Morphe Me Subcription – September Brush Review

| RaincoatesBeauty

I cannot believe it’s already mid September! While I’m in definite shock and disbelief at how quickly time is passing, a new month always excites me as it means new Morphe Me brushes!

This month’s package is inspired by ending Summer with a “splash” – with allusions to the ocean and The Little Mermaid.

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It comes with 4 brushes – 1 face and 3 eye brushes.

  • E6 Flat Buffer
  • M576 Pointed Blender
  • M577 Jumbo Crease
  • M578 Pencil Crease

E6 Flat Buffer: This mid-sized, flat topped foundation brush has synthetic bristles, making it great for liquid or powder. It’s somewhat dense, so you could easily build light to medium coverage with this. A brush like this is great for buffing product into the skin with circular motions. I love using a brush with this type of a shape to buff mineral or loose powder-foundations into the skin. The bristles are super soft and don’t feel scratchy on the skin. You could also use this to blend/soften your contour! I also love using a brush like this to press powder onto the skin (pushing rather than buffing) to add extra coverage to problem areas during a breakout. It helps set your concealer and amp up your coverage!

M576 Pointed Blender: This fluffy crease blending brush is made with Sable bristles and has an elongated teardrop shape. The fluffiness paired with the tapered, pointed tip makes it great for blending shadows into your crease or softening colours. It’s not dense, so it really will work better to blend colour than to deposit colour. I use a brush with a shape like this every single day – usually taking a neutral brown (or any neutral colour thats a couple shades darker than your skin tone) and gently buff this along my crease. This adds definition and allows you to enhance or alter your eye shape!

M577 Jumbo Crease: this big, dense brush has Sable bristles and a pointed tip. This is a great brush to have if you like doing cut creases, smokey eyes, or just want something precise yet larger to blend and build up shading in your outer corner/crease area. If your eyes are smaller or more deep set you may prefer a brush on the smaller size. The density of this brush makes it better for depositing and lightly blending colour, rather than diffusing and softening colour.

M578 Pencil Crease: I consider this the little sister to the M577. It also has Sable bristles and is similar in shape, but much smaller. It’s great for a precise cut crease, or is a fantastic option if you have smaller or deep set eyes. It’s very soft, so also works well to shade around the lower lash line, apply a highlight to the inner corner, or any other precision work you may desire!

Overall, I think this is a great set for those needing some basic eye brushes. I do love all of them, and needed another face buffing brush, however my collection has now grown so large that I don’t really need more crease blending brushes.

If you’re thinking about joining the subscription, you get a free brush if you join through my link here! 

 

 

 

 

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August 2017 On Instagram

| RaincoatesBeauty

I’m convinced August didn’t actually happen because I swear I blinked and it passed by in a second. Can you believe it’s already close to the end of 2017!? Not that I’m complaining, 2017 has been a dreadfully comedic crapstorm for global events.

Luckily Instagram always tends to cheer me up – here’s a recap of my month on Instagram!

August 2017 on isnta

 

You can find me here, or as “raincoatesbeauty” on the app!

 

 

Previous posts: 

Morphe Me Brush Subscription – August 2017 Review

July 2017 On Instagram

Kylie Cosmetics Send Me More Nudes Velvet Liquid Lipstick – Vacation Collection Review

Morphe Me Brush Subscription – August 2017 Review

| RaincoatesBeauty

Morphe’s August brush package is a summer-themed “bag of sweets.” It features 3 rose gold brushes – 2 for face, and 1 for eyes.
This month’s brushes are:

  • R14 Round Contour
  • R7 Deluxe Pointed Powder
  • R39 Tapered Eyeshadow Blending

 

(Left to right: R7, R14, R39) 

R14 Round Contour: (Natural hair bristles) this rounded brush has a domed, slightly tapered tip. It’s ideal for powder, such as setting the under eyes, baking, or contouring. I personally love a brush like this for setting my under eye concealer, as it sets it lightly without adding too much powder, and fits perfectly around the contours of the eye! It’s similar in shape to the E48 (which is one of my all time favourite brushes) but the R14 is definitely a bit more dense, and much more rounded.

(Left to right: E48, R14, R7) 

R7 Deluxe Pointed Powder: (natural hair bristles) this larger, fluffy brush has a flattened shape that tapers to a bit of an angle. It’s pretty much a perfect dupe for the MAC 150 Large Powder Brush. The MAC 150 was one of my all time favourite brushes (when I used to buy and endorse MAC products, though I no longer do that due to their animal testing practices.) A brush with a shape like this is perfect for applying bronzer, powder, or blush. I personally use it every day for bronzer, as it applies it naturally yet gives you control for a more contoured look. It also works beautifully to apply a soft dusting of blush to the cheeks.

