From My Vanity

Beauty, Skincare, and a bit of Lifestyle

How I Want to Decorate My New Family Room! (First Impressions)

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If you didn’t already know, I married a Navy doctor last April and have been living in California since. My husband was trying to get into a Radiology residency this year, and not too long ago we found out that he was accepted — so we are going to be moving in a few months back to the other side of the United States. *happy dance*

So with all that said, a few weeks ago Bobee sent me this beautiful ‘Family’ wall decal. While I am REALLY tempted to put it up in my house right NOW — I am holding myself back so that I can use it to decorate my new house in a few months. 😀

Even though I can’t share the finished results of using this wall decal with you right now, I thought it would be lots of fun to tell you my plans and then — after the move — show you how it actually turned out and how working with this sticker was. So this will be like a two-part review. What do you all say? Sound like fun?

I am not pretending to be an interior designer or anything — oh no! I hop on Pinterest to get any sort of inspiration and guidance when it comes to that! 😉

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LORAC’s Holiday 2014 ‘The Royals Collection’ (First Impressions)

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Out of the five different holiday gift sets that LORAC has brought out this season (that I have seen), I have three of them to share with you today. 🙂 I was fortunate enough to receive them just yesterday to try out and share some awesome pictures with you gals. This isn’t my official review, but just some initial thoughts and close-up pictures to see if they’re worth the price. 🙂

LORAC The Royal Collection 2014 Holiday Gift Sets

My Initial Thoughts: Let me just say, before we dive into the products, that I give LORAC 5 big, gold stars for packaging. Not only are they beautifully designed and in appropriate colors for the holidays — red and gold — but the boxes themselves have a velvety feel to them. They’re gorgeous!

I am not a hoarder — as my hubby, I throw out anything that’s not useful (especially product boxes). But with these boxes….I honestly am going to have a hard time throwing them away. They’re so pretty and they feel so special! Good job, LORAC!!

The Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set – $25 (value $90)

 

The Details: LORAC rules this season with The Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set. Give your lips the Royal treatment with our luxuriously creamy and delightfully smooth Lip Glosses that are loaded with antioxidants of Acai Berry, Pomegranate, Grape Seed and Vitamins A,C & E to help protect and
soothe your luscious, regal pout. This Royal family of Lip Lustre Cremes comes complete with 6 magnificent, high-shine shades that are fit for a Queen. Own the throne with The Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set!

Colors included are…

Empress – exclusive Pink Mauve
Princess – exclusive Pink
Enchanted – exclusive Peach Nude
Reign – Berry
Crown Jewel – Cherry Red
Tiara – Nude

My Initial Thoughts: The first obvious perk to this set is that it’s the least expensive out of the three I’m mentioning today and you receive the most products. I like that this set covers just about the whole color wheel when it comes to mandatory lip colors. From nude, to pink, to red, to mauve…it’s all here in this collection.

I noticed that three of these colors are exclusive. If you’re a collector and a lip junkie…than that’s instantly a major plus to this collection. I got excited when I saw that this was a lustre creme lipgloss. I love creamy lip products! But while this lip product is very pigmented, it still has the sheerness and feel of a regular lipgloss. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t like a liquid lipstick. But for lipglosses, these are great products. They have a really nice smell to them, too. Not overpowering, but definitely a fruity fragrance. Call my weird, but I love for my lip products to smell fruity!

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you’re a lip junkie…you really can’t ask for a better deal. It’s like getting these six glosses (regularly $15 each) for a little over $4 a piece. That’s a crazy deal — that’s cheaper than some drugstore lip glosses! Need I say more? 🙂

The Royal 3D Liquid Luster Set – Limited Edition – $28 (Value $64)

The Details: LORAC rules this season with The Royal 3D Liquid Lustre Set. Give your eyes the Royal treatment with our pastel, princess-inspired,
long-lasting, shimmering top coat. These shades can be applied over eye shadow or worn individually on eyes and cheeks for luminous, prismatic, 3-Dimensional sparkle and shine. Own the throne with The Royal 3D Liquid Lustre Set!

Colors included are…

Opal
24K
Rose Quartz
Amethyst

My Initial Thoughts: I saw Tati from Glam Life Guru talk about LORAC’s 3D Liquid Luster set last season and was really intrigued. (Side Note: If you’re not watching Tati’s videos….stop now and go subscribe to her channel. She does awesome makeup reviews!) While you know I am a big “matte shadows” fan, I do like some sparkle in my life every now and then. So I’m really excited about this collection.

