Coastal Scents Elite Brush Set – Unboxing and Review

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Content has been edited for clarity and readability; additional thoughts are noted in-line. Enjoy!

In late 2013, facing a dearth of brushes and a wedding to pay for, I took advantage of a sale Coastal Scents was running and picked up their Elite Brush set. I’ve been meaning to share since then but lost the unboxing photos I took, so that delayed things.

Coastal Scents Elite Brush Set

The Details

This 24 piece synthetic brush kit normally retails for $69.95, but I picked it up during something like 50-60% off – all in all I think I spent around $38, shipped. The package, a bubble mailer, came quickly via USPS (shocker, right?). I did notice that the packaging had a peculiar smell, but the contents were unaffected. Inside was this tidy, cute white box that had been protected further by a generous layer of packing paper.

Coastal Scents Elite Brush Set Unboxing

The Brushroll

Popping open the box to slide out the contents reveals a black brush roll protected further by cellophane…

Coastal Scents Elite Brush Set - Brush roll front

There isn’t much to look at, but the front cover of the brush roll has, “Coastal Scents,” inset. Simple isn’t a bad thing, I don’t think. Tools don’t need to be loud.

Coastal Scents Elite Brush Set - Brush Roll Thickness

The thickness of the rolled up, occupied brush roll is about an inch, maybe a little more. Considering its contents, it isn’t too bad for travel if you genuinely need an assortment.

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A Busted BioSilk Cap, A Product Spilled

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Once I finished my bottle of Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum, I bought a bottle of BioSilk ($25). I’ve been using it for a while, but was not really ready to give a comprehensive review of it. So if you came here hoping for that – this isn’t that.

After leaving my hair in a Turbie Twist for about twenty minutes post-shower, I returned to my bathroom to blow out my hair. Upon opening my hair drawer, I smelled BioSilk’s signature scent. Not a touch, but a lot. Gagging. Too much!

Uh oh.

A Spill

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Stila Stay All Day Liner Review

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift. Opinions are the same, content has been edited for readability, clarity, all that jazz. Additions are noted in line. Enjoy!

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner

I’m not sure what it is that sparks my desire to challenge, well, everything that I challenge. But like the lipstick, if I see something that claims to Stay All Day, I can’t help but want to prove whether or not it is true. You know, for science, and love and justice, whatever.

In the same holiday set that I received the aforementioned lipstick by the same name, I received a smaller-than-normal tube of Stila Stay All Day Liner. Though more favorable than my initial reaction to the name of the lipstick, I still couldn’t believe it without seeing it. Since receiving it, I have worn it with success but I never really documented how long it lasted – and, “more or less all day,” isn’t enough for me.

The Test

Yesterday, I slapped some on my face before work around 6:15AM (contrary to my programming, I am the early bird at work. 2018 Update: SO CUTE. My makeup is done by 5:45 these days.). This is what it looked like at 6:30AM:

Stila Stay All Day Liner - 6:30AM

Well of course it looks decent, freshly applied. Also, I am an airhead and hadn’t even slapped on mascara, yet.

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Discontinued Products I Miss

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This legacy post has been given a facelift. Content has been edited for clarity and flow, but opinions are the same. Additional (new) commentary is in line.

We’ve all had it happen – find an item we love, use it (if consumable) or wear it out (if not), go to restock or replace only to be met with sadness.

Here’s a list of discontinued products I miss!

Discontinued Products - Ponds Luminous Finish BB+Ponds Luminous Finish BB+

I feel like I just reviewed this – I haven’t finished my tube, but now I’m in ration-mode because they already discontinued it. They still have it on Amazon through third-party merchants, but I’m still debating on it.

Discontinued Products - Maybelline Wet-Shine Diamonds Rhinestone Pink

Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds – Pink Rhinestone

An ooooldie, but I long for it on the regular. It’s a shimmery light pink that is perfect. The formula was awesome and it was pretty and I went through THREE whole bottles of it. Three. Even though I’m a gel fanatic now, I would gleefully purchase this if they re-released it. Meanwhile, I’ve been unsuccessfully hunting for a dupe. 2018 Update: I still pine for this polish. It has now been well over a decade after I’ve worn it and it tugs at my damn heartstrings because it. was. perfect!

More after the jump…

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Sephora Beauty Insider Marketing Emails

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Lighting in Sephora

I planned to schedule a repost today, but I have a quick blurb I can share about Sephora Beauty Insider marketing emails.

Today, I received a run-of-the-mill message from Sephora reminding me that have Beauty Insider points to blow. Okay, fair, #justnormalthings.

The subject line, however, read:

679 points means limitless opportunities.

Limitless? Does it? I think by ascribing a value to it it is literally, by its very nature, limited. I don’t just get to walk into Sephora and demand a free Pat McGrath palette with my whopping 679 points. I can’t even get the Guerlain Power of the Orchid 750 point perk with my 679 points.

Sephora, what the hell. I understand you’re trying to entice me to try things and, subsequently, spend money (such is the nature of a marketing group), but come on. Don’t use silly language that is filled with holes to do so.

Contouring: An Observation

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This is a legacy post that has been given a facelift! Content has been edited for clarity and readability, but opinions are the same. Recent additions are noted in-line. Enjoy!

If I had to name a single beauty trend for 2015, I’d say it was contouring. (2018 Update: Agree with this assessment of the time. In 2018, people are still contouring a good bit, but it seems like the frothing-at-the-mouth quality has since transitioned to blinding, occasionally holo, highlight.)

Granted, people have been using darker-than-their-skin products to contour and enhance features – cheekbones, jaw lines, what-have-you for ages. I think the rise to prominence in the past few years is thanks to the artistry routinely done on a certain famous-for-nothing-really celebrity who I won’t bother naming (not Voldemort, I’ll say that). If you’ve seen her without her makeup, the difference is stark. So contouring has been trendy for a while, but the market for products intended for it exploded this year.

Most notable brands came out with something dedicated to it this year (unless they already had it). Cream sticks? Palettes? Special brushes? Name a brand and I can name you a product.

Here’s an observation about a lot of the products coming out, though, for you:

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