M's Favourite Beauty Products of 2013

I really enjoy seeing the all stars line-up of beauty products from others, so I figured I would follow suit from my best of 2012 post and write one up for 2013:

Japonesque 9-Pocket Brush Case

When I was away for 4 weeks, I felt like my Real Techniques brush holder (came with my Core Collection) wasn't quite cutting it... so, I picked up this Japonesque 9-pocket brush holder at the local Ulta for $13 USD.

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural

After much pestering from R and 1.5 weeks of randomly appeared blotchy redness on my face, I finally caved.  This is my third ever MAC product and first ever MAC face product.

I didn't get matched at the MAC counter or anything... I figured that my skin tone was pretty much identical to R's, so I just grabbed the Medium - Turned out to be a perfect match; I can't tell it apart from my skin.

I wore it for a full 10 hour day today, and I'm quite pleased.

Before I begin, I want to inform that I've never worn foundation in any form; at least, not for the function of foundation.  When I use foundation (in liquid form only), it serves as a spot concealer.

After washing my face, I applied my usual Bioderma Sébium Pore Refiner (my post on it here) to my T-zone.  Then, starting from my T-zone, I buffed the MSF all over my face with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush (my post on it here).  I found that it was a light coverage that was build-able to reduce redness and even out my skin.  The MSF isn't enough coverage for my under-eye darkness and dark pigmentation spots, so I used my Chanel Perfection Correcteur Concealer; however, I found that I didn't need as much of my concealer as usual.  After I applied my concealer, I went over my face with the MSF once more, really lightly, to just set everything.

Normally, I would apply my pore refiner to my T-zone, conceal, and apply my Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Translucent Finishing Powder all over.

Even though I didn't apply any moisturizer today, the MSF didn't enhance any dry patches (I have combination skin, but within the last couple of weeks, I've been having more dry-normal skin).  Sometimes, if I haven't moisturized, I've found that my Tarte finishing powder will slop up the little oil on my skin and make my top of nose and chin look like a flaky mess.

Also, the MSF was able to even out my complexion and keep it matte without making me look like a powderpuff.  Even after a full day out, I felt like it handled the accumulation of oil pretty well.  The MSF seemed to just slightly soak up the excess oil, leaving my face looking semi-dewy matte.  My complexion actually looked better as the MSF blended with my natural oil (as gross as it sounds haha).

Overall, I'm quite impressed and am pleased to have purchased it.  It functions like my Tarte powder, but seems to be better at handling my combination skin's oil and dry patches.  Considering I paid $36 CAD for my Tarte powder, $34 CAD for this MSF isn't bad.  My Tarte powder still looks full and brand new, so I'm sure the MSF will last forever too.  I will be travelling quite a bit for vacation this Autumn, and starting in January, I will be travelling twice a week for work, so the MSF is perfect - It will be a more travel-friendly option.

- M

Real Techniques Brushes - Powder Brush (Photo Heavy)

I hauled some Real Techniques brushes from Fred Meyer (see my blab here), and this is my last brush post from it.  It's the Powder Brush and I got it for $9.99 USD.

The Real Techniques one (L) is much more dense and doesn't flop flat.

I use a powder brush to lightly dust Tarte smooth operator micronized clay finishing powder (in translucent white) all over my face after applying concealer and filling in my brows.  I don't wear foundation in any form but my T-zone tends to get oily as the day procedes, so I use finishing powder to absorb any excess oil on my face.

After using the Real Techniques powder brush for a little more than a week, I can say that I like it, but I may prefer my EcoTools one a teeny bit more.
Gaaaaaaaasp.


Even with my ginormous face, I feel like the Real Techniques one is too big and too dense.  Normally, I am a big advocate of super dense brushes but I think this one just might be tiptoeing around the threshold.  I am having a bit of trouble manoeuvring the brush around my face as the brush hairs don't seem to move around the curves of face very well.  They just stick straight up into the air, in a bunch.  I can barely fit it within the cap of the Tarte finishing powder, which sucks (I've always really enjoyed swishing my EcoTools powder brush in it).

Even though the EcoTools powder brush is floppy, I like it that way.  It is much, much less dense than the Real Techniques one, so, its hairs are more flexible and it is able move around my face well.  Also, because it is less dense, it is able to pick up loose powder more gently.  I find that my usual usage amount of finishing powder would disappear within my Real Techniques because it's so dense - I end up having to use a more generous amount.

