Toronto IMATS: Mini Haul + Pictures

Late to the Party: Real Technique Core Brush Review

Living in Toronto and being a beauty addict sometimes can be difficult.

We have all the beauty shops you can imagine, big department stores that cater to the masses, and can order what we want online to stay in the loop with our friends over the boarder, however sometimes I wish I could walk in a store and see all items for myself (sure every woman in every country wishes this).
As a YouTube junkie I constantly get bombarded with hot product on the market and sometimes have a hard time getting my paws on them easily.
I adore the Pixiwoo sisters on YouTube and have been watching their videos for years. The Pixiwoo sisters do makeup tutorials and talk about fave products and are real down to earth ladies from the UK.
Samantha Chapman (the eldest sister) released affordable makeup brushes called Real Techniques and finally Wal-mart Canada brought them in store (tears).

Some Basic Info on the Brushes:

• These brushes can be purchases in Wal-mart (Canada & US), Amazon.com,  Real Techniques.com,  Ulta, Target (US), Kohl's, Wegmans, Boots, Priceline, Fedco, etc (The Real Techniques website details the stores they can be purchased in) 
• This core collection retails for $18 CAD at Wal-mart Canada
• The collection comes with 4 full size brushes and a case that can be neatly folded and carried
• Within the kit there is a detailer brush, a pointed foundation brush, buffing brush, and a contour brush
• The brushes are synthetic and cruelty free

Left to Right: Contour Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Detailer Brush, and Buffing Brush

My thoughts on the Brushes:

• The brushes are worth every dime plus more to me personally
• They are very sturdy, the brushes are extremely soft (similar to brushes made with animal hair)
• Each brush is lightweight and sturdy with a unique long aluminum pharaoh 
• The detailer brush can be used to apply concealer in small spots or under eyes, as well as can double as a brush to apply lipstick, or detailed work on the lids of your eyes
• The pointed foundation brush I personally find too small to apply foundation but I use it to apply concealer to my under eye area or spots on the face
• The contour brush is excellent to apply a light natural looking contour to the hallows of the cheeks as well as apply highlight to the cheekbones
• The buffing blush is excellent and works well with liquid foundation to provide a airbrush application to the face and buff in product effortlessly! Hands down my fave in the collection
• For such a great price I will be purchasing another set for my freelancing kit in the future
• I am glad I finally gave into the hype and purchased these brushes because they are very nice for the price and are worth more then their selling price
• The brushes wash very well with mild soap/cleaner and dry very quickly
• I have washed them 3x's and found no shedding or mis-shaped brushes (whoop whoop!)
• I am hoping that Wal-Mart Canada gets some more of the line because there are many that are sold in singles that get rave reviews
• PS. I have slowly seen them in Marhsall's and Winners as well!!!! (Same price though) 
• Overall a great buy and great brushes

Favourite Face Brushes: Real Techniques, Mac, Hakuhodo, Sigma Etc

Dazzling Eyes: My Essential Eye Brushes

The day I stepped into college and took a cosmetic course is the day I became obsessed with make up brushes.
 I have many obsessions but this one is the obsession I add too sporadically and realize this is the tool in your makeup kit that is the  most crucial.
I now try to purchase only brushes that have multi uses and help me anytime I am in a jam to get perfection on my face. 
I own many brushes and although I have many that serve purposes unknown to even myself the owner I realize in my years that I mainly rely solely on seven brushes. 
If I had to rid of all my brushes that I use on my eyes and pick few to live with these would be my ride or dies, my holy grails, my down for whatever brushes (I know I'm extreme). 

