Sparkled Beauty

Look what I finally got my greedy hands on!

You all know how much I adore bdellium Tools' gorgeous yellow and green brushes and the stash keeps growing every chance I get. So of course when bdellium released these Amazon exclusive brushes, I gotta have them.

They are two of the best seller brushes at bdellium, the purple colour on the bristles is exclusive, and LE. The handles are black (the colour of the Maestro line) but the ferrules are made of anodized aluminum (like the Studio line), and the bristles are not antibacterial.

The brushes feel a bit heavier than the ones with green handles, and the longer handles take a bit of getting used to, but I love them all the same.

Note that the bristle colour is not accurate, as like I said they are purple. My camera just decided to make it look more blue. I'm showing you the stock pic below for the correct colour.

This is the #955 Finishing brush, $8.93 at the moment (42% off). I use it mostly for cream blushes and sometimes for liquid foundation too when I want a sheerer look.

The #957 Precision Kabuki, $9.94 right now (45% off), is known for flawless application of liquid foundations, thanks to the flat top. The bristles are more dense, provide better coverage.

So right off the bat, you might not need these purples if you already own the same brushes from current yellow Studio or green Bambu lines. The longer handles might be a pro for some but a con for others, depending how close you are normally to the mirror while doing makeup.

For me, I'm glad to add these brushes to my collection and they will certainly get lots of love. I wear foundation almost every day and never have enough brushes to rotate. And they are good brushes, to add.

If you want to get these brushes, I would suggest a joint order and ship it to someone you know in the US. Amazon shipping in the US is free with $25 orders as these deals are part of Super Saving Shipping. They are not the kindest when it comes to international shipping, unfortunately.

As these brushes are Amazon exclusives, they won't be available at IMATS LA next month. There are still lots of brushes to check out at the show. I do hope bdellium brushes become more accessible for those outside US in the near future.

Calling all fans of bdellium tools brushes or those of you who have seen my rave review of their Mineral 5-pc brush set and want to try the brushes yourself, there is a huge sale you don't want to miss!

For a limited time only, all 3 Bamboo brush sets are on heavy discount on bdellium store. Here is the detailed discounts:

- Mineral 5-pc set and Foundation 4-pc set (in the pic):  reg. $49.50, now $9.95 (80% off)
- Smoky Eyes 5-pc set: reg. $31.90, on sale for $7.95 (75% off).

In my review, I mentioned that the best way to get bdellium brushes is at IMATS, where discount offered could be up to 50%. That still can't beat the discounts above, which is why I encourage you to check out the sale. There is no affiliate link or anything beneficial to me if you do, rest assured.

I just placed an order of some sets for me and a friend today, so I can tell you a little bit about the process. While the shopping cart is host on bdellium store site, once you hit the "check out" button, you'll be on Amazon. I did try to check Canadian shipping cost, but one of the items in my cart (the Basic Essential 7-pc set, Travel line, which I happened to find also on sale for 86% off) wasn't meant to be shipped outside US - I don't know why (the Bamboo sets are fine for Canada though), so I couldn't go ahead with Canadian shipping. US shipping is $5/set which multiples when you add more sets to the cart. According to bdellium twitter, you can email their customer service about combined shipping rate and they will consider it on order-to-order basis. This is my first time shopping via Amazon, so I can't confirm if they ship outside US and Canada.

I don't know how long the sale lasts, so if you want something, I wouldn't wait too long. Happy shopping!

Another passion of mine in the makeup world: brushes. I can't seem to haul enough brushes to save my life. I know a good set of brushes (or two) is all I need but my heart skips a beat whenever I see pretty brushes.

And THESE sure are pretty! The title kinda gives it away, but these green beauties are from bdellium tools, a brand I kinda raved about a little too much last year.

You might recall my IMATS LA haul where I ohhh and ahhh'ed over their anti-bacterial brushes with the signature yellow handles. I still love them dearly, and today I'm bringing you the Mineral 5-pc brush set from their latest eco-friendly Green Bambu line.

Arrived in this cute recyclable plastic tube with tightly closed cap, the brushes just took my breath away. How pretty are the 2 shades of green on them? I don't own any brushes this colour, they would stand out for sure. The moment I saw the sneek peek picture from bdellium, I have been dreaming of them, I'm serious!

Check out the label: pretty flower pattern printed on recycled paper. Lovely!

