Urban Decay Customizeable Palette: Fantastic or Flop?

Since this has been making headlines everywhere since yesterday I thought it would only be fitting if I addressed this new launch and my thoughts on it.

Many of you are familiar with Urban Decay eyeshadows. Most of us know and love their eyeshadows from their many popular eyeshadow palettes. Whether its The Book of Shadows, Naked, Naked 2, or any other pretty palette they have we have a love hate relationship with their shadows...some we love and some we hate...or at least dont use as often.

Urban Decay just announced on their website that they are reformulating their single eyeshadows as well as releasing several of the more popular shades from palettes in singles AS WELL AS releasing a new build your own palette.

In theory this sounds like an AMAZING idea...Until you hear the price!

$18 starts you out with one 6 pan palette and one prepicked eyeshadow color. For each individual eyeshadow its going to cost you $18 more. Some people have brought up the fact that you can buy the extra eyeshadows over time and that way the price wont be so overwhelming... that's true but no matter how you slice it you're still paying a pretty penny! Lets break down the math and compare some popular customizeable palettes. 

Inglot

 With a huge array of palette sizes and an insane number of eyeshadow colors and finishes there's no contest that this is the most customizeable you can get in a pro palette setup!

They carry palettes with two fill shapes; Round and Square. You can get a palette anywhere from 2 eyeshadows up to 40!!! Here's the price breakdown:

Palette for 2- $6.00 (square only)

Palette for 3- $7.00 (square only)

Palette for 4- $9.00 (square only)

Palette for 5- $10.00 (comes in round and square)

Palette for 10- $14.00 (comes in round and square)

Palette for 20- $20.00 (comes in round and square)

Palette for 40- $35.00 (square only)

The eyeshadows they offer to fill these palettes with come in an array of finishes, two shapes, and the square ones are in solid or rainbow form.

Square solid shadows (pan style)- 2.7g of product $5.00

Square rainbow shadows (pan style)- 2.5g of product $7.00

Round shades (come with own casing and will need depotting)- 2.6g of product $12.00

Lets assume we're going to make a palette(s) of 15 to match MAC's largest palette (we'll do this for UD as well). It would cost us $24 if we did two palettes to equal 15 exactly but we'll go the cheaper route and just buy a 20 pan palette and leave a few empty...that's $20 for a palette.

Now lets fill it! For the sake of ease we'll do a round and a plain square. For the round you'll spend $180 on eyeshadows. For square you'd spend only $75.

Now to add it together. For a 15 round palette you'll drop $200. For a 15 square you'll drop $95. And no matter which way you go you'll still get more grams of product than UD AND have 5 empty spaces left to fill later.

MAC

MAC has the name and prestiege to back it up! With a few palette sizes to choose from, a ton of shades and finishes, and a recycling reward program its easy to see why they are the original! 

MAC palettes only hold round eyeshadows and that's all they sell but it makes it very easy and simplistic to find what you need. They carry three palette sizes 2, 4, and 15. Here's the price breakdown:

Palette for 2- $7.00

Palette for 4- $7.00

Palette for 15- $16.00

Eyeshadows can be purchased in pan or package form and of course you can always depot the packaged ones if you decide you want them in a palette. The packaged ones are also the only ones that count in the recycling program.

Pan- 1.5g of product $11.50

Package- 1.5g of product $15.00

Again we are going to purchase a palette of 15 which equals $16.00. 

Now lets fill it! For pan only you'll spend $172.50 on eyeshadow. For package you'll spend $225.00 on eyeshadow.

Add the eyeshadow and palette together you're paying $188.50 for a pan eyeshadow palette and $241.00 for a palette with eyeshadows from packaging but you'll be able to recycle those packages for a few free lipsticks ;).

The Lesser Known... Coastal Scents

Most people think of the 88 shimmer or matte palettes when they think of Coastal Scents. While yes they do offer very cheap premade palettes of some gorgeous colors they also offer new empty customizeable palettes and eyeshadows! Plus they are adding new shadows ALL the time and they are the cheapest available!

They offer only 2 palette sizes a 4 pan and a 12 pan but if you buy 12 of the eyeshadows to fill it with you get the empty palette free!

Palette for 4- $3.95

Palette for 12- $5.95

They have over 150 shades of eyeshadow and are constantly adding more PLUS they sell pigment, empty metal pans, and mixing medium; so you can always create your own unique eyeshadow shades to add to your palette!

