Makeup Review: Ulta Contour Kit

If you’re checking out my blog because of Instagram, here’s that swatch and review I promised of the new Ulta Contour Kit that was released in November. I use the Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kit in my client kit and the Urban Decay Naked Flushed palettes (original, Streak, and Native) on myself, plus the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer and Inner Light highlighter, which were both part of the Everything Nice palette. I LOVE the ABH contour kit — it’s a beautiful palette with all the right shades, plus the powders are extremely creamy and pigmented and wear very well. Chocolate Soleil is probably my most favorite bronzer of all time (on me), and you can’t beat the fact that it smells like candy. 🙂

The Price
The Ulta contour kit is a STEAL at $18 (ABH retails for $40 and the Kat Von D Shade + Light contour kit retails for $46. They also have coupons every month, plus a lot of sales, and I was lucky enough to snatch up two contour kits during the Buy Two, Get Two Ulta collection sale (I was hoping to buy four, but unfortunately almost all the stores in my area were sold out, and I didn’t want to wait to receive them in the mail by ordering online). I purchased two contour kits and two angled foundation brushes (all retail for $18 apiece) for — get this — $34. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

The Packaging
The packaging is pretty nice. It is a cardboard case, but it’s quite sturdy, and it opens like a book. There is a guide on the front that shows you a good universal face chart for highlight and contour, and there is a card in the back pocket that goes over which shades are best for your skin tone. I’ve read some complaints that people think they’re either too light or too dark for everyone to use, but I disagree (more on that later)! The cover is magnetic, so you don’t have to worry about getting fallout on your counter or dust on the palette.

Image courtesy ulta.com

The Product
I’m going to be straight up and honest right now — this isn’t as nice as the Anastasia Beverly Hills. But that’s not very surprising — it’s a store brand, and it retails for less than half the cost of the “original,” so I didn’t expect it to be an exact dupe. [Just an aside on dupes in general — in my opinion, there is no such thing. You can find products that are the same color, but they are absolutely not going to wear them same or perform as well as the originals.] However, it is still a really good contour kit, and the powders are very easy to work with.

The left side is supposed to be for lighter skinned individuals, and the right side is supposed to be for medium skinned, but I’ve been mixing and matching them on myself (I am fair/light in the winter and on the cusp of perhaps being light/medium in the summer). This is a very ideal kit for makeup artists who are starting out for kits because you can use them on nearly all your clients, and I think it’s even fine for individuals to purchase who want to try some new looks out. If you’re not entirely convinced or you don’t use a lot of highlight/bronzer on a regular basis, I’d give this a pass simply because you won’t get your money’s worth. There are several brands (including Ulta) who offer individual highlighters and bronzers, and that might be more your style.

This is the left side (with flash):

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2015

and the left side (without flash):

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2015

From top to bottom, the shades are: Radiance Highlighter, Warmth Bronzer, and Bombshell Bronzer

I’ve used the Radiance Highlighter twice now and like it quite a bit. It isn’t as shimmery as the Naked Flushed highlighters I use, but it gives a very lovely, natural looking highlight. I haven’t really used the Warmth or Bombshell Bronzers as of yet because I like a darker, more sculpted contour on myself, but I will definitely use them in the next week to give you a full, honest review!

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2015

I apply the highlighter in a diagonal line across my cheekbone, and I think this is a nice highlight. The powders are actually quite pigmented, so it doesn’t take much product at all to achieve a beautiful glow.

And here is the right side (with flash):

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2015

and the right side (without flash):

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2015

From top to bottom, the shades are: Goddess Bronzer, Golden Bronzer, and Lustre Highlighter

I watched a YouTube review on this contour kit before purchasing it by meimeimakeup, and she mentioned the Lustre Highlighter was pretty chalky, and unfortunately not a dupe for the ABH Banana Powder. I’m sorry to say that she is absolutely right. You can see how chalky it is in the pictures, especially the one without flash, and that makes it a little more difficult to apply and blend. I still use it, but it’s definitely NOT my favorite highlighter by far. Golden Bronzer is the most similar to the Chocolate Soleil, and I use it along the hollows of my cheeks, and then I like to add Goddess Bronzer to the area right along my hairline and maybe an inch in on my cheeks to add extra depth and drama. They are SO pigmented! It barely takes any product at all to achieve a gorgeous, sculpted contour.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2015

I also applied a bit of bronzer along the sides of my nose to show how easy they are to work with and blend, but that’s not something I do on a regular basis. I know a LOT of makeup artists who always contour the sides of their noses, but I don’t really feel like it’s something I need to do (I might be wrong, and that’s okay). I believe what I used for the sides of my nose was the Warmth Bronzer and a fluffy eyeshadow blending brush (Mirabella Beauty Eye Blender).

