Review & Deal Alert: Sonia Kashuk Color Crazed Brush Set

Thanks to Nouveau Cheap, I knew that the Sonia Kashuk Color Crazed 10 Piece Brush Set went on clearance at Target recently. I had passed by this brush set when it first came out and I was tempted to get it. I have been tempted to buy a Sonia Kashuk brush set for a couple of years now. What stopped me? The original price of her brush sets are usually around $30-$40 on average depending on how many brushes come in the set and what kind of brushes are included, and that's a lot of money for me when I have very little experience with the brushes from this company. Up until now, I have owned 2 brushes from the Sonia Kashuk line and both were bought about 6 years ago. I bought a smudger brush I used once and threw out (it did nothing for me) and then I had an angled liner brush that I used for a few years until it cracked down the handle. Both brushes came from the "Core Line", which is the lower end of the brand. Sonia Kashuk also has a "pro line", similar to how ELF Cosmetics has an "essential line" and a "studio line" of brushes. Most of the brushes that Sonia Kashuk releases would fall under the "pro" category, but I still have never been willing to spend $40 on an iffy set. I have read many reviews about this line of brushes and the reviews are always so mixed; some people claim they are horrible and cheap, while others claim they are a steal and they use them all the time. I have read that collectors like to buy them just for the look of the brushes on their vanity. Still, no matter the review rating, these brush sets tend to sell out and when they go on clearance they go extremely fast! I can never catch them when they're on clearance. If you miss them, the only other option is eBay or independent sellers that usually double the price of the original selling price or sometimes more than double! Well, since I had known that these were already on sale I made sure to look out for them on my recent trip to Target, which is the only place that Sonia Kashuk is sold, and they had a full shelf of the brush sets and they were only $18.48. I felt that for less than $20 it was worth giving them a try.

***Feel free to scroll down to the very bottom for an overall summary and skip the fine detail.

The packaging is nice, but not special. It comes in a sturdy box with a clear cover so the brushes are visible and the brushes are separated from each other in a plastic base inside the box. There is no cover that goes over the box. The brushes in the Color Crazed set sport navy blue handles with gold bottoms and gold ferrules. The actual brush hairs are a deep teal green that fade into a light teal green.

The plastic cover of the set is just taped on. Once the tape is off, the plastic cover can be removed and the plastic containing the brushes can be lifted out of the box.

This set includes (left to right):

• Domed Powder Brush
• Flat Blusher Brush
• Synthetic Buffing Brush
• Angled Contour Brush
• Synthetic Foundation Brush
• Large Eye Shadow Brush
• Crease Brush
• Synthetic Pointer/Lip Brush
• Bent Eyeliner Brush
• Lash & Brow Groomer

For those who are concerned- Only certain brushes contain the word "synthetic" in their title. The rest of the brushes are natural hair brushes and use goat hair. All information can be found on Target's website.

[Synthetic Pointer/Lip Brush, Bent Eyeliner Brush, Crease Brush, Large Eyeshadow Brush]

The eye brushes are all solid performers. I didn't have any problems with shedding or with them scratching my eyelid. 

The Synthetic Pointer/Lip Brush has a similar problem; It is too thick for a lip brush. It does work nicely to apply shadow or product in smaller areas or areas that need a more compact brush. It also works well for smaller areas that need concealer. It is synthetic, so it's not going to soak up the product, which can be helpful.

The Bent Eyeliner Brush works well and holds up nicely. I actually enjoy the bend in the brush handle and if you're a beginner with eyeliner or you have troubles with it, I suggest getting a similar brush. My only issue with this brush is that I feel it's a little too thick. I like thinner liner brushes, because I like my wings to be thin. It works well for a standard eyeliner look or a cat eye though. 

The Crease Brush is not the best for applying overall color to the crease or smoothing and blending colors out, because the hairs of the brush are very dense. It's better to have a fluffy brush or at least a brush with looser hairs to apply color in crease and smooth out any rough patches, and a dense brush like this just cannot do that. It's not a bad brush if you're looking to apply concentrated color to an area. 

