MAC 217's similar and affordable dupes.

Hey pretty ladies,

Since buying the well known 217 brush from MAC, I had to do a comparison review on it.

Starting off, these types of blending brushes are famous for reasons that are purely practical; which is that they are multi-use. You can use these brushes to blend in foundation (time consuming), blend in concealer, apply eye shadow, blend out eye shadow (most known for), strategic powder placement, etc. All of these uses come to a conclusion that this type of brush will be handy for anyone that dabbles in makeup, like you and me.

The MAC 217 is made from ultra soft goat hair bristles which makes blending feeling like a relaxing task rather than a chore. It is also an ideal size, rounded/dome, a little bit stiff with a fair amount of bristles and an excellent quality Japan made brush. It's a must loved brush by me as well as the rest of the beauty world. Coming in at $37, it's well worth the investment.

P.S, the numbering do scratch/rub off on MAC brushes, so I have applied some clear nail polish to fix that problem.

Now, onto the comparison.

- The Contenders -

- Bdellium Tools Studio Line 776 -

Bdellium Tools are known for treating their brushes with an anti bacterial protection on the bristles, this may not last forever after washes and spot cleaning but it is an added bonus.

- The Shape - Of the bristles are the same as the MAC 217, but smaller in size.

- Bristles - Are made from all natural fibres

- Softness - A slighty less noticeable difference in softness compared with the MAC 217

- Denseness - There are noticeably less hairs in the 776 than the MAC 217

- Quality - The quality of the bristles on the 776 are rougher and thicker than the MAC 217, however, it is a well made brush with a light handle.

- Made In - China

- Price - $7.65 at http://www.iherb.com/Bdellium-Tools-Studio-Line-Eyes-776-1-Blending-Brush/45961

(use FUF619 at checkout to get up to $10 your first order)

- Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush -

This brush is apart of the Real Techniques Your Eyes/Enhanced Starter Set which comes with 4 other brushes.

- Shape - Of the Bristles are similar, but the RT Base Shadow Brush is smaller has a slight point at the tip

- Bristles - "Ultra Plush Taklon Bristles"

- Softness - The difference in softness can be told due to the difference in bristle hairs. Since the RT brushes are made from Synthetic hairs, it does indeed feel synthetic when comparing to the MAC 217. Similar but different softness.

- Denseness - The RT brush is has thicker bristles, which makes brush feel more dense, even though it has less bristles than the MAC 217.

- Quality - The bristles on the RT brush is very good quality, the bristles don't feel rough at all, just that the hairs are slightly thicker.
- Made In - China
- Price - The Real Techniques set this brush comes in is $17.99 at http://www.iherb.com/Real-Techniques-by-Samantha-Chapman-Your-Eyes-Enhanced-Starter-Set-5-Brushes-Case/41371
(use FUF619 at checkout to get up to $10 your first order)

- Emily Makeup Brush 217 -

I bought this brush off eBay, curious to find if it offered a cheap blending brush like the MAC 217, and I've found this brand. The brushes they have mimic the MAC ones and well as the numbering. I have purchased the Emily 217, 224, and 239. I discourage buying the Emily 224 and 239 because the hairs are so rough.
- Shape - The Emily 217 brush squares a bit at the tip of the brush, as well as the hairs overall being significantly larger than the MAC 217.
- Bristles - Goat Hair

- Softness - Surprising, the softness of the Emily 217 is quite alright, but no where near as the MAC 217. It might feel a little scratchy at first, but since conditioning them with olive oil, the softness has improved.
- Denseness - Two thirds of the denseness of the MAC 217.
- Quality - I believe that this brush is made from a lower quality of goat hair compared with the MAC 217. Also, the ferrule and the handle are not the best quality either. Have the super glue at the ready.
- Made In - China
- Price - Around $5.50 from eBay, just type in "Emily 217 Brush".


- Verdict - 
There is no exact dupe of the MAC 217 here, however there are brushes that are similar that can do the same job, some maybe not so well.
The Bdellium Tools 776 and the Real Techniques Base Shadow brush are both smaller than the MAC 217, which can suit smaller eyes and smaller eye sockets which helped blending precisely easier. I love using the Emily 217 to blend larger areas together since it is quicker than using a smaller blending brush. My favourite... well I am not too sure, I love them all equally for all different things.Overall, the prices of each brush suit to how they perform, you get what you pay for.

