Makeup → Style Chicks → Page 3

What to Know About MAC Beautiful Iris Eyeshadow

November 7, 2016 · Leave a Comment

If you are interested in the MAC Cosmetics eyeshadow in the shade Beautiful Iris, you have likely seen that the various swatches online appear very different from each other, ranging from an almost white to mid-purple.

This is our experience with MAC Beautiful Iris eyeshadow:

THE MAC Eyeshadow in Beautiful IRIS Swatch

Monitors vary but we think this is a fairly good representation of the color:

MAC Beautiful Iris Eyeshadow

THE MAC Eyeshadow in Beautiful IRIS Experience

COLOR:

It is a lavender, not lilac or mid-purple, as it may appear to be in some online swatch photos.

Notable is a sort of fairy-like, light opal blue shift in the sheen, at some angles, it seems more opalescent than lavender.

TEXTURE:

Not chalky, VERY Sheer and requires multiple layers for coverage.

If you are more familiar with Urban Decay eyeshadows, the MAC veluxe shadow is not as opaque or thick feeling. It is different in texture from a UD shadow. It does not crease.

FINISH:

Shimmer, not cakey. Not glittery. The sheerness negates the old lady, overly cakey, frosted look that some lavenders and lilacs tend to have.

USE:

This is suitable for a highlight on the brow, for the sheen on the eyelids, or as a blending shade for creating a seamless look between other purples and maybe some blues.

FALLOUT:

I did not get any fallout with use, but it did wear off in a few hours when used without a primer.

WHO WEARS IT BEST:

The opal sheen of the shade picks up the golden glint of green, hazel and brown eyes.

WHERE TO BUY IT

Most eyeshadows in the MAC permanent collection are just $6 if you buy the pan refill, $16 in the pot.

Find it at MacCosmetics.com.

MAC Beautiful Iris Eyeshadow

How to Find a Good Mascara Fan Brush

December 15, 2015 · Leave a Comment

WHERE TO BUY A GOOD MASCARA FAN BRUSH

Here is our round up of the good and the bad when it comes to Mascara Fan Brushes. There is a wide variety of quality and prices when it comes to finding a good Mascara Fan Brush. Here are a few we have tried:

The most popular mascara fan brushes are both around $20. These are the Mac 205 Mascara Fan Brush, and the Paula Dorf Perfect Mascara Fan Brush.

The Paula Dorf is one of my favorites because it is the widest and longest, the right combo of soft enough to maneuver around lashes while stiff enough to “paint” and the easiest to wield. Found mostly on eBay.
Mac 205 Mascara Fan Brush
Mac 205 Mascara Fan Brush. Frequently used by bridal makeup artists, the MAC 205 brush is probably 40% smaller, but has tiny soft wispy guard bristles that make it easier to remove clumps. The MAC is:
- Easier for those with the steady hands of a true makeup artist than a regular makeup fanatic like myself to use. But a little practice went a long way.
- When using the MAC 205, try to load the mascara onto the shorter fan bristles, not the longer guard bristles. Do this by bending and holding the longer guard bristles away from the shorter bristles with your finger while only coating the short bristles with mascara.
  - At eBay
  - On Amazon, third party seller
  - The Mac Cosmetics 205 Mascara Fan Brush is generally available at Mac, $20.

Other Mascara fan brushes:

SEPHORA COLLECTION: Pro Lash Fan #34, $21. Not very fan-like, but quality bristles, good shape for a beginner to load mascara onto the lash, doesn’t have the ability to create wispy lashes like the Paula Dorf, Claudio Riaz or Mac 205. But, this brush can do cream and cake mascara much easier than the other fan brushes.

Surprisingly, there was only one kind of Mascara Fan brush at Sephora at this time. That seems weird. Does anyone else think that is weird?

Claudio Riaz Lash Touch Brush, at Barneys, for $65.
- The Mercedes Benz/Rolls Royce/Jaguar of Mascara Fan Brushes.
- A bit steep, but a VERY good brush with nice heft and ease of handling, which is good for klutzes like myself. Nice width to the fan which covers about half the lash line.
- Bristles are high quality and easy to work with, easy to get fluttery, wispy lashes with this one. I could argue buying a cheaper mascara or not being loyal to any one mascara or in a mascara emergency, using a drugstore brand (gasp!) and still getting a nice high-end look with the ease of use on getting a nice, clump-free look with this brush.
Royal and Langnickel BX-145 Revolution Fan Mascara Brush
- hard to find stateside, but ships to North America
- reasonably priced
- nice gentle guide feature on the bristles
- Easier to de-clump with, harder to get wispy lashes.
Ben Nye also makes a Mascara fan brush, it is around $8, haven’t tried it yet.

So far, I have not found a drugstore/beauty chain store version of a Mascara fan brush that I like. Most are too stiff to apply mascara or to wiggle it into the root of the lash line, and it is not really a fan shape, more like an eyeliner push brush.

For this reason we cannot recommend the Bdellium Tools Makeup Cosmetic Beauty Brush Travel Line – Mascara Fan Brush 731. Most drugstore and beauty supply store fan brushes seemed a variant of this overly rigid push liner brush style, but I would be happy to find a good basic mascara fan brush if anyone knows of a good one.

Product Review: ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

July 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment

ELF has some great products that find a happy home in my regular makeup bag, and their Mineral Eyeshadow Primer is one of them.

THE EXPERIENCE

The formula is incredibly light, but packs a decent coverage and brightening punch, and keeps shadow in check. For everyday, I put it on after concealer (sometimes I use thin coats both before and after concealer if my eyes are puffy), and then just add highlighter (Benefit’s Georgia Peach) on my browbone, about half an inch from my eyebrow. It really gives a natural look that doesn’t crease or crinkle during the day, and it really doesn’t feel heavy or sticky.

It comes in one color, Sheer, which is ideal for me, but as you know, I’m quite pale. I don’t know how it would work on other skin tones, though when the other Style Chicks tried it out, it still looked natural on a more olive-toned fair skin. I think it would serve as a decent brightener on darker skin tones as well – don’t let the color in the tube scare you off, since it goes on so lightly.

It’s not just a great primer, either – it contains Vitamins A, C, and E – so you get some skincare action as well! Try applying it with a sponge or synthetic brush – the wand is a bit too small to blend with. And definitely make sure to blend it all the way into the inner V of your eye – it brightens and opens the area right up without looking fake. You just look…what do they call that…well rested.

CONCLUSION

There are some great eyeshadow primers on the market right now, and ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer is amongst them. For everyday use, it’s a great value at $3.00 and the tube lasts surprisingly long. In fact, I still had about 1/8th of my old tube left (which I got about a year ago and have been using 2-3 days a week) when I ordered my new tube recently.

WHERE TO BUY IT

Find ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer at EyesLipsFace.com.

ABOUT THIS REVIEW

This product was submitted to us for consideration purposes.

We personally test each product before it is featured. All opinions and experiences are 100% our own.