Beauty Product Reviews

Yes, You Do Need These

I think that the other reviews of these brushes hit the nail on the head. They're phenomenal quality, highly functional, beautiful Japanese Artisan brushes.

I've owned this set for about 6 months now, and it truly has revolutionized how I do my makeup. I was particularly lacking a good powder brush previous to owning these, and now I can use this amazing brush everyday! The hairs are soft, yet firm. As someone who prefers a more matte finish and can experience oiliness, this brush is the perfect balance between softness and resilience. I don't think I could use anything else. And the rest of the brushes in the set are of just as superb quality as well!

I feel extremely fortunate to have access to the knowledge that is shared through the BL community, and am unbelievably thankful I managed to snag this set. If you're debating it - go for it. It's an investment for sure, but with proper care I can already tell these brushes will last for years. Mine are just as lovely now as they were the day they came in the mail :)

Can't Beat It

These eyeshadows are phenomenal! You can feel the quality with these shadows. They're very pigmented (especially the foiled eyeshadows, which are beyond words amazing), buttery, and come in a wide array of beautiful colors. The shadows are just as good as my MAC shadows, if not better, and they're cheaper too! I usually am more of a palette person instead of single shadows, but I make an exception for Makeup Geek. Attached is a pic of all my Makeup Geek and MAC shadows. Can you even tell a difference?

Just Buy This Already!

This is honestly the best lipstick formulation I've ever used. I have three (Raquel, Brigitte, and Dominique) and all of them glide on beautifully, are super opaque, and have somewhere between a satin/demi-matte/natural finish. There's a subtle sheen to them, but they're not glossy or anything.

These things last all day. You truly get your money's worth. For something that's so comfortable on the lips, I feel like it should fade a lot faster than it does. You won't hear me complaining though! They stay on your lips for ages, don't settle into lines, and as they do fade they become beautiful stains with an almost balmy feeling.

Bottom line: if these weren't $32 and I wasn't a high school student with little to no income, I would own every single one of these.

My Go-To Foundation

I would like to start off by stating that I am not a foundation savant. I haven't tried a bunch or anything like that, so maybe there's something out there that blows this out of the water, but I really am incredibly fond of this foundation.

First things first: the shade range on this line is phenomenal. I never had the chance to try the original HD formula because it didn't come in my shade. It is so difficult to find foundations pale enough for me, and this truly is my perfect match.

As far as formulation goes, I really like the finish on this. I do wish it had a tad more coverage (it's probably light-medium as is), but it has a nice natural finish that is really beautiful. On my pale skin, it's easy for foundation to fall flat and look dead, and I don't feel this one does that. I have combination skin, and it holds up pretty well oil-control wise and dry-spots wise. That being said, if you're on either extreme of the spectrum (extremely oily or extremely dry) I'm not sure whether you'd like this. The foundation is somewhat liquidy, glides on easily and blends well with my skin.

A lot of people who tried the original HD don't like this formulation, but I honestly think it's worth giving a shot. It photographs really well (as it should!), it looks like skin, is lightweight, and comes in all sorts of shades. What's not to like?

The Easiest Way To Do Your Brows

This product is just easy. You fluff the lighter shade through your brows. You define the tail a bit with the darker side and run a little bit of it in the front of the brow as well, apply clear brow gel, and boom your done. I have nothing negative to say about it.

It lasts well on the skin. It looks exceptionally natural. It doesn't get that powdery look that can sometimes happen (I used to use eyeshadow to fill in my brows and it would go powdery all the time). The range of shades is great. It's a build able product, and the powder isn't too soft or too hard. It's just a fabulous product really!

I would 100% recommend it, however I would like to add that if you're on a strict budget, just using a nice eyeshdaow in your shade would be a great alternative, although I still feel that brow powders are worth the splurge.

This Revolutionized My Brow-Game

And it didn't necessarily revolutionize it in a good way, at least not at first. It's very, very easy to go overboard with this product and end up with harsh "instagram" brows (which I personally do not find very flattering).

When I first got this product, I kind of felt obligated to love it because everyone else did, and that sort of led to me over drawing my brows on too harsh for a brief (and painful) period of time. Once I came to my senses, I quit using this product for a few moths, before eventually coming back to it randomly just to try it out again. This product has a learning curve, but don't let the bound to be harsh initial application fool you!

You really need less of this product than you think. Dip your angled brush in the pot and then swirl the excess off on the lid. Apply to the brow in upward strokes, and if you need more product, get it from the lid where you swirled off the excess, don't go back into the pot. I find this is the best method of application for me to get a natural look. Once you learn how to use it, you really can make it look diffused. If you're using too much, I typically find that my brows get an almost wet look to them.

I'm attaching a photo (which I believe is also on my profile) of me with just the dipbrow VERY LIGHTLY diffused throughout my brow. This was after 6hrs of shopping + attractions in very hot weather during my trip to NYC this summer. I almost forgot to mention, the lasting power on this is incredible as well.

If you're thinking about purchasing, I say go for it! Just experiment with it some, find out what methods works for you for the look your going for.

Not For Sparse Brows

I think I'm the only person who's not in love with this product. I understand the hype - if you only need to do some minor shaping and filling in brow products, I can see why this would be quick and easy for you.

However, if you have sparse brows (or bleach blonde brows like mine) this product simply isn't up to the task. It leaves very noticeable streaky lines when used to actually fill in the whole brow, even with multiple passes of a spoolie and smudging with my fingers. Also, it has a strange finish...almost speckly? And it noticeably fades throughout the day, even if I use a clear brow gel. If I don't set this with powder, it's almost completely gone by the end of the day, and to me having to set it with another product kind of defeats the purpose. It takes a lot longer to use this pencil to fill in my brows than it does using a powder or pomade, as I have to keep building it up and working with it to try and not make the lines of the pencil so obvious, so it is neither quick nor easy for me.

All in all, I'll probably use it up, but I wouldn't buy it again. It didn't personally work for me and for what I need in a brow product for my bleach blonde brows, but I do understand why many people enjoy it.