Showing posts with label blank canvas cosmetics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blank canvas cosmetics. Show all posts

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Blank Canvas Cosmetics Double Ended Eyebrush Set with Case

Hey Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

Today I have another brush review for you all, of the Blank Canvas Cosmetics makeup brushes. If you haven't checked out my first review of the 'My Face and Eye' Professional Brush Kit, you can check it out here.
When my delivery of the 'My Face and Eye' brush kit arrived, I was surprised to see some extra goodies in the mix and thats what I have to share with you all today :)


Back in August I went to The Leeds Festival and had the time of my life!
I got to see my favourite bands along with meeting some new friends, the experience was one I'll never forget :')
While I always like to try to look my best, this weekend was no expection regardless of if it was a festival or not. Despite the scorching heat on the Thursday, followed by the torrential rain on the Friday and everything in between….I still rocked my full face of galaxy makeup all weekend!
I have a tutorial on that too if you want to check it out, you can do so here :)

Now, while wanting to look my best I didn't want to bring over a whole load of makeup and brushes. That along with the fact Ryanair are a pain in the butt when it comes to the weight of the bags, I had very little weight left to pay around with after the tent, drink *typical Irish* food and clothes went in!
Thats where this little beauty came in handy!


The double ended brushes are encased within this gorgeous black, easy  to clean faux leather travel brush case. As you can see from the picture below, you just zip around the case and the brushes are sitting snuggly inside.


There are 5 brushes within the case, which in turn works out as 10 brushes ! The case and brushes themselves are very lightweight and small enough that you can simply pop them in your handbag while your on the go….
did I mention that they are all full size? Yep! :)


The first brush we have up is the:

Double Ended Tapered Crease Blender/Smudger (E32/33)

The tapered crease brush allows you to add definition to the smallest areas of the face with ease, such as the eyes or the nose. I love tapered brushes in particular for creating that 'cut crease' effect over the eyes, this brush is ideal for it. It works great with cream and powder products so you can even apply your under eye concealer with it, it fits underneath the tear duct area nicely and blends concealer out to a flawless finish.
On the other end we have the smudger brush, as the name suggests this brush is great for smudging out eyeshadow and liner regardless of if they are of a kohl or a gel consistency. As the brush is quite dense it moves and blends the products easily, not much work is required on your behalf at all!
I prefer to use a pointed pencil brush when blending out products underneath the eyes are, but thats just personal preference :)


A blending brush is simply essential as part of any brush kit so as you can imagine I was over the moon when I saw this dynamic duo!

Blending Duo - Double Ended Blending Brushes (E25/26)

While I was away and creating my crazy makeup looks, I needed a couple of blending brushes to blend together various different colours. These brushes worked a treat! The bristles are very high quality and super soft so there is no irritation caused to the delicate eye area!



This next duo is my favourite out of the set….I think!
I'm pretty much torn between this one and the double ended blending brush!

Double Ended Pencil/Flat Shader Brush (E23/24)

As I mentioned above, my favourite kind of brush to use to blend products underneath the eye area is a pencil brush. I was thrilled to see that it was included in the set because it is a must have brush for me!
If I want to add some extra drama to my eyeshadow look, I will take the pencil brush and apply a darker eyeshadow to the outer 'V' of the eye. The brush is also great for applying a highlight shade to the inner tear duct of the eye.
The flat shader brush works best at packing colour onto the eyelids. When I was in Leeds I used this brush to pack glitter onto different areas of my face and it worked a charm!


Next up we have this colorful combination!

Double Ended Brow/Spoolie (E30)

The angled shaper of this brow brush allows you to give depth and definition to your brows with the use of powders of gels. Bold brows are bang on trend at the moment so be sure to fill them in!
Once you have applied your brow colour with short strokes, flip to the spoolie side and comb through the brows to ensure the product has been evenly distributed throughout the brows.


Last but not least we have the:

Double Ended Mini Detailer/Eyeliner (E27/28)

I love how small and precise the eyeliner brush is, any makeup artist/enthusiast is going to adore this brush! As the point of the brush is so fine you get that really sharp defined cat eye'd eyeliner effect, its brilliant! I also love this brush for special effects makeup, its perfect for adding some gory details.
The mini detailed for me, is just like a smaller version of the flat shader brush.
I use this brush to pack on eyeshadow, as it is a mini brush I love to use  it for packing a highlight shade underneath the brow bone area. It also works nicely for applying a highlight shade onto the tops of the cheekbones.

