Product Focus: Kirkland 2009 Makeup Brush Set

I always try to tell myself that I have enough makeup brushes, but my greedy eyes tell me another. If you read my quick teaser post about this 2009 Kirkland Brush Set, you realized I took the picture at Costco, meaning I didn't buy it YET until yesterday. I personally don't have Costco membership but my bf's mom does so we kinda just tag along with her when she goes :P

This is retail for $19.99 and I know Kirkland has came up with surprisingly amazing value set of brushes. I personally bought their 2007 Set and did a sneak peak on their 2008 ones. They are all amazing and this year they did it again.

The set came with:

• 8 full size brushes
• 4 travel size brushes
• 2 makeup case
• 1 eyelash curler

The brushes are all synthetic, although they all look like skunk brush (real black hair & white synthetic tip). They're all SUPER SOFT and the handles are all rubberized so no slip! Here are the look of the sets.

The Makeup Cases
Large Powder Brush


Flat Top Bronzer Brush

Angled Foundation Brush

Eyeshadow Brush


Eye Blending Brush

Flat Eyeliner Brush

Eye Smudger
Brow Brush & Spooley Duo

The Travel Size Set
Comparison of the travel size (L) & full size (R) Powder Brush
The travel size on is like a mini version of full size,
can also work as blush brush I believe.

Comparison of travel size (L) & full size (R) Eye Blending Brush

The travel size one has shorter bristle but
the round heads on the same size.

Comparison of travel size (L) & full size (R) Eyeshadow Brush


It turns out the travel size one is a concealer brush
but I can't see why you can not use it as eyeshadow brush :)

Comparison of travel size (L) & full size (R) Flat Eyeliner Brush

The travel size one has shorter bristles
but they work exactly identical.

My take

• A great investment & an amazing value for the quality
• The brushes has a slightly chemical smell upon washing but it went away once it's dry
• I like the size & feel of the brush handles, they feel very sturdy
• The travel sizes set is so cute, the quality is just as awesome
• Love the "quilted" pattern on the makeup case, it looks classy & expensive
• The eyelash curler works so great, it was a nice thrown in to the set
• BUY IT !!!!!!!!!! :D
  

Hot Stuff: Kirkland Brush Set 2009

Spotted these on my local Costco, sale for $19.99


Contains of
3 Face Brushes,
5 Eye Brushes,
1 Eyelash Curler,
1 Cosmetic Case
1 Travel Size Brush Sets.

Remember Kirkland Brush Set I saw last year? I didn't purchase it because I bought the set 2 years ago and I swear by them. Man...they've been making seriously awesome brushes, from the review I read these are all synthetic bristles and they're UBER soft. So make sure to snatch one if you find them!

Haul: Coastal Scents

Hi everyone,

Yet another haul post! lol

I took advantage from Coastal Scent's last sale to get some more brushes. I am gonna give some to my little sister as she's just starting her makeup passion, I figured I need to guide her to the right path (LOL!!) starting with a good affordable brushes.

So I got these

From Left To Right
1. Italian Badger Blender.........................$2.95
2. Pink Deluxe Oval Shadow Brush........$1.99
3. Pink Round Crease Eye Brush............$1.49
4. Italian Badger Doe Foot Stippler........$3.89
5. Italian Badger Round Crease Brush...$2.49
6. Chisel Fluff Medium Shadow Brush...$2.75

Italian Badger Blender
Similar to Sonia Kashuk blending brush but a tad bit flimsier. Brutally honest, this brush is softer than the SK one which sometimes a bit scratchy after washing. I really like it, I trully believe everyone has to at least own one of this amazing blending brush, it really does magic.

Pink Deluxe Oval Shadow Brush
Holy Mother of BRUSH!!! This brush is so ginormous, but it's perfect if you want to apply one lid color quickly or even highlighter color. For some reason I'm addictive to run my fingers through the bristle, it's so densely packed & uber soft. Everyone needs this.

Pink Round Crease Eye Brush
I have Essence of Beauty crease brush and this is very similar, super soft and great for applying color on the outer corner, only the bristles aren't that packed but it will be perfect for my sister who has smaller eyes. And she loves pink so yeah...lol

Italian Badger Doe Foot Stippler
This brush is also HUGE, but it's great for my crease & blending. The top has a slanted slope, and it's so fluffy & soft, I can't stop touching it! I saw similar brush at Sephora (Sephora Professional Brand) and it costs $22 for one brush...ew. This is a perfect dupe & didn't shed when I washed it. It also doesn't have weird smell like many people have complained.

Italian Badger Round Crease Brush
Similar to Pink Crease Brush, also a bit flimsier than EoB Crease Brush but it's not a bad thing at all because you can do more precise blending and doesn't pick up too much dark color if you aim for a softer smokey eye. This one doesn't smell at all after washing (as many people said), so it's definitely a plus.

