SPEND VS. SAVE: SAVVY HAIRBRUSHES

For this edition of Spend Vs. Save, let’s look at SAVVY HAIRBRUSHES

 I have two hairbrushes in my collection:

 ANNA SUI TRAVEL FOLDABLE HAIRBRUSH- 30SGD

ETUDE HOUSE ROMANTIC BRUSH- 178PHP

L- R: Etude House, Anna Sui

So for the beauty tools savvy, embellished eye candies like these are too hard to pass up. It is a perfect accessory and accent to a vanity table and a lovely thing to tote in your bag which will totally remind you of everything beautiful and sassy.

 So the priciest hairbrush I have ever owned is Anna Sui’s travel brush at 30SGD (approx. 1020php). Let’s first review this one.

L- R: Etude House, Anna Sui

Anna Sui has been known for its lovely Victorian and rose detailed accessories which appealed to women of all ages. This travel hairbrush is an additional gift of my mom when she got back from her Singapore trip.

 According to the SA, the bristles of Anna Sui’s brush bristles are infused with silicone that will help in keeping hair healthy and shiny. I don’t know how that works (or if it works) though. Though plastic- made, it is sturdy and is definitely made of the expensive kind of plastic. The bristles are quite sturdy as well.  

Let’s now review Etude House’s romantic beauty brush. It is part of their Romantic collection, which may have been inspired by Anna Sui. And the Romantic Accessories can also pass off as Anna Sui accessories! It is in the same design. Rose and lovely Victorian details.

Etude House’s brush is made of good plastic, but as compared to Anna Sui, Anna Sui feels more tough and sturdy than Etude House, though the latter has some good quality if you’ll think about it. It’s cheap, yet it looks pretty decent.  

 OOPS! Sorry for the dirty brushes. :p

Here’s a comparison picture of the bristles. As you can see, Etude House’s bristles are no different than the common hair brush bristles you’ll find in the market. Anna Sui’s bristles can be compared to the high- end hair brushes (Acca Kappa in particular).

 But in terms of quality, both deliver what they should deliver. The bristles are rounded enough so as to not scratch the scalp too much.

 Apart from being expensive, Anna Sui is unavailable in the Philippines. And if you’re just lemming for an Anna Sui inspired product, Etude House is the answer.

 SO FOR THIS SPEND VS. SAVE EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU:

SAVE  

SPEND VS. SAVE: SAVVY HAIRBRUSHES

For this edition of Spend Vs. Save, let’s look at SAVVY HAIRBRUSHES

 I have two hairbrushes in my collection:

 ANNA SUI TRAVEL FOLDABLE HAIRBRUSH- 30SGD

ETUDE HOUSE ROMANTIC BRUSH- 178PHP

L- R: Etude House, Anna Sui

So for the beauty tools savvy, embellished eye candies like these are too hard to pass up. It is a perfect accessory and accent to a vanity table and a lovely thing to tote in your bag which will totally remind you of everything beautiful and sassy.

 So the priciest hairbrush I have ever owned is Anna Sui’s travel brush at 30SGD (approx. 1020php). Let’s first review this one.

L- R: Etude House, Anna Sui

Anna Sui has been known for its lovely Victorian and rose detailed accessories which appealed to women of all ages. This travel hairbrush is an additional gift of my mom when she got back from her Singapore trip.

 According to the SA, the bristles of Anna Sui’s brush bristles are infused with silicone that will help in keeping hair healthy and shiny. I don’t know how that works (or if it works) though. Though plastic- made, it is sturdy and is definitely made of the expensive kind of plastic. The bristles are quite sturdy as well.  

Let’s now review Etude House’s romantic beauty brush. It is part of their Romantic collection, which may have been inspired by Anna Sui. And the Romantic Accessories can also pass off as Anna Sui accessories! It is in the same design. Rose and lovely Victorian details.

Etude House’s brush is made of good plastic, but as compared to Anna Sui, Anna Sui feels more tough and sturdy than Etude House, though the latter has some good quality if you’ll think about it. It’s cheap, yet it looks pretty decent.  

 OOPS! Sorry for the dirty brushes. :p

Here’s a comparison picture of the bristles. As you can see, Etude House’s bristles are no different than the common hair brush bristles you’ll find in the market. Anna Sui’s bristles can be compared to the high- end hair brushes (Acca Kappa in particular).

