Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette

 

Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette, $15

If you’re like me, the idea of shelling out for a Sigma Spa Glove is uncomfortable. It isn’t that there’s anything wrong with it as a tool, I just prefer to allocate my beauty budget to other things. Fortunately, the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette that is 1) inexpensive, 2) gets the job done, and 3) does not require a ton of storage space. I thought I published a post about this back in June, but when checking my archives, it was nowhere to be found – so new photos and a rewrite it is!

For I while, I was (ridiculously) using the lid of a Ziploc container lid to help agitate cleanser into my bristles. Did it work? Sure. It’s a frugal solution, and it worked well enough. But then I was misplacing lids (oops)…it was time to get a dedicated tool. I picked the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette on sale at Ulta for $8 (regularly $15) and have gotten a TON of use out of it in the last three months. I use Cinema Secrets for quick-changes, but brushes do require proper washing from time-to-time…so I recommend both methods to keep your brushes clean

Easy to Handle

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MAC 242 Flat Shader Brush

MAC 242

Time for a short and sweet review of the MAC 242. After ages of…

  1. Not being able to work with loose shadows or pigments the way I wanted
  2. Reading, watching, hearing that the MAC 242 is the answer to my woes

…I picked up the 242 in my May haul. Lacking time to devote to fun eye makeup I’m only just getting around to working with it.

I don’t have any brushes quite like the MAC 242, so I don’t have much basis for comparison in my own collection. Most of my brushes are synthetic, but I lack a brush with a bristle layout quite like this. The closest in my kit are all from Urban Decay’s Good Karma line – their Shadow brush, and the dual-ended brush that accompanied Naked2. All three of the brush heads are all-synthetic. Frankly, for their price-point, I don’t love how the UD ones perform (glad they came with items I bought rather than buying them myself).

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Nordstrom Anniversary Picks

I don’t have Nordstrom plastic like what seems to be at least 2/3 of other bloggers out there, so I had to wait until today to hit the sale.

Here are my Nordstrom Anniversary Picks:

Nordstrom Anniversary Picks - Foreo Luna Mini
The FOREO Luna Mini, which I wrote a little about here. You can get it on sale for $74. Skip the Luna Play and get this (the Luna Play has a limited lifespan, is not rechargeable, and is disposable).

Nordstrom Anniversary Picks - Purity Duo

This Purity duo, forty ounces of product, for $53. That’s $1.30 per ounce – and anyone who has ever used purity knows that an ounce alone can go a LONG way. Seriously, if you want this stuff, check out Nordstrom’s sales.

Nordstrom Anniversary Picks - Foreo Issa Mini

More FOREO I’ve written about – the Issa Mini, for $89 – and the full-sized Issa, for $149.

Nordstrom Anniversary Picks - Silk'n

The Silk’n Flash & Go Freedom is on sale for $147.99. When you consider the cost of cartridges (plus your time), even just a reduction in shaving frequency is worth it. I’m still assessing it, but you can read when I first got it here and my most-recent update here.

Nordstrom Anniversary Picks - Zella Live In Leggings

And for a non-skincare item, these Zella Live-In Leggings are incredible. Thick, sturdy, opaque, not-showy or inappropriate. There’s a bit of a cult formed around these, now. If you’re in between sizes, size up, even if the True Fit Size says size down) – I made the mistake of sizing down last time. (The sized-down ones aren’t uncomfortable once they’re on, but it takes some doing to get them on.)

Skincare Arsenal Update – June 2016

I needed to take my own advice and get back to basics. My skincare routine became too complicated and had too many moving parts. I was vacillating between Cetaphil Gentle, philosophy Purity, Noxzema Triple Clean, and random cleanser samples I had received from Sephora and Ulta (because that’s what you do when you’re a beauty blogger who reviews things). I was inconsistently using this toner, that moisturizer. Exfoliant roulette. Masque roulette. You get it. I was all over the place.

All that combined with a stressful eight months and my skin just wasn’t my biggest fan. It was making me crazy, and it was preventing me from having as much fun with my makeup. So I revamped my skincare arsenal and process to get back to consistency, and I’ll just need to go longer between trying new skin products for science. Tomorrow, I turn 25 – and I’m doing so with skin that is behaving.

Makeup Removal & Cleansing

Skincare Arsenal Update - Cleansing

Micellar Water – I am really impressed by how well the Garnier one I reviewed is treating me. As I don’t use waterproof mascara or go hardcore, full-face every day, I’m delighted with the way this stuff has been (oh-so-gently!) treating my skin. A lot of people have eschewed their other face products in favor of this minimalist product; I can see why. I’ve picked up the one by Simple (I liked their Micellar wipes, after all) to try, but I’m not remotely unhappy with the Garnier one. I still have Kirkland Makeup Wipes; they’re effective, inexpensive, and convenient – but I’m growing tired of the fragrance. They’re still a good product and a great value, but I am scaling back my usage in favor of micellar products. Personally, I’m also not in love with something so disposable for everyday use.

Cetaphil Gentle – Tried and true. Just as good without water as with. Plays nicely with both my Clarisonic and my Luna Mini.

philosophy Purity – For when I need a deeper clean. This is about as ‘hardcore’ of a clean as I want, these days. Also plays nicely with both aforementioned tools.

Keep reading for more on my Skincare Arsenal Update…

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March and April 2016 Haul

Since my no-buy ended, I treated myself to a few things. Okay, I went ham and it ended up being a March and April 2016 Haul. More on everything soon!

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One, Milani Luminoso, which I shared on Wednesday.

Value Sets - Sephora Paint it PinkMarch and April 2016 Haul – A mini-haul in itself!

Two, this value set, which I mentioned ordering earlier this month. (More on it next week.) I already rid myself of the box in my spontaneous Spring Cleaning extravaganza.

cinemasecretsThree, in the same order as that value set, a gigantic 32 ounce bottle of the most majestic brush cleanser in the universe.

blackmagicFour, also from that same purchase these reusable microfiber makeup remover cloths. These are Sephora’s in-house knockoff of The Original Makeup Eraser. Haven’t tried it yet.

More after the jump…

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Worth it? Foreo Issa Mini

issamini_pkgForeo Issa Mini

Last year after this post, I purchased a Foreo Issa Mini. I did not purchase the curious toothbrush for myself, but for my husband who happens to have unreasonably sensitive gums. Although his dentist tells him his gums are healthy, they bleed every time he brushes (even using the softest-bristled toothbrush).

Can you imagine? That’s REALLY unpleasant!

The Purchase

After I read that some people with sensitive mouths were having good luck with the Issa, I decided to go for it when Sephora had their Spring BI sale. This purchase is what made me VIB, so at the time I only managed to snag 10% off plus whatever eBates was offering at the time.

I ordered the Issa Mini ($119) because functionally, there’s no difference between it and the full-size. The main differences are length of the handle and size of the silicone ‘brush’ head…we checked them out together and decided the Mini would be fine. If anything, a slightly smaller brush head is easier to use; it offers greater maneuverability around your teeth, particularly in the back of your mouth. (If you’ve ever used an Oral-B or Sonicare electric with the petite heads, you know this!)

I interviewed my husband who has used it for coming up on a year to capture his opinions on the device and whether he thinks the Foreo Issa Mini was worth it.

His Thoughts

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