Drugstore Brushes Comparison - Manicare, Lottie London & Lab2Beauty

I am a huge makeup brush collector. I have everything from Zoeva, Hakuhodo, Chikuho, Tom Ford Chanel, Dior to Real Techniques, BH Cosmetics and ELF. I don't distinguish by brand but by functionality.  

So since there has been a whole slew of new drugstore brushes released over the past few months, I thought I would check them out, and I've now had to opportunity to properly review them for you. I also thought that a comparison would be useful. I was sent some for review while others I bought at a 40% off sale.

The three brands I'm reviewing are Manicare, Lottie London and Lab2Beauty. As this is Australia, "drugstore" does not mean cheap/affordable as it does overseas. As a comparison, a Revlon Lipstick here costs 1/3 the price in the USA (not taking to account taxes or exchange rates).

I won't be listing all of the prices, but they all are in the range of A$15 - A$30 (at full price). You can buy all of these at Target. Manicare is available at more places like Priceline, Myer etc.

You can also buy Lottie London brushes from here and Lab2Beauty from here.

I've also picked out a few of my favorites from each line. I like trying different brushes and I also like have a complete set so I'm weird like that?!

First up, the ManicareXKellieLizKelsh Brushes. There are 8 in the set, but I gave away the Stippling Brush as I have way too many stippling brushes.

So from Left to Right: F14 Contouring Brush; E13 Smudger; E14 Lash/Brow; E12 Lash/Eye Definer; E11 Contouring Shadow; F12 Powder and F10 Foundation.

What I liked

Overall, I liked the look of the brushes. They looked professional and had a good weight to them which made them seem more expensive and luxurious. I liked the black and silver design.

E13 Smudger

I love the smudger brush. It was just the right size and density to smudge eyeliner for a smokey look. I also used it to tidy up areas like on the sides of the eyes where your cat "wings" up. Also, as I have hooded eyes, it was perfect for applying pigments and highlights in the middle of the eye and just above so you could see the highlight.

E12 Lash/Eye Definer

This brush works perfectly for both your brows and as an eyeliner brush. It was not too stiff that it would hurt your eyes. I found both brow and liner products applied smoothly with this. I also used it in the waterline and it was comfortable.

F10 Foundation

I usually use buffer brushes or a beautyblender for my foundation, as I hate the streakiness you sometimes get from a flat foundation brush. Boy oh Boy was I surprised and pleased with the results of this brush. Its dense, soft, flexible but not too flexible, just right and it was fairly thick so it was easy to brush out any visible brush strokes. This worked well with my more liquidy type foundations like YSL's Fushion Ink.

What I didn't like

F14 Contouring Brush & F12 Powder 

I'm sorry! I may have just received bad ones. The hairs on these brushes were cut unevenly, they had a tendency to splay out and they felt very rough on the skin. 

As for the E14 Lash/Brow & E11 Contouring Shadow brushes, I was indifferent. I just don't go for the hair brush style brow comb, I prefer the spiral types. The lash separator only works if you have super thick lashes. The contouring brush performed as it should and did the job but there was nothing special about. 

E13 Smudger

 F10 Foundation

Lottie London is a range of super colourful brushes. The colours are meant to help you easily pick up the brush you want. They had a whole lot more, a beauty blender and a brush soap and some eye accessories. Price range of brushes was about $12 - $25


From the top left: Lottie London Tan Time Brush (pinky orange); Powder Power Brush (baby blue); All Eyes on You Eyeshadow Brush (orange); Blend In Brush (pale yellow); Kabuki Babe Brush (purple).

On the right hand side, left to right: Flawless Face Brush (greenish blue); Shade and Shadow Brush (pink); Perfectly Precise Brush (fuchsia) and Contour Queen Brush (hot orange).

What I liked

Overall, I liked the fun colours! They do look a bit kiddy but who cares right? Everytime I look at them, they really cheer me up.

Blend In Brush (pale yellow)
This is the perfect crease blending brush. Super soft yet firm enough to buff out harsh lines. I'm going to get another one!

Kabuki Babe Brush (purple)
OMG. This has replaced my Hakuhodo kabuki brush (that was US$200+) as my current fave. Its so soft, dense and very very gentle on the skin. The hairs  on this brush are super fine.

Contour Queen Brush (hot orange)
I have a few brushes in this shape, from Zoeva, MAC, PONi Cosmetics etc, but I have been gravitating to this one. First, its not too stiff, so when you apply your highlight/contour you don't get that harsh straight line. Second, it is slightly thicker than most contour brushes, so you can flip it and use it as a blush brush. That being said, the only down side to being thicker is that it's hard to use when contouring your nose.


