Enkore Makeup HD Stipple & Swirl Brush Review

 Koren Zander

If you don't already know who Koren of EnkoreMakeup is then you better hurry up and check him out on YouTube!  He's one of the top Beauty Guru's on YouTube's How To & Style Category with over 87,000 subscribers to his channel.  He's also #48 on YouTube's most subscribed (All Time) Guru's.  If you're a regular watcher of Koren, then you'll know that he has his own online store.  He has handcrafted makeup brushrolls and he even has his own makeup and makeup brush line which are available on his website.  He's full of so many beauty tips and creative ideas that it will leave you wanting more videos from him.  He recently made a new channel featuring his arch nemesis Enkorinne.  Be sure to check her out on YouTube as well!

Because I like Koren so much, last December I decided to buy the HD Stipple and Swirl from his brush line.  This brush was designed to be like that of the MAC 109 and MAC 187 put together.  I was so excited to get this brush but when it arrived and I tested it out I was quite disappointed with the quality of the brush as it had horrible shedding.  It would shed when I washed it and it would shed on my face while I applied my foundation.  And I'm not talking about 3 or 4 little hairs.  This was like at least 10-15 hairs.  The hairs looked like tiny fine cut hairs which reminded me of facial hairs right after your husband/boyfriend shaves.  I had to let Koren know about my concerns so I emailed and DM's him on his Twitter.  He was very quick to respond and said he would contact the manufacturer regarding this matter.  I was then informed that the little hairs were probably due to the fact that the black hairs were laser cut and they had probably not vacuumed all the hairs out.  My brush was shedding so bad that I could no longer put it use.  I told Koren how sad I was about it and he took action and had the manufacturer re-produce a new brush that would have a crimped ferrule which would help with the brush not shed too much.  To my surprise he would send me a new brush FREE of charge!

I received my new brush in the mail the following month and in the beginning I noticed major shedding again!  I was told that this would go away with a couple of washes and uses.  So I decided to give this brush a chance.  And Koren was right!  After a few weeks my brush is no longer shedding and the results of liquid foundation application with this brush are flawless.  I not only use this brush for foundation but for multiple uses as well.  It can be used for liquid foundation, blush, contouring and highlighting.  This brush is much better than the first as it is more dense.  This is a great brush if you're looking to have that flawless airbrushed finish.  If you already own a great brush that delivers great and flawless results and you like it then I'd say this isn't a brush that you don't necessarily need to have.  But if you're a brush freak like myself then you'll definately want one of these in your collection!

Here are some pictures of both brushes and how they compare.

Top: 1st brush

 Bottom: 2nd brush

Top: 1st Brush

Bottom: 2nd Brush

Left: 2nd Brush

Right: 1st Brush

Left: 2nd Brush

Right: 1st Brush

www.enkoremakeuponline.com

www.youtube.com/enkoremakeup

www.youtube.com/enkorinne

Do you own any of Koren's brushes?  What's your opinion?  Feel free to comment below.

How to Repair Broken Makeup from a Compact

Have you ever dropped a makeup compact and shattered the makeup in it?  Well here's a video that demonstrates how you can fix that broken makeup.  This is also beneficial in the long run.  So anytime you drop and break your compact instead of going out to buy a new one try this out.  It's also a great money saver!

This video was made by my little sis Crystal aka: PrettyTips on YouTube. Be sure to check out her videos and subscribe to her channel!

T-Dot Beauty Bloggers Party it Up with BALMSHELL!

On Wednesday night I was able to attend the Balmshell Beauty Blogger Party located at their office in downtown Toronto.  After a long and tiring day at work I was almost hesitant in attending but thank goodness I went because I would have totally regretted it!  

 L-R: Fiona, Andrian, Jennifer, Karyn

I went down with none other than Fiona (aka: fionaman on YouTube).  Upon arriving I was totally wowed by how cute and very girly the office was.  It was decorated with red balloons and you could see Balmshell's signature colours black and hot pink all around the office. Bloggers were offered drinks by Girls Night Out Wines who was also a sponsor of the event.  We munched on yummy appetizers and food and indulged in delicious cupcakes made by Adjoa of Pretty Sweet Boutique. 

Cupcakes by Pretty Sweet Boutique

Also on display were the Balmshell Lip-Glosses.  We also had the opportunity to test some of the glosses out.  I tried 3 of them on but the one that won my heart was Confessions of a Call Girl a pretty orange/choral color which I thought would be great for the spring season.  I also tested out the cheek stains and ended up picking up Blackmail Betty which is a deep dark berry color. 

