have liked, but they are divine.  The blush brush is DIVINE!  So soft...perfect for super pigmented blushes.  I already own the domed eye brush, and it is one of my favorites.  Here are some closeups...

Blush Brush

Small eye shadow brush

Large Domed eye shadow brush

Are there any bargains you have picked up recently?  I am going home this weekend and looking forward to some outlet shopping!

July Favorites 2011

Hello guys and gals!  GAH!  I feel like I have been away for too long...and I have.  I know this is beating a dead horse, but it has been sooo hot!!!  To top it all off, I live an apartment where the AC likes to blow a fuse every week...ugh!

Enough of that, let us get on to favorites.  This month, with the heat being what it was, I noticed a change in what I usually I use.  I started using a new gel liner (clinique), got my hair cut from it being down to my butt to just above my shoulders(ahhhh), and made my routine quick and summer easy.

I have broken my favorites down to eyes, face,lips and brushes.

Face:

FACE - July Favs

FACE:

• Benefit Cha Cha tint (double duty on lips this summer as well)
• Smashbox Face and Body highlighter in Allure
• Stila Sun powder bronzer in shade 02
• MAC Beauty Powder Blush in Eversun
• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Pore Perfecting (light despite being thicker formula)
• MUFE HD powder
• Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer

Lips - July Favs

LIPS:

• Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Wallflower
• Soap & Glory Mighty Mouth Exfoliator/Balm
• Maybelline Colorsensation Pop balm in Fruit Punch 130 LE (I wish more people liked these, I love the balm formula and the color it deposits).
• NYX ip liner in Bloom (fuchsia)
• Softlips lip balm
• Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Intriguing (a gorgeous matte Fuchsia...I cannot stop using this!)
• Dior Lip glow
• Revlon SuperLustrous Lip Balm in Peach Crystal LE
• Tokidoki Gelato Lip Balm and Stain in Donutella

Eyes - July Favs

EYES:

• MUFE 12 color Flash Palette (amazing for cheeks and as eye bases)
• Smashbox eye shadow single in Nude
• Smashbox Waterproof shadow liner in Ideal Eyes
• Stila Prime Pot in Taffy (nice under shadows, but really nice on its own, so pigmented for a base)
• MACPRO Pigment in Steel Blue
• MAC Pigment in Spiritualize LE
• Clinique Brush on Liner in True Black
• WnW Color Icon single in Nutty
• LORAC Behind the Scenes primer 
• Benefit Instant Brow
• LORAC Special Effects Mascara

BRUSHES:

• Smashbox #33 smudger/precision 
• Sonia Kashuk small tapered face
• Revlon All over shadow 
• Sonia Kashuk small duo fiber 
• Bobbi Brown ultra fine eye liner
• Stila double ended 
• Smashbox #28 shadow
• Ecotools flat concealer

Alright guys, let me know if anyone has any questions about the aforementioned products.  I also am working on a hair care product favorites post...this new haircut has me using all different sorts of stuff.  Hope everyone is staying cool!

June Favorites 2011

Happy Wednesday!  It is so bloody hot out.  Thought I would cool down by staying inside in the AC and letting you all know what my June Favorites are...

 The rundown:

• LORAC TANtalize Me baked bronzer (so beautiful)
• Smashbox Face and Body Highlighter in Allure (glowy x1000)
• LORAC Caribbean Heat Bronzer (great trio of shades)
• MAC Melon Pigment (need I say more?)
• Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion in Brightening(very light)
• Smashbox O Gloss (the cutest pink stain)
• Sonia Kashuk Showstoppers eye shadow quad (beautiful,glittery, creamy colors)
• Maybelline The Falsies in Blackest Black ( total drugstore HG)
• Revlon Just Bitten lip stains in Gothic and Flame (these have taken over for summer lips)
• Stila Mineral Matte eye shadow in Nanda Devi (perfect for brows)
• Fusion Beauty Illumifill Line Filling Luminizer (so perfect for under eyes and cheek h/l)
• LORAC TANtalizer mini bronzer (been using as a peachy, gold eye shadow, its to die for)
• Smashbox eye shadow single in Nude (the perfect neutral)
• Tarina Tarantino eye dream hypershadow in Victorian Punk (drools for purple)
• Smashbox shadow liner brush # 30
• Crown Precision Detail brush #C431
• Maybelline Moisture Extreme lip liner in # 95 Nude
• Sonia Kashuk Flat Top brush

What have all of you been digging on?