I hope this post helps :)

I'm Back.. With a Haul and Update.

Hey ladies, it's so embarrassing when I look at the date of my last post. Ergh lol. Been busy with my awesome TAFE course I just started. I'm studying a Diploma of Specialist Makeup service at Chisholm and I love it. I took a year off University so I can do this course, and I am not looking back. Also, I have dyed my hair black, love that too haha.

With this haul, my spending ban has come to a close, I lasted almost two months and I'm proud of it haha. Certainly refreshing to buy makeup again, but I will still restrain myself until I finish a significant amount of makeup.

- The Haul I Was So Longing For -

- L'Oreal True Match Foundation in W3 $32.45
- L'Oreal Nude Magique in Light $26.95
-Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer 10mL $25
- L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara in Black $27.95
- Sportsgirl Paint The Town Lip Paints in Purple and Red $4.95 on sale each
- Essence Eyebrow Stylist $4.25

I was always intrigued about the hype around the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, but my goodness $75 for the full size (30mL) .. not right now buddy. However, Hourglass did put their thinking caps on and have a smaller version (10mL) which stands at $25. I think this is great, you're still getting the same amount at the same price, and you won't feel so bad wasting a lot of money if you don't like it. I picked up the 10mL version at Mecca.
At Priceline today, they had 3 for 2 on L'Oreal cosmetics, so I had to get the True Match Foundation which everyone raves that is it a dupe for MAC Studio Fix. Also, I picked up the Nude Magique BB Cream, I tested it out and I was sold how it turned into the exact colour of my hand, as well as the beautiful finish it gave. The third product was the Volume Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara, I needed a waterproof mascara in my kit to use for weddings, so I thought I may as well use the 3 for 2 to get this. The makeup they gave us for my course didn't really have any eyeshadow colours for filling in brows, so I bought the trusty Essence Brow Stylist to put in my makeup kit to use for TAFE as well as casual jobs.
Then I popped into Sportsgirl and bought two lip paints that were on sale.

Not too bad Kathleen, not too bad at all.

My Winter Skincare Routine - Affordable.

Hey girls. I thought I would post what I use on my face everyday to cleanse, tone, treat, etc. My skin type has changed over the past year, from very oily to oily/combination. The dryness of the cold winter wind and the heat coming from the heater in my bedroom has made this changes happen.
These products are affordable, mostly under $15.

Keep in mind I do use a few products that are very moisturizing, or may not be recommended for oily skin type. Even though my skin type is oily/combination, I do not have necessarily have acne prone skin.

- My Skincare -

- Revlon Colorstay Eye and Lip Makeup Remover $12.95 -

Awesome to remove my eye makeup with, has no problems removing waterproof liner, cream eye shadows and waterproof mascara.

- Garnier Naturals Clean Detox Gentle Brightening Foam $6.99 -

This cleanser may not be for everyone, it leaves that rubbery feel behind. But when my skin feels like that after use, I know all my makeup, dirt, etc. is all gone. I remove my makeup with this, so I double up. And, a pea size amount creates a surprising amount of foam. After I come out of the shower, my skin feels clean and  appears brightened.

- Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner $4.85 -

I love toner, especially this one. It isn't harsh since there isn't any alcohol. I find that if I don't use this, my pores do get clogged almost instantly. Also, I don't cleanse my face in the morning with a cleanser, I splash water on my face, wipe it off with a towel, and apply this onto my skin. It works and I'm lazy haha.
Get this on iherb.com, use my discount code: FUF619, to get up to $10 off your first order.

- Invite-E Vitamin E Cream $11.49 -

I use this most nights on my face, this acts as my night cream. It restores and moisturizes my skin to reduce any dry patches from coming up. Also, this is a savior for the dermatitis on my hands and any other dry spots on my body.

- Aura Cacia Restoring Rosehip Oil $9.34 -

I use this around 3 nights a week, same concept as the Invite cream above, but since this is an oil, I am wary that I may breakout if I use this too much. One pump goes a long way. I have found my skin tone has evened out a lot since using this, and it has reduced some redness on my cheeks, as well as scarring. I love this stuff.

Get this on iherb.com, use my discount code: FUF619, to get up to $10 off your first order.

- Clearasil Ultra Spot Treatment Cream Extra Strength $14.49 -

I only ever get pimples and spots when it's around that time of month. I put this cream on those suckers at night, and by the next morning they have dried out and reduced in size dramatically. I am cautious when using this product, since it does dry out the skin, I only apply where it's necessary.