The Large Eyeshadow Brush works well, but it is large. I prefer a small or medium eyeshadow brush for daily use, but a large one has it's place and time. Since I don't have many of these, it was nice to get this one.

[Domed Powder Brush, Flat Blusher Brush, Synthetic Buffing Brush]

The face brushes are all soft too. Not the softest I've ever felt, but I had no problems with them scratching my face and so far when I use them to apply product there is no shedding.

The Domed Powder Brush is the softest in the whole set and is really nice to apply powders to the face. I really like this brush!

The Flat Blusher Brush is oddly named. It's not flat. It is not domed shaped, but it's definitely not flat. It's a good brush to apply blush or highlight.

The Synthetic Buffing Brush is an odd brush. It's not big enough to really apply or buff on foundation; I tried. The brush feels nice, but it's not one that most of us will use often. It's best for buffing out contour or powders after already applying them or to apply product in a concentrated area.

[Angled Contour Brush & Synthetic Foundation Brush]

I'm not sure how well this views on other screens, but the Angled Contour Brush worried me when I saw it in the package and even more so when I first took it out of the package. The hairs on the outer part of the brush seemed pretty beat up, but I used it before washing it and it applied powder to the face fine. I enjoy this brush and enjoyed it even more after I cleaned it.

The Synthetic Foundation Brush is a good brush for foundation and concealer. There is not much to write about this brush. It is a typical synthetic foundation brush, so take that how you will.

[Lash & Brow Groomer]

Last, is this "brush" right here. I've stated in previous brush reviews about how annoying it is to continuously receive brushes like this (as well as spoolies), but almost all brush sets come with them. I don't hate this brush, but it's rare that I'll use it. My only issue is that the bristles on the brush part are clearly just plastic and they're a bit scratchy. I don't recommend this for people with sensitive skin.

[after washing]

Part of the negative comments on the reviews of Sonia Kashuk brushes were the running and fading of the colors when washing them. The back of the box does state to wash the brushes in mild soap and not detergents (sodium laureth sulfate) and to use cold water to keep the color from fading, so the company itself is not hiding the fact that the brushes bleed their color. 

After using all of the brushes at least once, I washed them. I did actually use Dawn dish soap and warm water to wash these; because I have acne prone skin I have to use products and warm water to kill bacteria and prevent it from being spread around my face. Most of the brushes had some color bleeding, but not all. The bigger brushes were the worst culprits. In the picture above is what the brushes look like after washing and drying them, and I don't personally feel they look much different. The only brush that was a bit noticeable was the Flat Blusher Brush. I will update after future cleanings if there is anymore fading or damage, but all the brushes held up well during and after the wash.

[after using Brush Guards]

Again, not sure how well these pictures will appear on others screens, but these 3 brushes in the picture above were the worst looking when I first bought them. They hairs were really roughed up and I was concerned that they would not perform or hold up well. I did use them before washing them and they applied products fine, but they performed even better after cleaning them. I also used The Brush Guard guards on these to help reshape them and I really feel that helped as well.

Final Verdict

I am quite happy with my Sonia Kashuk brush set purchase. For $18.48, it is indeed a bargain! At the full price of $36, I would say it's not quite a bargain, but it's still a good deal. Nice brush sets on today's market tend to be an average of about $60-$200 depending on the brand, materials used, and number of brushes in the the set. Most of these brushes are natural hair, which always costs more; the rest of the brushes are good-decent quality synthetic material. I had no real problems when applying product with them and there was no shedding. All the brushes are good or great quality. There is color fading after washing, but afterwards only 1 brush had any noticeable fading of color. The brushes are well made and sturdy. I was very impressed by how sturdy the handles are and the fact that they're not too big, but also they're not tiny and easy to hold onto. Though some of the brushes looked a little beat-up when I bought them, that was quickly fixed when I washed them and used brush guards. The only real negative part of the set was the Lash & Brow Groomer, because the bristles are plastic and rough. I would recommend this brush set and personally would purchase a Sonia Kashuk brushes in the future, because of the good experience I've had with this one. This brush set would be good for anyone who has at least some experience with make-up and application. This set would be great for pros and experts as well. I just wouldn't recommend a set like this for a beginner or someone with little experience in brushes, because not all the brushes are practical for everyday use.

