Quo Face Contour Brush & Costal Scent IB106

I started this review, let's see..2 YEARS AGO, but i never ended up posting it, because i didn't end up finishing it. Today just happens to be the day that i go back into my blog history to find all the "draft" posts that have never been published. My goal today seem to be either delete them, or just finish them and post it! hhaa. So these are brushes that i've bought 2 years ago.

Quo is a brand carried by Shoppers Drug Mart (a Canadian Drug store). It might be difficult to find for you guys in the States. The price ranges from $15-50. They have recently "re-packaged" their products to have a black handle and black bristles. The quality is completely different & so is the price. It looks a lot more professional. I love the new brushes, but they are quite expensive.

Anywas, let's move on to the review:

Here is the Quo: Face Coutour Brush You guys might compare this to the Mac 168. I don't have this brush from Mac, so i can't do a comparison, but i will do a comparison to a similar brushes.



here is a close up picture




General Comments

-The brush is quite soft. As reference, its not as soft as the Mac 130, but softer then the Mac 109.
- the brush is full and fluffy, but in my opinion can be a little more dense
- it's a good size for most cheeks
- the brush and handle is sturdy
- affordable
- doesn't not smell, shed, or leak dye when washed.
- brush bristles dries nicely. It keeps it's shape.

The Cons:
- picks up colours, but does not deposit enough onto skin.
- ability to blend is okay. For light applications it works fine. However for more defined, contouring this brush may not be what you are looking for.

Overall:

- it's a nice, affordable, quality brush. It's perfect for those who are just getting started with make up. Although it doesn't deposit as much colour as it should, i still never felt the need to buy a MAC brush for this.


So now, i'm gonna compare it to the Coastal Scent IB106 Angle Brush

This is the brushes side by side: you can see that the Coastal Scent one is shorter. Good for travelling


here is a side by side mug shot. You can see that the Quo brush is slightly longer. and the Coastal Scent brush is slightly more "flared" out at the top and the edges are rounded off. Other than that, the brushes look very similar from this shot.


it might be difficult to see, but the Coastal Scent(C.S) brush is more flat, and wide across the top, while the Quo brush is more domed shaped towards the top. This is the biggest difference. The C.S brush also has a more defined angled cut


with this picture, you can see the difference a little more. The C.S brush is wider.


General Comments

- This Costal Scent blush was one of the few very first face brushes that i've gotten. I still use it occasionally from time to time when i need a heavier application.

- it does well as picking up and depositing the full amount of products.
- it will work well for contouring, however like the Quo, takes a little bit more time when it comes to blending.
- the bristles are not as soft as quo on my face. You can kind of feel the brittle ends. It is noticeable.
- what i like about this brush is the flat end for application.
- doesn't not smell, shed, or leak dye when washed.
- brush bristles dries nicely. It keeps it's shape.

Overall: this brush is also nice to start out with. I like the size of it, because you can carry it around in the purse. However, i have't been using it that much, mainly because i find it harder to blend with. It's definitely very affordable.

YAY! i finally finish my review for these brushes! i hope it was of some help, thanks for readingg~~

Mac Prolong Wear Concealer + Mac 252 Concealer Brush

Yesterday, while i was at masonville to pick up something for my boyfriend, i decided to drop by Mac, since i haven't been there for ages! I was browsing around, and realized that they have launched a new line of products: the Prolong wear Concealer & Foundations

At the moment, i don't really need a foundation, but i did need a good under eye concealer! I have tried quite a few brands out there, but was never really satified. They were either to thick, cakey, dry, provide insuffient converage, OR disappeared after a few hours. The last concealer i picked up was the Mac Studio Finish Concealer, after seeing a few youtubers rave about it - but i found it was wayy to thick and cakey (especially for your delicate eyes), even though it provided excellent coverage.

So i thought, what the heck, i might as well give this Prolong Wear concealer a try, since i was in need of a better concealer for under eyes specifically (especially since school started , i might as well prepare myself).

This is the Concealer. I'm in NC20. it's $20.00 CAD. I would say this is Medium Coverage

More coverage then the MAC Select MoistureCoverage, less then the Mac Studio Finish


What really caught my eye was the fact that its in a bottle with a pump. I like that idea, because its very sanitary, but the downfall is you may be wasting more product.



What i like about it now that i've used it this morning is:

-how it blends very nicely into my skin
-it doesn't look cakey
-adequate coverage
-lasts about 6hrs +
-in a pump form
-the actually pump is pretty good, you should be able to control the amount coming out

What i don't like about this product is:
-the shade selection

In general, i find it difficult to find the right shade of concealer from Mac. I feel like there is a white cast after applying the concealer. I wish it had more of a salmon tone, but the next shade up from Nc20, is just way too dark.

Overall, i do like this concealer so far - i think if you have average undereye bags, this would be nice, but if you have really dark circles, you may want to try something else, as this would not be enough coverage. I like how my skin doesn't look cakey with this on.





The second item i got was the Mac 252 Concealer. For the longest time, i didn't want to buy a concealer brush, because i thought it's a waste, and i didn't think it would make much of a difference, but i was SOO proven WRONG!