Pan only- 1.3g of product $1.99 or clearance $1.49

Now then to make a palette of 15 you'd have to buy a 4 and a 12. That equals out to $9.90 if you have to buy the 12 pan.

Now then to fill that palette(s) it will cost us... $29.85!!!

Lets add them together now! It will be $39.75 if we have to pay for both palettes BUT since we bought 12 we'll only have to pay for the 4 pan palette making the total only $33.80!!!

Coastal Scents may not be MAC or Inglot but they do make amazing products and are great if you're just starting getting into makeup or are working on a tight budget! I mean you cant beat a custom 15 palette(s) for $33.80!

Finally.... Urban Decay

Urban decay currently only carries 68 shades of single eyeshadows and that's AFTER adding all of the new shades they just added. They have one palette size and it can only accomodate the UD single eyeshadows designed for it since they "lock" in. The only cool aspect of this is the fact that you dont have to permanently depot your eyeshadow to get it in the palette. In fact it's designed for you to be able to take the shadows back and forth from palette to packaging as you need to which is both nice and kind of cumbersome as well. I mean, who wants to store all of those empty packages?

Onto the price breakdown!

Palette for 6- $18.00

(contains one eyeshadow that comes with every palette)

Eyeshadows- 1.5g of product $18.00

Now then to equal out to the MAC 15 we'll have to buy 3 palettes and just have some empty spaces. Lets do the math...or I'll do it and you can just read it ;).

For 3 palettes you'll pay $54...now you'll get 3 shadows but they're all going to be the same shade so we're only going to count those shadows as one in our palette since who really needs a palette containing 3 of the same color!

For eyeshadows to fill your palette you'll drop $252!

Now lets add the cost of palettes and eyeshadows together... $306!!!!!

The Overview

Here's a summary of how much you'd spend at each place for a palette of 15 eyeshadows.

MAC= $188.50 Pan eyeshadow or $241.00 for packaged

Inglot= $95 for square (w/5 empty) $200 for round (w/5 empty)

Coastal Scents= $33.80 or $39.75 if you dont buy 12 shadows at once.(w/1 empty)

Urban Decay= $306.00 (w/3 empty)

Even if you went the most expensive way you could with MAC or Inglot it STILL wouldn't be NEARLY as much as Urban Decay!!! It doesn't even make good sense to go the Urban Decay route if you want a smaller palette since Inglot, MAC, and Coastal Scents all offer smaller palettes as well! I think its pretty obvious that Coastal Scents is going to be the cheapest of all of these but they do contain less product than all of them and aren't really deemed to be the same quality. (even though I personally love me some coastal scents!)

AND if you want to save even more money and have even more customization then simply buy a Z-Palette! These magnetic palettes contain no dividers so you can put any size, shape, or number of items you can fit in the container! They even have several different sizes to choose from ranging in price from $14.00 for the small to $28 for the PRO. You can put highend or drugstore eyeshadows, powders, blushes, bronzers, etc. so it's completely up to you what you add to your palette! AND since there are no dividers and various sizes you can add products you already own so you dont have to spend any money on eyeshadows or other products to fill your palette with! 

If you're short on money or looking for a beginners custom palette I would go with either a Z-Palette or a Coastal Scents Hot Pot Palette. If you want a highend version I would go for Inglot or MAC depending what company has the colors and formulas you like best.

While yes, I am very glad that Urban Decay has heard our pleas for singles of some of our most loved shades from their premade palettes I still think that this palette idea is just far too ridiculously priced for what you're getting! Urban Decay shadows are nice but I just cant think of 6 that I would love and use enough to warrant spending that much on them and putting them in a palette. Plus it's not even like you are getting more product than the other two high end companies! MAC has the exact same grams and ALL of Inglots are more! Coastal Scents are slightly less but they also are FAR cheaper!

All in all I personally won't be wasting my time or money on the Urban Decay Palette and I feel like I would be doing all of my readers a diservice if I didn't break it down for you how completely unreasonable the pricing is on this, for what you are getting, compared to much better products and palettes. The ultimate decision is yours to make, if you feel like this is something you want to purchase, but I hope that at least after reading this you can make an informed decision! :)

Lipstick kisses and eyeshadow dreams!

Natalie

Trying New Products...On The Cheap!

Everyone likes new products....and saving money!

We all like to save a little green without having to sacrifice trying new products out! We all know about shopping sales and using coupons on drugstore items or to save on online orders. BUT do you know how to save money on high end brands? Or try out a highend product without paying fullsize on something you might not end up loving?

