Beauty Blender Dupe Review: A Failure of Epic Proportions

...Okay so maybe I shouldn't have put that as the post title saving it for the end of the review, but I kid you not..... It was THAT bad. * facepalm*

Backtrack!

Let''s start with the original. The Beauty Blender which everyone knows, unless you've been living under a caboodle kit rock is an amazing pink egg sponge developed by makeup artist Rea Ann Silva.

Beauty Blender Duo Set with Cleanser

It's latex free, reusable and it's unique shape makes applying product a breeze. Used wet or dry, texture provides a flawless finish to your complexion products i.e no more brush streaks.

The sponge also has it's special cleaner which removes all product leaving your egg like new, ready for it's next use. I don't recommend using any other cleaner besides the Beauty Blender cleaner. I've made that mistake in a rush and there was soap coming out of it for weeks! It was like my egg had rabies. >_<

These pink babies are a staple in my kit and almost everyone of my clients that I've used it on have gone out to purchase one for themselves. I even had one client who said she is buying it to put moisturizer on because the feeling of sponge is simply therapeutic  I didn't have the heart to tell her that's actually my touch lol I kid!

The company has since launched the Beauty Blender pure which is a white egg and now the Beauty Blender Pro which is a black egg.

Single Beauty Blenders, Original, Pro, Pure $19.95

A Beauty Blender comes in at $19.95 for a sponge only and $32.95 for sponge and cleaner set.

So naturally when I came across the Yellow Egg at T. J Max for $4.99 I thought hmm... why not! ..honestly it was the yellow that got me...not even the price tag. Yellow egg sponge will now be known as Yolk.

I used it last weekend while working. As I took Yolk out of the package for the first time, I instantly knew it would be a fail. The texture of it was completely smooth and slick, not porous at all and very heavy, not squishy. ( yes you love my technical terms)

On the package it said " Use wet, sponge expands when wet"  I only use my Beauty Blenders wet so naturally I wet Yolk and set it down to let it absorb the water while I prepped my client.

Mr. Yolk...was barely damp. Not even the water could absorb, I had to literally drown it for it to absorb the water. Then it was just like a rock and lost it's shape in a very deformed way as I squeezed the excess water out. The Beauty Blender just bounces back to it's glory, I actually started making faces and different shapes on Mr.  Playdough Yolk

Left: Beauty Blender        Right: Yolk 

Sponges wet.  Scrambled Yolk? O_o

Naturally as I like to torture myself, I still decided to use it with my beloved Face Atelier foundation, it just smeared over the sponge and disappeared with nothing left but a stain.

R.I.P Face Atelier swatch :(

I placed Yolk back in it's box.

The End.

Sajies Say: " I can't"

You don't even go here Yolk!!!

P.S I've decided I'm going to attempt to clean it then stick jewels on it for a super cute paper weight! yay!

Beautyblender sponge

Saj Mack is a Professional Makeup Artist in Atlanta Georgia providing over 6 years experience in Beauty, Commercial, Film, Television, Special FX and more. See her work at www.makeupbysaj.com

My (Natural) Hair Routine

Since I've posted a few instagram pics of my hair, I've been asked quite a few times as to what products I use, what my "hair routine" is etc.

I've shied away from answering because I in no way consider myself a "naturalista", not that there is anything wrong with it, I however simply consider my hair an accessory that I choose to change, wear , style as I feel like.

I've also been asked what my hair texture is, and I've heard a few "grades" being thrown around, same like weave, I only know tripple A batteries and Grade A eggs.... hair...I have no idea.

It's curly, puffy and confused at times lol, thats the best I can do!

Insta-fro

poof!

I went through a few products, some were products I always used when I was natural, but they didn't work any more, ( my hair and skin is not happy with Georgia water so everything is confused, bear with me..) others I liked but they left such awful residue in my hair by the second day, others made my skin (forehead) break out.

What I finally ended up trying was Curls: Effortless, Fizz Free Custom Curls Cocktails 

I really like the way these products work and smell! they smell amazing like marshmellows and coconuts..nom nom!

There is also ZERO product build up...no matter how much you gunk on daily and has no effect on my skin, which is important. When hair products get heated by the environment and by your scalp/body temperature, they can melt and run on to your face during the day causing massive breakouts.

This is why hiding acne with bangs is a no no!

Did I mention they smell amazing?! ^_^

Now for my routine, It really isn't anything special but here it is!


