Makeup Tools & Brushes

Stylishly Carrying Beauty: OLPR Leather Goods Co. Leather Dopp Kit

October 19, 2017 · 8 Comments

For all of the gift with purchase cosmetic cases that we have accumulated over the years, none of them really fit the bill when it comes to carrying skincare and makeup essentials for overnight trips or emergency mid-day makeup overhauls. A makeup bag needs to be compact enough to fit into an overnight bag, satchel, gym bag or to stash away in my desk drawer, yet still roomy enough to hold the essentials including a small brush or comb, an eyelash curler, a few vital palettes, dry shampoo, some hand lotion as well as the makeup essentials. And it needs to be sturdy. And durable. And preferably attractive without drawing excess attention if I need to haul to the ladies room for an emergency quick-fix. These needs are all met in the OLPR Leather Goods Co. Leather Dopp Kit. Dopp Kits are not just for the boys, they are darn useful for an on-the-go lady to hold all your go-to glam stuff in one convenient case.

Want a sturdy makeup bag that doesn’t wear out and the zipper doesn’t break? The OLPR Leather Goods Co. Brown Leather Dopp Kit easily holds lipstick, an eyelash curler, full-size lotions, hand cream, powders, and hair care products safely and lasts for years.

ABOUT THE OLPR Leather Goods Co. Brown Leather Dopp Kit

A standout feature of the OLPR Leather Goods Co. Brown Leather Dopp Kit is the leather itself, a soft, supple leather with a rich grain that will come to patina to a nice finish without signs of damaged wear.

Made of Full-Grain Horween Chromexcel Leather that wears beautifully over time and is durable for years to come

The leather has a suede inner feel to the inside of the case.

Beautiful look and feel to the inside finish

CRAFTSMANSHIP

Each OLPR Leather Goods Co. Brown Leather Dopp Kit is made to order, and it shows. The leather is bound well so that it does not pull or wear unevenly, the stitching is impeccable.

Quality stitching on each piece

Side view detailing

EASE OF USE

The pull tab is generous and easy to maneuver.

Sturdy zipper and pull

The metal elements and zipper are of sturdy construction and an attractive oversize look that adds to the aesthetic.

Stitching and zipper closeup

SIZING

The size is generous, at 7.5â€³ x 3.5â€³ x 3.5â€³, and has some give to fold in the traditional rectangle shape or shape taller to hold larger items.

HOW MUCH CAN IT HOLD?

For the purposes of scale, when folded up, the case can hold a 2.8 ounce cream pump bottle of lotion or cream(the white bottle to the left), a hairspray styling product mini (the orange pump to the right), an full size makeup up palette such as Urban Decay Naked Palette square (seen peeking out of the bottom), several smaller bottles and tubes of makeup, an eyelash curler, lipstick, gloss, and hand cream (Bliss blue tube) with room to spare. When used in the traditional square shape, it can hold several more compact shorter items. I like the ability to carry my pricer eyelash curlers such as Shiseido, Shu Uemura, Surratt or Kevyn Aucoin curlers (seen between the white bottle and blue tube) without crushing their delicate shape as can happen in some makeup bags.

Stuff the bag with full-size skin care products and odd-shaped items like eyelash curlers, and it still closes without crushing them contents

This bag also fits the traditional Dopp bag uses of overnight travel products such as mini travel size shampoo and conditioner, full-size soap, deodorant, toothpaste, razors, and brushes.

PERSONALIZATION: The OLPR Leather Goods Co. Leather Dopp Kit can be personalized for free with up to five letters, ideal for a monogram, initials or a name or nickname. How about giving it as a groomsmen or bridesmaids gift for a destination wedding, or monogram it with “BRIDE”, “GROOM”, “DAD”, “MOM” or GRAD?

Personalize your bag with up to five letters, a monogram, single letter, title or short name.