You can alwasy get a sample size from Sephora, Ulta, or your favorite department store but that usually only means sampling foundation, lotions, primers, liquid concealers, or other liquid type products. You cant sample mascaras, eyeshadows, blush, or other powder products other than in the store right then and there and that often isn't a good indicator of whether you're going to love it enough to want to dole out major money on the fullsize version. These are just a few tips that I've put together to help try out a multitude of products inexpensively!

images taken from bing images

First off we've all heard of subscription services that send out deluxe size samples monthly for a small fee. Services like Birchbox, MyGlam, Beauty Army, VoxBox, and many more; all send out samples of highend beauty, skincare, and haircare samples to subscribers to try out. The only problem with this is that most of them dont allow you to choose your own samples so you have no idea what you'll get until you get it or if they will even be products you're interested in. If you're open to trying anything and everything then these are wonderful but if you're more of a control freak or have specific items in mind that you want to try out then this may not be the way to go for you.

Image taken from bing images

Those of you who love shopping from home from the comfort of your television set may want to look into QVC's Beauty Test Tube. It's a large plastic container stuffed full of deluxe sample size or even fullsize beauty products that they sell on their channel. Prices vary on them and they only come out every 3 months or so but its a great way to get a TON of products all at once to try out plus you get to see what's in it before you buy and can make the choice of whether they are items you're interested in or not.

Blog sales are another way to get products cheaper. Often times these are few and far between and only contain a few items. The plus side is you get to see the items and they are always fullsize. The only negative is that they often have been used whether its an actual application or two or just swatching on the hand. Powder products like eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, powder foundation, etc are easy to sanitize but its still something you should think about to see if you are ok with it. Also please be wary of who you are buying from. Use a secure payment method like Paypal and take every measure possible to protect yourself so you know you will get your product or at least be able to retrieve your money back if the sale goes sour.

image taken from QVC.com 

Buying kits and product promotions are another great way to try out multiple products for cheaper than one or two fullsize products alone. Often times you'll find these deals in Sephora, Ulta, and department store counters around Christmas. They can still be found ocassionally throughout the year at these places but your best bet for finding these types of groupings with all fullsize products is to hit up QVC or HSN. I can't tell you at the times I've seen entire collections of fullsize products go on sale for less than or just dollars more than one solitary piece in the collection by itself! These kits can range in price so its easy to find one that fits your budget and what you're looking for. 

Images taken from bing images

 Gifts with purchase are another way to try out new products from lines you know you already love. These are prevalent at department store kiosks and if you already know you need to restock on your favorite Clinique blush or Lancome mascara then why not get a bag full of free goodies that you havent tried to go along with it? These are often deluxe sample size with maybe a couple fullsize goodies thrown in but since they are free with something you already know you love and are already buying then why not take advantage? 

Now to my favorite way of saving money and trying new products... The travel kits! Sephora's minis have got to be the love of my life! I cannot go in a Sephora shop without buying one of the travel size sets. These are kits of anywhere from 2-4 items that are intended for travel. They all meet airline regulations and are the perfect purse size. For $10-$15 I can snag a few items to try out from highend lines that I may already love or have an interest in. Plus if I end up loving them and buying the fullsize versions the smaller ones are perfect for keeping in my purse for makeup touchups or even makeup on the go! Benefit and Tarte both make some of my faves!

Lets not forget store loyalty programs. Sephora and Ulta both have these point systems in place where the more money you spend, the more points you earn, the more goodies you get. I'm not 100% sure how Ulta's works since I dont have an Ulta close to me and I heard they were redoing their program anyway. Sephora's however, I am a huge fan of and am an avid member. With Sephora's you earn 1 point for every $1 spent. Once you reach 100 points you can pick a small gift...usually a single deluxe sample size of the perks out for that particular month. The 500 point perks are what I strive for. I feel the 100 point perks are a waste. Save up and get to the 500 point perks and then wait until they have a really great set of goodies you want to try! I just got the set above a few weeks ago when I cashed in my points! They are all great products and very generous portions of each.

$2.99 for the foundation and only .89 for the nail strips!
Another avenue that not many people consider are salvage stores, outlets, or other shops that sell either damaged or discontinued products. I recently checked out my local B&E Salvage store. They mostly sell groceries and household cleaners and items that have been "Salvaged" from where tractor trailers wreck or when shipments to stores are damaged. When items are either damaged or the shipment box containing them is, the items are often sold to these stores for dirt cheap to try and recover some of the lost revenue. These stores then sell the item for next to nothing! You'll often find drugstore brands at Salvage stores and higher end products at outlet stores like the CCO's.



