Brushed With Greatness Project

Pout by Cavewoman

These two brushes from Pout are not just pretty to look at, but they are well-crafted and perfectly shaped to perform the makeup tasks for which they were designed. This is another example of a company doing exceptionally well in one particular category of brushes, this time for application of products for the face.
The foundation brush has a densely packed synthetic-bristle head, with a long taper and a domed tip. What I like best about this brush is that it does not separate into pointy sections like some other foundation brushes I've tried (Paula Dorf's for example) -- this helps to prevent streaking, and gives a more even application of liquid foundation. I haven't tried the brush with cream foundation yet, but I will. I tend to use my fingers for applying foundation most of the time, but if any foundation brush can help me to apply more evenly, this is the one. It takes practice to learn to use a foundation brush, and I'm still practicing.

The blush brush is almost as large as a powder brush. It's so incredibly soft! The ferrule is flat, but the bristles are thickly packed and have a wide, gentle splay. The dome shape is finely tapered and the tips are soft and lush.
I don't use this brush for highly-pigmented blushes, because it's almost too big for my cheeks. I use it for pale blushes such as NARS Oasis, or Chanel Winter Shimmer, both of which aren't really blushes, but more like highlighter-blushes. This brush is also great for applying overall shimmer in loose form, such as Prescriptives Magic loose powder. And just in case I've over-applied a blush, this brush is great for evening out and blending, too.

Oh, and did I mention how pretty these brushes are?

Disclaimer: These products were purchased by the reviewer, Cavewoman

40 Days and 40 Nights Of Beauty Brand Reviews

Day 40, the end of the beauty brand series.
Today we are focusing on the brands we missed.

Cavewoman: At the end of the 40 Days And 40 Nights Of Brands, there is much we did not cover. Sephora alone brags of over 200 brands, so maybe we could have done A Year Of Brands! Nonetheless, after 40 days, we still have lots to talk about and rave about, and so I present a few goodies that are from brands that didn't make the cut.

From Pout: The beautiful and unique powder blush called Apricot Totty. What a cute name, adorable girly packaging, and the prettiest summer-flush cheek color imaginable! Also from Pout, the new Radiant Foundation, with great coverage, a stay-put finish, and a subtle glow.

From Make Up For Ever, the superb solid performer foundation called Face And Body. Almost as sheer as a tinted moisturizer but totally buildable, it feels refreshing on the face and contains no sunscreen to dry out the skin or give that ghostly appearance in photos. Also from Make Up For Ever, a group of primers called Corrective Make Up Base, in different sheer tints to correct redness, sallowness, or just to brighten. I chose #5, which "adds radiance to fair skin, reduces minor imperfections." It doesn't lighten my foundation, but gives a bit of brightness to my Winter-weary, indoors-for-months sallowness.

From Sue Devitt, two of the best primers I've tried. Microquatic Blue SPF 30 gives serious sun protection in a totally blendable, comfortable gel-type liquid. It really is a pale blue but that disappears on the skin. The Microquatic Fortifying Primer contains no sunscreen, which is good for photos or if your foundation already has adequate sunscreen. Both primers contain treatment ingredients, so they are helping your skin as well as holding your foundation in place. I love them both.

Just a few days ago, I finally purchased a product that I have been wanting for years, but never had the chance because it wasn't available anywhere in my area, and I had to see it in person to choose the correct shade. The Countess Isserlyn foundation by Alexandra De Markoff has great history. It was used on Vivien Leigh in her role as Scarlett O'Hara in the movie "Gone With The Wind" and it's still in production, with fans of this product buying several bottles at a time (according to my Lord & Taylor SA.) Countess Isserlyn requires some time. You must take the little stir stick and stir, stir, stir, to incorporate the oils on the top into the pigments on the bottom. Then shake, shake, shake, and apply very sparingly. The result is a moist, glowing, radiant face with coverage that is adjustable from sheer to full. I like having a little legend in my makeup case. I also bought the mauve under-makeup moisturizer called 364 1/2 Moisture Plus in Mauve, because it reminded me of the old Ultima II tinted moisturizer that I used to use before it was sadly discontinued. This one is a great substitute for the Ultima II, with all the treatment benefits of the Countess Isserlyn line. And last but not least, and possibly the best discovery in a year, the amazing clicky-pen called Alexandra De Markoff Illusion For Eyes Fresh Eye Cream Plus. One dab under chattykathy's eyes and we were both pulling out our wallets that day! The box states that this product contains Grantox (I'm sure that's supposed to make you think of Botox) to minimize muscle contractions and soften imperfections. With vitamins, herbs, and silicone, this product has a pale pink tint that disappears under the eye and leaves a luminous, refreshed appearance. Wrinkles gone! Yes! No cream is needed under this super moisturizing treatment concealer.