CONCLUSION

Unlike the endless GWP makeup bags we accumulate over time, this bag is an investment that will last for years and wear beautifully. A highly attractive leather Dopp kit of excellent construction and materials that is worthy of carrying the makeup collection of a beauty connoisseur and keeping it safe and secure, ideal for travel, the gym, for an overnight bag, or to keep all the essentials like dry shampoo, makeup, spare toothbrush and paste and other essentials in your desk. If you carry expensive skin care products with you when you travel, this Dopp bag can keep them safe and secure. Makes for a lovely gift!

WHERE TO BUY IT

Find the OLPR Leather Goods Co. Brown Leather Dopp Kit atÂ https://olpr.com/product/chestnut-leather-dopp-kit/

Style Chicks received the OLPR Leather Goods Co. Brown Leather Dopp Kit in exchange for our unbiased review and received compensation for our time and effort. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.

BEAUTY & MAKEUP ORGANIZATION: All The Things Professional Makeup Case

September 11, 2017 · Leave a Comment

Has this ever happened to you? You have the perfect lipstick, liner or shadow somewhere, but your makeup drawer is so disorganized and overstuffed that you can’t locate that perfect shade? Need to carry your makeup when you travel, or for doing makeup for a big event like a wedding? Those makeup bags that come with GWP offers are often pretty but don’t hold makeup well when traveling. We recently tried the All The Things Professional Makeup Case and found it holds our makeup securely and has a spot for everything so we can locate just what we need when we need it.

The All The Things Professional Makeup Case holds makeup, creams, hair care and more neatly and securely

FEATURE OVERVIEW

Four Large Adjustable Trays to custom fit palettes and brushes
Deep divided bottom compartments with removable and adjustable dividers to fit even a hair dryer or curling iron
Secure locking hinge top closures
Easy to clean dust-proof acrylic sheeting
High-grade aviation aluminum is lightweight but sturdy
Custom over the shoulder harness strap with padding

ABOUT THE DESIGN

The 14-inch long design is big enough to hold multiple palettes, brushes, hair products and powders but it is not cumbersome to carry either by the handle or the shoulder strap. I have a Pro case from a known cosmetic brand that is larger but without the adjustable trays, it actually holds less than this All The Things Professional Makeup case does.

Two-tiered drawers hold all my makeup brushes and smaller items like eyelash curlers, eye creams and mascaras safely

Keep your makeup collection safe under lock and optional key!

HOW MUCH IT HOLDS

The fold out two-tier top compartments come with multipleÂ and adjustable dividers, so you can create any kind of space you want by sliding a divider into any side crevices.

The Makeup case seen with the top tiers showing

The dividers slide into any side slot to create any size compartment you need to accomodate brushes, lipsticks, palettes and more

The dividers can even divide a tier horizontally to separate out brushes if desired

Here I placed the dividers to provide enough room to hold my Urban Decay Naked palettes (about two Naked palettes fit per tier) with a smaller compartment large enough to hold lipsticks or two Nars blush sized single palettes.

Fit multiple long thin palettes like the Urban Decay Naked Palettes with room to spare for lipsticks or blush compacts

The tiers are also large enough to hold my brushes including foundation and blusher.

Hold smaller important items like this Jeffrey James Eye Cream safely in a smaller compartment where it won’t get lost

Tiers are long enough to hold UD palettes and an Hourglass powder compact, or brushes and lipsticks. Easily see all your lipstick and gloss choices at once

The bottom is a deep multi-section compartment where any of the larger padded dividers can be removed and repositioned to create a variety of spaces to hold hair dryers, hair styling products, curlers, curling irons, large brushes, bottles and larger containers that hold powder or product. If you prefer an entirely open bottom compartment, that is possible as well.

Versatile compartment dividers can be placed anywhere to make large or small compartments to fit even a hairdryer or curler

Multiple compartments can be divided however works best to hold items like Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer (front) and Big Sexy Hair Powder Play and Root Lift Mousse, Remede highlighter< Jeffrey James Hyaluronic Serum and OPI Nail Polishes (back)

I put my unusual shaped palettes in the bottom section, it holds the IT Cosmetics Contour Palette, the Ulta NYX Birthday Eyeshadow Palette, The Urban Decay Naked Matte Palette, the UD Naked Basics amongst others.

