Sinful Colors Sunday

Hello again readers!

Have some polish swatches for you! I have found these often in Big Lots, so I just compiled them for you in this post.

Coffe is a warm toned brown creme. I'm not a fan of browns really, and this one did make my hands look read. Not my favourite, but the formula was very good. I used two coats.

Hot Wired is metallic cool silver. I admittedly thought it was one of the magnetic polishes from a while back, but I was mistaken. It's not a bad color, it's just not something I would have picked up otherwise. It makes my hands look really red, and this formula was very runny. I used to coats for the photo.

Into the Blue is a cobalt blue creme. I can never get enough of this kind of blue. The formula was nice to work with. Not too thick, not too runny, and applied well. I did have a fear that it would be too patchy, but it evened out with two coats.

Fig is a magenta with blue, pink, and violet shimmer. It looks as good on the nail as it does in the bottle. Unfortunately it also looks terrible on me... The formula was good to work with, and I didn't have any issues. I used two coats.

Enchanted was one of the polishes on my wishlist, a violet creme polish. Enchanted has a great formula, and applied in two coats.



Neon Melon is a BRIGHT yellow, that leans almost yellow-green with how bright it is. It isn't able to be built up on it's own without showing the tips of my nail, so I put two layers over Sinful Colors Snow Me White.



Fusion Neon is another neon from this line. It isn't able to be built up on it's own without showing the tips of my nail, so I put two layers over Sinful Colors Snow Me White.



Pink is surprisingly also a neon. I picked it up expecting a name to go with it, and was shocked to see it was just pink! It isn't able to be built up on it's own without showing the tips of my nail, so I put two layers over Sinful Colors Snow Me White.



Who's the Gloss is from their Sinful Shine line, and it's just beautiful. A taupe polish with heavy pink and violet shimmer through it. I used two coats for the photo, and the formula was a dream.



Mirror Mirror is another polish from their Sinful Shine line. It's a deep red jelly polish. I was a little disappointed that it was a jelly, because I just can't find myself liking them much. It was slightly runny, but applied well. I used three coats for the photo above. This would be a great shade to make a jelly sandwich.



Force Field is one of their magnetic polishes from way back. If you look, you can still find them at Big Lots sometimes, which is where I found the three I have. It's an emerald green polish with silvery green magnetic designs. I used two coats.



It's Electric is a blue-teal polish with silver blue magnetic designs. I was really happy with this one, even though I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I used two coats.



Magnetism is a true 'magnet' look. It's a silver with a lighter silver magnetic design. It's the most subtle of the three that I have, and if you're not looking for it, it's easy to miss the designs on the nail. I used two coats.

Thanks for reading!

Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary Brush Set

Hello again readers!

So, thanks to the heads up from Reddit, I finally caved and went out and got the Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary Brush set, for not $40, not $30, but $20!!

These brushes are all pretty similar to the touch; They are soft, fluffy, and feel good against the skin. The feel of these brushes is a lot like the ELF Studio brushes, which I love dearly.

The fluffier brushes have a problem with shedding. When you first wash them the loose bristles come free, as well as the clipped bristles from when they were cut to level. It's a little alarming at first but it is taken care of rather fast.

I noticed while using these that some of the brushes (like the Powder Brush) shed occasionally during use. They're still new, and I've only been using them for a little over a week, so perhaps with more time they'll stop shedding.

These brushes also need to be washed before you even think of using them to apply makeup.  The bristles are dyed purple, and they hold on to some of that dye, so you need to wash the excess dye that was left behind. You'd be surprised how much dye is still clinging to the bristles! Some contain more excess dye than others but it only took me ten minutes to wash all 15 brushes for the first time.

Powder Brush
This brush is just so large and fluffy. I love this brush for applying my setting powder because it covers my face in a thin layer of powder quickly. The downside to this brush, is that if I use it for powder foundation, I have to add extra layers because it makes the coverage too sheer.

Blusher Brush
Unlike the Powder Brush, I love this Blush Brush for the reason that it applies powders sheer. It's especially useful for highly-pigmented blushes like the Wet n Wild blushes (such as Pearlescent Pink) that are so pigmented that if you're not careful will make you appear like a Raggedy Ann Doll.

If its a high-pigment blush, this brush is a bit of a life saver since it's so fluffy it diffuses the colour. If it's a more on the light side of pigmentation, you may need to go in again with the blush to pack on pigment for a brighter look.

Now, I know that these two brushes look similar, but I assure you that they are not the same.

