Most Used Ecotools Brushes

Good brushes really do make all the difference when I'm applying my make-up. And I'm really quite particular about my brushes. They need to be super soft because I've got sensitive skin, they need to be shaped correctly for the purpose that I plan to use them for, they need to not shed when I use them or wash them and of course I want them to be cruelty-free.

Because of this my go to brand tends to be Ecotools. They're fairly easy to get ahold of here in Canada, they're reasonably priced, they're sturdy and the are completely cruelty-free with 100% synthetic bristles.

One of the nice things about synthetic bristles is that they don't hold bacteria as easily as natural hair brushes do. They still need to be washed of course, as any product build-up can harbour bacteria but it's still a bit of piece of mind for me at least- especially as I don't wash my brushes as much as I should!

My first set of brushes are mainly used for my face. Above is my retractable kabuki brush from Ecotools and the only brush I use to apply my powder foundation. I love this brush and use it just about every time I do my make-up. It's thick, soft, doesn't ever shed, spreads and buffs powder products well and on top of all that is perfect to travel with as it retracts into the metal case so that none of the bristles are at risk of being bent.

The next two brushes (the two left) are both from different Ecotools' sets and are both meant to be either blush brushes or all over face brushes. I use the smaller of the two (middle) exclusively for blush application and the right one for both loose finishing powder application and blush. They're a little different in shape from one another but both work well. I wouldn't buy them on their own but I'm glad they came with some of the other brushes in a kit. The nice thing about the kits is that they usually come with a travel bag for the brushes too.

The paddle foundation brush above (right) also gets a lot of use when I have a liquid foundation as this shape of brush is my preferred application method. It's thick enough that it blends the product well while small and flexible enough to get into the crease around my nose.

These next brushes I use entirely for eyeshadow application, even the brush on top which came advertised as a concealer brush. As you can tell I tend to use multiple ones at the same time so I don't muddy the eyeshadow colour I'm applying. These are easy to swipe clean on a kleenex between shades too, so I tend to use them nearly every time I apply eyeshadow. Some of these I received as part of a brush kit and some I purchased separately.

This brush again was part of a kit but I love how fluffy it is! Though tiny it's great for applying a setting powder to under-eye concealer or to blend out any harsh lines of a shadow. It's even good for applying a shadow lightly in the crease of the eye.

Please ignore the dent in this last one, it's been well loved. I adore my angled liner brush from Ecotools. It has long stiff bristles, and the slant is perfect. I use this to do fill my eyebrows with brow powder, put eyeshadow along the bottom lid of my eye, do detail work in the outer-v, and apply gel or powder eyeliner. Such a great brush.

So this is my rave about my Ecotools brushes. I love them as you can probably tell. I only wish they had a pencil brush I could use in my crease available as an individual brush, though I have seen some in the newer brush kits that are out.

You can get Ecotools at a variety of stores here in Canada, some of which include: Walmart, Rexall, London Drugs, Pharmasave, and they've been spotted in some Costco's. Online they're available through iHerb  as well.

In the USA they're avilable through Target and Walmart. I'm sure they're avilable at most standing stores as well, I just don't know which ones as I don't live there.

Remember if you order online to always check out retailmenot for coupon codes and use ebates at most major websites (like Target).

I hope you found this break down of some of my favourite Ecotools brushes useful! Take care until next time.



Disclaimer: All products in this post were purchased by me. The only affiliate link in the post is the ebates links.

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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Review

This is a review covering Hourglass' Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light. I know just about everyone has reviewed these but I had been sighing over this for years and now I feel I have to add my voice to the chorus.

Close-up of the powder in Diffused

The ambient lighting powders are supposed to be finishing powders that mimic different lights upon your skin giving your complexion the best possible appearance. There are six in total in the main line (there are some in palettes that were limited edition or only available in the palette) each representing a different light. Diffused the one I have is the second palest of the collection, and a very pale yellow supposed to represent clean morning light.