Hold palettes of all shapes and sizes including the Urban Decay Naked Matte, UD Basics, IT Cosmetics Contour palettes, Ulta Palettes and more. Also hold very large brushes, loose powders, creams, serums and sprays

In the other compartments, I keep hair products, a larger limited edition ByTerry Kabuki brush that I don’t want to be crushed by other brushes, and finally my larger creams and lotions including my trusty Creme de la Mer Concentrate and Lordsbury Retinol C+ Cream Moisturizer. I like that the compartment dividers have some extra padding to keep expensive and fragile products safely cushioned.

It holds several palettes at once and skin care products, bottles, nail polish, etc.

Tall enough to hold the full-size Mac Prep & Prime bottle as well as large skin care products like the almost 3 ounce size Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer

MY EXPERIENCE: PUTTING THE ALL THE THINGS PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP CASE TO THE TEST

The case is sturdy, it’s easier to transport than the old vanity style suitcases yet it holds my makeup more securely than just packing it in a suitcase. I’ve invested so much in my makeup, tools, and brushes, including limited edition palettes and brushes, as well as fragile bottles such as the Mac Prime and Prime, or perfumes that I prefer to keep my makeup with me as a carry-on or safely in the car with me while traveling, and it stows away nicely underfoot. If you prefer to carry your hair supplies in here, it is a safe way to transport high-end hair dryers and curling wands such as the T3, CHI or Dyson.

The handle is sturdy and secure even when I overpack the case with heavier items.

Wow! All tiers expanded and the bottom compartment holds plenty of stuff! Brushes, lipsticks, eye creams, palettes, concealers, eyelash curlers, full-size retinol creams, MAC Prep & Prime, creams and lotions, loose mineral powders, compacts, liners, hair care products and more each in their own space so they don’t get crushed and they stay organized

The key works without sticking and keeps the case secure. The padded shoulder strap is a nice addition as it reduces the strain on my shoulder and does not wrinkle clothes. The handle is sturdy. It is easy to clean any powder or spills off the surface of the case due to the special coating on the dividers and inner lining.

Sturdy, easy to carry handle and close-up view of the padded shoulder strap

Side view of the makeup case with the optional shoulder strap attached

CONCLUSION

The All The Things Professional Makeup Case is a highly versatile and sturdy case for organizing makeup, brushes, hair products, powders, palettes and makeup within four pull our tiered compartments and the deep lower compartment that can be divided in any number of ways. Ideal for keeping makeup organized and secure while traveling or at home, the All The Things Professional Makeup Case is an excellent value that will securely and neatly hold your makeup collection for years to come, so you can find just the right shade when you need it!

WHERE TO BUY IT

Find the All The Things Professional Makeup Case at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYZSRCJ

All The Things Professional Makeup Case

Style Chicks received the All The Things Professional Makeup Case in exchange for our unbiased review and received compensation for our time and effort. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.

Devyn Marie Professional Contour Sculpting Makeup Brush

November 20, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Perfectly-contoured faces abound on Social Media. Many tutorials demonstrate where to place contour and highlight, but there is less attention on what kind tools to use to apply the makeup and how to blend it for a natural, believable finish.

CONTOURING FOR REAL PEOPLE These extreme contouring video tutorials don’t necessarily translate to real life, where contour and highlight need to look believable and natural. Proper contouring can reshape a face, make it appear lifted and youthful, and give the visual appearance of being ten pounds thinner. Bad contouring looks at best like a weird smudge of dirt or a demarcation line of unfinished makeup, and at worse, it looks like a streaky, muddy, fake tan orange, possibly aged looking clown face.

Personally, I find many contour application and blending brushes to be lacking when it comes to precise placement of the contour and the ability to blend well enough to look natural, but not so blended that the defined, chiseled line is overly buffed out. So I was pleased to learn about the Devyn Marie Professional Contour Sculpting Makeup Brush. This brush has several excellent features that make precise, natural looking contouring simple and quick.