I’ve used a couple different brushes with this contour kit to see what I like best — my Morphe Brushes MB8 small buffer and my Morphe Brushes M104. I use my MB8 with all my other bronzers, but to be honest, I really liked the M104 with these bronzers, so I think I’ll stick with that brush/product combination. Because of their high pigmentation, I felt like the MB8 made things a little too dark and a little too dirty looking on my face, while the M104 really kept a pretty clean, even line that was still blendable. I always use the MB33 Jumbo Fan for highlight because I like a big area of glow on my face!

Final Verdict
Definitely get this product if you’re on the lookout for a contour palette you can use everyday. Don’t be scared by the large number of bronzers in the one palette (four) — mix and match and try different combinations! It might really surprise you what you end up liking and using on a regular basis. If you think there are too many colors for you, don’t buy it just for the sake of buying it. Stick with individual highlighters and bronzers if that’s the case!

I really like this contour kit a lot and anticipate using it very regularly. I still love my other products (the Naked Flushed palettes have some of the prettiest highlighters I’ve ever used), but this is a great go-to palette and nice for a more natural look versus something shimmery. Of course, there is the Lustre Highlighter situation, but five out of six isn’t bad, and for the price, you can’t beat it!

Mikasa Beauty Beauty Classic Essential Kit

First off, I have not been asked by the company to review their products nor endorse them in any way. I just love these brushes so much that I WANT to share them with the world!

I was blessed enough to win a giveaway hosted by Mikasa and @kimjluv on Instagram of their Beauty Classic Essential Kit, which came with 10 brushes and a very nice container to hold and organize the brushes.

I love when brush sets come in containers — they’re more useful than brush bags and can help keep brushes free of dust and bacteria. It also makes transportation a breeze, and you don’t have to worry about getting makeup fallout on your other beauty products or (eek) your clothes when packing them. Their case is black, snaps shut, and has their name printed in silver on the lid, and it’s very elegant (you know, for a brush container).

The ten brushes included in the set are as follows (all images and descriptions from the Mikasa Beauty website):

This brush is really fluffy and soft. I don’t wear a lot of powder on my face — I like a dewier finish usually, and I don’t think I need it except on my nose, but I really like this brush a LOT.

This is the best blush brush I’ve ever owned. No, seriously, I am in actual love with it. (Just fyi, I have several blush brushes from Shany Cosmetics, Royal & Langnickel, Crown Brush, Morphe Brushes, and Charlotte Ronson, so my opinion is founded on a lot of testing.) At first glance, it seems like it might be too big and distribute too much blush, but that is not the case at all. It is extremely soft and fluffy, and I get the perfect dusting of blush on my cheek every time.

Holy soft finishing brush. Seriously, I think this is the SOFTEST brush I’ve ever owned. So far I’ve only used it with finishing powder, but I’m very interested in trying it with liquid foundation to see how it performs.

I really love my Rimmel Stay Matte foundation, but I’ve found that, when applied with my RC Cosmetics Kabuki Foundation brush, it can still be a little cakey. [Just as an aside, I otherwise love that brush — it leaves a flawless finish with all my other foundations, and I use it very regularly.] I applied it using this foundation brush the other day, and I had the MOST flawless finish I’ve had with any other foundation brush. The only downside for me is that the ends of the bristles are pretty spiky and therefore are kind of uncomfortable, but I figured out a way to combat that, which is to use larger, broader strokes rather than short, quick ones.

This brush is a little less firm than advertised — it actually has pretty soft bristles (they don’t spread by any means, and they deliver a very precise line, but they’re softer than many angled brushes I’ve owned in the past). I typically use another detail angled liner for my brows, but when I want a more natural brow, I definitely opt for this brush. It distributes product evenly and doesn’t leave it packed on or clumpy.

This eyeliner brush is perfect. I usually use liquid liner or the Eyeko Skinny Mini liner pen, so I don’t use brushes in creme products too often, but when I do, this brush actually delivers a very fine, detailed line. It’s the worst when you have an eyeliner brush that leaves you with a big, fatty winged line a la Amy Winehouse amiright. I wish all eyeliner brushes were as precise as this one!

I use this brush every day to apply a wash of neutral color across my lid for good blending and transition. It’s the perfect size — not so large that you feel like you’re covering part of your forehead as well, but not so small that you have to keep applying shadow everywhere to get full coverage. The tapered end makes for great blending in the crease as well.

This little brush is kind of a fatty kid, and I love that. A lot of small shadow brushes that are perfect for smoking out the lower lashline are really thin and consequently require a lot more work. This brush distributes product evenly and blends super well.