What the powder is said to do is not only slightly combat redness due to the slight yellow tone, but also add a glow to the skin and blur imperfections including pores and fine lines.

The packaging is light-weight plastic but it looks more expensive with the lovely bronze mirrored shade and sturdy design. That said I've tried to be very careful in the handling of my powder as it comes with a warning that the powder itself is fragile- which for me makes this something I won't be traveling with.

Hourglass description of the powder along with the ingredients list

In Canada these powders retail for $55 CND, and don't include a brush. The brush is sold separately and although it looks lovely I couldn't justify another $45 CND on a brush just for a powder. 

When I use this powder I actually find that I prefer to use this with a puff, rather than a brush. Personally I find that this gives the most product per area on my face but it easily can be used with a brush too if that is your preference for a less glowy look. One thing to make note of though is that this product is powdery, so either make sure you have a moisturizer on underneath, or blend well.

For the powder itself I broke down it's performance into four sections: the ability to blur pores, glow, colour-correcting ability, and longevity on my face.

First however here is the powder applied on my face where the only other makeup is a tiny bit of concealer on my under-eye circles as this isn't supposed to have an effect on them. I even left my acne and acne-scarring uncovered except for the hourglass powder so that you could really see any coverage.

Left is bare, Right is covered with Diffused light.

As you can see there is a slight difference when comparing the two sides, but it is subtle. It's not something you're going to be able to pick up really unless your looking for it. 

For it's ability to blur pores and fine lines I think is the weakest point for this powder. It does blur them the tiniest amount but not enough that if someone were talking to you they would be able to truly see a difference. As this was what I was hoping would be it's biggest strength I disappointed in this aspect.

I do think this product has fairly good colour-correcting abilities however, especially for a mostly translucent powder. If you look around the base of my nose you can see the redness I get on the left where it's much reduced on the right. Not perfect for acne by any means but for basic redness I do think it's decent.

As for glow this is another subtle one. I do like the subtle glow that this gives, and there definetly isn't a glitter problem which I know some people complained about, at least not with this shade. It does have a subtle brightening effect for the whole face, like you drank that water you were supposed to.

However the real kicker for me has to be the longevity of this powder. I'm still playing around with it but this stuff seems to disappear within about an hour for me. Yes, an hour. Granted this is with my combination-oily skin, but as I usually layer a foundation underneath this and concealer, I expect it to last at least three hours. It honestly just seems to disappear, it is very frustrating. 

I'm actually kind of broken-up about this powder. I want to love it. It was a gift from a loved one and the packaging is gorgeous. I like that it colour-corrects and adds a subtle glow. The fine-milled powder makes me feel decadent and special when I apply it with the puff. But it just doesn't hold up and the effect is so subtle I feel let down. Especially as you can't travel with it anywhere due to it's fragile nature, plus the price is so high. Overall I might have to return this.

Sprite Rating: 5/10

It lost two points for longevity, and a point each for minimal blur, fragility, and price (which I wouldn't have minded paying if the product lived up to it's claims).

Disclaimer: I received this product as a gift from a family member.

7 Indie Holy Grail Favourite Beauty Products

In no particular order here are some of my most used and loved indie cosmetic products.

1. Kiss My Sass Cosmetics: Tarnished Halo Eyeshadow
At the moment it looks like they only have the darker version Fireside Glow in stock but I have had no problem contacting the owner of Kiss My Sass Cosmetics in the past to ask for when it would be up in the shop again.

Tarnished Halo watched over primer

I have to say Tarnished Halo is one of my all time favourites. I love how romantic it looks on the eye. Soft, slightly smokey, pale matte grey with an intense copper sheen, this shade goes with a ton of different looks day or night. It has I would say medium coverage but only because it can be built up even more with a second layer for a really intense look. The full size, which will likely last me forever is priced at $6.00 USD. As with all non-matte loose shadows I do recommend a sticky base over your primer, which brings me to my next favourite.