Devyn Marie Professional Contour Sculpting Makeup Brush

WHAT THE DEVYN MARIE CONTOUR SCULPTING MAKEUP BRUSH DOES

The brush is for contouring the cheekbone, but I also found it useful for contouring a defined jawline. I frequently make the mistake of applying contour powder or cream to my jawline and not blend it well enough. But the Devyn Marie brush applies just enough product to give a nice, defined tight jawline look without looking fake or overly made up and cakey. Then it blends it smoothly, so there is no tell-tale demarcation or weird orange tinge to my skin. In addition to cheekbones and jawline, it is also useful for applying a soft dusting of contouring and highlighting powder, bronzer, or shimmer to face, decolletage, and body. It can also handle cream, blush or bronzer consistencies in addition to powder contour and highlighter.

CONTOUR SCULPTING BRUSH FEATURES

Larger than the brush heads of many contour brushes, the brush dimensions are 4 x 1 x 2.2 inches. It is easy to use and grip and fits into a bag easier than a long handle brush. The bristles have a unique shape conducive to precision contour application.

Devyn Marie Professional Contour Sculpting Makeup Brush

HANDLE

The brush has an Ergonomic grip handle that is very easy to wield and to maneuver the brush, especially in sweeping, curved motions. There is good control of the brush and where the bristles are touching the skin due to the larger grip. The handles suitable for use in both hands, so even applying contour on your non-dominant side is much easier a task. The short handle makes it a portable tool for touchups.

Devyn Marie Professional Contour Sculpting Makeup Brush

BRISTLES

The densely packed bristles are firmly bundled and give a high color payoff and even powder distribution. There were also no loose bristles, even during use or after washing the brush. The bristles are soft but firm enough to deliver product exactly where you want it. So far, I have not had any shedding of bristles at all.

OF NOTE: The handle and bristles are made of animal-friendly, cruelty-free, synthetic brushes.

Devyn Marie Professional Contour Sculpting Makeup Brush

UNUSUAL CONTOURING SHAPE

Different from many contouring brushes you may have seen before, the Devyn Marie Contour Brush has a unique shape that fits snuggly underneath the cheekbone, just the right spot for applying contour in the hollow of the cheek. Many competitor brushes have a slanted or curved head; these do not provide a wide enough chiseled bristle surface to easy create a cheekbone contour like the Devyn Marie Contour brush does.

Devyn Marie Professional Contour Sculpting Makeup Brush

BRUSH CASE

I once had a $200+ high-end cheek brush that made my cheekbones look exceptionally sculpted, but the bristles soon became misshapen even though I stored it within its’ cardboard box. The Devyn Marie Contour Brush has a clear hard plastic case that surrounds the brush and snaps closed tightly and securely to keep the bristles from getting crushed or bent. A case that snaps shut and protects the brush and keeps it standing upright, even after washing – is something that I wish all makeup brushes had. I like that I can carry it in my bag for travel and touchups and without worrying about damaging the bristles. A trick I like to do is to load the brush with some powder, shake off the excess, and pack the brush in the case in my bag, for when I need a quick touch up on the go.

HOW TO USE THE DEVYN MARIE PROFESSIONAL CONTOUR SCULPTING MAKEUP BRUSH

NOSE CONTOUR: Starting from the beginning of the brow and moving towards the tip of your nose try running it alongside your nose with bronzer on both sides.

CHEEK CONTOUR: Lay the brush in the hollow of the cheek (again starting from the back moving towards the center).

JAWLINE CONTOUR: Apply contour powder with the shorter pointed portion of the brush, blend the contour with the inverted valley portion of the blush.

RESULTS This is a very versatile brush that applies contour precisely and blends creams and powders very well without streaking! No bristles shed while using it. I like how closely the brush hugs the cheekbone to get just underneath the bone into the hollow of the cheek; it creates a much more natural contoured look that lifts the face and looks much better than what I can achieve with a traditional flat head or slanted brush. My cheekbones look sculpted without appearing unnatural.

CONCLUSION: A useful contouring tool that is a cut above other contouring brushes due to its’ innovative cheek hugging design, its’ shed-free bristles, and ingenious snap closed case to keep the brush head shape safely intact even while in transit.

