New brushes : web discoveries – Part 2
If you have been reading the recent comments, you may know that yesterday I received a few new brushes, 6 bought on the Tanseido website and 3 on the Rakuten website. In the afternoon I managed to also buy a funny brush but you’ll know more if you get to the end of the post…
My research at the moment is specially targeting :
- Mac 239 dupes
- Small (tiny) and very soft laydown brushes
- Suqqu dupes
- Big eyeshadow brushes OR small cheek brushes
- Foundation brushes
With that in mind, I ordered the following brushes :
I have to say that my (and our) determination is transforming our research for exceptional brushes into a fun an scarily easy process…
The Chikuhodo Z Series
I am actually very excited to write this little post about the Chikuhodo Z Series, I discovered them not that long ago, I started with the Z-8, Z-5 and Z-10 and today, the Z-1, Z-2 and Z-4 also joined my collection, I also have the intention to get the rest of the Z-Series, some day. I know, I clearly don’t need that many eye or face brushes since I only have 2 eyes and 2 cheeks, but I am a crazy brush fan and collector and I actually do use them all.
It’s good to know that Chikuhodo is the manufacturer of Suqqu, RMK, Lunasol and many other great Japanese brands, then you understand even better where the quality and handcraft of these brands comes from.
When I tried these Chikuhodo Z Series for the first time, I was wondering how I could still give some love to my older brushes. There are only a few makeup related items that make me feel like a Gollum, not only because they are so hard to get your hands on, but these Z Series are the best quality brushes I have ever had. I am preparing a new “favorite brushes” post since my collection has dramatically changed from last year, these Chikuhodo will all figure on my favorite brushes post.
They are all grey squirrel and are meant for powder products. I am not going to repeat myself under each brush description, but, they all are HG to me and they all are worth their price tag.
Holiday post – Beauty items packed lightly…
I used to pack too much makeup in the past but I am getting better, this time I really have to pack even lighter, I don’t have the choice since we are leaving on our motorbikes. Not my favorite means of transport but next year I will do something more “me”, maybe New York or the Maldives ?
I started packing, even though I could absolutely leave home only with my moisturizer, my mascara and my lip balm, I decided to pack some more things, still too many but let’s see what I can do…, so far it sums up to :
Ultimate flattering matte and satin eyeshadows for everyone
Some years ago I felt it was time to upgrade my makeup products and adapt my makeup routine, I sat at the Trish McEvoy counter one day and they told me what I was doing wrong. They kept on saying “Now you have to… Now you cannot..” it was a bit upsetting because I had to face the fact that I wasn’t 20 anymore and I was also sad because I loved shimmery and metallic textures and daring looks. However, when I left their counter that day, I looked much younger and refreshed, they weren’t wrong at the end 
I am in my 40′s and it’s now a necessity for me to pay attention to what makeup I wear and how I wear it, these are my eyeshadow rules and recommendations :
- Find the right texture, not too powdery, not too shimmery, if you see that the texture accentuates the wrinkles and settles into the lines, upgrade your makeup to a more appropriate eyeshadow finish
- Place the dark colors at the right place, use smaller and more precise brushes
- Blend well and define without harsh lines
- Find the colors and the looks that are the best for you, “Less is more” is definitely the best way to go, but with the right products and right techniques there is no reason you could not afford a more dramatic look
- Always use a primer, it will help to prevent the eyeshadow from sliding into the fine lines and I choose a primer that is lighter than my foundation (Laura Mercier, Trish or UD Eden)
- After applying the eyeshadow, if I find that the result is too shimmery and not appropriate, I take a cotton a go softly over the eyeshadow application, it really does help to remove that over shimmery-looking effect when I don’t have time to start over.
- I sometimes use secret-weapon products like the Trish Line Refiner for around the eyes orthe Chantecaille Lip contour for around the lips…
- Last but it’s actually the most important advice I could give you : use good make up brushes !
The eyeshadows I will show you here are mattes, satin, some are even more shimmery but they all are extremely forgiving and flattering, I have tried to pick mostly mattes but I really love a more luminous and silky finish so there’s a bit of everything :
Most of them are extremely expensive brands, you can find less expensive brands that also work well but here I am talking about ultimate results and most of the time you will have to pay the price for that.
Some of these palettes might be discontinued and I am really sorry about that, but, it will show them to you anyway, this will give you an idea of what the brand has and if one day you come across some sale or outlet, then you may even find them at a good price. If I mention them here, it’s because I highly recommend them and I am hoping that if they are not available anymore, the Brand will re-promote them or add them into their permanent collection.
Trish McEvoy – some brushes reviewed
I have finally been able to see Trish brushes in person, until last week I had only two, the 37 bronzer and the 40 medium laydown that I both got via swaps in Makeupalley. Last week I bought a few others and even though it’s a bit too soon to review them in detail, I will show you some comparisons.
I bought the 45 in Liberty and the others in Selfridges, these are the only two places where I know you can get Trish McEvoy in London.
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