Review: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Foundation and Primer

Sally Hansen, a brand I've only tried for their hair removers, came out with a new makeup line inspired by Carmindy, the makeup artist on TLC's What Not To Wear. After hearing good things about the foundation, I decided to buy it along with the face primer (they were buy one get one 50% off at Ulta). The following is what I discovered.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Your Skin Makeup: This is the foundation, which I bought in Warm Beige. First off, I love the packaging. It is a glass bottle with a pump, which makes it more hygienic than some other foundations. The glass also looks more like a high-end brand. The foundation inside I did not love too much. When I first applied this I used a MAC 187 and it went on too thick. It left a kind of stickiness to my skin. When I applied it with a wet Beauty Blender sponge, the coverage was a lot better, still medium to heavy, but not cakey. The color was great, it blended well and disappeared while still giving me coverage. The problem with this foundation seems to be my oily skin. Though it did not oxidize (turn darker) on me, it did leave me with an oily T-Zone as the day wore on. When I looked up close in a mirror, I saw that the foundation had settled into my pores, making them look larger, even with the primer. This foundation would probably be great if you had dry or normal skin, but if you are oily, I would make sure where you get it from a place that has a great return policy in case the same thing happens to you. This cost $12.99 for 1 0z. at Ulta.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Luminizing Face Primer: I was so excited when I found this because drugstore have very little when it comes to primers. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This primer did not help my foundation stay on as long as I would have hoped. It has the same feel as a Smashbox Primer, that sort of slippery feel, but does not work as well. My foundation stayed put on my T-zone for less than half a day. What is worse, instead of making you less shiny it makes you glittery. Yes, there are visible chunks of shimmer in the primer. I guess thats why it is called 'luminizing'. If you are the type who needs an extra shine to your skin then this is for you. If you are like me and shiny enough, save your money. The bottle, made the same way as the foundation one (glass with a pump) only has about half an ounce in it, and it costs $9.99. I expected better product and more of it for that price. You can find this at Ulta.

I am a little disappointed with the products I picked up, but others seem to love them. Maybe if you are not oily, the products would work better on you. Still, I am tempted to try other things from this line in hope that there are a few gems. Maybe the eye base next? I'll keep you posted.

Review: Wet n Wild Beauty Unblemished Oil-Free Foundation

I was so excited when I finally tracked down Wet n Wild's Beauty Benefits line. I have heard about it before and wanted to try out some of their products. The products were more expensive than Wet n Wild usually is, products in this line ran about $5-$9 on average. The blushes I was looking at were around $7 each! They were pretty, but not $7 for Wet n Wild pretty. Maybe if it goes on sale...Anyway, I ended up buying a foundation, Wet n Wild Beauty Benefits Beauty Unblemished Oil-Free Foundation. When I used it, I found many things I didn't like. It was thicker in consistency than I imagined, which made it hard to put on and blend. It had an awful sour smell to it as well, I guess it is the salicylic acid (used to treat breakouts). The worst part is that the color was off and looked ashy on me. I picked out Warm Natural because Honey looked way to dark for me. I'm assuming I'm in between shades, which I'm sure a lot of people are considering there are only six shades. It is a shame because you can really build the coverage to what you want, from a sheerer medium to heavy and it makes your skin feel super smooth when it is on. It has a matte finish in my opinion and doesn't transfer everywhere. It also did not break me out, though I cannot say if this alone is actually clearing up my breakouts. It would have been an all around good foundation if there was more color choices and it didn't stink. Sadly, because of those two reasons, I will not recommend it to most people (only to those few who have a matching color). It was around $9 for me, and I would not buy it for that (or any) price again. If you are interested in the line, check out their website and use the finder to get a location near you.

Review: Eye Candy by Linda Mason

If you are stuck in an eyeshadow rut or looking for inspiration, pick up this book. Eye Candy by Linda Mason came out recently and I rushed to go buy it. I'm super glad I did because this book is full of funky and fun eyeshadow designs. It even gives you step by step instructions on how to achieve those looks.

My dislikes of the book are minimal. The step by step instructions, though easy to follow were not very detailed. It showed what kind of shadow needed, what brushes to use, and a few steps. I wish it had gone a little deeper on some of those steps, but there is an eye right next to the steps with the shadow placement drawn on if you get lost. I was not thrilled by the first part of the eye makeup, the everyday looks, because they weren't dramatic enough for me. If you like natural makeup, I guess there is a little something for you in this book.