Review: Essencell Brush Set - Pink

I bet you thought I dropped off the face of the beauty blogging world again, didn't you? Well, that's not entirely true. I started a new blog. It's a toy/collectors blog. I'm a huge collector and decided it would be a good idea to share my collections and adventures in collecting! However, getting that blog started, while juggling life, took a minute and I had to neglect this blog. Now I'm back! If you are into collecting or just curious then feel free to check out my new blog- The Glittery Toy Box. No pressure though, really.

Quick *Me* update: So, aside from making a new blog, I also accepted a new position at work and that has kept me busy as well. I went on vacation for a couple of weeks out of state to see my family on the other side of the country and I've also been traveling through California the past couple of months, so I've been busy and living it up this summer! I'll work harder on getting more entries up on this blog, but since it's normally pretty quiet around here, I don't think it's too much to worry about......

[Photo Credit: Essencell Amazon Store image]

Today, I'm reviewing the Essencell brush set in Pink. This brand has been around for a few years, but this is the first time I've ever bought anything from this company and I just heard about a few months ago.

FYI- I'll just say this right now before I go any further: Some of these brushes are made with real animal hair. If you're against natural hair brushes/products than these are not for you. 

[Feel free to scroll down to the bottom for a summary if you're short on time or don't want to read the fine details.]

[Photo Credit: Facebook Ad]

I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw this ad for a brush set that was only $7 with a coupon code. Obviously, as a make-up enthusiast, this caught my eye and peaked my interest.

[Photo Credit: Essencell Coupon Page]

When I clicked the ad it took me to a site not connected to Facebook. Now, at this point I was a little skeptical. The web page the ad took me to looked a little sketchy and a 12 piece brush set, plus case, and 2 sponges for only $7 seemed a little too good to be true. My thoughts were either this was a scam or these brushes were awful. When I clicked "get my coupon deal" it only asked for my email. It did not ask for anything else, which was a bit of relief. Almost immediately my email inbox had a code from the company and directions on how to go to their Amazon.com store and redeem the code. -That seemed easy enough, but I still felt like there had to be strings attached. Only $7??? I thought maybe there would be some add on fees or something else - or the brushes were just really bad, that still was in my mind too. Before checking out their Amazon store, I looked on their Facebook company page which had not been updated since 2014 and that did not help my negative feelings at all. Never the less, I still went to Amazon and saw their products. They only had brush sets and they came in multiple colors- Black, Coffee (bronze colored), Purple, and Pink. The deal only worked for the pink set though, so I had no choice in color, which is fine with me. I like pink and for $7 I won't be picky. The final test came when I went to the checkout on Amazon. I entered the code on the billing section and indeed the price dropped down to $7.  

It took less than a week for the brushes to arrive. The brushes come in a pleather roll-up case. The case is thin, but I have traveled with it and it seems to do fine.

When you open the case you will see that case comes with an extensive inside flap to protect the brushes. As you can see, the case is a baby pink, but the actual brush handles are a raspberry pink.

Above are the brushes. Some of them come with guards. The inside is a typical brush roll and the brushes are displayed well. The website states the names for the brushes, from left to right:

• Blush Brush
• Mascara Brush
• Fan Brush
• Smudger Sponge
• Angled Eyebrow Brush
• Lip Brush
• Smudger Brush
• Eyeliner Brush
• L-Eyeshadow Brush (large)
• S-Eyeshadow Brush (small)
• Foundation Brush
• Powder Brush

Left to Right: Smudger Sponge, Mascara Brush, Eyeliner Brush

I'm going start the in-depth part of this review with 3 brushes that I consider pointless. In my opinion, you really are getting 9 brushes and not 12. 