All in all I am quite impressed with this little set :)

However I have jotted down a couple of little things worth noting!
When washing these brushes ensure to wash one end at a time. By washing one end and letting it dry, you are preventing water from running up the ferule and loosening the bristles while you attempt to wash the other end. This is something to note with regard to all double ended brushes not just this set in particular.
I store all of my brushes together in brush holders with the exception of these brushes. As the brushes are double ended they cannot be stored upright as it will cause the bristles of the bottom brush to splay out. Just another little thing to note, keep them in your little case :)
I find that the white bristle brushes stain very easily if you are using colorful eyeshadows like I normally do. If this happens, not to worry!
After you have finished washing your brush with shampoo, take a dollop of conditioner and work it into the bristles. This will remove any staining, olive oil works a treat too if you have that lying around the house.
Cheap and cheerful! :)

The set retails €64.81

Meaning, each brush works out at less than €7.00!
Bargain Hunter Byrne strikes again :)

For more information on the brushes head over to the Blank Canvas Cosmetics website or Facebook page which i'll link below!




Hope you enjoyed the review :)
Talk soon!
Eimear x
 

Saturday, 3 August 2013

Blank Canvas Cosmetics "My Face and Eye" 13 Piece Professional Brush Set

Hey Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

Today I have my very first makeup brush review for you all. Over the past few years I have tried out many different types of brushes from various companies. Smashbox, Sedona Lace and Sigma to name but a few!
A little over a year ago I was introduced to a company called Blank Canvas Cosmetics based here in Ireland. Myself and my Mam spent ages pottering around the website looking at all the beautiful products. We couldn't get over how affordable the products were! After much deliberation we finally each decided on picking up the 6 Contour Powder Blush Palette (reviewed here) and also the 28 Neutral Palette (reviewed here).
After such a pleasant experience with the company I knew I wanted to try out some more of their products, I was adamant on trying out their brush range next. Luckily I managed to win quite a number of their brushes last year..and thats where the obsession started.


Recently I spotted some Blank Canvas Cosmetics Brushes over on Pigsback.com, they had to be mine. The offer was simply too brilliant to let go. It was €45 for the 12 Piece Professional "My Face and Eye" Brush Set complete with Brush Roll, with the BCC F23 foundation/concealer brush including delivery
See what I mean? I can justify breaking my spending ban for a purchase like that! I had some piggy points stashed away too so I got it even cheaper again!


The brushes are encased within this leather look brush roll, it is incredibly soft and even though it is not real leather it is quite durable. On opening the brush roll you will find the 12 brushes located within their own compartments, I like how there is a flap that folds down on the brushes providing extra protection. Another aspect that I liked about the brush roll was that it has a zipper compartment, making it even more suited for travel.


The F23 was not included in the brush roll and came absolutely free, it retails at €13.99. Like the majority of Blank Canvas Cosmetics Brush Range, the F23 is extremely versatile. I favour using this for applying my concealer to my under eye area and I also use this to sharpen up my contour shade to give my face that very defined sculpted look. I have also used this brush to apply cream highlighters, foundation and blusher. It works great with cream and powder products I usually tend to go back in with the brush and set my under eye concealer with some powder. The brush is tapered so it really helps you to get into the under eye area.



Moving on to the brushes in the set now, first up we have the 001 Powder Brush. This brush is very dense which I love to see, however due to this the brush can shed a little with washing. Nothing major just something I have noted, this isn't unusual for these kinds of brushes. The brush is very soft and helps to set my foundation with ease. I lightly press the powder all over my face using this brush and it gives such a smooth finish to my skin. You could also use this brush to apply bronzer, I just prefer to use something more defined :)


Next up we have the Double Ended Foundation/Concealer Brush 002. 
In my opinion this brush is simply genious, I'm surprised I haven't come across something like this before. With this painter style foundation brush I apply the foundation to my face using downward strokes I then turn the brush on its side and buff back up the face. This ensures that we have no brush stroke marks on the face. The bristles on these brushes are synthetic and they do a wonderful job at applying foundation and concealer. One tip with regard to washing, wash one end at a time so that if you have washed one end, the water is not running up the ferule and loosening the bristles while you wash the other end.


Ah the duo fibre, this was actually the first decent brush I owned. I remember watching tutorials on YouTube of girls applying their foundation flawlessly with this type of brush so naturally I wanted gorgeous airbrushed skin too..so I went out and picked one up! Like my Inglot duo fibre, the Blank Canvas Cosmetics Medium Duo Fibre Brush 003 gives a flawless finish to the skin. I reach for the smaller Blank Canvas Cosmetics Duo Fibre more so because I like a really precise application but thats just personal preference!