I liked the fact that she did not push a certain brand of makeup. Though all the looks were done from her line of cosmetics, she stated that any similar colors from your own collection would work. If you absolutely have to know what she used it is in the back of the book. I also loved that she showed different eyeshadow shapes to make the eyes look different. That part was interesting and informative. She also did a whole page on different eyeshadow shapes for eyes with heavy folds. The variety of the book is amazing. There are 55 different eyeshadow looks, each one different, not only in color but in design.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to explore the world of bright and fun eyeshadow. It is not too expensive, $14.95 here in the States, but cheaper on Amazon.com. I will definitely use this book for some looks to show you guys later on.

Review and FOTD: KLS Makeup

I finally got around to trying the Kimora Lee Simmons makeup, also known as KLS, and let me tell you, there is a reason this line is being clearanced. The colors for the shadows were pretty, yet sheer. It tried to make them more pigmented by putting them over a base, which kind of worked. Alone though, they're kind of dull looking as you can see from the swatch picture (no base, no flash).

The problem was the texture. The shadows were super powdery and they got everywhere, under the eye, on my nose, all over my counter, etc. They were also almost impossible to blend. To be fair I was able to do a pretty eye look with Asian Azure (turquoise) and Royal Rose Gold (brown/gold), but I messed it up with liquid liner, so no picture. I did get a picture of a sub-par eye look using KLS Red Carpet Ruby, KLS Princess Pink and NYX Black shadow. In this picture I am also using KLS Beauty Powder in Brilliant Butterscotch (please ignore the hairs across my face).
I actually love this powder, it gives me a glow without adding too much bronze. Before it I used Pink Champagne, and the shimmer was so overloaded it looked white on my skin. I had to go over it with my foundation to get it to look ever close to normal. If I had to go back in time, I would only buy Brilliant Butterscotch from this line. The rest was a waste of money. Addicted to makeup as I am though, I might go back and buy a KLS blush. I actually heard those were good. You can find this line full priced at beauty.com or on clearance at (some) TJMaxx.

Review: Loreal HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lip Color

The Loreal HIP Shine Struck Liquid Lip Color is really a great lip color, less of a gloss in my opinion. It has some shine, but it is not at all like other glass like glosses. The colors are very pigmented and there is a wide range of them. This product comes in nudes, browns, reds, pinks, with a wine or coral/orange color thrown in there, so I wasn't bored at all. It is kind of thick and lasts longer than most drugstore glosses that can be gone in an hour. The smell is sweet and unoffensive, it is a vanilla or caramel smell that goes away after a while. There are very little negatives I can think of about the lip color, but I'll mention them anyway. The lip color can bleed a little if used alone, so I would recommend a lip liner. It has a doe-foot applicator which I feel doesn't give you as much control as a brush like applicator. Lastly, the price is a little high for it, but if bought during a buy one get one sale, it can be reasonable. I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a pigmented lip color that isn't a matte. These can be found drugstores nationwide for about $11.99.

Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick

I got Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Wild Thing and Scream recently, and I already had it in Birthday Suit. The reason I bought these is because Rimmel is repackaging their line of lipstick and these were on clearance, so I couldn't resist. These lipsticks go on smooth and creamy, not at all dry. The consistency is sheer on Birthday Suit and Wild Thing, but able to be built up for more dramatic color. The color shows up very strong on Scream, but I think this is an exception because it is a bright red. The color range is great for this product, there are a lot of colors to choose from. My problem with the lipstick is that though to me it smells like nothing, the taste is awful. It tastes like plastic. The packaging is chunky looking (for a cylinder), plain dark brown, and not very sleek, but I can get over things like packaging. The lipstick itself did not wear longer than any other drugstore lipstick that I had, so I wonder why this is being marketed as 'Lasting Finish'. Would I buy this lipstick again? Yup, but only at it's clearance price around here, $3. As for the individual colors, I have posted pictures to let you decide what would look good and what wouldn't. Remember these are on NC42 skin, and they were very sloppily done (without lip liner!)

Birthday Suit:

Scream:

Wild Thing:

You can try to find these on clearance at you local drugstore, I found mine at Longs Drugs, or you can pick up the repackaged ones for about $5.99.