I hope that some of these tips and tricks have given you some ideas on how to try and test new makeup for less. Dont forget to think of all the great uses for mini products as well. Whether you do or dont buy the fullsize version they are always great to have in your purse for emergencies! You never know when you'll run out to the grocery store for something and see a hot guy walk in from the parking lot and realize you left the house without makeup on. That little stash of minis in your purse can be a lifesaver! ;)



Tidbits:

*Shop from tv stations like QVC and HSN for collections to save money!

*Save points on loyalty memberships to get the best gift!

*Gifts with purchase are your friend!

*Shop for minis to give a product a good test run!

*Keep minis you enjoy in your purse for emergencies or touchups!

Minis love and kisses

Natalie



Makeup Brushes: Coastal Scents 22 Piece Set!

Look what came in the mail!!!

I've been itching for a set of really good makeup brushes so I could start doing video tutorials and just have some decent tools to work with. I finally placed an order to Coastal Scents after going back and forth several times on which brand I wanted to try out first. I ended up ordering the 22 Piece Brush Set since I thought it was the best value and had the widest range of brushes to meet all my needs and then some.

After placing my order on Monday my package arrived before the end of the day on Friday. LESS THAN A WEEK!!! I was very impressed with shipping and how well everything was packaged and cared for. My brush roll was wrapped in plastic and sandwhiched between two large clumps of packing paper so it wasn't going to go anywhere! I also ordered an extra brush and that one was carefully wrapped in plastic and pink tissue paper and stored securely in the box as well. 

Overall I have nothing but amazing things to say about the customer service, shipping, and packaging of all of my items but I know thats only a minute part of what you all really want to know about. You're here to really get an idea about...THE BRUSHES!

Well I'm going to give you an INSANELY indepth view of every brush that came in the kit including: multiple pictures of each brush, density level, softness level, and various uses for each one. I want to be able to give you the most indepth, honest, and THOROUGH review I can to help you best decide whether these brushes are the ones for you and your makeup needs. 

Without further adeau.... The Brushes...

First up an overall look at the brush roll and how its laid out. Each brush has it's own little sleeve it slides into with the large fan brush being off to the side by itself. The first four face brushes and the large fan brush all come with their own plastic brush guard that you can either keep or toss (I opted to keep mine to help keep my brushes in wonderful form).

 The first four in the actual row are all face brushes and then there is an "out of place" eyeshadow brush followed by another face brush (the concealer brush) and then its all eye brushes except about midway to the end there is a smaller detail concealer brush. The brush roll is leather or very nice faux leather (I'm not a leather expert) and then the inside main brush area is lined with a washable nylon to help keep it easy to clean. There is a protective flap that comes over the brushes that is also made of nylon and has "Coastal Scents 22 Piece Brush Set" printed on it.

Another nifty addition to this case is a small zippered compartment right next to the large fan brush. It's not very deep but I think it would be perfect for storing qtips, disposable applicators, flat face sponges, cotton balls, cotton pads, eyeliners, lipliners, or other small necessities! The closure is just a very easy metal magnetic clasp that opens and closes like a breeze but still stays securely shut during travel.

 As for a rating on the case I really do love it! I think it is a very nice and well made brush roll and I feel like its going to protect my brushes in a very sleek and stylish manner. My only qualm with it is that when you open it up it is going to have that "new leather" smell to it but after just having it out for a few hours to take pictures of the brushes the smell has all but gone. It wasn't particularly strong or over whelming to begin with so not a real NEGATIVE.

I'll go from left to right on the brushes starting with the Large Fan brush.

This brush is made of synthetic hair and has a duo fiber density going on meaning it is denser at the base of the brush and thinner at the tips. This has got to be the LARGEST fan brush I've ever seen! This brush would be perfect for applying highlight to the face, brushing away eyeshadow fallout, brushing away excess face powder, or even applying glitter or shimmer to the body. The brush is very dense and extremely soft and has had no fallout so far.

Next up is the Powder Buffer brush.

This brush is made of synthetic hair and is insanely dense! It's also incredibly soft as well. I've had no fallout from this brush so far and I must say I really do love it! I think this brush would be great for not only applying powder to the face but also all over bronzer, liquid foundation, cream foundation, or even a lighter blush that needs more concentrating.

Flat Stippling brush!

