Review / Neve Cosmetics Brush Set Aqua

Few months ago, I shared my love for Neve Cosmetics brushes (here) and they have recently released a travel set, containing 7 brushes!

Neve Cosmetics Brush Set Aqua* comes in a practical and compact travel case. I can't get over how small it is, since the brushes are actually a decent size and the handle is comfortable to use; there is also a useful zip pocket on the side to store extra make up accessories.

 The bristles are cruelty-free, vegetarian and vegan and the handles are made of wood with an aqua green metallic ring.

The set contains - pictures top to bottom:

Blush Brush is the biggest brush of the set; it's pretty dense and it's ideal for dusting loose or pressed blushes. Baby Kabuki with long handle is a dual fibre brush with a rounded head; I use it to blended both liquid and mineral foundations. The Medium Eyeshadow Brush is  flat tipped and also a dual fibre; it works best to deposit powder eyeshadows and pigments on the eyelid with minimum fall out. The Baby Eyebuki (eye kabuki - cute!) is probably my favourite and extremely versatile; it has a rounded and extremely dense tip and I like to use it for blending the concealer.

Eyeliner Brush has an angled tip for creating a sharp and precise line. Blending Brush is another brush which is getting a lot of use; the size is perfect for shading and blending eyeshadows in the crease. Finally the Small Eyeshadow Brush is also flat and round tipped but better suited for applying creamy shadows; it's also great to use along the lashline or as a lipliner.

In UK, they are available from www.cutecosmetics.co.uk and www.nevecosmetics.it

Haul / Boots

Few weeks ago I placed an order on Boots.com to take advantage of the 3for2 offer that included make up, skincare and body care.

Recently, I mentioned in my March' Empties that I finished The Beauty Parlour Boob Tubes but wasn't really impressed.

I love Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula - and how the products smell - so I picked up the Bust Cream which is also reasonably priced at under 7 pounds. The consistency seems a bit on the thick side, like a body butter, but it absorbs really well, I haven't experienced any break out so far and you only need a small amount.

Then, I stocked up on some body cream: I haven't tried the No7 Smooth & Improve Cellulite Treatment and at £22 I wouldn't normally buy it without being sure it works. So I thought it was the right chance to give it a go. I'm not too fussed with the gimmicky applicator, I just have high hopes on the formulation, really.

Finally, I bought the Tweezerman Deluxe Hair Cutting Shears; I cut my fringe every couple of weeks and currently I'm using a pair with texturising teeth which is really effortless to use. I decided to get a regular pair, in case I want to try a more dramatic, blunt style. they are vvvvery sharp!

I also HAD to get some make up... of course!!! ;)

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr in On and On Bronze: Big fan of these pots! I already have a couple and been wanting the bronze shade for a while. I've been pretty much used it every day since I got it - it lets you create a beautiful look, effortlessly and quickly. You don't need anything else on top... this is really a case where less is more.

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel in 180 Indigo Night: Prologue - I love blue polishes but a nice, bright midnight blue was missing from my collection. 

I decided to get the Revlon because I've been wanting to try this line since it came out; I'm pleased with both consistency and longevity but £7.99 is a bit steep for an high street polish, in my opinion... I mean you can get an Essie for that price, right?! High street-wise, Rimmel is still my favourite around the 4quid range.

Real Techniques Your Eyes/Enhanced Starter Kit: another product I'm crossing off my wishlist.

I'm a bit fan of RT brushes - I already wrote about them here & here.

I mainly wanted to try the deluxe crease brush for concealer since my dark circles are so bad and I figured every little helps. I'm finding the base shadow brush great to apply cream shadows/color tattoos and the accent brush for undereye smudging.

I don't really have any use for the pixel-point eyeliner brush and brow brush so I will keep them to give away in my next giveaway. ;)

Have you tried any of these items? What are your thoughts?
x

New In / Neve Glossy Artist Brushes

VERY excited to see more and more Italian brands exported abroad. Last week I was talking about Kiko and today is Neve Cosmetics turn; I mean, I can see why - quality is good and prices affordable!
I already did a wee introduction on the brand few months ago - you can have a read here, if you're interested.
Glossy Artist is the new range of brushes from Neve Cosmetics. They are a rainbow of colours and colour-coded... 3 digits names are boring!!! ;)
Make up is an art and like any artist, any painter you need the right tools AND beautiful too.
The brushes have a wooden handle and - in keeping with the brand ethos - they are all cruelty-free and vegan.

Lilac Powder Brush*

This is the ideal brush for finishing powders and bronzers. Bristles are densely packed but still flexible to allow to deposit the product, without disturbing the foundation underneath.

I find it the perfect shape and size for setting my make up - 4 strokes: around nose, chin and forehead and I'm done!

Red Amplify Brush*
This brush is also very dense and stiffer than the purple one. It reminds me of the Real Techniques Buffing Brush but it's a tad bigger and rounder; it does work just as good with foundations but it's also great for contouring and blending powder products. I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and experienced minimum shedding.

