Blank Canvas Cosmetics Master Series, Palette One!

Blank Canvas Master Series, Palette One - $53.37 CDN

As you know by now, Blank Canvas Cosmetics (BCC) is my go to makeup brush company.  I literally own all their brushes!  I love this company so much, that I also own their makeup.  My first purchase ever from them was their contouring and highlighting palette.  That was my first ever contouring palette in general.  I loved how big the pans were, much product and color payoff it offered and for the price I was totally blown away with their product!  This summer they also came out with their Pippa Palette which offered six eyeshadows, a blusher, bronzer and highlighter.  Literally an all in one palette.  I love those types of palettes because they're great for traveling and take the guess work out of what makeup goes with what because all the colors in the palette work well with each other.  

For the holiday season, BCC came out with their Master Series, Palette One.  When I first saw this palette, I was on the fence only because for some reason the pictures online seemed to wash the colors out so I was unsure of what the hues actually looked like.  However, as soon as I saw this palette on their website in its full glory, I knew this palette was for me!

The palette comes in a sleek cardboard case with a fully functional mirror and a two sided makeup brush that I couldn't find sold separately on the site.  So I think its exclusive to this palette.  The brush is nicely nestled at the bottom and it can be used to apply color and blend as well due to its double sided ability.  This palette has 11 matte shades and one shimmer shade in a beautiful yellow gold.  However the shimmer isn't over the top sparkle which is great.  At my age (34) while I love me some shimmer colors, I don't really do sparkle.  This palette is very much on the warm tone side.  It almost reminds me of the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palettes with its lovely shades of browns.  The Master Series, Palette One colors are pigmented, have little fall out, blending amazingly and lasted for hours on my eyes without creasing or fading.

The price for this palette is pretty fair.  If you consider the average Too Faced and Urban Decay palette starts in the $30 range and goes to $60 and up for their most famous full size palettes; the price is right in the same ball park.  Moreover you are getting 12 shades WITH a good quality double sided brush and proper mirror.  The shipping on this was about $4.00 and came all the way from Ireland! The country I love the most!!

The first three shades (Lily, Goodness, Core) are all light shades great to use for highlighting the inner corner of your eye or as an overall color for the lid to hide any discoloration.  Light shades work great for highlighting under the brow bone as well.  As mentioned before, Goodness is the only shimmer shade in this palette with a beautiful pale yellow gold that is very pigmented.  This baby can also be layered over any of these matte shades for a beautiful satin effect. The next three (Hibisucs, Brazen, Carmin) are in the brown/red family.  Carmin especially has a hit of a red undertone which would work beautifully with some eye colors.  The lower half (Cocoa, Downtown, Forza) are a darker brown colors with Forza having a peach undertone.  The last three (Hickory, Strut, Corruption) are the most interesting of the lot!  Hicokory has a purple undertone which is amazing for a purple smokey eye!  Strut has a pink undertone that would look awesome in the spring/summer months or if you are going for a romantic look.  Finally Corruption.  Wow this color totally is my favorite.  This hue is not your typical dark black color.  While it is black, however it has an undertone of a plum color which is totally beautiful in the daylight.  It blends well when used as an outer corner color and had no fallout on my face.  Normally black eyeshadow has tons of fallout when applied.  But this one totally wowed me!

I would highly recommend this palette if you are looking for a beautiful warm tone neutral palette where you can use all the colors and not have 2 or 3 be left out because their functionality in everyday makeup life is not wearable for you.  All these colors blend well together and can be worn to any occasion morning, noon and night!  As well, BCC hit it out the park with this winner of a palette!

Have you tried the new Master Series, Palette One? Tell me what's your favorite shade and tag me in any looks you make with this palette #dayanamromero on IG! Would love to see them!

Keep Smiling!

Dayana

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Is There a Difference Between Contouring and Bronzing?

Lately I have been seeing people asking this question.  Is there a difference between contouring and bronzing?  The answer is, it depends.  Some people will contour at the same time they bronze with the same products.  Others use two different products and two different makeup brushes to achieve these two methods.  At the end of the day it depends what look you are going for.

