BornPretty False Lashes Review + Makeup Look

BornPretty Store (#1539) 5 Set Natural Curling Lashes

BornPrettyStore.com is an online beauty, nail and accessory wholesale supplier where you can find a variety of nail accessories to phone accessories as well as false lashes and hair supplies.

Save some cash on false lashes by buying in bulk! Why spend $5-6 on a single pair at the drugstore when you can just dish out $6 on 5 pairs of falsies from BornPrettyStore.com?!

Find lashes like this Natural Curling Set (#1539) on their site. They are made from artificial fibre but give a natural lash appearance due to the cut of the strands. They are shorter on the inner part of the eye and gradually get longer towards the outer end of the strip. The strip lash itself is transparent which is great making them as light as possible and the strands all while containing 13 individual clusters of strands on the band.

Translucent thin band offers lightweight feel while holding 13 clusters of strands

They are long enough for those with larger eyes and can be simply cut down to fit those with smaller eyes. In my case, I didn't have the need to cut them down, they fit my eyes perfectly.

Beauty Tip: Remember to always trim your false lashes from the outside. Do not cut them from the inner part or you will potentially ruin the design of your strip lashes.

SCROLL DOWN FOR MAKEUP LOOK!

BornPretty Store (#1539) 5 Set Natural Curling Lashes

PACKAGING
As an avid cosmetic "collector" aka hoarder (ha) I appreciated the simplicity in the packaging of the set. Yes, don't get me wrong I love intricate beautiful packaging but when you have a collection of beauty products, packaging begins to take over storage space. And lashes have been one of those items that don't really need to take that much space up.  Unfortunately there is no way to downsize on the packaging myself. I'm all for the packaging of boxed lashes that are just simply pretty to look at but I find plain bulky packaging to be unnecessary. For example, Ardell and Andrea lashes (found at the drugstore) just take up too much space in my drawers. I would love for them to redesign the packaging of their lashes. The 5 pairs came housed in a fairly thin plastic casing with a clear cover. I removed the insert in order to clearly see the lashes.

Packaging Close Up

Taking care of these lashes can assure multiple use out of them. When removing them after wear, I clean off any leftover mascara with alcohol and carefully remove the lash glue that stays on the band, then disinfect the band with alcohol and store them back in their packaging to keep their form. This will ensure that they last you at least 3 or 4 uses.

This featured set is currently on sale for under $5, make your way to the site and get your hands on them now! Plus, my lovely blog followers get 10% off by using coupon code (SAS10k31).

Availability: BornPrettystore.com
Price: $6.12

Wearing BornPretty Lashes (#1539)

Wearing BornPretty Lashes (#1539)

Wearing BornPretty Lashes (#1539)

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration by the manufacturer. This does not affect any opinions featured in this post as they are my own honest experiences with the product.     

Review: Blvd. Cosmetics Brush Shampoo & Conditioner

Blvd. Cosmetics Brush Shampoo & Conditioner

If you find yourself reading this post then there's a high chance that you own a beauty blender. In that case you have probably tried or at least heard of the beauty blender solid cleanser. Well, Blvd. Cosmetics has brought us a cleansing product that sort of plays on the same concept. I introduce to you the BLVD Cosmetics Brush Shampoo & Conditioner.

Blvd. Cosmetics is a natural and organic cosmetic company that offers lip products from lipsticks, liners and glosses to brush cleansers, nail polishes and body soaps.

Blvd. Cosmetics Brush Shampoo & Conditioner ($16/2 oz) is a mild soap that not only cleanses but moisturizes your makeup brushes and beauty sponges. It is made with natural oils and contains antibacterial and conditioning properties that leave your tools feeling smooth and looking vibrant, all while keeping the bristles of your brushes healthy and long lasting. It is 100% vegan and biodegradable.

The brush cleanser is available in (3) options: Unscented, Lemon Grass Swirl, and Lavender Swirl. The brush shampoo I have for review is the Lavender Swirl. It contains a soft lavender scent that is not overpowering and leaves your brushes smelling fresh and cleansed.

