Review: Zoeva Luxe Complete Eye Brush Set

I was in dire need of some eye brushes because I am simply too lazy to wash them when I want to switch eyeshadows (if someone knows of a good instant brush cleanser, please let me know). So, after hours of scouring the internet, and weeks of contemplation, I purchased the Zoeva Complete Eye Brush Set from BeautyBay for around $86.

I ordered the brushes on the 31st of December, the order dispatched on the 6th of January, and they arrived on my doorstep on the 27th. The BeautyBay website claims that the order was supposed to arrive within 7-10 working days from dispatch date, but mine took 15, so boo to BeautyBay on this one. I know Luxola also carries them (for $105 might I add, major WTF) and that takes 2-10 working days, so that's always an option.

I had read a ton about the Zoeva brushes, many of said reviews comparing their quality to the Sigma Brushes. I have the Sigma Mr. Bunny set, and I am in love with it, so naturally I was keen to jump on the Zoeva bandwagon. After testing them out, I've discovered that I like them.

I'll get to the downside of the brushes first. The set comes with both natural and synthetic brush bristles, with the majority being natural. These are made from Goat hair. They hurt my eyes. I don't know what it is - it just feels a little draggy on my eyelids, but I'm hoping with a bit of olive oil and washing that the harshness will go away. I'll keep you updated.

Although, I must say that the blending brushes in this set blend beautifully and my looks are more seamless than ever - even better than my beloved E40 by Sigma. I can deal with a little pain for the beautiful effect they give. My favourite, note-worthy brushes in the set are definitely the 224 Luxe Defined Crease, 231 Luxe Petit Crease and 228 Luxe Crease. Oh my goodness, I hadn't known flawless blending until I met these guys. Each of them vary in size and shape just a little, which means there is a perfect blending brush for each look; whether it be a dramatic cut crease, a soft smoky eye or a simple wash of colour on the lids.

Honorary mentions go out to:

• The 142 Concealer Buffer, which is like a mini Real Techniques Buffer Brush for your under eyes. It is fantastic and it gives you the same effect as the RT brush. The short and densely packed bristles make it perfect for patting down product on blemishes, whilst also being flexible enough to get into the crevices of your under eye area. I love it.
• The 227 Luxe Soft Definer, which looks like a flat shader brush but also has bristles that fan out, giving it a blending-brush-like flair. This is my multi-task, go-to brush. When I'm feeling lazy I'll blend a shade through my crease and then dip it into another and pack on my eyelids. Its a versatile, simple and very usable brush.
• The 322 Brow Line brush trumps any other brow brush I've used. It has the classic angled cut that most brow brushes have, but it is super stiff because the bristles are very short. This means precise brow action. It gives me an incredibly strong brow when paired with my Too Faced Bulletproof Brows, but it also makes a great blending brush for pencil/powder application. 

The set comes with the following 12 brushes (taken straight from the Zoeva website):

• 224 Luxe Defined Crease: Create smooth eyeshadow transitions
• 226 Smudger: Smudge eyeshadow and kohl along the lash line
• 227 Soft Definer: Softly blend and smooth eyeshadow
• 228 Crease: Blending and shading eyeshadow in the crease
• 230 Pencil: Precise shading and smoothing edges
• 231 Petit Crease: Accentuating and blending the crease
• 234 Smoky Shader: Shading and blending with smoky effect
• 237 Detail Shader: Detailed application of eyeshadow
• 315 Fine Liner: Apply eyeliner in delicate strokes
• 317 Wing Liner: Detailed eyeliner strokes for a perfect wing
• 322 Brow Line: Eyebrow brush for powder and cream products
• 142 Concealer Buffer: Apply and blend concealer

It also comes with a small-sized, black brush clutch, which totally comes in handy for shoving your makeup essentials in your purse.

Overall, I am totally pleased with these brushes and I would definitely recommend them. They're so versatile and give me such gorgeous looks with minimal effort.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder/Blush Palettes Review

Over the summer break, I was lucky enough to get my hands on these Hourglass palettes. The Ambient Lighting Palette was originally limited edition, however, is now a part of their permanent range and retails for $76 AUD at Mecca Cosmetica/Maxima. The blush palette was limited edition and is no longer available, and also retailed for $76 AUD (fingers crossed it follows the same path as the powders and becomes permanent).