This is the end of the 40 days, and I'm going to miss it terribly. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my favorite brands and products, I love to talk makeup and perfumes, and I can't wait for the next project. A huge thanks to Annie for allowing me to participate in the 40 Days And 40 Nights Of Brands!



Miss Manners: Wet n Wild is the number one value cosmetics brand in the country, according to its parent company, Markwins International, which is rumored to be the mystery manufacturer bringing Calvin Klein cosmetics back to the market sometime in the near future. For the savvy makeup consumer, though, Wet n Wild is the go to brand for everything from $.99 lip liners to their cult-favorite $5.00 eyeshadow palettes.

Wet n Wild first captured my attention many years ago when a makeup artist revealed in a magazine that for the photos of Jamie Lee Curtis in that issue she used only Wet n Wild’s 666 lip liner with a slick of clear gloss to create Jamie’s gorgeous lip look. The look was her lips but better, with a just the tiniest hint of shimmer. I resolved immediately to seek out this brilliant lip liner. Finally one day while browsing through my favorite grocery store, I stumbled upon the Wet n Wild display and discovered that Wet n Wild 666 could be had for $.99, and that if I bought one I could get one free.

At two for $1.00 I couldn't resist grabbing a dozen, and my love affair with Wet n Wild was launched. The 666 (otherwise known as Brandy Wine) was everything I had hoped it would be. I lined and filled in my lips with it for years, and, since I was buying them by the dozen, I turned into a 666 evangelist, handing them out like candy to every woman who had the discernment to notice how great my “lipstick” looked. Years later this is still my holy grail lip liner, and I scoff at those who shy away because of the name. Ladies, you have a choice: simply call it Brandy Wine and ignore the numerical designation! If this is the devil’s own lip liner then the devil has mighty fine taste in cosmetics.

The Wet n Wild tinted moisturizer caught my attention a few years ago during another of those buy-one-get-one-free sales. I had tried every high end TM I could get my hands on, and not one of them could offer the coverage or oil control I wanted and needed. I figured that at two for $3.00 I could afford to give the Wet n Wild a whirl. What a revelation it was! The coverage is perfection, and the texture smooth and creamy. This tinted moisturizer applies like a cream/gel, but it never drags or streaks. Best of all, my nose and forehead stay matte all day. The only drawback is the very limited color range. Pale princesses beware: you will not get a color match. I recommend you protest to Markwins loudly and persistently until they release this product in a shade that will work for you. It’s that good.

Recently Wet n Wild upped the ante with the release of their sinfully cheap eight color eyeshadow palettes, causing makeup fiends all over the country to haunt their local drug and grocery stores aisles hoping to find one of these fantastic palettes. Sand Castle, Paradise Cove and Fantasy Island—each containing eight glorious coordinating shadows in an ingenious palette with pull out mirror along the bottom of the case—were the eye shadows every woman needed, and they were in short supply. Rumor has it that Markwins took the hint and has made these a part of the permanent collection, but I’m hoarding some backups just in case. Sand Castle has been especially sought after, because two of the shades are said to be exact dupes of NARS All About Eve. Personally, I think Wet n Wild could teach Monsieur NARS a thing or two about eye shadow manufacturing. These shades are buttery soft, richly pigmented and never ever chalky. All three palettes are brilliant, and if you’re a careful shopper you could score an eight shadow palette for $2.50 during a sale.

Other favorites of mine are the Silk Finish Blush 836E (Naïve), which is the perfect peachy mango color for cheeks. Applied with a light hand, this bright blush looks natural and charming on most complexions. Another favorite is the Bronzzer 742 (Acapulco Glow) which is a pearlescent golden glow of a highlighter powder that I prefer to NARS Albatross—and the price tag is all of $3.50 if you can’t find a sale!

Also worth checking out are the liquid eyeliners. They now come in two formulas—the original Mega Liner with a lovely thin brush for ease of application and the brand new H2O Proof liner with a felt tip applicator. When Wet n Wild says H2O Proof they’re not whistling Dixie. This liner wears like iron and won’t budge until coaxed off with sufficient quantities of cleansing oil.

And the coolest thing about this “value” cosmetic line is that you could buy every single item I’ve mentioned here for less than the price of a Chanel palette and without sacrificing quality in the process. If your local store’s Wet n Wild display looks a bit haggard at the moment, stay tuned. Wet n Wild is adding lots of new products and new packaging and many stores are changing their displays. Your patience will be rewarded with high quality, bargain priced cosmetics that give NARS, Armani and other designer brands a run for their money.

Annieytown: In the spirit of the holiday I want to talk about a cosmetic line that needs to be "resurrected". Tony+Tina was one of my favorite beauty brands of all time. I loved everything and would spend hours in front of my local counter at Nordstorm. I adored the magnificent rice powder, the eye shadows, eye treatment creams and cosmic lights.