I normally contour and bronze at the same time.  However on the days when I have time and really want that contouring defined line, I will combine these two methods above by using specific brushes and bronzers.  Its not that hard and very easy to achieve.  However in order to get these two in one look, you need the proper makeup brushes and products.  No matter what you tell yourself, without the proper tools your contouring and bronzing will not come out right.  There lies the difference between your face looking dirty and your face looking well defined.

When contouring your face, you need know where to find and draw the lines that naturally create a shadows on your face. Those are lines that you want to define and crave out in order to achieve that contour look.  However when doing this method pay attention.  Contour needs to go with the shape of your face.  Its important you understand the shape of your face before you start contouring.  If not, then you may draw lines that extenuate unnatural areas of your face leaving a not so attractive look.  Once you find those areas of your face to contour, use the proper makeup brush(es) and products to achieve this look.

Contouring

 

So first things first, you need to decide if you want to only contour, only bronze or both.  Because if you apply bronzer in the same exact areas as of your contouring, then you face is going to look dirty as you will cover way to much with bronzer.  If you plan to contour and bronze, then you need to adjust the amount of product and areas you going to cover with these products.  So let's start off with contouring and drawing those lines!  

Tools & Products

First you want to get yourself a good contouring product that has grey not red or orange undertones.  If you use red or orange undertone contour product, it will for sure stand out in a not so attractive way.  So stick to grey for a more natural look.  I normally use a cream bronzer for contouring because it's easy to blend and works better when I apply bronzer over it.

My go to cream contour is Soliel Tan de Chanel.  I love this product for many reasons.  First, while it may be pricey, however it comes a large jar that more than justifies the cost.  I have been using this product for almost a year, not even half way through and has not dried out nor does it look like it will any time soon.  Second, the price.  For a jar this size for only $51 CDN is amazing.  This product is literally the size of the whole palm of my hand.  Third, this has proper undertones.  You always want to go for a grey undertone bronzer when contouring. If you go for a red or orange, it will make your face look weird and stand out in many ways.  Think "I have spent to much time in the tanning booth" burnt look.  So stay away from red or orange bronzers when contouring.

For contouring you will need a few brushes, potentially.  First, you will need a contouring brush to apply this cream to hallow out your cheek bones, sides of your nose, underneath your jaw and lip, on your temples and upper outer corners of your hairline.

The Blank Canvas Cosmetics F30 Sculpt Brush works wonders to draw a fine and precise line on your cheekbones and upper outer corners of your hairline.  This brush has great control and literally leaves you with the best lines I have ever seen.  You can also use this brush for blending in your contour, however if you have a small face then brush might be to much for you.

In that case I recommend using Blank Canvas Cosmetics F21 Angled Contour Face Brush which works wonders not only for small faces but to seamlessly blend in your contour.  Due to the fact that this brush is angled, it works beautifully on the hollows of your cheeks and around your face without getting makeup in your hair.  Brushes that lack the angled shape tend to get makeup in your hair.  However since our foreheads are normally rounded and not straight, this brush fits right into the rounded angles and blends out the makeup.  Also works wonders to blend underneath your chin and down your neck.   

Bronzer

Bronzing is a bit different then contouring in the aspect that you apply product in larger areas of your face but more subtly.  If you over do this part on top of your contouring, then you for sure will look like someone who has had way to much time in the sun in all the wrong ways.  You don't want to walk away looking unnaturally brown or bronzed.  So make sure to apply bronzer light handed with  undertones that work for you.

Tools & Products

When bronzing, always remember that a sun kissed look is what you are going for.  It very easy with bronzer to go overboard and look like you just stepped out of a long season from a tanning booth.  With bronzer, here is where you are allowed to used red or orange undertones if you desire.  However make sure to first check your own skins undertone and see if these colors will work for you.  You don't want to look like an orange carrot or sun burnt victim if the color is all wrong.  If all else fails, then stick to grey undertones which always look great! Moreover, stay away from glitter/shimmery bronzers.  While they look nice, they TOTALLY look unnatural unless that is the look you are going for.  Glitter/shimmery bronzers work best at night, for a party or club type atmosphere.  But for normal everyday wear, it can look way to overdone.

