My (Pathetically Small) Brush Collection

Hey Lovelies!!!

I've been wanting to do a blog post like this one for quite some time but felt slightly uneasy about it because of my lack of brushes. I still have very few brushes but they work for my everyday makeup look, which is basically all that I wear while in college. I have intentions to expand my brush collection, but since I'm in college, with no proper job and very little money to spend, it may not be for a while... :( I feel like sharing my collection with you, however, because I love most of the brushes I use and want to share my opinion to those of you who are looking for one.

And before I begin my post, I just wanted to point out that I'm in school until the beginning of May. I will continue to do at least a post a week. However, for those of you who follow me on Instagram or have found me there (@megsmaquillage), the posts on there will probably be much less since taking #ootd especially is very difficult in my dorm room. However, I'll try my best to get a few photos up every once in a while. And if I buy some stuff (which could be rare- #brokestudentprobs), I'll definitely be posting and Instahaul! But still, go follow me on Instagram!!!!

 

So, back to the brush collection. As you can see, it's very small; only eight brushes at the moment. But those eight brushes work really well for my on an everyday basis. I've changed my everyday makeup quite significantly since my previous post (http://megsmaquillage.blogspot.com/2013/09/makeup-collection-and-storage-dorm.html). And just from looking at the brushes, you can probably tell that I REALLY LOVE the Real Techniques brushes. In case you didn't know, Real Techniques brushes are made by Samantha Chapman is a makeup artist and has a YouTube channel with her sister (http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo) and she makes these amazing synthetic makeup brushes and continues to release more and more brushes and tools and they're just flawless. Go check out the website if you haven't already (http://realtechniques.com/). And for those of you who are new to makeup, they even have video tutorials of how to use the brushes and also makeup looks!

My current makeup brush collection consists of eight brushes. I guess I'm proving that you don't need 100 different makeup brushes to wear makeup! :) I'll give the name of the brush and also what I use it for:

♥ Real Techniques Expert Face Brush- My most recent addition. I use it to apply liquid foundation. And it applies it FLAWLESSLY! It's super dense and SO soft! Highly recommend it to anyone that uses liquid foundation!

♥ Target brand Crease Brush- I actually use this brush for concealer (occasionally, I usually just use my ring finger). It's not the best brush, but it was pretty cheap and I thought I'd give it a try. I would actually recommend getting an elf brand brush over Target brand brushes, it will save you some money and they tend to be a little softer.

♥ Real Techniques Powder Brush- I use this brush for face powder (obviously). It's not nearly as dense as the Expert Face Brush but just as soft. It's really big and fluffy and really evenly applies powders. Again. I highly recommend!

♥ elf Professional Total Face Brush- I use this brush for bronzer (when I wear it). It's decent, especially for the price ($1). It applies a pretty good amount- not too much, not too little. I'm using this brush for the meantime until I get something a little better (Real Techniques Mulit-Task Brush from Travel Essentials kit maybe???). If you're on a budget like myself, this is a pretty good brush.

♥ Real Techniques Blush Brush- I use this for blush, like it says. I really like the shape of this brush. It's quite small but narrow. I do find that right after I was the brush, though, it doesn't really apply a lot of blush and takes a bit of building up to have the color show. Although that could just be the blush I use too. I would recommend this as well.

♥ Real Techniques Shading Brush- I use this brush for an eye shadow all over my lid. I love the shape of this brush, thick but flat, so you can really control the eye shadow placement. It's very soft and quite dense. It's not super flimsy so you have added control over the brush. I really recommend this brush!

♥ elf Professional Defining Eye Brush- I use this brush to apply dark brown eye shadow to my lower lash line. The shape of this brush is perfect- thin and angled. It's extremely cheap ($1) and totally worth it!! I would definitely recommend!

♥ Maybelline Cream Eyeliner Brush- I got this brush with my cream eyeliner and I really like it. It's thicker on one side and thinner on the other, so you can really customize how thick you want your eyeliner. A lot of companies make eyeliner brushes/tools but I like this enough that I'll just stick with this one! I recommend trying this brush along with the eyeliner it comes with!

And here's how I store it all:

The brush holder is an old, used Bath and Body Works candle that got GIYed by following the steps in MissGlamorazzi's video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRPvlXJbzGI). It's the perfect size and looks so adorable! It's a great way to up-cycle old candles.

So, there you have it! If you haven't already tried the Real Techniques brushes, I really think you should. You can get them online, at Ulta, Walmart, online at Target, and maybe a few other places... And, just a disclaimer, these are completely my own views and opinions. This wasn't sponsored by Real Techniques or anything like that, I just really love their brushes as do many other people.

