Ellana Mineral Cosmetics Cucumber Melon Makeup Brush Cleaner

Hello loves!

As a makeup lover, I get annoyed when folks tell me to stop using makeup because they cause blemishes. I won't say that it does not because some really do, but there are ways in which it can be avoided. Makeup can clog the pores which can lead to acne so removing it completely before going to bed is a must. Another important thing when it comes to wearing makeup is to clean your applicators frequently. 

This is something I keep telling my friends because I hate seeing their pressed powders with unwashed sponges. It can be quite tedious, especially if you are like me who applies makeup almost daily and uses more than a dozen brushes/applicators. But I assure you that you'll get used to it! Before, I also get lazy with cleaning my applicators but now I clean them regularly.

My schedule is I clean them with my Ellana Mineral Cosmetics Cucumber Melon Makeup Brush Cleaner every 2-3 days (more often for foundation brushes) and then thoroughly wash them once a week. Some may find this "too often" but I do this because I feel like my brushes accumulate so much dust and bacteria because... well, it's just so dusty in Manila and I don't even open my room's windows. LOL I dunno... just a neat freak thing when it comes to my applicators I guess. I have oily, acne-prone skin so I try to apply makeup with clean brushes as much as I can. I don't even use the same foundation brush if it's still unwashed (even if I've only used it once). :P But I've read several articles online that every two to four weeks is fine. 

But anyway, I would like to introduce to you the Ellana Mineral Cosmetics Cucumber Melon Makeup Brush Cleaner (which I just mentioned in the previous paragraph)...

I discovered this last March when I attended an event by the brand. I immediately notice the pleasant smell. It's cucumber melon but sweeter. I really like it!

At the back you'll see some product info:

It's in a clear spray bottle that houses 120ml of the product. Each bottle is worth Php 400.00 (you can get discounts if you click my banner! :P).

This is safe to use on animal hair or synthetic hair brushes. It's so easy to use since you don't have to rinse it with water...

You just spray it on the brush...

 and wipe it on tissue... I swirl it around until it's dry. I usually spray a couple of times or until there's no more makeup left on the brush.

I kinda wiped too hard on this one. But as you can see, the makeup transferred on the tissue easily.

And I have a clean brush again!

And it works perfectly in removing my liquid foundations too!

From this...

to this!!

I'm very impressed with this brush cleaner. It made cleaning brushes three times faster and it also leaves my brushes soft and smelling so good. And what's so great about it is that it never caused any of my brushes to shed! 

I already bought my second bottle and I even bought some more to give to kikay friends as gifts! I definitely recommend this to all makeup users! Haha! It's really worth it especially since it's only Php 400.00 and it will surely last a while!

Ellana is available online and at the following branches:

Glorietta 3

The Ramp, 2nd Floor Glorietta 3, Makati City

Shangri-la Plaza

The Ramp, 2nd Floor Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City

Trinoma Mall

The Ramp, 1st Floor Trinoma Mall, Quezon City

Pasong Tamo

Unit 203 La Fuerza Plaza 2, Chino Roces Ave. Corner Sabio St., Makati City

Have you tried this brush cleaner from Ellana yet? 

How do you clean your brushes? How often? :)

Cheers,

DAWN

Go Fickle Eye and Lip Liner Brush

Hey loves!

I got this dual ended makeup brush from my February Saladbox, 2013. 

One end is an eyeliner brush and the other is for the lips.

Go Fickle Eye and Lip Liner Brush

This is PhP 300.00.

The Saladbox describes this as:

This 2-in-1 brush is a practical tool for girls on the go.

I was quite glad that this was included since I've been looking for a decent eye liner brush to bring with me in my kikay bag. 

This is the lip brush end.

The size of the brush is right to get enough product to cover the whole lips (at least my lips).

It's quite soft so it's easy to manipulate. You might see some 'fly away' bristles here and there but once you swipe it on your lipstick, it'll be all good.

And here's the other end, the eyeliner brush.

This one can be quite tricky to use maybe because I'm more used to bristles that are thicker like the synthetic kinds.

I guess this is more suited with liquid eyeliners and very, VERY soft gel liners.

These brushes don't have much fall-out considering that I have been using this for the past 2 months and washing them at least twice a week.

I'm not much of a fan of the material used for the handle — it's like cheap plastic. And I would have preferred if it had some designs or at least some labels like the brand's name. It doesn't look like it's worth its price.

So what do you think of this brush from Go Fickle?

Have you tried their other products?

Cheers!

DAWN

2013 Virginia Olsen Brushes

Hey everyone!