What I didn't like

Tan Time Brush (pinky orange)
This was so so. Like the rest of the Lottie London brushes, it is a very soft brush. However, it's not as dense, so when it's not packed tightly, the hairs will splay increasing the surface area. This then causes the brush to pick up more product then needed. I felt that the large size of it didn't suit my smallish face and bronzer went everywhere. The hairs on this brush (the one I have) were also not cut evenly (this makes a very miniscule difference).


Flawless Face Brush (greenish blue)
I actually really like the feel of this brush. It's so soft and so luxurious feeling. I liked the feel of it on my skin. It felt like satin. BUT, sadly, it's not as dense as you would like for a foundation brush and it's quite big. The Manicare brush is about 2/3 the size. This brush picked up A LOT of product and I felt that it did waste a lot of foundation. This was more so for liquid foundations. I think it will work better for power foundations when used like a flocked sponge.

Blend In Brush

Kabuki Babe Brush

Kabuki Babe Brush - see how dense it is

Lab2Beauty is another affordable range of pro brushes coming from the UK. I did not buy the entire collection and they also have their own beauty sponge.

From Left to Right: I'm Turning Pro Eyeshadow Brush; I'm Turning Pro Foundation Brush; Make Me Blush Brush; I'm Turning Pro Buffing Brush; Got Nothing to Hide Concealer Brush; and I'm Turning Pro Contour Brush.

Overall, I liked the look of the brushes. They are not as heavy as Manicare's which some may prefer. They have a sort of rubber like texture to their handles which can make it difficult to clean (think Nars' black packaging - that slightly sticky/tacky (not tacky as in tacky fashion but sticky), but also easier to hold onto.

They are made of synthetic hairs which is good and there is a very smooth feel to the brush hairs. I find it easier to clean brushes with synthetic hairs.  

What I liked

I'm Turning Pro Foundation Brush

This is a very unusual foundation brush. It's quite flat and thin. The Manicare and Lottie London ones' are giants compared to this one. I found it easy to apply my foundation with this particularly around the nose area as I have a pointy nose with lots of angles. It did not soak up much foundation which was good. I usually place spots of foundation around my face and then spread it out. 

There some streaks but just going over it again with the brush made them go away.  

Make Me Blush Brush

O.K. to be honest, what attracted me to this brand was this brush. I love brushes with that around and pointy end. This is quite a luxurious feeling brush and the hairs are fine and densely packed.

It applied blush well, and I also used it for bronzer and highlighters. It worked well for both power and cream products.

What I didn't like

Got Nothing to Hide Concealer Brush

This is my personal preference but this concealer brush was a bit too small. It worked fine for the inner corners of the eye but I usually apply my concealer in a big V shape under each eye and then blend it through. There's nothing wrong with the brush, just too small. I've used it to apply cream eyeshadows on my eyes instead.

I'm Turning Pro Eyeshadow Brush

Again, this is my personal preference. For a flat eyeshadow brush, this was a bit too thick and big. It was hard to control the placement of eyeshadow on my eyes when I was doing more intricate looks. 

It worked much better as a crease/blending brush by turning it on it's side as it is fairly thick.

Overall comparison

Each set of brushes had their pluses and minuses. I simply can't rank them by set. The beauty of it is, if you're not anal about using a set of brushes from one brand (if you are, I highly recommend Zoeva), then you can pick and choose.

Manicare ranked first for how luxurious the brushes felt, the weight and metallic detail added that something extra.

Lottie London's brushes performed well overall and are fun to look at, but for the more sophisticated and older crowd, they may or may not like the funky colours. I really loved the Kabuki brush and I am considering buying another as a backup.

Lab2Pro brushes are silky smooth and also performed just as well (except the ones I didn't like). They don't look cheap nor do they look expensive. This is a good mid-range brand to purchase. The blush brush is a standard. The buffing brush was a bit 'meh' and I would prefer to use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. 

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Final Thoughts: If you love makeup, you will probably love brushes. Each brand has 

their standouts and are roughly priced at the same price point. 

Give these a try and let me know what you think!

Yours Truly and with Lots of Love, 

TeaCupofMakeup

Avon Nutra Effects Skin Care for Sensitive Skin

Part of the Avon Nutra Effects Skin Care Line

AVON has released a more "organic" line of skin care for sensitive skin called "Nutra Effects". 

