Maychiri's Thoughts: November 2023

Avon Flat Foundation Brush 105 Review

November 29, 2023

The only real review for today is one brush! One Avon brush to spice things up – this is the Avon Flat Foundation Brush 105!

I prefer to apply foundations with a brush. I know how to use sponges, and I really like using them and how foundation looks with them, but at the end of the day I started off using brushes so they are what I am most used to. And Avon had a flat foundation brush as part of their basic brush range. Avon brushes have been pretty good in the past, which is one reason why I wanted to order it. The other being that I simply wanted to complete the collection. So, does this brush continue the tradition of being a good brush? Let’s see!

Packaging: this brush comes, like all Avon brushes, in a very flimsy plastic bag that does nothing to protect the brush during transport. That’s pretty cheap, but at least you get a good brush guard that makes sure the hairs are protected! Or well, it does if you don’t throw it away immediately like I have... oops.

The brush itself is very high quality! Every part of it seems robust and well-made. As for the design, it continues the standard Avon brush design, which is: solid black handle, rose gold ferrule and a gorgeous dark brown brush head.

The handle is thick; the only detail is the number of the brush with the area it’s supposed to be used for. The logo is found on the beautiful metallic rose gold ferrule. I already said that the brush head is gorgeous, this is because the hairs look almost indistinguishable from natural hairs! They’re dark brown/black with some lighter brown streaks – this streaking is what gives them this natural look. They look very high quality, but how do they feel?

Well, the answer to that question is that they feel velvety soft and very luxurious! These hairs are synthetic, but they neither look nor feel synthetic. Although they are fairly glossy, this is because the hairs are super smooth; almost every flat foundation brush has glossy hairs. The hairs are cut perfectly evenly into this slightly tapered shape. It’s not too flat, in fact, it feels dense and thick for a flat foundation brush! There is not a single stray hair and absolutely no fall-out either, which just speaks of the high level of quality this brush has!

So, this brush is literally perfect! The hairs stay extremely soft no matter how you use this brush; whether it’s tapping, or swirling, or a back-and-forth motion, it stays velvety soft! Maybe just the tiniest bit prickly when you tap, but that is honestly only noticeable once there’s already some product buildup on the brush. This brush picks up a ton of foundation, but the difference here is that it doesn’t absorb a lot of it! So most of it stays on the brush hairs instead of seeping into them. This reduces waste and also helps you get a more even, fuller coverage finish! Indeed, this brush applies foundations perfectly evenly, and it blends them out in literal seconds!

I like to use a mixture of a sweeping motion and a swirling one, this blends even hard-to-blend foundation in an instant, and it doesn’t overblend it or cause pilling. And best thing? No streakiness at all! It just leaves you with a perfectly blended out, thick layer of foundation. If I am using brushes to blend foundation, it literally never looks quite as good as when I an using this brush! It’s miraculously good!

Washing: extremely easy! The sleek, glossy hairs make washing this brush a breeze! The hairs don’t absorb shampoo and it’s easy to rinse out that shampoo. Of course, foundation is always going to be a pain to get out of brushes, but this brush makes the whole process quick and painless. You will probably need to go through multiple passes until you fully rinse out the last remaining traces of foundation, but since the hairs are so sleek it’s not a problem. There is also no fall-out or fraying post-wash and this brush keeps its shape wondrously, even if you have been washing it for a while! And it doesn’t take too long to dry!

All in all, this might just be the best flat foundation brush I ever had! It’s extremely soft, which isn’t a common occurrence with this type of brush! Like, even if you tap or swirl with it, it feels mega soft! It also doesn’t absorb too much foundation into the hairs, so there’s less product waste. And it doesn’t stop there, as this brush is absolutely a joy to use! It blends foundation so easily and with no streaks at all; you can blend foundation in seconds, even is it is a greasier one! This is the perfect brush for just about anybody, especially those who aren’t yet too skilled with flat foundation brushes, as it is just so easy to use you’ll get the hang of it in no time! And the hairs are incredible quality; no fraying or fall-out and it is extremely easy to wash! Avon tends to have at least good brushes, I am so glad that this one is flat-out excellent! I love it so much that I would use it constantly, although I should really rotate between my flat foundation brushes instead, as I’ve got enough to do that. Frankly, this brush is perfect! Naturally, it will get my top recommendation – if you want to buy one Avon brush, definitely pick this one first! It will be the best first impression you could ever imagine!

