eBay Makeup Brushes - Beginner, Travel or Christmas Gift Brush Set

hey girls/guys, for a long time now I've been lusting after the Sigma Essential 'Make Me...' sets. I just happened to be window shopping on eBay when I spotted these makeup brushes that came in a similar brush holder that the Sigma brushes come in. At €13 they were A LOT cheaper than the Sigma brushes.

Curiousity got the better of me and of course I had to order them to see how the quality was. For €13 I wasn't expecting much.

(link to item/seller at end of post)

 Because they came from Hong Kong they took about 4 weeks to get to Ireland, when they finally arrived I was plesantly surprised by the quality. I expected the hairs to be falling out once I opened it. Now I'm not saying they're MAC or Sigma quality but they're pretty damn good for the price. I did my Mams makeup for a party she was going to with these and they did a great job! 

The set comes with 13 brushes

- a powder

- a stippling brush

- an angled powder brush

- a foundation brush

- 2 eyeshadow brushes

- 1 angled eyeshadow brush

- 2 crease brushes (1 densely packed the other fluffier)

- 1 stiffer brush I like to use for applying eyeshadow under the eye

- an angled brush 

- an eyeliner brush

- a mascara spooly

They come in a leather cylinder case which can be used as 2 brush holders.

Its so handy for travelling. Because its a 'hard' case it will protect your brushes. I think it would be great if you had a more expensive set of brushes and didn't want them to get broken in your case. You can always buy the set and just use the cylinder case, its worth it for €13 for travelling.

If you're just starting out or would like a spare set of brushes for travelling etc then I definitely recommend this set. I think they'd be a great christmas gift for makeup lovers or teenage girls just starting to get into makeup. 

You can find the specific set/seller I bought from here.

Emma x

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge Review - Beauty Blender Dupe???

For a while now I've considered buying the beauty blender but to be honest I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a sponge.

So while browsing Cloud10Beauty website I spotted a HUGE ad on their homepage advertising the new Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, I didn't even know RT were coming out with a beauty blender dupe so of course I had to go have a gawk. When I spotted the price €5.99 I had to add it to my basket!

My packaging got a little bashed up in the post!

 The sponge itself is quite a unique shape compared to the Beauty Blender, it has a flat side which is great for getting under the eyes and the sides of the nose.

To use, you basically hold the sponge under water, you do have to hold it for about a minute for it to expand fully and then you squeeze the water out, I also placed it in a towel and squeezed to make sure it was just slightly damp, not wet.

Then I squirted my foundation onto the back of my hand, patted the sponge on top and started to work it onto my face. I bounced the sponge along my skin occasionally 'rubbing' along my hairline to blend. 

The result? HOLY CRAP I WILL NEVER USE A MAKEUP BRUSH AGAIN.

I find blending with a brush tends to drag the foundation along my skin, leaving streaks and basically removing the makeup from my skin, I've used a buffing brush also (the sigma one) and found stippling left little dots on my makeup from the tips of the bristles. This sponge just leaves a perfect, flawless application.

I've only used it once (last night) and didn't have time to take a photo of my makeup afterwards (I was rushing out to dinner with a friend) but keep an eye out for any future makeup looks/face of the days as this sponge will definitely be used in them!

Have any of you tried either this sponge or the beauty blender? 

Are you pro makeup brushes or pro sponges?

Emma xo

Sigma Round Top Kabuki Brush

I've always lusted after Sigma makeup brushes. Recently I decided to make my first purchase and chose the round top kabuki brush as I needed a good foundation brush.

*warning picture heavy*

 Sigma Round Top Kabuki Brush $18.00 here €17.50 here