Review: Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black

When I decided to buy Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black, it was because of all the rave reviews I had heard about it. It is many people's favorite mascara. I however, was not too impressed. There are some good things about the mascara. The best part is that it goes on soft and doesn't end up crunchy or flaky (unless you rub your eyes). It holds a curl ok. The bad part about it is that with the slightest bit of water from your eyes, it smears. The 'Carbon Black' isn't really that much darker than other black mascaras, so no brownie points there. The worst part for me was that I expected really dramatic lashes from this product. Unfortunately, I got mediocre ones. While this is good everyday mascara (granted your eyes don't get watery) I would not use it to glam up. I will continue to use this because I shelled out money for it, but will still be on the look out for something better. This really proves that your mileage may vary with mascara. You can find Loreal Voluminous in Carbon Black at your local drugstore, I paid $7.49 at Longs Drugs.

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Review: Maybelline Volume Seduction XL

When I picked up Maybelline Volume Seduction XL Lip Plumper in Seductively Nude it was because I had a coupon and the product was already on sale. I am glad I did get it though. I love the design of the lip gloss. Though you have to click the base quite a few times to get the gloss going, it is not as much as other click glosses. I like how the tip is not the spongy foam-like stuff on most click glosses of this design, so the lip gloss doesn't start to go bad in the foam and make the whole thing stink (yes, it has happened to me). I also like how well the cap stays on due to the notches in the base and cap. The visibility of the color in the middle is also a plus. As for the gloss? It smells and tastes fruity when it is on. It is not too sticky, but stays on for over an hour without reapplying, which is just ok in my book. The color, though sheer, did show up on my pigmented lips. As for the plumping action? Well, any gloss will make your lips look plumper than mattes, and I did not see a huge change in my lips. It did tingle and slightly burn a little though. While I do not think it changes the plumpness of my lips, it is a great gloss if you can stand the tingle. The color range is gorgeous, and if I had the chance to purchase again on sale I would. Check it out on the Maybelline Website.

Review: E.L.F. Duo Eye Shadow Cream

The E.L.F. Duo Eye Shadow Creams are not my favorite item that I recently purchased. I bought all six of these duos for a dollar each, and I'm glad it only cost that much. These shadows were smaller than I expected, about 5 grams of cream in each duo, but I've paid more money for less product. As long as they worked well, I didn't care. Unfortunately, they did not work as well as the package says. They claim this product is crease resistant, long wearing and easy to blend. The product creases almost instantly after putting it on. The colors fade in less than half a day, and it takes a lot of product layered on to make the colors show up. Still, the colors were pretty, mostly on the neutral side and not at all vibrant, but pretty. As for it being easy to blend? It is, but most cream eye shadow is easier to blend than powder. There was one review on the E.L.F. site that said most people used the cream eyeshadow wrong, and that you have to layer it with base and set it with powder. While I can understand layering it with base, why would I waste my time finding powder shadows to match? I might as well find a well pigmented powder shadows I like and apply those over a base, save myself a step. I just do not see the point in messing with Duo Eye Shadow Cream, even after giving this product multiple chances. You can see actual pictures of the product in the post below or on the E.L.F. website.

Haul and Review: Eyes Lips Face

I just got an order I placed on the E.L.F. website, and boy am I excited! Along with a few brushes, I got these!


They are E.L.F.'s Candy Shop Lip Glosses ($1) and E.L.F.'s new Duo Eye Shadow Creams ($1). I was most excited about the lip glosses, so I tried those first. The packaging is super cute, and you get a lot of product for only $1. Though they all smelled like the flavor on their package, some were stronger than others. Mocha Maniac and Berry Pop were the strongest smelling out of all of them, the rest were kind of light. The levels of glitter varied between them as well. Cherry Bomb had no shimmer, Mocha Maniac, Frosting Fanatic, and Candy Fix had a shimmer to them, and Berry Pop, Melon Mayhem, and Coconut Crazed had more pronounced glitter. All were creamy, moisturizing, and had a slight shine to them. The shine wasn't glass like, but it was there. The glosses tasted sweet, but with no particular flavor. Though they look like they have color in the tin, there was not much tint to my highly pigmented lips. Some went on clear. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Berry Pop because the smell is strong and the color
tints my lips the best. I have yet to try the Duo Eye Shadow Creams, but look for a review of those in the near future.