It was really hard to try to get these liquid lusters to show up in pictures, but just take my word for it — they’re 100% more beautiful in person. 🙂 And keep in mind that this is also without any shadow underneath them. If I review these in depth on my blog, I will share pictures of my eyes before and after applying these liquid lusters. I think this set is really beautiful — and you’re getting a great value for the price! The only thing I can not vouch for is how well they hold up throughout the day and if they crease. But since I’ve heard Tati give these a thumbs up more than once in her videos, I’m pretty sure they’ll do great.

THE BOTTOM LINE: It’s a great set, for the price, especially if you’re all about the eyes. 🙂 The one drawback I noticed is that some of these colors are rather similar. Different, but very close. One idea to consider would be to purchase the gift set for yourself and 3 friends. (If you don’t like having excess makeup, that is. 🙂

The Royal Pro Eye Collection – $28 (Value $103)

The Details: LORAC rules this season with The Royal PRO Eye Collection. Give your eyes the Royal treatment and go PRO with products that are fit for a Queen. The Royal Pocket Pro includes Gold from the original Pro Palette, Cocoa from the Pro Palette 2, and an exclusive pro shade in Ivory, all in our velvety-smooth, long-lasting formula. Own the throne with The Royal Pro Eye Collection!

Items included are…

Royal Pocket Pro Eyeshadow Palette – exclusive
Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner
Pro Mascara

My Initial Thoughts: The practical side of me definitely comes out when I view this palette. Since mascara and eyeliner are products that everyone needs and goes through rather quickly, Mrs. Practicality instantly piped up and said “Totally worth the money!”. And she’s right. 🙂 I’ve gone through a Front of the Lines Pro Liquid Liner in the past, and loved it. I had it in the color Brown, so I’m excited to see how pigmented and dark their Black is. I’ve never tried out their mascara or the pocket palette (of course, lol), but this 3-piece collection is just a few dollars more than purchasing a single liquid liner. So…yeah, that’s a pretty good deal.

And the pocket palette looks very promising! As you can see in the swatches, they’re very creamy and pigmented — in tried-and-true, Lorac Pro fashion. 🙂 So I honestly don’t see myself not liking this palette. I like that it only has 3 shadows. I think this will come in handy when traveling. The colors are very neutral and could make a complete eyelook by themselves if needed. I can’t wait to use it — especially CoCoa and Ivory, since I don’t own the Lorac Pro 2 palette.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you’re a practical gal — or buying a gift for a practical gal — than this is definitely the gift set for you. It has products you will definitely put to good use and also an exclusive mini palette. 🙂

Question for My Readers: If you were to purchase one of these gift sets….which would you pick? Or if you have already purchased a gift set from LORAC’s 2014 Holiday gift set, which set did you buy?

~  PIN IT  ~
 
 

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above from Lorac Cosmetics in the hopes that I would mention them on my blog. Regardless,
this does not guarantee a review or feature on my blog. I only share information that I think will be useful for my readers and I only recommend products I have personally used and liked.

A Facial Serum Infused with Mineral Goodness! (First Impression Review)

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Sorry for my absence the last week — Dan and I flew back home for my older brother’s wedding! 😀 Everything went very well at the wedding — it was so beautiful! I enjoyed the time I spent with my family SO much! But Dan and I are back home in California now, so just trying to get back into the groove of things. 🙂 I hope to do a post with pictures from both weddings very soon, so keep on the lookout for that! 🙂

But for today, I have a fun first-impression review to bring to you. 🙂

 Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. 

About the Adovia Mineral Lift Facial Serum…

Firms and Tightens skin with a visible lift that can be felt immediately
Highly concentrated serum infuses skin with Dead Sea Minerals, Green Tea, Seaweed, Vitamin C and much more.
Protects skin from pollutants and weather damage that can clog pores and cause wrinkles and breakouts.
Feeds skin the nutrients it needs to look youthful and naturally beautiful
Use as a base under your moisturizer or anti wrinkle cream for maximum anti aging effect or use just the serum.