2. Fyrinnae: Pixie Epoxy Eyeshadow Base
This is my all time favourite base when I use loose shadows or I really want to make my eyeshadows look more intense or foiled. It's not recommended for straight matte shades however, so keep that in mind. Pixie Epoxy is a slightly tacky gel of which you only require the smallest amount. A tiny dab for the whole eye-lid is all that is needed. I then like to use my finger and spread out the product before I apply my eyeshadow like normal or through a patting motion depending on how I want the end result to look. I love that this lasts all day, doesn't feel tacky for very long and has a shelf-life of 24-36 months. Plus it's not too expensive either at $6.50 USD for the full size.

3. Notoriously Morbid: Changeling Top Coat (Siren and Leshy)
Changeling Top Coat is such a neat lip product. It's a sheer liquid lipstick that is designed to add a duochrome-like sheen to whatever base lip colour you have on your lips.

Left Siren, Right Leshy

Available in a variety of shades I love my two in Siren (a light blue) and Leshy (a light green). They go on easily and lightly on the lips and dry down completely matte for a long-lasting look. They make so many more lip looks possible! They're only $10.00 USD for two shades.

4. Sugarpill Cosmetics: Loose Eyeshadows in Lumi and Goldilux
At $14.00 USD each these are the most pricey of my list but they are stunning. Both vegan, and in cute fairly large jars these loose shadows are worth the price.

Left Goldilux, Right Lumi

Lumi is a stunning white-blue with turquoise iridescent overlay and turquoise sparks. Very otherworldly. Goldilux on the other-hand is big time glam. The most sparkly, shiny, metallic, intense true gold shade I've tried. Only the smallest amount can amp up an eyeshadow look.

5. Scaredy Cat Cosmetics: Loose Mineral Eyeshadows in Hedgerow, Arctic Royale and customized
This little known brand has some true gems, plus their artwork is adorable!

L-R: Hedgerow, Arctic Royale, Custom with Draconia base, Custom with Cirrina base

Arctic Royale is a gorgeous silvered purple shade. Hedgerow is my favourite, it's a duo-chrome light purple/ turquoise, so ethereal. All of their shades retail for only $5.00 USD too. In addition you can do a customized shade in that you can take any of their shades and add a opaque or translucent glitter to it, which is such an awesome way to spunk up any shade that strikes your fancy. The only thing about the custom shades to keep in mind is that you'll need a sticky base for them. The customized shades are only $5.50 USD.

6. Haus of Gloi: Perfume Oil in Depravity
I love the long lasting scent that these perfume oils have. I personally like to dab some in my elbows and on the ends of my hair (as my skin tends to breakout in most areas due to fractioned coconut oil which is what is used as the base in these). You can also use these in a warmer for a room. They cost $12 USD for 5ml which lasts a decent amount of time as you need so little. Depravity is my favourite, they describe the scent best as: Pure corruption: clove, nutmeg lurk amongst the sweetest offerings of coconut, on a bed of rich golden amber, laden with dustings of sandalwood and spilled wine.

7. Limnit Lipsticks: in Olly Olly Oxen Free
These lipsticks are great. Long-lasting, comfortable mattes with great pigmentation, and they only cost $12.95 USD.

Olly Olly Oxen Free swatch

Olly Olly Oxen free is a deep ox-blood shade with a slightly purple undertone (which I prefer to the brown tones some oxblood shades have). I also like the clear portion of the packaging so you can see the actual shade through the tube. Plus, if you don't like this shade they have 22 more.

So these are my current top 7 indie favourites. I personally love indie companies, they seem to be more innovative and focus on having really great formulas. If there are any indie products out there you love or want to know more about let me know which ones, I'd love to test out some more and report here for you!

Disclaimer: All these products were purchased by me.

