Reviews: E.L.F Studio Brushes Part 2

I can't sleep.

On to part 2 of the review for E.L.F Studio Brushes. (Oh my god, E.L.F studio has new stuff again. :( )

Kabuki Face Brush



The E.L.F studio kabuki is quite big and fat. The bristles are really soft to the touch. It's not dense but still well packed. Love the brush on the face because it's just so soft. Had been using it for quite a while and I really like it. Would prefer it for buffing finishing powder instead of powder foundation cos the coverage it gives is on the sheer side since it's not dense enough.

Blush Brush



I totally adore this brush now. Didn't try it for the longest while since I was hooked to the Powder Brush for blush application. Wished I did so earlier soI could order more. The E.L.F Studio blush brush is quite a tiny brush (for a blush brush). It's really small with a rounded head. It's a flat brush. This brush is really good for precise blush application, when you just want the blush to go on the apples on your cheeks etc. I tested it with mineral blushes and pigmented blushes and it picks up just the right amount without making the face overdone. Love it to bits. However I don't like to use the brush for blending. You might want to use any brush to blend out the brush as it gets it done faster. Have yet to use this brush for applying contour. I should be trying soon.

Contour Brush



This brush is really soft. I really like the touch of it and how cute the head looks. The head is dome-shaped. Ok, as a contour brush, I find it's only all right. The bristles are too short if you want to use it for defined crease application. The ferrel, on the other hand, is too wide and circular for the bristles so they protrude out a little more. When applying eyeshadow in the crease, the ferrel can be kind of scratchy, especially if you are planning to dig the brush in deep to the socket and blend.. It's not very pleasant. If you want to use it blending, it doesn't do as good a job as the E.L.F blending brush from their regular US$1 line. The feeling of it brushing to and fro feels spongy.

However, I think it works well as a pencil brush. It's good for applying eyeshadows precisely in corners, on the lid, or under the lash line. Light blending is all right, just not when you need to blend at the crease line to get a defined crease. They should change the name of it.


Read Part 1 here.

Review: NYX The Caribbean Collection - I Dream of Barbados

It's been a while. I'm back to blog.

Am reviewing NYX The Caribbean Collection 5 Color Eyeshadow Palette - I Dream of Barbados.



The palette is really gorgeous. Kindly refer to the original photo taken by NYX as colour shows up more true.

Anyway, I picked up this palette from mscuppycakes.com before they jacked up their shipping rates -pouts- (now I can't get small NYX hauls fast anymore). This palette is love. Totally adore it.

Like the other NYX eyeshadow palettes, it comes with a cardboard packaging. This palette is longer and slimmer than the 10 color eyeshadow palettes which I picked up earlier. Comes with a long mirror and it has 2 eyeshadow applicators instead of only one.

I'm really amazed by the quality of NYX's Caribbean collection "I Dream of Barbados" palette. The texture of the eyeshadow is really fine and creamy and blends beautifully. The 10 color eyeshadow palettes have a good amount of pigmentation but some of the colours just don't work. Some are too glittery and some can be too chalky. So maybe out of 10 colours, you'll only like half or more. Whereas for this palette, I seriously like all 5 colours.

Colours from left to right:
1. ████████ Light muted lavender shade with slight shimmer frost.
2. ████████ Charcoal black with shimmers.
3. ████████ Cool toned pastel pink.
4. ████████ Light silver grey with slight shimmers.
5. ████████ Medium purple with slight shimmer frost.

The purples in the palette are quite muted. Not very loud if you are worried they turn up really garish on the eyes. The colours look matte and the shimmers/frost are really subtle. The black is really easy to work with. It's super dark and blends wonderfully. The cool toned pink brings a pop of colour to the eye though I don't really use it.

Overall I really like this palette. Was able to create smokey look with this. Made my eyes look bigger. Totally adore the texture of the eyeshadows.

If you haven't tried this, go and get one as soon as possible. For the same price, you can pick up either the NYX 10 colors eyeshadow palette or this Caribbean collection 5 colors eyeshadow palette. If you really want a lot of colours to work with, you can pick up the 10 colors eyeshadow palette for variety. However, if you already have a preference of colours you want, for instance you just want a grey smokey or a taupe/brown smokey palette, maybe you can pick up the Caribbean palette instead. I think it offers better quality for lesser amount of eyeshadows (though I only bought one). The 10 colors palette may have 10 colours but I don't see the need to get 3 different kinds of blacks and maybe 5 different greys in one palette. (I need to change my "Lemmings" list. )

It's so good for makeup from day to night. You can use the 3 colours for day and the other 2 colours to darken the eye makeup for night. Really love how compact it is. And yes, I'm planning to get more the next time I buy from NYX again.