• Smudger Sponge [material - sponge]: What Essencell calls a "Smudger Sponge" is really just your typical sponge applicator that you can buy at any drug store or even off of Amazon for pretty cheap. It's not necessary to include this in a brush set, especially one that a company considers "professional". These sorts of brushes will wear down fast and you'll end up tossing it. The quality of this sponge is no better than something one would get included in a Maybelline eyeshadow bought at a drug store.
• Mascara Brush [material - plastic]: Again, Essencell has done a good job at trying to make a brush seem better by renaming it, but any make-up user will know this is just a Spoolie and while it can be used for mascara, it is more typically used to brush out your eyebrows and distributing color to the brows. Again, it's not necessary or essential to include this brush in a "professional" brush set and these types of brushes are very easy to obtain.
• Eyeliner Brush [material - pony hair]: Unfortunately, this brush does not work well for eyeliner, especially for a gel liner. If you're using a powder liner or shadow for liner then you'll have a little bit better luck, but I do not find myself reaching for this brush at all. I'm also not a huge fan of natural hair brushes for liner.

Left to Right: Angled Eyebrow Brush & Lip Brush

• Angled Eyebrow Brush [material - pony hair]: The eyebrow brush is just okay. It can be used for multiple purposes, although most brushes can be. I don't find myself using this brush a lot and I do not use it for my eyebrow brush, as I have 2 others and that I prefer. When I do use this brush it is usually for smudging or applying eyeshadow at an angle.
• Lip Brush [material - pony hair]: I have not used this brush on my lips. It's a bit think for my liking and for a substance like lipstick, I would prefer synthetic brushes most of the time. I have used it for touching up small areas of eyeshadow and in the inner corner of the eye, and it works fine.

Left to Right: Smudger Brush, S-Eyeshadow Brush, L-Eyeshadow Brush

These are the 3 eyehshadow brushes that come with the brush set. All are solid performers. All of these brushes are very soft and best used with powder shadows.

• Smudger Brush [material - pony hair]: This is a nice brush. Depending on the eye look you're going for, you may or may not use this as a smudger. I find this to be a good smudger brush, but it is a bit on the thin side and so if you're going for a heavier or slightly wider area, you'll want to go with a different brush. It's great for the crease or defining/highlighting the brow area.
• S-Eyeshadow Brush [material - pony hair]: This is the smaller eyeshadow brush and is a good, natural hair brush. It does what it should do.
• L-Eyeshadow Brush [material - pony hair]: This is the large eyeshadow brush and again it is a solid performer. No issues. 

Left to Right: Powder Brush, Blush Brush, Foundation Brush, Fan Brush

I'm going to finish with the 4 face brushes. These are very nice brushes that all work quite well.

• Powder Brush [material - goat hair]: This brush applies powder nicely and I have no issues with it. It also works nicely as a clean brush to smooth out contour and other facial cosmetic applications, as it's not super soft; I personally don't find it scratchy though.
• Blush Brush [material - goat hair]: Works well for blush. It's a bit stiff, which is good if you have stiff product or a harder product to work with. If you're in a pinch, I have found this brush can work for loose foundation.
• Foundation Brush [material - synthetic]: The best brush in the whole set! Performs and works really well. Applies cream and liquid foundations great!
• Fan Brush [material - synthetic]: This is a typical fan brush. Not much to say other than it does what it is suppose to.

Here's a look at the two sponges included with the brush set. On the left is a pink sponge that is a bit stiffer than it's counterpart and would be best compared to a Beauty Blender, although it is not quite like it. The pink sponge does not expand in water. After washing it once, I noticed that some of the pink color ran out with the make-up. It also became a bit less stiff and coarse after washing it, so I would recommend washing it before using it. 

The purple sponge on the right is a much softer material than the pink one. It's more of a foam feel. It is not meant to be wet in use. When wet it does expand, but it also becomes malleable and useless.

To me, these sponges are quite average and similar to anything you can get in a drug store like from the brand Soho.

Final Verdict 
For $7, this brush set way out performs it's price! However, the brush set is normally $35.69. Is it worth $35+? Not in my opinion. Again, I feel like you really only get 9 brushes. Even with the consideration that they throw in 2 sponges, those sponges are not superb quality and you can buy those in a drug store for a decent price. I enjoy the these brushes and they are natural hair, but they are not exceptional to me. For the most part these are just okay. If you can catch these brushes on sale or if you could get the $7 deal if it comes up again, I would definitely go for it, but in my opinion what you're really paying for is the natural hair and pony hair is not the best for cosmetic brushes. I feel these are worth $25 at the most as a set. For a set that performs average to slightly below average, I would look at other sets that are around the same price or less. It is even worth it in some cases to pay a little more for a very nice upgrade.