Find this fantastic brush at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KN1VXGA

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I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Makeup Application: Startreasureland Oval Makeup Brushes

September 28, 2016 · Leave a Comment

A few well-known high-end beauty brands have made the oval brush concept very popular. They look like tiny hairbrushes but have soft bristles intended for use on the face. The benefits of oval brushes are that they have excellent control due to the handle shape, they can get into tiny crevices, and there is an incredible color payout. To see if an oval brush set is for you, a good set to try is the ten brush Startreasureland Oval makeup brush set.

TIP: The key to finding an effective but reasonably priced oval brush is finding one with highly packed dense bristles.

The Startreasureland Oval makeup brush set has ten brushes with very dense and tightly packed bristles give a very smooth makeup application that starts out light a thin opaque layer you can buff out to the desired degree of sheerness.

Startreasureland Oval Makeup Brushes

COMPARING OVAL BRUSHES TO BEAUTY BLENDER SPONGES
Both have their place in a good beauty arsenal. While awesome for sheer coverage, a Beauty Blender is less helpful when seeking natural looking opaque coverage, such as on areas such as the undereye area, blemishes, imperfections, or areas that need fuller coverage. So I apply my makeup with an oval brush and blend out to the desired sheerness when needed.

COMPARING OVAL BRUSHES TO TRADITIONAL FOUNDATION & CONCEALER BRUSHES

The Startreasureland Oval makeup brush handles are ergonomic with a wide flat top and rounded easy to grip sides. They make it easy to angle around the face, so you can see what you are doing at any angle, whereas a regular foundation or concealer brush is the shape of a paint brush, allowing you to work your makeup at only one angle, which limits both visibility and blending ability.

Startreasureland Oval Makeup Brushes

HOW TO USE THE OVAL BRUSH SET

The two very large Startreasureland brushes in the set are for setting powder and foundation powder, applying makeup for body or applying powder over a large area. The second-largest can also be used to apply a face primer or even your moisturizer and sunscreen. While each brush can accommodate any makeup, a liquid or cream texture foundation is applied with the third largest to the medium size brushes, concealer and blush with the medium to the small range (brushes 4-6), and eyeliner and eyeshadow for the smallest and round head brushes. The small round heads are also useful for lipstick, spot blemish concealer application, eyeshadow crease/contour and the thin small heads work for eyeliner, contour, and eyeshadow. I was surprised how nicely the round brush applied a dark, heavily pigmented lipstick into a nice subtle layer of sheer tint, perfect for that transitional autumn timing.

RESULTS
I was surprised by how large the foundation brush is, but when the sides are used, it draws a very defined contour line. The foundation brush maneuvers the angles of the face well. The concealer brushes (generally the 4-6 largest) get in well in the small crevices around the eye and that dark area between the nose and undereye under the brow. I love how sheer the oval brushes get foundation and concealer, even on bumpy areas.

The most important thing I found when using these brushes, is that there is very little wasted makeup. I found with some brushes and sponges, my Beauty Blender type applicators especially, that I lost a fair amount of makeup that was soaked into the sponge, even when the Sponge is used damp. These brushes just help smooth out a thin layer and buff out to your desired level of coverage without wasting much makeup. In short, what you apply to your face directly and brush out, or what you apply to your brush and brush on, is what ends up on your face. It is easy to go heavy-handed at first.

I was also surprised that the round head oval brush as a lip brush was as useful when applying lipstick. Even dark, sticky colors went on sheer and super even with no lumps or bumps. It took a few tries to get used to controlling the brush as a round tip directly on the lips instead of a side-to-side flat brush painting motion.

CONCLUSION: The Startreasureland Oval makeup brushes are useful for powders, creams and liquid makeup – whether foundation, contour, eyeshadow, highlighter, cream blush or even lipstick. This is a very handy set of brushes that are well-constructed with well packed and dense bristles. There is a great color payout, and I love how sheer foundation appears on the face, and I especially like how much control it gives when applying contour, concealer, and eyeshadow. Quality set for a good price.

Startreasureland Oval Makeup Brushes

I received this item for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to answer it!