Sonia Kashuk Color Crazed 10 Piece Brush Set

Hello again readers!

I recently picked up the Sonia Kashuk Color Crazed 10 Piece Brush set from Target since it's on sale, and I was so happy to have found it! Once I saw that they released blue/teal brushes, I couldn't resist! Since I loved the last brush set so much, once I had the opportunity to get this one, I snatched it right up and since then I've been testing them out in various ways, and I'm pleased to be able to do this review finally after so much trial.

Like the 15th Anniversary Brush set, this set has the gold design on them at well giving them a regal and luxurious look. They all have a weight to them and the quality of these brushes is really good. I don't have to worry about them breaking easily, and all of the bristles have stayed in place after the initial washing.

Since the bristles are dyed you have to wash these before using these. It's a little scary washing them and seeing all of that blue dye start swirling down the drain, but it doesn't make the bristles look any less vibrant.

The bristles are all incredibly soft and I loved how they felt on my face. Using these is a delight, and there are quite a few that I've been reaching for over the past set.

Domed Powder Brush

Unlike the other powder brushes I have, this one has a pointed edge. I was expecting to hate this on principle because I thought for sure it wouldn't give me enough coverage when I would go to powder my face and I was pleasantly surprised. The pointed edge allows me to easily set my under-eye concealer as well getting into the nooks and crannies of my face (mainly around my nose!) without much effort. Even though it has a pointed tip, the bristles splay out and it doesn't hinder the speed of powder application for the rest of my face. 

Frankly, I found I liked reaching for this brush over all of my others for touch ups, because it let me add extra powder to my oily t-zone, while avoiding the areas with less oil buildup so I didn't look cakey by the end of the day.

Flat Blusher Brush

I've used this blusher brush for quite a few things: applying basic blush, for applying baked blush, for blending out liquid/cream blushes.

The smaller shape of this, makes the application of blush more precise and packs on the pigment. It can get overwhelming very easily, so it's best to start off with just a little bit of pigment and work up to more instead of doing what I did the first time and just doing my usual routine (it did not work in my favor on that day).

I still prefer fluffier blusher brushes over this one.

Synthetic Buffing Brush

I was fully prepared to hate this. I never really reached for the other one much, but paired with the synthetic foundation brush,  I actually enjoyed it. It buffed out my foundation and concealer easier than I expected, and even with the odd shape, it still managed to reach the areas around my nose without too much trouble. I still prefer flat-top buffers over this, but this one isn't bad.

Angled Contour Brush

I can't get enough of straight-edged contour brushes! I was really happy to see this included because I really love how easy it is to carve out the cheekbones, and contour the nose. The shape makes the line a little easier to apply than a flat-top contour brush, and I was really thankful for that. The bristles aren't super dense, so I put the line down, and then sort of turn the brush in an angle so I can blend it out. If I want super sharp cheekbones, I'll reach for this.

Synthetic Foundation Brush

Generally I hate these sorts of brushes but after working at the Haunt, I've found a new appreciation for them. I really like this for mixing foundations and then painting it onto my face, letting me blend it only a little bit before going in with a buffing brush to spread the foundation out and blend it into my skin. As a one-step foundation brush, these suck, but as a prepping foundation brush, I like them. Funny how thoughts change over time.

Large Eyeshadow Brush

Always pleased to have new fluffy eyeshadow brushes. I use this full a full wash of color all over my lid, either for prepping for eye looks, or if I'm going for a one-color eyeshadow look. It's easy to use, easy to pack on the color, and easy to blend out shadows. Really nice eyeshadow brush.

Crease Brush

I wasn't too wild with this one, unless I use this to put down a crease shade to start off my eye looks. If I use this to put in shadow after I put down my lid shade, I find that it's too thick to get the look I want. I don't reach for it much for my eye looks, but I like this for also contouring the sides of my nose, or if I'm having a masculine day, to contour around my eyes.

Synthetic Concealer & Lip Brush

These brushes are always useful for covering up spots, defining the brows, or even fixing eyeshadow mistakes, because these synthetic brushes and concealer were just made for each other. Thought to try to use this brush for my lips too; and I loved it. The brush is thick enough that it makes easy sweeps of color over the lips, and the pointed tip lets me line my lips with the color making the application look even and polished. Really a shining diamond in the rough, and an unexpected favorite.

Bent Eyeliner Brush

I love this brush. No, I mean I LOVE this brush. This makes the most beautiful, sharp wings and allows me to get to my inner corners with ease. I used this brush to try out the new Colourpop Gel Liners, and it was like a match made in heaven.  

Lash and Brow Groomer

This is another brush that I feel like everyone should have at least one of in their collection. To brush through brows to get them to lay right, to sheer out brow color, and to brush through lashes to separate them after applying mascara. This little tool is super handy, and does so much with so little. 

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All in all, I was really pleased with the entire collection of brushes in this set. I used all of them, and I know I'll continue to use almost all of them often. It was well-rounded and well thought out.

Thanks for reading!

Sonia Kashuk Eye Couture Eye Palette - Eye On Neutral 02

Hello again readers!

I've had this palette for what seems like ever, and it's only getting some use as of now. There are a couple shades that I just lust over, and a couple that are just... meh. Really it's a nice palette, but some of the shades I wish were just changed since it's like a whole sea of similar shades aha. Honestly, they're all different, there are no two shadows alike.

In the Eye Couture palette, there are 12 different shades in square pans. All matte. There is a Shimmer version of this palette, with the same price tag. I skipped on that one, because I knew I would never get good use out of a palette full of shimmers.

The biggest gripe I have on this palette, is that there are five browns. Granted, they are all different shades and tones, but there are still five browns. I wish there was another taupe, or even a couple of different greys, hell, a MATTE WHITE instead. We can't have everything, but five browns is excessive...

This palette is $20 at Target, and I suggest picking it up, if you're looking for some new matte shadows. If you already have a large amount of neutral mattes, this is something you don't need in your life and you can pass up.

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!