Best tools for most coverage?

Over the few months I've bought some new brushes, mostly ones that can have multiple functions, for foundation, concealer, etc, etc. Whilst using these brushes I've noticed a little bit of a difference in the coverage and went in depth of looking into it. I know there are a lot of different tools to use to put on concealer or foundation, but usually I'm in a rush and don't have much time to apply much makeup. Concealer is a must have, even on days when I have to use minimal makeup-I think that's a given to all girls. So given with the allotted time I like my tool to have as much coverage as possible for quick application. Some things I've noticed while applying my foundation and concealer with these tools is that certain ones had more coverage than others. Not only how much area coverage they had but also how well they blend in with my skin instead of just laying on top and slipping around everywhere through out the day. I used to only use my fingers to apply my foundation and concealer but it would just add to the mess and time consuming with cleaning up, also depending on how much of a rush I were in I would sometimes break out because I would just start doing my makeup or I would be doing a touch up in the car and wouldn't have any way to wash my hands. Gross, I know. But! In the past couple months I've invested in some tools that many beauty gurus swear by just to see how they work for me. 

The first brush from the left is my E.L.F. Small Stipple Brush, I got it from Target for about $3.00, and its the most recent one I bought so I'm still testing it out in between the other tools. 

The second one is the beauty blender, and is really popular among the Youtube community and I bought it from Sephora for $20. There are some knockoffs like the Sonia Kashuk Blending sponge which is only $10 but I have heard mixed reviews about.

The third one is a brush I've had for a couple years now but have been on and off with only because sometimes its a little streaky (the other side has a bigger applicator for foundation) but it's an Essence of Beauty dual brush, which comes in a pack with 3 to 4 other dual brushes, that work really well and have been using for years now. 

The fourth swatch blob is using my ring finger to apply the concealer on the paper.

What I've done with this second picture is something a little different, applied moisturizer underneath the concealer splotches to give it something ti adhere to because I usually put moisturizer on first. Only because paper and skin are two very different things, so the moisturizer would work as a little bit of a mediator. I did notice a change on the concealer on the paper, it did appear a little darker and reacted a little differently than the one on the plain paper. 

The white underneath helps us see how much coverage these tools actually give. As you can see the one on the far left is darker and even though I used the same amount for all four swatches it still blended the product out evenly and it almost gave it a textured effect, which to me resembles more of a skin texture.
 The blender sponge did give a similar area of coverage but there are a few areas that are lighter than others. 
The dual applicator didn't give as much area coverage and did give a little bit of a streaky texture, which I'm not really a big fan of. But although I don't find it too great at covering dark under eye circles, it's still necessary to have around for other uses such as helping create a clean edge around a bold lip or covering small corners like inner eye and creases. 
And the finger application was a little splotchy and didn't really seem to have a consistent texture to me. Of course I've been using my fingers for application for a lot of the time, but seeing this tester sheet really made me realize how different the tools were when applying it on my face. 
I know there are other brushes to use to apply concealer but these 4 are the ones that I own and the ones that I use the most, but I hope this helped some of you visualize how your brushes apply makeup on your skin! 

Thanks so much for stopping by and check back soon for a new post!! 

Victoria's Secret Lip Stains

These are amazing lip stains that I've discovered while working at Victoria's Secret. I had to create testers one day and since I was making on for every lip gloss I decided to give these a try. At first I was skeptical because I haven't found a lot of lip stains that work, one of my other favorites is Revlons "Just Bitten" because it's more of a marker and the stain is vibrant and stays on practically like a permanent marker which is double sided and comes with a clear balm stick on the other end. I like these pout stains because they come out as a gloss, and after a couple minutes they stain your lips to really bright colours but also give that really nice moisture. The lip isn't too gooey or sticky and eventually it goes away but the moisture and the stain will still be there. I remember going to the Chanel counter after work one day to test some makeup and I wanted to try on a lipstick and the associate had to take off my stain to put on the lipstick and she was scrubbing at my lips for a good couple minutes. She gave a chuckle and asked what on earth I had on my lips and I told her it was the Victoria's Secret lip stain. I would highly recommend this product to everyone because it's not something that you need to reapply often, even after eating and talking all day this lip stain does stay on and doesn't crack or get patchy. It also gives a really nice shine but not too over the top, it's very natural as if you just licked your lips. The flavours and smells of these stains are amazing as well. They all remind me of little liquid candy sticks.
Lightest pink on top: Love Always
Medium pink on bottom: Endless Pink
Red in the middle: Forever Yours

These aren't the only colours they have, they also have a plum, that looks dark in the tube but comes out in a sheen way, it looks amazing against olive skin, and a really dark red, and a couple of other pinks. They usually have a sale going on for either 2 for $15 (basically you buy one get on half off) or 4/$20 (buy two get two free) each one by itself is $9.50. I got 4 of them, but two endless pinks and gave one to my mom because she likes lip stains as well. But I'm nor here to sell you lip glosses.

I've tried on the colours that I have in below.