This gorgeous brush is made of all synthetic hair and is luxuriously dense as you can see! This brush is very well made and has had no shedding. Even though the name is "stippling" and "stippling" often makes us think of duo fiber this brush is definetely not duo fiber. It is equally dense throughout and incredibly soft. This brush is perfect for buffing in liquid or cream foundation, face powder, all over bronzer, or even a very unpigmented blush that needs more concentrated color.

The Angle Blush brush is next in the lineup.

 

The Angled Blush brush is made of natural goat hair and is very thick and dense but still extremely soft. I havent had any shedding with this brush either. This brush is obviously great for applying blush but its also amazing at apply face powder, contouring with bronzer, adding highlight, and much more.

Next on the menu the Round Powder brush.

 

Even though this brush is called the "Round Powder" brush it has more of a duo fiber stippling brush design. The bristles are made of synthetic hair and in true duo fiber fashion are denser at the bottom and thinner at the tips. I love the feel of this brush, its extremely soft! This can be used as a powder brush as the name implies or it can be used as a foundation stippling brush. It is on the smaller side as far as stippling brushes are concerned but that makes it perfect for getting in and round the nose area and right up under the eye. In addition to powder and foundation you can also use this brush to apply powder or cream blush, bronzer, highlight, and much more. This is a very versatile brush which makes it perfect for travel since its a multipurpose tool!

Up next is the Foundation brush.

 

This brush is exactly as the name implies, a foundation brush! It's made from very soft fiber hair and is extremely dense. This brush is perfect for applying liquid or cream foundation. It also hasn't shed on me so far and gives a less streaky application than some other foundation brushes I've tried that cost far more.

Now for that "out of place" brush the Large Shadow brush!

This Large Shadow brush is a MASSIVE flat eyeshadow brush made of pony hair. It is very dense and oh so soft! I've yet to have shedding from this and its wonderful for packing on color all over the lid! It's a little too big to pack on color precisely so I would use this for a color that you genuinely want all over the lid or eye area. Its also great for highlighting under the brow bone or applying a contour color to your nose to make it look slimmer!

The amazing Concealer brush!

Made of wonderfully soft nylon hair this dense Concealer brush is great for applying...well CONCEALER! Since its nonshedding its also great for packing on color to the eyelid if you need another eyeshadow brush or just need a brush to do double duty!

The Dome Shadow brush is next in the line up.

     

This EXTREMELY dense brush made of pony hair is very soft and not the least bit scratchy for how thick and concentrated it is. So far I've had no shedding from this little beauty but it certainly is great for concentrating color in the crease. This brush is also great for adding concentrated color to the outer v, smudging out eyeliner, doing concentrated detail work, and much more!

Doe Foot Blender brush amazingness!

This amazing little brush is made of pony hair and is incredibly soft. This picture does not do it justice showing the denseness of this brush. Unlike a regular angled brush this one is very thick and can pack on tons more color. Its wonderful for blending out color in the crease, adding color to the crease, blending out color and much more.

The Blender brush.

 

Made from pony hair this brush is extremely dense and soft. Its perfect for sweeping on light color all over the lid or blending out colors for a smoky eye. This brush is even wonderful for doing some slight contouring on the nose, putting a light highlight on the brow bone, or doing a faint highlight on the cheeks. This brush is also nonshedding.

Dome Blender brush anyone?

Made from natural pony hair this brush is very dense, soft, and nonshedding. Its very similar to the Dome Shadow brush only a little longer. Its great for lightly blending out color in the crease or outer v, adding color to the crease or outer v, smudging out liner, smudging eyeshadow onto the lower lash line, cutting the crease, and much more. I dont think its super necessary to have both this brush and the Dome Shadow but it is nice to have around in case one is dirty or if you're using very different colors in one look.

Pointed Blender brush.

Made from super soft pony hair, this brush is very dense and perfect for doing a multitude of jobs. Its great for doing detail work on the eye, blending color more precisely, adding color to the crease or outer v, blending color into the lower lashline and much more. This brush is high quality and has not shed on me yet!

The more than a Brow brush.

More than just an eyebrow filler this brush made from pony hair is VERY short and dense. Incredibly soft, it can be used to add intense color to the crease, smudge eyeshadow along the upper and lower lashline as liner, applying thicker gel liner, cutting the crease, filling in brows, and more. Its a little thick to use for tight-lining but I suppose you could use it for push tight-lining in a pinch.

Another out of place face brush...the Detail Concealer brush.