Rating: 10/10

Would buy again? YES, absolutely

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Avon

Reviews From the Past - Part 37

November 29, 2023

Heeelooo!

It may not be summer anymore, but that doesn't mean we cannot indulge in some beachy vibes!

This was one of my monthly Avon orders, one of the earlier ones, in fact! There's not much to truly review here, as you can see. Only the brush. But I will say a few words about the other products, as well! The lipstick tester I ordered on a whim; I didn't really like it too much. It was too waxy and heavy for me.

Source: Avon

The shower creme is part of a range that I knew immediately I wanted to try! I looove strawberries, and the combination of yogurt with strawberries sounded way too delicious to pass up! Indeed, it smells exactly like strawberry yogurt; the hot water of the shower makes it smell even more intense! And it sooo dreamy creamy! It's up there among the softest, creamiest shower gels that I ever used. And it leaves skin feeling very soft and supple! I really love this shower cream - so much that I later ended up ordering a 500mL bottle! It's really a fantastic shower cream!

Now, onto the way more exciting item - the trio of flamingo makeup bags! Look, if there's one thing that is certain, it's that I absolutely adore flamingos and want to have them everywhere! So, when I saw this bag set in the catalogue, I ordered it ASAP! They may not have been the cheapest but they are certainly worth the price, as they are fantastic!

So, it's three makeup bags with three different materials and three different sizes. This is super useful, as you can pick and choose which bag you want to use for specific items. Also, they stack, so if you decide to store them, you can just fold them and put them inside one another! Very useful!

The large bag is transparent and feels like it is made out of that 'pool floatie' material; it also smells like a pool floatie! I love the flamingo design here. It's literally giant - like, I can fit a whole face of makeup plus a couple of large eyeshadow palettes inside, easily! It's high quality and doesn't lose its shape even if you absolutely stuff it with makeup. It can also hold a surprising amount of weight! Although, because it is made of this plastic, it can, of course, stick if you leave it in storage for a longer time.

The middle-sized bag is fabulously pink! And it has two adorable flamingos on the front! The material here is almost like cloth, but synthetic cloth as it's smooth. It's large enough for a whole face of makeup, although large eyeshadow palettes might not fit. It's just as high quality as the first bag; the zip is well-made and the bag can take a good amount of weight.

The last one is the smallest one; this one has no flamingo details, sadly. It's, again, made of that pool-floatie-like material and smells like it. This one is really small, really, not a lot of things fit inside it. This is why I don't use this bag often, although it can be useful if you only need to carry a few items to fix on-the-go (like, say, lipsticks). It's small enough to fit in most purses. Just like the largest bag, this one also tends to stick if you leave it in storage for longer.

Now, the only in-depth review for today:

Avon Flat Foundation Brush 105

See you soon!

Maja

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Calming

Eucerin Dermopure Adjunctive Soothing Cream Review

November 22, 2023

Now, last but certainly not least, an all-star moisturiser! This is the Eucerin Dermopure Adjunctive Soothing Cream!

So yeah... I’d been using the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo(+) for literal years, completely ignoring just how it’s actually not the best moisturiser ever, even for my acne-prone skin. Nowhere near worth its price. This realisation finally came to me after I started using makeup more often, as then I noticed just how much it pills. So, I obviously had to go look for another moisturiser, to replace Effaclar Duo (+). After some time searching, I found this one, which is made specifically for skin that’s been treated for acne and helps restore the skin’s natural barriers. Eucerin is a well-known brand, but it is one of those more expensive brands (like Vichy) that is usually too expensive for me. But if it actually helps, it doesn’t matter that it’s slightly too expensive! So, does it help? And is it better than Effaclar Duo (+)? I sure hope so, but let’s see!

