Beauty Product Reviews

Got a Call?

Yes this is an excellent makeup mirror. Much bigger than expected. It's easy to clean and the mirror is a true reflection (no magnification and no warps).

Travel is a bit of an issue. You're still attempting to transport a mirror at the end of the day. I ended up getting an oversized padded envelope so I can bring this in my carry-on. But it is slim and light weight. The Riki mirror lets me put on makeup in any part of a hotel room, not just the bathroom.

I'm not a fan of the limited brightness range. Low is too low, but medium/regular is far too bright, which makes high practically blinding for applying makeup. I wish there was an option to switch from pure white (visually "cool") lighting to warmer lighting to reduce eye strain.

However with shelter-in-place in effect, I've been doing way more video calls both professionally and personally. I realized, much to my dismay, that the lighting in my house is awful unless it's a perfectly sunny day. The Riki mirror isn't the perfect lighting solution (perfect would be studio lights), but it's worked for me when I make these calls. People have commented I have the "makeup guru glow" when I use the Riki mirror during video calls. I'm in no shape or form a makeup guru so I'll gladly take that as a compliment.

Works Even With Ham Hands

I've had success with using Japanese brushes for powder makeup, but this is my first Japanese brush for the explicit use of cream and liquid makeup. I love that this brush is dense so it *feels* like it's applying makeup but soft enough that it doesn't hurt.

I found the brush did absorb my makeup, but it didn't stay when I cleaned my brush after I applied my makeup. My other natural hair brushes aren't as dense as this one, so I'm not sure if the amount of hair on this particular brush or the type of hair is to blame.

There is some shedding upon initial wash. I admit i have ham hands and apply everything with too much pressure. Initially I had streaks before I realized I shouldn't cram this brush into my face like a sponge. Now I have no problems. The brush does lose its shape (the price of the bristle softness) over time. I would advise reshaping the brush after cleaning.

Just Right

I bought this soap as a small step to reduce my plastic waste. I like how clean my face feels from this soap. The dirt and grime is washed away but my skin doesn't feel dry or stripped like other "gentle" face soaps. The soap doesn't dissolve away like other soaps with moisturizing properties.

The soap has a faint fragrance, a lighter version of their famous Lait-Crème Concentré. The fragrance does not bother me and it fades after washing.

Method: Washed my face with this soap twice daily for a month. In the morning to wash my night time skincare off, in the afternoon or evening as the second step of a double cleanse. My double cleanse is to remove my makeup, first with oil (jojoba or argan) then with the soap.

Where has this been in all of my makeup life?

I bought this at the beginning of the year and never opened the box. It got lost in a pile of clutter. Finally I decided to test this out when I found it during seasonal tidying up. This tree takes up a surprisingly small amount of space for what it actually does. It's much easier than my old method: I would prop wet brushes against a towel wrapped clipboard with a rubber band. The entire surface of the brush gets dried evenly, something my clipboard couldn't do. When the tree is left there without brushes, I'd like to think it's a small, functioning modern sculpture. This is a great item to have, but I knocked a star for two things: 1. My super skinny brushes (looking at you, Real Techniques liner and highlighter brushes) decide to point at random directions rather than stay vertical. 2. The larger openings cannot hold my heavy/oversized brushes (hi there Hourglass powder brush).

Flawless

I'm pretty sure the softness of the Wayne Goss The Holiday (2014) brush is how cartoon clouds are supposed to feel. Oddly cool but delicate enough to go around the eye area or wherever you experience sensitivity to firm bristles. I can't believe I want to call the brush soothing but it is. It's not weird that I pet this brush, right?

The Holiday brush will apply powder formula all over if that's your goal. The real strength of this brush is applying smaller, more precise lines. Think of blush, contour, bronzer, and other face makeup techniques where you need more control. The hairs pick up the right amount of product, so you're not dusting yourself/your makeup work space or having to swirl the brush in your powder container multiple times to get more color.

Don't mash this brush on your face like I did when I gave this brush a test. I got into this habit with (now) inferior powder brushes. I had a distinct spot on my face where I first applied blush. I was able to buff out the error by using sweeping motions.

Overall, this is a great purchase. The brush practically pays for itself when you realize how much less powder you use for your desired finish.

Lots of stretch

I decided to test the powder/kabuki guard pack to the limit by attempting to stuff my Sephora Pro Allover Powder 61 brush in the tube. It's the largest (and heaviest) brush in my collection with a little over 2 inches of hair in diameter. Good golly the Brush Guard fit this massive brush. It returned most of the bristles back to its original shape and alignment. I'm surprised the powder/kabuki Brush Guard is so expansive but I don't plan on torturing them too often with my hefty Sephora 61 brush. It fits the brushes with the intended diameter (1 inch) just fine.

Backs up the Hype

The formula is everything you've read or seen. It's so pigmented you literally put them on in the smallest dots and paint it on your lips. You may need two passes/swipes to get the intensity to match your tube. Considering how smooth it goes on your lips this won't take long at all. There is a slight minty smell and sensation that goes away quickly. Lip Tars mix easily with other Lip Tars and even your normal lipsticks if you want to create your own signature shade.

Technopagan's color is a metallic dark blue blue/purple. Maybe a deep indigo is a better description. For such a vampy shade in the tube the highlights and color shifts on your lips is amazing. Highlights can appear blue to purple, while the shadows can appear almost black. Eventually it will dry down to a muted shimmer but not a pure matte. Dark lip colors never made me gush like this but Technopagan did!

Blinding With the Right Primer

If you're looking to complete your cyber goth/punk or Seahawks game day makeup look with a searing neon green, you should pick this up. On my lids, with no primer, the color didn't show up without a lot of layering. Thankfully it didn't budge or crease. I recommend using this with an eye shadow primer or a white base (e.g. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk). This should help with the brightness and the lasting power. I give Sugarpill credit for being one of the first makeup brands to have out there colors and make them available for everyone.

More like burning

I got a full set and gave this a shot. Some days I get more puffy eyes/bags and I need them to go away. GlamGlow BrightMud actually does reduce the puffiness. However, the peppermint is strong for the eye area. It felt like my skin was burning rather than tingling while it did its job. I'm going back to my old method, which is two slices of cucumber and coconut oil after that. It takes longer but my the skin around my eyes won't scream for furious vengeance during the process.

Tiny Line

The PS-6 is adorable for its size and the itty-bitty line it puts down. The length is small enough to fit into your makeup bag or clutch no problem. The brush can handle both powder and gel products just fine. Keep in mind the line you draw is thin. You'll need a few strokes if you want to build it to a big, bold line. This brush is perfect for push lining and when you want your liner to play a smaller role in your makeup look.

Personally I liked the small size. For all of my makeup life I've had issues filling my eye liner into my epicanthal fold. This means my eyelid covers my tear ducts. You can imagine the makeup disasters I've had trying to line my eyes with "normal" liner brushes. The PS-6 got past my epicanthal fold and I was able to complete my liner with no tears and mess. Praise unto Chikuhodo for blessing to us with weird eyelid shapes by giving PS-6.

I know for the size and function this could be pricey. If you're on the fence I would recommend this brush if nothing else has worked for you so far. I found it to be a miracle worker for my Asian eye shape. Having it already be travel sized is an added bonus.