Review: Sigma Makeup Brushes

Last October, I purchased my first "professional" makeup brushes. Again, I'm a sucker for the hype of products, and after seeing TiffanyD's review on the Sigma makeup brushes, I bought them. I purchased the "Complete Kit w/o Brush Role" for $79.00 + shipping. Plus, I also bought the Small Duo Fiber Brush SS187(F55) and the Kabuki.

I have a few MAC brushes, and after hearing all of the good things about how comparable Sigma Brushes were to MAC, it seemed like a steal. 12 brushes for $79... I would have spent that on maybe 2 MAC brushes!

My opinion - Sigma Brushes are really nice. I wouldn't say that they are exactly the same as MAC brushes. They're a little different, but work just as well and have held up very nicely. Some of the brushes do shed, specifically the SS187 and SS150 (Large Powder Brush). But I have had no issues with brushes bleeding or anything like that. Overall, I definitely want the Professional Kit... but as of now, I'm not willing to shell out the cash for it.

One difference since I purchased my brushes is that Sigma has changed the name on all of their brushes. When Sigma first launched their line, their brush names copied MAC. MAC has a 219, Sigma has the exact same brush named SS219. Basically, Sigma just copied all of the MAC names, but added an SS to it. Which for me, made things easier since I'm familiar with MAC Brushes. I liked it. However, now all of the Sigma brushes have new names. The small duo fiber brush that I have is named SS187 and now is called the F55. All of their face brushes now have a F followed by the number, while all eye brushes have E followed by the number. I know that Sigma got a lot of criticism for copying MAC's names, so maybe they changed because of that? I don't know for sure. All I know is that Sigma Brushes are excellent quality and worth the price.

It's Orgasmic

Back in February, I fell into the hype of Nars Orgasm Blush. I caved in, and bought it because of all of the awesome reviews on it and celebrity endorsements. Orgasm is a beautiful pinky/peach blush, with a very light gold shimmer,(it doesn't come off as super shimmery or anything, so don't worry). Just the other day, some natural sunlight hit the pan and I could see the gold reflects in it. It really is quite lovely. I've been using it every day for the past 5 months, and still haven't hit pan. Pretty impressive.

Now for the downfall... $26 for a blush is a little spendy in my opinion, especially when there are some pretty good dupes out there. Mary Kay's Mineral Cheeck Color in Strawberry ($10) had been my staple, and it's pretty darn close to Nars Orgasm. Also, ELF has a few blushes ($2-3) that also resemble Orgasm.

If your like me and just need to try the real one for yourself, go for it. It's a great product, very pretty and buildable. But honestly, it's nothing too special. I don't know if I'll be repurchasing or not... maybe I'll try something new... who knows.

My New Baby

This post really doesn't have to do anything with beauty, makeup, or fashion... however I guess it kind of helps me stay up to date with all of it, haha... It's about my new baby... my HTC EVO.

I am so in love, it's not even funny. I've had a blackberry curve for the past two years, and really I have no complaints, (other than the track ball). I liked my blackberry, but I didn't know what I was truely missing out on until I got my little EVO.

Ever since apple released the iphone... I wanted one! BAD! However, if your like me, and don't have AT&T service in your area... you can't have one. Major bummer. So I settled for my blackberry, but now... I basically have an iphone... but this one is carried by sprint! FINALLY!

The HTC EVO is everything I ever wanted in a phone. Yes, it is quite a bit larger than my blackberry, but that doesn't bother me at all. The large touch screen display is beautiful. The 8 mega pixel camera takes great pictures, and it even has another camera built into the front, so you can take pictures from all angles. I was a little weary about having a touch screen, but it acts EXACTLY the same as my ipod touch. The internet browsing speed is super fast and the apps are so cool! I am so in love... I don't think it's left my hand since I got it... other than sleeping, of course. My recommendation is that if you aren't able to get an iphone, the HTC EVO is the next best alternative... maybe even a better alternative :)

It's a 10!

After receiving this product for Christmas from my sister (who happens to be a hair stylist), I can honestly say that after using this for the past 7 months that I have found one of my holy grail hair products. I had always been a huge fan of Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid, and don't get me wrong, I still like it. But after I ran out of it, I didn't repurchase... instead I used my It's a 10. Now the packaging is nothing special, but inside that orange and blue container is a miracle worker!(And for $14 - $20 for 4 oz.... it should be!) This product is seriously a 10 for your hair!

It has 10 Miraculous benefits:
~ weightless shine
~ softens course hair
~ improves elasticity
~ potent antioxidant
~ environmental protection
~ anti-humidity minimizes frizz
~ thermal protection
~ imparts control and manageability
~ seals and protects hair color
~ locks in moisture

Is there anything else you really need from a hair product?!?!? All I can say is that I'm in love with this product... the only downfall: they have a complete line of hair care and I want to try them all!