Blvd. Cosmetics Lavender Swirl Brush Shampoo & Conditioner

I have always cleaned my beauty blenders and brushes with good ole dishwashing soap mixed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil in order to disinfect and moisturize them. This cleansing method has worked for me thus far but it is time consuming as the soap creates lots of suds in my beauty blenders and brushes. The great thing about the Blvd. Cosmetics brush shampoo & conditioner is that doesn't create suds. The soap washes out very easily while removing all the product left in your tools.

Another positive factor in this shampoo is that it leaves the hair bristles on my brushes looking brighter and feeling softer. Whereas using Dawn with the olive oil feels a bit too greasy on the bristles. And let's not forget, less suds equals less time spent trying to squeeze them out. I can't tell you how many times I've thought I got every last bit out to realize that I had to take my tools back to the sink and run them under water. The joys of deep cleaning makeup brushes! (Enter sarcasm here)

Before & After on brushes & beauty blenders using Blvd. Shampoo

PACKAGING
The soap is packaged into a plastic tub with a twist on cap and contains a small round loofah. In this case the soap itself is not removable, instead you take your wet brush or beauty blender and swirl it around in the tub. In my opinion this saves the amount of soap you use when cleansing your tools as opposed to using a bar like the Beauty Blender solid cleanser. Let's not forget to mention, the Blvd. Cosmetics brush shampoo contains 2 0z. of product, double the amount of the BB solid cleanser. I was a little skeptical about scrubbing my brushes on the loofah but when you run it under water it will expand and become soft, aiding in removing any leftover product in your brushes. I suggest allowing the loofah to dry completely before trying to store it back in the tub (it won't fit if you don't).

Top view: twist off cap

Side view: 2 oz. of product

Round loofah included in packaging

Dry loofah included w/ Brush Shampoo & Conditioner

Instructions

Demo using dirty brush w/ shampoo

Wet Loofah - expands & softens when wet

I'm all for simplicity when it comes to deep cleaning my makeup tools and that is exactly what I get with the Blvd. Cosmetics Brush Shampoo. Wet your brush swirl it in the tub, gently scrub it against the wet loofah and rinse. Then lay your brush flat to dry. I don't get my hands as wet as with any other method meaning I don't dry them out with soap and water and the process doesn't take as long.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
The Blvd. Cosmetics Brush Shampoo & Conditioner is a must have! It helps cut down my brush cleaning in half all while leaving them clean and moisturized with a light fresh scent. At double the amount of product compared to other cleansers out in the market and the fact that it is made with natural ingredients wins in my book! Blvd. Cosmetics is on the rise and I'm sure it will become a well known brand in the beauty community. Make sure you check them out & follow on Instagram - @blvdcosmetics


Availability: Blvdcosmetics.com
Price: $16 (2oz.)

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration by the manufacturer. This does not affect any opinions featured in this post as they are my own honest experiences with the product.    

L.A. Girl PRO Conceal HD Concealer Review + Swatches

L.A. Girl PRO Conceal HD Concealer

L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD Concealer ($5) is described as crease-resistant, opaque coverage in a creamy yet lightweight texture. The long-wearing formula camouflages darkness under the eyes, redness and skin imperfections. Provides complete, natural-looking coverage, evens skin tone, covers dark circles and minimizes fine lines around the eyes.

These cruelty-free concealers by L.A. Girl Cosmetics have been raved about all over social media and for good reason at that. We all know that finding a great long lasting concealer with little to no creasing and at an affordable price is hard to come about in the beauty market. Look no further my beauty enthusiasts, these gems are here to stay! 

The Pro HD Concealers come in (18) different colors: Classic Ivory, Natural, Creamy Beige, Nude, Medium Bisque, Pure Beige, Warm Sand, Medium Beige, Almond, Cool Tan, Toast, Warm Honey, Fawn, Toffee, Espresso, Chestnut, Beautiful Bronze, and Dark Cocoa.

With a vast array of color options to choose from, rest assure there is a color to fulfill your needs. Whether you are looking for a highlighting, concealing or contouring color,  LA Girl pro concealers have got you covered. From the lightest ivory to the deepest cocoa shade the variety in colors make these concealers a hot item for any makeup artist's kit; allowing them to have options for their clients' needs at a reasonable price.

