Core Collection and Starter Kit

Real Technique Brushes in
Original Packaging

Real techniques brushes are a middle of road the costing brand. They are definitely more pricey than brushes you would see from E.l.f. (which was the first make up brush set I ever used) or other drugstore brushes for that matter. However, they are nowhere near as costly as some of the higher end brushes at Sephora or Ulta. I purchased these during the back to school tax free weekend in Florida but,unfortunately they weren't tax free. At the Kohl's near me they recently added an awesome makeup section with a Real Techniques station. Kohl's does have beauty exclusions on their coupons for the high end brands but Real Techniques is NOT on that list. I repeat, you can use coupons on these products! Major score!! One of the great things I absolutely love about Kohl's is that you can double coupons on your purchase for almost everything. So when I bought these I had a 10 dollars off of $30 AND a 20% off coupon and got to use both on these brushes!! I bought the Real Techniques Starter Kit and the Core Collection brushes. Both cost $18 dollars each bringing the total to $38.16 with the 6% sales tax where I live. But, with the coupons, it was only $22.05 with tax! So basically I saved almost 43%! 

Now on to the review. I have used E.l.f studio line brushes practically since I started wearing makeup at about 16/17 and I have to say for such a cheap brush set, they are quite great at what they do! There really great for beginners like I was.  However, the Real Techniques is just even better. Just by touching the bristles of the brush, you can distinctly see a difference in quality. Although the E,l,f studio line brushes are somewhat soft but, the Real Techniques are 100 times softer. They feel like an insanely soft cotton ball on the skin. For the core collection, I really loved the foundation, buffing and highlighting brushes. The foundation brush evenly disperses the liquid foundation I use on my skin and it is easy to build coverage with this brush. The buffing brush is fantastic for using powder all over my face. The highlighting brush is something I actually like for blush and bronzer. For me personally, I think it is too thick for highlighting because I prefer a much thinner brush. I was not as impressed with the concealer brush because I like applying my concealer with my hands but it would be great for brows of highlighting the inner corner of your eyes of the brow bone. For the starter kit, I was highly impressed by the base shadow, accent, deluxe crease and pixel point eyeliner brush. These are terrific at their respective name sakes and I believe they create some great looks. I cannot say much about the brow brush because I do not put product on my brows. Since it is angled though, it might be useful for cream or gel liner.  

Here is a tutorial using the Real Techniques Starter Kit
The eyeshadow I will be using is from the L'oreal Colour Riche Eyeshadow line #525 called Perfume ID. I got this at Ulta when it was BOGO 50% with a free tote bag and I had a 20% off coupon!

Here are some swatches

First, I put on my primer which is the E.l.f. eyeshadow primer (only $1). Next, I used the base shadow brush to apply shadow #1 all over the lid

After, I took shade #2 and applied to the crease using the deluxe crease brush.

I then took shadow #3 to the lashline and applied it with the pixel-point liner brush

Lastly, I took the accent brush and applied shadow #4 in the quad to my browbone and my tear duct 

 So that's it! These brushes are a totally catch! I hope you enjoyed this review. Make sure to buy these on sale or with coupons otherwise they could be a little pricey! One fantastic addition to the brushes is the convenient travel case available that will definitely help with moving into my dorm!

Leave any comments about what you think or anything you would like me to review!
P.S. I learned from a salesperson at Ulta (where I bought the eyeshadow) that they are manufactured at the same place the Armani eyeshadow are so they're practically the same quality! Which is incredible!!

In case you haven't heard, Ipsy is one of the most popular makeup subscription companies ever and it's only 10 bucks a month. Major score! This month had the inspiration of street style. I received 5 items in my bag this month. There were two full size items which were the Hikari Lipstick in Cabarnet and a Pacifica 7 free nail color in Red Red Wine. The other free items are considered deluxe sample sizes and they included Nourish Organic's Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser, Mitchell and Peach English Growers Luxury Hand Cream in Flora No.1 and finally, Be a Bombshell Cosmetics's Smooth Criminal Powder. BONUS: My sister also subscribes to Ipsy and gave me her deluxe sample of Pacifica's Natural Minerals Eyeliner in Gun Metal. This bonus was actually really awesome since it matches the bag the products came with!
Here is this month's bag:

Here is all the products together! I am a first time subscriber this month but, I am absolutely in love with this months! I feel like they matched me pretty well with what I like to use normally! Now onto the reviews (ranked least like to most liker)!! 

