Sigma Makeup Professional Brush Kit

I wanted to post just one more review before 2009 is over that wasn't AVON! I know I've posted a lot of those, so here's another review on Sigma! After watching many guru's review the Sigma makeup brushes I had to see for myself if they were as good as I heard. I'm not a "professional" nor do I own any MAC brushes. So I hope you can believe me when I saw these brushes are AMAZING! I have never felt such soft brushes in my life! I do have over $250 worth of Bare Escentuals brushes, which I will review later, and they don't even compare to the Sigma brushes.

So the Set I got was the complete professional set with brush roll for $89.00. It was actually a gift from my husband, but of course I told him what I wanted! I could hardly wait for them to come. Because I ordered them late November, it took about two weeks for them to come. In the meantime, I was watching all the videos on Sigma of Tiffany D using them for the different beauty kits to go and the video about washing them properly. Makeup by Ren Ren has a great video on cleaning your Sigma brushroll!

So when I finally got my set I tore into that pretty packaging to play with all my new toys! No, I couldn't wait for Christmas, are you kidding me? So first off, I unwrap everything, which was put together very nicely. I was also surprised with a free large eyeshadow in Indian Girl.  And also a travel size SS217! These brushes are not only super soft, they have a real feel of quality about them. The handle is long and have a good weight about it. The ferrell feels very secure also. I didn't notice any ordor either, which was nice.So after I washed my Sigma brushes with baby shampoo, I laid them out to dry and I couldn't wait for morning when I could put them to the test!!

Here's a list of the brushes and descriptions included in this kit:

"SS150-Very dense with a rounded top. Ideal to apply powder products on face and body. Natural bristles.

SS190-Can be used to apply liquid or cream foundation. It is also recommended to apply moisturizers and conceal large areas. Synthetic bristles.

SS187-Specially designed to generate an ‘airbrushed’ finish when used to apply liquid foundation. It can also be used to apply blush, highlight shades and loose pigments. Blend of synthetic and natural bristles.

SS168-The angled shape makes this brush ideal to apply blush or contour shades. Natural bristles.

SS194-The rounded, tampered, flat shape makes this brush ideal to conceal the under eye area. It is also recommended for a precise application in small areas. Synthetic bristles.

SS275-Angled, tapered, flat top. Ideal to apply highlight shades underneath the eyebrow and on the inner corners. It can also be used for a precise application of darker shades on the crease area. Natural bristles.

SS266-Essential for the application of gel or cream eyeliner on the upper and lower lash line. This brush is also excellent to filling out the eyebrows. Synthetic bristles.

SS252-Flat shape is ideal for application of cream formulas and eye shadow primers. It also works great with loose eye shadows or pigments. Can be used to apply color all over the lid or precisely on the lash line. Natural bristles.

SS219-Precise application of color on the crease, outer corner, and upper and lower lash line. Also ideal to smudge out pencil liner. Natural bristles.

SS224-Rounded and tapered top. Specially designed to apply and blend color on the crease. Natural bristles.

SS209-An extra-fine tipped synthetic fiber brush that delivers a precise, firm, even stroke with which to line the eyes.

SS239-Soft and dense with a rounded finish. Can be used to apply pressed or loose eye shadows and pigments. Ideal to build intense color on the eyelid. Natural bristles."

The two additional brushes I got are:

"SS197-This exclusive flat top synthetic kabuki was designed to deliver a flawless makeup application. The Sigma Makeup SS197 is a buffer brush that can be used to blend powder or liquid products. The short and dense bristles make it easy to buff your liquid foundation. The long handle adds comfort to your makeup application. The synthetic fibers are ideal to be used with liquid products and can be easily cleaned." This one is $16.00.

"SS109-Ideal to apply, blend or contour powder products. Softly rounded dome tip smoothly blends colour into the face." This one is $14.00.

I would say the ones I use every single day are the SS109, SS150, SS219, and the SS239. I really am loving the SS197 also for my Bare Escentuals mineral foundation! It is so dense and so soft! It buffs the power right into my skin and really does look flawless!! I could say something great about every single one of these brushes, but this is so long already. But every single brush is really great and you will love them!

