My makeup brush collection

I'll start by saying that I was tagged by the alluring Delicate Hummingbird to do a post on my makeup brushes. I'll divide them up by brand. You can see how I store my brushes here, enough of the chit chat onto the pictures!

My Trish McEvoy makeup brush collection consist of :

From top to bottom:
#11 Precise Eye Lining $25.00 USD
#45 Sheer Application $35.00 USD
Brow Groomer $14.00 USD
#6 Deep Eye Contour Brush $32.00 USD
#29 Tapered Blending $32.00 USD
#40 Medium Laydown $42.00 USD
#48 Blending Brush $46.00 USD
2B Sheer Blush $48.00 USD
Powder Brush $52.00 USD
#23 Angled Creased Contour $32.00 USD

My Le Metier De Beaute Brush collection consists of:

From top to bottom:
Blush Brush $55.00USD
Large Concealer Brush $50.00 USD
Angled Foundation Brush $50.00 USD
Eye Shadow Brush #1 $40.00
Eye Crease Brush #1 $45.00 USD

I have one Burberry Brush and that is:

Burberry Beauty Brush (kabuki) $52.00 USD

My Edward Bess Brush collection consists of:

From top to bottom:
Luxury Face Brush (kabuki) $56.00 USD
Luxury Eye Brush $40.00 USD

My MAC Cosmetic's  Brush Collection consists of:

From top to bottom:
#150 Large Powder Brush $42.00 USD
#190 Foundation Brush $32.00 USD
#109 Small Contour $32.00 USD
#227 Large Fluff Brush $30.00 USD
#195 Concealer Brush $22.50 USD
#182 Buffer Brush (kabuki) $47.00 USD not pictured
#224SE Tapered Blending Brush  $29.00 USD
#275 Medium Angled Brush $24.50 USD
#230 MAC PRO Brush (I couldn't find a price, sorry)
#236 Shader Brush (I couldn't find a price on this either because it has been discontinued)
#204 Lash Brush $12.00 USD
#217 Blending Brush $22.50 USD
#219 Pencil Brush $24.50 USD


I have one Laura Mercier Brush:

Secret Camouflage $26.00 USD

What is your all-time favorite brush? 

An Introduction To Le Metier De Beaute's Fall/Winter Releases for 2011

I know when I think of fall I conjure up images of leaves changing colors, pumpkin patches, and  curling up by a fire sipping hot chocolate (brimmed full with marshmallows naturally). Autumn is hands down my favorite time of the year. I adore the cooler temperatures, the warmth of a sweater, and the deeper color palette fall lends itself too. I always look forward to fall cosmetics and this year is no exception. Le Metier was kind enough to give me press images of their spectacular fall/winter releases to share with you my readers! After drooling over these images am I the only one sad that it's not even Labor Day yet? I know I will be first in line to try out some of these what are sure to be sure fire successes at the cosmetic counter.

Starting with the Bordeaux Collection - a collaboration between the makeup geniuses of Le Metier and Neiman Marcus' Fashion Director, Ken Downing (I wonder how many of you are sporting his iconic Kontagious Koral's as I type this?) part 2.  Check out these wine inspired matching lip sticks and nail lacquers each set will cost $49.00.   

Ken Red My Lips (lip stick),  Gypsy Rose Me (nails)

Ken's Wine on the Vine (lip stick), Ken's Bodacious Bordeaux (nail polish) 

I'm Worn This Way (lip stick),  Vintage Ken (nails) 

Shh, if you listen really carefully you will hear all three of those nail lacquers calling my name! These will be available in September. 

Next up is their fall/winter collection slated to hit stores in late August! You can already see that some lucky ladies have had the pleasure of seeing these beauties first hand, such as Perilously Pale , The Black Panties and Messy Wands be sure to check out their blogs for more information.  

The Silk Road Kaleidoscope Eye Kit

The East Meets West Nail Lacquer Collection

The Empress Kaleidoscope Lip Kit 

The suggested retail price for each kaleidoscope is $95.00 and the suggested retail price for nail polishes are $10.00 each. Raise your hand if you are as excited for this collection to hit stores as I am? Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go will the summer away.  

*All images courtesy of Le Metier De Beaute*

Makeup Mavens Round 6

photo credit to Allure.com

The Makeup Mavens present makeup you may have missed. This week there are delectable delights from the likes of Chanel, Shiseido, Le Metier De Beaute, Chantecaille and Becca. One Maven shares an interesting post on the link between beauty blogs and spending habits and another offers you the chance to win yourself a gorgeous cream blush.

Want to win yourself some Le Metier De Beaute? Hop on over to Hopelessly Devoted to Makeup for a chance to win a beautiful Poppy Creme Fresh Tint.

Are beauty blogs bad for the wallet? Lipstick Luvvies shares her thoughts on the subject this week, so pop on over to her blog to find out if they are friend or foe to the bank balance.

Lovesong for My Lipgloss introduced us to the newest additions in the Chantecaille range, Poudre de Perle and a new Compact Soleil shade. Check out her gorgeous swatches of Biwa and St. Barth's.

Are shimmery, coppery shadows your thing? If so, you need to visit Mookie On The Bench for a brilliant review on Shiseido's Hydro Powder Eye Shadow in Tiger eye.

Product Doctor fell in love with Chanel's limited edition Topkapi palette. Check out her swatches of the silvery taupe, gold and rich browns and you'll see why.

Raspberry Rouge discovered Becca's long lasting Eye tint's and shared a review and swatches of Baroque, a foolproof soft brown shade.

