Review: Sonia Kashuk Brush and Sponge Cleanser

So darlings, quick review to add some padding between Halloween posts! So a couple weeks ago I was target and the Sonia Kushuk section set out it's siren's song. I wound up getting the Brush and Sponge Cleanser, so let's see how it holds up!

(Yes I was still in Target When I took this.)

Alright so this is a deep cleanser for brushes (I was hoping it was a spot cleaner, not gonna lie) that claims to extend the life of your brushes by cleaning and conditioning them. Directions are as follows:

1.) Wet brush hair or sponge, liberally spray on Brush and Sponge Cleanser.

2.) With your fingers gently massage cleanser into brush hairs, or sponge to form a good lather.

3.) Rinse until water runs clear (You may need to repeat step 2 with sponges).

4.) Gently squeeze out excess water.

5.) Dry flat.

These instructions seem fairly straightforward to me, although I don't dry my larger brushes flat. I followed the instructions for the purpose of this review and these are my findings. Overall this is a very effective product. It cleaned a wide selection of brushes with different products. It's very good at getting stray pigment out of light colored brushes, I was excited to see the tops of my skunk brushes actually turn white! The one thing it wouldn't clean didn't surprise me. Something about my foundation (I believe it's Rimmel Lasting Finish's fault. It has a built in aqua primer.) will not come out of my brushes unless I use dish soap! But other then that it cleaned very well. Moving along, the conditioning agent seems to be working as well. My brushes feel very soft after washing, which is not always the case with natural hair brushes unfortunately. It also has a nice scent; it smells lightly herbal, like rosemary. It reminds me a little of Aveda products. As for extending the life of my brushes, that'll take more time to tell!

Do I like this product? Yes, definitely! However it is less cost effective than my normal cleanser (baby shampoo!) but it also softens a lot more. Also I'm not a huge fan of it being in a spray format. It's hard to aim, so I mostly wind up squirting it onto my hand and then dipping the brush in. 

You can find Sonia Kashuk Brush and Sponge Cleanser at target.com or select target stores for $6.99 USD

Thoughts, questions, comments? Let me know in the comments or on twitter @SpiceDropBlog!  I wanna know, how do you guys clean your makeup brushes, and how often?

Halloween Series: Candy Corn Cutie!

Ohhhh yeeaahhh! First Halloween look of the season here on Spice Drop! I wanted something really festive and cute to start things out with. So I chose a Halloween classic for my inspiration, candy corn! Love it or hate it, candy corn is a Halloween Staple and would be a easy cute costume. I'm using mostly Sugarpill eyeshadows for this, use what ever you have but make sure it's matte!

So I started by applying a eyeshadow base all over my eye and  blending a white cream base all over my lids and brow bone. This'll make an even base for the eyeshadow as well as making the colors pop more. My eyebrows already have natural arch so that's where I'm putting the tip of my candy corn. If yours don't, use this time to figure out where you want the point to be. I also but a bit of the white underneath my eyes. With a flat brush and a matte yellow eyeshadow I placed the first layer of her candy corn all over my lids and out, to creat trapazoid shape. (If you have a big lid space you might want to section the layers off more) You want colors to be as bright as possible, so really pack the color on. The yellow was the easy part, as you up you're going to need it to make it a triangle shape and so you need to be careful where you place your color. To make a cleaner line you could use the tape method, but I thought that would look too harsh for this. Instead I took the edge of a paper as my guider. The next layer is orange, so I made a similar layer as the yellow but smaller. This layer also has my crease, so I had to bend the orange in with out getting it in the yellow. Don't sweat the colors mixing too much though, it happens on the candy itself! Then at the top goes the white, make sure it's very very white it needs to stand out. To clean and make the edge stand out more take a eyeshadow in the same tone as your skin (or a face powder) and cover whats left of the white base. I then applied a black gel eyeliner thinly along my lash line, and continued straight out a little ways. I filled in my eyebrows with a colored powder normally, if you want to create a faux pointed arch that'd be cool. I then applied a quick coat of black mascara then put on some flasies, but thats completely optional.