RawSkin Ceuticals BB Creme Foundation Review

Image from RawSkin Ceuticals website

Hello all! It's been a long time since I've posted but I wanted to get back into blogging occasionally. Today I have for you a review of a little known brand called RawSkin Ceuticals. RawSkin Ceuticals is a brand that mainly focuses on natural skin care as well as having a small selection of all natural cosmetics.

The main reason I found the brand is because I am desperately looking for a new liquid foundation that would not only match my skin but won't break me out. This is ridiculously difficult however as I break-out due to silicones, and coconut oil (and variations of coconut oil), but I also want to stay cruelty-free. In addition to this I'm highly allergic to sunflower and sesame seeds so oils or waxes from either of these also excludes products. Most mainstream foundations have silicone in them, or if they don't they seem to use coconut oil as one of the main ingredients instead. (Any ingredient that ends with -cone in the name is a form of silicone, and Caprylic triglyceride is another name for refined coconut oil).

RawSkin Ceuticals is one of the only brands I found that make a liquid foundation but also is cruelty-free, silicone-free, coconut-oil free and isn't crazy expensive. One thing I did notice to keep in mind is that RawSkin Ceuticals seems to have coupon codes often, and if you sign-up for their e-mail, which is free, you get a % off code.

The sample set for neutral fair to light complexions

So around the holidays during a sale I purchased their neutral fair to light tones sample set. They have three ranges of colours, warm, neutral and cool as well as fourteen depths of tone, so forty-two shades. The set I purchased included their three lightest neutral toned foundations in both powder format and liquid format. I ended up being their second lightest shade N102 and N202 for their liquid and powder foundations respectively. This was nice as usually I'm the palest foundation shade in a range and I know there are paler people out there, so it's great that they have such an extensive selection.

Here is a list of their ingredients (Liquid- BB Creme Foundation + SPF 20):

active SPF Ingredients: 8-12% Blend of Non-Nano Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide ingredients:

certified organic aloe leaf juice 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined rosehip seed oil 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined mango butter 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined hemp seed oil 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined tamanu oil

certified organic cold pressed unrefined pumpkin seed oil 

certified organic cold pressed partially refined evening primrose oil 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined avocado oil

cetyl-stearyl alcohol (coconut and palm derived)

proprietary vitamin C herb complex blend: certified organic chrysanthemum, certified organic helichrysum flowers, certified organic orange peel, certified organic rosehips, certified organic eyebright, certified organic acerola cherry, certified organic cleavers, l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) preservative blend: potassium sorbate usp, citric acid mineral oxides for color

List of ingredients (Powder- SPF 20 Mineral Foundation):

active SPF Ingredients: 8-12% Blend of Non-Nano Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide 

naturally quarry mined kaolin clay, 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined rosehip seed oil 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined mango butter 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined hemp seed oil 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined tamanu oil 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined pumpkin seed oil 

certified organic cold pressed partially refined evening primrose oil 

certified organic cold pressed unrefined avocado oil

proprietary vitamin C herb complex blend: certified organic chrysanthemum, certified organic helichrysum flowers, certified organic orange peel, certified organic rosehips, certified organic eyebright, certified organic acerola cherry, certified organic cleavers, l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) preservative blend: potassium sorbate usp, citric acid mineral oxides for color

The only thing I don't like is that they include an spf rating, which I doubt they actually have as legally to have such a rating each shade of a product must be tested by the government in order for the company to claim as such. As a small company I doubt they could afford to do this expensive process. Instead I wish they had instead just put that the Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide both provide a small level of sun protection.

The powder foundation sample

You'll notice that the powder foundation has a bunch of hydrating oils and butters in it, this is still a powder foundation, it's just the ratios of powder to liquid product when mixed is watched closely. It still is a powder product. That said however, it is a very moisturizing powder foundation (more about that in a bit).

For those of you out there with acne you're likely looking at the ingredients in horror with all the natural oils in these. Not all oils are the same. There are certain oils that will break you out and some that will not, all depending on the fatty-acid (building blocks of oils) make-up of the oil in question. An excellent site about this and the comedogenic properties of a ton of different oils can be read about here. Something to keep in mind is that the higher the percentage of linoleic acid in an oil the better it is generally for acne-prone skin.