- Pure Source Rotorua Thermal Mud Mask For Face and Body $34.95 -

My parents went on a cruise to New Zealand and they came back with this mask as a gift. I feel like this mask really gets into my skin and cleanses it. Whenever I have really congested skin, I use this.

- Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water $24.99 - 

I use this after a shower or if my skin feels a bit tight or dry. Also, if I apply too much powder on my face, I spray this on and it makes my makeup looks so much better. And, my body can break out in hives at any given time, so spraying the area helps to calm it down a lot. I don't know what it is about this product that makes it amazing, I mean it's just water in a can right?

- The Body Shop Face Brush $4.95 & Daiso Fase Brush $2.80 -

I use both of these with my cleanser; the Daiso brush almost daily, and the Body Shop one if I need to really exfoliate my skin.

What are your winter skin essentials?

Makeup My Friend Got Me From The US.

I am super dooper lucky for my gorgeous friend Tash whom went out of her way to pick up some products for me in America on her holiday. I can imagine she came home with two suitcases full of makeup and skincare since she is beauty obsessed as well. I limited myself for this rare opportunity because I didn't want to justify spending a lot of money just because it's cheap, so it was a smaller list than I intended at first.

Cosmetics, skincare, blah blah blah, is much more expensive here in Australia (and our neighbour New Zealand) than the US, as well as the rest of the world. A MAC lipstick here is $36, whereas it is $15 in the US (not including tax). Crazy but it is something that we Aussie girls have to live with. I have included the US and the Australian pricing down below for comparison.

- The List - 
- MAC Face and Body Foundation 120mL in C2 - $33 US, $60 AUS

- MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC20 - $27 US, $49 AUS

- MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul - $25 US, $43 AUS

- MAC Pigment in Vanilla - $21 US, $39 AUS

- MAC Lipstick in Rebel, Russian Red and Shy Girl - $15 US each, $36 AUS each

- MAC 217 Brush x 2 - $23 US each, $37 AUS each

- Becca Shimmer Skin Perfector in Moonstone - $41 US, $66 AUS

- Total of: $238 US, $504AUS
(not including tax [US] and other costs)

- Swatches -

(I took photos of the swatches of the Shimmer Skin Perfector, Vanilla Pigment and Warm Soul, but the crap lighting and the camera I use didn't give any justice to how pretty they are in real life, so I only included the lipstick swatches)

Massive thank you to Tash if you're reading this. I'm so thankful that she did this for me, and especially running around, searching all over for the Becca Shimmer Skin Perfector. After paying extra for tax and other costs, it was a "saving" or difference of almost $200. Crazy right?

Let me know if you would like to see a review on any of these products.

A Day To Remember Face - Getting my rock on with MAC Heroine

I went to fesitival hall on Sunday night in Melbourne to see one of my favourite bands play. A Day to Remember were amazing!

Since a lot of people would be there, and I could possibly throw myself into the mosh pit, I needed to apply products that were long lasting so when I came out of the pit, I still looked half decent (even with half a litre of other people's sweat all over my body).

- Products used -

- Brushes- 
Real Techniques Buffing Brush
Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush
Elite Models Powder Brush
Ecotools Eyeshadow Brush
Bdelliu Eye Brushes (776, 785, 778)
Real Techniques Detailer Brush

- Face -

Estee Lauder Double Wear samples, mixing Rattan and Ivory Beige

Essence Fix and Matte Loose Transluscent Powder

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

B Collection by Bloom Cheek Tint in Burgundy and Napa Valley

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer

- Eyes -
Essence Eyebrow Kit
Ardell Brow and Lash Brush
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk
Urban Decay Naked Palette (Virgin, Toasted, Hustle, Creep)
Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner
Maybelliner The Falsies Flared Mascara

- Lips -
MAC Heroine Lipstick

What's your favourite band/artist and have you seen them play live?

Work face - Winged Liner, Defined Crease and Bright Pink Lips.

My first FOTD post. I always change up my look, but when I wear a winged liner, this is the sort of makeup I tend to go for.