It's a 10's website (http://itsa10haircare.com/hairsite/) explains that all of it's products:

1.Work with curly or straight hair
2.Are appropriate for both thick and fine hair
3.Offer excellent conditioning
4.Deliver dramatic results
5.Enhance natural shine
6.Strengthen stressed strands
7.Are safe for color-treated hair
8.Reduce the need for multiple hair care products
9.Include naturally derived ingredients
10.Are salon tested and proven

If you're anything like me, then you have a huge stash of hair products in your bathroom... a few hairsprays, foams, gels, serums, smoothing creams, spritzes, heat protectants, curly hair care, straight hair care, you name it... I've got a product for everything, x2... or 3! Think about how much money you could save from this line... if it works for curly and straight hair? Hmmm...From shampoo to shine serums... what should I purchase next... it's a tough decision!

Back to School Shopping List

August is fast approaching and one thing is on my mind... new clothes! As of this moment... here is what I'm thinking I need:

#1: Black Blazer

The Black Blazer is definitely a must have. You see celebrities like Kate Moss, Rihanna, Cameron Diaz, etc. wearing them constantly. They'll definitely be great for fall as it starts getting a little cooler out. Plus, layering is so in right now. Pair it with a cute tank and skinny jeans and I'm out the door!

#2: White Blazer

Just as with the Black, the White Blazer is a closet staple. Kim K has definitely been wearing this look, a lot. It's very classy and sheek. Again, paired with a cute tank and jeans or leggings and you look completely put together.

#3: Brown Dress Pants

For work, these are a must. I have plenty of grey and black pants, but I'm definitely needing a pair of nice brown pants. These are work friendly, yet stylish with a low rise and a flared leg. These are from express and retail for $49.90.

#4: Khaki's

Now Khaki's aren't exactly my favorite style of pants, but with my line of work they're nice to have. They're comfy and can be worn with basically anything. This pair is from the Gap for $34.99. They look nice and can be dressed up or down. They have a slimmer flared leg, which I like, because they look a little more sophisticated and dressy.

#5: Black Pumps

Again, another staple. I always seem to have plenty of black boots, but never just a solid pair of black pumps. I love these by Sofft. For a healed shoe, these are SO comfortable. I can stand and walk around all day, and never get sore feet. They're a little on the spendy side, $107, but well worth it. I own 4 pairs of Sofft shoes and all look and feel brand new, even thought I've had them for over 3 years.

#6: Jeans

A girl can never have too many jeans, right? I just bought some jeggings from Express last month, so no more skinny jeans for me. I'd like either a pair of wide leg or flares, in a darker wash. Silver jeans have always fit me the best and for $50-$80 a pair, their pretty reasonable for a great pair of jeans that fit well and will last. I've always been tempted to spend a bunch on a pair of 7's or Miss Me... just cause I love the back pockets. Hmmm... who knows what I'll come home with... lol!

Yikes!

Yikes! It's been quite a while since my last post... and truly, I have no excuse for it. To be honest... I've been trying to save money and that has definitely limited my hauls. :( But now, as we reach mid summer, I'm getting excited for the fall season of clothing and makeup! How fun! In the following weeks I'll be doing my "back to school" shopping! (What a great excuse to spend that cash I've been saving from odd summer jobs!) And I can't wait!

MAC v. Mary Kay Eyeshadows

Before I begin this, I'll start with a little background information about myself. I've always liked makeup. I started wearing it in 7th grade (that tacky light blue covergirl eyeshadow! haha). By the time I was in high school I started wearing foundation and adding a little mascara and eyeliner. It wasn't until college that I really fell in love with cosmetics. My husband's aunt sold Mary Kay, and ended up talking me into becoming a consultant. I didn't do too much with it, but made a little extra money while going to college. I started using Mary Kay products in high school, as one of my mom's friends sold it and my mom had always been a loyal MK customer, along with my grandma and aunts. So I used their skin care system for a little bit and their makeup. Now, I swear by everything Mary Kay. I use the whole skin care system and my face has never ever been better. (I suffered from pretty bad acne, used Proactive, Neutrogena SkinID, AcneFree, Murad... you name it, I tried it.) And now, after using the MK Timewise skin care line, my skin is clear and healthy. Along with skin care, I also use all MK foundations, liquid and powder... and now I swear by their products.


Now the only downside of being a MK consultant, is the fact that your supposed to use all MK products... so shopping for the latest beauty remedy doesn't happen much... until now. There's been so many fun products and packaging that I've branched out to try other brands. Specifically, I've been trying MAC.


With all the hype with MAC, I told my husband that I wanted a filled MAC pallet for my birthday... and that's what he gave me. I love all the color selections that MAC has, but now that I have them and have used them, I still fine myself reaching for my MK mineral eyeshadows. The color pay off with both companies are good, but I find MK eyeshadows to be a lot easier to blend. I just love them, and so far no company has compared to the quality of MK eyeshadows. And for the same amount of product (0.05 oz) at $6.50... they're a whole lot cheaper than MAC eyeshadows. So I feel like I've kind of waisted some money on MAC. Overall, I think that the MK eyeshadows are better quality and easier to use... and less expensive than MAC eyeshadows. The only thing that I think MAC does better is in their packaging and color selection.

Now I'm just talking eyeshadow here. I haven't tried all of the other fun MAC products that are out there. I love MAC lipsticks and their mascara. Plus, it's always fun to try something new. They only thing that I'm saying is that I don't think that MK gets much credit in the beauty world. Mary Kay is no longer your "Grandmother's Makeup"... Trust me!