The sample set allows you to find your best shade and provides you with huge samples. Each clam-shell is packed full to the top and provides at least a full weeks worth of product. The liquid/cream foundation retails for $25 USD and the powder foundation for $20 USD.

The liquid/ cream foundation sample

For the liquid/cream foundation I found it had a sort of in-between liquid and hard cream texture. It goes on well and covers fairly evenly with some blending. I would say it has medium to full coverage. It looks super nice when it's first put on but my combination oily skin tends to kill that in about an hour and a half. Then I just look oily, especially along my t-zone. This would be fabulous for a drier skin-type than myself but it's just too moisturizing for my skin. This foundation really does have a lot of oomph on the moisturizing front, as I found it didn't exasperate my dry sections at all.

N 102, my shade in the liquid/cream foundation blended on the left and heavier on the right

As for the powder foundation it goes on well. Like most powder foundations it needs to be buffed in. One thing to mention is that in the sample the powder can look sort-of balled up but it isn't a problem for application, I think it's just because of all the moisturizing ingredients that it includes in it makes it not as dry as some powders. It lasts longer on me than the liquid one but I still do get uncomfortably oily from it sooner than other powder foundations I've tried. That said it's also the most moisturizing powder foundation I've ever tried, in that it doesn't tend to make any dryness worse over the course of the day. It will, like all powder foundations, still cling to dry-spots when first applied though.

One last thing to keep in mind is that due to their herbal blend both the liquid and the powder foundation have a slight sweet-herb scent to them. It's natural and doesn't bother me at all, but something to keep in mind if you are sensitive to scents.

Overall, I wish I had less oil in my skin because I really like this foundation, it just unfortunately doesn't hold up against the oil my skin produces over the day. That said I haven't had any break-outs from my samples, and I'll likely use up my sample in both the liquid and the powder. The powder mainly just needs a touch up later in the day and the liquid will be fine if I'm going out at night just for a couple hours or so. I've also been using the liquid in the drier places on my face and covering the rest with a couple layers of another foundation I'm testing for a bit more coverage. If you have more normal to dry skin I recommend giving this a try.

Disclaimer: I purchased this product myself.

Just Because It's Pretty

I literally have not done one of these posts in years but I decided to do one as there are some neat looking cosmetics products out there lately.
If you haven't seen one of these posts before these are basically just images of gorgeous or cool looking cosmetics packaging. I've not tested these out unless I say otherwise.

Image from the Kiko website

Image from the Kiko website

First up is the Kiko Queen of Hearts Limited Edition Eyeshadow palette which look lovely. You can see some of the other powder products from this collection which are stunning in this blog post here by British Beauty Blogger. You can see the Daring Game Collection online  HERE. Gosh I'd love to try these out, but unfortunately I can't access them over here in Canada. Bonus news Kiko is completely cruelty-free (and possibly vegan too).

Image from Sephora

Some of the best shots of this palette are from Makeup and Beauty Blog's Post or from Not So Frivolous' post here.
I adore the look of this palette! The gorgeous snake motif in gold, the purple jewel, the dark wood. Gah. If only I needed more purple eyeshadow (unfortunately I have enough purples now to last my children's children's needs for purple and I'm trying desperately to be good).
Tarte is also a cruelty-free brand.

Image from cosmeticoskorea.com

Finally is the freakin adorable Panda White Magic Skin Cream from Tony Moly (I believe Tony Moly is cruelty-free but I'm not 100% sure).  I want this just for the package- I don't need it for the supposed anti-aging properties or the whitening properties, just for the Panda 3D love. SO CUTE! You can see some other pictures and purchase it Here. No idea if it work though :P!

That is it for now! Love any of these or used any of these products? Seen any other awesome packaging out there? Let me know!