I applied some pretty standard foundation and concealer, nothing too interesting there. I then added some orange blush to warm up my complexion and continue the orange tone throughoLumut the look. For the lips I made a custom red-orange shade. And that's pretty much it!

Products Used:

(In order of Application)

Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk, Sugarpill Buttercupcake Eyeshadow, Sugarpill Flamepoint Eyeshadow, Sugarpill Tako Eyeshadow, Urban Decay Kinky and Freestyle Eyeshadows (Blended), MAC Blacktrack Eyeshadow, Maybelline Full n Soft Mascara, Jcat EL20 lashes.

Face: Rimmel Long Lasting Foundation in 100 Ivory, Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Concealer in Luminous 2, MAC Honey Jasmine Blush.

Lips: OCC Lips Tars in NSFW and Traffic.

Hope you enjoyed my first Halloween look for this year! Looking for more inspiration? Check out my other Halloween looks and my fairytale series! Don't see what you're looking for? Request a look in the comments below!

Top 5 Cold Season Must Haves!

So I've been a bit of a slacker lately, sorry about that. Part of the reason I've been so lazy lately is that I've constant bouts of allergies and colds. :( But it's inspired my latest post, my top five must haves for cold season!

1.) Tazo Green Ginger Tea. The kind of tea isn't really that important, I've just been digging this one lately. The combination of heat and tannins is exactly what you need when you're feeling crappy. I also really like Tazo Zen tea (green tea with spearmint and lemongrass), and Celestial Seasoning's Peppermint Tea. Extra points if you add honey which I'll talk about more in 3!

2.) Emergen-C in Tangerine. This stuff is a life saver! Especially if you feel like you're about to get sick, or are concerned about getting infected by those around you. This gives you a quick direct dose of vitamin C, which does wonders for your immune system. Oh but personal preference, I only like the Tangerine flavor (NOT super orange) the others are sort of disgusting. But yay tangerine!

3.) THIS STUFF! I originally was recommended this by my aunt via Pintrest. It is a sore throat game changer. Step aside lemon honey cough drops, this Lemon Honey Ginger tea base is a million times better. It's tasty and cost effective, definitely check out the link.

4.) Kleenex Go Packs. You can usually find these in the check out aisle of target in packs of three. If you have allergies like I do, you know the importance of always having tissues with you. These are the perfect size for your purse or backpack, and are resealable.

5.) Bath and Body Works PocketBac hand sanitizer. I work with people, and money. I take the bus and rail. I share a house with children. These all mean that regular sanitation is my only hope for not being constantly sick. These are cheap and come in a variety of scents. My favorites are the fresh lavender, and Warm Vanilla Sugar, but seasonal ones like this Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin are fun. (Also twisted peppermint! My absolute favorite!)

May the sickness odds ever be in your favor lovely readers! What's your go to when you're feeling ill?

Review: Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain

So I have a review for you guys today one of Jordana's relatively new products, the Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain. I got it in the shade Cranberry Crush. I picked this up at Walgreens for just few dollars, and as per usual with Jordana it turned out to be surprisingly great! Lets go check it out!

The product goes on glossy and smooth with quite a lot of pigmentation for this type of product! The color is a super pretty raspberry, that I think would look pretty on many different skintones. After the glossy finish fades, you're left with a cute matte stain. Yes this actually is a stain! Not just a tinted lip balm. In fact while this product goes on smooth and doesn't dry out my lips, I don't find it to be that moisturizing. A little goes a long way, but something I should mention, start in the center of your lips with this stuff, then move it out a little. Otherwise it can look a tad lip line-y. It doesn't have any taste, but it has a yummy fruit smell that reminds me of my Plum Korres Lip Butter.

Lets talk about packaging! It comes presharpened in a plastic twist up tube. The the tube and the cap feel pretty substantial, so I'm not overly concerned about it cracking (I'm lookin at you NYX Jumbo Pencils!) and the twist up works well. It doesn't stick or go up too fast, and yes it does allow you to twist back down. With 0.095 oz of product, it doesn't come with a lot, but considering the amount you need and price, it doesn't bother me.