I 100% love these palettes and I reach for them all the time.

The blush palette is definitely easier to use, with the three shades Luminous Flush(LHS: rosy-pink), Incandescent Electra (middle: peachy-pink) and Mood Exposure (RHS: plummy purple) being all incredibly different, yet all incredibly wearable as well. Initially, I was a little afraid of Mood Exposure, however, after a little experimentation, I've found that it looks best with a complimentary dark lip and neutral eye. 

At first, I wasn't completely sold on the Ambient Lighting Powders. I was keen to get my hands on the palette because of the all the hype, but I honestly thought it was just a palette full of highlighters. I quickly learnt that it's not. I use Radiant Light (LHS)as an all over face powder, sometimes to set my foundation, other times on top of powder. It has light deflecting properties which blur all your imperfections and give the impression of smooth, flawless skin. I use the centre shade, Incandescent Light, as a highlighter because of its light colour and Dim Light before bronzer/contour to act as a natural transition shade.

Also, can we just talk about the beautiful packaging? It looks so glamorous and luxurious sitting on my vanity, and it's such a pleasure to reach for and use with the handy mirror.

I'm totally pleased with these palettes. I love the well thought-out shades, but  most importantly the quality of these powders. Don't be fooled by the subtle colour (or complain about the lack of opaqueness/pigmentation), because this palette is for those who love natural beauty. Although it is subtle, it is beautiful. It looks like your own skin is glowing and photographs beautifully. I cannot get enough of these palettes and I reach for them on a daily basis. 

10/10 win!

Skincare Routine

From a very young age, my mother consistently reminded me that I was only going to live in one skin for the rest of my life. She taught me that preservation, no matter how young or old, was key to healthy, beautiful skin. This is a lesson that I not only practice, but often force upon others (sorry, friends).

I just wanted to share some of my skincare favourites, both for readers and for my future reference, in case I ever were to stray from a skincare routine that I am certain works for me.

Firstly, I have dry/normal/combination skin. The centre of my face is often dry, however, I have oily eyelids. One of my main concerns is redness around the cheek area and also dry patches, which create an uneven, patchy appearance when using a foundation.

I'm on the lookout for a good eye cream, so if anyone has any recommendations please let me know.

Cleanser: Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Cleansing Foam
Any Shiseido counter $65 AUD
I have used this product for around a year and a half and I love it. It is excellent at removing makeup as it gets all the foundation and is quite thorough at removing waterproof mascara. It will leave some mascara residue, however, I am not concerned because most, if not all cleansers will do that. I genuinely notice that my skin is much brighter after using this, I have no idea what's in it that does this, but it's great. I only squeeze a pea-sized amount into the palm of my hand, mix it with a little water to create a thick lather, and gently massage all over my face. For a year and a half (day and night), I've only gone through one sample size and am almost at the end of one full-sized product.

Serum: Moreish Glory Serum
Priceline $30 AUD
I am fairly new to the world of serums, but I am happy that I have found the Moreish serum. I had never heard of Moreish before, and discovered that it was a skincare line formulated in New Zealand, which focuses on natural ingredients. This "glory" serum is made from Argon, Manuka honey and Goji berry. I apply it nightly before using my moisturiser. It sinks into the skin instantly and the manuka honey has really helped calm my redness. I am not deadset on this serum, but am happy to continue using it until I find something that I really enjoy.

Moisturiser: Origins Make A Difference Plus +
Mecca Maxima/Mecca Cosmetica $55 AUD
This "rejuvenating moisturiser" is heaven to dry skin. The Mecca website also claims that it is perfect for oily and combination skin because of its oil-free formula, which also provides intense hydration. It is infused with Rose of Jericho, lychee and watermelon (it smells bomb), which seek to target your skin's everyday thirst. I use this day and night (as recommended on the packaging) and I love it. It really helps combat my redness, especially after showers when my skin is feeling tight and looking tomato red. I feel like it works best as a night cream because of its thicker formula, however, it makes my skin look fantastic under makeup. When applying it before makeup, I will leave a good two minutes for it to thoroughly sink in, and then apply primer.  You also need the teeniest amount of product for each use because it is quite thick, so the $55 price tag isn't a major concern for me.