Made of a super soft fiber hair this brush is very petite but very dense! It's quite a bit smaller than the regular Concealer brush and is perfect for getting right in the inner corner of the eye by the nose bridge where we can often have some darkness just like under our eyes. It's also wonderful for precisely concealing blemishes and packing on eyeshadow if you need another eyeshadow brush.

Medium Shadow brush!

So soft and dense this eyeshadow brush made of pony hair is perfect for packing on color or blending them out. This brush does not shed and has a multitude of uses. It can pack on color over the lid, pack color into the crease, blend out the outer v or crease color, add highlight to the browbone and much more.

Detail Shadow brush.

Yet another soft pony hair eyeshadow brush. This brush is slightly smaller than the Medium Shadow brush but still very dense and nonshedding. Its great for packing color into smaller areas, adding highlight to the inner corner of the eye, highlighting the brow bone, doing smaller detail work, lightly blending a cut crease, and more. I really love how small this brush is but how great the quality is!

Coastal Scents Lip brush!

Looking like a tiny eyeshadow brush this Lip brush made from pony hair is too cute and perfect for multitasking! Its great to use as a tiny eyeshadow brush to do detail work, pack color in a super small area, highlight the inner corner, highlight the brow bone, fill in eyebrows, and of course paint on some gorgeous lipstick! I'm sure you can find even more uses for this brush if you tried!

Large Liner/Brow brush

A wonderful multipurpose brush the Large Liner/Brow brush is made from nylon hairs and is wonderously soft and thick! It can be used for tight-lining, filling in brows, lining lips, using gel liner, using shadow as eyeliner, cutting the crease, creating sharp edges and wings, and more. Does not shed.

Medium Liner/Brow brush

Just like the Large Liner/Brow brush this one is soft, made from nylon hairs, and very dense! As with the other brush it can be used for tight-lining, filling in brows, lining lips, using gel liner, using shadow as eyeliner, cutting the crease, creating sharp edges and wings, and more. If you have smaller eyes I think this one is better to use for tight-lining or other detail work since it is smaller and gives you more control.

Small Liner/Brow brush

Again nylon hair makes up this super soft and thick Small Liner/Brow brush. This one like the others is nonshedding. Since it is so tiny it's perfect for doing delicate work like drawing on eyebrows or filling them in for a very natural look. Since this is the smallest of the bunch I feel like this one is the best for lip lining since it gives more control. It can also be used for lining with gel liner, lining with eyshadow, doing small detail work, creating a winged eyeliner look, and more!

Finally..the Smudger Sponge!

Made of rubber this little smudger is great for...well smudging! The material is very dense and well made! I'm always skeptical of "higher quality" sponge applicators because I feel all are the same and you shouldnt dole out the extra money for something like this. This one however, is very well made and I dont have any worries about it falling apart on me. It's great for smudging out eyeliner or eyeshadow on the lashline. I wouldnt recommend actually applying any product with this because it isnt really made for that and wont deposit color as well as a brush. I do think this is very nifty to have and I think its a lot better than the little sponges that come on the ends of cream liner pencils!

Shew! This was a long blog post lovelies! I tried to give the best and most views of each brush that I could to give the best depiction of them without you actually being able to see them and touch them in person! My overall experience with Coastal Scents was absolutely wonderful and I've already placed and recieved a second order from them and will probably place more in the future.

I think these brushes are AMAZING quality! In comparison with some highend brushes like Sephora's Pro Collection and a few MAC ones that I've tried out I definetely think these are right on par! I prefer these over my Sephora Pro brushes. I dont OWN any MAC or Sigma brushes to compare these to but for the price of this collection I dont really see how you could possibly get better quality for the price! I paid $34.95 for the set of 22 brushes and shipping was only $6.95. The best drugstore brushes I have to compare these to are the Ecotools brand. They have the softness of the Ecotools but longer handles and more denseness as well as more variety.

If you're just starting out getting into makeup or are looking to expand your brush options I highly recommend this set! I think its perfect for aspiring makeup artists, beauty bloggers, youtube gurus, or just lovers of makeup! I paid for this brush set with my own money and these opinions are completely my own and haven't been influenced in any way. I would recommend this set to any of my friends or family who wanted a great brush set that would help them achieve any look and would definetely gift this to my makeup loving friends!

I hope you makeup addicts have found this review helpful and its shed some light on this great collection of brushes and helped you decide whether this set is right for you!

Tidbits:

*Super fast shipping!

*High quality brushes!

*Reasonable pricing!

*Amazing variety!

*Not one "waste of space" spoolie or eyelash comb! :D

Love and makeup brush dreams!

Natalie