I do regret, just a little, buying the brush roll. It's nice and all, but I would have rather spent the money on the extra brushes I bought. I ended up putting the brushes in cups with bean bag fill (Thanks again Tiffany!) on my vanity. I have them seperated into face brushes in one and eye brushes in another. I've been using Sephora daily brush cleaner and baby shampoo once a week. To sum it all up, these are excellent quality brushes and you don't have to be a professional to use them! ***Next I want to buy a travel kit! $49.00.***

FTC Discloser:Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with any brands or companies mentioned.

AVON NAUTRAL & PINK RIBBONS LIP PALETTES

These two lip palettes from AVON are pretty nice. I was a little unsure how some of the colors would look on me. In the natural ribbon, you can see some colors look a little orange and others look pretty dark. But if you look at the swatches below (pink ribbons swatched on the top and natural ribbons swatched on the bottom), none of the colors are scary! Actually, they are pretty subtle and have a nice shine to them. They are a little sticky feeling though, which is probably the only thing I don't like about these. The same goes for the pink ribbons. They may look a little dark in the palette, but remember they are not lipsticks, they are lip glosses, so they go on sheer. When I wiped the swatches off my arm, I had no staining, so I don't think there's much staying power.

These also come with a double ended lip brush which is pretty nice and the palette as a mirror as well. You can find this at my online store www.youravon.com/avaladares for $12. Please do not select representative shipping unless you live in the Fredericksburg, VA area.

FTC Discloser: I am an AVON Representative. I purchased these products at a discount rate. I am not paid by AVON, or anyone else, to write this review. All opinions are mine.

AVON SPECTRACOLOR LIPSTICKS

If you are like me, you don't want to carry around several tubes of lipsticks or a big lip palette around in your purse for day to night or weekends away. AVON has come up with a fun way to bring 7 lip colors in one tube! They come in 10 color families. I have 3 of them; The nudes, The peaches, and The Roses.

These colors are all a bit glossy looking, so if you are looking for matte lipstick, this is not for you. Every single color is so pigmented and goes on so smoothly! They wear pretty nicely, but don't expect it to last ALL day. It does give you a little bit of a stain, I found that out when I tried wiping the swatches off my arms--it was a big hard to get off, I really had to scrub with an exfoliating wipe!

This is very easy to use, you just dial up the color you want. There are numbers on the dial, 1-7. 1 is the lightest and 7 is the darkest. There is also a lock on the dial which is great so when you throw this in your purse, you don't accidentally lose any!

The only thing that people may not like about this lipstick is that the applicator is hard to use on it's own. It can get product on outside your lips if you aren't careful. I always use a lip brush anyway, but for people who don't like to or just don't want to carry one around in their purse, may find this to be a problem. For me, I don't mind.

The Peaches:

 The Nudes:

The Berries:

As you can see, you can have a very light shade all the way to a very dark shade. These are also great to mix and blend your own custom colors. What I find myself doing alot as well is wearing a darker color and highlight the center of my lips with the lightest shade. SpectraColor has such nice texture, you don't even need to wear a gloss on top! They are just very shimmery-with no sparkle-and really fun to play with and wear!

For some reason, right now at least, AVON isn't selling these. But you can find them on Ebay starting around $5.39. I am wondering if AVON is rethinking the packaging to have a more independent applicator, rather than just the slanted tip--which I like! But I suppose only time will tell with this one! If you can get your hands on this one, do!

FTC Discloser: I am an AVON Representative. I purchased these products at a discount rate. I am not paid by AVON, or anyone else, to write this review. All opinions are mine.

AVON ANEW REVERSALIST RENEWAL SERUM & NIGHT CREAM

This is a new product from AVON. And let me just go ahead and say again, I am an AVON rep, but I am being completely honest about my reviews, otherwise what's the point? I did get a chance to use this before it came out on AVON's webpage or brochures. I've been using it for about a month and a half. Let me tell you a little bit about this first and why it is different.