What I do like about the Real Techniques brush over the EcoTools one is that it applies very evenly and smoothly.  Sometimes the EcoTools one can unevenly pick up the powder, so I end up having to tap the excess off and wasting it as it flies everywhere.

Have you tried either of these powder brushes?  Have you tried any other Real Techniques brushes?

In addition to this one, I've also tried the Core Face Kit and Blush Brush.

See my post on the Core Kit here.

See my post on the Blush Brush here.

- M

Real Techniques Brushes - Blush Brush (Photo Heavy)

As you may know, recently, I hauled some Real Techniques brushes from Fred Meyer (see my blab here).  One of the brushes is this Blush Brush at $8.99 USD.
See my post on the Core Kit here.

It's as fluffy as it looks.

I loooooooooooooooooooove this blush brush to bits! It's insanely fluffy and soft.  I love that it's so ginormous, so it fits my entire chubby bunny cheek.  

Compared to my current previous EcoTools blush brush, this Real Techniques one is different in every way.  I like the EcoTools one but I find that I have to almost buff the blush onto my cheek, because it sucks onto the product.  Also, I have to work to get enough product to stick onto the brush.  On the other hand, the Real Techniques blush brush hairs are cut in a tapered and layered way, so that when I dab it into my blush pan, every single hair gets product.  This product is then easily transferred to my cheek, without any buffing.  Because the hairs are loosely dense (oxymoron, I know...), they don't hold onto the product forever - this way I end up waste less product.  I always looked at more angled brushes for blush, but I find that I actually really like the more layered pencil brush type of shape of this Real Techniques one.

- M

Update:  July 10th

I just posted my review of the Real Techniques Powder Brush.  Read it here!

Real Techniques Brushes - Core Collection

Ever since Real Techniques took the beauty blogger/youtuber space by storm and almost completely replaced the Sigma brushes, I knew I had to have their brushes... problem was they didn't sell in Canada. W.T.F.
Over twitter, I ranted to Samantha Chapman, who is part of the duo that is Pixiwoo.  She said that I could get them off Amazon.com but I didn't want am too cheap to pay extra for shipping and what not.  I figured I'll just picked them up in the states since I go pretty frequently.  Anyway, I did my research googled and found out which Ulta and Fred Meyer locations should have them.

During the long weekend, the boy and I drove past this hugeass Fred Meyer, so I knew they had to have them!  Of course, I cleaned out their shelf.  May have scared the shit out of the him - either cleaning the shelf or me brushing it against my face in the car probably did the job, haha.

The Core Collection was $17.99 USD.  I don't even wear foundation, but I had to have these.

L-R: Contour Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Detailer Brush, Buffing Brush
The kit comes with a brush holder that can stand up

Look at how dense they are!

They're amazing quality and unbelievably soft!!

I've used the pointed foundation brush for under-eye concealer today and I think I'll be continuing quite a bit.  It moves from the inner corner to the outer corner really easily in a single glide and doesn't scratch at all.  I've never found a brush that was soft enough for my under eye area until now - even the softest brushes seemed to scratch!  The brush is also gentle enough to give my under eye area an airbrushed look.

I'll probably use the detailer brush for some spot concealing if I have any spots during the time of the month or for any hyper-pigmented areas where there were old spots.  I might try to use it as a eye shadow brush too - it is around the same size as my favourite eye shadow brush, Sigma E30 brush.

The contour brush fits underneath my cheekbones perfectly, so I might attempt to do some contouring with it.  (I don't ever contour - I don't even own a bronzer).  I'll probably use my Tarte Exposed blush as a "bronzer."

Funny thing is I have no idea how I am going to use the buffing brush.  It is quite the rage among the beauty community as a better brush than the Sigma F80 brush, but because I don't use foundation... Anyway, I'll work with it and see what I can do.

- M

Update: July 10th

See my reviews of the Real Techniques Blush Brush here and Real Techniques Powder Brush here!

Canada Day/Independence Day Long Weekend Haul

Went to the states over the weekend and did some damage - these are my beauty items.  I will be writing individual posts for each, but here's a tease:

ooooohyeaaa I did.
Real Techniques eye kit, face kit, powder brush, blush brush
The Eyes Starter Kit (purple) is R's.

Urban Decay asphyxia

Tarte blissful

Ardell 124

Ardell 108

Ok, these aren't beauty items, but I'm in love with them.
Nike Free 3.0

Happy Canada Day and Happy Independence Day!

What did you haul this long weekend?

- M