Makeup

TBT: Sephora’s Jem and the Holograms Collection

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So there’s a Jem and the Holograms movie that’s come out recently. Apparently it has more-or-less bombed in the theatres, but old fans riding the nostalgia wave are still sure to appreciate all the tie-ins it has generated.

Truth be told, Jem is before my time. So I won’t wax faux-fangirl with you – I’m pretty sure I never saw so much as an episode in my childhood.

That said, Sephora has come out with a Jem and the Holograms Collection. Before I restate it on EACH item in the collection, if you’re buying these for a Jem fan, it will likely go over well, regardless of any other factors, even if for the novelty/nostalgia factor.

First up, the Truly Outrageous Palette:

Sephora Jem and the Holograms Collection - Truly Outrageous Eyeshadow Palette
Sephora Jem and the Holograms Collection – Truly Outrageous Eyeshadow Palette

Housed in glittery black cardboard-style packaging with very 80s-feeling lightning bolt motifs inside, the Jem and the Holograms Truly Outrageous shadow palette features 24 shades with a variety of finishes. Looking at it, it’s pretty loud – which falls in line with the show and, arguably, the decade, with a few neutral shades thrown in. To me, it feels very much like a Vice palette from Urban Decay – but I’m fine with this (after all, UD did not release it). As it turns out, though, it is much smaller – the pans are roughly the size of the pans you’d find in a Lorac PRO or Lorac PRO2.

What I am wholly skeptical of, though, is the quality of the shadows. Some Sephora shadows are great, but others lackluster (a challenge many house-brands have). Couple that with the fact that this is a limited edition promotional tie-in, and… well, I’m doubting these shades, pretty though they are, are knocking it out of the park with pigmentation and performance. Reviews on Sephora’s site are mixed. Unless you’re a die-hard fan, memorabilia collector, or gifting this to someone, I would personally pass.

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Sephora Glitter Happy Brush Set

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Even though I’m not blown away by the big brands’ holiday mega sets, the approaching holidays mean that Sephora tends to have a lot of interesting stuff (like the Bite duo minis).

During my routine browsing, I came across the Sephora Glitter Happy Brush Set.

Sephora Glitter Happy Brush Set
Sephora Glitter Happy Brush Set

Featuring six brushes with rosy handles and a cute (what appears to be) acrylic holder stand with rosy glitter embedded in it. Going at $85, it is not an inexpensive gift, but it is pretty and at least somewhat practical (the third brush from the left looks like it wants to be a blending brush, but I think the bristles might be a smidge long for controlled blending – but that’s a preference thing, that doesn’t make it bad).

But doesn’t it look familiar?

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September 2015 Favorites

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September 2015 Favorites

September 2015 Favorites
1. Turbie Twist, $12.50 for 2 / 2. China Glaze Gelaze Recycle, $11
3. Ponds Luminous Finish BB+ Cream, $11 / 4.  L’Oreal Infalliable Shadow in Amber Rush, $6

My September 2015 Favorites are all inexpensive drugstore products! Aside from one being discontinued (jerks – but you can still find it on Amazon), they’re all accessible!

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2015 Holiday Sets

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Now that we’re nearly in October (tomorrow!), most (if not all) of the 2015 Holiday Sets have been announced.

I’m not impressed, unfortunately.

Actually, that’s not true – the Kat von D Mi Vida Loca Remix palette ($59) is so awe-inspiring that it is about beyond words, actually. Pretty sure it’s been out of stock since it hit the shelves and site though. Just look at it, though. It is colorful, but not jarring like UD Electric can be – and it. has. neutrals. to help balance out the brights. Santa?

2015 Holiday Sets - KvD Mi Vida Loca

Otherwise, though – not impressed. No one is killing it this year!

Too Faced always goes cutesy, but Jarrod’s vision this year is just weird. French-inspired cutesy. With sets like Le Grand Palais at Sephora for $59 (that looks oddly familiar)…

2015 Holiday Sets - Le Grand Palais

and La Petite Maison at Ulta ($39; actually has many of the same shades as Everything Nice; pretty sure none of them are unique to this palette)… meh.

2015 Holiday Sets - Too Faced La Petite Maison

I’ve already talked about Vice-however-many, $59. I’ve been over it. No need to go into it more, here.

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Worth it? beautyblender blotterazzi

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I love my beautyblender sponge. What it does for the application of face products (foundation, concealer, cream blush, etc) for me is outstanding. The revolutionary sponge created a class of tools and inspired a legion of pretenders. They have expanded recently with a few new products like the bodyblender and the blotterazzi. The beautyblender blotterazzi is marketed as an alternative to those little blotting papers many of us purchase to keep our shine at bay without caking on additional product.

beautyblender blotterazzi

The blotterazzi should feel familiar to any beautyblender owner – the thin, pliable sponges are made of the same material the namesake sponge. The $20 product comes with a mirrored, vented compact and two of these sponges. As someone who is trying to minimize waste, I like the idea of the blotterazzi as a reusable oil-blotting solution. That said, if you’re combination or oily, these small, thin sponges may not be enough.

Unfortunately, the reviews that are out indicate that the product does not perform as hoped; many people say it does little to nothing for their oil, and others indicate that it compromises their makeup. Maybe it’s all a big misunderstanding like the beauty world had when the beautyblender started getting big (people didn’t realize it was intended to be used wet) but nothing has come out yet suggesting that is the case.

The Bottom Line

I’m a fan of the original beautyblender, but the blotterazzi is not something I can see myself spending money on – especially since my oil-control needs are inconsistent. They are reusable, but considering the surface area and how oily some of us can get, they would almost require daily washing to keep from recirculating oil and product, leading to breakouts – I know few people who would have time for that. More frequent washing that it would need plus the thinner, less robust (compared to the beautyblender) design would result in swifter breakdown, too. I’ll either blot with a tissue or blotting paper when I need it.

Even someone wanting to cut down on waste wouldn’t really be – they’d just be converting one flavor of waste (disposing of used blotting papers) for another (water, soap, eventually replacing these).