Yummy411: Coastal Scents Mini Italian Badger Brush Set Review

It finally came, my highly anticipated Coastal Scents Mini Italian Badger Brush Set! I loved my flat top badger brush so much, I wanted more of the brushes. This set looked like a winner! I was already scorned by a brush set, so I was taking my chances with another.

I ordered this set with the blush palette (the jury's still out on that one. I hope to have a decent review soon.) However, when I got my box, I was nervous that they had forgotten my brush set. I couldn't find it in all the padding and tissue paper. I was about to be fired up!!

Take a look: (They are freshly washed and not dry.)

7 piece set: powder, blush, crease, angle, concealer/lip, shadow and spoolie brushes


Now. what shocked me the most and the reason I thought they were forgotten about is because when they say MINI, they mean MINI! Look at the brushes in comparison with my full sized MAC #224 brush. I didn't expect them to be big, just bigger than what they are.


Here they are in their cute little pouch!

The pouch even has a cute little zipper pocket.

It's a nice size especially to have a powder, blush and other brushes included!

Front snap

Compared to a deck of cards (hey they always compare cell phones to a deck of cards, LOL)



Check the width on these babies.

When I saw how small the brushes were, I thought it was a joke. I was actually a little saddened. Then, my frown turned into a smile! I love that it's so small. Unlike MAC brush sets and other larger sets, this set actually has essential brushes included for a complete makeup look!

During washing, there was no bleeding, shedding or foul play. I can't wait to see how they perform. They are soft and well made for tiny brushes!

You can purchase them from Coastasl Scents here for $25. Look out for discount codes.. I did!

omigosh..i'm in lust

Roll Top Beauty Tote, $60
At this price, it's not lust at all.. When I saw this at Sephora, I knew I had to have it. This is what my purse really should look like (yikes.) Where am I toting this much makeup? I don't know, but my at home stash won't fit in this.

Welcome to the Family!

Every week/month/year my makeup bag blooms. For a long while I was content with lipglosses, tinted moisturizer and eyeliner. Discovering blush made me squeal with delight and decided that I was "growing up." Since then, I've learned to appreciate foundation, mascara, concealer, eyelash curlers and on and on down the beauty list. With the reactions of medicine, I've seen my face glisten with oil and my makeup glide. I discovered primer to help make my makeup stay, now what would I do for those glistening spot?? I've been contemplating the little blotter sheets and powder for a while, but decided that I really didn't need it up until now. Not being able to get my desired blotter sheets and powder from Tarte, I thought I'd start with a drugstore cosmetic, which is what I always do when experimenting.

I picked up Black Opal's Invisible Oil Blocking Powder ($9.99). My first blotting powder! So far, I've been plenty pleased! It didn't cake on me yet, it is invisible, and comes with a convenient mirror. A Makeup Alley approved item! Welcome to the family (aka the makeup bag) oil blocking powder =)

MAC NEWS and Wishlist

(This will be a rather lengthy post, so click on the music player in my sidebar, groove with me and read on in my adventures in makeup!)
Lightful-the new line of skin care by MAC to brighten and liven skin. (I'm not convinced yet.)

My lastest MAC haul (overall) From the Barbie Loves MAC collection:
e/s- Magic Dust, Moth Brown, and Springtime Skipper
l/g- Sweetness
beauty powder- Pearl Blossom
other (not from the collection)- lustreglass Sinnamon and iridescent powder- Star, fluidline Shade, prep + prime skin, and select coverup concealer.

Right now, I'm loving prep+prime skin. It makes your skin feel so soft and silky. Besides, it makes your makeup last all day. Special bonus: light reflecting particles (light shimmer to give your overcoat of foundation a dewy glow).

MAC select coverup concealer has replaced my select moisturecover concealer. The moisturecover glides on nicely and as its name suggests, provides moisture. The moisture makes the concealer very light, but my bags need more. This is where the select coverup comes in. It gives me just a little more. Not over-powering, but just a little more coverage with a little less moisture.