The next brush we have in the set is the Blush Brush 004. This brush is angled so it can be used not only for blusher, but for contouring too. It fits nicely in the hollows of the cheeks and buffs out products beautifully. Do not fret if you wash this brush and you notice staining, white haired brushes can be quite hard to clean. I find washing with a little conditioner or olive oil really helps to remove the product from the hairs leaving them crystal clear and good as new!


With regard to applying concealer I apply a very minimal amount, if any! This is the Large Precision Concealer/ Eyeshadow Brush 005. As I have two brushes already that I can use for concealer I prefer to use this brush for eyeshadow. Although sometimes I do like to use this brush to contour down the sides of my nose, as the brush has a fine tip it I can easily contour this area. With regard to applying eyeshadow, I can cover large areas quite quickly as it is a big brush. Patting motions work best while using this brush with eyeshadow as it helps to minimize if not eliminate eyeshadow fallout altogether.


Everyone needs a decent blending brush in their collection, the Tapered Blending Brush 006 is ideal. The brush is lovely and soft also a perfect size giving you the ability to create detailed crease work. I love this brush for blending eyeshadows, the key to finding a good blending brush is looking at the shape. This brush is dome shaped allowing you to master the blending process.


Up next we have the Flat Eye Shading Brush 007, I use this in exactly the same way as I do with the 005. Personally I could never have enough eyeshadow brushes, washing brushes is such a mundane task I think everyone can agree. These brushes also work exceptionally well with eyeshadow pigments!


I like to use the Small Angled Shading Brush 008 solely for applying my brow bone highlight. If I have blended my crease colour up too far towards my brow bone this brush helps to pull down and soften the shadow when I am applying my highlight. If you are opting for an elongated eyeshadow shape like a dramatic cat eye look to your eyeshadow this brush is brilliant for building up the shadows on the outer edge of the eye.


I think the 009 Precision Pencil Brush is my favourite brush out of the entire set. If you have trouble perfecting liquid liner, you won't anymore not with this brush within your reach! The brush allows you to smoothly apply gel eyeliner to your upper lash line, as the brush is rather fine you can easily perfect that cat eye flick..without any hassle! I double up this brush as a lipliner brush also :)


The 010 Small Blending Brush is great for those finicky jobs and hard to reach areas. This brush is fantastic for apply a highlight around the tear duct of the eye and it enables you to blend out eyeshadow thoroughly in the crease area.


The vast majority of people favour these types of brushes for apply gel liner to the eye area however I rather use a finer brush like the 009 Precision Brush, again its simply personal preference. I use the 011 Angled Brow/ Liner Brush for filling in my eyebrows. I like to use a dense brush so I can really pack on and build up the colour in my brows as I need, this brush does the job exceptionally well.


Last but not least we come to the 012 Precision Eyeliner Brush. I use this brush hand in hand with my 009 Precision Pencil Brush, it all depends on what makeup look I am trying to achieve!

All of these brushes are very high quality, there is very little shedding and they make my job as a makeup artist ten times easier! I have been using Blank Canvas Cosmetics Brushes for just over a year now and I haven't noticed any wear and tear to date. I'm very confident that these brushes will hold up equally as well! This brush set is fantastic for beginners due to the fact it has all the staple brushes an aspiring makeup artist or enthusiast would need. The most important aspect for me is price, that is what it all comes down to..whether I will make my purchase or not. Currently this brush set is on offer on the Blank Canvas Cosmetics website for €59.99 with free choice of a Kabuki brush. Not only is the price amazingly cheap, even when it isn't on offer it is still amazing value for money. The full price of the brush set is normally €91 that works out at around €7.50 per brush, with a free brush roll and a free kabuki brush. Its a win-win situation all round!
I would highly recommend these brushes to not only to beginners but makeup artist too, they are a great addition to have in your kit. I couldn't be without mine :)

For more information head over to the Blank Canvas Cosmetics website which you can find here.

Have you tried anything from the BCC range? I would love to know your thoughts! :)
Thanks for tuning in, see you soon!
Eimear x

Thursday, 9 May 2013

Purple Rain Makeup Tutorial

Hey Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

Exams are looming so this might be the last tutorial I have up for the next couple of weeks......wait.
Who am I kidding?
I'd rather do anything than sit down and study.
I usually record more tutorials around exam time purely to avoid study haha fail!
Anyway, today I came up with this makeup look :)
I suppose some would consider it more of a gothic makeup look, I'm not really sure what I was going for but I like the end result!