P.S: My Valentines Day was great! My fiance/date took me to an Italian restaurant and got me a box of See's and some MAC cosmetics! For my makeup I went with a smokey taupe eye with thick cat eye liner, bronzed cheeks, and a rose colored lip. I wasn't able to get a picture, I was running late for the reservation :( Oh well, it was still a fabulous day!

Review: Rimmel Underground Lip Bloomer and Uber Full

I know, I know, another review. On the plus side, these are brand new products that just came out. There are very few reviews on them.



Rimmel Underground Lip Bloomer in Killer Kiss ($6.99, Longs Drugs)
This is a double sided lip product, with one side being a lip stain and the other being a lip plumper. The lip plumper side had a great consistency, really thick and glossy. The plumper gloss made my lips look gorgeous. It smelled good on both sides. The problem is, the lip plumper didn't really plump. There was no difference in my lips before and 30 min. after using the plumper. The stain side had a weird watery gel-like consistency and did not stain lips. After a lot of patting the stain in, the color barely showed, and the color that did show was more orange than deep red. It kissed off quickly, not at all what I expected from a stain, which is supposed to, well...stain. I would buy just the plumper, which is sold separately with two different colors, clear and nude, and has more in it. This particular product I would not recommend.

Rimmel Underground Uber Full Plumping Balm in Big Time($6.99, Longs Drugs)
This is a pink balm that goes on clear housed in a domed-circular container. The packaging is really cute for Valentines Day. The balm is shiny, but not sticky. It does not burn my finger when applying, yet it still gives a nice tingle to the lips. It also smells good, kind of candy-like. My lips felt moisturized after applying. I would have given this balm a rave review, but the whole point of this lip product is to plump lips. It did not plump my lips noticeably, no matter how long I kept it on. It felt like it was doing it's job with the tingle and slight numbness, but my lips just didn't look bigger. I will not buy this product a second time because it does not do the job it is intended for, but it is still a decent balm. You might want to buy it, if not for the plumping, then for the super cute Valentine's packaging.

Review: Revlon Custom Creations Foundation

Revlon Custom Creations Foundation seems a little gimmicky at first glance, but the concept of this foundation is really quite smart. The bottle is dual-chambered with one side being lighter foundation and the other side darker. Depending where you click the pump to, different amounts of foundation will come out of each side and mix creating the 'perfect shade'. This can be useful for things, like if you are lighter in the winter than in the summer, or if you like to contour using liquid foundation. A great idea, right? Well, kind of. What I like about this foundation is that it is in a bottle with a pump. You do not have to sick your fingers in it and transfer germs. It also comes with a full fluid ounce of product, though the bottle may look like mostly packaging. Another great thing is that once you find the correct bottle, you can test all five of the shades to see what matches best. The foundation itself is decent, though not spectacular. It is a medium coverage satin-like finish, which is great for some people, but I prefer heavier matte coverage. It also controls oil for a few hours, but then you start to get a little shiny. My normal foundations are designed to control oil, so I'm not used to the shininess. I would definitely go over this one with a powder to get an extra hour or two out of it. It also does not look mask-like at all, like Revlon ColorStay can. The problem with this foundation arises when you are either a 1 or 5 on the color spectrum. You will use only one side of the chamber, and unless you plan on switching it up in the summer, you might as well buy a different single color foundation. Another issue is if you are anything but a three, one side will run out faster than the other leaving you with wasted product. It is also hard to match what bottle to get. I was deciding between a Medium and a Medium/Deep, and those little strips of color they give you on the display do not help at all. I would not buy this product again because the price was high for a drugstore foundation ($13.99 at Ulta) and because I did not like the coverage. It was fun to try out though, and I will be using this bottle up at least. One more tip: be sure to read the first time use instructions to get the pump going.

Review: Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds Liquid

Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds Liquid might be going out of stock, but I just discovered this range of lip glosses. I happened to be browsing a Walgreens where they are on clearance for $3.29, plus, this week they are having buy one get one on Maybelline products (at Walgreens). I got four glosses for under $7! These glosses are great for the price. They are not sticky in any way, but still have a high shine to them. The color goes on more sheer than what it appears to be in the tube which makes the glosses good for layering over lipsticks. The colors they come in are pretty, but a drawback is that they do not have any golds or browns. The best part is the glitter. It really adds a kick to the gloss without feeling grainy on the lips. What is not so great about these glosses is the fact that they wear off so quickly. I would also suggest wearing these glosses with lip liner, the thin consistency causes them to bleed a little. Though I would not buy these gloss at regular price ($6.49), I would recommend them to anyone who can find them on clearance. They are a fun way to add color and shimmer to your makeup collection. Look for a Walgreens near you! Wondering what colors I picked? I got Spoiled in Rubies which is a bold red, Plum Solitaire which is a hot pink, Peach Marquise which is a summery peach, and Jewels 'N Berries which is pictured above.