(Left to right: Real Techniques #100, Morphe M551, R7, Mac 150) 

R29 Tapered Eyeshadow Blending: (natural hair bristles) this small eyeshadow brush has a flat shape and is a combination of firm and fluffy. I personally find this much better for blending or adding colour to the crease rather than packing on colour to the lids. It also works nicely as a precise brush to highlight the cheekbones, brow bones, cupids bow, etc. It’s nearly identical to the M433 Pro Firm Blending Fluff, and the MAC 217 (though the R29 has longer bristles and is a bit more flat.) Eyeshadow brushes in a shape like this are a must-have in my opinion, though I’ve accumulated quite a few of this shape now and don’t really need anymore.

 

(Left to right: M433, R7, MAC 217) 
Overall, I think this month’s is a good package with some basic necessities. I am a huge sucker for Rose Gold anything, and the brushes are very soft. However, I wish I had skipped this month – not due to quality of the brushes – but simply due to the brushes being made of goat hair. I try to avoid using any animal products now, especially in cosmetics. I sadly missed the skip date. If you prefer to use synthetic brushes like I do (for ethical reasons) then you will definitely want to skip this month.
If you’re thinking of joining, you get a free brush when you join here through my link! 
*this post is not sponsored or endorsed* 

Kylie Cosmetics Send Me More Nudes Velvet Liquid Lipstick – Vacation Collection Review

| RaincoatesBeauty

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Whether you’re a Jenner/Kardashian fan or not, Kylie Cosmetics has been very hard to ignore. Her launches “broke” the internet multiple times – site crashes, selling out within minutes, and more. Her limited edition collections are highly anticipated, and this Summer’s collection was no exception! These items are currently sold out (as of July 11th, 2017) but are supposed to be restocked soon.

Kylie Jenner’s 2017 Vacation Summer collection includes 12 different items – liquid lipsticks, lip kits, an eyeshadow palette, face palettes, loose highlighting powders, and more.

While I wanted everything in the collection, I restrained myself to just the Send Me More Nudes Velvet Liquid Lipstick bundle.

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Cost: $45 USD (approximately $58 Canadian) they’ve recently had a few free shipping promotions, which is when I purchased! If you live in Canada you will likely have to pay a duties/customs fee sadly – I was charged $13. Though considering many high-end lipsticks range from $25-$40 individually, I do think 4 lipsticks for $58 CAD is still a pretty good deal.

Packaging: The packing is a gorgeous matte beigey/gold, with the standard Kylie drip. I’m a sucker for limited edition packaging, and I think these look gorgeous on my shelf next to the Koko Collection!  The doe-foot applicator is on the smaller side, making it perfect for filling in and shaping the lips nice and precisely.

The Shades: Send Me More Nudes comes with 4 nude-toned shades:

  • “Birthday Suit” – a warm, brown-toned beige. This is my least-favourite shade from the bundle, and also (in my opinion) the least universally-flattering. Such a warm nude can be difficult to pull off unless you’ve got more of a warm complexion or a medium to deep skintone.
  • “Commando” – described as a “terracotta beige” though it shows up a little more pink on my skintone.
  • “Naked” – described as a “sandy beige” though I think of this is as a “true nude” for fair skin tones. It’s mid-toned, and more neutral than Birthday Suit.
  • “Bare” – a pink-toned nude beige. This is by far my favourite of the bundle, and the most flattering on my skin tone. The blue undertone will make the teeth appear whiter, whereas warm-toned lipsticks can make the teeth appear a bit more yellow.

kylie swatches with names

Formula: I initially debated the Velvets vs. the Mattes, but after reading reviews I opted for the Velvets – my lips are always so dry, I rarely ever wear the tons of matte liquid lipsticks I already own. I’m so impressed with the Velvet Liquid Lipstick formula. It’s still super long wearing (even after wiping off it leaves a stain behind) and dries to what I would describe as a natural or a satin-matte. It doesn’t make your lips look crepey and corpse-like, and is more smoothing than the Mattes. This formula won’t be quite as smudge or kiss-proof, but is a much more comfortable option if matte liquid lipsticks usually make you feel like you’ve coated your lips with cement. If you’ve tried the Revlon Ultra HD mattes, the formula reminds me a bit of those!

They also smell amazing. It’s the traditional vanilla cupcake type of scent that’s reminiscent of lipglosses from our childhood.