The Green Bambu brushes themselves are 100% cruelty-free, with sustainable bamboo handles, vegan synthetic bristles and anodized aluminum ferrules.

Out of the tube but still wrapped in plastic sleeves, the 5 brushes, from R-L:
- 959 Powder blending brush
- 942 Slanted contour brush
- 778 Large shadow brush
- 787 Dual Fiber Large tapered blending brush, and
- 934 Precision concealer brush.

Put aside the pretty green handles and aqua/ white bristles, the brushes are of good size to me (I have small hands). They are a little longer than the travel sized yellow brushes I bought before, but are perfectly travel-friendly as they fit perfectly inside the tube.

To stick with the eco-friendly theme, the Green Bambu brushes are not antibacterial treated. Antibacterial treatment is non-toxic and safe for the environment, however, it is still a chemical coating process and bdellium decided to leave it out for this line. The synthetic bristles don't absorb water much, hence provide a less desirable environment for bacteria to grow. I trust that those of you vegans out there would appreciate this.

Now tell me you fall in love with the colours on the bristles already! It took me half a day before I put the brushes to use, as I couldn't bring myself to getting them dirty lol.

And they aren't just for looks, as they feel very soft, despite being synthetic. I know natural hair bristles would have better grab with powder texture but I have no problem using these brushes for both powder and cream products.

The handles are lightweight but provide a good grip. I have nothing bad to say except maybe the brush names (not just numbers) should be printed on the handles, just so people could have an idea of what the brushes are originally meant for.

This is to show you the density of the bristles. I have a small face (well, proportionate with my body, lol) so the brushes work great for me. I'll get to each brush individually below.

I found different uses for the brushes so that I could use them all in one makeup routine. The 3 smaller brushes dry quickly, so I can wash them the night before and use them again the next morning.

Talking about washing the brushes (which I have done at least 3 times so far), these didn't shed at all, and no bleeding/ discolouration that I noticed.

Now let's talk about each brush.

959 Powder blending brush:

The brush head is tapered and dome-shaped at the top, would work best with finishing powder or for targeted part of the face. I don't use powder foundation at the moment, but if I do, I wouldn't use this brush with it as it might take some time to cover the whole face due to the brush head size. A flat top powder brush would work better for that purpose.

With my translucent powder, it sets my liquid foundation nicely. I don't swipe but stipple to press the powder on my face. The brush is soft and gentle, so it won't irritate your skin.

942 Slanted contour brush:

This brush screams cream blushes, doesn't it? I use it for that exact purpose. The cut makes it fit so well on my cheekbones toward my temple. Again, I just dab the cream blush on my face with it, then set with powder blush for longer wear. You might use this brush to contour your face, but I prefer a fluffier brush for that, so that I don't have to blend as much.

I'm very familiar to this brush, as I already own 2 of them from the antibacterial line. A popular brush that is part of 3 brush sets, we are talking a "celebrity" here lol.

778 Large shadow brush:

I was worried about the size of this brush at first, as it seemed quite big for my eyelids. I was sold after the first use with my newly found love - Shiseido Hydro-powder eyeshadow - as a base for my eyeshadows. It grabs the product so well and doesn't take long to cover my eyelids. Save me some time to get ready in the morning, every minute counts.
I did try it with a powder eyeshadow, it does not work as well but still gets the job done with a sheer finish. I'm not complaining.

787 Dual Fiber Large tapered blending brush:

If I absolutely have to pick a favorite within the set, this brush would be it. It blends everything I want it to blend, cream or powder, and it does that very well with very little effort. The bristles are a bit longer than my regular blending brush, which means it would blend a little more gently I assume. Makes my life easier, as I still find blending eyeshadow isn't the simplest task in the world.

934 Precision concealer brush:

The name suggests spot concealment purposes, so I use this brush to dab the concealer on my acne scars and dark spots. I found the bristles a little soft and didn't give enough pressure to blend out the concealer. I wouldn't suggest using it with a under eye concealer, as it would take too long to blend it all out. I used the brush with cream eyeshadows too, for the inner corners or on the lower lash lines, but again it would do a better job if it weren't a little too soft.