Activin. What's that?

Activin: wrinkles are a result of micro-injuries to the skin, so AVON studied how skin heals. As part of the repair process, the body produces Activin. They studied this products effects on the skin for 5 years to make sure this really works. Designed to boost Activin, ANEW’s Activinol Technology helps reactivate skin’s repair process to recreate fresh skin & help dramatically reverse visible wrinkles.

So even though I just turned 30 this year and signs for wrinkles are not super visable, I wanted to go ahead and address them so they do not get worse! I have the slightest lines right under my eyes and two vertical lines next to the inside part of my brows, if that makes sense--sometimes they have been refered to as "the 11's". I hope you know what I'm talking about. Anyhow, I have definatly seen a reduction in these and I am so happy!

The serum feels amazing going on. You just need one or two pumps. I usually rub in on in circles and spread any excess on my neck. This is pretty light weight, so you can use it in the morning before you put on your moisturizer and makeup. It makes your skin feel very smooth and silky. I feel like I don't even need to put on moisturizer after! But of course I do. AVON hasn't released a day cream to go with this line yet, though I am sure one is coming. I use AVON's Rejuvinate day cream as of now.

In the evening, I use the Reveralist renewal night cream. It's heavier than the day cream but doesn't feel greasy at all. I wake up the next morning with some serious glowing skin! I love it.

You can find the renewal serum ($44) and the night cream ($32) at my online AVON store at www.youravon.com/avaladares. Please select direct delievery, unless you live in the Fredericksburg, VA area. Shipping is usually very inexpensive...probably cheaper than what you can find on Ebay or Amazon.

FTC Discloser: I am an AVON Representative. I purchased these products at a discount rate. I am not paid by AVON, or anyone else, to write this review. All opinions are mine.

AVON MAGIX FACE PRIMER

I have been using AVON's Magix face primer for about six months now and I am pleased to say that I really like it. It goes on super smooth and makes my pores less noticeable. It is a white gel-like product that comes in a one ounce tube. It blends right into your face, no matter what your skin tone is. Magix really makes my skin feel like velvet! The really helps my liquid foundation goes on very smoothly and holds in on much longer than when I do not use it. It has built in SPF 20, which I love! And I only need about a nickel size to cover my whole face really well.

It also comes in a tinted compact:

I have tried this one as well. I can't say that I am as pleased with this one. This is only .3 ounces, has only SPF 15 and it's the same price, $10.00. I don't remember off hand what color I bought--I already gave it away! But this one is just a whole different animal. It just didn't give me good enough coverage to use on its own and my skin didn't feel like it does when I use the tube. I don't get that velvety feeling or pore minimizing look at all. I would not buy this again, unless they were to reformulate it to make it better.

The only other primer I've used before is Urban Decay's Complexion Primer Potion-Pore Perfecting, which was only a sample. So I don't feel like I can really compare them properly. While I love Urban Decay's Eye Priming Potion, I just can't justify spending $30 for one ounce of their primer when I love my AVON $10 primer. If Urban Decay were to have a sale, I would purchase it and do a real comparison.

Pro: Creates a smooth canvas for foundation, feels great, no scent, minimizes pore and excellent price point.

Cons: Only comes in one ounce tubes, dries quickly-so spread fast!

FTC Discloser: I am an AVON Representative. I purchased these products at a discount rate. I am not paid by AVON, or anyone else, to write this review. All opinions are mine.

SIGMA MAKEUP BEAUTY ON THE GO NEUTRAL SHADES

After I saw Tiffany D's tutorial using this kit, I had to have it! It just looked so pretty!! At $36 for this kit, I was expecting a lot. The shades are all named after Rolling Stones song, which I thought was pretty cool. The lighest one is called Angie:

It is pretty light with a lot of shimmer to it! It is great for the inner corners of the eyes and on the brow bone.The next lighest color is called Brown Sugar:

This is a great brown with golden tones and a lot of shimmer as well. This is great to either pack on the lid or in the crease, depending on what kind of look you are going for. These are neural shades, but you can as dramatic looks as you can think up! The next color is called Indian Girl:

This is almost a graphite looking shade, also with shimmer, Excellent crease shade or even as a liner. The last color is called Brown Eyed Girl:

This is a black color, without being too dark. Great for dramtic crease or as a liner. This also has a lot of shimmer in it as well.

