Real Techniques Miracle Sculpting Sponge & Mini Eraser Review

Most beauty brands eventually come out with sponge makeup applicators, in competition with the famous, Beauty Blender. Real Techniques tried this already, with their Miracle Complexion Sponge (reviewed here). Although I did really like the Miracle Complexion Sponge because it was the best dupe I could find for a Beauty Blender at the time, I realized it didn't hold up as long as I thought it would and began to lose it's sponge-i-ness.

With these new Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges & Miracle Sculpting Sponge, the sponge formulation seems improved, and I've found myself using it quite often with it still holding up!

The sponges come in hangable plastic containers, with instructions on the back to replace every 3 months. With proper weekly washing, I haven't had to replace mine yet, but I am very thrifty so I try to make them last as long as possible!

Both sponges have angled flat sides so you can get into the curves of your face and are both latex-free. Although I prefer to use them mainly for foundation, you don't have to, and many people use them for contouring, highlighting, concealing and sculpting. I do like them for blending out cream contour or simmering down too much highlight if I don't have a brush with me.

Real Techniques Miracle Sculpting Sponge ($10.49 CAD)

I prefer using this one for applying foundation to my face, but as I mentioned, I have used this for cream contour and controlling too much highlighter as well. I only use this sponge damp, as I don't like the results using any sponges dry. I find I can still get high coverage using it damp. This sponge actually looks like a previous sponge I've reviewed by Sephora, and I have to say, I think I like this one better! Pretty sure it's also a bit cheaper.

Real Techniques Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges ($10.49 CAD for 2)

I wasn't sure why these were called the Mini 'Eraser' Sponges until I took a double-take on the website. They list 6 different uses for the mini sponges: to sweep away eyeshadow fallout, wipe away liner mistakes, pick up brow powder fallout, wipe away mascara smudges, pick up over-applied eyeshadow, blend away too much blush/highlighter.

I don't typically need to use it for any of those things, but don't let it deter you from trying it out! I loved using these, damp, for applying under eye concealer. They got big enough when damp that they were perfect for concealer, but a little too small when dry. I also did use it for baking and for applying cream products.

Overall, I would definitely purchase these. I think they're great dupes for the beloved Beauty Blender, and I actually find myself using these sponges more often. I found a multi-pack on Amazon.ca, here for a good price! I've linked a few good amazon deals below:

You can find all of the Real Techniques sponges and brushes available directly from FarleyCo in Canada. As well as online at Amazon.ca, ObsessedCanada.com (free shipping over $29 CAD),  In stores you can find certain products at Rexall, Walmart, Pharmasave.

These products were received as press samples. This article is not sponsored but may contain affiliate links.

Buxom Plumpline Lip Liner Review + Lip Swatches

Lip liners seemed to have disappeared from a makeup junkie's stash of 'essentials' for a while, but the has made it's way back into 2017. Don't get me wrong, I love a good lip liner but they are not always something that a makeup lover gets excited about. It's usually about the newest liquid lipstick, or matte lipstick. 

But the new Plumpline Lip Liners from Buxom are definitely something to think about putting on your radar..

Box packaging of each lip liner

The Buxom Plumpline Lip Liners retail for $20 CAD, and are the newest lip product release from Buxom as of January 2017. They've released 20 shades so far and I have 8 of them to share with you.

The pencils themselves are jumbo-sized for the ability to define, shape, and fill in the lips. 

One side is the pencil lip colour, the other side is a brush to smooth out or blend the colour. 

These to me really aren't lip liners at all, more of a lipstick but for the sake of their name I will continue to call them liners. The pencil is so hugeee, and the colour is so pigmented you don't need to top it off with a lipstick at all.

 I really don't usually have a thing for lip liners because of their strong pencil scent, so at first I was like ehhh. But I quickly got over it. Once it's applied it didn't bother me, actually, you don't even notice the lip liner is on your lips at all. They are so light, matte, and non-sticky at all. I find myself being able to re-apply as often as I'd like without having to worry about sore lips later. The Plumpline Lip Liners all seem to be matte formulas.

The brush end really isn't necessary at all. I feel like it was a bit of a waste and I'd prefer to have a tiny bit more product. Also, I got really frustrated every time I opened the brush end thinking that it was the lip colour side when I was in a rush.

Stealth, Dolly Danger, Incognito, Restricted, Intrigue, Code Red, Anonymous Allure, Mystery

Swatches:

Lip Swatches:

Stealth

Dolly Danger

Incognito

Restricted

Intrigue

Code Red

Anonymous Allure

Mystery

I was surprised at how highly pigmented these were, and they are quite matte! I love a matte lip and I'm so happy with how all of these shades look. If I had to choose 3 favourites, they'd be 'Incognito (warm nude), Dolly Danger (mauve pink), and Restricted' (rose red). I think the only one that didn't flatter my skin tone or lips was Intrigue. I think it made my lips pop way too much and I just wasn't feeling this one.