Products Used:

Eyes
Avon Eyeshadow Primer
Inglot Matte 352 (cream shade)
Inglot Matte 357 (light brown)
Sleek MakeUp 681 'Fantasy' Eye Dust
Inglot Matte 63 (black)
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil 'Empire'
Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara
Hard Candy Ginormous Length Volumizing Mascara

Face
Avon Ideal Flawless Foundation 'Classic Ivory'
Blank Canvas Cosmetics Contour Palette #1
Sleek MakeUp Contour Kit 'Light'
Inglot Blush Amc 63

Lips
Inglot Soft Precision Lip Liner 61

I cannot get the other lipsticks out of the palette to tell you the numbers of them :( If anyone knows how to get them out without wrecking the lipsticks please let me know! I've tried scissors, tweezers, knifes etc!

If you want to see how I created this makeup look then just click on the play button below!


Thanks a million for tuning in :)
I'll see you in my next post!
Eimear x

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Blank Canvas Cosmetics 6 Contour Powder/ Blush Palette #2

Hey Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)


Today I have another product from Blank Canvas Cosmetics. As I said in my first post, when I placed my first order with Blank Canvas Cosmetics I ordered a number of palettes. This is the second out of the 3 palettes I own from BCC. As I got all the palettes I own in the one order, you can check out my last post about Blank Canvas Cosmetics here. I explain how well the product was packaged, how efficient the shipping was, customer service etc.


All of the Blank Canvas Cosmetics palettes are packaged in a black palette with the BCC logo on the front. As I have said previously I absolutely love the simplicity of the design, its classy and looks extremely professional.



This palette contains 6 large contour, blush and highlight shades. I love how large each of the powders is, this was the main reason I was immediately drawn to this palette. Its also handy having everything you need to sculpt the face in the one palette.
I primarily use this palette to set my foundation. I will talk you thorough how I use this palette when I am wearing 
  • Fake Tan


  • Daily Basis


With Fake Tan
I rarely wear fake tan, if I do it will be on the weekend if I was heading out on a Saturday night. 
If I am wearing tan I will use the first shade on the second row (light brown) to set my foundation.
I will then use the shade next to this (dark brown) to contour. Finally if I decide I want a matte highlight I will use the white shade in the palette on the tops of my cheek bones, down the centre of my nose and on my cupids bow to give me the illusion of a fuller lip.
As I always play up my eyes, they are usually very dramatic on a night out. With the combination of fake tan I don't want to go over board so I generally just stick to bronzer, no blush is applied.

On a Daily Basis
As I am quite pale I mix up the white and the shade next to it on the first row, to set my foundation.
To contour I take the first shade on the second row (light brown). This is a really nice contour shade for people who are on the more pale side. I generally find it hard to get a bronzer that doesn't have a muddy appearance on my skin. This is the best I have come across so far!
If I want to give myself some extra definition, I will firstly apply the light brown shade in the hollows of my cheeks. I will then take a small bit of the darkest brown on my brush and apply this only to the most hollow part of my cheek, near my ear and blend it forward towards the apples of my cheeks. This gives a nice fade from the dark shade to the light, adding dimension to the face.


When it comes to the cheeks I will usually wear one or the other, bronzer or blusher. Sometimes I will wear both but not too often. The baby pink blusher in this palette is gorgeous it gives a nice natural flush of colour to the cheeks. The second shade of blusher is a deep shade of pink. I'll definitely be getting a lot of use out of this as we are coming into the winter! 

All of the powders in this palette are highly pigmented and are not chalky at all. I have gotten so much use out of this palette, from face powders, bronzer, blusher, highlighter and I also used the white shade to set my Halloween Sugar Skull Makeup. The palette is just so versatile.

The RRP for the palette is €17.99 and Blank Canvas Cosmetics stock it for €10.99. 
http://www.blankcanvascosmetics.com
Another bargain buy on my behalf! 