Here are the swatches on my fingertips (from left to right-Angie, Brown Sugar, Brown Eyed Girl, and Indian Girl):

As you can see, these colors are very pigmented and have tons on shimmer! They go on very smooth and blend like a dream! With my primer these colors have stayed on all day! **I've not tried them without primer** I really do love this palette! These swatches have no primer on them, so using one just intensifies this! Of course, you can make them look more subtle by using a light hand with your makeup brush. Sigma includes with each of their beauty on the go kits a little book of different looks you can create with this kit--which I think is pretty cool. What I like to do with this is just use one or two colors with some matte shades. I do not like doing a total shimmer look. It would be so much better if they just had one of these colors a shimmer, perhaps brown sugar or brown eyed girl. If Sigma ever makes this palette in matte, I'll be the first to buy it.

Here is what the palette looks like:

 

Also, when you buy a single kit (there are 4 different ones, all $36 or all for $99) you get a free SS217 travel brush! It is really great for blending! I love it. You also get a free large size (but not a refill) eye shadow in Indian Girl. I have made two seperate purchases from Sigma and both times I have got the same color. So I think it's safe to assume that's the only color they are giving away.

One thing I do not like, other than they are all shimmers, is that you can not purchase refills for these palettes. **Forgot to mention that you pop in each color to this palette! You can buy multiple palettes and place the colors how you want. There are 3 eye shadow palettes and 1 blush and highlighter palette. You can mix and match and take your look on the go!** I emailed Sigma asking them if it was in their future plan to sell colors individually and they replied that they were not. =(

Pros: Highly Pigmented, Smooth application, Great blendability, Beautiful Colors, Cute Nice packaging, Has large mirror inside, You can see the names of the colors on the back of the palette, Shipping was quick

Cons: All colors are shimmery and you can't buy just one color.

For me, the pros far outweigh the cons. Would I buy this again, yes. I really like the colors and I haven't really seen them anywhere else. MAC could possibly have similiar colors, but would cost much more. While I think this is a little pricey, you get so much more product than you would with MAC.

FTC Discloser:Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with any brands or companies mentioned.

TWILIGHT WOODS COLLECTION

I got a set of Bath & Body Works Twlight Woods products for Christmas! I have the shower gel ($10.50), fragrance spray ($12.00) , and triple moisture body cream (12.00) . Right now you can buy two get one free or buy three get two free. Pretty good deal!

Here's how Bath & Body Works describes it:

"A hypnotic blend developed to instantly evoke the mystery and beauty of enchanted woods. When the sun has set and the evening begins, the unique enchantment of twilight woods is awakened through sights, sounds and scent. A new distinctly feminine fragrance, an alluring blend of bright flowers, surprising spices and creamy woods – layers upon layers of youthful luxury with an elegant touch of cashmere, captures the singular pleasure of a twilight stroll. Perfect for a cozy night in or magical night out, the intensely feminine fragrance wraps the wearer in a soothing warmth. Twilight Woods is the newest addition to Bath & Body Works’ “Cuddler” collection, a set of scents designed to make you feel cozy, comforted and relaxed."

I LOVE this set! It smells incrediable!! It's not heavy and really has some staying power! I love warm scents andd this one has not disappointed me. I like it so much, I want to get the Eau de Toilette ($29.50) and the Body Butter ($15). There are many different items you can get in this scent; bubble bath, shower mousse, home fragrance oil, room spray, filled candles, and travels sizes too!

I recommend you get down to Bath & Bath and smell it for yourself!

FTC Discloser:Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with any brands or companies mentioned.

KISS CUSTOM FIT REAL SHORT NAILS

 Don't want to pay a lot for great looking nails for the holidays?