Looking for hypoallergenic, vegan, eco-friendly and cruelty free makeup brushes?

Then I know just what you need!

Introducing the 2013 Virginia Olsen Brushes!!!

A few days ago, I attended the 2013 summer products launch of Victoria Olsen and there I was able to try their 2013 brush sets for the first time.

Top to bottom – Precision Pencil brush, Short Shader brush, Angled Eye Contour brush, Flat Top brush, and Sculpting brush. 

"Virginia Olsen not only offers quality mineral makeup, but we also have Beauty Tools that complement our natural mineral cosmetics. In addition to our seven existing brushes – Total Face brush, Kabuki brush, Contour/Blush brush, Eyeshadow brush, Blending brush, Concealer brush and Angled Eyeliner/Brow brush – we are excited to unveil five more to our collection

this year! "

For this post, I shall share with you each brushes and their respective descriptions from their press release. I also have a few comments on the two brushes they included in my press kit namely the sculpting brush and the short shader brush.

ANGLED EYE CONTOUR BRUSH– Php 350.00

This soft and smooth brush has a long, round and

tapered bristles for shading and contouring. The angled

design is just the right size to make a sideways "v" at

the outside corner of the eye lid.Just gently follow the

natural crease of the socket blending back and forth to

build up depth of color. 

FLAT TOP BRUSH– Php 500.00

This face brush is ideal for buffing and blending color.

The flat, round and feathery head provides lightweight

and buildable yet seamless coverage that complements

our mineral makeup. Just apply the powder using short

buffing strokes from the face to the jaw line

PRECISION PENCIL BRUSH– Php 300.00

The soft, smooth and synthetic bristles are shaped into a

unique pencil/bullet shaped tip for precise makeup

application. It is designed to fit into the crease of the eye

and to result in a perfectly blended shadow, as well as

for applying color along the lash line or the lid. This is the

right tool for blending eyeliner into eyeshadow to create

smokey eye looks. 

SCULPTING BRUSH– Php 450.00

This brush is designed for contouring your cheek

bones and jawline for that slimmer and younger

looking face. It is ideal for controlled application of

highlighting, brightening and bronzing powders.

Simply sweep powder or bronzer on your face and

create a buildable coverage to add definition to your

facial structure. 

THIS IS MY FAVORITE! 

The shape is unique and it really makes contouring so easy! My bronzer never looked as good and natural!

SHORT SHADER BRUSH– Php 300.00

This extremely versatile flat brush simplifies application

of eye makeup. It can be used for applying a spot of

color onto small areas of the eye such as the outer

eyelid or for smudging on the lower lash line. The short

and precise flat head yields a more concentrated color

application. 

This works really well with the eyeshadows I got from the event. It gets the pigment well and leaves a pretty bold color upon application! 

These brushes are made from premium-grade materials, which can be used with wet or dry products. The synthetic Japanese-grade Taklon bristles are hypo-allergenic and safe for delicate complexions.The sleek ferrules are made from recycled aluminum. The natural bamboo handle has a low impact on the Earth’s resources as it is a highly sustainable plant. Each professional length brush is created for precision and has been designed with the right density to create flawless, natural finish in every makeup application. 

All brushes are eco-friendly, cruelty free and vegan, so no animals were harmed. They are

available by set to get better value (discounted at Php 1,500.00) or you can also get them

For more info, please visit: www.VirginiaOlsen.com
Follow us in twitter: http://twitter.com/Virginia_Olsen

Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/Virginia_Olsen Like us on Facebook: http:// facebook.com/VirginiaOlsenMinerals 

I agree with most of what's in this press release!

The brushes are so soft!!! I can't take my hands off of them! I enjoyed doing my usual makeup application with the two new brushes I have. These are certainly a must-try! And what's great is that they are on a huge discount! :D

Have you tried any of Virginia Olsen's makeup brushes?

Which of them do you find most interesting?

Cheers!

DAWN

San San Makeup Brush Set

Hey guys!

I received a package from HBC a few weeks ago.

Included in the package was this makeup brush set.

The brush set is around Php150.00.

The kit contains 5 makeup brushes. These brushes are around 6 inches long. This set is very easy to carry around. Especially since the pouch holds the set altogether in a neat and organized way.

These are the brushes included in the set:

Blush brush
These is probably my least favorite in the set. The bristles are just too thick for me. It's not as soft as the brushes I use but I believe it is good enough as an applicator if you'd rather not buy those very expensive powder brushes.

An eyebrow brush
Probably my favorite in the kit. It just gets the right amount of product I need when I apply my brow powder. I sometimes use it as a gel liner brush when I want my liner thick. The tip is thin enough to create my favorite cat eyes effect.