Cleansing:

-Shampoo with Cleansing Cream and Condition with Coconut Sublime Conditioner every Sunday

-Detangle with Quenched Curls

-Twist or Braid with Whipped Cream

-Air Dry

Styling:

-Refresh with Quenched Curls

-Comb out twists or braids

-Apply Whipped Cream

-Scrunch curls lol depending on the work day

-Done!

Products Used:

Cleansing Cream $15.00

Coconut Sublime Conditioner $20.00

Quenched Curls $16

Whipped Cream $17

My only need or want for these products would be shine, it could be my greedy hair, but I definitely feel the need to add a shine product to the mix, I will prob grab some coconut oil to add to the mix and see how it goes!

These can be purchased at your local Beauty Supply or Target

What do you use on your natural hair? Comment below!

More Iman...

Saj Mack is a Professional Makeup Artist in Atlanta Georgia providing over 6 years experience in Beauty, Commercial, Film, Television, Special FX and more. See her work at www.makeupbysaj.com

Clarisonic Mia

So yes I might be late to the party but have no fear I'm here!

I picked up my new Clarisonic Mia along with a Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Head from Sephora yesterday! I'm so excited to use it and hopefully get rid of the un-welcomed guests  ( eek!) that have been clogging my pores.

Clarisonic Mia $119

Deep Pore Cleansing Brush Head $25

I've only used it once and I love it already! I will be doing a full review in about 2-3 weeks after daily use ( morning and night time) so standby!

If you're on Vine follow me at Saj Mack! I posted a video using it for the first

Do you have a clarisonic mia? mia 2? Share! I'd love to hear your thoughts! comment below about this handy gadget! 

Clarisonic

Saj Mack is a Professional Makeup Artist in Atlanta Georgia providing over 6 years experience in Beauty, Commercial, Film, Television, Special FX and more. See her work at www.makeupbysaj.com

New Product Review: Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Foundation

Forgive my absence and neglect for my blog posts, I promise this year I will do better :)

Now to the good stuff!

Make Up For Ever has recently launch a new foundation, and of course being a fan of their products...guess who had to go grab one! ^_^

I picked one up at Sephora, it was a little difficult to find my shade as they didn't even have the testers yet. I almost left the store thinking they didn't have it yet, luckily they did, it just wasn't displayed. Score!

They had these cute complexion cards with 4 samples in them set in your "complexion" group. I tried all the shades in the tan but they didn't fit.

Eventually after earning my tiger facial stripes with testing the powders we settled on my HD Foundation shade which is 128.

Pro Finish Foundation Shade 128 after  wet use. I was so excited to try I forgot the brand new pic lol

Can we pause for a second for me to tell you after she gave me compact 128 I was distracted by something sparkly and dropped it! :O ...yep... I dropped it.*hangs head* We switched it to the only one left, apparently there were only two 128's. I gripped that new compact with all my life, checked out and ran home.

Only to be disappointed that it's STILL too dark. I think I will need one shade lighter for this. Keep this in mind when buying your own, they might generally be 1 shade darker than your usual MUFE shade.

Now I won't go into the fancy description of the product, but we will break it down sajville style.


Texture: It's a compact powder...but it's not. It literally feels like moisturiser when you rub your fingers on it. Super soft and creamy! so AH-MAZING.

I first tried it DRY on my left side with a buffing brush and it smoothed on like butter..literally, I applied tonns to that side ( still dry) and the coverage layered but not once did it look cakey. My skin looked like I just used a gel/liquid type foundation.

*Insert mind blown here*

For the right side I tried it wet with a brush ( similar to the brush used in the instructional videos on their website) Same thing! super smooth and not cakey. I will say that applying wet seems to make it more sheer, almost like a tinted moisturizer so it didn't cover as much so I went over it with the dry brush to finish.

Left: Sigma Flat Angled Kabuki for Dry application
Right: Sigma Tapered Kabuki for Wet Application

Seriously, it layers like a dream!

I blended it well enough to wear for the day ( approximately 9 hours with no touch ups) I did look like I was ready for summer lol.

             

 
Before fresh brow brooming, exfoliated and After..ta daa!!!!


Long Lasting: My skin remained flawless, with a tiny bit of shine ( I have oily skin), there was no creasing or cakey look which sometimes comes from wearing a lot of powder.

After I got home I experimented further by applying my HD Foundation OVER it and it looked like heaven. Like I said...Layers like a dream!

This will definitely become a staple in my kit

What They Say:

A FLAWLESS COMPLEXION IN JUST MINUTES: PRO FINISH, THE COMPACT FOR PROFESSIONALS BY MAKE UP FOR EVER

PRO FINISH, the versatile, multi-use compact foundation for a flawless complexion in just minutes.