Masks: Egg White Mask & Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Mask
Organic Free Range eggs 
The egg white mask is something I go to when I'm running low on $$$ or I'm too lazy to repurchase. I separate egg whites and egg yolks in two separate bowls, however, I still leave a large majority of egg whites with the egg yolk (so I can reuse the egg - you don't need that much egg white for this mask). After opening my pores with a warm damp cloth,  I use my Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush to equally disperse the product throughout my skin. After one layer, I will separate a tissue so that it is only one ply,  cut/tear it up into strips and cover my face with it (creating a mask). I coat each layer of tissue with egg whites as I go. I then leave the mask to dry and peel it off when it is completely hard and dry. Upon gently removing, you can really see the dirt that was clogged in your pores (especially around the nose and chin areas) on the tissue and your skin feels lovely and smooth. This technique also works as a makeshift pore-strip for your nose area.
I would recommend using organic, free-range eggs because I've read some horrific stories where eggs with steroids/added hormones were used, which lead to severe acne breakouts and scarring.

Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Mask
Any Shiseido counter $72 AUD 
The Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Intensive Revitalising Mask (major mouthful) is reserved only for special occasions. I use it a night or two before a special occasion (e.g. wedding, formal, graduation) and it leaves my skin glowing. The sheet mask comes in two parts; an upper half and bottom half, which makes it super easy to get into each and every crevice of the face. There is an instant and noticeable difference after using this mask, plus makeup glides on beautifully. Retinol is a form of Vitamin A which helps the skin produce collagen, that therefore combats dullness, wrinkles and dehydrated skin.  If there is anything at all I would recommend from this post, it is these masks because they amazing and suited to all skin types. Each box comes with four masks, and whilst it is quite pricey, to me it is worth every penny.

Exfoliators: Lush Love Lettuce & Lemon and Sugar Scrub
Lush Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask
Lush $16.95
Okay, this baby is a two in one. This is one of Lush's infamous face masks, which comes with exfoliating particles, so after I leave it on for 10 minutes, I will exfoliate my skin in the rinsing off process. It is made up of 100% natural ingredients, including almond oil, seaweed gel, lavender essential oil and Fuller's Earth - all products known to enhance the skin. Because it is 100% natural, there is an expiry date, which is three weeks from the date it was made. I love it and hate it for that reason. I love it because I know I'm putting fresh ingredients onto my skin, and it encourages me to actually exfoliate by the expiry date, but I hate it because my closest Lush store is around 30 minutes away. On the other hand, I do love that I can return five empty containers and get another mask for free, so I suppose the good outweighs the bad. The Lush website recommends this product for normal to oily skin, but my dry/normal skin loves the soft, fresh feel that this mask gives.

Lemon and Sugar Scrub
The Lemon and Sugar Scrub is a classic that I turn to as an alternative when I am too lazy to run to Lush. I'll have a plate of sugar (white sugar is fine, pictured above is coconut sugar - doesn't make much of a difference really) and half a lemon set. I dip the lemon half into the sugar and then proceed to run it all over my face. The sugar grains aid in the removal of dead/dry skin cells, which therefore creates a smoother and softer skin surface. Exfoliating is also great for removing post break-out marks, unclogging pores and overall improving the appearance of skin. Lemons are natures skin brightener because they are infused with Vitamin C and citric acid, which overtime, will brighten the appearance of your skin. They're also bomb for whitening your teeth! This lemon and sugar scrub mix never fails me.

Lip care: Lucas Paw Paw Ointment 
Any pharmacy or major retailer ~$5 AUD
Need I say more? I've been using this for years and its fantastic. I know not all people love this product, but with lip exfoliation it works wonders on my lips. They feel immediately nourished and will stay nourished. I always carry a tube of this with me wherever I go, because the package claims that it is also good for boils, burns, chafing, cuts, crackled skin, gravel rash, splints, open wounds, insect bites and nappy rash. I love it. It's amazing. That is all.