little white truths

I received this foundation brush ages ago from Lust Have It.

The brush came in a nice little plastic tube that I've long since discarded, but it made a good display case for the brush until I was ready to open it.

As you may know, I've long been a fan of Teeez packaging - and this brush is no exception. I like the print on the handle and the brush was well presented in its case when it arrived, making it look fancy.

It's a brush I'm happy to have out where people might see it, and the colourful print makes a nice difference to the plain brushes that represent the rest of my brush collection.

Teeez claims/product details:

Made with natural goat hair
Allows you to apply your foundation evenly
RRP $35 AUD, but do shop around

As you can see, it's shaped like a normal foundation brush: tapering off and rounded at the tip, with a thin side and a wider one.

Brushes like this one are designed for liquid and cream foundation and, while I'm a fingers-applier when it comes to base products, I've been using this over the past week so I could review it.

Verdict

If you're interested in hearing whether trialling a foundation brush for a week is enough to turn a fingers-applier into a brush-applier when it comes to base products, the answer is no. But I did like using this brush and it's one I'm happy to own.

The reason I prefer using my fingers for base products is because I think they melt/warm any liquids or creams first, making them easier to apply/blend and generally meaning that I use less of them. In my experience, it's also the fastest method of applying foundation because your fingers obviously have a larger combined surface area than any brush you might use.

Anyhoo. First and foremost, what I like about this brush is the bristles - almost all my other brushes are made with synthetic bristles and I quite like the feel of these natural goat hair ones on my face, even if they're a little hard to the touch and mightn't suit everyone. In any event, they don't feel as hard on your face as they do against your fingers, and it's a brush I've enjoyed using.

I think it does help give an even application, so if you're new to makeup and don't know what kind of brush you like using for your base products, it's worth giving one like this a go. The rounded tip/tapered end allows you to apply product in more difficult places (eg around your nose), but the end isn't so small that it will take you light-years to apply your base, so I think the brush is shaped well.

One thing to note with this brush is that the handle is shorter than the handles of other brushes I own. It's not so short that it's difficult to use, but if you're used to longer brushes, this one may take a bit of getting used to.

Something I always like to comment on when it comes to tools like brushes is alternative uses for them: ie, if you're not going to use it as a foundation brush, is there anything else it might be used for?

Not really. Because it's dense, I have used it to smudge out harsh lines when it comes to my eye and cheek powders, but I have other brushes I prefer for this purpose so it's not one I would reach for unless my other brushes are due to be washed.

I have also used it to scoop out moisturiser from products that come in jars, but I prefer a spatula for this because the spatula obviously won't absorb any product.

In sum, I think this is a decent little brush - set apart by the natural bristles - but it's not one I'll use.

I've again made the belated decision to divide my empties post this month in two.

This is partly because we're doing a big clean up at the moment and I'm removing anything from the house that doesn't need to be here, and also because the empties have been stacking up again and there's too much for one post.

The Cosmetic Kitchen Raw Chocolate Clay Mask and Raw Cacao Chocolate Bath Salts

We were away recently and the holiday apartment had a bath, so I was finally able to use the chocolate bath salts (reviewed here). I really enjoyed using them - they smelled delicious and added to the experience of having a bath - and I think they were the better of the two products. Having said this, I'm not prepared to drop almost $20 on bath salts, so purchasing those is a no.

As for the mask (reviewed here), this was a Lust Have It inclusion (as were the bath salts) and it's not something I would have bought for myself. Mix-it-yourself masks are too messy and too much hassle for someone as lazy as I am, plus I don't think it did anything amazing for my face so the effort wasn't worth it for me. It does smell delicious though: I half-wanted to eat it. Purchase? No.