I recently picked these up at my local Target store.**I think they were about $6.*** I've tried glue on nails before and while I've always liked the way they look, they always seem to fall off very easily-even when I pile on the glue-and I'm left disappointed. I wanted to go ahead and put these on before Christmas so my nails get used to the feeling of having something on them. You know that sore feeling your fingers get when you put on false nails--glue on or salon nails? I hate that feeling, so I wanted to get that part over with.

So I put these on two days ago and so far I am loving some things and not liking others. I'll start with my likes! I love the length!! I got REAL SHORT. They look super natural. Not that my husband is big on noticing "the little things", but he was surprised that these were false nails. =) Because they are so short, they don't get in the way of anything I need to do.

These also came in lots of different sizes too, which was great! I have smaller nails so there were a lot of options. This kit also had many larger sized nails too, if that is something that you are looking for! I don't know if I should attribute the NO PAIN to the length or the custom fit, but I am loving his aspect!! I feel that they are there, but there really is no pain at all. No sore fingertips or anything. This in itself is enough for me to want to purchase these again!

Now for the things I'm not liking. I have had about 3 nails pop off so far in the first two days. Now, maybe my demanding job as a stay at home mom has something to do with it! I wasn't even aware of two of them coming off, so I can't tell you why that happened. But one did come off when I was digging around in the couch for the remote control. I wouldn't say I'm really "rough" on my nails, so I'm not sure if it's the nails or me. I will certainly be purchasing these again in the future!

If you have tried these, please feel free to share your comments and leave me some tips!

FTC Discloser:Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with any brands or companies mentioned.

MARK SOPHISTIQUE

I can not say enough about this purfume. I adore it! I'd have to say it is one of my top 3 scents. It smells soft, warm and sexy, if that makes any sense!  Here is how Mark describes this scent: "An unexpected blend of sheer, precious lotus, basmati rice and golden amber wraps you in irresistible warmth; while orange blossom and ginger wood add a sophisticated femininity."

The bottle is really cute and I love the script on it as well. I can see why LC has selected this as one of her favorite products by Mark. The scent is not too strong and it lasts all day or all night. This bottle is only $24!! You can also purchase a Sophistique Sheer Shimmer Body Creme for $12. I have not tried that yet, as I am not a big fan of shimmery body creams, but I think I will give this one a try. Also, as of right now, you can get

Shimmery Goldtone Hoop Earrings with select $15.00 mark fragrance purchase!  I got these a while back and they are really pretty. I didn't keep them though, I gave them as a gift to my sister-in-law and she loved them!

In these tough economic times, this is a great way to cut corners and still feel like you are doing something lux for yourself! Enjoy it! You can purchase this from my website www.youravon.com/avaladares or contact your local AVON rep! **Right now, all AVON or MARK (same company, same webpage) orders $30+ get free shipping!*** Shipments usually arrive within one week of ordering.

FTC Discloser: I am an AVON Representative. I purchased these products at a discount rate. I am not paid by AVON, or anyone else, to write this review. All opinions are mine.

URBAN DECAY PRIMER POTION

I think this is probably the most popular eye primer on the market today. So of course I wanted to try it to see what the fuss was all about. I have to say, I was completely impressed with the results that I got. This has made every single kind of eye shadow I have applied, cheap to high end, stay put ALL day long! Your eye makeup will not budge until you decide. Is this worth the $22? I say "Yes!!"

The texture is really smooth and for me at least, the color is really close to my skin tone. I am not sure what it does for people with lighter/darker skin tones, though my guess is it just melts into their skin undectable. This really evened out my darkened eye lids. I think the packaging is reallly cute though I would prefer a sqeezable tube, like Two Faced Eye shadow insurance, so I know I am getting all the product out. I did see another guru who suggested cutting it open when you think you are almost out and scooping out what's left into pots! What a great idea! When I am at that point, I will try that!

You can find this at http://www.sephora.com/, http://www.ulta.com/

FTC Discloser:Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with any brands or companies mentioned.

NARS ORGASM BLUSH

I was drawn to this from the claim that it looks great on all skin tones. So I picked this up from Sephora.com for $25. I have to say that I love just the look and feel to this compact. It looks and feels very high end, so this really felt like a treat!