Love Always

This is a very soft a subtle pink if you're just looking for a day wear stain, it looks super natural and can go with pretty much any daytime makeup. I wear it mostly with my neutral eye makeup and occasion by itself when I'm just running to the store and want a quick dash of makeup but don't want to spend time doing all of my eye makeup.

Endless Pink 

This is a little but more vibrant of a pink and can be used as a bold lip colour with a winged liner or still with a neutral eye. I still like to wear this during the day, a lot of them can actually be used during the day. 

Forever Yours

I know this one looks A LOT similar to Endless Pink but I promise in person it's a lot more darker and pinker than endless pink. It's not as red as "Eternal Flame", one of the more darker lip stain reds VS has but it does have more fushia in it than Endless Pink. Either way, I love them all. 

Target Mini-haul Product Reviews

 I have used this mascara a long time ago when I was still in grade school (Probably when I was in 7th or 8th grade) and I remember it working really well because of the way the spoolie was. I tried it again this time and it wasn't half bad. Since I have pretty thin lashes I tend to look for more waxy based mascaras so that the product doesn't weigh my lashes down. The Covergirl Lash Blast Volume has a good mix of different polymers and waxes to help volumize lashes and aren't too watery for thin lashes. The thinner your lashes the more waxy you want your mascara to be. If you have thick lashes it's alright to use more wet mascaras because it is a more buildable substance. To reduce clumping while applying, dab the excess product off on a tissue-especially when you first use the mascara. This product tends to typically dry at a fairly quick rate for me, meaning I don't have streaks of black running up to my eyebrows, so it doesn't take as long to apply multiple layers when I need it. 

I was surprised in using this product because I really did notice a change in my skin, I had less redness and the green tea extracts soothed my skin. It smells really good and also has a grainy texture almost like wet soft sand so when you wash your face it gently exfoliates but it doesn't feel like you're rubbing sandpaper all over your face. As all cleaners it takes a couple days, even a week or so to actually see results but the redness really does soothe after a couple uses. 

The Garnier Fructis Dry Shampoo worked fairly well for my hair, I do have thick hair so I have to typically use a lot at once, it made my hair look clean like I just washed it which I love having that look daily, but I don't because I don't wash my hair everyday. This product creates that effect though. The only thing about this dry shampoo is that it has a powdery residue left over, even after I rub it in my hair, wash my hands, if I run my hands through my hair again that almost-baby-powder-like residue gets back on my hands. Other than that, this product works really well, it smells amazing, and it really does add volume when you are trying to save a day in between washes. It doesn't have a white power to it, it's more of a transparent so it won't show up on black hair and won't give it that dandruff-y look. 

I was a little skeptical and iffy about this product at first, mainly because I have been using the same concealer for the past 3 tubes and I absolutely love it so trying something new made me a little weary. This concealer by E.L.F. was only $3 so it wasn't a chunk of money that I would have regretted spending. This concealer works wonders and I absolutely recommend it. It is a stick concealer and almost reminds me of a drier version of a lipstick but it glides on so well and once it's blended in, you don't even feel it. It feels like a second layer of skin which is hard to find with makeup these days because a lot of products (at least for me) feels like it's just very cake-y and mask-like. It's a very creamy type of concealer and can be blended easily with your finger. I don't normally use brushes because I feel like it leaves streaks but this one is perfect to use with either your finger or a foundation/concealer brush. It only comes in two colors (Ivory and Beige) since I do have a little darker skin I chose Beige and it matches perfectly. They hopefully will come out with more shades but I know that beige matches my skin perfectly, its not too light and it doesn't leave any shadows. It's also a very buildable concealer which helps for blemishes and very spreadable to help cover large areas with minimum of product.  

I've been loyal to Forever 21 makeup remover towelettes but I just had to try this product because I wanted to see how a different cleanser would work for me. I like the smell, it's something very unique and different, it's not exactly fruity but it has that fresh flowers kind of smell. It does a good job of cleansing the makeup off at night for me, but the only thing I wish it had is more moisture in each towelette. I'm more used to semi thick and moist towelettes, but the Burt's Bee's cleaners are bigger, square wise, so folding it in half would work just as good as one from Forever 21. The cleanser has white tea extract in it which is good for helping repair skin cells, it can also help sooth and calm redness. 

Mini Target Haul!

So since today is payday, I decided to go spoil myself with a mini haul on the way home from work. Over the next week, I'll be using these products and be posting about what I think of them and how they have worked for me. 

Garnier Fructis Volume Extend Dry Shampoo: $4.45

Britney Spears Fantasy Perfume (.5 fl oz): $16.39
St. Ives Green Tea Scrub: $4.69

Cover Girl Lash Blast in Very Black: $5.49

E.L.F. Concealer Stick in Beige: $3.00

Color Whisper in Petal Rebel: $5.89

Burt's Bee's Facial Cleansing Towelettes: $5.99

Soy Candle Pink Mongolia: $7.69

Welcome!

Hi everyone! My name is Daria and welcome to my blog! I'm starting a new journey as an aspiring beauty editor and I will be reviewing products, sharing my knowledge and giving tips on all sorts of beauty care! Thanks so much for stopping by, there's lots to come soon!