Packaging: outer packaging is made of laminated cardboard, this makes it look quite high-end and expensive. As it should for a cream that isn’t quite cheap! It looks like a medical product with the light green that looks exactly like the one used in hospitals. Lots of text all over! The bottle is made of glossy plastic and it’s completely white (bar the text of course). Same medical design as the outer packaging. I really like this, it looks expensive and sleek! The cap closes very tightly, making a satisfying click when you close it properly. This cream features a pump dispenser. The pump is high quality, robust and very precise. You can easily dose the exact amount of cream you’d like. It doesn’t get clogged up. It can dispense a large amount of cream if you press it fully! I like to do like a half press, which is enough for my entire face. Excellent pump, truly!

There is just one thing that bothers me, and this isn’t specific to this pump, but pump dispensers in general, it’s very hard to know how close you are to finishing the cream! I’ve had more than one occasion where the cream ran out when it still seemed like there was plenty left, so I was left scrambling to quickly order a new one! So best to have a spare one in storage for when this happens! In all other aspects, the bottle is superb!

Ingredients: glycerine, panthenol/provitamin B5, squalane, Chinese licorice (Glycyrrhiza inflata) root extract, ceramide (as ceramide NP) for nourishment. No parabens. Oh now this is how it should be – actives as close to the top of the list as possible! Panthenol is the third ingredient, while squalane is the 5^th one overall. So there’s definitely a lot of panthenol here, no doubt about that! They claim to have something they call “SymSitive”, this is a fluid containing pentylene glycol and 4-t-butylcyclohexanol. They claim this calms down irritated skin (and here I thought they were talking about panthenol, oops!). There is also something they call “Licochalcone A”, which is, put simply, Chinese licorice extract that soothes the skin. Also ceramides, although they are far down the list. A pretty impressive list overall! The scent is barely noticeable, just a tad plasticy or rubbery. Good that it isn’t extremely intense, this makes it better suited for sensitive skin! The expiration date is 12 months after opening, but there is also a concrete date on the packaging.

This is a pure white cream, as usual. The formula is greasy and relatively watery, but that’s not a bad thing here! It is extremely lightweight, which makes it super comfortable to wear throughout the day. I love this formula, it feels like it has been specifically made for oily, acne-prone skin... wait, yeah it has!

It feels very hydrating and not at all greasy, and because it is lightweight and absorbs in seconds, you won’t even be able to feel it! Even though it does feel a bit tacky when you touch it, it doesn’t feel icky or tacky on the skin. And it doesn’t pill at all, unlike La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Duo (+)! This is one reason why this is a far superior cream. Because it can actually function as a great base for makeup, without ruining everything with all the pilling!

This cream is specifically made to help the skin recover from harsh anti-acne treatments. It does not actually prevent or heal acne themselves. So, that said, I am very happy with the results! Sure, I still get breakouts often, but they are much less severe now that I have switched over to using this cream! Acne rarely get to a point where they are painful to touch or heavily inflamed. My skin’s texture also looks visibly improved; it’s less craggy and broken, and it feels smoother even when I remove the cream. It seems to help heal acne scars to some degree, although it is much better than I anticipated. My skin also feels and looks more hydrated throughout the day; no longer is it a horribly oily mess, now it has a healthy amount of shine and it doesn’t feel like it’s suffocating under all the sebum. So it obviously helps regulate how much sebum is produced, which is major for me as I suffer from super oily skin naturally!

Despite having ceramides, it doesn’t prevent or fill in expression lines, though. So yeah, the results may not be super visible because it doesn’t actually prevent acne. It might look like there is not much going on since the pimples are still there, but oh there is – you just gotta look more closely, and you’ll see how healthy the skin looks now! And it works with basically any serum I apply underneath, no pilling or separation of the cream itself! Also, a fantastic, smooth base for makeup! Fantastic results, especially with how my skin feels! No more tightness or discomfort from sebum, and it can also reduce itching pretty well!