Imagine taking all the legendary beauty properties of The Dead Sea
Minerals and salts and concentrating them all into a highly potent
serum. Now imagine adding to that an advanced formula of anti-aging
ingredients and vitamins including Bearberry, Green Tea, Seaweed,
Vitamin C and more. What you get is our highly concentrated, mineral
rich serum designed to effectively smooth and firm the skin.
This deep absorbing, light gel is formulated with natural ingredients
to reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing your skin’s elasticity
and firmness. Based on a unique formula of Vitamin C, Evening Primrose
Oil and Dead Sea minerals, it instantly moisturizes to improve your
skin’s texture – giving you a radiant, smooth and even complexion. Amino
acids combined with Green Tea extract and Vitamin C help your skin
naturally regenerate – creating a firmer, more youthful appearance.
Additionally it protects skin from daily pollutants and weather damage
that can clog pores and cause wrinkles and breakouts.
All these natural, age-defying ingredients are what make this serum
so powerful and effective. A little goes a long way with this highly
concentrated product; just a tiny bit every day will make your skin look
fantastic and revitalized. This unique, light gel will absorb deep to
reduce signs of aging and your skin’s elasticity and firmness.
With amino acids, essential vitamins, and Green Tea, it moisturizes
and softens skin. Just apply a few drops to the skin on your face and
neck; be sure to reach the areas around the eyes and mouth where
wrinkles develop. Using the Mineral Anti Age Serum daily will help skin
naturally restore its youthful health and appearance.

My First Impression Review…

Packaging…
I’ve been able to review a few of Adovia’s products and I like how they package all of their products. It’s very clean and polished looking. The Adovia Mineral Lift Facial Serum was in a smoky-glass bottle with a pump to dispense the product. I love liquid products that come with a pump, as it allows the product to stay clean and bacteria-free, so that was a major plus with this item. The bottle came encased in a really attractive box that ensured it arrived to me undamaged – and it did. They were really fast about shipping out this product, which is another bonus!

Product & Ease of Use…
For some reason, the pump on my original bottle wouldn’t work, which was unfortunate. But I contacted the company, to let them know of the error, and they were quick to offer my a replacement bottle at no extra charge. I really appreciate good customer service, so definitely loved how quickly they solved the problem. 🙂

The product itself is a very light-weight and thin in consistency. This allows for very easy application, and it doesn’t take long for this serum to soak into your skin and be dry enough to put another product on. I really like that! It can be irksome to have to wait several minutes between each step of your skincare routine as you wait for something to dry, so I always appreciate and love products that don’t take a lot of time to dry into the skin. 🙂

Any Major Likes & Dislikes…
Well, the fact that the bottle came broken might be seen as a dislike, but I can’t really make that claim — it was probably just a fluke, and since they were so quick to offer me a replacement, I in no way thought this downgraded the product. I liked the way the serum felt on my skin. I’ve never used a serum of any kind before this, but I certainly like having it in my routine now. 🙂 The price for the Adovia Mineral Lift Serum is on the high-end side — $49 — but if you are the type who wants to spend the money on worth-while skincare products, then this might not be so steep for you.


Final Thoughts…
I haven’t been using this product enough to see how much of a difference it made to my skin. I don’t really have skin that needs a ‘lift’ yet, but appreciate that those ingredients are in this serum — you can never start too soon on your anti-aging products, so I’ve heard. 🙂 All in all, this is a really wonderful product. If you are in the search for a moisturizing serum that will give your skin the vitamins it needs, I would recommend looking into this product, for sure!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Question for my Readers: How much do you spend on your skincare? Does drugstore do it for you? Or do you shop more high-end for your sensitive skin? I know I do a fair mixture of both for my picky skin. 🙂

Effective Professional Hair Treatments at an Affordable Price! (First Impression Review)

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About the Arvazallia Professional Series…

At Arvazallia we create high quality premium beauty products that are
designed to not only Maximize your Beauty but also to Maximize your
Confidence and Maximize your Spirit as well.

Our unique formulations have been used by salon professionals and
customers around the world and is now available to you as part of the
Arvazallia Professional series suite of products.

We have a 100% commitment to ensuring our customers love our products
and we back that up with a 100% Money Back Guarantee. If you don’t
absolutely love an Arvazallia product that you’ve purchased from us we
will give you a 100% refund.



My First Impression Review…

Packaging…
Both the Hydrating Argan Oil Mask and the Premium Argan Oil Hair Treatment are packaged in very elegant and professional-looking bottles. The hair treatment is in a tall glass bottle with a silver pump that dispenses about a nickle-sized amount. The mask is in a plastic bowl-like container that has a secure lid you twist to secure. The Arvazallia brand knows how to present their products well — it meets my approval in both practicality and presentation!