Review: Rimmel Volume Booster Primer

This product, Rimmel Volume Booster Primer, caught my attention not because it is 'volume boosting', but because it is a primer. If there is something drugstore makeup lines lack, it would be primers. This primer is a step in the right direction. The white balm-like stick located in a pink lipstick tube goes on clear with a hint of iridescence. Though it smells like dough which is unpleasant, it works wonders on chapped lips. It moisturizes in a few minutes, smoothing out cracks and crusties on the lips. It leaves a great backdrop for a lipstick or gloss. The downside to this product, besides the smell, is the fact that it does not really boost volume. There is a slight tingle if you concentrate really hard, but other than that no hardcore plumping. Though this is not a replacement for gently exfoliating your lips every once in a while and using a good lip balm between wearing lip color, this product really moisturizes and smooths things down when you are on the go. It is much better than plain lip balm when being used as a primer because it helps lipstick wear longer than with a balm and is less glossy than some balms, which could change the lipstick texture. I would definitely give this a chance. I found mine for $6.79 (during a Rimmel buy one get one) at Ulta.

Review: Loreal De-Crease Eye Shadow Base

I love my Urban Decay Primer Potion, but I wanted to get something comparable for cheaper. I got Loreal De-Crease Eye Shadow Base for All Skin Tones the other day and I have to say, I'm not impressed. Tested next to my Primer Potion on my arm, it paled in comparison. Colors appeared more vivid when used over primer potion instead of De-Crease. When wiped of, the shadows over the Primer Potion stayed longer. When used on my eyes however, the De-Crease does its job. My shadow, though more vivid to begin with on the Primer Potion eye, stayed all day (8 hours) with no creasing on my De-Crease eye. There was some fading on that eye, but a lot less than what would have happened with no base at all. Loreal De-Crease will not replace Primer Potion for me, but I would recommend it to someone who doesn't have a base at all and would not like to spend a lot of money. This is available at Walgreens for $7.99.

Review: Neutrogena Wave

I picked up the Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser with Deep Clean Foaming Pads when the Clarisonic was sold out everywhere, and well, didn't want to pay $195. This device is a cute, hand held vibrating face washer that uses disposable foaming pads with the face wash already in it. All you do is pick up one of the pads (the kit comes with 14), press it to the flat, velcro-like circle on the device, run the pad under water, turn on, and press on your skin. The pad then foams and cleans your face. The Wave is very convenient and easy to use. The hardest part may have been putting in the AA battery, which is included. Though the head and pad didn't spin in a circle like I was expecting, I am still very pleased. It is gentle enough for everyday use, and made my face freakishly smooth after one use, just like the package says. It removed all my makeup surprisingly, though some of the foundation bled though the foaming pad and got on the device itself. It was nothing a quick rinse wouldn't fix. What I do not like about this was the velcro-like attachment head. Little things like lint get stuck to it when I wipe the Wave down. There are so many great things about the Wave to make up for it, though, like the ease of traveling with it and its ability to be used in the shower. Before you invest in a Clarisonic, try this. The Neutrogena Wave Kit is $13.99 at Drugstore.com and refill packs are $7.99 for a pack of 30.