The Black Panties got to play with Le Metier De Beaute's Silk Road Eye Kaleidoscope. Head on over to see some beautiful swatches of gorgeous plums, purples and chocolate-y shades.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Today, was my birthday and I had a splendid day with my family. I had a little pampering and makeup buying thrown in the mix for good fun! 

Take a Peek Inside My July Birchbox

So I received my first ever Birchbox yesterday in the mail and I was quite excited to tear into the box to reveal it's secret contents! I'm usually not one for surprises but I specifically avoided reading any posts on July's Birchbox because I didn't want the surprise to be spoiled. So if you are expecting a Birchbox and have yet to receive yours and you want to keep the contents secret exit out of this post now! *warning spoiler alert...*

Inside was a card describing all the contents featured inside, this month was extra special because Birchbox teamed up with esteemed fashion designer Cynthia Rowley by having her share with all of us some of her all-time favorites.

Here is what was included inside my July Birchbox:

• Ahava Mineral Hand Cream Loaded with Dead Sea minerals, this fast-asorbing cream heals dry hands without a smidge of residue. 3.4 oz. $20

• philosophy purity made simple one-setp facial cleanser - This perennial award-winner is pH-balanced to gently clear away dirt, oil, and makeup without drying out skin. 8 oz. $20, 16 oz. $32

• Redken shine flash - A must-have for all of Cynthia Rowley's runway shows, a weightless spray that imparts brillant shine. 4.4 oz. $17

• Zoya Touch Collection Nail Polish in Shay - Neutral gets a sexy makeover in this creamy, slightly metallic nude. It's being touted as the perfect accessory to summer's bright fashions. 0.5 fl oz. $8

• Extra Kind Almond & Apricot - Snack right with this wholesome bar- no perservatives or hard to pronounce ingredients.  Cynthia chose this snack bar because she says they are her favorites and you would be hard pressed not to find one in one of her bags at any given time. 

I don't know how this month's box stacks up to previous months, since this is my first I have nothing to compare it to, but I was overall happy with the contents. I especially like that this way I am forced to step out of my comfort-zone and am introduced to products that I would not normally gravitate towards. That to me is worth the $10.00 I paid for it per month.  I think if you are open to trying new products by having receiving samples and like to be surprised then Birchbox is right up your alley. I know I am already looking forward to August's Birchbox! 

A closeup of the Zoya Nail Polish in Shay 

For more information feel free to peruse the Birchbox website http://www.birchbox.com/ and sign up. 

Are you a Birchbox subscriber? 

12 Top Summer Essentials

I am not a fan of the heat, so summer is a struggle for me - is it October yet? I want to delve into all the fall makeup collections that have been popping up on beauty blogs. Alas, it's only mid-July so I rely on certain products to get me through the heat and the dog days of summer. I thought I would share (I'm thoughtful like that) my most relied upon products to help me stay beautiful despite oily hair, shiny skin, and stinky arm pits (sorry but I had to go there)!

Summer MVP's - Most Valuable Products

• BIC Soleil Sensitive Skin Razors - This is my go to razor when shaving. I think the fact that is comes in a cheerful sunny array of colors is a bonus. 

• The Art of Shaving Pre Shave Oil - I rub this on areas that are prone to knicks with a razor like my knees and around my ankle to stave off cuts. 

• Tend Skin Ingrown Hair Solution - When wearing tank tops we expose our armpits more and no one wants to see razor bumps. Tend Skin truly has eliminated razor bumps from my life - can I get a hip, hip hooray? 

• Oil absorbing papers - powder can be essential but I prefer blotting papers to not clog my pores while still fighting shine. 

• Dove Prescription Strength Deodorant - this is a no-brainer that we sweat more during June, July, and August so I rely on the prescription strength of this stuff to keep me smelling nice. 

• Skinceuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 - You can never be too careful in the sun and I like that this stuff goes on thick and is water and humidity proof. I even apply some to my arms, decollate, and arms. 

• Chantecaille Ultra Sun Protection SPF 50 PA +++ Is it a sunscreen, a primer or both? I like that this helps my makeup stay on longer and helps keep the shine that I normally get in my T-Zone at bay.

• Fresh Sugar Lip Balm with SPF 15 - an often overlooked area when it comes to sun protection is our lips. Can you imagine how painful sunburned lips would be - I'm cringing just thinking about it! Yet, lip gloss can actually reflect the sun's harmful rays. So baby your lips with some moisturizing lip balm with SPF already built in!  

• Dry shampoo by Ojon Hair - my hair naturally turns more oily as the temperature gauge shoots North, so to get me through the hump of washing my hair every day I like dry shampoo as an alternate. I only like to wash it every other day because the oils our hair produces is actually good for it. Washing too often can strip the hair of natural oils and make it oilier. I have been known to do the whole baby powder trick, but I could never master it. I would just end up with baby powder everywhere. I feel more mature and refined using this dry shampoo plus it also adds mad volume to my hair - bonus! 

• Aloe Vera Gel - Sometimes despite our best efforts we still manage to get sun burned. If you do nothing feels better than the instant cooling effect of Aloe Vera (store it in the fridge for added cooling benefits).  

• Kerastase Masque UV Defense Active- a protecting hair mask that deep conditions. It also helps perserve my hair's color while imparting lasting shine to my strands.  

• Summer is about having fun and wearing bold, bright colors  Le Metier De Beaute's nail lacquer Wango Tango is the epitome of a chic, yet "fun" color . I think this is an awesome color to wear when sporting your Tory Burch sandals. 

What is your #1 Summer Essential?