The Skincare Freak

photo credits to https://www.luxiebeauty.com/

Tarte Limited Edition Artful Accessories Brush Set

Bought for: P1500 | SRP: $44 (around P2200)

Bought from: an online shop

Hey, there! Because I felt like I wasn't able to fulfill my 2019 goal - wherein I should post reviews of all the makeup brushes I own, both individual and by sets - I'm starting 2020 with a blog review featuring this vibrant, elaborately-designed brushes I got from the brand, Tarte. This is the so-called Artful Accessories Brush Set. By just hearing the name without seeing, you will really have this fancy-looking, adorable brushes in mind. The set features five brushes in total with 3 face and 2 eye brushes which, for me, is definitely a great number for the price I paid for.

Aside from the brushes, you get this plastic gold brush holder which I ended up recycling as a holder for my travel-sized skincare items. The brushes are made of soft, synthetic bristles which I kind of expected because the brand promotes cruelty-free products. I like that despite several washes, the bristles are able to maintain their shape and they don't become flimsy whatsoever. The overall aesthetic is okay and perhaps, my only disappointment are the patterns on the brushes as they can be easily rubbed off. I wouldn't be surprised if one day, all that's left are the gold. Hmm, I think they wouldn't look so bad anyway for gold is classic!

CHEEK BRUSH

This is a multipurpose brush that I basically use as a powder brush. But! You don't label a brush solely for one purpose because this brush right here is indeed multitasking! You can use it with your favorite bronzer, contour or blush. The brush head is quite dense and soft that you won't have any hard time blending your powder products into your face. It picks up a great amount of product and really makes your life so much easy.

COMPLEXION BRUSH

HIGHLIGHTER BRUSH

BLENDING EYE SHADOW BRUSH

This is one of my favorite brushes in this collection because this brush is domed and dense enough to pack on base eye shadows and define the crease. It's also a multipurpose brush because the density makes it suitable for blending and spot concealing. It sheds about twice during wash but never again after that.

SHADING EYE SHADOW BRUSH

This brush is flimsy compared to the rest of the brushes in the collection and has quite long bristles. That makes it great for blending the eye makeup and make sure everything is well-dispersed and seamless. Because of the length though, you cannot count on it for precision. The size of the brush head is great for highlighting the small areas of the face like the brow bone and bridge of the nose.

You cannot really expect to achieve a full makeup with just these five brushes and more often than not, you will find yourself reaching out to something else on your vanity. However, given the quality of the bristles and the adorable patterns, you're still getting more than what you're actually paying for. Tarte are famous for sales and discounts so that's really something to offer!

Hi, there! So as you know, I like shopping through US websites. Unfortunately, most of them doesn't ship to freight forwarding companies like shippingcart.com, myus.com and my-shoppingbox.com. If you're still reluctant or doesn't know the process of using freight forwarders for international orders, I've made separate blogs about them.You may check the links down below! Any way, I'm very pleased that Wet N' Wild ships to warehouse addresses so wherever you are in the world, you can shop straight from the manufacturer.

Read the articles: A Guide for First-Time Buyers of US-Based Online Shops With My Shopping Box and Shopping From U.S. With Shipping Cart

WHAT TRANSPIRED

I placed my order last October 16, 2019 and I received an e-mail confirmation right away saying that they received my order. I keep my receipts and stuff for records but I decided not to post it here for security purposes. Wet N Wild shipped my order October 19, 2019 so that was three days after I placed my order. I'm pretty sure they received tons of orders that particular day so I was still glad they shipped my items pretty quick on a sale season. Normally on other shops, it may take to up to a week before my items leave the warehouse.

On October 25, 2019, I received an e-mail notification from my-shoppingbox.com that a parcel has reached my suite. All I have to do is pay and authorized the shipment and the courier will just have the order shipped to me. Since I opted for the sea cargo (slower but cheaper mode of shipping), I had to wait until December 07, 2018 before I get my items delivered to my doorstep. That's pretty fast because I'm expecting 2 months from the day of authorization to get it.

So there, I received my orders in the best condition. - no dents, marks, damages or anything. I checked my receipt and I got everything complete. My items has been handled and packed well so kudos!

Overall, it was a pleasure doing a transaction from the website. The overall business is fast and easy since we're only talking about the transaction that transpired from the day I ordered up to the day it was delivered on the warehouse. It was exactly 9 days - could be less because freight forwarders still process and check the items before posting on the website and notifying the customers.

Ecotools Domed Bronzer Brush (old packaging)

Bought for: P390 | SRP: P650

Bought from: Ecotools Lazada

So I'm getting so hyped up about the upcoming 12.12 sale that I thought of writing today to make way for shopping tomorrow (lol). Today, I'm going to share a review about this oldie but goodie item from the brand Ecotools. I'm sure af that I don't have to tell you some backgrounder about this brand because it's a reputable leader in eco-conscious beauty products and many has considered their makeup brushes as simply holygrails. Since I've had a couple of this brush for quite some time, I decided to do a review about it since you're gonna see it flashing on Lazada's 12.12 sale. Without further ado, here's goes nothing!