- Products I used - 

- Face -

Face of Australia Face Base Primer

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 103 True Ivory

Rimmel Match Perfection 2n1 Concealer in 010 Ivory

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in 53

B Collection by Bloom Cheek Colour in Yara Valley

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer

Essence Fix and Matte Transluscnet Loose Powder

- Eyes -

Essence Eyebrow Kit

Inglot Freedom System Eyeshadow in 154
Urban Decay Naked Palette (Naked, Buck, Virgin)

Sleek Makeup Au Natural Eyeshadow Palette (Bark, Noir)
Essence Gel Liner in Midnight in Paris

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

- Lips -
Australis Pout Paste in Pash Me Pink

- Brushes -
Real Techniques Detailer Brush
Zhousina Stippling Brush
Real Techniques Blush Brush
Bdellium Brushes (778, 785, 776, 775, 714, 710)

I hope you're having a lovely day :)

iHerb.com Haul Disaster: Ecotools, Bdellium, etc.

I love receiving packages in the mail, it feels like Christmas to open it up and swim in the goodies you bought. But, I couldn't really open this one up, since it was already open to begin with. Let me explain and show you.

I could provide a rant the size of a 1000 word essay, but to keep it short, DHL did not bother to ring my doorbell, or knock, hence I had to pick up my package the next day at the post office, and this is what I saw. Obviously, my package did not receive careful handling at all, it was torn, ripped and thrown around. Neither was it packaged well as one of the contents were bigger in length than the actual box itself. So the service of iherb and DHL were clearly poor.
This mistreatment took great effect to the contents inside, packaging of the products were torn, had dints and the Mint Julep Masque's cap was completely smashed, causing the product to leak in the plastic bag (that had holes in it, which could have made the mask leak on everything else!)
Safe to say, I was bloody fuming, so I made complaint emails to both companies. I am waiting for their replies. I will update this post when this issue is resolved.
I have made numerous orders on iherb before and have never had a problem like this. The order I made is significantly larger to other orders I have made in the past, so packaging is different and should have been put in a larger box. Also, I have always chosen the cheapest method of shipping for previous orders (Global Priority Mail by DHL), but this time I paid a bit more and chose DHL Express to receive my order quicker. Safe to say, I will stick to the cheapest method and wait a little longer.
Anyway, rant over, now over to the haul.

- UPDATE -
So I finally got a reply back from iherb.com, they are going to send me a full replacement with shipping with no charge. DHL said it was iherb's responsibility to give me compensation for the delivery, shipping is through iherb's account in which they have with DHL. I'll update this again when I receive the replacement.

Oh, I should mention, I did say before I was on a spending ban, however, these were on my 'need' list for quite a while since I wanted to get a separate set of brushes for my makeup course I start next week (so excited!) and some new skincare (ban applies only to makeup). I'm going really well on my spending ban, haven't bought makeup since my last haul, I've noticed that I have more money in the wallet which is great!

Here is what I got:

- Bdellium Tools Studio Line 12 Piece Eye Brush Set with Pouch - $47.60US

http://www.iherb.com/Bdellium-Tools-Studio-Line-Eyes-Brush-Set-and-Pouch-12-Pc-Set/45981

- Ecotools 6 Piece Brush Set - $10.40US
http://www.iherb.com/EcoTools-Bamboo-6-Piece-Brush-Set-1-Set/25451

- Ecotools 6 Piece Day to Night Brush Set with Clutch - $14.16US
http://www.iherb.com/EcoTools-Six-Piece-Day-to-Night-Brush-Clutch-Set-6-Pieces/46978




- Queen Helene The Original Mint Julep Masque - $3.84US

http://www.iherb.com/Queen-Helene-The-Original-Mint-Julep-Masque-8-oz-226-8-g/5796

- Aura Cacia Organic Restoring RoseHip Oil (30mL) - $9.34US
http://www.iherb.com/Aura-Cacia-Organic-Rosehip-Oil-Restoring-1-fl-oz-30-ml/38543

There was an extra 5% discount on all orders over $60 and I had rewards of 18 cents. I chose the DHL express shipping method which was $10. All together it cost me $90.89 US, or $99.37 AUS (dat exchange rate D:)

My order shipped on the 5th of July and received on the 9th of July (picked up the next day at the post office), average time on the website stated 2-4 days. I think mine was a bit slower since it was over the weekend.

You can use my discount code on iherb.com to receive up to $10 off your first order, enter in when checking out: FUF619.

Let me know if you would like to see any reviews on these items :)

Have a good day! :)