 But in terms of quality, both deliver what they should deliver. The bristles are rounded enough so as to not scratch the scalp too much.

 Apart from being expensive, Anna Sui is unavailable in the Philippines. And if you’re just lemming for an Anna Sui inspired product, Etude House is the answer.

 SO FOR THIS SPEND VS. SAVE EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU:

SAVE  

SPEND VS. SAVE: CREAM CONCEALERS

For this edition of SPEND VS. Save, let's look at cream concealers

Here's what I have in my stash:

MAC STUDIO FINISH CONCEALER WITH SPF15 (NC30)- 870PHP

NYX CONCEALER IN A JAR (MEDIUM)- AROUND 150+PHP

THE LOW DOWN:

MAC's Studio Finish has always been my HG concealer. In fact, I never bought anything from the time I purchased this because I love it's corrective coverage and it's staying power. It certainly is the magic product for me because Cinema Secrets would always run off my under eyes. It's less- creamy consistency makes this withstand sweat oil throughout the day. The only con of this product would be, it takes some time before I perfectly blend this because the less creamy consistency is the culprit behind this. I have experienced tugs when I blend this, which doesn't seem to be good since it can cause tons of wrinkles for you under eyes. Also, I love that it's yellow undertone helps make my eyes look fresh but it would sometimes fail to cover up my dark circles completely. Also, if you don't blend this well and evenly, your eyes might appear to be overloaded with concealer, which doesn't look appealing at all.

But I stood by this product because I'm uber patient. But if you're always on the go and impatient, then I suggest you try something else.

I've almost hit the bottom of my MAC concealer because I've been using this for 3 years now. Yep, you heard it right. Three years. A little goes a long way so this product lasted me this long. I would also use this to conceal some red marks on my face and it is quite effective in taming the redness a bit.

I've been on the search for another concealer, since I love this for just around 80%. I want something that would definitely be a staple in my stash and everyday make- up kit.

I wanted to try Laura Mercier's secret concealer but it's heck too expensive for me. Besides, the compact is too big. 

I've been hearing and reading raves about Nyx's Concealer in a Jar. Some bloggers say that it excellently delivers at such a cheap price, which really makes this a great find. So after knowing that it scored 4.5 in the Makeupalley scoreboard, I joined in the craze. I've browsed through their site and found that they have dozens of colors to choose from from natural to corrective colors. I got medium because the say it's perfect for nc40- nc42 ladies. Perfect, I'm an NC42.

I ordered through Mscuppycakes online (service ain't that stellar :p) and after waiting for 2-months, my Nyx Concealer in a Jar Medium just arrived this week. I must say that the overall packaging is really cute. And for $2.50, it kinda' looks expensive. It reminded me of MAC's Studio Sculpt Foundation at a fraction of the cost.

So let's now go to the actual product comparison:

Notice that Nyx's consistency is kinda' wet as compared to the drier consistency of MAC's Studio Finish. I applied both on my hand and I noticed that Nyx's concealer is easier to apply than MAC's, because you have to give your finger a bit of a push when applying the Studio Finish, whereas Nyx's applied easily, without any extra effort.

My bare under eye. Check my horrible dark circles and terrible lines. :/

So here's Nyx applied. I used a concealer brush to apply the product. It's so easy to blend and it just disappeared to a lovely, natural- looking coverage. Medium is in the natural color selection so this one has beige undertones that makes it almost one with your skin color even if it camouflages.

So here's MAC Studio Finish. I also used a concealer brush to apply the product. This has always been my problem with MAC's Studio Finish. It's very hard to blend with my fingers and even harder to blend with a concealer brush, so I always end up using my fingers. Notice that the corrective yellow undertone is very evident. You can almost tell that I am INDEED wearing a concealer here. But I love how it makes my eyes look fresher and brighter.

In terms of lasting power, Nyx is quite a surprise even though it has a wetter consistency than MAC, it lasted me all throughout the day without caking nor streaking. After years of using MAC's Studio Finish, I also notice that it would conceal my eyes but since the yellow color kinda' brightens the eyes, it kinda' emphasizes my puffy eye bags as well. But at least, my dark circles are concealed. My puffy eye bags are quite evident with Nyx but at least, they're not emphasized.