Chisel Fluff Medium Shadow Brush
It's smaller than I thought and the handle is pretty short. It also reminds me of my beloved shader brush from Kirkland Brush Set, it's perfect for lid, lower lash line, or even to apply highlighter on brow bone. I like the Coastal Scents one too because the bristles are longer but the duds is it smells like a wet dog when I gave it a wash. Other than that, for the price is an amazing brush.

Thanks for reading!!

Eye Brush Army

I received some questions about the eye makeup brush I use for my EOTDs, and although I have answered them I just thought it would be easier for you to get the idea if I include pictures.

So in order to make it even easier (and fun for me, HAHA), I categorized them into their purpose group. I enjoyed naming & putting them together so I hope you would too =)

Ladies, meet my trustworthy Eye Brush Army

(feel free to click & enlarge!)

As you see, no fancy-schmancy brushes here =)
no MAC, Sephora, nothing~ sorry if I disappoint you LOL

Product Review: The Brush Guard

The Brush Guards is basically a wrapper you put around your brushes to protect them from dusts, being out of shape and other stuffs. I purchased these handy dandy babies on Sunday and within 3 days they already here. Diane Baker, the owner contacted me directly just to say that my order was ready to ship, she's a very lovely lady, so if you have questions, don't hesitate to shoot her email.

I felt the NEED to get these guards because my room doesn't have Air Conditioner therefore I always open the windows (Island style babehhhh! lol). Where my laptop desk/makeup areas/brush stand is right below the window so it's just a nature that things around it would get dusty over time. I hate it but there's no better place I could think of right now so I just have to deal with the situation hehe.

So yeah....another reason is I think these guards would come in handy when I go travelling, as I noticed brushes could move around, get squashed & changed shape on the way.

Alright, without further ado, here's how they look like:

From the site, I quotted:

The Brush Guard is a stretchable, breathable tube which protects your makeup brushes:

• While drying — bristles dry in perfect shape
• In use — handle stays clean and grips better
• In storage — no snags or squashing
• On the move — perfect packing

Now available in five package choices: assorted or packages of all one size (all $5.50 including tax and domestic shipping):

• Variety pack—assortment of each size
• Ex. Small—Shadow/Liner
• Small—Blush
• Medium—Foundation
• Large—Powder/Kabuki

Additional shipping charges apply for orders from Canada ($2.00) and International ($3.00) up to five.

The one that I got is the Variety Pack which cosists of:

• 1 Shadow/Liner (extra small) ~ 1/4'' size
  
• 2 Blush (small) ~ 3/8'' size
  
• 2 Foundation (medium) ~ 5/8 '' size
• 1 Powder/Kabuki (large) ~ 1'' size

I tried the large one for my EDM Flat Top:

(slide it up from the handle)

wrapped!

keep the shape : )

My first impression of the wrapper is: Woooow they look like Fruit wrap pack LOL but they're stretchable. You can also use it after washing your brush, just slide it in and turn the brush up side down. They will dry in shape as the wrapper has 'window's to breathe

Don't you want just slather some sauce, sesame seeds and Barbecue them ???

For $5.50, I'd say it's a good investment, I'm sure your brushes would thank you sooner or later ^_^

Hot Stuff: Kirkland New Brush Set

I strolled around Costco on Sunday afternoon and while my bf was busy checking out the newest Blue Ray movies, I made a visit to a beauty alley and my eyes were set on this:


(sorry for the crappy pic I took lol, you could enlarged it)

Yesss, the newest Kirkland Brush Set for $21.99 !

I think these would be the prettiest brush set they came out with so far, noticed the white leather brush roll and white handle with diamond on each end?

And the best thing would be.......The Skunk Brush !!! It's not as big as MAC's or Sonia Kashuk's but it's perfect for applying blushes (smaller coverage, more control), I have the similar brush from Silk Naturals and I love it a lot.

If you're a Costco member, you should definitely check it out coz we all know their brushes are awesome quality...I received their last year's Brush Set, the one with black handle and they're my HG : )

Summer Trip Haul (Picture Obese !!!)

I made some major damage on my last trip, this time I donated my moolah to Bath & Body Works, Sonia Kashuk, and Prestige; all three are stuffs I can't find in Hawai'i.
Smart, no? hehehe

The OMAGAH!


Prestige

I went to Rite Aid at Fayetteville to see what they got, and being located in the small town, I didn't really except too much. I saw Jesse's Girl Baked Mineral Eyeshadow that Vanessa mentioned in her post a while ago, but I wasn't really impressed, the eyeshadow is humongous and I don't think I'll ever finish a single e/s, so I passed on that.

Instead, I found Prestige Skin Loving Minerals Baked Shadow Quad in Joia. They have another 2 Quads: Gemma & Bijou. (They all come with a mineral pencil eyeliner).

I really like these colors, they are very pigmented (if anyone wants a swatch, lemme know ^_^)

I also snatched the Brown Liquid Eyeliner, I'm amazed by the precision of the point, I'd prefer that than a brush because brush tends to be flimsy and makes it a whole lot harder to apply.