The color looks great on my very fair skin. The first few times I wore it, I used a very light hand and slowly built the intensity I wanted to wear that day. I feel like I can wear this shade on my cheeks with almost any other colors on my face. If I am wearing a really intense eye look though, I feel more drawn to do a more nude-ish cheek. After playing around with this a few times, I decided to see what this would look like if I used to neutral cream blush base first. Wow! I was amazed at what a differene it made!! It made the color more intense right off the bat with very little powder on my brush. It also helped it stay on longer as well. I use a primer before I apply any makeup, but using a blush base really did help.

This is definately an investment at $25, at least to me. But I love this and will continue to recommend this and purchase it again in the future!

FTC Discloser:Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with any brands or companies mentioned.

BEE LUSCIOUS CORRETOR TONES PALLET

After seeing this produt recommended by another beauty blogger, I was so excited to try this out. I went online to beeroyalproducts.com and ordered the corrector tones pallet and anxiously awaited it's arrival. I ordered it back early November and it took about 2 weeks to arrival--which I suppose is to be expect this time of year, but I was getting so antsy! Fianlly it arrived and I couldn't wait to try it the next day. After I got my face all ready, washed, toned, moisturized I was ready to go!

 I applied it the first time with my small consealer brush. Then I used my fingers to warm the product and blend into the skin. It seemed no matter how I tried to apply it, it just wasn't blending into my skin. It was settling into my fine lines **Eeekkss!*** No one wants to see that!! I tried differnt application techniques, eye moisturizer, brushes, finger technique...no improvement. Very disappointed. Oh, by the way, I have normal to dry skin. Possibly this would work better for someone who has oily skin? I am not sure. I do have to compliment their green section though. This did a great job at consealing the redness around my nose. But is it worth $19.95 plus tax and shipping for this one color? Not to me.

If anyone has has had a different experience, please leave a comment.

FTC Discloser:Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with any brands or companies mentioned.

CRABTREE & EVELYN HAND THERAPY CREAM

My sister in law passed some of this along to me several months ago and I absolutely love it! If  you like the scent of lavender and love having soft, silky hands, then this is the hand cream for you. I keep one in my purse and one at my vanity. It's not too thick or greasy at all. Some hand lotions feel so goopy and others feel like you've put alcohol on your hands and start to feel dry within minutes of applying. This one will leave your hands feeling soft for quite a while. I suppose it depends on what you are doing. For me, day to day use leaves my skin feeling soft for a few hours. Then I do have to reapply. Since this was given to me, I had to look up the price and was a little surprised that for this 3.5 ounce tube costs $15. But is it worth it? Well, if my sister in law can't get her hands on any for me, I would probably wait for a speial ocasion and then justify spending the money!! You can find this at http://www.crabree-evelyn.com/.

FTC Discloser:Products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and I am in no way affiliated with any brands or companies mentioned.

ANEW REVERSALIST RENEWAL FOAMING CLEANSER

This is a new cleanser is the newest product from AVON'S REVERALIST RENEWAL line. Yes, I am an AVON rep, but I promise you that my reviews will be honest. =)

I've been using this for about a month and half and I am in love! This foams nicely, but not too much. It has a nice fresh scent and leaves skin feeling incrediable soft. I don't even need to use a toner after using this. My skin feels full of moisture and feels so toned. I follow up with AVON REVERALIST RENEWAL SERUM and NIGHT CREAM. In the morning, I use AVON'S REJUVINATE DAY CREAM.

This will be sold soon for $13, for a 4.2 floz tube. This size usually last me 3 months! Right now, you can buy this for $8!!  You can find this on my online AVON store at www.myavon.com/avaladares. Please select direct delievery unless you live in the Fredericksburg, VA area. Shipping is usually very cheap--cheaper than Ebay or Amazon.

FTC Discloser: I am an AVON Representative. I purchased these products at a discount rate. I am not paid by AVON, or anyone else, to write this review. All opinions are mine.