 The Mitchell and Peach English Growers Luxury Hand Cream in Flora No.1  is a standard white hand cream that on the website claim  "This easily absorbed hand cream contains Vitamin E, shea butter and English honey to soften, nourish and protect the skin." I honestly don't feel it does. A second after application, it does feel nourishing but one it sets in, the cream leaves a dry feeling on my hands. This was definitely my least favorite of the bunch.

The Nourish Organic's Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser claims it "gently washes impurities without irritating." It definitely lives up to the claim! My skin felt very refreshed after one use. The only thing is that my skin is acne prone so I prefer to use a cleanser with salicylic acid (which is a key ingredient in fighting acne). So, I probably won't be using this cleanser very often. 

 The  Be a Bombshell Cosmetics's Smooth Criminal Powder claims it "Apply alone or over foundation. Helps minimize the look of fine lines and pores for a flawless finish." This powder is awesome over foundation (I, personally, haven't used it alone). It mattifies without looking cake-y and it provides a "flawless" finish". The only thing I didn't like was how small the product is (that's a size 6 ring for reference) but, it would be completely awesome to travel with because the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder I have is gigantic and too bulky for travel!

Pacifica 7 free nail color in Red Red Wine is a very deep red. This color is quite different for me but I am so happy I got it. I typically go for blues, pinks or bright reds. But since it is now officially fall, I thought I would try this out and I was absolutely blown away by this nail polish. It is incredibly fast drying and has a clean, non streaky finish. I would not wear this color year round but, it will add some much needed diversity to my nail polish collection.

  The Hikari Lipstick in Cabernet claims to be a "Long-lasting, vivid lip color [that] defines your lips with a variety of colors to choose from.   Our flawless formula increases wearability and stays on for hours on end!" This is by far my favorite product in the bag! It meets all the claims and the color is absolutely stunning. It lasted me an entire school day even after eating and drinking. This is probably the product I would actually repurchase at full price which is $13.00.

Lastly, the BONUS. YAY! The Pacifica Natural Mineral Eyeliner in Gun Metal. I actually do not have a silver/gray eyeliner so this was a great addition to my makeup collection. I found this eyeliner to be very easy to apply and gives off a great color with just one swipe. 

That's it for the September 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag! Did you beauties subscribe or are thinking about subscribing? What products did you get! Check back weekly for updates and don't forget to comment any questions or thoughts you had about the post!

Homage to my future tight budget

1. E.l.f Eyelid Primer: $1.00 at Target, some Walmarts and eyeslipsface.com

This is the best eyelid primer I have ever tried. I used the Lorac eyelid primer that comes with the Pro Palette for the longest time and I was looking for a cheaper alternative. This primer last just as long for only 5% of what the Lorac primer cost. 

2. E.l.f Essential Liquid Liquid Eyeliner in Black: $1.00 at Target, some Walmarts and eyeslipsface.com

This eyeliner is literally the best eyeliner. It stays on for hours without fading or wearing off. The brush is great to use because it is slim and easy to use. I originally got this as a Christmas gift in an eyeliner gift set from Target and I absolutely fell in love. It's a total steal!

3. E.l.f Mineral Booster: $5.00 at Target, some Walmarts and eyeslipsface.com
This may seem like an E.l.f rave but I promise it's not! I love this product because it is just awesome for setting the under eye concealer. It definitely prolongs the wear of my concealer and it has the "barely there look". I also like to pair it with a BB cream to set the BB cream better and to add a matte finish. 

                     

4. Rimmel Extra Super Lash Mascara: $3.99 (depends on store)
This is a great mascara for such a low price! I love to use this for my bottom lashes as the formula and brush make it extra easy to apply. If I use this for my upper lashes withvone coat, typically it gives me a enhanced natural look. My lashes do gain volume and length but, it's not extraordinary. It is easy to build to a greater volume which is awesome! It is definitely my go-to before class or if I'm hanging out with friends.