While I’m a bit disappointed in how Birthday Suit appears on my skin (brown-toned nudes make me look slightly dead) it does mix really well with other shades. I’ll mix this with some of the grey-toned liquid lipsticks to neutralize the tones and create custom colours!

Overall I’m really impressed with the formula – though I’ve loved all the Kylie lip products I’ve tried so far. I’m definitely glad I added these to my collection!

 

June 2017 On Instagram

| RaincoatesBeauty

june on insta 2017.jpg

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Summer so far! June was a bit of a speed bump in my attempted no-buy. Okay, I’m never really on a no-buy, it’s more like a “try to resist buying everything.” I couldn’t resist the new Velvet liquid lipsticks from the Kylie Cosmetics Summer Collection, and I’ve been on a major skincare kick recently! You can see the new products I’ve purchased recently on my Instagram! 

Are you addicted to Instagram too? Leave me your links in the comments!

You can find me here, or as “raincoatesbeauty” on the App!

 

Check out my previous posts: 

Morphe Me Brush Subscription – June 2017 Brush Review

May 2017 On Instagram

Morphe Me Brush Subscription – June 2017 Brush Review

| RaincoatesBeauty

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June’s brush package from the Morphe Me subscription features 4 brushes – 2 face, and 2 eye/multi-purpose brushes.

  • M444 Deluxe Definition Buffer (synthetic bristles) – this large, flat brush has a rounded shape and is extremely dense, making it ideal for cream or liquid products. The density and synthetic bristles help this brush to easily apply and blend cream and liquid products into the skin, where a natural or more fluffy brush would absorb cream products. This helps to avoid excess product waste! I absolutely love a brush like this to apply liquid foundation when I’m in a rush (or feeling lazy, to be perfectly honest) and can’t be bothered to clean or dampen my beauty sponge.

comparison

  • M460 1 1/2 inch Flat Contour (synthetic bristles) – a brush like this is a must-have for any contour queen. I do already own a couple brushes with a slightly similar shape (such as the LGM1 which came in October 2016 package, and the R8 which came in the April 2017 package) The brushes are definitely different, however. The R8 is thinner, not as dense, as has natural hair bristles. I like this brush for a softer, quick contour. The LGM1 has longer bristles and a wider shape, and is medium in thickness out of the R8, the LGM1, and the M460. The synthetic bristles of the M460 and the density make it much better for applying and blending cream or liquid contour products than the R8 or the LGM1.

 

  • M518 Crease Fluff (goat hair) – crease brushes are possibly my favourite type of brush, and despite my now overwhelming collection of them I just can’t seem to get enough. This is definitely one of the thinner crease brushes morphe has included, yet is still fluffy enough that you can

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  • M496 Duo Lash Fan (duo fibre – synthetic and sable bristles) – this is a unique type of brush, and one I didn’t have anything like in my collection. It’s a small, super thin and flat fan brush with stiff bristles. Brushes were initually used to apply mascara when mascara was first invented in the early 1900’s. Using a brush gives you a lot more control, and allows for a more natural application. You sweep this against your mascara wand (or even a colored liquid or cream liner, or cream eyeshadow product for a fun, different look) and then sweep this across the lashes. It’s a really fun brush to have if you like experimenting with different looks and textures!

Overall, I’m really happy with this month’s brushes. The M444 is definitely my favourite, and I know I’ll be getting a ton of use out of it! As always, you have until the 22nd of each month to get this month’s brushes, and don’t forget you get a free brush if you join through my link here! 

What do you think of this month’s brushes? A hit, or a miss?

 

Morphe Me Brush Subscription – May 2017 Brush Review 

| RaincoatesBeauty

Amidst the whirlwind business of April, I completely forgot to post a review of last month’s brushes.

While May’s brushes arrived rather late this month, I didn’t want to miss another month’s review! Even though the deadline to get this month’s brushes usually falls on the 23rd of each month, you can subscribe any time and use the points you earn to get previous months brushes!

This month’s package includes 5 brushes from the gorgeous Gunmetal collection: 4 face brushes and 1 eye brush.

Here’s a breakdown of each brush:

  • G1 Small Buffer: (synthetic bristles) this small, dense brush has a slightly rounded tip with shorter bristles that make it ideal for buffing all sorts of products. It’s firm and dense enough that it works great with creams and liquids, yet soft enough that you could also use it with powder. I LOVE using this brush to buff out concealer or cream contour.
  • G40 Pro Detail Powder: (synthetic bristles) this brush is a tad more unique, and definitely one I needed in my brush collection. This brush has longer bristles that aren’t as densely packed, making it ideal for applying and blending powder products. It’s incredible for setting under eye concealer with powder, or for setting specific areas or hard to reach parts of the face – such as around the nose.
  • G41 Pro Mini Contour: (synthetic bristles) this is perhaps my favorite brush from this months collection. It’s wide and flat, but much smaller than most brushes with a similar shape. It’s dense enough that it can pick up and blend powder or cream products, yet it’s also amazing for applying loose powder to “bake” with. This has been my go-to brush for contouring my nose lately! It’s small and thin enough that it creates a perfectly straight line to slim the nose.