The price range is very reasonable (as it always is for AVON) almost nothing more than A$15, which is pretty rare on the market.

I've tested these for two weeks and I can say, they do what they say they do. They were comfortable on the skin. The scent was mild and pleasant. Overall, I did enjoy this skin care line. I normally use skin care products from Chanel, SKII, Bioderma, La Roche-Posay or Shiseido. Though, these don't quite reach the aesthetics and luxuriousness of those brands, I still think these are pretty good.

I didn't experience any irritation or abnormal breakouts.

As it is formulated for sensitive skin, I can't see why teenagers can't use it. The price point would suit them quite well.

Balancing Day Cream with SPF15 - $15

This is a light cream. It absorbed into the skin fairly quickly. It is a balancing cream, so it helps to regulate oil as well as dryness. It contains chia seeds and mineral mattifying powders to help keep the skin shine free.

Neat little tub

The tub is made of plastic, made to look like glass. It has quite a nice look to it. 

A whole list of properties

Balancing Day Gel - $15

This one was one of my favourites. I prefer gels for some reason. Like the balancing cream, it has the same properties and is oil-free. The formula is very light.

Texture of the Gel

As you can see, it is almost like a milky lotion. This absorbed into the skin almost instantly. 

List of properties for the gel

I do agree it is quite refreshing. I think I would keep this in the fridge during Summer. It has a very light pleasant scent.

Mattifying Toner - $10

The mattifying toner has tiny powder particles in it. It is the mineral powders that do the mattifying, so you have to shake the bottle well. It then turns into a milky like colour. It's quite similar to the Chanel one and other mattifying toners.

I wouldn't say that this kept my skin matte for long. Maybe an hour or two. I do like the toner aspect, it did clean off residual dirt left. 

Bit more of a close up

Self Foaming Cleanser $10

This is a soap-free face wash. I like self foaming cleansers, quite handy if you're not using a Clarisonic like when you're travelling. They say that the little bubbles penetrate the skin better. That's the idea behind the asian soap nets that help foam up your cleanser. 

My skin did not feel tight after washing but it did not remove all of my makeup (definitely not mascara or eyeliner). You definitely need to use a normal toner (not the mattifying one) or a micellar water to remove the remnants. 

Hydration Day Cream SPF 15 - $15

This cream is infused chia seeds which are supposed to be able to hold 12x their weight in water. It has SPF 15. No unpleasant scents here.

It absorbed as quickly as the the Balancing Cream. It felt comfortable on the skin (I hate that sticky feeling). I think I will give this to my mum, as the Balancing one suits me more.

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Final Thoughts: Cheap and good. A good starter for the budget conscious. 

It works with no fuss or frills. 

Yours Truly and with Lots of Love, 

TeaCupofMakeup 

URBAN FUDGE Hair Products

   

Urban Fudge is GOOD for your hair

I was sent 5 products for review

Urban Fudge is a haircare line that personifies the "cool"; rock chic" sector of the haircare industry. Besides your basic shampoos, gels, sprays and waxes, they also carry a very cool line of hair colouring products which I will be testing next.

You can purchase Fudge from Professional salons; Coles, Woolworths, Priceline, Haircare Warehouse; Price Attack and Just Cuts.

The five products I received are:

• Big Hair OOMF Shampoo and Conditioner (retails for $19.95 each)
• The Urban Sea Salt Spray (retails for $11.99)
• Urban 24 Hr Coconut Rush Power Gel (retails for $13.99)
• The Rocker Wax (retails for $9.99) 

So the prices are quite affordable.

Big Bold OOMF Shampoo

This shampoo (and conditioner) promises full body bouncy hair that detangles and smooths as well.

It smells like a bit like orange cotton candy and has a fairly liquidy consistency. It lathered up well and I used about a handful because I have very long hair (it touches my bum). It rinsed out fairly well.

It is paraben free and the active ingredient is Bamboo extract which I though interesting because I didn't think bamboos would give good hair.

Big Bold OOMF Conditioner

NOW I really like the conditioner. My hair really gets tangled and this smoothed it right out. 

It has a faint coconut scent that is not unpleasant. It's rich and creamy.

When I was my hair, I have to comb out the tangles while using conditioner and this was so much more of an easier experience than using my usual one (John Frieda Frizz Ease Repairing Conditioner).

Urban Sea Salt Spray

Urban Sea Salt Spray

I don't know why but I like the nozzle (I'm weird I know).

This too has a coconut scent. The amount per spray is fine. It doesn't gush but its not a mist like spray.