Overall, I'd love to try MAC's Studio Finish concealer again but this time, I wanna try something else because as I said, it didn't quite score a 100% in my score cards. What makes Nyx a winner is how it manages to deliver an amazing result at such a cheap price. 

I am very much willing to repurchase, which made realize that I should've bought a back- up because I don't like how it is crazily priced by our local resellers here. C'mon, don't be an opportunist just because these are 5-star products. Sell them at a reasonable rate! I would pretty much purchase locally if a jar's around 300php only but buying it at 495php!?? C'mon, it's just around $2.50 in the USA so ya' can't fool me!

It's also better to organize a pool of orders then have someone order online so you can get it at it's cheapest and so the shipping won't be too much of a burden. We all know how shipping rates can kill a good deal so I suggest that you join in order pools.

If you're scared to have a dip in order pools, Get a Paypal account and shop like crazy online. There is this popular NYX seller named Toma. Her site is at Makeupmasala.blogspot.com. She accepts Paypal payments and is always mentioned by our local beauty bloggers.

SO FOR THIS EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU:

SAVE SAVE SAVE. THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO ORDER NYX AT A CHEAP PRICE! AND DID I MENTION SAVE ALREADY?

SPEND VS. SAVE: CREAM CONCEALERS

For this edition of SPEND VS. Save, let's look at cream concealers

Here's what I have in my stash:

MAC STUDIO FINISH CONCEALER WITH SPF15 (NC30)- 870PHP

NYX CONCEALER IN A JAR (MEDIUM)- AROUND 150+PHP

THE LOW DOWN:

MAC's Studio Finish has always been my HG concealer. In fact, I never bought anything from the time I purchased this because I love it's corrective coverage and it's staying power. It certainly is the magic product for me because Cinema Secrets would always run off my under eyes. It's less- creamy consistency makes this withstand sweat oil throughout the day. The only con of this product would be, it takes some time before I perfectly blend this because the less creamy consistency is the culprit behind this. I have experienced tugs when I blend this, which doesn't seem to be good since it can cause tons of wrinkles for you under eyes. Also, I love that it's yellow undertone helps make my eyes look fresh but it would sometimes fail to cover up my dark circles completely. Also, if you don't blend this well and evenly, your eyes might appear to be overloaded with concealer, which doesn't look appealing at all.

But I stood by this product because I'm uber patient. But if you're always on the go and impatient, then I suggest you try something else.

I've almost hit the bottom of my MAC concealer because I've been using this for 3 years now. Yep, you heard it right. Three years. A little goes a long way so this product lasted me this long. I would also use this to conceal some red marks on my face and it is quite effective in taming the redness a bit.

I've been on the search for another concealer, since I love this for just around 80%. I want something that would definitely be a staple in my stash and everyday make- up kit.

I wanted to try Laura Mercier's secret concealer but it's heck too expensive for me. Besides, the compact is too big. 

I've been hearing and reading raves about Nyx's Concealer in a Jar. Some bloggers say that it excellently delivers at such a cheap price, which really makes this a great find. So after knowing that it scored 4.5 in the Makeupalley scoreboard, I joined in the craze. I've browsed through their site and found that they have dozens of colors to choose from from natural to corrective colors. I got medium because the say it's perfect for nc40- nc42 ladies. Perfect, I'm an NC42.

I ordered through Mscuppycakes online (service ain't that stellar :p) and after waiting for 2-months, my Nyx Concealer in a Jar Medium just arrived this week. I must say that the overall packaging is really cute. And for $2.50, it kinda' looks expensive. It reminded me of MAC's Studio Sculpt Foundation at a fraction of the cost.

So let's now go to the actual product comparison:

Notice that Nyx's consistency is kinda' wet as compared to the drier consistency of MAC's Studio Finish. I applied both on my hand and I noticed that Nyx's concealer is easier to apply than MAC's, because you have to give your finger a bit of a push when applying the Studio Finish, whereas Nyx's applied easily, without any extra effort.

My bare under eye. Check my horrible dark circles and terrible lines. :/

So here's Nyx applied. I used a concealer brush to apply the product. It's so easy to blend and it just disappeared to a lovely, natural- looking coverage. Medium is in the natural color selection so this one has beige undertones that makes it almost one with your skin color even if it camouflages.