I had the privelage of meeting the founders and creators of Balmshell, Jennifer and Fiona Lees who are two of the nicest and sweetest twins you'll ever meet!  I also got to meet the lovely Adrian, who by the way was the only brunette at Balmshell and Balmshell hottie Karyn (aka: LoveBalmshell on Twitter).  I felt so tiny standing next to the Balmshell beauties and Karyn kept telling me how cute and tiny I was.  She even asked me to take a pic with her very tall boyfriend and bartender of the night.

 L-R: FIONA, JEN from Spiced Beauty, ARIANNE aka Glitter Geek

I had so much fun meeting all these lovely beauty bloggers.  It was so nice to finally meet everyone who I talk to on a daily on Twitter. 

A big thank you to Balmshell for hosting such an amazing get together!  I'm looking forward to future Balmshell products and expanding my collection.  Also looking forward to more awesome events like this one!  I think I did unleash my inner Balmshell that night!

For more pics check out my Fan Page on Facebook!

www.balmshell.com

Requested Lipstick Review: GOSH Darling vs. YSL Rouge Volupte no.2

I got a request from one of my favourite YouTube Guru's, Fiona Man to do a comparison of two lipsticks that I really like.  You may have noticed Fiona after Koren (aka: Enkoremakeup) featured her on his channel reviewing one of his duo fibre brushes.  This is how I got to know of Fiona and eventually we became really good Twitter buddies!  So be sure to check out Fiona's channel on YouTube and be sure to hit the "subscribe" button!  She also has a Fan Page on Facebook as well.  So be sure to check it out and join!

Two lipsticks I tend to reach for on a daily basis are GOSH Darling #134 and YSL Rouge Volupte no.2.  I'm a nude lipstick freak and if you've even seen my lipstick collection I would say that 75% of it is pretty much nude.  I know it's weird to have so many nude lipsticks in so many different shades but I just can't help myself.  It's what I grew up wearing and I just can't seem to let it go.

GOSH Darling ($16.00 CAD)

I've seen so many reviews on YouTube about this lipstick that I just had to see what the hype was all about.  So I went over to one my nearest Shoppers Drug Mart's to pick one up.  I couldn't wait to try it that I put it on as soon as I finished purchasing it.  All I could say was that I was in love!  The texture is so creamy and smooth and instantly my super dry lips were moisturized.  One downfall of this lipstick is that it can be a bit slippery so it's probably best to use a lipliner or primer prior to putting it on.  As far as the color goes, it is more on the peachy pink nude side which is great for light to fair skin tones.  It also has a nice sweet smell and isn't too overbearing.    Can't say much about the packaging.  It's just plain black, nothing special.  Kinda boring actually.  But overall it's a good lipstick, especially if you've got dry lips like me.

YSL Rouge Volupte #2 ($42.00 CAD)

One thing that stands out specifically about YSL Rouge Volupe lipsticks is the packaging.  By looking at the above picture I'm pretty sure you'll agree with me that they are just absolutely gorgeous!  Not only is the packaging gorgeous but so is the color #2 which is a pretty pink rosy nude color.  I think this color is probably most suitable for medium skin tones.  As for consistency this lipstick is very very creamy.  More creamier than GOSH Darling.  I would have to say that this is the downfall of this lipstick.  It is so creamy that the product melts on the lips fairly quickly.  After two days of application I began to notice that a lot of it had gone down probably 2 mm.  Pretty fast right?  Another thing I'm not too keen on about this lipstick is the smell.  It does have a very distinct smell.  It's a little too strong for my liking.  If I were to describe the scent I'd say it kind of reminds me of marachino or candied cherries.  And unfortunately I don't like either of the two.  Now let's talk price, $42 is way too expensive to be spending on a lipstick but I'd have to say the the packaging really got me and I'm a sucker for pretty things.  The lipstick is very pretty as well.

Left: YSL Right: GOSH

All in all both lipsticks are great in my opinion.  If you've willing to dish out the funds for YSL Rouge Volupte I'd say knock yourself out but beware of it's downfalls.  GOSH Darling is a safe choice if you're into the nude look and aren't willing to pay as much as YSL.  Hope this helps Fiona! :)

Do you own any of the two?  If so, how do you like them?  Do you have another nude lipstick you'd recommend?  Comment Below!