Product Review : REAL TECHNIQUES™ by Samantha Chapman 'Core Collection' Brush Set

Hey Pretties,

as part of my promise to review products in my new haul. Here is my 1st input. These brushes i ordered through my very wonderful Sister & Talented Makeup Artist, KK(Kemi Kings). Having been an avid fan of Samantha & her sister,Nicola (The Pixiwoo Sisters) on You-tube, it would definitely be no surprise that i would want to try my hand on Sam's Brushes & so the 'Core Collection' was what caught my fancy.

Samantha Chapman (Co-Founder Pixiwoo)

The brushes arrived last week & i must say,i couldn't wait to try my hands on the brushes, most especially the Buffing Brush (which i must confess was my primary target,lol).

In it's Packaging

Panoramic Case

 The 4 brushes contained in the set are : The Contour Brush, the Foundation Brush, The Definition Brush & The Buffing Brush

HOW I USE THEM

• The Contour brush - I use this to Contour & Highlight areas on my face i want definition in as well as setting my undereye concealer & it does a swell job as so
• The Pointed Foundation brush - For best results, use with a Liquid Foundation
• The Detailer brush - It's actually a Concealer brush, but can be used as a Lipbrush & precision eye brush
• The Buffing Brush - It was actually created for Full-coverage application of Powder & Mineral Foundation, but i particularly love to use this for Liquid Foundation & i find that i use less product with this brush.

L-R Contour Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Detailer brush & Buffing Brush

Pros

• The Buffing & Contour brushes are super dense and gentle on the skin
• They are Great Quality for their affordable price
• The taklon bristles are hand-cut & 100% cruelty-free
• For new makeup artists or an average woman, the brushes have names written on them for easy recognition.
• All the brushes have Self-standing bases for easy display
• The aluminium ferrules are so light and are easy to hold and handle
• The ergonomics of the brush is well thought out, I love the copper color too
• On washing, the brushes didn't shed hairs, which made that super cool and the taklon bristles turn as white as new after washing
• The Brush case doubles as an organizer for pencils, like i did below

My New Pencil Organizer ;)

Cons

• For now, i see no cons :)

 Online, the brushes can be obtained in the US at ULTA  & in the UK at LOVE MAKEUP ; Victoria Health  & Cocktail Cosmetics

I hope this review was helpful

xoxo
Pretty K

Ps :

" Samantha Chapman lives outside London, England and is a mother of two. She is in high demand as a makeup artist and is a top-rated YouTube beauty guru with 40 million hits and counting. The press acknowledges her as an expert in her field; she is frequently quoted and regularly appears in national and regional press. Sam’s makeup artistry has appeared in publications including Harper's, Tatler, Brides, Elle, and Cosmo. In the last 15 years, she has worked with top photographers including Nick Knight and Lord Snowdon. Sam also works with celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney, Peaches Geldof, Ashley Tisdale, Charlotte Church and more. Sam is in constant demand by private clients and students seeking training in her Pixiwoo beauty bootcamps. 

OCTO HAUL!

Hey Pretties, October happens to be a great month for me. A lot of fantastic things have happened to me & the future looks brighter as each day passes (Glory be to God).

I finally decided to order stuff i've always wanted, heard great reviews about online. I got a better camera and the works(I see a future in Photography), i got loads of mac items,new brushes et al.

So,this month, i got some orders i made through a dear sister (U are indeed Blessed) & thought to share them with you. I Love to Shop makeup.

 They are :

• MAC 15-pan Eyeshadow Pro Palette

• MAC Pro Palette Refill Pans

• MAC 187SE Duo Fibre Face Brush

• Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman 'CORE COLLECTION' Brush set

• HAKUHODO S125 Eyeshadow Crease Brush

• MAC 219 Pencil brush

• Cozzette D250 Angled Brow Brush (Super soft)

• Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder

• Beauty Blender makeup Sponge

I promise to do individual reviews on all the items & also signify when i use them in my LOTDs (Look of the Day).

I hope you are as excited as i am :)

xoxo
Pretty K

My Hair Journey!

Hey Pretties,

about 2 years ago, i had my 1st child (Sharrie) & being a girl, i lost a lot of hair (how the fact that i had a girl relates with my hair loss is what i don't get. People say you have more hair,if its a boy). I also experienced a thicker & stubborn hair texture that hardly ever got relaxed.

So, i gave up & just cut it all off (TWICE!!!). I read all sorts on how to take care of Natural/Nappie Hair and i sincerely don't have the patience for the hair especially since the only salons that can take care of the kinky-textured hair only style it as DREADLOCKS and nothing else creative.

I must confess that i was deceived into thinking the Soft Perm kit wasn't going to destroy the natural texture of my hair, because i have naturally coarse hair & so i needed something to soften the hair and reduce my migraine attacks less, which it did. But like every good thing, after 3 months (which is the expected time for a new soft perm, i refused to have that harsh chemical in my hair).

One would think that i had learnt my lesson. I also got deceived once again many months later, i went again to texturize my hair. Now,i can't curl the hair, it is gob-smacked straight & coarser.

So,i've resolved to let it all grow out & keep to the kinky texture i had at the beginning of my journey and either dread or just invest in Kinky Curly Products & Carol's Daughter

Pls note : I am best friends with Shea Butter, which i often used with water & some olive oil, but even that leaves the scalp clogged with dirt & the hair clogged with sediments. DON'T BE DECEIVED, GOING NATURAL TAKES HARD WORK & PATIENCE.

I hope this post was helpful to anyone seeking avenues of having better hair, all natural hair needs is moisture and lots of conditioning & u'll be fine. I'll keep you posted on the progress i make.