One of the best bronzers I have ever used is Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer Milk Chocolate.  You can get this bronzer in two colors.  Either light/medium or a darker shade.  This bronzer has great undertones to work with just about everyone's skin.  It is also matte so it leaves you with a beautiful realistic glow.   The best part about this bronzer is not only the color it leaves you, but that fact that it smells like chocolate!! Hey for a girl like me who is addicted to chocolate, I don't mind having it on my face with zero calorie guilty!!

There are two brushes that come to mind when applying bronzer to the face in my opinion that work wonders each time.  Either a nice large contour brush or an angled brush.

The Blank Canvas Cosmetics F16 Large Contour/Powder Brush is shaped in a tear drop form which works wonders to pick up product at the tip so that you can apply to diagonally down and up the hollows of the cheeks and around the temples and forehead.  Due to its tear shaped design, it allows you to get apply your bronzer right where you need it without smudge your face.

The Blank Canvas Cosmetics F04 Angled Contour Face Brush works well to apply bronzer on the apples of your cheeks and blend it in with your blush if you are applying some on top.  This brush has an angled head which helps to get the bronzer all the way up to the hairline right next to your temples.  You can also bronze with this brush around your forehead due to its angled shape.  Moreover due to this brush having a white head, you can see if you have picked up to much or too little bronzer.

If you plan to both contour and bronze, remember less is more.  I can't stress that point enough. I have seen girls who literally look sun burnt due to over doing it.  The more natural your contour and bronzing look, the more attractive and natural looking you will come out!

Unless you like sporting the brunt look! Then hey as the old saying goes "to each his own" right!

So there you have it! Two concepts that you can combine in one (or two) depending on what type of look you are going for!

Let me know what types of products and tools you use for contouring and bronzer!

Keep Smiling!

Dayana

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6 Beauty Companies Worth Knowing!

I am all about independent beauty companies.   Don't get me wrong, I shop at Sephora, the mecca of all beauty shops every chance I get.  I shop so much there I have achieved VIB Rouge status.  So if you know what VIB Rouge status is, then you know what's the minimum I spend every year! And that's just the minimum!  Shhh don't tell my husband!!!

However I have found myself in the last year favoring independent beauty companies because of their style and product selection that at times you can't find in a drug store.  Or their prices ranges that you won't find at Sephora or Holt Renfrew.  Since last year I have been testing out different independent beauty companies, I decided to put a list together of companies that sell makeup and/or makeup brushes that you might not have heard about but need to know about.  There are many more independent beauty companies out there for sure, however these that I found not only fit the bill in price tag but in value as well!

Blank Canvas Cosmetics

If you don't know who Blank Canvas Cosmetics (BCC) is by now, then that means you are not reading my blog!! I blog about this company at least once a month because of their amazing makeup brushes.  The truth is you could spend hundreds of dollars on just ONE makeup brush from many different companies or you can spend way under $200 for a 15-18 piece makeup brush set with shipping, taxes and all.  I own just about every makeup brush from this brand and have never been disappointed.  They carry quality synthetic and cruelty free animal hair brushes.  What makes it even better, is that they also offer great quality makeup (eye-shadows and blushes) for a great price in beautiful palettes.  You can even buy a great contouring and highlighting kit from this company.  The greatest bonus of all is that they are stationed out in Ireland with super low shipping rates! And if you know me, then you know I love anything Irish! This company is truly worth checking out! 

Dose of Colors

 Just the name itself screams "love me"!!  I love this company for their amazing quality lipsticks and lipglosses that they create.  Not only do they having nude shades which I gravitate to, but for those who actually like color and like to experiment with it, they offer a wide range of color selection.  Their lip products are long lasting, long wearing and are very pigmented.  Just one swipe leaves you with a beautiful dose of color on your lips.  They just released three new beautiful highlighters that range in colors from pink, peach and brown.  If you are also into lashes, they have some of the most amazing eyelashes you can spot a mile away! This company is really worth trying out if you want something new and affordable! 