Anyways, it's almost the end of January already. I'm going to be posting my January Favorites on January 31 (next Friday) which will have beauty, fashion, food, entertainment, and other categories so stay tuned for that! I'm not sure if I'm going to post twice next week yet or if I'm just going to do January Favorites. Let me know what you think in the comments! As always, I'll see you very soon and stay beautiful!!!

♥♥♥

Review- Maybelline Color Elixirs

Hey Lovelies!!!

My WiFi has been down for the afternoon so I'm posting on my phone so the set up may be slightly different until I can get on my computer to fix it. I'm going to try my best until then!

So, recently, I've came across one of my new favorite lip products!!! The title of the post probably gave it away, but they are the new Color Elixirs from Maybelline. They are stunning and I think they have great formulation.

("Mandarin Rapture", "Fuschia Flourish", "Petal Plush", "Celestial Coral")

I'm going to start by reviewing the presentation and packaging. To start, they are small square tubes that appear to be lipstick.

It's not until you twist the top to realize they are actually a lip gloss. The actual applicator is really nicely shaped and angled so it's very easy to get an accurate application all over the lips.

In addition to individual presentation and packaging, there are many colors to choose from (I believe time around 20) with colors ranging from red, pink, nude, orange, and purples in light, bright, and dark shades.

The product itself is quite fragrant and pigmented. I think the smell is nice but if you're sensitive to strong smells, this might not be the best product for you... As soon as you apply the product, you can see color immediately. It feels thicker than a lot of other lip glosses but it's not sticky at all! These are also pretty moisturizing. The color only last for a couple hours but leave your lips feeling soft and hydrated - a major plus even if it means reapplying. These aren't meant to be a stain, so it's not expected that these will last all day long.

I have gotten 4 colors in the last 2-3 weeks (no judging!) and I like all of them!

(I posted the same picture without flash above but I really feel like this picture captured the true color of the tubes)

And here are the swatches ("Mandarin Rapture", "Fuschia Flourish", "Petal Plush", "Celestial Coral")

As I've said, I love these so much and I don't have much to complain about for them. It would be nice if the color lasted a little longer, but I'm very satisfied with how they are now. And I would recommend them to anyone! (That means you!! ;)) Out of the colors that I have, my favorite is hands down Fuschia Flourish, which was the very first one I got!! It's a very pretty hot pink that looks very flattering and can be worn casually or formally as well.

If you try this product, let me know what you think of it! Also, if you liked this review please let me know so I can make more like this!! Until next time!! And, as always, stay beautiful!!!

❤❤❤

Review- Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish

Hey Lovelies!!!

I'm sure most of you are aware of the tons of new products in the cosmetics section of the drugstore. I've recently picked up a few of them and still looking for a few that have been sold out. And I've set up an Instagram recently (@megsmaquillage) where I upload instahauls, outfit of the days, and a few miscellaneous photos, so be sure to follow me there!! I post there very regularly!!! But anyways, I hope to post a few reviews of the new products I've been trying out recently. Here's the first one for Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polishes.

Basically, these are scented nail polishes, hence the name, which make them so unique compared to other nail polishes on the market. And according to their website's product description, each color has a separate scent. The color/scent that I got is called "Bordeaux". It's a very beautiful deep red color and (I'm terrible at describing scents, but I'm going to give it a shot) fruity scent. The scent, however, doesn't show up until the polish starts to dry, so don't smell the polish in the bottle! I applied a base coat, 2 coats of Bordeaux, and even after applying a top coat, I could still smell the scent; a major bonus!! And even after washing my hands multiple times and showering, I could still smell the scent the following day! I should also mention how nice of a consistency and pigmentation/opaqueness this nail polish has... I probably could have gotten away with just one coat of the nail polish because it was so nice! The one thing I really don't like is the applicator handle. It's a little sphere in order to add to the presentation of the product to represent a perfume bottle. It's rather small and not the easiest to use.

I do want to say that I found it crucial to use a top coat! Not because the color polish isn't good quality or not shiny enough, but because the nail polish chipped only in the one spot that I missed with top coat. The top coat (Revlon Colorstay) really held the nail polish in place and strengthened it. And, like I said before, don't think that the top coat will take away the scent of the nail polish. And if it weakens the scent, it's very slightly.

Overall, I am very pleased with the product and will definitely be purchasing more in the future. The price, at $4.99 at Target, is very affordable, especially for the quality and uniqueness of the product. I'm very interested in seeing if the other colors in this line are just as high-quality as Bordeaux. I'm also interested to seeing the different scents of each of them. I'm anticipating other companies to start making scented nail polishes to compete with this line and it will be interesting to see how they compare.

