Crown Brush Review.

Crown Brush is  company that sells various types of individual brushes, brush sets, displays, etc..
I placed an order with them a few months ago, this post will be reviewing my experience with them and their products.
They have different "collections" of brushes. I ordered from 4 different collections.

Shipping: I don't have the exact dates of when I ordered and when I received my order but I do remember that it seemed to take a while to process and ship out my order. I think the total shipping time was about 1.5-2 weeks, which isn't terrible at all. The company did send emails whenever they received, processed, & then shipped my order.

Pricing: The prices of the products range from around $20 to under $2, depending on which brush & which collection you choose from.

Product: I was skeptical at first that since their brushes were so inexpensive, the quality couldn't be but so high. I was wrong. After using these brushes for a while, I adore the majority of the brushes I ordered. On the other hand, there were some I wasn't very fond of. Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchases though.
Here's a list of what I ordered and a quick review on each of them.
(*the collection they are from)

C201 - Oval Foundation (*Studio)
Sadly, this is one of the brushes I did not like. It made my foundation streaky and it was super stiff. 

C250-1 Taklon Pointed Liner (*Studio)
This was the other brush I was not happy with. As soon as I used it, it completely lost it's pointed shape.

C219 - Deluxe Buffer (*Studio)
This is one of my new favorite face brushes. It's super dense and I use it to apply my foundation.

C406 - Large Duo Fiber Face (*Duo Fiber)
I  originally bought this for a foundation brush but it didn't work so well because it wasn't as dense as I'd hoped. However, it works fantastically as a blush brush.

C212 - Detailed Mini Chisel (*Studio)
This brush is amazing for under eye work with eyeshadows.  It's super small & soft.

S250-0 - Taklon Detail (*Backstage
I love this brush. It's tiny! It kept it shape perfectly after I used it and it's great for eyeliner & tight lining.

S217 - Round Crease (*Backstage)
This brush is really nice & dense. I love it for crease work.

S225 - Deluxe Shadow Crease (*Backstage)
I love love love this as a concealer brush, but didn't so much as an actual crease/blending brush. 

PP10 - Oval Concealer (*Perfectly Pink)
I don't particularly like this type of brush for concealer but I loved it for blending out cream products.

PP19 - Oval Lip (*Perfectly Pink)
 I loved this brush, my lips are really small so this worked really well to apply lipstick.

Pros:
These brushes are super affordable and really good quality.
They have a huge variety on the website. (Including both synthetic and animal hair brushes)
You can have your own label put on them.
They didn't really shed much on the first use.

Cons:
Some of the brushes don't have the name of the brush on the handle but some do.


Overall:
I am thoroughly impressed with both this company and their brushes. They have become a part of my every day makeup routine. I give them a 5/5 and I would definitely buy from them again.

If you'd like to give them a try, you can place an order at http://crownbrush.us/

Thanks for reading!
Lauren.

TKB Swatches!

So, here are swatches of all the TKB Trading products I ordered.
The top is the color swatched wet, the bottom is dry.
I didn't use a base for any of these.

Crucible Red

Chameleon Glitter

Copper Basics

Passion Orange

Vintage Blue

MyMix Champagne

Forged Gold

Purple Sparks

Ivory Lace

MyMix Blues

Holla Glow Glitter

MyMix Lipstick Base in Cupcake

Swatch of Cupcake

I can say that my two favorite are Forged Gold & Crucible Red. I'll be doing a look using a few of these soon.

Thanks for reading!

Lauren.

TKB Trading Review

TKB Trading is a company that sells ingredients that you'd use to make cosmetics. I've known about them for a while but recently I decided to give them a try & purchased a few of their micas, one lipstick base, & one glitter.

Shipping
The first thing I'll talk about is the shipping. I placed my order on March 18th, it was shipped on the 23rd, & it was in my mailbox on the 26th. So it took about a week total, which is pretty good in my opinion.

Pricing
Let me just start off by saying that this companies prices are ridiculous (in the good way).  The majority of their micas are priced like this:
Sample Size (which is said to be about 1tbsp.): $1.50
1 Ounce: $4.50
4 Ounces: $15.00
8 Ounces: $25.00
1 Pound: $46.00

The glitter was priced the same & the lipstick base was a bit cheaper because it was half off. (I got a sample size for $1.25) They also have different size sample kits available.

Product
The micas are packaged in bags, the lipstick base & glitter are packed in jars. I can say that, that is probably my only problem with the company. I wish micas were packaged in jars as well (at least for a sample size) but it's not a big deal since I can just put them in jars myself.

I ordered sample sizes of everything. When I was researching before I purchased, everything I found said that a sample size from this company was about 1 Tbsp of product. (Keep in mind, most companies samples sizes range from 1/4 - 1/2 tsp.)
BUT! I think it's WAY more than 1 Tbsp. The amount you get in these bags is amazing!

Mineral eyeshadows/micas are pretty similar in performance. These are really pigmented and it doesn't take much product to do the job. They are super easy to blend and some even have a really great metallic finish.

Pros:1. They are really affordable.
2. You get a massive amount of product for a lovely price.
3. There are a ton of color choices.
4. There are a ton of different product choices.
5. They do not use or condone animal testing.

Cons:1. Product comes in baggies.
2. The website doesn't have swatches for all the micas, so you have to kind of wing it.
3. There is a $13.00 minimum requirement.