Product and Ease of Use…
Hydrating Argan Oil Mask – Because of the way it’s packaged, it makes it very easy to scoop out the product to run through your hair. The fragrance that this mask has is fairly nice. Not overwhelmingly floral or anything, but not a bad scent either. I think it’s nice, and considering that you wash it out afterwards, it doesn’t matter too much either way. I’ve started using this about twice a week, really focusing on my (horrible) split-ends, and leave it in for about 10 minutes before I rinse it out. My hair feels amazing after letting the mask sit in my hair — even while I am just rinsing it out, I can already feel how moisturized and hydrated my hair is!

Premium Argan Oil Hair Treatment – As I already mentioned above, the hair treatment is dispensed with a little pump that squirts about a nickle-sized amount of oil. I have to use several pumps for my long hair, but I love the way Argan Oil makes my hair feel! It really cuts back on the frizz and helps to tame my split ends. The fragrance of the oil is really nice. Leaves my hair smelling good – my husband’s even commented on it. 🙂 I like using the oil at least once a day, even when I don’t wash my hair. It really helps to keep my ends nourished, which I love!

Any Major Likes & Dislikes…

There really isn’t any cons that I have found in this product. I haven’t been using it long (which is why this is a “first impression review”), but so far I have no complaints at all. The products retail for $45 and $40 – kind of pricey – but right now they are on sale on Amazon for only $17.99 and $15.99. Which isn’t a bad price for these products at all! The treatment will last me for several months and, depending on how much hair you have, the mask can last you a long time as well. Oh, and I love that the oil treatment has a fragrance — I love using products that leave my hair smelling nice. 🙂

Final Thoughts…
I LOVE the way the Hydrating Argan Oil Mask and Premium Argan Oil Hair Treatment leaves my hair. I haven’t been able to tell, yet, how it helps my split ends, but these
products have definitely revived and moisturized my dry hair a LOT since I
started using them! I’m excited to see how they continue to improve my hair in the weeks ahead.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free from Arvazallia, sponsored through BrandBacker. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Attention: Both of these products are currently on sale on Amazon for less than half the price. I have no idea how long this sale will last, but you are definitely getting a good deal! The mask is over 8 oz and the treatment is over 3 oz. And don’t forget that Arvazallia has a 100% satisfaction guaranteed!

Question for My Readers: What do you use to maintain your hair? Just shampoo & conditioner? A mask once a week? Argan oil? I would love to know! 

A Purifying Mud Mask that Treats Acne, Exzema, and Psoriasis! (First Impression Review)

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The count down is drawing ever closer to the 26th! It’s only 19 days away now, and things are starting to get a tad more crazy and busy for me. With that in mind, I am afraid I’m going to have to be more absent from the blog from now on. Just until after I return from my honeymoon. I will still continue to bring you the weekly Hairstyling with NuMe tutorials, but unless I have already schedule posts, I won’t be posting on Mondays and Wednesdays like I normally do. I hope you all understand my absence — I’ll miss interacting with you all! But I’ll be back in full swing, Lord willing, once I’m settled in my new home. 🙂

One more thing before we dive into today’s post. Sometimes companies send me products that they want me to then review right away. They’re looking for more of a ‘first impression and ease of use’ kind of review then a review after I’ve thoroughly tested it. So, to keep it fair to everyone, I’m going to start calling these reviews “First Impression Reviews” so that you know I’m only bringing my thoughts after trying it out a few times. If you ever want a more in-depth review after I’ve used something for a few weeks or months, all you need to do is let me know in the comments and I’ll be sure to do an updated review for you. 🙂

Okay, on to the first impression review for today!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

About Adovia Dead Sea Mud Mask…

This Dead Sea Mud Mask contains 30 Treatments which lasts for 3-4 Months. Each treatment provides the ingredients and results of a $120 facial at a high end dermatology spa! Made with Pure Dead Sea Mud with the highest concentration of minerals – vital for facial skin treatment glow. This mask is made in Israel – by the Dead Sea experts and contains the highest and freshest concentration of Dead Sea Mud. Reduce Oil and Blackheads and get more clear and radiant skin. Works great for Eczema and Psoriasis as well due to Dead Sea salt and mud known properties that help relieve Eczema, Psoriasis and acne symptoms.

 

 

Apply a layer to clean, dry skin once per week or as needed, as a facial mask for the whole face or as spot treatment for blackheads or pimples.

My First Impression Review…

Packaging…
The mud mask is packaged really professional looking and the design on the tube is simple, yet attractive. Initially I was under the impression that this Adovia Purifying Mud Mask was rather expensive. But while it is $30 a bottle, you get a little over 5 fl oz of product in this tube. Which will last you quiet a while, as you don’t need much each application. And even less if you’re just spot treating a few areas.