Gerard Cosmetics

Gerard Cosmetics (also known as Whitening Lightning) blew up on the scene when just about every famous youtuber sang their praises.  From last year till now, I have to say they have not only expanded their makeup line, but also their packaging.  GC first made their grand debut with their teeth whitener and lipglosses that have an internal light on the top and mirror on the back.  However their packaging was much to desire.  Nonetheless, last year their packaging transformed from looking like Dollar Tree makeup to me easily mistaken them now for my YSL or Chanel lipgloss.  Their new gold tone gorgeous packaging has truly sky rocketed them.  Moreover, they have also added a new line of lipsticks which many refer to as the "golden bullets" to their collection.  These have got to be one of the most pigmented and loveliest lipglosses I have ever used.  My favorite color from their lipgloss collection is Shimmer of Hope.  My God is it truly beautiful with its soft pink nude color.  I love wear this color every chance I get.  However if you are more of a color type of gal, they also offer an assortment of colors from deep purples down to straight black that will make any emo go gaga for their colors and textures. 

Makeup Geek

Makeup Geek is a company that was started by a Youtuber Marlena who turned her passion for makeup into a multimillion dollar company.  Moreover, the thing I love about this company is that they are so versatile that anyone who shops for makeup at a drugstore or at Bergdrof Goodman will surely find something here.  Being someone who shops at both types of stores, Makeup Geek has been able to capture the makeup industry by offering amazing eye shadows, eyeliners, blushes and makeup brushes at affordable prices with superb quality.  My first purchase from Makeup geek was their Vegas Lights palette and I have to say their eyeshadow pigmentation, blendablity and smoothness was literally comparable to my Chantecaille eyeshadow palette.  And if you know anything about Chantecaille prices and quality, well lets just say they are literally in the same category for me.   Makeup Geek offers eyeshadows for as low as $5.99 for their regular shadows and as high as $9.99 for their foiled shadows with the quality of a high end luxury brand look and feel.  If you never heard about this company, you need to stop reading here and click on their link and go check them out.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed! Are you still reading?!

ColourPop

I heard about ColourPop over the Christmas season from Youtube, of course!  I was really taken by their pigmented shimmery eyeshadows and literally how affordable they were.   But what really caught my attention was that these are powder eyeshadows in a cream type form.  I know its weird to explain but it literally blends and feels like cream though its powder.  What caught my attention even more was their color range.  They range from soft neutral colors all the way to electric blue.  Moreover, they offer some of the nicest "lippies" I have ever seen that are creamy and not drying at all.  They even offer a lovely lip primer for all your lippy needs.  All colourpop eyeshadows and lippies cost $5.00 each!  I kid you not!  Nothing in that store cost over $5.00 an item (with the exception of their foursome eyeshadows which are $20.00. Five dollars a shadow).  If you are into highly pigmented shimmery eyeshadows and their new matte shadows, then stop by their site and check them out!

Sigma Beauty

Sigma Beauty is an all American company started by a veterinarian and her engineering husband.  This company has literally and I mean literally sky rocketed from working out of their basement to having a store in the Mall of America in only a few years.  They started out with makeup brushes and have expanded to eyeshadows, lipglosses and eyeliners.  They have also engineered new patent products to help with cleaning your makeup brushes.  They sold out in one day of their makeup brushes, after a Youtube guru mentioned them on her channel.  From there they have kept on growing at a fast rate each year. They have affordable prices with great quality makeup and makeup brushes in sleek packaging.  What makes them so awesome is how they revolutionized the makeup industry in regards to makeup brushes and their usage.  They use synthetic and real animal hair for their brushes with some of the most awesome quality I have ever seen.  You can buy from their online store, amazon or in person.  However they do have high shipping rates when it comes to their online store due to packaging.  So while their products are so worth it, you need to take that into account when shopping online.  Yet with all that being said, doesn't everything beautiful come with a price!?
 

So there you have it, six independent beauty companies worth checking out.  Let me know if there are any others I should try that are worth looking into!

keep Smiling!

Dayana 

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Must Have Makeup Brushes For The Eyes!

By now you all know about my Blank Canvas Cosmetics (BCC) obsession and their makeup brushes.   So no need to repeat it here, unless you really want to hear it then click here!! Since the New Year has arrived, I decided to write about my must have 2015 makeup brushes for the eyes that we all need in our collection in order to achieve that perfect look.