On my wishlist: MAC mineralize satinfinish. This looks sooo yummy. I can't wait to get to the MAC store! Light to medium buildable coverage, a seamless finish (highly blendable!) with light reflecting particles. When they say a dewy foundation, this is the truth! I sampled some on the back of my hand. The hand won't always reveal the true color, but what I saw was near impeccable. The formula blended into my skin, didn't feel dry and had a healthy radiance. I can't wait to get it on my face. I love a complete, neat and fresh canvas for makeup. Next, I want the Beauty Burst e/s. This is a vibrant shade of brown with a little red in it. I have other browns, but they are smogged and muted. This brown is intensified with more pigment, so better color payoff. Iridescent powders are turning into an obsession. I'd like to try Belightful...simply to add to the collection. I'd like to backtrack and revisit the Racquel Welch Icon collection. I need to investigate Yogamode beauty powder and the Sweet and Shy and Orange Twink glimmershimmers. I didn't realize how soft and elegant the colors are. Some are so soft they don't show up, but the products I mentioned seem to be worth a second look. (I totally wasn't interested at first. Just like the Mystery Powder from the Couture collection. Do they even still have it? yikes!) Lastly, I need brush #217 or #222. I can't remember which, but let me tell you, when the brush touched my eye, it was the most pleasant pampering. Now, I only know this because of a bad experience. When I started experimenting with my shading and blending brushes, I used a crease brush that wore my eyes out! I didn't realize until I was done. When I went to remove my makeup with my gentle makeup remover, it stung like hell. I had two sore red eyes for two days. Now, I know the difference and can really appreciate this brush by MAC. (Does Sephora carry a cheaper and comparable version? Anyone know?)

Can I get the MAC discount card. This is getting out of hand. Don't get me started on the Balloonancy collection =(
... ok or the Strange Hybrid collection... *sigh*

I went downtown to visit the MAC counter for a Barbie makeover. As I presumed, they would run out of everything (mainly the lipsticks and lipglasses). So I got a makeover, but not in the way that Barbie Loves MAC ;)
(MAC makeup artist, my friend Tamara. Colors used: cork in eyebrows and a little Boy Girl brow gel/set; select coverup in nc30 as browhighlight; nw45 on lid -primer- and undereye; Springtime Skipper e/s from lashline to crease; Beauty burst in outercorner and crease; Rule eyeshadow in innercrease and as a liner; a violet shade for lower lashline; a touch of magic dust for my inner corners; zoom lash mascara; a bit of style blush on cheeks, Star iridescent powder on face; random gloss - the lip style was eaten off by the time I took these pics. I loved this look! It looked totally glam when I went out. The look was bold without bold colors. Fab if I may say so myself.)

New Year Beauty Resolution

I feel bad not posting New Year's Beauty Resolutions, especially since I didn't tell what my favorite products are and other beginning of the year 'beauty details.'

Here are some "resolutional thoughts" that I had in my head that Claire of Claire's Beauty captured on her blog first. I added a few more that I had been thinking of =)
1. Drink more water.
2. Get more beauty rest!
3. Start a dark under eye circle treatment.
3. Get to work on my lash treatment of a nightime application of vaseline.
4. Clean brushes more often and carry a sharpener in my makeup bag or at least switch to a liner such as MAC's technakhol liners.
5. Use more beauty products.. that i ACTUALLY OWN! I wanted to do a Rock the Gloss like Beauty Hobby did (using a different gloss each day that I currently own), but I can't resist the urge to buy another lipgloss that's .002 shades lighter than my last fav gloss.
6. Do a rock the perfume, shadow, jewelry, etc. for that matter!
7. Go ahead and wear the crazy, funky clothes and ideas that cross my head.
8. I'm going to put this on the list, but yall can't hold me to this stuff, only I........ but I'm seriously considering going natural in the '07. Embracing my natural coils and curls! (Loc or not to loc?) I seriously hate maintaining my hair. I need to be on celebrity status and have my own personal stylists or go to the salon at 11am for personal treatment.