I like it. It makes me smell all beachy. The way I like to use it is to mess up my hair a bit by rubbing my fingers through, giving a good spray all over. I let it dry, then scrunch it up and also do finger curls by twisting some strands around my fingers.

It's a good look.

Urban 24 Hr Coconut Rush Power Gel 

This gel has a semi-liquidy texture which I like. It's not sticky on the fingers at all.

It's very easy to work through the hair. It also has a faint coconut scent which fades to a slightly chemical scent. Not unpleasant. You can use it on wet or dry hair.

My husband quite liked it as it did not give him "crusty" or "shiny" hair, just natural looking hair that stays where you want it. 

I used it when I curled my hair with a curling iron and it worked very well. The curls were soft and bouncy and held up for most of the night.

Best thing about it? It washed out easily.

Urban Rocker Wax

If you use this product you're supposed to look as cool as this man. :P

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I thought this was the cutest product of the lot. It actually feels quite heavy for such a little thing!

It's a paste that allows you to rework your hair do your hair does stay flexible and not like a "Marge Simpson" stiff as look. It's not a wax and definitely doesn't feel like a wax, it feels a bit like a thinner version of modelling wax. 

Once you work it through your hair, it does not feel "funny", it's not heavy on the hair. I used it more for keeping wispy hair in place or if I want to do a side part that stays in shape.

I've also combed through a small amount when I've wanted to braid my hair. 

Looks like Coconut Butter

Smells a bit like coconut butter too! My husband liked it too!

Cool detail - that fingerprint reminds me of iPhone's security pass

To open it, you have to press down on the thumb print with one hand holding the bottom and the lid will pop open, so you can open the lid with your other hand.

I don't know why but I thought this was a really funky design feature.

Instructions on the back

I quite like this product. Generally, I avoid waxes and gels but I felt this one was the nicest styling product of the lot, the second was the sea spray.

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Final Thoughts: Pretty good for the price. Smells good. Does what it's supposed to. The design may not apply to everyone but we, my husband and I like it!

Yours Truly and with Lots of Love, 

TeaCupofMakeup (& the Man)

Cutest Cuddly Monsters for your phones, tablets and laptops! Iyu-Iyu.com

 My Iyu Iyu Monster Adventure

with Iyu-Iyu.com

Hello! We're Cute And We Know It!

Welcome! I'm so happy that you are reading this! For new comers, such a pleasure!

Don't these little monsters look so adorable?

Their handmade by these two lovely girls from Germany, Desi and Khanh of http://iyu-iyu.com/

Desi and Khanh are so sweet and so I think it is best that I let them describe themselves to you, the following is from their beautiful http://iyu-iyu.com/ website (click here):

Hello. Our names are Desi and Khanh. We are two designers based near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. We create and sell our own clothing and accessories. Our philosophy is simple: carefully thought out designs, hand-picked materials and self-employed production. This way we make sure, that each single item corresponds exactly with our expectations. The result: handcrafted items produced in small quantities, which are available on IYU IYU only.

You see they made each of these little monsters with much love and care.

Unboxing

Firstly, their packaging is amazing (well everything about their whole concept is amazing. you simply must check out their website   http://iyu-iyu.com/). I received the beautiful box above. It was very lovingly wrapped so that the white box would not be soiled or spoilt.

AHHHH imagine my delight when I opened the box!!!

Hahahah, so cute! I let out a big laugh when I opened the package and saw them for the first time! They really did make my day. They are so adorable. They are made of very soft and cuddly material which is still strong and sturdy enough to protect your phone, tablets etc (fluffy terry cloth [100% cotton] and a colourful inner lining [100% cotton]).

They sent me three monsters. One for a kindle (iPad Mini size), a iPhone 6 plus sized one and finally one for my iPhone 6. Yes I do carry around a lot of gadgets!

This is what they look like with your devices stored inside of them. It's very secure as half of the head acts as a kind of pocket, so your phone/device will not slip out. It is also very easy for you to take your device out as the material has a bit of give. See their website by clicking here :)

The little Black Tuxedo came as part of a gift box!

In the gift box you receive a surprise cracker filled with yummy candy, a keychain (so cute, so kawaii), a notebook and pencil, two post cards and some stickers.

I think this is a great gift idea!

The pencil has Iyu-Iyu on it

They do make cases for laptops as well see here (laptop cases)

They have so many more designs on their website (click here)  and they also have beautiful jewelry, see the following photo below!

beautiful accessories!