“A compact foundation that is very quick to apply and produces true professional results—that’s what makes PRO FINISH innovative.”

PRO FINISH is easy to apply and technically advanced thanks to its innovative, sophisticated, 100% adaptable formula. With this universal compact foundation, every woman can do her own makeup like a pro.

The product’s unique texture can be used wet or dry for a natural effect every time, with a full, matte or sheer, semi-matte finish. What’s unique about that? The answer is that whether wet or dry, PRO FINISH can be reapplied as needed and yet remain light. It is extremely malleable, making it perfect for touch-ups while still achieving a natural look.

Applied dry with its sponge, PRO FINISH corrects and evens out the complexion with an instant matte coating that erases imperfections. Wet, it acts like a second skin to brighten up the skin tone and even out the color. The foundation dries in seconds, leaving a delicate, powdery finish. Whether wet or dry, the delicate material allows for greater, buildable coverage.

The results: an instantly natural, professional look, flawless matte coverage, and long-lasting performance. Impeccable.

The PRO FINISH compact hides a secret: a high-tech formula that meets all of Dany Sanz’s demanding requirements.

Sajies Say:

Love! Need! Must.Have.More!

Shop your Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Foundation at Sephora!

make up for ever pro finish foundation

Saj Mack is a Professional Makeup Artist in Atlanta Georgia providing over 6 years experience in Beauty, Commercial, Film, Television, Special FX and more. See her work at www.makeupbysaj.com

Girls Run for your Life Night out with Sheckys

Hello to my readers! I must apologize for going MIA with the blog, time was just against me, so hopefully I can keep up now. *hands you glitter cupcakes* ^_^

Sadly this post is one of annoyance...... due to these people:

Where do I begin?! Ok I'll start at the beginning. I attended a beauty event hosted by Pretty City Atlanta last where which I blogged about HERE. It was a great experience and wonderful atmosphere. I unfortunatelty had to work on the evening it was held this year so I had to miss it.


Then I came across an event hosted by Sheckys Atlanta. Checked the website out and It looked all exciting with a chic chick logo with pictures from previous events, there was a Maybelline Colour Studio lab with makeovers and everything! Ooooooooooo!

Check out the logo's sheckys goodie bag! HA!

So I invited two friends and said we should totally go!

Now with the ticket purchasing...

General admission was $12 and Admission plus Goodie Bag was $30 but goodie bag tickets were on sale for a limited time at $12! Score!!! ...Right?!

On the site they boasted of an amazing Goodie Bag with full sized products along with a list of vendors contributing to the bag. So what the heck! Lets get the Goodie Bag!

We arrive at the event, it's huge! We check in, and are given an arm band and a goodie bag ticket.
"So where do we get the goodie bags?"... " In there"

We walk into the first ballroom and its packed with vendors and at first glance we think yay! then upon inspection we see it's all cheap jewelry vendors. Like...cheap jewelry from the chinese beauty supply jewelry cheap. *hangs head*

We then make our way to the BACK of the room in a dinky corner and there's a guy handing out what appears to be empty gift bags.

Noooooo those aren't the goodie bags!.....Are they?!!!!

Behold.........

The Goodie Bag

Soft Lips, Presson Nails, Miss Jessies Free Sample, Body Shop Free Sample, Unicorn Birthday Card
At least the Unicorn card had glitter...right?! -_-

Yes folks...that was the $30 Goodie Bag. I can't..I just cannot.

So what about the ladies that paid the full $30 for that?!!! Nothing in there costs $2.00 much less $30?!

Also if a guest is actually paying for a Goodie Bag, which in all fairness should be complimentary, it makes the expectations WAY high..and to this?!

Pretty City spoiled my with a bag packed to the brim and tearing at the seams for how filled it was..with FULL sized products.

None of the vendors listed on the site were there, nothing that was promoted was received at this event.

We also stood in line to have a psychic reading only to be told that there was a mandatory tip of $20.00 to have your palm read. Mandatory...tip? wait...what?!

I do a very good job at reading my own palm...it's called face palming.

From what I understand it used to be a great event and because they allowed all these cheap and rude vendors the great vendors left.

I didn't even take pictures of the event itself, mostly because I was in denial. The best part was hanging out with my friends, although next time we will skip it and head to the bar.

My humble recommendation on having a great night out with the girls with great vendors to explore? Check out Pretty City Atlanta.

Guess who will be receiving those birthday cards for her birthday next year.

Saj Mack is a Professional Makeup Artist in Atlanta Georgia providing over 6 years experience in Beauty, Commercial, Film, Television, Special FX and more. See her work at www.makeupbysaj.com