Reviewed here are two of the shades in the collection. I use Creamy Beige to highlight and Toast to contour. When choosing your shade, it is a bit difficult to easily find what you are looking for through the website as they are not actual swatches. I recommend you try looking up real swatches on blog reviews such as this. I got lucky and chose the two that ideally met my needs. Creamy Beige is a bit light to match my foundation but it works perfectly for highlighting my face (mid forehead, bridge of nose, under eyes, cupids bow and chin) which is what I wanted it for. Toast is the perfect color to contour my face (temples, cheekbones and nose) with. I always go for a contour color about 4-5 shades darker than my skin tone and just blend blend blend into my foundation and highlight for a flawless contoured look!

Creamy Beige used as highlight / Toast used as contour

PERFORMANCE

Naturally I have dark circles that have always been an issue for me when trying to find a product to cover them up. I also have fine lines under my eyes that always tend to cause creasing when I apply concealer. The problem indiscovering the perfect concealer is finding one that would not only cover my dark circles but prevent creasing and is long wearing all at the same time. It wasn't until I started using MAC Pro Longwear Concealer ($19) that I had found a solution to my dark circle trouble. I vowed to never try another concealer again but when I came across the Pro Conceal HD Concealers and the raves about them I knew I had to give them a try.

Left to right: Creamy Beige - Toast

Just like the infamous Pro Longwear, they are very creamy and opaque, concealing my problem areas without having to use much product. Although they are creamy and blend easily, you will have to work a bit quicker with these concealers because they do dry a bit faster. I use a beauty blender or stippling brush to help blend out the product effortlessly. Thus far the concealer has stayed put for 10 hours without any creasing. 
 

PACKAGING

These squeeze tube concealers are reminiscent of some lip gloss tubes which some may not like but I love. I prefer this packaging over any jar or hard plastic tubes that come with a wand or brush... meaning less mess and more hygiene care. This also means no product gets left behind in the tube. We all know what a pain that is when you still have enough product leftover for a few more applications but there is no way of getting it out of the packaging. I do favor the pump that the MAC Pro Longwear comes with but the problem with pumps is that they make it difficult to control how much product you are dispensing; once you do there is no putting any leftover back in the container.

Holding .25 oz of pigmented product means they will last you quite a while. MAC packaging holds .30fl oz and lasts a long time. A little goes a long way with both concealers so not much is needed for one application.

There is one minor downfall to the packaging of these concealers, that being the tip has a brush applicator. Bacteria can grow in the brush from the leftover product after using it directly on your face. Even if you are using them for personal use, it's not too sanitary. I suggest squeezing out some product and transferring it onto the back of your clean hand or a mixing plate. The brush does make it a bit messy though..

Brush Tip Applicator

PRODUCT TIP - HYGIENE CARE

Here's a tip! When I received my concealers I took a pair of pliers and pulled out the brush applicators. This way I can just squeeze out the amount I need without the mess all while using the most sanitary care possible with this product. I also always wipe down the opening with alcohol to prevent any bacteria from entering the tube.

Top: toast / Bottom: Creamy Beige

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I'm happy I got my hands on the L.A. Girl Pro HD Concealers, they certainly do live up to the hype! The non-creasing long-lasting formula makes for a perfect concealer to fix problem areas as well as for highlighting and contouring the face.

At about a quarter of the price of MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, the Pro Conceal might just replace my previous favorite. A slight downfall to these concealers is the availability of them. I've heard some say they can be found at your local beauty supply store but I have yet to see them. They can be found online on the L.A. Girl website at $5 a piece or about $3 at iKatehouse.com. I need to get my hands on all the shades to add to my kit. These concealers are recommended by yours truly to everyone, especially makeup artists wanting to stock their kit with high quality products at an affordable price.

Availability: L.A. Girl / iKatehouse / Drugstore.com

Price: $2.29 - $5.00 
  

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration by the manufacturer. This does not affect any opinions as they are my own honest experiences with the product.