Orange Concealer Brush*

This brush is seriously huge! Personally, I prefer to blend my creamy concealer with my fingers so I have been using it mainly to set the concealer with the powder.

It does work very well with creamy products too and I've been using it to apply eye primers and creamy shadows; it packs the colour uniformly and it's easy to clean.

I've been loving these brushes since day 1 - they are really soft and excellent performers so far.
I clearly need one in each colour - particularly, I want to try the Rose Angled, Magenta Sculpt and Turquoise Eyebuki.

In UK, you can pick them up from www.cutecosmetics.co.uk and nevecosmetics.it

Debenhams 6/6 - part 1

Right - I wrote this post eons ago but it got forgotten in my draft folder... Le sigh!

You may have already seen some of this items used in FOTD/FOTNs... but I decided to post it anyway as they are some nice and interesting products, worth sharing. :)

I also realised it was way too long so I split it into 2.

bareMinerals Quick Change Brush Cleaner: I bought this to clean my brushes, between washes.
This is a fantastic product - gets rid of the darkest eyeshadows quickly and leaving the brushes dry. It also has a very pleasant smell.
I will definitely re-buy when I run out.

Mac Chromagraphic Pencil in Process Magenta: I couldn't resist this lip pencil... the colour is just so stunning... a true, bright magenta. This need to be applied with extreme precision as the staying power is impressive and leaves a stain, even after I've wiped it off with some remover.
The pencil gives a matte finish that I, personally, like on his own and I don't top it up with any lipstick. Bright statement lips with glossy eyes is the look I'm going for (and a sleek ponytail!)
There are about 10 Chromagraphic Pencils that were released in 2010, part of the PRO store; I'm just a bit annoyed as these pencils are also described as multi-use but some of them are 'not to be use on the lip area' or 'not to be used on the eye area'... Process Magenta is one of the latter and I would have, totally, experimented as an eyeliner, too... shame!

Mac Paint Pot in Rubenesque: Impressed with the quality of Painterly Paint Pot so I decided I wanted a shade with a bit more pizzazz... also, something with a bit of shimmer to use as a base when I layer neutral eyeshadows.
I'm so glad I got this colour - it's absolutely stunning and the one that I gravitate towards the most, recently.... when I don't know what to wear, I go for Rubenesque as it makes for an interesting eye colour, effortlessly.
It's described on the website as a golden peach with gold shimmer which I couldn't have formulated any better - spot on!

Duo Adhesive: I don't use false lashes very often but this is supposed to be the best glue on the market... so I picked up a tube to try out.
ummm, not much else to say - it's glue, guys... but let me know if you use it, too! :)

... continue to part 2 ^_^

Debenhams 5/6

MAC goodies from Debenhams:

Mac Paint Pot in Painterly: I'm sure you all know plenty about this product; it's a staple for many so I wanted to check what the fuss was all about. ;)
I'm preferring a neutral eye look, lately, so this is perfect to just neutralize any discolouration of the eyelid - add a bit of mascara and pronto! I'm ready! As you can see, it's nearly undetectable on the skin.
Also, it doubles as a primer as it stays put really well and doesn't crease.

Mac Amplified Creme Lipstick in Cosmo: this is the typical Mac formula, very creamy and moisturising. Colour payoff is also very good, although you tend to go through a bullet pretty quickly because it's so creamy.
The colour I chose is the perfect mix between nude brown and pink (unfortunately, I can't rock a plain brown)... pretty happy with it - it very flattering and everyday shade.

Mac Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Full Speed: this lipstick doesn't come in the typical Mac packaging but it's in the longer, square one. It's supposed to be the perfect combo between high pigmentation of a lipstick and shine of a lipgloss but I didn't see any amazing glossiness, to be honest.
Still, it's a gorgeous bright pink/coral (quite orange, actually) and not drying on the lips, kinda of a balmy feeling.

Mac Cremeblend Blush in Something Special: eek!!! :)
I've been wanting this for a long time - I got it as a cheaper option to Becca Tuberose.
It has become one of my favourite blushes - I love it, it's so beautifying and I reach for it often.
It's a cream blush but it's not sticky and it actually dries matte: I like that option, all my other cream blushes tend to be dewy.

Mac Brushes in 217, 266, 212: 217 is your typical blending eyeshadow brush. I used to have one years ago but then I lost it somehow and always putting it off to buy a replacement.
To be fair, I'm more and more doing natural eye looks so I don't need it a great deal; also, I think the no7 equivalent is just as good but cheaper.
266 to be honest, I wanted the 263 but I always find it out of stock... I shouldn't have bought this one - I wanted the angled brush for gel eyeliner but I find its bristles too hard, nearly scratching my eyelid. This is best suitable for eyebrows but I never do my eyebrows... this is a regret buy. :(
212 again, I wanted an eyeliner brush - thiner than the angled one; this is pretty thin, flat and very soft but It works best with powder eyeshadow (than gel) and I barely use this product to line my eyes... again, I could definitely live without it! :(

Which are your favourite Mac products??
xx