CLAIMS

As you can see, this brush has an eco-friendly renewable bamboo handle and recycled aluminum handle that makes me feel more like an environmentalist. The brush itself is bulky but it's unbelievably lightweight so I don't find myself troubling about it during travels. I also appreciate that they took time in printing the brand and brush names on the handle because other brushes lack this feature and I don't think that will be very helpful for beginners.

Sigma Beauty F23 Soft Tapered Contour Brush

Bought for: P480 | SRP: $27 (approx. P1,400)

Bought from: SM Beauty

CLAIMS

This brush comes in a sturdy plastic packaging which I threw away because I don't like plastics, well, that's actually the main reason and I don't think I'll ever use that one  for storage. As expected and always typical to every Sigma brushes, the F23 Soft Tapered Contour Brush is made from the highest-quality fibers (exclusive synthetic antimicrobial fibers). The ferrule is very sturdy as it's made of durable and corrosion-resistant SigmaAlloy™, precious metal plating for shine and strength. The responsibly sourced, lightwood handles are also sleek and durable and is covered with 8 coats of paint plus primer for lasting beauty.

You can really tell that a lot of money and hard work are put into it because the brush has a weight to it and everything looks just polished and even. I bought my first ever makeup brushes from Sigma Beauty and up until now, they look like they've just been bought. Of course, you have to make sure to clean and store them properly.

The brush head is very dense and angled so it easily mimics the shape and hugs the contour of the face. It's very similar to Sigma F84 Angled Kabuki except this one is slightly bigger. It's made of dense bristles that are very, very soft and I cannot stress how much they are of quality. It feels so gentle on the skin and I like that it retains its shape perfectly no matter how many times I wash it. Also, it doesn't shed at all.

This brush lives up to its promise of blending your contour very well and ensure that they look soft and natural. The dense brush does blends everything seamlessly, ensuring that you don't get that sharp,  harsh lines. This brush is very easy to work with and it fits right perfectly to where I want to apply my contour.

Another thing that turns me on is the fact that this brush is multi-tasking too. It can be used as a blush brush or as a finishing brush to dust away excess makeup or powder. You can even use it to set everything to place or use it to apply powder foundation.

Ecotools Blending and Bronzing Brush

Bought for: $9.99 (approx. P500)

Bought from: an online shop

I'm sorry if I'm bombarding you with makeup tool reviews and that's because I've gotten too much and that I want to get over with it once and for all. This time, we'll be talking about this Ecotools Blending and Bronzing Brush which I got from a retailer of authentic makeups in Shopee.

CLAIMS

This brush reminds me of my only favorite from the brand Coastal Scents - Classic Buffer Brush Large Synthetic. Both of which has the same density and almost about the same surface area. The Ecotools' are ever so slightly bigger. One thing I just don't really like is that the brush looks old because the bristles turn even more yellowish/brownish over time despite several washes. It's the same with other Ecotool's duo fiber brushes which I'm hoping the brand would improve on.

Also, this brush sheds a bit more frequently than the rest of the brushes I have in my stash. Nonetheless, it's soft and it's not irritating on the skin and it just does the job in giving natural warmth by blending bronzers seamlessly. I like that it's big and fluffy and not too dense so it distributes product well and even.

Ecotools Total Perfecting Blender

Price: P550

Bought from: Ecotools Lazada

I've already shared my most recent Lazada haul and one of the few makeup tools I got is this Ecotools Total Perfecting Blender. It wasn't in my cart until I needed a few extra bucks to take advantage of the free shipping option. I am so happy that I gave it a go and it feels like I couldn't live without this blender anymore!

CLAIMS

This blender is very much reminiscent of every beauty guru's all-time favorite Beauty Blenders. The latter is still a bit better in my opinion but Ecotools' are still awesome on its own for the reason that it's about half the price of regular Beauty Blenders. Also, it's vegan and cruelty-free.

I love that it's phenomenal - I mean every corner and part of this blender has its use! It comes with two flat sides which you can use for baking and for concealing. When wet, this sponge grows in size and the butt part is enough to cover a huge surface area so you get the job done very fast and easy. On regular days though, I like using the bigger flat side for foundation because it's more ergonomic. The smaller side is perfect to blend out concealer on smaller surface area.

This product comes in green color which is fine since I always prefer darker shades so stains will look very minimal. I'm still delighted that this sponge cleanses well with my Beauty Blender Liquid Blender Cleanser. Also, compared to other cheap sponges, this go back to its original shape once dried.

Overall, Ecotools Total Perfecting Blender is a great investment. This blends makeup very nicely and seamless on the skin so you get medium-full coverage. As advised, use it dry for fuller coverage and wet for sheer and dewy finish. Either way, I like how my base makeup looks whenever I use this. Also, it's a great alternative for the expensive Beauty Blenders - just saying if you are budget-conscious like me.

You can purchase this product at Ecotools official website or stores here in the Philippines. They have trust-worthy retailers at Shopee, Zalora and Lazada. Just be careful and make sure you are buying from certified official stores because yep, imitations are everywhere!

Ecotools Ultimate Concealer Duo

Bought for: P450 | SRP: P650

Bought from: Ecotools in Lazada

CLAIMS