A lip brush
I would have prefered a lip brush with a cap for hygienic reasons. But the bristles here are soft enough to spread your lippies.

Blending brush
I think this brush is too soft for me. It takes a while to blend the shadows.

Eyeshadow Foam Applicator
This one I use more for eyeshadows than the brush one. This can get the pigments I want to create the vibrant colors I want for my eyeshadow.

And that's all for the contents of this brush set.
Do I think it's good? For me, not really. I prefer the more expensive sets since they give a better finish for my makeup and the bristles in this set can fall off easily too. But I believe this is good enough for those who are just beginning to experiment on makeup or for those who are in a tight budget.


Cheers!
DAWN 
 

Haul Post: When Kikay Tita Meets Kikay Niece

Hello ladies,

This is the good thing about kikay titas, they give you some of their stuff which they don't really use that often but are still really good. That's what happened to me when I met my uncle and her wife for the first time last week.

See, like most Filipino families, my mother's and father's family is big and we don't get to meet everyone in the family, especially when they start migrating to other countries. And that's the back story with me meeting a family member for the first time.

Anyway, my aunt told me she had a few make up stuffs that she'd only used once or she's never used at all and would like to get them off her hands. So, she gave them to me to either give away or keep.

Here they are:

MAC

Eyeshadows:

  

Lipgloss palette + cream highlighter/blush: 

I had something similar to this one back in the day but due to some unfortunate circumstance it got lost and all I was left with was the brush. I still don't quite get what the one on the left most is.

Brushes:

INGLOT

 

THE BODY SHOP

Brush roll:

NIVEA

Lipgloss

E.L.F.

Eyeshadow Palette

Well, that's everything she gave me. If you want anything reviewed do leave a comment. This saved me a lot of money. Hopefully I get more hand me downs. :)

Oh and before I leave, as of this week, Dawn will not be able to regularly blog for a while as her dear lappy crashed. Hope it gets fixed quickly and some of her files recovered so she can blog again.

Cheers,

LIZ

A Kikay Kit Preview: My Lootwagon's Giveaway Entry!

Hi everyone! I have decided to enter another giveaway, but this time - it's a different sort! I've recently followed Aimee Diego of Lootwagon and have read her reviews and recommendations. She's now hosting a pretty generous giveaway, so of course - I am here to enter and share my own thoughts! We can get lucky, can't we?


My favorite Lootwagon entry is her "What's in my Kikay Kit?" post. I have always loved peering at other girls' purses online (of course, in any other case it would be creepy!). Just take a look at that jampacked nifty kit of cuteness:

I personally do not carry around expensive items in my retouch kit because of a bad experience last year - I went clubbing and I accidentally left my kikay kit on the sink and never got it back! And what was lost? A black Chanel kit, my Shiseido eyelash curler, a Chanel gray eyeliner, a Chanel Glossimer, a The Face Shop foundation powder, a Bloom blush brush, a Bobbi Brown Bridal Face palette and some other expensivo-items. Sad, I know! The content of my bag is more costly than my Nokia 3120c cellphone! Imagine my distress when I realized the items I saved up for *by not eating lunch or skimping on other stuff LOL* were gone, all gone!


So now, I carry around a decent stash that won't make me cry out in agony when misplaced. Unlike Aimee, I can't afford to carry my MAC Studio Fix NC30 and a liquid foundation in my kit, I am just too sloppy and disorganized! Here are the contents of mine:

Laura Mercier clear makeup bag

ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder

4U2 Dream Girl Lovelight Oil Control Powder in 2

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot - 2

Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in 10 Grapefruit

Shiseido Aqua Diamond Rouge Lipstick in RS392

In2it Blush in CB 02 Kiss

Fanny Serrano Eyelash curler

Kabuki Princess Powder and Angled Blush Brush

Clinique Happy 30ml

Dioraddict 2 Eau de Toilette sample

Valentino Rockin'  Rose Couture Eau de Toilette sample

It is a  mixture of high-end and low-end products, perfect for on-the-go touch ups. Although I have a feeling that the items are about to change since I am getting tired of the shades.


Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that sneak peek! Do follow and join Aimee's blog contest - on video!

Cheers,

Trace

P.S. This blog entry actually made me depressed, because it brought back memories of my lost kikay kit. Imagine, 3 Chanel items and a Bobbi Brown Bridal Palette that looks like this:

Ganda, right? Good thing I wasn't crazy about that palette (pigmentation wasn't very good)... If that were a NARS palette I would have absolutely gone bonkers.