2009

Early 2010

September 2010 (I just noticed this Top appeared Thrice,i have more clothes oo, I Promise!!)

November 2010

Late November 2010

January 2011

February 2011

March 2011 (After my Soft Perm)

 

April 2011

August 2011 (How my hair Looks Now)

xoxo
PrettyK

Product Review : Gifty's Daughter's Professional Brush Set!

Hey Pretties,

as every makeup artist knows or should know, you can't have enough brushes in your kit especially if you work frequently. So, growing an arsenal of brushes shouldn't be taken lightly. If you're based in Nigeria, like i am, its a bit of work to get good brushes at Great Prices.

For those who don't know, we have Brush-sets that are Indigenously branded  e.g TARA Orekelewa, BM Pro, Unveil, SLEEK (which isn't actually a Nigerian Brand) & of course, GIFTY's Daughter which is owned by Port-Harcourt based Makeup Artist Funke Preghafi.

I haven't met her in person, but from various chats, i must say she knows what she's doing. So after placing the order, the brushes arrived at my address 2days later via FEDEX & i must say i couldn't wait to try them.

Bag the Brushes came in

Brush Bag which doubles up as a Brush Belt (Super Cool!!)

Monogram on the Protection Flap

Back of the Brush Belt

Dual Ended and the Regular Brushes

Brushes laid out to dry after Washing

Face Brushes

Dual- Ended Brushes

L-R Blending , E/S , Brow & Liner Brushes

VERDICT

• They are absolutely terrific brushes
• They are value for your money
• i would buy them again

PROS

• There are so many brushes,about 3 powder brushes (1 of which doubles as a blush brush) ; 4 Lip Brushes & Numerous Eyeshadow brushes
• There was little shedding after the first wash, which was expected
• The Monogrammed Flap helps to keep your brushes falling out of thePouch
• The Pouch doubles as a Brush Belt which feels comfortable & sturdy when worn
• The mesh allows for tiny items like items for Touch-ups,Tweezers, Cuticle Scissors and eyelash glue to remain in plain view
• The Brushes are available in PH,Abuja & Owerri, but can be shipped nationwide
• If you're a makeup artist on a budget, they're good enough for you
• For professional makeup artists, they make good back-up brushes if not Great primary brushes
• Aesthetics are on point (They look like Professional Brushes)

CONS

• Since Funke isn't based in Lagos, the brushes take a maximum of 2 days to get to you after confirmation of payment
• The Brushes aren't for people who don't know their brushes/ aren't makeup artists

xoxo
Pretty K

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way in affiliation with any of the companies whose products i display, i bought them & i'm not been paid to review their products.

LOTD : All my Purple World!

Hey Pretties,

so, it was a bright and sunny day & as usual, i was inspired to create a look with an intent to look Gothic, but with a lot more color. This wasn't a look i accomplished with MAC's "All of My Purple Life" Lip glass, but what better name to call the Look since it was inspired by the Color Purple(No,not the Movie Either).

FOR MY FACE:

- Mary Kay Medium Coverage Foundation in 600 
- MAC Moisture Select Cover Concealer in NC42(a teeny bit)
- Milani Mineral Powder in Medium, Topped with MAC Blot Powder in Dark
- Black Opal Blush in RAISIN & Black Radiance Sheer Blush in (Plum Sorbet)CA8303
- Black Radiance Mosaic Bronzer in (Golden Shimmer) 99621 on the bulb of my nose, cheekbone & as my brow highlight.

FOR MY BROWS :

-  Eversheen Eyeliner Pencil in Brown & Brown-Black 
- BM Pro Brush on Brow in AUBURN

FOR MY EYES : 

- Inner 3rd of the eye : MAC Cranberry e/s
- Outer 3rds of the eye : Casabella Mink & e/s
- Crease : Black Radiance Plum Sorbet Blush (i can use anything i want to,i hope you know that better about me by now)

FOR MY LIPS :


- Jordana EASYLINER For Eyes in Denim Blue & Purple Fusion
- Black Up Tube Lipgloss in GT 15


So, i hope this proves helpful to someone out there.


xoxo
Pretty K

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way in affiliation with any of the companies whose products i display,use or review. I bought them & i'm not been paid to review their products.

Product Review : MAC Brush Cleaner

Hey Pretties,


so as i shared some days back,i got my MAC Brush Cleaner amidst other items i ordered and my excitement was short-lived,because i thought it contained some alcohol which would mean the brushes dry faster than expected.

According to MAC :  This one product will clean, disinfect and condition the brush fibers so that brushes will last longer. It is convenient to use and is specifically designed to extend the life of high quality brushes. Brush Cleanser leaves your brushes smelling fresh and clean, and helps shorten their drying time.

Asides that,its a fantastic brush cleaner,compared to Makeup Studio's Brush Cleaner which i purchase at Casabella (at the Palms,Lekki). It leaves my brushes clean and smelling fresh,which is a plus for me.


Pros
- It smells nice and leaves my brushes smelling fresh
- Packaging as always is simple,yet great
- Is eligible for Back to MAC (a great plus)
- And the price is very reasonable ($13), considering how much i buy Casabella's own

Cons
- Not been able to spritz the cleaner,means that you may have spills especially during travel, so i decant some into my contact lens solution container
- You may use more product when cleaning powder brushes, so i stick to cleaning lip, eyeshadow and eyeliner brushes

So, i hope this review was helpful

xoxo
Pretty K

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way in affiliation with any of the companies whose products i display, i bought them with my own money & i'm not been paid to review their products.