In regards to the plumping aspect, I DID notice my lips were quite full when I applied these. However, I do already have full lips so take that with a grain of salt. There is no tingling effect or anything, and I notice the plumpness instantly, so it must be something in the actual colour itself that gives the 'plump' look. OR it's just an illusion because the shades are so matte (will we ever know?!).

I found myself wearing these daily and not having to worry about transfer or any major smudging. As I mentioned, they are light, matte, and don't give me major dry or sore lips. For darker shades it's a little more concerning, but it does take a bit (of eating) to see any real reason to reapply. Overall I'd definitely purchase one again when I run out. I think it's an interesting product and definitely something to at least try once. $20 CAD isn't too bad and I have no doubt that one will last me a long time. The Buxom Plumpline Liners are available at Sephora stores and Sephora.ca.

These products were received for consideration. All opinions are my own and are never influenced by anyone. 

Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette

Everyone's coming out with an easier way to clean your brushes lately! I'm a fan of Real Techniques because they have good quality stuff, but are also reasonably priced. The new Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette retails for $19.99 CAD, and contains 3 different patterns on the palette (for optimal brush cleaning?)..

The palette comes with a sample pack of their new Brush Cleansing Gel as well.

The back of the palette has a slit for your hand so it's easy to hold.

I don't know why but after trying the palette a few times it just wasn't meeting my expectations. I think maybe it's due to the fact that it's completely silicone, it had a hard time cleaning my 'heavier stained' brushes. My liquid foundation brushes just weren't getting cleaned, the foundation was getting stuck onto the silicone and was getting put back onto my brush. A little bit of a pain in the butt. I used the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Gel (which smells awesome btw), I also tried it with 2 alternative soaps and got similar results.

It did a much better job of cleaning my brushes that I use with powder products. But I don't think it's a good investment if you're trying to clean foundation brushes with this (like I had intended).

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Overall, I think this is the first Real Techniques product I've tried that I don't really like. I'm kind of on the fence about it. The concept is sooo good and I really wanted to like it, but I wanted it solely for my foundation brushes and it doesn't do a great job of cleaning them (as mentioned above). I think it works well for brushes that only have powder residue on them (eyeshadow brushes, blush, bronzer, highlighter brushes, etc).

If you want to put it to the test, you can find the Deep Brush Cleansing Palette online at FarleyCo and the link will also show you other locations where the product is available. It can also be found at select Rexall Pharma Plus, and select London Drugs. I believe I've also spotted it on Amazon.

Press sample received for consideration

Bite Beauty Lip Pencils & Amuse Bouche Review

I know I know, I'm not the first to showcase these lip pencils with their matching lipsticks! I, along with quite a few other influencers have been given the opportunity to try the Bite Beauty Lip Pencils, as well as 2 of their matching Amuse Bouche Lipsticks through Influenster. Bite Beauty is known for their lip products and are actually produced in a lab in downtown Toronto. I've only ever reviewed their Matte Creme Lip Crayons before (here). 

The Bite Lip Pencils I have here are in shades 020, and 044. I personally hate that they are numbered and aren't named, but what can you do. The formula glides on effortlessly, they are creamy (but not overly creamy) and super easy to apply. I wouldn't recommend to wear them alone, but they are great as a base before layering on an Amuse Bouche Lipstick! They seem to last just as long as any other lip pencil I've tried and smell like pencil (ugh, typical). Fortunately there seems to be a matching shade for each lip pencil, unfortunately, they are not labelled with the same name as the Amuse Bouche lipsticks.. Personally, I probably wouldn't purchase one of these because I don't often wear lip liners and these will probably last forever. But for a darker shade like Whiskey, 044 is definitely a good liner to have before applying the full lipstick all over the lips.

The Amuse Bouche Lipsticks were sent to compliment the lip pencils, but I think I ended up loving them more. These one's here are the mini lipsticks (not full sized). They smell amazing, reminds me of Fresh Beauty's tinted lip balms, there is a very citrusy/fruity scent. They taste fine and are very well pigmented. The nude shade, 'Honeycomb' is definitely a true nude on my lips and lightens up my slightly dark pigmented lips very well. It doesn't last more than a few hours (max!) especially with a lot of eating and talking. However, I do wear Honeycomb quite often and I would definitely consider repurchasing this shade, or any other neutral shade in the range.

 Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 020

  Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 020 + Amuse Bouche in Honeycomb

   Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 020 + Amuse Bouche in Honeycomb

   Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 044

   Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 044 + Amuse Bouche in Whiskey

   Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 044 + Amuse Bouche in Whiskey

As you can see from the swatches above, the 020 lip pencil with Honeycomb is the much safer bet if you are interested in trying any Bite lip products. The nude shade did not wash me out and I do find myself wearing it quite often. The 044 pencil with Amuse Bouche Whiskey is A LOT riskier, and I'm not going to lie I had a bit of a hard time getting the lip line even with 044 because it is a lot darker of a shade than I'd normally use. 

I don't think I'd find myself buying another Bite lip pencil anytime soon, these will take me forever to finish! I don't typically wear lip pencils and I'm more likely to purchase an Amuse Bouche (I do really like Honeycomb!) once I run out. The Bite Lip Pencils are available at Sephora for $20 CAD here, you can also purchase the Amuse Bouche Lipsticks full-sized (4.35 g) for $30 here.

These products were received for consideration. All opinions stated are my own and are never influenced by anyone. 

Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Foundation, Setting Powder & Makeup Remover

Quite a while ago (Fall of 2016), I attended the Dermablend Professional Canadian Launch and received a few products to try from the brand. Dermablend is a medium to full coverage brand and is considered the #1 camouflage brand in the USA by dermatologists!

•  Dermatologist Tested
•  Allergy Tested
•  Sensitive Skin Tested
•  Non-Comedogenic
•  Non-Acnegenic
•  Fragrance Free

Dermablend Artists at work; covering tattoos with Dermablend!

I don't remember exactly what the artist used, but I believe they were covering the tattoos with a full coverage Cover Creme, with a powder foundation or setting powder on top.

Firstly, the Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Medium Coverage Foundation. It contains SPF 25, is a tiny 30ml size and retails for $42 CAD. To be honest, the size is so small it makes me not want to use it besides on special occasions, but a little ends up going a long way! The price is not bad considering what we see at Sephora nowadays (Marc Jacobs Remaracable is like $70 for 22ml, craazyy!).

The foundation claims to be medium coverage, but I find it to be a solid full coverage on me. It covers redness no problem, and acne spots, and just evens out the skin really well. The shade I have is 30W, it is a perfect match for me when I'm tanned in the summer but slighty too dark for the winter months. I might look into getting a shade lighter to add to my collection. I didn't find it irritating to my skin and I like that it has no added fragrance (aka it smells like plastic). I really don't mind it, it isn't overpowering and if you don't have a strong sense of smell it might smell like nothing to you. It is a little tacky at first, but smooths out well when you add the setting powder afterwards.

(Click image to enlarge)

I'm so so impressed with the coverage as you can see above. No editing!! It hides my redness and beauty marks quite well and evens out the skin tone. The shade I am wearing is Bisque 30W. 

The Dermablend Professional Loose Setting Powder has been getting much use in my beauty routine lately. I was so excited to try it out as I don't usually have experience with 'baking' to set my face. It retails for $34 CAD, contains 28g of product and claims wear of up to 16 hours. This setting powder works so well over the Liquid Camo Foundation, it's like they were made for each other. My skin feels baby smooth after applying this over top of any foundation/concealer, and it helps my makeup last longer BUT not close to 16 hours long. 

But honestly, I wouldn't expect it to be some miracle powder to make my foundation last that long, it does well enough by extending the wear of my foundation before the oil ends up seeping through near the end of the day.

I'm confused, am I doing it right? 

I like to apply the powder under my eyes and on my t-zone with a mini beauty sponge (the one pictured above is Sephora brand). Then I wipe the excess off with a powder brush. 

The Dermablend Professional Long Wear Makeup Remover comes in a tube with 150ml of product, and has the best retail price in this post so far, at $23 CAD. This makeup remover is amazing for removing Dermablend foundations, or any other hard-to-remove face products. It's kinda messy, you apply it like a wet cream all over the face and rub it in to loosen the foundation. Next remove it with a cotton pad (or a few), and I'll then wet my face and go over it again with a final cotton pad. It works better than a micelle solution and isn't as messy as an oil.

(1) Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Swatch, Setting Powder Swatch, and Makeup Remover Swatch

(2) Dermablend Long Wear Makeup Remover in action!

(3) My hand after wiping off the makeup remover with a cotton pad

Full makeup face, wearing Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo & Loose Setting Powder. 

NYX Lip Lingerie in Push-Up on the lips & Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Quad in Rust & Tattoo Liner on the eyes.

Overall I am a big fan of the brand after trying these products. I do not think the price point is too high, and I do want to buy more from them and perhaps repurchase these once I've used them up! I'd actually like to try the Liquid Camo in 25N (a shade lighter) so it's more wearable for my pale winter months.

Dermablend Professional is available at select Shoppers Drug Mart's in Canada so far, you can check which locations stock the brand on their website, here. In the USA, I've seen the brand carried at Ulta and Sephora stores.

These products were received for consideration. All opinions stated are my own and are never influenced by anyone.