5. Essence Silky Touch Blushes in Adorable and Life's a Cherry: $2.99 at Ulta
Literally the best blushes I have ever known! The pigmentation is absolutely stunning and the amount of product is totally worth the price!! It gives you 0.17 oz. of product with 0.03 more ounces than the $5.99 NYX blushes. Although, so far, there is only 4 shades. They are all gorgeous!

                                             

                                   

Well that's all! Hope you liked this list and tell me of any under $5 products you like as well and I'll see if I can review! Tune in soon so you can see my dorm room tour! Have a fantastic week!

Some nice additions to elevate my bland room

I was introduced to acrylic paint this summer by my sister (who is a fellow UCF knight) and I have to say it is absolutely fantastic! For a beginning crafter such as myself, it is easy to manipulate and dries very fast (only up to 10 minutes and sometimes within mere seconds of application). To beautify my future dorm room, I decided to create some accent pieces that will help to create the blue, gray and white theme I am after. One of these pieces was a small wooden box I found in the target section for 50% off! Yay savings!! Which made it a whopping 50 cents. Chump change, am I right? Unfortunately, I don't have before and after photos but, both wooden pieces were a standard light tan wood color.

This little beauty will be on my desk to hold things like post it notes, paper clips and binder clips. 

Another great addition to my dorm room is a wooden shower caddy! This actually was part of a gift set I received from one of my friends a few birthdays back and I have always wanted to re-purpose it!

This project cost me around $2 because the small flower box cost 50 cents and the blue, grey and white acrylic paint cost 50 cents each from Michael's (these sales occur frequently so keep your eyes open for them). 

I hope you enjoyed this post and please comment any questions, concerns or about any projects you tried like this!

What to do when you are bored out of your mind 

My summer has been consumed by one site and one site only: PINTEREST. Every girl basically knows what pinterest is (and if you don't I'm sorry for getting you hooked). Pinterest is basically a black hole that sucks in unsuspecting girls with its pretty picture and insanely ingenuous ideas. There was many projects I planned on doing this summer yet I was more ambitious than I should have been! There was one in particular that I absolutely was thrilled about making which was my completely customized clock (yay!). It cost only around 8 dollars with the clock being 4 dollars and from Walmart (i believe it was the Mainstay brand), the teal spray pain was $3.50 (from Walmart also) and the gray acrylic paint was only 50 cents (from Micheal's on sale for 50 cents each). 

The first step to this process is to disassemble the clock (removing the glass cover and the hour,minute and second hands) and cover the face of it in order to prevent the paint from bleeding into the clock face. I did this by having a few layers of construction paper cover the clock

Next is the super fun part! Spray painting! I am fortunate enough to have a spray painting station that can be used outside and allows for the paint to disperse through the station rather than stick to the station creating giant globs around the items I'm painting, It's basically chicken wire stapled to a giant wooden frame, I find this a great way to paint without having to worry about the surface absorbing or blocking the paint on any object.

And yes that is an appearance by my lovely cat in the background (just in case you were wondering). I sprayed two coats of my teal paint just to ensure and even color for the clock. On the can it says it takes at least 4 hours before you can touch the paint but, I live in Florida which is like the hottest place during the summer and it dried in half that time. Just pay attention to what your spray can says and you should be fine!

While my clock dried, I painted the part that secures the glass on top of the clock paint. I painted this part gray to match my bed spread that I will have in my dorm (which is teal, gray and white). I painted this will acrylic paint and then coated it with the Modge Podge gloss finish to mimic the spray paint gloss finish I will get on my clock.

Once everything dried, I put my newly painted clock together and viola! The great thing about this was that I had a cheap customized clock that would make my dorm room walls have a pop of color and it goes quite well with my color scheme!

Hope you enjoyed this little summer project of mine! Hopefully I can show you a better picture of how this looks on the wall of my future dorm. Please leave any comments you would like and definitely share with me if you tried this out! 
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