Swatches: Mac Neutral Matte Palette

First Row: Kid, Wedge, Cork, Soft Brown, Espresso, Blackberry, Shadowy Lady

Second Row: Haux, Swiss Chocolate, Folie, Corduroy, Brown Down, Sorcery Limited Edition, Embark

Favorites: I love using Soft Brown as a transition color. I thought it was going to look too orange, but it's actually a light peachy brown color. Blackberry, Haux and Folie are gorgeous colors for the crease. They all have a hint of purple which is my favorite color for the eyes.

Skip: I would skip Sorcery if you already have Sketch because the only difference between the two is that Sketch is more darker.

Dupes: Wedge has a cooler undertone, while Cork has a warmer undertone and is a little bit darker. If you have a cool skin tone, then get Wedge, but if you have a warm skin tone, then get Cork; however, I find that both eyeshadows work for me when I use them as transition colors.

Folie and Sorcery are not dupes. Folie is a reddish brown with a hint of some purple, while Sorcery is a dark brown with a burgundy undertone.

Corduroy and Brown Down look very similar. Corduroy is a more true brown and a little bit lighter, while Down Brown has a reddish undertone. 

Brown Down and Embark are not dupes. Embark is a very dark brown with a reddish undertone.

Mac Eyeshadows in pan form cost $11.00 for 1.5 grams (some of the eyeshadows have 1.3 grams) and cost $16 in pots. Stars Makeup Haven eyeshadows cost $6.00 for 1.3 grams. Coastal Scents eyeshadows cost $4.49 for 1.3 grams. The empty 28 pan palette can be purchased from Coastal Scents for $9.95.

What are your favorite matte eyeshadows? 

 

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Review: Mac 185 Body Buffer Brush

The Mac 185 Body Buffer brush is from the Glam Gams Collection that came out in 2007. The bristles are made of super soft goat hair that feels amazing on my skin. It is intended to use on the body, but I find it to work well on my face too. 

The 185 has a flat top, is much denser, a little bit shorter and wider than the Mac 182 Buffer brush (review). If I want more coverage, I'll use the 185, but if I want a light touch of setting powder, then I'll use the Mac 182. I've also used the 185 for liquid foundation and it buffed really well into my skin; however there was some shedding. The 185 is not ideal for liquid or cream products because those types of products damage natural fibers. There was no shedding when I used it to buff in my setting powder. I would use the 185 only for powder, mineral foundation and for buffing out powder blushes.

The brush takes about 15 hours to dry, and I have to re-shape it using a brush guard because the bristles tend to splay out.

I also wish the bristles were black because the white goat hair stains easily and it's very hard to wash it without getting the handle wet. The Mac logo and number of the brush is written on the handle, and it will all be scratched off if water keeps getting on it. I might spot clean it from now on, but I don't really like that method because it doesn't clean as well as the traditional way. (To spot clean, spray some brush cleanser onto a piece of paper towel and then rub your brush onto the towel until all the product gets out.)

The bristles are a little bit less than an inch long and measures 2.5 inches including the handle. The brush costs $52.00, but it is not available at Nordstrom anymore. If you are lucky, you can still find one at a CCO for $36.50-$38.50.

How do you use this brush?

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Swatches: Stars Makeup Haven Eyeshadows

I recently purchased a few Stars Makeup Haven (SMH) eyeshadows from All Cosmetics Wholesale, which sells many products from other brands too. I like buying SMH eyeshadows because they have many colors that Mac doesn't have, they fit in my empty 28 pan palette and the prices are reasonable.

However, the quality of Mac eyeshadows are better than SMH eyeshadows. I hit pan faster with SMH eyeshadows because the formula is smoother and a lot of the product tends to fall out when I apply it onto my lids.

"7" is a really dark greyish brown with a hint of a plum undertone. I love using it for my outer v to enhance any neutral look. Taz is a true burgundy shade. It is my favorite out of the three. SMH claims it's a "cross between Sketch and Signed Sealed by Mac," but I beg to differ. Sketch is a dark brown with a burgundy undertone and Signed Sealed is very close to black with a touch of deep burgundy. Taz is much lighter and I'm glad it looks nothing like Sketch or Signed Sealed because I already have Sorcery, which is close to Sketch. Glitz is a raisin shade with some reddish-purple undertones and I love using it on my crease.

Note: Mac Eyeshadows in pan form cost $11.00 for 1.5 grams (some of the eyeshadows have 1.3 grams) and cost $16 in pots. Stars Makeup Haven raised their price from $4.95 to $6.00 for 1.3 grams.

Do you have any SMH eyeshadows that you love or hate?

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Review: Mac 182 Buffer Brush (Couture Limited Edition)

My Mac 182 Buffer Brush (Couture Limited Edition) has just replaced my Coastal Scents Italian Badger Buffer brush (review). It came out during Mac's Couture Collection in 2006. The bristles are dense and made of super soft goat hair. I love using it to apply my setting powder and it's also great for buffing in mineral foundation and buffing out blushes. It picks up the right amount of product and distributes evenly onto my skin. I won't use it for liquid foundation because it'll damage the natural fibers and cause it to shed more. As of right now, my brush has yet to shed a single strand of hair.

However, when I wash the brush, it's hard to avoid the handle from getting wet. I'm also scared that some of the bristles will pull out when I squeeze them to get the water out. 

The handle is about 1.35 inches wide and 2.75 inches in length including the bristles. It costs $55.00 and is not available anymore at Mac. However, if you find one at the CCO, it costs $38.50. (The nearest CCO in my area is about 2 hours away. It's best to call your nearest CCO to make sure they have it in stock before going there.) 

You can also find the Mac 182 Couture brush at an Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale for $15.00. (The sale happens every 4 months in Canada and sometimes in the US, but you need a ticket to get in. The tickets are only given to Mac and Estee Lauder employees, who are then allowed to give the tickets to their friends and family members. You also need to consider travelling time and gas money. Moreover, you might not find the Mac 182 Couture brush because there is no guarantee that the brush will still be available at the Warehouse sale.)

The 182 regular brush is still available at Nordstrom for $47. The major difference between the regular brush and the couture brush is the handle. The couture version has a square handle, which is much prettier and a little bit heavier, but during application, it basically works the same as the regular version.

How do you use this brush?

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Review: Crown Brush Studio Series C138 Round Contour Brush vs. C317 Deluxe Crease Brush

The Crown Brush Studio Series C138 Round Contour brush (Coastal Scents Sable Contour Brush) and the Crown Brush C317 Deluxe Crease brush both do a great job at contouring, defining the outer v, and adding color to the outer corner or inner tear duct. However, the bristles of the C138 is a little bit denser and softer than the C317. The handle of the C317 (7.5 inches) is also much longer compared to the C138 (5.5 inches).

The C317 costs $2.49 at CrownBrush.com, while the C138 is $1.87. You can also buy the C138 from Coastal Scents for $1.79.

How do they compare to the S217 and C222 (review)? The bristles of the C138 and C317 are a little bit shorter and less fuller. It's easier to blend out the outer corner color with either my S217 or C222 because the bristles are denser. 

If I could only keep one brush, I would choose the S217 because the bristles are fuller and the handle is the perfect size.

What contour brush do you have?

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