Tony+Tina lived a brief life at the counters at Nordstorm and Sephora. They closed shop and the products managed to make their way to T J Maxx and Marshalls' stores across the United States. Makeup junkies swarmed the stores to pick up the amazing brush sets and eye palettes.

Color Frequency Eye Shadow Quads

Source Energy: The standout colors are a sparkly clover green shade called Cosmic Truth along with Cosmic Mindtazia. This is an inky black color with green glitter. This shade contains more shimmer power than Nars Night Porter. Ideal for a smoky green eye look.

Dream Energy: This quad's best color is a lovely blue toned pink shade that resembles OPI's Japanese Rose Garden nail polish.

Palettes
Universal Truth Eye Palette contains the shades Cosmic Truth and Cosmic Mindtazia along with Herbal Eye Base Medium(better than the Urban Decay primer)and a green based white eye shadow called Being Color.
Spring Nymph contained Cosmic Destiny(a shimmery pea green), Enchanted(think MAC's Metamorph but with glitter) and Inspired(a baby yellow shade with opal undertones) eyeshadows plus the Herbal Eyebase medium.

Cosmic Lights
Eye safe glitters that are water soluble and finely milled. This a glitter that will actually stay put after application. It can be used in nail polishes, hair gels, lotions and lipglosses. The extra shimmer and sparkle it gives can not be beat by anyone including MAC.
No one could touch Tony+Tina when it came to the glimmer.

Shades are:
Charismatic: A deep red with violet/cobalt glitter. My biggest regret is not grabbing this jar when I had the chance.
Time Shift: Orange/marigold glitter
Cosmic Insight: Neon yellow glitter
Vision Quest: Sky blue glitter
Vortex: Light minty green glitter
Out of Body: Light violet glitter
Soulerrific: A hot pink shade
Gateway: Bright Silver
Spirit Guide: Bright Gold
Higher Love: A light pink with green iridescence
Alpha State: My personal favorite shade. It is a iridescent clear glitter. It reminds me of my aurora borealis necklaces.
Transcendence: I found this one at my local TJ Maxx. It is white with purple blue iridescence
Expansion: Another personal favorite. It is white with opal iridescence.

I will end this review with a mention of the departed and sadly missed environmental rescue rice powder. This is a sheer mica and rice based powder that manages to last all day with minimal touch ups and shine issues. I love the finish and texture. It lets your skin show through yet provides coverage.

Tony+Tina's breakup affected me more than my friend's divorces.
I blamed myself.
Maybe if I would have purchased more maybe those two crazy kids could have worked it out.

Photos: Cavewoman, Miss Manners and Blogdorf Goodman

Let us know about a beauty brand we missed during the 40 day series.
Tell us your favorites from that line along with any you have with the brands featured in this post.
I want to encourage my regular posters along with the silent lurkers.
Please inspire some new lemmings!!!

Disclosure: These products were purchased by the reviewers.

The Great Mascara Hunt: Pout Mascara

review by cavewoman
graphic from Katie @ Scentzilla
photo: Sephora

Today my mascara review is for Pout Mascara. That's the name. Just that one word, mascara. No super claims, no promise of Sally Bowles fringe, no claims to thicken or lengthen or stay on throughout a five-hankie chick-flick tear-jerker movie. It's just Pout Mascara. But I like a pretty package and I bought Pout Mascara mostly just for the cute turquoise metal tube with the light aqua lacy overlay screen printing. I like pretty shiny things.

Pout Mascara has a very skinny brush wand that does not have a taper, and the bristles are spaced rather far apart. This really makes it easy to coat each lash. The formula itself is rather wet, so it glides on and is easy to stroke through the lashes and did not clump in the least when I applied it to my stubs. I didn't use a curler, but I did notice a slight lifting effect. There was absolutely no volumizing or lengthening, but remember, there is no promise of either of these effects. Each lash was coated evenly, and nicely defined. This mascara worked particularly well on lower lashes. I was able to see lower lashes I did not know I had! And they, too, were nicely defined and separated with no dotting, flaking, or clumping. This mascara dried quickly, and just as quickly the lifting effect was gone. All this mascara does is darken the lashes. My lashes were not stiff or cakey. Later in the day there were no flakes or dots in my eye area, but I thought to myself that it took alot of coating to achieve this minimal effect.

What did surprise me was that it took three Almay pads per eye to remove the Pout. I guess I did get more product on my lashes than it appeared in the mirror.

This mascara would be good for people who are looking for a daytime mascara with no dramatic lengthening or volumizing. But for me, if I am going to take out a mascara, I'd like a little more payoff for my time. Pout mascara is just mascara. But that was all they said it would be. But, it's so pretty.

Product rating, 6.

Disclosure: This product was purchased by the reviewer, Cavewoman