All in all, yup, this is my new daily moisturiser and I ain’t stepping away from it! The difference between this and Effaclar Duo (+) is night-and-day; where one was too light, failed to keep my skin smooth and kept pilling horribly, the other one is lightweight but very nourishing, smooths out my skin’s texture and can be used under makeup as it doesn’t pill. Seriously, I am struggling to find something to complain about with this cream! I cannot complain about it not preventing new acne because it is not meant to do that, like, there’s nothing in it that could do that, even. But what it was made for, to calm the skin and restore its balance, it does wonderfully! The formula is a bit watery but still very greasy, but, unlike many other greasy creams, this one absorbs within seconds, without a greasy feeling or excess shine. It’s definitely a high-end formula formulated with special needs in mind. I love it! It’s super comfortable and feels hydrating and nourishing, not at all greasy! It also makes my skin very smooth, which is quite important if I plan to apply makeup on top! Speaking of, this is a great moisturiser not only because of the luxe formula or because it actually helps keep my skin balanced, but also because it never pills. Never. If there is pilling, it must be something under or over it, as this cream literally never pills. I tested it, if you are in doubt. As for the results, they are splendid! This cream keeps my skin in good condition (apart from acne); the surface of the skin is much smoother now, with less pits, and there is less hyperpigmentation after acne heal. While acne don’t seem to heal much faster with this cream, the skin recovers from acne much faster, making it less likely to cause scarring. It’s a result that is much more felt than able to be seen. In short, it is spectacular! Now, do I wish it would help prevent breakouts in the future? Yeah, but I feel like it’s good that this cream isn’t trying to do everything all at once. This allows it to be specialised in restoring the skin’s barrier, and be great at it, instead of being mediocre at more functions. I am sooo happy with cream! Like, I adore it! Yes, it is much more expensive than Effaclar Duo (+) – and very hard to find, as it is not available in pharmacies here, unlike Effaclar Duo (+) – but it is so worth it! Trust me, the skin-repairing effects are absolutely worth the high price! Yup, I low-key knew I could count on Eucerin! Top recommendation for this wonderful adjunctive cream!

Rating: 8.5/10

Would buy again? Absolutely YES (in fact, I have been buying it for months now)

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Astra

Astra Pure Beauty Lip Pencil [02 - Bamboo] Review

November 22, 2023

The third of four reviews today is going to be this lovely little lip liner, the Astra Pure Beauty Lip Pencil, shade 02/Bamboo.

Brown lip liners and lipsticks are my little obsession, so when I saw this lip liner I knew I had to have it. It looked so beautiful on pictures! It’s also really cheap, but don’t think that that affects its quality. This is part of a natural make up line of products from Astra; now, I don't usually gravitate towards 'natural' beauty products because they tend to expire too quickly; however, this range seemed very promising! So, let's check this little lip liner out and see whether it is actually good!

Packaging: this is just a wooden pencil that has a cap that fits extremely tightly. I really like the white text, it makes it all look really sleek. There is a coloured part on one end of the pencil that matches the colour of the pencil itself perfectly. Quite a simple design, but I love how natural it looks!

Ingredients: coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil, vitamin E for nourishment. No parabens. Hmm, this ingredient list is quite short, isn't it? The scent is waxy. The expiration date is 18 months after opening.

As most wooden lip pencils, this one, too, is very precise. It’s super easy to line your lips the way you want, even if the tip is blunt. There isn’t any smudging, whether with a sharp or blunt tip.

Also, there was absolutely no tugging or pulling, thanks to the smooth, waxy formula. The formula is thick, but soft, smooth and so wonderful to use! It’s not too soft, but applying it all over the lips does use up quite a lot of the liner due to the soft, creamy formula. I love this formula; it is so easy to use and always ends up looking ridiculously rich and high-end! And because it is so soft, it doesn't exaggerate the fine lines of the lips, instead making them look luscious and smooth! Wonderful!

The pigmentation is really intense and bold. Even if you press lightly you'll get an intense layer of pigment. I love how deeply pigmented it looks with just one thin layer, never mind with multiple layers like I always apply it. Ahh, I cannot get over how seductive it looks!