May Favorites!

Hey guys and gals!  Here is the best of the best for the month of May.  Some of these products I use all the time, others I have just started obsessing about in May.  

Just a few things to obsess about :)

May Favorites:

1. Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray - This stuff locks your makeup DOWN!  No joke!

2.  LORAC Tantalize Me Baked Bronzer - bronze/gold, ultimate cheek sheen

3.  Fresh SUGAR Rose lip treatment - Def in my top 3 favorite lip balms

4.  Make Up For Ever Smokey Lash in Extra Black - Fake lashes in a tube.  Amazing formulation.

5.  L'Oreal MagicSmooth Souffle in 530 Sun Beige - Major coverage for something so light and airy

6.  Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in #15 - The most summer friendly shadows!!!

7.  Anastasia Brow Powder duo in Brunette/Dark Brown - I have yet to find something better.  HG!

8.  Tokidoki Gelato lip balm stain in Donutella - coral, moisturizing, and leaves a stain like no other

9.  MAC pigment in Rich Life - Dark espresso brown with silver reflects.  Easy to blend, amazing for smokey eyes

10.  Tarte Amazonian 12 hour blush in Tipsy - This is an orange creamsicle on my cheeks.  Pictures do not do this blush justice

11.  LORAC eyeshadow in Cappuccino - the most adorable, teddy brown neutral

12.  Benefit boxed powder in Dallas - plummy, glowy color for my cheeks.  Contours well!

13.  Amazing Cosmetics Concealer in Medium Beige - I keep coming back to this.  Great opacity, blendibility, and good color range

14.  Urban Decay Lip Junkie gloss in Wallflower - cools, plumps and the prettiest nude

15.  Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel eyeliner in 27 Caviar Ink - Smooth and inky

16.  Wet N Wild Color Icon shadow single in Brulee - HG highlight

17.  Make Up For Ever #55N large Duo Fiber brush - For cheek color, highlight, it cannot be beat!

Small Haul 5/27/2011

Hello! Here is the small haul I promised a few days ago...

I got the Hot Off the Red Carpet Collection by LORAC. Inside it contains Tantalize Me baked bronzer ( I have read that some people think it is similar to a MAC MSF) 2 baked eyeshadow duos in Tempt Me and Tease Me. Tempt me is half true champagne and half burnished dark chocolate brown. Tease Me is half bright bronze, half pale blue, almost akin to MAC's Mutiny, but not as shimmery. The last part is the Multiplex gloss in 3D. A gorgeous bronze with a bit of a pink hint and tons of glitter running throughout. I almost forgot that this comes in the most ridiculously cute gold clutch with wrist strap.

This is part of LORAC's summer line.

Also in the picture, is a Sonia Kashuk small duo-fiber brush. This was a bargain at $9.99. I have used this brush with the bronzer in the kit and am now in love.

Rainy yesterday, and rainy today. It does not matter if the weather does not cooperate with me tomorrow, I am feeling taking more pictures and posting some more for everyone!

:)

Face vacation...what?

Ah yes, I have been staying relatively product free this week. The weather here in Michigan has gone from hot, to cold and damp. My skin and these changes are not really simpatico.

Have not really done much the past few days. They have been a little rough for various reasons. I do not know why I keep putting off my Crown brush order (I am doing the makeup for a wedding that will take place in a month and half), and I really need to do so. If you are ever in the market for new, quality brushes at moderate prices, head to www.crownbrush.com. This company is based out of Crown Point, Indiana, which is about 25 minutes from my hometown there.

I am looking forward to getting my new Benefit package from HSN. It contains the new Cha Cha tint that is not available in stores yet. You can see high quality swatches of it at www.temptalia.com.

Alright, I should head to bed now. Am super thankful I still have some Mario Badescu Buffering lotion. The change in weather has broken me out :(.