FYI: These are currently on sale at Amazon for $28.97 with Amazon Prime shipping if you have a Prime account. Also, if you go to Essencell.net and sign up for their mailing list you will get a $10 discount code in your email that expires 30 days after they have sent it. They constantly have sales on their Amazon page, so just keeping checking often if you'd like to try these out.

Let me know if you own these or if you do buy them. I'd love to hear what you think about them.

Wet 'N Wild Fergie Summer 2013 Photo Op Eyeshadows

I finally caved in and bought the Wet 'N Wild Fergie Photo Op Summer 2013 eyeshadow palettes. I missed the original display that came out earlier this year. I'm not sure if my Walgreen stores just never received them, if I just some how overlooked them or if they were only in Rite Aids and/or CVS stores, because I do not have a Rite Aid close to me and I rarely go into CVS now that I live in Tennessee. (I pretty much stick to Walmart, Target, and Walgreens -they cover every brand and all my drug store cosmetic needs. Occasionally, I go into a CVS.) Recently, I saw small displays popping up at Walgreens which contain the lip glosses and the palettes. They are just shelf displays, not real big, and some Walgreen stores didn't even bother putting up the displays and the palettes and glosses are mixed in with the core Fergie line on the shelves. I saw the displays in 3 different Walgreens and passed them up for 2 weeks. I have heard very mixed reviews on these. While some people are saying that they feel they get a good deal for their money and that the shadows are just as good (with some saying even better) as the core line, the other half of the beauty community is spouting to stay away and that they are a huge disappoint due to bad color pay off; very powdery; and no staying power. 

Personally, I feel the colors are appealing and they go together well. Here's what did me in- If you look closely on the right corners of these palettes you can see marks from where a peel off coupon was. These Walgreen displays had a $1 off coupon on them making these $3.99 instead of the normal $4.99.

I took these home and swatched them to see the color pay off and to get a feel of the texture and quality. Personally, I have had good luck with the palette that I received. For my birthday this year, I was given "#A029 Desert Festival". When using this palette, most people couldn't even tell I was using a drug store cosmetic. 

The picture is of my eye and a make-up look I did earlier this year. The purple color is from the "Desert Festival" palette. I have received tons of praise from this look and no one guessed I used a drug store eyeshadow.

The first palette swatched was "Shades of the Hamptons". This is the more colorful palette, although the colors are cool and pastel. The only color I really foresee being difficult is the pink color; it is a bit on the chalky side and not as smooth as the rest of the colors. It still does give color though and the rest of the shades seem soft, which will make them easy to blend. The fallout didn't seem like it'd be too bad either. I'm excited to try this palette!

The second palette is called "Newport Nights" and it is a more neutral color. Again, the only color that seems to be difficult is the pink color. Not sure what it is with the pinks....... The bronze color in the middle is very intriguing to me. You can't tell from the picture, but it is a bronze with a good amount of shimmer to it.

Overall, I am really excited to try these out and I think they're going to be good. Especially considering the price that I paid, only $3.99, it it was a good deal. The only real problems I have are- The names of the palettes were only on the sticker that you have to take off in order to open the palettes, so you either have to remember the names or look them up. A pet peeve of mine with cosmetics is when companies don't make it easy or accessible to find the names of their products on the actual product.

The other warning I have- my first palette I received for my birthday broke when I dropped it. Not the colors in it, but the actual palette. The clear plastic part that you view the colors through just came out and there was no way for me to put it back together or protect the eyeshadows, so I had to toss it. I only used it a handful of times. I have had bad luck in the past with Wet 'N Wild's trios and 8 pans breaking easily but dropping them or having them placed in the wrong way, but that was the actual eyeshadow breaking. With these, I would say that while the shadow seems hardier, the palettes feel more sturdy, but really aren't.

Just in case you didn't know- there are lip glosses that went with this collection, but I have never felt compelled to try Wet 'N Wild lip products, so I passed on those. I have also heard really bad reviews from the colors in this collection.