I hope this review helped you out as it is my own complete and honest opinion. I'll talk to you all soon! Stay beautiful!!

♥♥♥

My 2014 Resolutions

Hey Lovelies!!!

It's 2014!!! How exciting is that... 2013 was definitely an eventful year for myself and many others! And I'm just hoping that 2014 will be even better, if that's at all possible. In order for that to be possible, I made some resolutions. I'm not usually one to make New Years Resolutions, but I made a few this year. And maybe I'll actually achieve them...?! Here they are!:

♥ Blog regularly- I'm aiming to post at least one blog post a week. And, truthfully, that shouldn't be difficult at all, right?! Because of school, I will probably post at some point during the weekend unless I come across some free time during the week. Currently, I'm on break so I'll hopefully post a bit more frequently (hopefully)... If anyone catches me not posting during a week, please yell at me!!!

♥ Post my first YouTube video- Before the end of the year, I want to post my first video to YouTube. This has been a goal of mine for almost a year now, and I've been a bit to anxious and nervous about it... :( But I made a YouTube channel for videos and I just need to figure out when to start. I'm at college now so filming isn't all that easy, but we'll see how it goes, whether it means vlogging or more Meg's Maquillage type videos.

♥ Figure out what I want to do with my life- Recently, I've hit a wall and realized that what I'm in college for isn't what I want to do. I'm currently a Modern Languages major (French and Spanish) but I'm not even good at speaking languages... Oops! So, I'm currently trying to redo my schedule which is proving to be impossible... I'm also switching to an undeclared major as soon as I return to school and then I'll be on the mission to figure out what I want to study. Right now, communications seems like the best option. If any one is going through something similar or has some advice, please leave a comment below!

♥ Get a job that I enjoy- The only jobs that I've had in the past have been babysitting, demonstrating for my dance studio (which I wasn't actually paid for...), and cashiering at a local market. I love babysitting and hope to do it more regularly over the summer, possibly nannying...? I also loved demonstrating for the dance studio but since I'm at college, it isn't possible anymore. Plus it wasn't all too practical since it was just volunteer work. And I hated working as a cashier and literally refuse to go back to work there... So I'm currently trying to get a new job. I'm hoping for Bath and Body Works when I'm at home on breaks and Lush Cosmetics while at school. Who knows if that will happen, but I hope it does. Wish me luck!!!

Those are my main four 2014 resolutions and I hope to achieve all of them! *crosses fingers* I hope this year will be a good year for Meg's Maquillage and that it proves to be something worth my time and I can continue it into next year as well! I really enjoy blogging so far (sorry for the lack of posts though). I love each and every one of you!! See you soon and stay beautiful :)

♥♥♥

My Plans for the Future

Hey Lovelies!!!

I want to take this time to just talk a little bit about the future. It's sometimes really scary to think about because it's so unpredictable, but it's always fun to try and plan ahead (whether it goes to plan or not). And just like I have plans for my life, I have plans for my blog! So this is where I involve you guys! :)

I began blogging, give or take, half a year ago. And ever since doing so, I found out that I really enjoy it a lot! Seeing how so many people are successful at blogging and now have it as a career makes me want to do the same thing! Blogging is the first thing that I've done that I really enjoy doing (even if I'm not the best yet). I can already see myself improving since the first few blog posts I made. And I have a few posts planned for the future; I'll hopefully have a few more posts before the year ends!

If all goes well, I hope this blog can really take off and I can branch off. At the current moment, I've been taking the pictures for my blog from my iPhone, which actually has a really nice camera quality, but the storage isn't ideal. So, for my birthday, which is in March, I'm asking for a Canon PowerShot ELPH 330 HS so I can begin to take better photos and possibly start vlogging occasionally. I definitely won't get into daily vlogging, but if I'm doing something or going somewhere fun, I can take you along. If that happens and I get a good response, I would probably start main channel beauty, fashion, etc. videos.

I really have high hopes for this and I hope all goes according to plan. But, like I said in the beginning, that isn't how things always work. But since I love doing this so much, I want to do as much as I can to hopefully turn this into something more than just a hobby!

I love you guys!! Talk to you all really soon! :)

♥♥♥

Review- The Falsies Big Eyes Mascara

Hey Lovelies!!!

Recently, I tried out a new mascara and I felt the need to share my thoughts about it! I've tried out Maybelline's The Falsies Big Eyes

I got the color #202 Blackest Black (I always wear black mascara). Their claim for this product is to give "360º false lash effect" and "bigger wide open eyes". And what sets this product apart from the regular The Falsies mascara is that it has two different brushes: one for the upper lashes, and one for the bottom lashes (giving it major bonus points, in my opinion)

Left: Brush for upper lashes

Right: Brush for lower lashes

And now onto some pictures of the product on my lashes!