Left to Right: Eye Liner Brush, Eye shader Brush, Blending Brush,  Fluff Brush,  Angled Brush, Crease Blush,  Medium Shadow Blender Brush

These brushes create the looks that I want and are very helpful with my day to day eye looks:

• Eye Liner Brush: Is a synthetic fine tipped eyeliner brush that allows for precise application. Great for applying liquid or gel eyeliners. If you have a steady hand or are a beginner due to the brush being stiff you have more control over application, and it allows for the great winged eye/cat eye effect (Mac 209 brush $22.50 CAD)
• Eye Shader Brush: A tapered rounded brush that allows for intense color to the eyelid. Great for packing on product and applying eyeshadow to the eye. Also good to shade or blend eye shadows. I love this brush because it packs on color with little effort. (Mac 239 $30.00 CAD)
• Blending Brush: Great for shading, blending, adding shadows to the crease. Helps to seamlessly blend eye shadows together and create seamless looks. Fluffy and domed shaped blending brushes are the way to go! This is my favourite eye brush of all time because it really is the magic maker. (Mac 217 $27.50 CAD)
• Fluff Brush: This brush is also great for packing on eyeshadow to the lids. I tend to use this to add highlighter to my tear ducks because it fits into small crevices  Great for woman with smaller eyes. (Mac 213 $27.50 on website, mine was in a holiday tin)
• Angled brush: Great for applying liner on the top or bottom lid effortlessly. Also great for adding eyeshadow to the eyebrows for shape. Densely packed hair allows for picking up a lot of product and disrupting  I mainly use for eyebrows and find it really helps with filling them in. (Crown Brush: $3.50 CAD)
• Crease Brush: Tapered crease brush that adds color to the crease to sculpt out the shape of the eye and provide depth on the eyelid. Also blends away any harsh lines. (Crown Brush: 2.50 CAD)
• Medium Shadow Blender: Is a large fluffy brush used to pack on eyeshadow on the lid as well as blend colours out. I primarily use this to apply shadow to my large eyelids and it picks up a lot of color well. (I have had this for ages so can not remember what store it came from but all brush companies carry similar brushes)

These are my favourite brushes used for my eyeshadow application and  I am sure I will eventually add a few more to my collection. 

When deciding on what eyeshadow brushes to buy think of the products that you currently use a lot (pigments, eye shadows, gel, liquids etc) and decide what will work best for you. For example synthetic brushes are great for liquid and cream products, whereas brushes made from animal hair are great for powder and pigment products. 

Think of your eye size and shape and purchase brushes that will fit your eye well and allow for you to create the looks you are looking for.

Quality is king in my books and investing in decent brushes that will last you for years is really the best way to go. There is no point in purchasing cheap brushes that will fall apart and allow for poor application if you are trying to build your collection. All brushes do not have to be "high end brands" but getting the best you can afford should be the goal and upgrading when you get the opportunity is the best.

There are many different brush brands that I have used in the past and would personally recommend if you are starting to purchase brushes, or are interested in upgrading your current stash :

• MAC
• Crown Brushes
• Sigma
• Bdellium
• Hakuhodo
• Quo
• Sephora
• Sonia Kashuck
• Sedona Lace 

The Bentley of Brushes: Hakuhodo Blush Brush & Blending Brush

Last November for the second time I attended IMATS (The International makeup artist trade show) and

was so excited to pick up some discounted makeup, and also get to attend workshops by famous makeup artists and professionals. The IMATS feels like home because you are surrounded by woman who are in love with cosmetics, work in the industry, and have a love affair for cosmetics. It is always a jam packed event and you always get to be introduced to new and innovative products and lines. I usually go alone because I don't like to be rushed and want to take my time looking at everything I can. I love to pick up brushes at the show because there are lots of variety and the brushes tend to be cheaper! I was walking by and saw a stand that had a lot of brushes and touched a blending brush very simular to MAC 217 and it was the softest brush I have ever touched in my 29 years of living honey! The company name was Hakuhodo. I picked up a card and scooted off a bit alarmed at the price I was quoted but couldn't get over how soft and beautiful the brushes where so my research commenced.
Hakuhodo is a Japanese brush company that operates out of Hiroshima. They are known for producing calligraphy brushes for over 200 years, and are the leading makeup brush manufacturer that produce their own line of high quality makeup brushes and also make brushes for leading cosmetic companies. These brushes are handmade and the hair tips of the brushes are not cut which is why they are so soft. The hair is handpicked and sorted,  and the tip of the brushes shaped like a mountain to fit form of the face. When I tell you these brushes are the softest brushes I have ever felt? I mean I hardly want to get them dirty they are so beautiful and soft. I purchased two from Hakuhodo's website. Now I will admit these brushes are expensive, but in contrast to a Mac brush, or Sephora brush they have various series that are comparable.

