Cornucopia Kabuki Yachiyo Brush

Cornucopia Kabuki Yachiyo Brush - $10.49 US

I received this brush in exchange for my honest review on this product and let me tell you I was impressed!

I have been dying to buy this type of brush from Nars or Hakuhodo.  However I refuse to spend $50 bucks and up for said brush.  While I might be a makeup junkie, I still need to count my pennies.  So when I realized I was going to be given the chance to review this brush I jumped on it.

This brush is not like your typical brush.  It comes wrapped in what almost seems like Bamboo wire.  Its much smaller then your average brush, but fits perfectly in your hand.  The brush bristles is made of 100% goat hair which isn't cheap.  Its cut and angled in a dome shaped way which works great to fit right into the hallow of your cheeks for contouring.  Or applying blush right on to the apples of your cheeks and not getting into your high bone messing with your highlighter.  Since the brush is pointed, you can also contour under your chin, forehead and nose with no problem.  Moreover, due to the smallness of the brush, it wasn't to wide so that your contour got all over the place.

I noticed no shedding of the brush hairs when using for application.  Also, though the hair is very soft, but the bristles are tightly packed in such a way that they are strong enough to apply your makeup without fraying or losing it shape.

I would so recommend this brush if you are want to buy one of the Nars or Hakuhodo ones, but don't want to spend a weeks pay check on it!

Keep Smiling!

Dayana

FTC: This brush was given to me for review.  I was not paid in any way for my opinion.

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Best Brushes for Contouring for Beginners, Intermediate and Advance!

I like to contour as much as the next guy (girl).  Contouring allows you to drop five pounds on your face, crave out your cheek bones, hide a double chin and leave you with a beautiful bronzy looking effect. However with that being said, using the wrong tools and bronzer shade can leaving you with a muddy or seriously burnt looking face.  Part of understanding contouring, is understanding the shape of your face.  Once you figure out what face shape you were naturally born with, you can then contour to your hearts desire.  

I have written before on the art of contouring and the makeup products needed to achieve this effect.  However, it takes more then just makeup to get a nice crisp bronzy look.  Makeup brushes are the number one items needed that will either make or break your look.  The biggest problems with makeup brushes is that the beauty industry has been inundated by them, that it is very easy to get lost in a sea of bristles.  Moreover some companies have so many brushes that a girl doesn't know which ones are appropriate to use based on skill levels.  So today, I am going to break it down for you, on what type of makeup brushes are useful depending on where your makeup "education" lies!

Brushes by Skill Level

When I first started out with makeup, I had NO clue what I was doing.  I remember getting a compact that had a blush, bronzer and highlighter, and rubbing the highlighter all over my face because I thought it was just another pretty face powder.  Well needless to say, I looked like a disco ball all day long.  To make matters worse, I applied it with a big round face powder brush that left highlighter on face, hair and neck.  It was just a royal mess.  But hey, at least bikers were able to see me that night when I went for a walk with the dog!  Thank God for Youtube where I was able to evolve and learn where to properly apply highlighter and with what brush.

When it comes to contouring, it isn't something you learn overnight.  It takes a lot of trial and error before you prefect the art.  Moreover, for beginners picking the right brush is everything.

Beginners

BCC F18 Short Duo Fibre Brush

For beginners, the best brush to start out with is a small and short duo fibre brush.  This small brush allows you to pick up minimal bronzer in order to avoid over doing it while you learn to contour.  Remember, its always easier to place more product on your face then it is to take off.  Applying a little at a time lets you see your progress and how well your contouring is turning out.  Due to the small head of this brush, the bristles fit right into the hollow of the cheeks giving you fool proof lines.  It also allows you to get into the outer hairline of your forehead without applying bronzer right into your hair.  This brush also helps to contour underneath your chin without getting it all over the place. What I like about duo fibre brushes; due to their long bristle head, they work amazingly to blend out your contour and make it seem flawless.  This brush is truly awesome for beginners who need to start out slowly and see their progress drawing lines as they move along.  

Intermediates   

BCC F16 Large Contour/Powder Brush

One thing I love about large tapered contour/powder brushes is their ability to place color right on the contour lines of your face.  They also work well to apply bronzer and blush to your cheeks.  Since tapered contour brushes are shaped with a dome pointed head, the bristles work wonders to apply makeup only in the areas intended. Furthermore, the pointed head leaves behind a beautiful wash of color in the places meant for contouring without making a harsh line.  The dome head also works to blend out the color while keeping it within the bounds of your contour lines.  I found that this brush works amazing when contouring the cheeks and jawbone.  Since our jaw runs along the rim of our lower face and mouth, at times a more fuller brush can deposit color to the lower cheeks leaving you with a muddy look.  A large tapered brush helps to minimize this issue by depositing color ONLY where needed.  The pointed head is great for those who have an intermediate level of bronzing and can contour and blend at the same time without getting bronzer in all the wrong places.  

Advanced

BCC F30 Sculpt Brush

When I finally learned how to contour with precision, I decided to play with the big boys of makeup brushes.  A sculpting brush; while can seem intimidating, when used correctly can leave you with nice precision lines on your cheek bones and jawline.  It works great to contour your forehead and temples.  Since the brush is made to be narrow and rectangular, it literally gets into the hollow of your cheeks with no problem.  The only issue with this brush is that if you lack the skills on how to contour, this brush will leave with the harshest line that a 737 plane can land on from up far.  Moreover, you need to know how to blend well in order to use this brush.  If not, your lines will stand out and look extremely unnatural.  Its best to play with this brush at home before testing it out in public.  I would only recommend this brush once you have mastered the art of contouring and are not intimidated by its usual shape.

BCC F21 Angled Contour Face Brush

Out of all the brushes, the one that has always stood out to me that can be used at any level is an Angled Contour Face Brush.  These brushes are made with kabuki bristles that are cut to an angular shape.  This brush works amazing to contour the whole face.  Moreover, since this brush is user friendly, it can contour, blend and buff your makeup all in one.  I find this brush to be the most versatile of them all and so user friendly.  This brush works great in the hands of beginners to expert level makeup lovers.  

So there you have it, the best type of makeup brushes to use from beginner level to advance for those who are looking to learning to contour or already have the art down packed.  Moreover, one of the best places to find all these brushes at is Blank Canvas Cosmetics.  Not just for their affordable prices and great quality, but because these brushes are truly professional makeup brushes that can afford you the best contour money can buy.  However, when it comes to learning the skill....Youtube baby! That's where we all go to learn the art!!

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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