Evas Cosmetics Vitamin Cleansing Dessert in 01 Berry Mix

This was a Memebox inclusion and I didn't like it at all so I'm glad to be done with it. Full review here. It's a facial cleanser but I've been using it as a body wash just to get through it. It's thick and yoghurty and foams like crazy, and it smells sickly sweet - the scent was almost enough to make me throw this out long ago but I persisted because I don't like waste. This doesn't feel like it cleans that well and I wouldn't recommend it at all, even if you can handle the smell and odd consistency. Purchase? No.

L'Oreal Elvive Anti-frizz Conditioner

I absolutely love this conditioner (and its matching shampoo) and I really need to write a full review of the products. My mum was the one who found these for me, based on her hairdresser's recommendation, and they're really wonderful products. They clean and condition well without weighing the hair down. On top of that, the really do manage frizz! Repurchase? Absolutely.

Project Pan 2015: Mellow Bronzer and Be a Bombshell Blush in Glowing Goddess

I've said a lot about these two so I won't rehash all that here. Suffice to say that I like both these products (hurrah for decent low-cost makeup!) but probably won't buy them because I have more than enough stuff in the cheek department. Still, I recommend both if you're on a budget. Repurchase? Maybe if I didn't have too much stuff.

Suki Balancing Facial Oil and Transformative Purifying Masque

These were part of a Suki trial kit I used recently (reviewed here). I loved the kit as a whole and it really cleared my face up: I've broken out again now that I've finished most of the products. I loved the facial oil but unfortunately the mask didn't do much for me and I don't think it's worth its hefty price tag. Still, the kit itself is definitely worth a go as a whole if you want to target some blemishes. Repurchase? Yes.

Ren Keep Young and Beautiful Instant Firming Beauty Shot

Full review here. This was a free sample and I ended up with two of them. It's had some great reviews (as well as some bad ones) and I have to say that I agree with the bad ones. It does temporarily enhance radiance but I don't think it nourishes my skin because it seems to sit on top of my face, rather than sinking in. It also feels sticky and makes my skin look dry and lacklustre about ten minutes after I've applied it, so I need to throw heaps of moisturiser on top of it to combat this. Not what it's meant to do! Purchase? No.

Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-aging Creme

This was from The Parcel and I didn't think much of it at all unfortunately. Full review here. It has a nice texture and it doesn't feel greasy or look shiny, but it doesn't feel like it has enough punch for my dry skin. I've been using this every day (and night) since I received it, and I need to apply a better moisturiser over the top each time because this doesn't hydrate me enough: if anything, I reckon it dehydrates my skin. Purchase? No.

Glamglow Powermud Dual Cleanse Treatment

Full review here. I wound up with two decent samples of this product, and while I love using it because it smells lovely and feels nice on my face, it doesn't actually do anything useful for my skin. I would expect a slight brightening effect after using a product like this, but unfortunately my face looks more dull after using it. It's quite expensive and I don't think it adds anything to my cleansing routine, so it's not worth the outlay - at least for me. Purchase? No.

Batiste XXL Volume Dry Shampoo

This was from a Priceline haircare bag and I didn't think much of it at all. Full review here. I've seen from online reviews that other Batiste dry shampoos are great but this XXL version isn't, and while I've tried nothing else from the brand, I agree this isn't very good. It only manages the grease factor a little, and it makes your hair look dull and feel dry and crunchy in the process (it feels like you've applied hairspray). Not what you want from a dry shampoo! Purchase? No.

L'Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream in Shea Vanilla Bouquet

I received this hand cream in The Parcel and I've been through so many of them because they're often included as GWPs with magazines etc. It's fine but I don't love it as much as so many people do - I find that it leaves a greasy residue on my hands and I don't like the scent (too sweet for me). My husband however loved this little cream and he was responsible for finishing most of it: I often found him rummaging around in my handbag to find it! Purchase? No.

In sum

There should be quite a few more empties this month: this lot represents about half of them. Huzzah! It's not a great bunch of products: the Suki oil would have to be the best of the lot, and while the Glamglow cleanser didn't do much for my skin, I did really enjoy using it so I'm glad I got a chance to.

Looking forward to more empties by the month's end : )

little white truths

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