So there it is folks.. my beauty resolutions!

*update: I actually heard of Rock the Gloss by Heather of Champagne and Lipgloss*

Random Beauty and Things

*Drug store finds:
jane. shimmering bronzer in Tahiti
I wanted to finally try one of those multi-colored blushes/bronzers without wasting too much money. I was in my local drugstore and decided to pick one up. A trip isn't complete unless i buy at least one new cosmetic, or two. The drugstore brand jane. had some cool looking ones. I actually use it as blush. Loving shimmer and bronze, it's not too sparkly. With enough of the product, it gives a subtle shimmer. It comes in a convenient compact like HIP shadows; one side product, the other side is casing with a small mirror and brush. Keeper!

Revlon LipGlide in Natural Glow
Convinced by the Eva Mendez photo for the ad, the Natural Glow shade looked great. Of course I want my lips to look like Eva Mendez, but that's not the case. However, it's a flesh colored lip product that gives you a natural vibrance to your lips. Keeper!




Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss


Something new from the our favorite dollar drug store cosmetic Wet n Wild: a glassy gloss pot. Nice colors, good product for a great price. Since I got a color very similar to everything else I own, this doesn't stand out among the products. Still a keeper!

*Rediscovered on my dresser:
Nars the Multiple in Palm Beach
I always read raves of Nars blush. Everyone's favorite is Orgasm. I tried it on during a Sephora frenzy, but didn't find it to be outstanding. Beautiful color-- maybe I didn't have enough on? I passed it up being content that I own an amazing creme colour/blush, MAC's Impropper Copper. That's some stuff to rave about! (Unfortunately, its a summer color for its high shimmer.) I was going through an old makeup bag and found this Nars the multiple. Now this is something that I decided was great. Great color, without the high shine so that it can be used across seasons.

Givenchy Amarige Fragrance
I received a sample of this and decided that it was lovely. I didn't take to it when I first smelled it on the bottle at the department store. I wore it around and found it to be a nice scent. Not too young, not too mature, but struck a nice balance. Now I'm not sure if it's actually Amarige or a derivative... but I hear they are all similar. Many of the perfume critics don't like it and take it not to be anything close to Givenchy's best work. It does smell very familiar, but it's okay for an average girl like myself. I'm enjoying the samples, but don't think it deserves a bottle purchase. Some of the notes (if it is Amarige Mariage) bitter orange, bergamot, patchouli, and sandalwood.

Avon's Sweet Honesty Body Creme

I received this Avon set as a gift, complete with body cream, talc and deodorant. Great moisture whipped body lotion with a soft scent of-...... bubblebath? The scent is a mix of rose, amber and spice. I swear, I try to stay away from amber, but it constantly creeps up on me. When I first rubbed it into my skin, I thought that the scent would bother me, annoy me. That classic Avon scent. Actually, as I wore it throughout the day, it's very subtle and I like to sniff it to remind myself of one of life's simple pleasures- a warm, relaxing bubble bath! Subtle enough to be layered or not to intrude with a real fragrance that I may prefer to wear.

*..and things

Satchel Multi- print

I love this little satchel/tote deal. I love the colors and the simple, yet chic design. I decided it was going to be my new everyday bag, since I needed to ditch the 20lb suitcase that I had been carrying before. (Stay tuned for a "what's all the crap" in my purse post.) It's big enough for my taste and doesn't burden your look. I know that big bags are stylish, but it's nothing stylish about appearing not strong enough to carry a purse. I have enough on my load without a cumbersome bag. Where did I pick up this sweet deal? None other that the beloved Target (by Xhiliration.) My only qualms: the zipper is too low, so I can't carry too many things or everything is sure to fall out AND there is no cell phone pocket inside. Don't designers realize that this is the new millenium? All of us don't clip our phones to our waists. Besides, with the large amount of space, we don't want to lose our cell phone in the bag.