  • G38 Mini Round Contour: (synthetic bristles) a brush like this is – in my opinion – a must have for contour fanatics. It’s smaller, rounded and dense allowing tons of precision to sculpt the features. It’s not tiny, but smaller than an average buffing brush to allow you to be really precise with where you want to apply your contour.  It’s also a great brush to contour the nose quickly due to its size.
  • G19 Round Liner Contour: (synthetic bristles) this is a small liner/eye brush with a rounded tip, that is ideal for adding colour to the crease of the eye, or diffusing shadow beneath the lower lashline. You could use this for powder, cream, gel, etc! Morphe suggests using this for contouring the face too, which works well for creating precise contour lines with cream products. However, I personally didn’t like it for powder contour, as I found it too small to properly blend or diffuse. I love using it to apply a light shimmery shade to the inner corners of my eye for a highlight though!

I love the quality and durability of the Gunmetal brushes, they feel so luxurious!

As always, if you’re interested in joining the subscription you get a free brush if you join here!

Tarte Limited Edition Magic Wands Brush Set – Review

| RaincoatesBeauty

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This limited edition brush set was one of the most anticipated Tarte launches of 2017- each year, they release a gorgeous limited edition set of brushes with special packaging.

For 2017, they launched their most unique and (I think) beautiful set yet.

These ultra luxurious brushes were inspired by fairytales, unicorns and magic, or more specifically “unicorn kisses and fantasy dreams,” according to Sephora. These brushes are also cruelty free and vegan friendly!

 

It retails for $51 Canadian, which for 5 gorgeous cruelty-free brushes is very reasonable!

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It features:

  • Magenta contour brush – this brush is dense with shorter, flat bristles that make it ideal for contouring, applying powder to bake, or even to highlight. I love using brushes like this to contour, because the long flat shape allows for an easy and effortless contour application.
  • Pink powder brush – This tapered powder brush is fluffy and ideal for setting powder or blush. I love using brushes like this with loose powder to set my under eye concealer – though this one is a bit large for that depending on your face/eye shape. It works really well to sweep colour on the cheeks, or to set liquid/cream foundation with powder!
  • Green blending eyeshadow brush – this fluffy eye brush has long bristles, yet tapers slightly to make it great for blending in the crease! It’s thinner than most of the crease brushes I have, and for that reason is a perfect addition to my collection!
  • Blue shading eyeshadow brush – this thin, flat brush is ideal for packing on shadow to the lid. Shimmer, matte, satin, even cream shadows apply with ease. A brush like this is a must-have for any collection!
  • Purple liquid foundation brush – this brush is very uniquely shaped, it’s neither flat nor rounded like most, but rather a fluffy/dense hybrid. I’m not the hugest fan of using only brushes to apply liquid or cream foundation (nothing blends quite like a sponge for me!) but if you like applying foundation with a brush, you will likely love this one!

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The packaging speaks for itself. Sleek and gold unicorn-esque, with pastel bristles? How could I possibly resist? The brushes do feel lighter and slightly less significant than I expected – they look so luxurious I expected them to have more weight to them. But really that’s my only complaint!

I most definitely could not miss out on this brush set! It’s one I will undoubtedly keep on display for years to come! I cannot recommend this brush set enough!

 

March 2017 On Instagram

| RaincoatesBeauty

 

I took a bit of a blogging break, to rest and rejuvenate. Any fellow writers or creative personalities will know exactly what I mean when I say sometimes we need to take a step back, rest, and let the creative juices replenish.

To get back into the swing of blogging, I thought I’d share my monthly Instagram recaps. March was full of colour and a continuation of my new obsession – my bullet journal! If you’d like a post dedicated to the bullet journaling system, and how I set my journal up, let me know!

Here’s what my March looked like on Instagram: 

March insta 2017

You can find me here, or as “raincoatesbeauty” on the app!

Don’t forget to check out my new food page, dedicated to healthy and delicious meals – here, or as “raincoatesfoodie” on the app!

If you’re addicted to Instagram like I am, make sure to leave me your links in the comments!