Being me, I like to think of different ways of using things

Sooooooo...

So the first idea I had, was to use my larger Iyu-Iyu monster (who I have named "Sparkles") as a travel brush carrier. I can also fit in a compact powder, concealer, lipstick and a small eyeshadow quad. As Sparkles is made of terry cloth and cotton, it is (I'm still not sure if Sparkles is a girl or a boy yet) really easy to clean. I can toss it into a washing net and then into the washing machine. 

The next idea I had was to add an optional wristlet or shoulder strap to "Mr 007" (yes, not a very original name but that's what he will be called i.e. the Tuxedo Monster) and PinkyPoo (the pink one) to turn them into a wristlet and a little bag. It's amazing how much each can hold along with my phones.

It's pretty easy to sew on the straps and I just recycled some straps from old purses.

What do you think?

Do be sure to check out my friends' Desi and Khanh's webstore! http://iyu-iyu.com/

  
Yours Truly and with Lots of Love, TeaCupofMakeup

My Elegant New Spectacles from Firmoo.com!!

Hi, Bonjour, Hola, Alo, Hallå, 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo), 你好 (nin hao), こんにちは (Kon'nichiwa)!!!!


I am so excited to share this post with you. I have a new pair of spectacles!!!

I'm not sure if you know, I am (very) short sighted. I wear both glasses (my preference) and contact lenses (when I am filming youtube videos). As I have been on a strict budget recently, I have not been able to update my glasses for 2 years now. SOOO, I was so very delighted when Tina from Firmoo.com contacted me and asked me if I would like to work with them and review their glasses/spectacles and their service.

http://www.firmoo.com/

I took a look at their website first and I was SO impressed! The website is designed so well and is very user friendly and idiot-proof (hahah good for me!). 

This is the pair I chose!

Look at it!! It is so beautiful. I hope my photos do it justice!

I really love the fine craftsmanship. The fine detail of the cut-outs is what drew me to this pair of glasses. Green is also my favourite colour!

I love the classic shape of these glasses. I think they suit any face type. Also, I chose black as they go with everything and always look chic.

This is what drew me to this pair of glasses. Even though they look "plain" from the front, you see amazing graphic designs on the sides in green, silver and black. With the cut-outs, it is even more amazing.

Another unique feature of these glasses is that on the inside of the handles, the graphic design is silver and black. I think it makes a very nice touch. A certain je ne sais quoi. C'est Tres Chic! Magnifique!

Look how gorgeous the details are. I think this design is timeless.

Notice how there are little transparent holes at the end of the handles? I don't know why they are there, but I think they add something to the design!

When my glasses arrived, they came in this beautiful faux leather case! I love the vintage map style embossed on the case. 

And, I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the interior of the case. It was encased in very soft pink velvet.

Ordering is so simple and quick!

They have so many styles! 

If you are not sure whether the particular glasses will suit your face shape they have included helpful photos of various faces shapes AND skin tones to help you choose!

They also include helpful specifications of each pair of glasses, so you can use the measurements and compare them against a pair that you already have to get a better idea!

There are just so many styles to choose from, it was so hard for me to choose!

Once you have chosen your pair of glasses, it is then a few easy steps of entering your prescription and away you go!

I thought the three other pairs shown below were very pretty and cool too. :)

Look how lovely this one is. The handles have such an interesting design.

Ohh, I like these ones too! It is very flattering on girls with rounder faces like me! 

This was my second choice! I think it is sooo pretty!

Final Thoughts!

Shipping is affordable. It costs only US$12.95 for express shipping. I received my glasses within 5 days of ordering them. I was super impressed by how quickly they arrived. 

Overall, I thought the whole Firmoo.com shopping experience was very good. Being a very avid and experienced internet shopper, I can safely say this webstore is excellent. The design of the webstore is perfect, as it is user-friendly, easy to navigate and quick. The prices of the glasses available are also very reasonable. I thought mine were of a very high quality and for the price (US$53) I was most impressed. 

Special Offer for just for you!

So, Firmoo was kind enough to provide me with a link just for you so that you can get 50% off your first order!!! 50% off! I think that's a pretty sweet deal.

Here is the link! 50% off your first pair!

That's me, looking all happy with my new glasses! 

That's all folks! Hope you get a new pair of glasses too!

Au Revoir, A Bientot, Arrivederci, さようなら (Sayonara), 再见 (Zàijiàn), La Revedere, 안녕 (Annyeong), Adiós and Good Bye! See you all very very soon! xoxo