Review: Max Factor Vivid Impact Highlighting Mascara

The new Max Factor Vivid Impact Highlighting Mascara came out recently. It is a double ended mascara, with one base color that goes all over the lashes and one highlight color that is supposed to be applied on the tips of your lashes. It came in the colors Blazing Black (black base with red highlights), Moonlit Black (black with silver), Karat Brown (brown with gold), Burning Bordeaux (brown with red), and the one I was most interested in, Blushing Blue (blue base with pink highlights). I recently picked Blushing Blue up at Walmart, in a pack that contained Max Factor Eyeshadow in Pajama Party. Together they were $7.98, pretty good for two items. Though I have yet to try the eyeshadow, I did try the mascara. The first thing I did not like was that the blue base did not show up as the bright blue I was expecting, it didn't even show up as navy. It just looked black. The mascara went on fine, really defining my lashes, but there were a few flakes I noticed. I went to put on the pink highlighter. I coated and coated the tips, for very little results. From normal standing distance though, it looked like I was wearing a neutral colored mascara. I waited for the base to dry more. The highlighter finally showed up! It looked ok, but the blue was still not the color I wished it to be. It was a fun mascara, but still not dramatic enough for me. Two steps is not something one would want to go through for very little results, so I would recommend finding a great dark black mascara or falsies if you want fun dramatic lashes. If you do want something new with some color, give this a try. I have yet to find anything at the drugstore like this.

Review: Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain

I know, I know, this Revlon product has been out for a year, but I never got around to checking it out. The Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Cherry Tart was a little pricey for drugstore makeup. It goes for about $12.79 at Walgreens. The only reason I bought it was because Walgreens in having buy one get one on all Revlon products this week and there was a foundation I wanted as well (review coming later). The lip stain comes in a plastic cylinder with a rollerball top. That was the first problem, the ball does not give you very much control over where the product goes on your lips. Stain could potentially smear all over the lip area. After rolling some product on my lips and blotting the rest with my finger I realized problem number two. This stuff does not go on evenly. My bottom lip was a brilliant stained red, and my top looked the same as it usually does, with just the part closest to the inside of my mouth red. I tried exfoliating my lips and still got the same results. One plus is that the stain didn't kiss off much. When is was wet and rubbed off it was gone though. By now I figured it wasn't going to work as a lip stain, but could it double as cheek stain? Nope, it dried on my cheeks too quickly for me to rub in leaving splotches. If I had to do over again, I would not but this.

Review: How to Be a Budget Fashionista

I recently had the pleasure of receiving the book How to Be a Budget Fashionista by Kathryn Finney. I loved the entire book and learned many new things to keep me on track when it comes to my budget. Whether it be for clothes or beauty products, the first section taught me the basics of budgeting (which I sorely needed). After the first section, there were more specific chapters on how to find great deals. I especially loved the chapter entitled "Beauty 101". Being a beauty junkie, I loved the recommendations for beauty products that cost less than ten dollars. The interview with celebrity makeup artist Elke Von Freudenburg also taught me some useful tips like how to make your perfect concealer and when to apply blush. Another fun part of the chapter was the list of uses for Vaseline (I fully intend on trying them all out). I would recommend this book for more than just the beauty chapter. The clothing related tips and resources are worth the $12.95 for the book. You will get the money you spent on this book and then some with the amount you save following Kathryn Finney's tips and tricks. You can get this book at your local bookstore or Amazon. Check out the author's website at The Budget Fashionista.

Review: Wet n Wild Sheer Illuminating Powder

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of updates lately, it has been the start of the holidays, and you know how hectic that can be. I did find a cool product that would be great if you want to add a little shimmer to this winter season. It is called Wet n Wild Shimmering Nights Sheer Illuminating Powder. It is a large (about 5 inches in diameter) compact full of shimmery powder. The color I picked up was Night Sky, which was a medium bronze. The product also comes with a huge kabuki brush, bigger than some of the body kabuki brushes I've seen on the market. The first thing I went for after opening the purple package was the kabuki. It wasn't very soft, and the bristles looked a little lopsided. The novelty of its hugeness was enough to make me like it though. When I opened the big compact I was instantly greeted with the smell of hot cocoa. I personally loved it, but if you are sensitive to smells, you might want to skip this. I swirled the kabuki in it and there was tons of powder everywhere. I figured it was ok if a little was wasted by the powdering because the compact came with so much in it. I went to apply the stuff on my face, then decided against it. The kabuki was way to big for any precise facial application. I went to apply it to my collar bone and decollete. It looked fabulous and my pale skin in that area had a metallic bronze glow to it. Great for if a wanted to wear a strapless dress. For my face though, I would use a different kabuki. This powder is a great deal for $7.99. It comes with a lot of product and its own brush. If you don't want a bronze look, there is a pink highlighter (named Moonlight) in this line as well. No matter which color you pick up, you will enjoy the fun size of the products, and the gorgeous glow it will give you. Get one at Longs Drugs.