Sonia Kashuk

We don't have Target in Hawai'i *boo* so I paid a visit to Target @ Raleigh and got myself couple of brushes from Sonia Kashuk. A neutral eyeshadow palette also caught my attention, I personally think it's a great selections of neutral colors and I can see myself carrying it everywhere hehe (that's when I know I MUST get it)

btw sorry I packed all the 3 small brushes all together to save some spaces in my bag

The Perfectly Neutral Eye Pallet ($12.99)
comes with 6 colors, an applicator and eyeshadow base (the big square)


Small Eyeshadow Brush, Bent Eyeliner Brush, and Crease Brush (uber soft)


Highlighting Brush ($12.99)

some say this could be a dupe for MAC 187, I have no idea coz I don't own MAC brushes, but all I can say is this brush is SUPER SOFT

Size comparison with Silk Natural's Duo Stippling Brush

ew the small baby need some wash!

Bath & Body Works

BBW was still having clearance from their Semi Annual Sale and I went nuts & grabbed everything LOL *ehm* well, ok, maybe not everything. But I ended up with a full bags of lotions & shower gels : )


This is my ultimate favorite scent, I just finished my shower gel a while ago, so I got myself these two : ) Warm Vanilla Sugar smells so delicious!


My new favorite, Rainkissed Leaves, they just came out this summer, smells so refreshing, it reminds me of the smell of the fresh grass after rain. Not overwhelming.


Sensual Amber: It makes me feel sexy. Seriously, this scent makes me wanna lit a candle, open a bottle of champagne & dance in my underwear = P


White Tea & Ginger: omigod, a must have: very uplifting & soothing at the same time, the ginger gives a nice spicy kick but still wearable & feminine.

Enchanted Orchid: reminds me of Lei-smell ^_^ I think this is a perfect spring scent since it's light & floraly. Someone in makeupalley mentioned this smells like Flower by Kenzo.

Japanese Cherry Blossom: this is a dupe of Burberry Touch imo, the musky oriental scent gives me the 'mysterious' feeling, I personally think this is the strongest & most unique smell of all coz again, imo, it's unisex. Love it.


I got the Exotic Coconut Body Lotion for $2 (on clearance sale), I love coconut but somehow many coconut fragrances make me gag. This one is not, very calming & makes me wanna go to the beach : ) It lasts pretty long too, I put on in the morning and around 3 PM I can still smell it.

The Black Amethyst Body Lotion is only $1, a sample they sale for the upcoming Fall new scent of BBW, I like it so I bought one. The smell is not too strong, I'd say it's in the same family with Sensual Amber, very sexy and fresh fall-winter scent.


Rice Flower & Shea: It smells ok, very soft & baby powder-kind. I got this from 75% off Signature Classic sale, not too shabby.


Liplicious Cranberry Cocktail: AWESOME ! I've heard so much rave about this lipgloss so I needed to see it myself, and booooy was I floored. The consistency is not too thick and not sticky at all. It smells divine, tastes divine, WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO SAY? hehe

This is the only color without any sheen or sparkles, the color is quite dark but if you just dab it on your lips and spread it out, it'll give you the prettiest muted rose color. Plus it tastes just what it describes, cranberry cocktail. Spot on.


C.O Bigelow Mentha Body Wash: Supposedly giving you the tingly minty feeling in the shower, I haven't tried it yet but excited!!! Summer in here is a killer and this body wash could come in handy ^_^

Mentha Lip Balm Stick SPF 15: Non-glossy but super moisturizing. My HG! Sorry, Chapstick.

Mentha Lip Tint Magenta Mint: A pretty muted magenta color, leaves a perfect soft red pinkish tint

The gloss is not sticky at all and it gives me the slight tingle of mint right after I put it. It's also sweet tasting. I love this color, the Bare Mint (the most famous, I suppose) doesn't show up on me, this Magenta color is the darkest one I've seen and thankfully it does show up on my lips. The picture doesn't do really well capturing the tint tho.

I went to Ulta to check out their sale but ended up with my long-term lippy loving relationship, NYX lol I got the Soft Fuschia Jumbo Lip Pencil.

As others said, it's pretty drying after a while, so lip balm application prior is needed.




and I stumbled upon this Badger products, I thought it's so cute so I picked up the Headache Soother, just to give it a try. It smells soooo comforting. They also have many other balm such as Sleep Balm, Anti Bug Balm, Sore Muscle Rub, Aromatic Chest Rub, Stress Soother Balm, Yoga & Medication Balm, etc.

Instruction: Massage onto temples, neck, and forehead. Expect a calming, cooling sensation, silky smooth skin, nice aroma and a sense of well-being!

Ingredients: Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Golden Yellow Beeswax, Essential Oils of Peppermint, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Mandarin and Sandalwood, and CO2 Extracts of Rosehip & Calendula. Contains at least 80% Certified Organic Ingredients!

Badger is a pure body care products, for more info click here

Btw I found some interesting fact. Apparently Burt's Bees are originally from North Carolina, that's why when I was in Raleigh & Fayetteville, I saw more selections of Burt's Bees products than anywhere else.