Product & Ease of Use…
Because I already have a routine for my weekly face mask and I didn’t want to change it up so close to my wedding 🙂 I decided to try this mask out as a spot treatment. I’ve used this about three times so far, and really like the results I get. It’s a thick consistency, making it easy to apply over your face without making a mess.

I give it a good 20 minutes to dry, then wash it off. I get some cystic acne every now and then, and that’s where I used this mask. I noticed that it helped the redness go around and my pimple didn’t look as inflamed after I washed off the mask. And it resulted in the pimple going away faster than my cystic acne usually takes to run it’s course. 🙂 This, of course, is an awesome fact that really makes me like this product!

Any Likes & Dislikes…
Nothing really stands out to me as a dislike. The mud mask is a really dry, thick consistency, so it’s not as obvious when it’s ‘dry’ as some of the masks I’ve used in the past. There isn’t a big change of color. So I just tap it and see if any transfers onto my fingers. There’s no distinct smell to this mask — at least, none that I could detect. So that’s a great plus! I can’t stand to put stinky stuff anywhere near my nose. 😛 I really like the fact that this helps to draw out the impurities in my cystic acne, helping my skin to recover faster than it usually does. 🙂

Final Thoughts…
I really like the Adovia Purifying Mud Mask! I have very oily/acne-prone skin, so masks have always been a must in my skincare routine, and this is something I’m thrilled to add to my regimen! I’m really looking forward to seeing the long-term benefits of using this mask.

The company is great to work with. Really quick to ship, too, as I received my product in less than a week from when my order processed. I was impressed! This mask is recommended for people who suffer from acne, oily skin, blackheads, exzema, and psoriasis. So if you are issues with any of these, I’d encourage you to give this mask a try!

 

perruque

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

What’s In My Mailbox? Influenster!

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It’s been a little while since I’ve had anything show up in my mailbox to share with y’all, but this past week I got another box from Influenster to review called the Violet Voxbox. 🙂 Because of my temporary break from blogging the last two weeks (explained in a post here), I’m a little bit behind in reviewing the items I got in the box. So this week it’s going to be exclusively “Violet Voxbox Reviews”.

For those of you who don’t know about Influenster, it’s a “…community of trendsetters, social media masterminds, and educated consumers who live to give opinions of products and experiences.” When you are active in the Influenster community (sharing reviews and thoughts on products), Influenster invites you to participate in exclusive Voxbox programs where they sent out a box filled with things to try and review.

If you are at all interested in joining, please let me know in the comments below and I will be happy to send you a personal invite to join! 🙂

The neat part is that you don;t have to have a blog or YouTube channel in order to participate. If all you have is Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, you can still join in on the Voxbox’s and review your products through those social medias. 🙂

Okay, so enough of an introduction! 🙂 Let’s get into this Violet VoxBox!

For my Voxbox, I opened it to find it packed with several different items. 🙂

– Goody Athletique Ouchless Headwrap, Adjustable

– Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak (Dry Shampoo)



– SoyJoy Baked Whole Soy & Fruit Bar



– Montagne Jeunesse Red Earth Clay Spa


– Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish in Make Waves




So let’s do a quick rundown of my first impression of all these products…

Goody Athletique Ouchless Headwrap…
I was really happy to receive this in my voxbox. I enjoy wearing headbands — they’re easy, but still looks like you did something to your hair — but the problem I always have with wearing headbands is that I get a bad headache behind my ears and a little below the occipital bone. So I was all up for trying a new type of headband to see if I can find one that doesn’t give me a headache when I wear it. (I’ll inform you of whether this gave me a headache or not in my review of this headband later this week. Stay tuned! 🙂

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak…
For me personally — since I am all about the hair after going through Cosmetology school — this was the item I was most excited about getting in my Violet Voxbox. 🙂 I have only tried one other product from the Not Your Mothers line, but I loved that one and so am thrilled that I get to try something else from that line. These bottles are the perfect size to try something new — and to use if I go on a trip, too! 🙂

SoyJoy Baked Whole Soy & Fruit Bar…
I think it’s so fun when they include some sort of food in the Voxbox. (My favorite was when they sent chocolate!! 😉 I’ve actually never tried anything by SoyJoy in the past. This bar looked yummy and healthy, so I was intrigued to try and see if it tasted as yummy as it looked. The problem I always have when I get food to review is to decide when I’m going to try it. Haha! Call me weird, but I just like to ‘review’ them and try them at a time when I would normally eat something like that — in this case, when I would normally eat a snack. 🙂