This is a neutral-toned brown lip liner, perfect for autumn. It looks so intense on pale skin! But it's not just brown you see, it's got a good dose of rosey pigments that give it this unbelievably flattering warmness. It doesn't look like natural bamboo, now does it?? It's way too dark and intensely brown for that. Anyways, this is a gorgeous colour, especially on us pale-skinned! Perfectly intense!

The texture is semi-matte; there’s some satin sheen that I really like. It looks soft and luscious. It feels quite soft and creamy on lips; after a while it can get a bit dry but it’s nowhere near as bad as matte lip liners tend to feel, though. My lips didn’t feel dried out one bit after a whole day of wearing this liner. With all that said it’s not surprising that this lip liner is very comfortable to wear. Adding to that comfort is the fact that it doesn't feel tacky at any point, you can thank the luxe formula for this!

The durability of this lip liner is excellent! There wasn’t any feathering, smudging or fading after more than 6 hours and it still looked as soft as when it was freshly applied. It also held up very well against greasy food, as there was only some fading on the centre of the lips. It was noticeable that it had faded, but it wasn’t severe, and still looked nice. Still, it would probably be a good idea to reapply it post eating or drinking. I had absolutely no issues removing this liner, be it with micellar water or with a specialised cleanser. It’s extremely easy to remove with either, just one swipe is enough.

It’s also extremely easy to sharpen, and doesn’t break easily. The wood is high quality and doesn't splinter from sharpening.

All in all, this is a fantastic lip liner! The low price point is not at all indicative of its quality, which exceeds even those of lip liners that cost 5 times as much! Seriously, it's like the best bang for your buck you can find! The formula is soft and comfortable and just waxy enough to glide easily but not feel heavy. The pigmentation is truly intense and rich and the colour is just unbelievably gorgeous! This neutral toned brown is just so fricking cool, and it would surely look amazing in the autumn, with the background of yellowed tree leaves. Indeed, I prefer to wear it in autumn! I naturally gravitate towards brown lip colours in autumn and this liner is one of the first ones I will grab! The durability is incredible! It feels really comfortable on lips and it’s super easy to remove (it literally takes a few seconds to remove). Although it does not like food all too much, it still deals with it well, only fading a little bit. The only complaint I have is that, due to its softness, it get used up a lot just to fill the lips completely, so it won’t last a great deal many applications if I keep using it like this. Still, it’s cheap, so it’s not that big of a deal. So, as you can see, unlike many ‘natural’ cosmetics products, this lip liner is absolutely fantastic! So it’s no wonder it gets an absolute recommendation! Good introduction to Astra lip products, eh? You know, I might order a few other colours as well, since I love this one so much... maybe another brown... or maybe a rosewood colour?

Rating: 9.5/10

Would buy again? Definitely YES

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Cute as Shell

Essence Cute as Shell Nail Polish [01 - You're An Ang-Shell!] Review

November 22, 2023

The second item for today is the Essence Cute as Shell Nail Polish, shade 01/You're An Ang-Shell! Sheesh! That pun is really stretching it!

I actually really wanted the Cute as Shell Lip Balm, instead of this nail polish. I’ve always been kind of ehh about peach nail polishes, so I really wasn’t sure whether or not to buy this polish. But since nobody had the lip balm in stock, I decided to get the nail polish. Heck, I just wanted to have a few items from this LE. Speaking of, this LE was so summery and cute! Just look at all the products it had! So many interesting items, especially that konjac sponge! Indeed, I ended up buying that cute sponge... don't want to spoil the review – check it out here, you'll want to! So, is this lil nail polish any good? Let’s see!

The entire LE; source: essence.eu

Packaging: typical Essence nail polish packaging. Just a clear, albeit robust, glass bottle with a rounded large cap. In this case, the cap is white. The cap closes extremely tightly. The text is gold, not the best choice when you have a peachy nail polish, but okay. It’s a pretty basic design, but I like the white cap, I think it suits the peach very nicely. Also, look at the cute little scallop!