Since I don’t really wear concealer ever (and when I do, I either use my NYX concealer brush because of its size or my fingers), I’ve actually been using this as an eye brush. Remember all the struggles I had with the ColourPop Super Shock pressed pigment? Those troubles are no more! I get this baby damp and get the most flawless, smooth application possible. If you love ColourPop pigments, this brush is a MUST-HAVE. Seriously. It’s also extremely soft, like the other brushes in the set!

If someone told me I could only keep one brush from this entire kit, I’d hold onto this one. This is the best blending brush I’ve ever used (and, again, I’ve got a lot to compare it to — RC Cosmetics, Tiffany Leigh Cosmetics, Mirabella Beauty, Charlotte Ronson, Crown Brush, and Royal & Langnickel to name a few). I don’t know what it is that makes it so amazing — it’s a little shorter than other blending brushes I own and the bristles seem to be packed a little more densely — but my eyeshadow has gone to the next level while using it. I’ve had several pictures on Instagram hit the 100+ likes mark, and I swear it’s because of this brush. I really can’t say enough good things about it!

*****

As of now, you can only purchase this full set on their website, but they have assured me they will be launching more products soon! However, I REALLY think this is a must-have kit for everyone — not just makeup artists. There aren’t a bunch of weird brushes you’ll never use in personal use, and it’s reasonably priced ($89.95 right now on their website, which puts each brush at about $9 apiece, and that’s what you would be paying at Ulta for lower quality brushes). The handles are ergonomic and comfortable, and they wash really, really well (I use my RC Cosmetics brush cleaning glove to clean all my brushes). I am extremely excited to see this company grow and launch more products, and I will definitely be a regular customer of theirs!!!

Aaaaand she’s back!

Wow. First of all, I am SO sorry for neglecting my blog so much this past month. To all my followers who have stuck around, THANK you!!! I promise to be better!

Here’s what happened. The day after my last post, I went to Disneyland, which was awesome and amazing. And that December makeup challenge? It literally flew straight out the window. And then I got back, and I was really lazy because that’s what vacations do to you, and then suddenly it was the holidays, and Husband had a lot of time off work, and then when the new year finally started, my only excuse for not writing was because of the person I am.

But I’m back, and I’ve been crazy busy on Instagram, and I’ve won giveaways galore, and I have stuff to share with you, guys! So here goes.

So far, 2015 has been super awesome. I mean, I realize we’re only 15 days in, but a lot can happen in a couple weeks, right? Right. Mostly I’ve been binge watching Netflix, which is so much fun, but I’ve also been keeping up on makeup trends and learning new techniques and trying new products and tools. There’s not a lot I love more than discovery.

For starters, I won two giveaways at the end of last year and received all the goodies fairly recently. 2014 was EXTREMELY kind to me, and I won two giveaways by RC Cosmetics (a brush set and all of their glitters), one by Shannel Castillo of @shannelsmakeuplooks (a brush holder, some e.l.f. products, a necklace, and some lotion), one by Sarah Sori of @sarahsori (the Too Faced Everything Nice palette, which basically sealed the deal of my purchasing all the Too Faced products I can get my grubby mitts on), one by Mikasa Beauty of @mikasabeauty and @kimjluv (a ten piece brush set with case — review to come on those bad boys), one by Lux Forever and Mona Petre of @luxforeverco and @monapetre (the December LuxBag, a NYX goodie bag, Ardell lashes, and Snaptats), and one by Royal & Langnickel brush company, Eye Kandy Cosmetics, and Tattoo Junkie Cosmetics of @royallangnickel, @eyekandycosmetics, and @tattoojunkiecosmetics (three longwear lipstains with matching glitter, a lipstick corrector pen, a 13 piece vegan brush set, and five Eye Kandy sprinkles glitter with Liquid Sugar adhesive).

I mean, I won a bunch of free stuff.

I’ve posted some swatches and reviews of products on Instagram, so I highly recommend you head over there (if you aren’t already following me) and checking those posts out! I will write an entire post about the Mikasa Beauty brush set I received because trust me when I say they deserve one.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2015

I also made some new product purchases in December that have been a lot of fun — I finally got my hands on some LA Girl Cosmetics Glazed Lip Paints (to die for — head to your local Walgreen’s and buy them all) and the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette (difficult not to eat). I also received a blending sponge five pack by De Prettilicious for Christmas I’ll be reviewing as well.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2015

Basically what I’m saying is I’ve got a lot to say, and I’m not going to neglect this blog anymore. Girl Scout’s honor. (Is that even a thing?)