Montagne Jeunesse Red Earth Clay Spa…
This was another product I was excited to receive! With my acne-prone skin, I really like doing mud masks to help keep any bacteria purged from my skin so it doesn’t give me acne. I’ve never tried this sort of sheet-mask before (I just use a clay powder I mix with water), so I am really curious how this is going to be. I plan on using the mask tonight, before I go to bed, so we shall see how well it works! 🙂

Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish…
Last, but certainly not least, was this nail polish. For those who know me, they know I always enjoy painting my nails, so I was thrilled to get another bottle to add to my collection — and I didn’t have this type of color before, so all the better. 🙂 If you follow me on my Instagram, you know that I’ve already used it to great a winter-themed nail art. So far I’m loving how shiny it’s staying. The real test is to see how long it goes before it starts chipping. My nail polish ALWAYS chips quickly, so I’m hoping this TripleShine by Sally Hansen will withstand the test of time on my nails. 🙂

Well, there you have it! Those are the products I got last week. Stay tuned to tomorrow’s post, as I will be reviewing one of the items I’ve just mentioned.

Question for Readers: Out of all the products I received, which are YOU most intrigued about? 🙂


I received this product for free from Influenster in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.

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What’s In My Mailbox? Real Techniques!

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I received another pretty little package in my mailbox this past week! This one was very much looked for, as I LOVE the item I purchased previously from this brand. It was about time that I expanded my reach and try a few other things!

I personally thing Real Techniques is an awesome brand! For those of who who are not aware, Real Techniques is a line of makeup brushes designed with pro makeup artists, Samantha Chapman. According to the website, these “…brushes combine high-tech materials with innovative design to make creating a pixel-perfect look easier than ever.”

So a few weeks back RT was running a really good sale and, since both my mom and I wanted some brushes, I decided to take advantage of a good price! 🙂 So we placed the order and this week it arrived!

I already took my mom’s order out of this haul — but if you’re curious, she ordered the all-over face brush and a blush brush. 🙂 As for me, here’s what I ordered…

For those who follow me on Instagram or Facebook — who have basically seen a recent picture — know that I have pretty full brows. In fact, I sometimes think I have too much brow! So let me clarify that I didn’t purchase the Lash Brow Groomer
in order to use on my brows — I am definitely using this brush for the metal side to help separate my lashes.

For me, personally, I like my eyelashes to look really dark and thick — but I can’t stand it when the mascara starts clumping the lashes together. I heard this product highly recommend by Beauty Broadcast and decided to give it a try. I’ve used it a few times already, and really like the results!

I don’t have a Fine Liner Brush
in my brush collection and since I really enjoy doing heavy liners and wings, I’ve been wanting to get one to start playing with for some time. So, of course, when this was on sale for half the price, I thought it was a steal of a deal! And there were several reviews that I read on this item that really recommended it.

I haven’t used it yet, but it feels like it’ll be easy to work with and it’s the perfect size for lining my eyes.

The next item that I ordered was the Miracle Complexion Sponge
. Now, when I researched this product, TONS of reviewers were comparing it to the Beauty Blender
that many beauty guru’s love. Their conclusion was that RT Sponge is an excellent dupe for the Beauty Blender
, but it didn’t seem to have the quality to make it last for as long as the BB is known to last. I’ve only used the RT Sponge a handful of times so far. While I really like the coverage and finish it gives to my skin, I kind of agree with the other reviewers. While I’ve never used a BB, just from really looking at the RT Sponge, I can see how it’ll start to crumble as I use it over the coming months. But, at regular price, this sponge is only $6 — so I think it’s good for the price you get it for.

And the last thing I got in my order was the RT Blush Brush
. My old brush I used for blush was — literally — falling apart. Every time I used it I would find little parts of the brush on my face. It was a cheap brush I got ages ago, so I’ve finally “laid it to rest” and have let this awesome Blush Brush
take it’s place. I REALLY like this brush — and I’ve only used it two or three times! It applies my blush flawlessly and blends it into my skin, really giving me the appearance of just having a natural blush on my cheeks.

So! That’s the package I received this past week and just a few of my thoughts on each brush. I hope you enjoyed reading this. 🙂

If you’d like me to do a more in-depth review on one or more of these products, just let me know in the comments below!


Have you bought a Real Techniques brush? If so, which brush to you own? Do you have a favorite?