Beauty Product Reviews
Magic Wand
Let me be quick here because my son learned to crawl and he is currently licking my boot. This brush applied an eyeshadow that no other brush has been able to apply. And it did it well. I have this beautiful but poor performing palette (I won't mention any names) that I keep reaching for because I am hell bent on making it work. This brush did the trick. I would like Sonia to make the same brush but smaller for those smaller spaces so that I can be a little more accurate for detail work. I am a stickler when it comes to tools and I have been known to reject spatulas because it gave me the wrong vibe or lacked in the performance department.
A product launch that makes sense...
There are times in my life when I make a purchase that disrupts my technique, application, and routines so profoundly that it causes me to have a spiritual shift. I take my tools whether it is in the kitchen or on the ski slopes extremely seriously. With that being said, I cannot say enough good things about the Sculpt One. This brush is a break thru for me. It blends stiff products like a dream and it gives me a sense of control when I am contouring because of how Sonia constructed this brush. The pinched ferrel and the density of the bristles is what makes it so different then my other brushes. I am no longer a victim of my own messy contour.
This is a beautiful, highly pigmented and very flattering blush. I have light neutral skin and too much blush in any shade can really overwhelm my face. I love her blushes and use them almost everyday. The peach has a nice light sheen to it and the pink is a pretty pop of color.
I am one of those people that can't handle a palette of 35 shades in the same color family. I just get too confused because I can't make decisions quickly. I love that they are distinctly different shades, blend easily, play well with my other shadows, and make my brown eyes pop. I usually veer away from palettes, but I really love working with these!
Ann W. is spot on about this brush!!!
This brush can multi-task better than a college kid on Adderall. I use it to spot conceal blemishes, blend under eye concealer, and eye primer. I tried using it to apply my cream contour today and it did a precise job. It is light in my hands, smaller than I expected, but does the job of ten brushes.
Pigmented, unique, and mositurizing
The formula of Natasha Denona's lip glosses are excellent. They are not too sticky or have too much slip to them. They are very opaque, very flattering, and the tubes do not leak. They don't smell like cotton candy, peaches, chocolate, or any artificial food flavored scenario. Bleach is a beautiful unique color which is opaque enough to come thru on my naturally watermelon colored lips. When I want the color to really sparkle, I use a lip base first. One application kept my lips moisturized for 4 1/2 hours. I bought Flesh and Rosy Nude and they are equally outstanding. These glosses are not a waste of money.
What I love about these palettes is that the color stories and different textures take me out of my comfort zone. I use transition shades, lots of blending, winged eyeliner (before I've had my daily caffeine intake), and an occasional cut crease. These palettes help me to take risks and be creative without washing off my looks three times before I nail it. Another reason I love them is that they are very easy to use and I don't have to spend my entire morning blending them out. I don't use eye primer because I have dry lids and they last all day without fading. I do recommend to use a wet brush or glitter glue for the glitter pigments. Also, I have a light neutral skin tone and the darker shades like purple and navy actually show up as their true shades on my lids. I tend to pull greys and blacks on dark cool tone shades and these do not do that. I was very curious to see how these palettes would work on more mature skin (63+) and I was really happy with them when I applied to my Mother...and so was she.
This pressed powder which claims to to make your pores disappear actually does just that. I have very dry to combination skin and I have large pores on the apples and high points of my cheeks. This worked great in my situation and completely made my pores blurred out. The powder is dry to the touch but does not dry my skin out. It reminds me of the consistency of the Nars Crystal Powder. This goes into my top 20 products that work without interfering with other cosmetics.
Darker then I expected
Honestly, I would not have picked this out had I swatched it in the store. But, it really is a fabulous shade of pink. It takes me out of my comfort zone which I don't like to get stuck in. But the photo should be retaken because it is not accurate at all to the actual shade.
Palette of the year
Although pleasing to the eye, I don't like most palettes on the market because I find them, among other things, to have poor quality and an abundance of unwearable shades. I like the freedom and flexibility of individual eye color shades plus I have been burned too many times with past purchases to really feel inclined to take any unnecessary risks. But, I have been really curious about Sugarpill, and Lucy J. enticed me with her enthusiastic review. She is right on all counts. There is a lot of product in the palette so the value is excellent. The quality is top notch. Blendable, wearable, and really really beautiful. The last time I was this excited was over two years ago when I bought my first Viseart palette. They are smooth, creamy, and flattering for a variety of skin tones. I tip my hat to you Sugarpill:)