Category Archives: Brush Reviews

Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush Review & Pictures

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Urban-Decay-Good-Karma-Optical-Blurring-Brush-Review-PicturesAlthough brushes aren’t as exciting to review as nail polish or makeup, I find them very useful.

Makeup brushes are something you use on a daily basis (well, provided that you wear cosmetics). And a lot of them can be quite pricey.

Sure, I have a lot of Sigma makeup brushes, but when something new comes out that looks amazing, I’m very tempted to try it. But, the high price usually holds me back. Unlike a bottle of nail polish, a brush can be quite the investment.

For that reason, I haven’t bought a new brush in a very long time. But then the Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush came out along with a new liquid foundation.

Being a fan of the Urban Decay brand (their products are top-notch), I caved and bought both the brush and the foundation.

I’ve tried out the brush for quite some time, and now I feel like I can honestly review its performance. Let me tell you more about this brush that’s been getting so much hype lately!

Continue reading →

What’s in My Travel Makeup Bag

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I’ve been seeing a lot of cool What’s in My Travel Makeup Bag YouTube videos and blog posts this summer. Thought I’d join in and show you what products I take. Plus this is very timely since I’m actually going on a short romantic ‘trip’ soon. I’m staying within the city, but he and I always have a great time.

Whats in My Travel Makeup BagBut before I go into the details about what I’m taking with me, I’d like to blab a little bit about myself first. If this bores you, you can scroll down this post to get right to the makeup. :) Continue reading →

MAC 239 Review & Pictures

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MAC 239 Review & Pictures Even though I’ve mentioned the MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush on Swatch And Learn before, it surprised me that I didn’t give it a separate review.

Yes, I use a lot of Sigma Makeup brushes (because they’re more affordable and work nicely), but this MAC makeup brush is still a staple in my morning routine because it does a job that’s different than the others.

Why? The size and shape are perfect for applying eye shadow precisely on the lid.

And I still haven’t found another brand that makes a dupe of this. Sure, some come close, but they’re not exactly the same, so they perform differently.

As you know, I get more excited about nail polish than about reviewing makeup brushes. But this is one brush that I need to tell you a little more about.

If you’re seriously into makeup, the MAC 239 is worth the higher price tag than its competitors. Continue reading →

Crown Studio C135 Oval Shadow Review & Pictures

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Image of Crown Studio C135 Oval Shadow** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

I love doing nail polish and eyeshadow swatches. Taking pictures of all those colors of the rainbow and posting them up is super fun, especially when you lovely peeps comment on what you like and don’t like. But as you beauty lovers know, makeup isn’t always fun and games and colors.

So let’s get serious here for a second and talk about one of my favorite brushes: the Crown Studio C135 Oval Shadow. To me, having a collection of brushes is just as important and as fun as shadows and blushes and lip colors. In fact, I actually enjoy washing my brushes! Well, not the actual act, but I like laying out all my brushes and looking at them all in one place. Am I weird? Continue reading →

Crown Luna BK14 Deluxe Oval Shadow Review & Pictures

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** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

Putting on makeup can be like a movie production, even if you’re only applying a few products. We mostly remember the colorful performances of star players and forget about the behind-the-scene hard workers. They’re important! After all, could you imagine if Jack Sparrow’s vest were hot pink (he’d still be drool-worthy)? Or what if The King’s Speech was done at a voice-editing level of an English-dubbed anime?

We give credit where credit is due when it comes to pretty eyeshadows, lip colors and awesome blushes. But what about the brushes? They play such a big part in applying makeup! Have you ever tried Crown brushes? I first experimented with them from IMATS last year and really liked the quality for the price.

Today I’ll be reviewing Crown Luna BK14 Deluxe Oval Shadow. I purchased this during a shopping spree online at Crown. I was actually looking to buy back-ups of this awesome shadow brush I got at IMATS, but I couldn’t find it. Too bad for me. :( Come see why. Continue reading →

EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set Review & Pictures

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EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone 6-Piece Bag & Brush SetGoogle “Trash Vortex”, and I guarantee that you’ll instantly feel the need to do something good for Mother Nature.

We throw a lot away and often forget that it’s collected in landfills. Heaping. Stinking.

Earth Day may be over, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing our part for the planet.

One way that helps is to purchase products made with eco-friendly and renewable sources.

Sure, it’s hard to avoid plastic and litter, and nobody is perfect, but the more conscious we are about our daily choices, the less waste will wind up in our landfills.

I’ve been wanting to try EcoTools’ brushes for a long time. And I finally did! Let me tell you what I think about the EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set, which is eco-friendly and cruelty-free. Continue reading →

The Beauty Products I Can’t Live Without

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Products I Use Every DayThere were lots of products that I fell in love with. But sometimes things just weren’t meant to be. They started seeing other people. And they made up lame excuses for sneaking out in the middle of the night. Needless to say, the relationship was cut short.

Of course I was heartbroken, but new products entered my life. Some took me for dinner and a movie. Others serenaded me with a Spanish guitar. And one special product made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Here are the products that I’ve been faithful to because they’ve never let me down when I needed them. We plan to grow old together and celebrate many happy anniversaries. Continue reading →