My Favorite Blush Brushes

Blushes and highlighters are a delight to collect but like millions of makeup lovers, I also love brushes! It's a two-fer, like how cake is always good with tea. Blushes are nothing without its brushy counterpart :)

I am pretty open minded to try any brand, as I've collected and given away more than I can count. For blush brushes, it's all about the fit. I prefer the angled ones because they contour to my face better and is easier to apply without me worrying about unevenness. Ones that are smaller are even better because you can control the amount of product better.

Here are my picks!

Bare Escentuals Angled Blush Brush (see it here) 

 I believe it is the one that came with the foundation starter kit :) I've had this one for years and years, and works as nicely as when I first got it. It's also nice because it's travel sized and slightly tapered so the control is better. I can bring it with me when traveling and fits snugly in my gym makeup bag. From their website, they say it's made of goat hairs, and of the finest quality. The quality is there, and it's certainly lasted me over 5 years. 

Borghese x Costco Angled Contour Brush

I bought this in a set from Costco during the holidays. Every year Costco partners up with a makeup brand to sell brushes. I think for the past few years, it's been Borghese. This angled brush is probably my favorite out of the four. It has a long handle and the shape of this brush is really sturdy. 

 I'm not sure what hairs it's made of but I know it's a very natural hair, probably goat. It has a tougher texture but the quality of the brush is amazing. It picks up color so well and transfers it gorgeously. It fares well after a cleaning and has never shed. I've had this for well over 3 years!

MAC 168SE Brush

This MAC blush came from a holiday set. I have nothing but love this brush. Like the Costco one, it seems to be made of the same fibers but is much less dense and more softer. This brush applies very softly and gives a very soft focused glow. Blends amazingly! Perfect for blushes that are opaque and high pigmented. 

Sonia Kashuk Round Brush

My only non-angled one of the bunch. This brush is great for applying color on just the apples of my cheeks. I usually use this for a touch of highlight. It's a fantastic brush, and I got it at Target for a great price. I think Sonia Kashuk brushes are some of the best in the market, especially because they have such a broad range. The bristles are soft, and very springy. This would be great for mineral blushes as well.

Those are my picks, and all four of them have lasted me for years. I think investing quality brushes really make your blushes stand out. I have so many drugstore blushes that look amazing because of good brushes. I guess it can be debatable but honestly, brushes are still a great investment nonetheless! 

Do you think quality of brushes change the effect of blush and/or other cosmetics like eyeshadow and lipsticks?

Mini Review on Korres Cherry Oil Lip Gloss

A few of my blogger friends recently ordered from All Cosmetics Wholesale and purchased a ton of goodies. It's a site catered to discontinued (and heavily heavily discounted) cosmetic products. I made a small order recently and am happy to say that it's legitimate :D I kind of stayed away from it because I thought the prices are too good to be true but it's actually well received and reviewed. YAY for that!

Anyway, a few years ago I used to own a bunch of Korres lip glosses but the one I really liked and used up was a discontinued color but I actually found it on ACW for... $2.99 (here) :)

Korres Cherry Oil Lip Gloss in Plum (27)

This is one of the most gorgeous lip glosses I've ever owned. It's a gorgeous cream texture in a very opaque shade. The current range of the cherry oil lip glosses are still on the market, but with slightly different shades. Plum was replaced by Mauve Plum which is very similar in color but this one is slightly darker and leans toward a red tone.

I love the way this gloss feels. It's a bit more heavier but I suppose cream glosses have that effect. It's also very moisturizing and feels very nourishing on the lips. The cherry oil ingredient that it contains feels extra cushy and luxe. I truly think the oil's component makes a world of a difference in lip products. I also enjoy the slight cherry scent. It's beautiful! Smells amazing. I love when lip glosses smell great :)

You can see the bit of shimmer in it. It's very subtle and has a gorgeous brightening effect. I feel like it makes my smile brighter. 

I am a big lip gloss lover and the Korres range is one of the absolute best that I've tried. Since this color is slightly darker, it fades to a very pretty red stain. Lasting power is quite good because of the staining effect but I'd say it stays glossy for a good 2-3 hours if you don't eat or drink. Very standard for most non-drying lip glosses.

I apologize for the poor picture. It was taken on my phone in less than stellar lighting :P

I'll post more on my ACW haul in another post... =) 

Hope you're all having a wonderful week so far! 

Bold

According to the blog, this is my 300th post! Yikes. This blog has gotten so much love from so many people in the past few years and I'm amazed I kept this up for so long!

So, in spirit of my 300th post, it only makes sense to go back to my first and only true love, LIPSTICK. Over the years, I have acquired quite a few (hundred. I'm shameless.) and I love them all. Every hue belongs to its own artistic family and there is nothing better than to play around with creating shades I don't own with the lip colors I have.

I depotted/melted these awhile ago and kept them in little containers. I use a lip brush to apply.

Revlon's Love that Red, and Revlon's Black Cherry

Love that Red is a coral-red and doesn't look particularly flattering on me by itself. Black Cherry is a gorgeous plum that's a bit too dark on me my itself. The combination of them together is a nice balance of both worlds. It's still bright, but with a bit of plum. 

I love the texture of Revlon's Super Lustrous lipsticks. They are moisturizing and highly pigmented. 

I dusted my cheek with Plum Attraction from Chanel. 

That's the completed "bold lippie" look using Revlon's Love That Red and Black Cherry.

What do you gals think? Do you mix lip colors for intensity, for different shades or just for fun?