Lorac Pro Palette Review + Swatches

Lorac Pro Palette

Lorac Pro Palette ($42) is an eyeshadow palette that I've been wanting to add to my collection for some time now and haven't taken the plunge for until recently. Yes I know I'm very behind on this palette but better late than never right? Still I figured another review wouldn't hurt. So here it goes..

This palette contains (16) .02oz (total .32oz) neutral eyeshadows, 8 matte and 8 shimmer shades as well as a mini sized Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow Primer. From neutral to more dramatic looks, it is the perfect palette to own when you need to have variety packed into one product. All the shadows have great pigmentation and are buttery smooth. A few of the shades, in particular the matte shades can be a bit chalky but not too bad where there is a lot of fallout like other matte shadows. They can be applied wet or dry, especially the shimmer shadows which look beautiful on the lid.

PACKAGING
The sleek thin design of the Lorac Pro Palette is perfect for traveling. The black case is made of a sturdy cardboard that has a rubberized texture and a magnetic flip top. It also comes with a full length mirror which is great for those who rely on using the mirrors in palettes. I personally never do. The amount of product in these shadows is a bit small at .02oz each, compared to the size of a MAC shadow at .05oz.

I like the look and feel of the rubberized case but am not a fan of how dirty it gets. I like my palettes to be easy to maintain.

SWATCHES

(Top left to right) White, Cream, Taupe Lt. Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black (Bottom left to right) Nude, Champagne, Gold, Lt. Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate

White is a cool-toned white matte. It can come off a bit chalky so I like to use this in the inner eye to create a halo effect instead of applying it to the browbone.

Cream is a light warm beige matte shadow. I need to pack more shadow on to get good color payoff. I suggest trying a nude base under this shadow.

Taupe is a warm medium brown with a matte finish. It has good color pigmentation. It's a great crease color or use it on the lid for light brown smokey eye.

Lt. Pink is a cool pale pink matte shadow with good pigment but can be powdery when applied.

Mauve is a true pale purple matte shadow with pink undertones. It applies smoothly and is a great color to blend out other colors. I like to use it to blend out the harsh lines of a black smokey eye.

Sable is a warm medium dark brown matte shadow with great pigmentation that applies smoothly to the skin. I love to use this shade to darken the crease and on the lower lashline to smoke out black liner.

Espresso is a dark cool matte brown with good color payoff. It looks great used on the outer v for a smokey eye.

Black is a dark black-grey matte shade with good color payoff. Though it is black, it isn't the deepest black out in the market and it can be a bit patchy. Pat on this shadow instead of sweeping it on to prevent patchy streaks.

Nude is a frosted beige and applies very buttery.

Champagne is a frosted pink-champagne shadow and applies smoothly.

Gold is a copper colored shadow with a frost finish. It has a metallic look when applied to the skin. It is also buttery and has rich color payoff.

Lt. Bronze is my favorite color from this palette. It is a warm peachy shadow with a frosted finish. It is smooth and pigmented. I like to use this shade on my lid or as an inner corner highlight. It provides just a subtle highlight to any look.

Pewter is a light frosted brown shadow. It goes on soft and creamy.

Garnet is a dark rich red copper shade with a metallic finish. It has great pigmentation and is such a gorgeous lid color.

Deep Purple is a shimmery satin dark purple. It is more of a black purple and contains fine micro shimmers. It goes on smoothly and is very pigmented.

Slate is a dark grey with a blue undertone. It applies buttery and has a rich pigmentation. It reminds me of gunmetal from the Urban Decay Naked Palette.
 

THE RUNDOWN
The Lorac Pro Palette is a great product to own or have in your pro kit for its quality, versatility and practicality. I think that is what you really are paying for since the amount of product in the palette isn't much compared to other palettes. For instance, the Urban Decay Naked Palette offers (12) shadows at .05oz each (total .60z) at around the same price. You are getting half the product with the Lorac Pro Palette.

Having the different matte and shimmer shadows all in one palette is a pro especially with the effortless application they offer.

Check out some of the looks I created using the Lorac Pro Palette.. and don't forget to follow me on Instagram (ShugaandSpice1) for more details and makeup inspiration!

Availability: Nordstrom / Ulta / Lorac
Price: $42