Overall
Pro's:
  • Affordable
  • Compact
  • Highly Pigmented Powders
  • Versatile Palette
Con's:
  • Palette is fragile
Thanks a million for tuning in :)
Eimear x

Friday, 2 November 2012

Blank Canvas Cosmetics 28 Neutral Palette

Hey Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)


I have had my eye on products from Blank Canvas Cosmetics for quite some time now. I first heard of this company off of the wonderful Sineady Cady also known as 'TheMakeupChair' on Youtube.
She religiously uses their palettes and brushes in her tutorials creating gorgeous looks, so I had to get my hands on their products to test them out myself!
I placed my first order in May of this year, myself and my Mam were browsing the website and after much deliberation we finally decided on what we would order. Mam loved to wear browns on her eyes so we decided a 28 Neutral Palette would be ideal for her, I picked up one for myself and also one to keep as a present. We decided to buy the 6 Contour Powder/ Blush palette each too. I was immediately drawn to this palette as I had never seen blushes or bronzers that big before!
The initial quote for postage for the 5 palettes came to €10. While our order was being reviewed we got an email to say that they were currently running an offer that orders over €60 get free shipping. So I added one more item to my cart and that was the 32 Eyeshadow/ 10  Colour Blush Palette, and I was then refunded the postage. I was also added to the customer loyalty list, whereby I get a 5% discount on future orders. Pretty fantastic value if you ask me :) I can't praise the company enough alone on their outstanding customer service!

Our orders were shipped out and arrived in no time, I was extremely impressed. Along with the efficient shipping, the palettes arrived well wrapped in bubble wrap with no damage done to any of the eyeshadows/blushes inside.


When I removed the bubble wrap I was left with a little black box, inside this was the palette.


I absolutely fell in love with the packaging. It is simple, sleek and classy. I love that its just plain black with the company logo on the front, nothing over the top nothing too fancy. The palette is a nice size and fits comfortably in my kit. On this note, as a makeup artist I do not want to be carrying around a really heavy train case. I like the fact that I have all the neutral shades I could ever need in just the one palette, its so convenient. At €10.99 it is an absolute steal. When doing makeup for clients I first lay the products I will be using out on the table. Numerous clients have commented on my Blank Canvas Cosmetics palettes, I think that they just look so professional. Along with this and also the fact that they are compact and convenient, this is the reason why they are a must have for my kit.


On opening the palette there is a thin plastic sheet covering the eyeshadows. As the title of the palette suggests, there is 28 eyeshadows included in this palette. The eyeshadows come in a range of matte, shimmer and satin finishes. Due to the variety of finishes you can create a wide range of looks such as the sultry smokey eye, classic contoured eye etc. 



Some of the eyeshadows in this palette are more pigmented than others such as the black and dark browns. The cream shades are quite sheer, I find with these types of palettes its usually a given that the darker shades are slightly more pigmented. I tend to use the lighter shades as a wash over the eyelid, around the tear duct to open up my eyes and also on the brow bone as a highlight.
These eyeshadows work best with an eyeshadow base as it will ensure your eye makeup lasts all day long. I find though the base is not necessary to intensify the eyeshadows, they work pretty well on there own! As you can see from the picture below the eyeshadow is extremely pigmented and this was with just one swipe.


Just to show you how versatile this palette is I have created a sultry smokey eye using a selection of the burgundy and brown shades with a hint of black to add depth and dimension.


I also have a tutorial on how you can create three different neutral eye makeup looks. You tweak one look to create the next. If you would like to see how I created the three looks below using the 28 Neutral Palette, just click on the play button below.


I also have a tutorial on how to create a smokey eye which is perfect for beginners! Just click the play button below :)



You can purchase this palette from the Blank Canvas Cosmetics website, along with lots of other amazing products :)


Overall

Pro's
  • Affordable
  • High Quality
  • Eyeshadows are highly pigmented
  • Create a wide variety of looks
  • Easily Stored
  • Excellent Customer Service
Con's
  • Packaging is fragile

Have you tried any products from Blank Canvas Cosmetics?
Eimear x

Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Autumn Leaves

Hey Everyone!
Hope you all are well :)

I created this makeup look back in September but was holding it off because Halloween is fast approaching. I was walking my dog Carrie recently and I had noticed that the leaves had fallen off the trees and had changed colour.....autumn is here! The leaves had changed from greens to golds to oranges to browns, so I decided to do a makeup look capturing this :)

Products Used:



Eyes
Inglot Amc Shine 08
Inglot Amc 60 
Inglot Pearl 605 
Inglot Amc Shine 12
Inglot Matte 384 
NYC 912 5th Avenue
Bourjois 48 Vert Petillant 
Inglot Matte 327
Urban Decay 'Zero'
Max Factor Brightening Mascara 'Blue Eyes'


Face
Avon Ideal Flawless Foundation 'Ivory'
Blank Canvas Cosmetics 6 Contour Blush Palette
Blank Canvas Cosmetics 10 Blush Palette

Lips
Eos Lipbalm 'Summer Fruits'


If you would like to see how I created this look I have a tutorial which is listed below :)

What colours are you all rocking for fall?

Eimear x