Source: essence.eu

Ingredients: nothing nourishing. No harmful ingredients, including the three very bad ones (DBP, formaldehyde, toluene). The scent is your normal nail polish scent. The expiration date is 36 months after opening.

Since this collection is inspired by the beach and seashells, you’d expect this nail polish to follow suit. And it does! This is a surprisingly pretty peach colour with a ton of shimmer that is mostly pink, giving it a pink shine. The pink shine really complements the peach very well! The shimmer just makes it look otherworldly! It’s a really summery colour, for sure and, combined with the muted gloss, really does remind me of seashells! Specifically, the nacre layer of their shells. Really beautiful, though I do think it would suit slightly darker skintones better than us pale folk. It would be perfect on tan skin, I think. I expected this colour to be quite garish and vibrant, but instead it’s such a subtle colour on my nails; I never thought I’d like it this much!

The brush is excellent! It’s a wide, flat brush that picks up a ton of polish, so don’t forget to tap off the excess! Speaking of which, it always looks like there’s loads of polish on the brush, but when I go paint my nails I get a thin, sheer coat! Anyways, the brush deposits the polish evenly and richly and it’s big enough that only a couple of swipes are enough to get a good, even coat. It’s also precise enough to avoid getting too much nail polish on your cuticles. All in all, it can definitely rival Catrice nail polish brushes with how good it is!

The formula is interesting. It’s very, very thick but it’s still extremely easy to spread across nails. It’s also quite gelly, yet also very creamy. It reminds me of the old-school type of nail polish formula in some ways. Also, when you look at the brush it always looks like there’s so much more polish on it than there really is. And when you spread it across nails it suddenly feels not as thick as it looks. I was honestly surprised to see that this polish is actually sheer, especially after seeing the formula! I totally thought it would be a rich, opaque formula! It’s really interesting how it’s so thick and gelly, yet so easy to make it even and nice. Quite a perplexing formula, indeed!

One coat is very sheer. You can see the nails under it clearly, so you definitely need to build it up. Indeed, it is much better with two coats, but still not perfectly opaque. It’s about 90% opaque with two coats. You could go for three to have 100% opacity, but I think it would be too thick, so I’d just stay with two coats, max. The texture is quite interesting as it’s not your standard glossy texture. It is glossy, but not in a glassy way, it’s more like a muted, waxy gloss. In a lot of ways it reminds me of mother of pearl, only without the iridescence. There is also loads of (mostly pink) shimmer to give it a sparkling appearance. It’s a beautiful, pearly finish!

Longevity was quite good up until day 4. There weren’t any scratches, or if there were, they weren’t visible thanks to the shimmery, pearly finish. It was in perfect condition until day 3, when I noticed some chipping, but it wasn’t bad. It did, however, become bad by the end of the following day. There was a ton of chipping, all along the free edge of most nails. A hair wash made it even worse, so it ended up looking pretty bad. The only saving grace is that it’s a very subtle colour, so chipped off parts don’t stick out as much.

This polish is pretty easy to remove though you do have to be persistent in order to completely remove the shimmer. It didn’t require a whole lot of scrubbing to remove, which is good! And it didn’t leave any stains.

In conclusion: this is a surprisingly good nail polish! The formula is very thick and creamy but it’s, interestingly, also super easy to use and spread across nails. The brush is fantastic and both picks up a ton of pigment and spreads it perfectly evenly across nails! One coat is totally sheer, so if you want a more opaque finish you will need at least two coats; I wouldn’t apply more than two coats though, it might be too thick. I really love the colour, even if I, at first, thought that it would be garish. Instead it’s so subtle and beautiful! And the shimmer makes it so sparkly and special! And I love the pearly finish! I thought it would be a standard glossy texture but this pearly texture fits it so much better! The only bad thing is the longevity, which isn’t the best. It stays in amazing condition for a few days but then it starts deteriorating fast. It chipped off the free edge of most of my nails within a day after it first started chipping. Fortunately, the chipping isn’t too visible because the colour is so subtle. At first I more-or-less forced myself to try this polish out, I ordered it in place of something else I wanted; I didn’t actually want it that much. But it turned out to be actually really good, both in its quality and in its beauty! And it fits with the theme of shells, it really looks like a seashell! I definitely recommend it!

