Bite High Pigment Lip Pencil

Alo Beauties!

Stumbled across this little cutie while shopping at Sephora last week for $29! I've been wanting to try out the bite beauty lip pencils but i just couldn't decide which colour to get…then i found this! Given the fact that it has nice, festive colours for the up coming fall/winter season, couldn't deny how cute  & adorable the packaging is, this comes in a built-in mirror for on the go (so me) , travel/purse friendly & "ready to give" kind of present.  When i travel, i create different kind of looks and sometimes, having to bring a lot of lipsticks can use a lot of space in my makeup bag, so now, i can just bring this! I would be able to create a variety of lip looks without worrying to much of bringing a lot of separate full sized lipsticks. 

- All are wearable colours

- You just gotta be a lil bit careful when applying Pomegranate because it could be a little bit messy if you don't take your time, compared to sable for instance.

- smooth application

- hydrating, not drying

-scent: just a slight hint of vanilla

-Only thing though, since its retractable, i may have to use a lip pencil in the future once it becomes flat & it loses its pointy and sharp end. :s

It comes in 4 colours (set 4 x .05oz.) 

Pomegranate (Red)

Rhubarb (taupe brown)

*Sable (peachy nude)

*Winterberry (berry)

 *-new shades

pigmentation: 5/5 (creamy and opaque)
longevity: 3/5 (need to reapply often)
packaging : 5/5 (sleek, chic, easy to find, small enough)
scent: 4/5 (not strong)
colour selection: 4/5 ( i love how its neutral to dramatic) Although, the 2 darkest colours look similar when put on. Its until you look closely or apply the red one darker will you see the difference.

overall, i really like it!

 with flash

 no flash

xo,
Denise

Makeup Brushes: Cheap vs. Expensive. Worth Spending?

DOES IT EVEN MATTER?

 Brushes are key to a perfect makeup look. You use the same brushes All the time, again and again regardless of what kind of makeup you use. To me, it's worth investing on good quality of brushes. Is it worth spending so much though? Yes and No. You have to shop smart for amazing brushes, (of course patience too) and a lot of research in finding ones with great value. Feel free to have an array of different brands in your collection, not just stick to one brand.

1) Expensive brushes does not necessarily mean high quality.

- Some brands jack up their price WAY to high. For instance, MAC, CHANEL and other high-end brands. Not saying they're not good, its just for the price, its TOO much. I never pay more than $15 surplus. 

Although- I will mention that MAC brushes do last a very long time. I purchased my first MAC makeup brush about 6 years ago and have been doing makeup professionally for over 4 years. It is still in near perfect condition, and it rarely sheds given the fact i wash my brushes like crazy. But is this justification for spending over $40 on? No. 

2) Cheap/drugstore brushes does not necessarily mean poor quality.

- I remember in Makeup school, we had to purchase brushes. We had the same ones… 20 brushes for like 20$. They were the crappiest! Even though i had the greatest shadows or creams, makeup application did not turn so great. (i still passed though ;P) I have tried a ton of brushes over the years. I got lucky on some. Shedding and colour coming off when you wash 'em bother me the most!

I am confident to say: ECOTOOLS, sigma brushes, real techniques and Sonia Kashuk brushes are good ones for the price…in overall brushes. They are comparable to the high-end ones and keeps your wallet happy :) But also,

3) Every brand share their own good and bad products.

- OF COURSE! Again, for starters who are just learning/experimenting with makeup, try cheap ones first. like ELF. Eye shadow brushes are okay for $1 each. As for me, since i use it often with clients that require a lot more maintenance and cleaning, my elf brushes are dunzo after a couple of washes. Not all in MAC are at its best, same with in expensive ones.

I do have a couple of faves:

MAC's eye shader brush

MAC's 

Sigma's crease brush

Sigma's soft dome brush

Eco tool's blush brush/ powered brush and kabuki brush

Real techniques foundation brush

4) You do not have to have Millions of brushes. Less is More. Quality over quantity.

-  I would rather have a few GOOD ones. Do you really need 10 eyeshadow brushes? No. Stick to your staples. (Yes, you can live and do a full makeup look with only 10 brushes----separate post on these) :) , Brushes have MULTIPLE functions as well. There are no rules on these.



:)