To summarize, I would totally recommend this brush set. A good combo of brushes and 4 out of 5 do a great job helping me getting my makeup done fast and easy. The brushes were kindly sent to me by the company but that won't affect my opinions on them.

bdellium tools brushes are only available on amazon.com (you can click on the "Shop" tab on their website). The Green Bambu line will be up on there at the end of the month, the set I review here will be $45.

I would suggest to grab their brushes at the trade shows they participate though (the Makeup Show LA, IMATS LA, Premier Orlando, etc.) for big discounts. I got 35% off for the 2 sets from IMATS LA last year, and was told the Green Bambu would be 40 - 50% off this year. Unfortunately, the brand won't be at IMATS Toronto, it is still expanding.

I'm already planning my next purchase at IMATS: the Foundation 4-pc brush set in the picture, despite the fact that I already own 3 of the 4 brushes from the antibacterial line. Just can't turn down the greens, even when yellow is my favorite colour. And bamboo? It means home to me, as there were a lot of bamboo growing around my grandmothers' houses. Feeling a little nostalgic.

Day 2 was equally exciting at IMATS. I was so glad we got to go both days, as 1 day was obviously not enough with the number of exhibitors and classes the show offered.

First thing we went to in the morning was the Guru Summit, we wouldn't want to miss the chance to see our favorite youtube gurus.

Koren and Pursebuzz, we already met at IMATS Toronto, but not xsparkage, JulieG, and Queenofblending. And certainly the stories they were going to share would be interesting too.

These items came in the freebie bag:
- Urban Decay TSA-compliant Travel bag. This would replace the boring clear plastic bags we get at the airport :)
- Urban Decay eyeshadows in Uzi (intense glittery white/ silver) and Stalker (glittery pinkish purple)
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye pencil in Mildew
- NYX Triple shadows for Sexy Babe's Eyes Only in Ceramic - smoky black/ dark silver shades
- Beauty So Clean Cosmetic sanitizer wipe samples.

I really enjoyed the summit, hoping it would carry on in all other IMATS shows. I'll have pictures of the event posted up in a separate post.

Now on to what I called the best purchase at the show - bdellium tools Professional Antibacterial Makeup brushes. I learned about this brand from Pursebuzz and was excited to learn that the brushes have an anti-bacterial protective coating to prevent mold and bacteria growth (proved to be 100% effective up to 40 - 50 washes).

I was shocked to see the brushes at the show because the handles are YELLOW! Omg, I never saw any brushes with yellow handle before! So happy to be able to get them at IMATS, as right now online shopping is not available on their site yet while Amazon sells these brushes with markups, of course.

First up, I got the Basic 7-pc Travel Brush set, $25 (Amazon price: $39)













From L-R: #964 Blush, #948 Foundation, #942 Slanted Contour, #785 Tapered Blending, #777 Shadow, #540 Precision Liner and #763 Small Angle Brush. Also pictured is the brush roll.

I also got the Mineral 10-pc Travel Brush set, $35 (Amazon price: $55)













From L-R: #955 Finishing, #942 Slanted Contour, #957 Precision Cheek, #964 AP Blusher, #945 Contour, #776 Blending, #765 Small Angle Shader, #769 Angled Contour, #781 Crease and #755 Smudger Brush, and the brush roll.

I opted for the travel sets as the short handles seem to work better with my small hands and they are great for travel. The Studio line version has longer handle but the same brush head size, sold at the same price as the Travel line at the show. By day 2, the Mineral 10-pc set (Studio line) was already sold out. There was the humongous 24-pc set ($85, Amazon price: $127) but I decided I didn't need all those brushes, so I passed.

I asked the owner to consider bringing their brushes to IMATS Toronto so more Canadians could have a chance to check out these gorgeous, super soft brushes. Let's cross our fingers :)

Almost forgot Beauty Treats. Their booth was quite colourful with different products.

We were drawn to the Makeup Remover Cleansing tissues. They were scented in like 6 different scents, and after a little smell test, I opted for Green Tea - 30 wipes per pack, 2 packs for $5. Great price eh? I'll have to see how well they do their job, but for the price, I wouldn't complain much if they fail :)

They also had nail polish and nail art bottles at 2 for $5 and some makeup items too.

There were certain products that I regretted not getting at the show - like the Model in a Bottle, Eye Kandy glitter set, etc. but, all in all, I am really happy with my little haul. I planned to "raid" some drugstores while in California too so I didn't want to go crazy at IMATS. Maybe next time :)