Rating: 7.5/10

Would buy again? Maybe YES

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Blush Brush

Catrice Tropic Exotic Highlighter and Bronzing Brush Review

November 22, 2023

The first review today is going to be this beautiful Catrice Tropic Exotic Highlighter & Bronzing Brush!

I must admit that when I saw this LE at Müller I instantly fell in love with the design of the products in it. Embossed powders, beautiful tropical prints on the packaging, vivid colours... it was extremely summery and just gorgeous! I had originally thought about buying three items from this limited edition; in the end I only bought one: this brush. Brushes are always useful and this one looked gorgeous, but is it any good?

The whole collection; source: IG/@catrice.cosmetics

Packaging: it came in plastic packaging with an insert in the back with information regarding the brush. I would much rather the packaging be made of cardboard, there’s way too much plastic being thrown away anyways. At least it kept the brush secure so that the hairs don’t get messed up. Although, because it is stiff plastic, it is sharp and difficult to open without cutting yourself.

The brush itself is just gorgeous! The ferrule and handle cap are reflective golden, adding a dash of glamour to this brush. The handle is textured, and feels like... rubber? In any case, it’s really comfortable to hold and has a good grip thanks to the textured material.

There is a tropical floral print with macaws that was the main reason why I even bought this brush in the first place. Just look at them, so awesome! I have to say that the brush feels very sturdy but still light.

The hairs are synthetic. They are amazingly soft, almost like fleece and are more matte than shiny. Even when tapping or stippling the hairs still feel super soft, so it’s perfect for those with sensitive skin. They are brown and don’t have any kind of colour gradient. They definitely both look and feel very well-made. Although, I did have a hair or two fall out, but these really dense brushes almost always have at least some fall-out, at least in my experience.

Now, even though it is marketed as a highlighting and bronzing brush, I really don’t think it could ever be precise enough for highlighters. The brush head is just way too large and the hairs are way too densely packed. What it is excellent for, though, is setting powder and blush. It is also good for contouring, although it is a bit too large. It applies powder so amazingly, and layers it on thickly. It’s so perfect for setting powder as I can mattify my entire face in literally seconds, and the powder will be applied evenly and it will be a thick layer. It seems to me that my setting powder looks better when applied with this brush! That also makes it good for blushes, although it might still be a tiny bit too big to apply blush precisely.

If you prefer a more diffused look for your blush then it’s ideal. It also blends so incredibly well, despite the dense hairs. All that makes it super easy to use.

It’s also super easy to wash, and doesn’t take a long time to rinse out the shampoo. Despite the huge density of the hairs it actually dries rather fast. There is usually no fall-out and the brush retains its shape.

All in all, I am really happy that this brush has lived up to my expectations! Catrice brushes have been pretty good in the past, so I was expecting this one to be very good, if not excellent. And it definitely is excellent! The brush hairs are super soft and the brush applies powder richly and evenly. And it blends extremely well, too! I use it mostly for setting powder, but it can also be used for contouring/bronzing, or blushers. I really don’t think it’s the right shape, or size, for highlighters. Also... look at that pattern on the handle, it’s beautiful, isn’t it? I am really enjoying using it, so I will definitely give it a recommendation! Just note that it was part of an LE, so it was gone for good soon after it arrived. Pity!

Rating: 9/10

Would buy again? YES

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Newer Posts Older Posts Home

Avon Flat Foundation Brush 105 Review

Reviews From the Past - Part 37

Eucerin Dermopure Adjunctive Soothing Cream Review

Astra Pure Beauty Lip Pencil [02 - Bamboo] Review

Essence Cute as Shell Nail Polish [01 - You're An Ang-Shell!] Review

Catrice Tropic Exotic Highlighter and Bronzing Brush Review

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Maja Sekulić

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