So here's MAC Studio Finish. I also used a concealer brush to apply the product. This has always been my problem with MAC's Studio Finish. It's very hard to blend with my fingers and even harder to blend with a concealer brush, so I always end up using my fingers. Notice that the corrective yellow undertone is very evident. You can almost tell that I am INDEED wearing a concealer here. But I love how it makes my eyes look fresher and brighter.

In terms of lasting power, Nyx is quite a surprise even though it has a wetter consistency than MAC, it lasted me all throughout the day without caking nor streaking. After years of using MAC's Studio Finish, I also notice that it would conceal my eyes but since the yellow color kinda' brightens the eyes, it kinda' emphasizes my puffy eye bags as well. But at least, my dark circles are concealed. My puffy eye bags are quite evident with Nyx but at least, they're not emphasized.

Overall, I'd love to try MAC's Studio Finish concealer again but this time, I wanna try something else because as I said, it didn't quite score a 100% in my score cards. What makes Nyx a winner is how it manages to deliver an amazing result at such a cheap price. 

I am very much willing to repurchase, which made realize that I should've bought a back- up because I don't like how it is crazily priced by our local resellers here. C'mon, don't be an opportunist just because these are 5-star products. Sell them at a reasonable rate! I would pretty much purchase locally if a jar's around 300php only but buying it at 495php!?? C'mon, it's just around $2.50 in the USA so ya' can't fool me!

It's also better to organize a pool of orders then have someone order online so you can get it at it's cheapest and so the shipping won't be too much of a burden. We all know how shipping rates can kill a good deal so I suggest that you join in order pools.

If you're scared to have a dip in order pools, Get a Paypal account and shop like crazy online. There is this popular NYX seller named Toma. Her site is at Makeupmasala.blogspot.com. She accepts Paypal payments and is always mentioned by our local beauty bloggers.

SO FOR THIS EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU:

SAVE SAVE SAVE. THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO ORDER NYX AT A CHEAP PRICE! AND DID I MENTION SAVE ALREADY?

SPEND VS. SAVE: PRESSED POWDERS

For this edition of spend vs. save, let's look at Pressed Powders.

I have two pressed powders in my stash

STILA SHEER PRESSED POWDER- 795PHP

SKINFOOD MOIST FITTING CAKE SPF 25+++- 2150PHP

Pressed powders are best used for touch- ups when you're wearing foundation so as to prevent your make- up from looking thick. 

Let's start with the overall casing

Skinfood has a plastic glass base that separates the sponge from the powder while Stila only has a thin plastic film that separates the powder from the sponge. Skinfood's effective powder case proves to be better than Stila's. It's not only hygienic, but it protects the whole powder from elements that can crack or damage the powder.

Stila's silver casing looks very nice and sophisticated, while Skinfood's black and brown casing looks exquisite as well.

Skinfood's sponge is a rubber sponge while Stila is made of soft cotton puff. I hate how rubber sponges smell like rubber and face oil after prolonged usage so cotton sponges are my best bet. Also, the black cloth with the STILA logo is cute and classy.

Let's now criticize to the actual product

Skinfood's powder feels buttery on the pan but once applied, it is actually starchy. Maybe because it's mineral- based that's why it's kinda' loose when applied.

Stila's powder feels buttery and when applied, it gives a sheer finish that doesn't look streaky.

HERE'S A PICTURE COMPARISON OF THE TWO PRODUCTS

MY LEFT FACE WITH STILA

- COVERAGE IS MUCH BETTER AND IT COVERS THE PORES WITHOUT MAKING THE LOOK STREAKY

MY RIGHT FACE WITH SKINFOOD

- SEE HOW IT MADE THE DRY PATCHES ON MY SKIN MORE VISIBLE

MY FINAL VERDICT:

While Skinfood has and advantage because it has SPF, Stila coverage proves to be much better. Even if some may find Stila a bit too sheer or not good at all, at least it's not as expensive as Skinfood. Skinfood is way too overpriced but unfortunately, they are not impressive for me. One con for the Stila powder is their limited shade selection. Nothing seems to match the color of my neck so I'm afraid my face will look too white.

If you want something with SPF, I suggest you wear a separate SPF. The 1355php that you'll be able to save from buying Skinfood can actually get you a decent sunblock for the face. Don't sweat it. Don't waste your money.