I get asked all the time what type of eye brushes one should have when starting out. I think eye brushes are important because it took me years to figure out why my eye makeup never looked professional. It wasn't until I educated myself that I realized that one makeup brush can't do it all. However with that being said you don't need 50 eye brushes either to achieve a nice look. So, I decided to narrow down the list to these eight brushes that I believe to be essential and useful for any makeup collection! What I love about these brushes and BCC is that they are very affordable and the price ranges from as low as $9.00 to the highest of $14 for the brushes mentioned below!

Now as I always state in all my post, you don't have to buy these type of brushes just from BCC. However if you are looking for good quality brushes, at affordable prices with amazing shipping rates, then this company is surely for you!!

The E24 Flat Shader/Lay Down Brush is prefect for picking up and applying product to your eyelid.  Its made from soft natural goat hair so it's fluffy and firm at the same time which help for packing on the eyeshadow.  It's easy to clean and always come back white after each wash.  I have never had any shedding issue with this brush.

The F05 Fan Brush is a face brush, yes I know.  However it works great to sweep away fallout from your eyeshadow as it falls on your face and underneath your eye area.  This brush works great to leave no track of eyeshadow on your face and sweep it away gently without messing up your concealer or foundation.  I love this brush and use it when applying dark eyeshadow.  Makes clean up easy and fast! 

The E44 Flat Brush is a must!  I literally sang it's praise when this brush came out!  I was finally able to apply eyeliner underneath my eye in a straight line close the waterline with no problem.  I love how this brush works so well by gently pressing in the cream or powder eyeliner without smudging or leaving behind streaks!  This brush also works well to clean up your eyeshadow if you went to far out from the corner of your eye.  It cleans it up in one swipe leaving behind a nice cut angle on your eye.  This brush is made from synthetic fibers so it works well with cream and powdered products. 

The E39 Bent Eyeliner Brush is a must have!!  Let's be honest I can barely draw a straight line to save my life.  Yet with this brush I am able to work in my eyeliner both on top and bottom of my lashes with ease.  It really works to not get caught in between my lashes and can be used in either hand with no problem.  It works amazing to draw a cat eye with your cream eyeliner. The brush is made of synthetic fibers so I literally clean it with a baby wipe between usage until the end of the week when I give it a deep cleaning!  Either way it always comes out clean and ready for another day. 

The E32 Tapered Crease Blender Brush is prefect for seamless blending of your eyeshadow along the lid and crease.  Its made from all natural high grade goat hair so its very soft.  I love this brush because it blends in my makeup so well in my crease that it leaves behind no harsh lines.  Though this brush is very soft, yet has the ability to really work in your eyeshadow with simple strokes.  I literally use and abuse this brush to the point that I own two just in case the first one ever fails on me! I don't know how my eye makeup ever got around without it.

 The E10 Small Socket Blender Brush is hands down my favorite brush!  We all have eye sockets and ever single person who uses transitional eyeshadow colors knows how important it is to get that color on the socket just right.  This brush literally fits right in the socket of the eye with ease and doesn't allow the eyeshadow to get all over the place.  It also helps to blend the color in and leave no harsh line behind.  I always follow up with my E32 Tapered Crease Blender Brush for better blending.  Nonetheless when in a hurry, this brush will help in the blending department.   

The E26 Blending Brush is prefect for blending in your eyeshadow on your lid.  Since a lot of us wear two to three different shades on our lids to get a multi-dimensional look, this brush helps to blend it all in order to get a seamless no harsh line effect.  This brush is made of natural goat hair that is ever so soft and easy to clean.  My eyeshadow no matter how dark has never stained this brush though the hairs are white.  I have never had any shedding issues and it dries really fast after a deep clean.

The E23 Pencil Brush is so versatile that I can't begin to describe it.  You can use to apply shadow in your crease for a precise placement.  You can use it to apply shadow to the inner corner of your eye, the outer edges of your eye, to the lash line on the lower eyelid, to smudge in eyeliner or to add shadow in that same area.  I love this brush.  If I could own 100 of these I would.  Well maybe not...but you get my obsession.

So there you have it, my must have in makeup brushes for the eyes!  If you think I missed one or some then let me know.  However I think I covered just about all the essential brushes one needs for everyday use!

Keep Smiling!

Dayana

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