They would be the same, but they differ in two counts; 1. The Powder Brush is less condensed: They're both still incredibly fluffy but the Blush Brush is packed in just a little more tightly. 2. Their size: The Powder Brush is a little over twice the side of the Blush Brush.

 Duo-Fiber Buffing Brush
This brush has a good idea, but I'm not overly fond of it. This buffing brush is supposed to buff any product right into the skin, but it's so condensed that it just feels rough. It has a little give, like a step up from using my fingers, but it's not a brush that I reach for over my Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

Synthetic Angled Multipurpose Brush
This brush is a brush that I wasn't sure about, but I quickly learned to like. The area is a little small, but it applies foundation surprisingly fast for being little. The angled make of the brush let's the bristles easily get to every nook and cranny of the face, and it buffs the product in well. I like this for both foundation and concealer.

Contour Brush
This is the reason that I wanted this Brush Set in the first place. It resembles the NARS Ita Brush, with how flat the brush is. I have to warn you, that this brush picks up pigment like nobody's business. Just a tap, I'm serious all you need is a tap, and it picks up pigment. If you're not careful, you might just apply too much.

Even aside from that, this brush is beautiful for getting sharp contours. I can use this to contour my temples, nose, jaw, and of course the hollows of my cheeks. It's stiff enough to get sharp lines, but it has enough give that you can buff the product into the skin and get soft, blended edges.

Foundation Brush
I wasn't enthused with this brush. I used it, but I'm not fond of brushes like this, not since High School. It applies foundation alright, but if I have to use it I'd use it for concealer or applying a face mask.

Concealer Brush
The only wish I have, is that this brush was just a touch bigger. This is a synthetic Concealer Brush (a small version of the Foundation Brush) that is really nice in covering acne. It's not so great for large area like liquid highlight or for under the eyes, but for small spots it's pretty good.

Blending Brush
I was a little intimidated by the size but this brush is fantastic for blending the eyeshadow for a smooth gradient effect. It distributes the pigment around so that your eyeshadow looks flawless with very little effort. One of my favorite brushes out of the bunch.

Crease Brush
A brush that's perfectly sized to put co lour right in the crease of the eye. It lets you put the color right where you want it and it lets you control the placement with ease.

Small Eye Shadow Brush
This brush is great for putting pigment in smaller places, like the outside corer and the outer V. Of course mine was a little messed up when I opened the box:

Rough, right? It's okay though, after washing, the brush formed back to how it should be, so that's great that the bristles were rather malleable, in the case that they will be squished on the side of a makeup bag. A nice, soft eyeshadow brush. 

Fluffy Eye Shadow Brush
This is one of my favorites as well. A quick brush that applies product across the lid in a single swipe (not kidding, it's that good) and has the added benefit of being able to blend out eyeshadows. I love this brush when paired with a single-eyeshadow-look and makes my eyes look put together with very little effort.

Precision Smudge Brush
I use this for the outter-v for a very defined shading. A nice pencil brush really, and glad to have it added to my collection.

Synthetic Angled Liner Brush
I tried this in two ways; for my eyebrows and for lining my eyes. For my eyebrows, it was practically useless. The bristles are too long for me to be able to draw the lines I like to. For small, short strokes this is great, but otherwise it makes them too thick.

For eyeliner however, I adore this. It isn't great for eyebrows, but for the eyeliner I love it. Thin strokes let this apply product right against the lash line, and since the bristles bend with a bit of pressure, dragging it across the lid to polish off the look ends up working to it's advantage with making the line thicker the farther I get from the inner corner.

Smudge Brush
A brush that everyone needs at least one of. Great for putting eyeshadow on the lower lash line.

Spoolie
Another brush that everyone needs at least one of. This is a basic Spoolie, that you can use on the lashes, but I LOVE spoolie brushes for my eyebrows to soften the application of eyebrow products.

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Was the set worth it?
I think so! There are a couple of brushes I wasn't wild about, but overall I enjoy the set and there are brushes in this set that I can see being integrated into my everyday face brush cup.

Would it have still been worth it if it was  bought at the $40 Value?
This is a little harder to answer. The quality is good. The brushes themselves look amazing and they generally perform really well.

I would have bought these at their original value, heck, I was going to. However, I am more than pleased that I got these brushes for half of the price, because it makes this set even sweeter.

Thanks for reading!

Shopping Sarah's Stash

Hello again readers!

I know that the fad is 'shopping your stash', but my sister has a collection of her own. While I prefer oxblood, blue, or mint polishes, she has a vast array of different shades in her collection. Mine might be bigger, but hers has more variety. 