Left to Right : Hakuhodo J142 & J110 

I purchased  the J142 Eye Shadow Brush Round for $18.00 USD which is used for blending eye shadows, or blending in concealer under the eye. This it the one I fell in love with at IMATS because it was so soft and I use blending brushes the most in any eye application I do. I used it for the first time today and it blends like a dream and just feels so great on the skin.
I also purchased the J110 Blush Brush Round & Flat that goes for $52.00 USD. This brush I debated on for months because it is expensive as hell! If you touched it though you would understand! It is soft as silk on the skin and takes up the right amount of product for a flawless application of blush on the cheek. I say it can even double up to apply bronzer, highlight, or even powder to the face. These are the most exquisite brushes I own to date and eventually I will save up and purchase more brushes from this line because they are absolutely fantastic.
I would suggest these makeup brushes for makeup enthusiasts, professionals, or someone that is really

into makeup. If you are a novice you may want to start with streamline brushes but up to you!
Brushes are a great investment because they last for years if you treat them right and I am glad after four months of debate I purchased them.

Ohhh girl that Glow: Sedona Lace Fan Brush

Makeup brushes are probably the most important and essential tool in a makeup collection. You can purchase cheaper products, and skimp on quality on some items, but when it comes to application the brush you are using can make or break the look you are going for. 

When I first started looking for makeup brushes I would purchase them without truly thinking through the value and versatility of  them. I ended up purchasing a thousand different brushes and I really didn't end up using a good portion of them. I now know and have concluded through wasted money as well as maturing that some of the brushes I need have to be multi-purposed and must be brushes I will use according to my regiment. This is why I purchased the jumbo fan brush FB 01 from Sedona Lace. Sedona Lace is a company that sells affordable makeup brushes, tools and cosmetics online.

The Sedona Lace jumbo fan brush can be used in so many ways that is has surpassed my expectations and can really get many different jobs done. This brush can be used to apply loose powder to the face to set foundation, also dusting under the eye to set concealer or dusting off any eye shadows that have fallen under the eye. This brush is great to use on a angle to apply highlighter to the cheek bones, and it distributes the right amount of color and right about of fieriness ! You can also use it for a light applications of blush, and bronzer to the cheek and it provides a lot of control. And finally you can use it to dust sparkle or shimmer on the chest of shoulders. 

The brush does shed a little bit in the beginning of use but shedding does stop after a few washes. It is also important that after you have cleaned the brush that you lay it down flat and dry it completely for it to retain its shape. 

You can purchase this jumbo brush directly on Sedona Lace's website for $12.95 USD.

Keep in mind that fan brushes can be purchased in many different cosmetic stores from different companies and are really a great addition to your kit. 

Affordable Make Up Brush Alert!: Sonia Kashuk

If you are looking for cheap (inexpensive) make up brushes that are great quality and apply makeup well, look no further! Sonia Kashuk! For the Canadian girls that read my blog as you all know Target has just opened up all around the GTA and now we finally get to see what our (American) neighbours are talking about.  

• This brush set is only $12 CAD
• Includes: 1 duo-fiber multipurpose brush (good for applying foundation, blush, bronzer, highlight)
• 1 eyeshadow brush (good for packing on color on the eye)
• 1 crease brush (good for sweeping shadow into the crease and also aids in blending out shadows)
• 1 angled eyeliner brush (good for applying eyeliner, and filling in brows)

Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition 4 piece travel Brush Set