SO FOR THIS EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU:

SAVE. STILA IS BETTER AND THE WISEST BET

TWO CATEGORIES IN ONE ENTRY! TOPIC: COMPACT BRUSH SETS

It's one entry for two categories. For this edition of Spend vs. Save and The Beauty Battles, let's look at two compact brush sets

CHARM'S TRAVEL BRUSH SET- 950PHP

HENRI CALAYAG SIGNATURE BRUSH SET- 1995PHP

So let's look at the two products in different categories.

BRUSH BAG 

HC's brush bag is thin yet longer than Charm's. Charm's may be a bit plumper but both can fit well in your luggage or bag without taking too much space or adding weight. Both have two brush pockets so your brushes will have more space. Both wins the category.

L- R: CHARM TRAVEL BRUSH SET AND HENRI CALAYAG SIGNATURE BRUSH SET

UP TO DOWN: CHARM AND HENRI CALAYAG

L- R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

Notice that the fluffy brushes of Charm have brush guards, while HC doesn't have any. I find it hygienic when my brushes come with brush guards. And besides, it prevents the thicker brushes from getting stuck on zippers. It also helps maintain the shape of the brushes. Charm wins in this category.

BRUSH COMPARTMENTS

Both have convenient pockets. Charm's has a small zippered pouch which prevents your make-up from getting lost or dropping but HC's mesh pocket has no zippers. Chances are, your make- up might drop or fall if you open the bag. Charm wins this category.

HENRI CALAYAG'S COMPARTMENT

CHARM'S COMPARTMENT

BRUSH BRISTLES

L- R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

HC and Charm's brushes are made of synthetic bristles. Both imitate the softness of authentic animal hair so both are uber soft, non- scratchy and helps make- up application become flawless. Both wins this category.

BRUSH COMPARISON

L- R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

Powder Brush

Notice that HC's powder brush head is thicker as compared to Charm's. It is because Henri's brushes are not really travel- size brushes. These are his regular- sized brushes that may appear too small to some. Charm's is specifically made for travel so it explains why HC's powder brush has more hair as compared to Charm's. Both deliver good results but HC's thicker brush head lessens the effort of applying and evening out the coverage of powder on your face. HC's powder brush wins this category.

L- R: CHARM AND HENRI CALAYAG

Eye Blender Brush

Charm's eye blender brush has thicker hair and is relatively bigger as compared to HC's. It proves that Charm's eye blender brush will define the eyes more and will make blending easier and more flawless. Charm's eye blender brush wins this category.

L-R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

Eye Liner Brush

HC's signature bent eye liner brush is a new innovation. The bent nature of the brush makes eye liner application precise, cleaner and more defined. But notice that the bristles are starting to look scraggy and most of the bristles are already out of place. I hate how you have to purchase this separately from the brush set making it seem as if it's a wonder product but it eventually proves to be a waste of money. The scraggy bristles messes up my cake eye liner application most of the time. I think the reason is the brush is too thick than the usual eye liner brushes. Eye liner brushes should be thin and pointy so as to prevent scraggy brush heads like this one. Charm's eye liner brush is pointed and quite thin. This is much better because in the long run, It won't become scraggy because it's not too coarse for an eye liner brush. Charm's eye liner brush wins this category.

L- R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

Concealer Brush

HC's concealer brush is big and fluffy, while Charm's concealer brush is small yet fluffy. What works for me more is Charm's because I find HC's too big for my under eyes. HC's concealer brush gives me a hard time filling the lines on my under eyes. Charm's small concealer brush just hits the right places. Charm's concealer brush wins in this category.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

L-R: HC'S FOUNDATION BRUSH AND CHARM'S BLUSH BRUSH

HC's brush set has a Foundation brush and Charm doesn't have any. On the other hand, Charm has a blush brush while HC doesn't have any.

PRICE

HC is priced at 1995php and Charm is priced at 950php.

Overall, I still find Henri Calayag's brush a good purchase but truth be told, when you're traveling, less means more. I must admit you can't really use everything in HC's brush set. Charm's travel- brush set is more economical and convenient. And for a price of 950php, you get quite a lot of brushes. Both may prove to be your best bets for traveling but nowadays, we have to find alternative ways to save because we never know when we will need the money. Charm's will save you 1k. At least that amount saved makes way for more make- ups plus a new cosmetic bag. :D

FOR THIS EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU: 

SAVE

AND THE WINNER FOR TODAY'S BEAUTY BATTLES IS:

CHARM TRAVEL- SIZE BRUSH SET