OverallI would definitely give this company and my experience with them thus far a 5/5. I'll definitely be purchasing from them again as well. Later this week, I'll do a blog post with swatches of everything I ordered.

If you want to give them a try, you can place an order at http://www.tkbtrading.com/

Thanks for reading!
Lauren.

A Black Tie Affair Nails.

List of products used
Beauty Secrets base coat
Revlon Scented Parfum Nail Polish in #300 Cotton Candy
L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Lacquer in black
OPI Nail Polish in Black Onyx
L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Lacquer in silver
OPI Nail Polish in Rockette Red
Sally Hansen Nail Polish in Celeb City
Beauty Secrets top coat

Link for a tutorial on how to do this nail art: click here!

Tools of the Trade: Foundation.

Hey guys!
I've had my fair share of foundation faux pas over the years, especially when I was first learning about make up. I've had it cakey, streaky, splotchy, uneven, etc..
So this blog post is about the different ways to apply foundation, maybe I can help someone who's had problems applying their foundation.

Liquid Foundations

Sponges.
Sponges are pretty good for cream foundations, but not so much a liquid. First off, sponges aren't very sanitary, they are only good for one use. They are porous so they gather and hold bacteria very quickly. That also means that they absorb more product than desired. They don't really provide an even coverage application, it tends to come out really streaky. However, sponges are fantastic for blending out any foundation streaks you've got after applying it with a brush.


Flat Foundation Brush.
The flat foundation brush is a really good option, but it can be tricky. You have to get a pretty good quality brush for it to work well. Sometimes they can streak pretty bad, especially if they aren't cleaned properly or cleaned on a regular basis. Also, the natural hair versions apply foundation a lot better than the synthetic versions but they absorb a lot more product as well. They are better for getting into the small areas of your face (like around the nose or under the eyes.).

Flat Top Buffer/Duo Fiber Brush.
These brushes are awesome for applying foundation. You have the option to either stipple or buff foundation into the skin. They give a more even coverage with minimum streaking. It takes a little practice to get the technique down but once you do, your foundation looks so much better. They probably aren't the best for someone who doesn't have a lot of time to spend on their foundation in the mornings or whenever you need to apply it, but it's the best method in my opinion.

Fingers and Hands.
A free and useful option is to use your hands, just be sure that they are clean. It's a good, quick way to get your foundation on. It can be streaky but if you don't have anything else, you have that. There are some foundations (at least, that I've found) that actually just work better when you use your hands to put it on. It warms up the product so that it glides a bit more easily onto your skin.

Powder or Mineral Foundations

Kabuki Brush.

If you're a mineral makeup wearer, than the kabuki brush should be your best friend. It's the tried and true best way to apply any type of powder or mineral foundation. It gives a super quick and even application. It's also good for buffing out blush if you happen to apply too much. However, I wouldn't use it for a setting powder over foundation because it tends to make your foundation look cakey. Other than that, it's a great option for any other type of powder foundation product.

Foundation is an important part of any make up look., it's the "canvas". If you don't have a nice looking base, it throws off the balance of the overall makeup application. So, I hope this helped anyone who's had problems with their foundation. If you decide to try something new, let me know how it goes.

Thanks for reading!
Lauren.

Aveda Balancing Infusion for Dry Skin

I re-discovered one of the most amazing products I've ever had recently. Like I said in my dry mask post, I have horribly dry skin during the winter and I've tried so many different things to "heal" it some but nothing really did the trick. I stumbled upon my bottle of Aveda Balancing Infusion for dry skin the other day and decided that I'd see if that helped any. It was AMAZING.

So, here's what the Aveda website says about it.

Our highly-concentrated blend of pure flower and plant essences helps rehydrate skin and normalize the production of natural lubricants. Contains patchouli and ylang ylang oils to help soothe, jasmine to help energize and plant ceramides to help moisturize.

• Helps revitalize and restore balance to dry, stressed skin
• For normal to dry skin

It's an oil that you add to your moisturizer and it gives an extra boost of hydration.
I add two drops to two pumps of my Aveda "All Sensitive" moisturizer and it has helped my skin so much. My biggest problem areas were my cheeks, they were constantly dry and flaky no matter how much moisturizer I used. I tried exfoliating and it did practically nothing. Once I used the Balancing Infusion the dryness was gone immediately.

This was a miracle worker on my cuticles as well. Because of how often my hands are in water at school, my cuticles get really dried out and start to crack. I put some of the Balancing Infusion on them just to see what happened and literally the next day the dryness and cracks were completely gone. I was so surprised. Also, I've been using it every single day (which is two drops for my moisturizer, two drops for each hand, & two drops for each foot) and I haven't even put a dent in it so it lasts for a really long time.

They have other formulas of the product for sensitive & oily/acne skin as well, though I can't really speak for them since I've never tried those.
It retails for $21.00 at Aveda.com or at an Aveda store.

If you've tried it, let me know what you think! If not and you have dry skin, try it out, it's fantastic.

Thanks for reading!
Lauren

Valentine's Day Makeup Look!

Products I used
Face:
L'oreal True Match Foundation in C1
MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20
Makeup Forever Camouflage Concealer Palette
NYC Translucent Powder
Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion (Original)
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Strawberry Milk
Coastal Scents 88 Palette
Estee Lauder eyeshadow in Sand Dollar
Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Cream Liner in Black (The brown eyes set)
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil in Zero
L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Lips:
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Born With It
Milani 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss in Fashion Diva