She was kind enough to let me go through her polishes and pick out some that I wanted to swatch! It's nice for me, because it lets me try out some colours I might not go for, and see if I like them enough to purchase for my own collection. 

China Glaze -In The Lime Light (Neon)

I was always impressed with China Glaze's Turned Up Turquoise (Neon) that I've loved for ages, and it turns out, the other neons in their line are just as brilliant. They have this glow to them that just attract your eyes. In the Lime Light (Neon) is, well, a neon green shimmer. Very bright! It's also very sheer. I used three coats, and it seems four might just be better. It's a surprisingly wonderful shade, that's very flattering.

 China Glaze - Pink Voltage  (Neon)

Another brilliant neon. Pink Voltage is a bright, neon pink, with a blue/violet duo-chrome shimmer. It reminds me a lot of the old-formula Sinful Colors Daredevil. It only needs two coats for full application, and its very easy to control. Not sure about the nick missing on the ring finger. Bit of a fluke really.

China Glaze - Dance Baby

This is just the  most perfect Barbie pink if there ever was one. Dance Baby is a light, blue-toned pink creme that is absolutely gorgeous! I was surprised how good I felt wearing it, and I might just have to add this to my nail polish wishlist... Dance Baby only needs two coats to be fully opaque.

Lynnderella - Connect The Dots

Probably one of the two polishes in her entire collection that I'm incredibly jealous of (the other being the original formula of Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue!). Connect the Dots is the polish that started it all. It was highly coveted, often replicated, but it doesn't beat this one. Connect the Dots is a black and white topper with square, hex, and bar glitter with a very light sprinkle of holographic shimmer throughout. It really can't be beat (even if the price tag is intimidating) and though I have dupes, it was great to wear this one. It only needs one coat!

I was very thankful for her to let me 'shop' her stash, and I hope that in the future she'll let me do it again! I hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading!

Top 10: September

Hello again readers!

Can you believe that it's already October? I'm shocked, really. It's just... It's gone by so fast!

Since last month, I've officially reached mid-terms, I got accepted into an internship for a magazine, and I've already started setting up my room for Halloween ;)

For those that have been around for a while, you know how much I love Halloween! I just love it with all of my heart, and that makes October my favourite month of the year. That, and it gets colder so I can wear layers and hideous jumpers.

September's Top 10

Maybelline Falsies Mascara:
 I had to repurchase this mascara because my last tube dried out. I love this stuff! It gives me volume and a bit of length, making my really sad looking lashes look great. Holds up well against tears too, which makes this a winner!

Wet n Wild Panther Eyeshadow Single: 
An eyeshadow single I think everyone should have. It's cheap, and it's matte. I love using this to set my eyeliner, and for extra definition in the outter-v.

Sonia Kashuk Contour Brush:
 I'm not going to say too much about this brush, because I'm going to be posting a full-review on this set later this week. But, it's here!

Sonia Kashuk Blush Brush: 
Similar to the one above. It's in my favourites for a very good reason, I just can't tell you yet! Think of it like a little taste.

ELF Pebble Eyeshadow Single: 
I have steadily grown more and more in love with this shade. I use this for a crease colour, as well as my brows since it's an ashy taupe. Great pigmentation and gets the job done.

L'Oreal Amber Rush  Infallible Eyeshadow Single: 
Loving eyeshadows that I can sweep over the lid, blend out and be done. This is a great all-over-the-lid shadow that I suggest you pick up, especially if you like warmer shadows. 

NYX 03 HD Concealer:
 I really love this concealer line. Absolutely wonderful for wearing all over the face, and covers up acne scars well. I bought this one in the past month because I wanted one slightly darker than my skin tone, but not too much (like the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer). 

ELF Clear Eyebrow and Mascara Gel: 
I will always re-buy this product. I use it exclusively for my brows to tame them down and keep the colour locked on. Really cheap, and you can afford to buy new ones when it gets gross (which it gets gross REALLY fast if you use it on a daily basis).

Nivea A Kiss of Olive and Lemon Lip Care: 
I picked up a trio of the Nivea lip balms, and I knew this was going to be my favourite before I even used it! I've been using all three, but this is my favorite to reach for. More to be told when i post a future review.

NYX Skinny Dip Matte Eyeshadow Single:
 I'm really down for odd matte colours to put into the crease to darken up a look. Skinny dip is a gorgeous burgundy shadow that is just flawless as a crease shade, or even just the outter corner. Pigmented, and blends beautifully.

Thanks for reading!