All these years, i've been applying concealer with my ring finger, and i was never satisfied with the concealer, because it never completely covered my dark circles unless i packed it on - (hence, why i'm always on the search for a good conealer!) But when i was at MAC that day, I told the sales associate i wanted to buy a brush, and she recommend this brush to me.

The Mac 252 Large Shader brush, or Concealer brush



It will probbaly be the best and most useful brush i've ever invested my money into, because i ALWAYS use concealer - its like a necessity! PLUS, it's also an eyeshadow shader brush! Its multi functional!

The bristles are densed, and soft. They pick up and pack on all of the product. THe way i've been applying concealer before, was actually removing some of it with my ring finger! This brush is perfect for liquid concealers, because it's big enough that the hair will be partially wet and partially dry, making the application & blending very smooth. When the brush is completely drenched with concealer, you would actually be removing some of the concealer while blending! (which is why i didn't purchase the Mac 242)



I'm absolutely in love with this brush, it's worth every darn penny.

Moral of the story: a good concealer brush is just as, if not more important then a good concealer. It really makes all the difference!

Coastal Scent Brushes

My Brushes have FINALLY arrived! i was so anxious to recieve them. I just love recieving things in the mail, and the only time i do get something in the mail is when i order online! The wait just killss youuu..haha..But anywas


So coastal scent is suppose to be an online shop that sells cheap makeup and brushes at very low cost. A make up brush for 2 dollars? that's insane, comepared to a 30-40$brush from MAC

So what i got:

Synthetic Concealer Shading Brush

Large Paddle Face Brush (comparable to Mac 134)

Italian Badger Angle Blush

Black Blending Brush

Synthetic Shadow Brush


Anywas, with the rave from youtube, i just had to give these brushes a try, i had realy high expections and excitment for the brushes, but i'm a little disappointed. The packaging is cute, and nicely packaged, the shipping time is as i expected (approx. 2 weeks for international. THe only problem i had was Coastal Scent does not take accurate pictures of their products. I do understand that they give meeasurements, but who actually realy looks at them right?
-the quality, i'm not so sure yet. because i haven't used them yet. So so far all i have to say about each brush is :


Large Paddle BRush:
This was one of the most anticipated brush for me, because i don't thave a large powder brush, but this just realy let me down. I'm realy concern about what i put and use on my face, and this brush doesn't quite cut it. First of all when you wash it, the colour dye comes out quite a bit, it has a small, which i actually don't mind too much, because even my mac 187 smelt when i first washed it. THe bristles were prickly. it's BAREBLE, but it's not that soft and smooth as i thought. it MAY even hurt, if ur face was super fragile and sensitive. THis brush i do not recommend. IT does shed. Before i washed it, it already shed, a few strand, while washing it shed a little bit. Now that it has dried, it's fine, but i can't say so until i use it.

Italian Badger Angle Blush
Because of pursebuzz, i was excited for this brush. She had raved about the badger brushes, but i don't think it's this one in particular, but none the less, this one is super soft. it's just as soft as my mac 109,maybe even softer, but it's not as full as i like it. It's a little flimsy, which is a little bit of a con, because i like a brush with a little bit of sturdiness especially if i'm contouring, This brush is okay for me, i'm not loving it yet. But, i think it would do very well if you just want to swift some colour onto your cheeks. That being said, i didn't like how it dried up, i don't know if it was too rough on it or not, but it looked fried up when i washed it, BUT after being FULLY dried up, it's looked fine now

Black Blending Brush
One word for this brush when i first saw it was HUGE~ from what i had imagined, (i was thinking...Mac 224..) But this one is too big for my crease, and too small to be useful as anything on my face. That being said, i have decided that it may be appropriate for blending out the harsh lines. That's all i can really say abou tthis brush...I'm quite disappointed in the pictures coastal scent has put up.

Synthetic Concealer Shading Brush
i LOVE this brush, i think this is my fave from what i got. I know this one would be amazing for packing on eyeshadow. I know it's a concealer brush, but i needed something that was sturdy but soft and flat to apply eyeshadow or pigments, and this is the one.

Synthetic Shadow Brush
This ons looked very similar to the "Synthetic Concealer Shading Brush", except for the width. This one is thicker and fuller, and a little bit more fluffy, because it's meant to apply and blend out the shades. It's very similar to the Mac 252. I have the mini one released during the christmas collection. The only difference between them is that the Mac one is bigger. I kind of like the side of the coastal scent more, because it's smaller and it's more suitable for people with smaller eyelids. I've always found the MAC one to be a bit big for me, and the bristles actually hurts. Though, this IS the mini verison, so i'm not sure abou thte full size one.

Overall these brushes are better then QUO brushes in my opinion. I love how soft they are, minus the paddle brush. I'm sure if i have tried out the other eye brushes i would have loved them, but it's hard to order online, especially when the pictures are misleading. So that's the main let down for me. But none the less, you get what you paid for right??!







Oh Yeah, i also got a free sample glitter. I didn't know about it until i got it. I love getting cute little free stuff like that, i tried the glitter. It's not like pigments, it's a little big more chunkier bits. like very minimal. But it's super sparkly. I tried it with fix plus on my hand, and it looks very nice, if you have the appropriate base, because it did not last long on my hands without one.