Before:

With mascara:

With all eye makeup:

So, in conclusion, I really do love this mascara! The different brushes are perfect and the formulation of the mascara is practically the same as the original Falsies mascara. And it definitely gives my lashes some extra volume and length. I do, however, use Covergirl Clump Crusher after The Falsies Big Eyes on the upper lashes, not because it clumps, but I just think it looks a little better when layered, although not necessary. I'm very happily surprised at how much I adore this mascara and I will continue to buy it!!! I highly recommend you try it out if you're looking for a great, new mascara!!

♥♥♥

First Time at Lush + a Haul!!

Hey Lovelies!!!

So recently, something big happened! I experienced Lush Cosmetics for the first time and also made my first purchase there! This is HUGE for me! I've always wanted to buy something from Lush but never knew what. And to be honest, the store kind of intimidated me... But after I watched a few YouTube videos, read a few blog posts of hauls and reviews, and checked the Lush website (http://www.lush.com/), I got an idea of what products would work best for me and also some favorites/bestsellers. Once I got to the store after doing a bit of research, I realized how much easier it was to shop at Lush. It also greatly helped that the employees at Lush are super friendly and helpful! So here's what I walked out with:

♥ "Mint Julips" Lip Scrub ♥

This was #1 on my list of what I wanted to get. In the majority of the videos, blog posts, and reviews I've seen, people rave about Lush's lip scrubs ("Mint Julips", "Bubblegum", "Popcorn") so I knew I had to give one a try. At $9.95, it is on the more expensive side for basically a small jar full of flavored sugar. However, I love this product and I think that it will last a while even though it looks like such a small amount. Each time you use, you only use a pea-sized amount. Typically, I use this product in the morning after I brush my teeth and I follow it up with my eos Lip Balm in Sweet Mint and then your breath and lips are both minty fresh! And just for the record, this lip scrub definitely does smooth your lips out and it's not too rough so you can use it each day without problems. Especially since it's gotten pretty cold here in Massachusetts, dry, chapped lips are right around the corner so this lip scrub along with some lip balm will become my best friends.

♥"Cupcake" Fresh Face Mask♥

I was hesitant to buy this one at first just because of how it looks... You're all thinking it... But I bought it just to try because it's basically made for people with the exact skin type that I have (oily, spotty, acne-prone, sensitive to perfumes and dyes - aka annoying skin). It's also made with teenagers in mind. I probably could have asked to try it, but I bought the full thing for $6.95 and I'm pretty happy I did. Although it isn't the best looking mask, my skin felt really nice after using it. It smells alright, kind of like chocolate frosting. I don't know if it works to fade hyperpigmentation or acne scarring and I didn't notice any difference like that but it does soothe your skin. I think that a full size container of Cupcake will last for about six face masks and expires about a month after it is made. And remember that the Lush Fresh Face Masks have to be stored in a refrigerator!

♥"So White" Bath Bomb♥

OH MY GOSH! This is perfection! Literally... So this is a seasonal bath bomb :( And if you need to know something that I love, it's apple scented stuff. This bath bomb smells of apple and the inside is pink so when you drop it into your bath water, it will turn a pink tint. And to make this an even better product, it leaves your skin feeling amazing and soft. The price for this is $6.45. I actually split mine in half to make it last for two baths, it just makes the scent, tint, and softening of the skin a little less. But I think it's worth the price if it lasts for two baths. Oh and it's pretty big too, unlike "Butterball" or others of that size. You can bet that I will be buying more of the So White bath bomb before it goes away until next year. And I suggest you do the same to experience the amazingness of it.

So that's my haul and review of my first three Lush Cosmetics products. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, let me know and I'll arrange for more posts like this! Also, sorry for the product pictures from the Lush website... I've used all of So White and most of Cupcake and Mint Julips so I had to use them for reliable pictures of the products. Next time I buy stuff from Lush, I'll have to remember to take pictures before I use them...

I have a few more posts arrange for the next week or two if all goes well so stay tuned for that. And tomorrow (hopefully...) I will have a newer type of post coming your way! It's a bit on the personal side. But don't worry, it's not depressing or anything like that. It's basically advice for you all that I've learned here on a college campus that I hope you can benefit from! Oh, and I also made a Twitter so go follow me!! (@MegsMaquillage)This is all I have for today but I'll be back soon! I'm not letting myself take a break for another month... I promise!

♥♥♥

P.S. Sorry it's been over a month since my last post. It's totally my fault and I promise to have A TON of content coming your way really soon!