Jordana Twist & Shine Pencils retail for $2.99 USD at Walgreens. You can also find them online pretty easily.

What do you guys think? Tell me in the comments below!

Fall Haul! Sephora + Urban Decay

Ermahgerd. Fall is officially here! Autumn is by far my favorite season and this especially applies to makeup! Dark lips, jewel tones, plums. Ughhhh so much love. Anyway I recently spent waayyyy too money at Spehora and Urban Decay recently, so I thought I would show you and give you some first impressions.

It wasn't until I photographed them together that I noticed a distinct color theme

Okay first we have the crown jewel of this haul, the brand new Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette! The first few days it was out it was only available on their web site, and I cracked down. Clearly waiting the three days for it to get to Sephora would have killed me. Anyway this palette is fantastic! I'll do a separate post that's more in depth later, but quick over view: 20 eyeshadows, only dislike one, great packaging, and already used it a bunch.

Alright Sephora by OPI nail polish is on sale right now for $4.50 a bottle. Soooo I bought a couple. I got I'm With Brad a metallic wine over a dark coffee base, and On Stage an opaque grey plum. I'm so in love with both of them! I've heard rave reviews of I'm With Brad, On Stage I got as just a whim. I'm so glad I did though! On Stage is the perfect sexy unexpected neutral for fall. Also the formula for both of these is very good, particularly for On Stage.

Okay this one is also exciting and deserves a separate post. It's OCC lip tar in Black Metal Dahlia from OCC's new Monderncraft Collection. This lip tar is so ridiculously amazing! It's a blacken burgundy with TONS of red shimmer. I'm so in love!

And finally bought a tube of the Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer that I love so very much. I only waited so long to buy it because a little goes a very long way, and I still had my sample from winter. (Crazy!) I'm glad I have the full size now though, the packaging is super cute! I love the little bamboo cap.

Happy fall everyone! What fall makeup are you excited for? Let me know in the comments!

Review: September '13 Ipsy!

Yay Ipsy! The beginning of every month has gotten a little more exciting since I started getting this service. It's a monthly subscription service that sends you a few (usually 5) full size or deluxe sample sized personalized products every month. the theme this month was Classic Beauty, as usual I've got a quick review for you guys and a look with the products.

 So first we have Cailyn 'Tinted Lip Balm'. Alright first things first, this in no sense a tinted lip balm. What it is, is a very pigmented near matte red lipstick. I love the packaging! It comes with a little brush that pops out of the top.

Nest is a Single Eyeshadow from Nyx in Charcoal. I love NYX, and I'm always happy to get stuff from them. This is no exception! This shadow is smooth, easy to blend, and has great pigmentation. I used it on my lids, with greater concentration in the outer corners. Very pretty.

Elizabeth Mott It's So Big! Mascara. Can we all take a to snicker about the name like middle schoolers? Good? Okay. I liked this mascara fairly well. It's volume and length are reasonable if not spectacular, but it separates super well!

Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian. At first I wasn't thrilled, I already have a lot of black pencil liners. But this one is actually pretty nice! It's very black, creamy, and doesn't transfer. I used this in my waterline, and smudged along was lash line and outer V with a pencil brush. I also put the the extra product on the brush under my eyes a bit.

And finally Freeman Beauty Facial Paper masks. I got sent three to try: Purifying Star Fruit, Brighting Rose, and Hydrating Blue Agave. I tried out the starfruit one, it was only okay. The scent was really strong and fake which I didn't enjoy. I'll be trying the rose one soon, I hope I like it I've always been interested in paper masks!

So thats it for this months Ipsy Bag! You can get it for $10 USD per month here. What you think? Let me know in the comments! :)

My Top 10 Skincare Products!

Hey guys I have a fun (and hopefully helpful) post for you guys today! I've complied a list of my absolute favorite products for my skin. Just some quick info about my skin first so you get an idea of why these work for me, and if they'll work for you. I have oily/acne prone skin with no real wrinkles. I'd say I was a pretty average sensitivity level, I will mention if I think something would bother sensitive skin. These are in no particular order, I thought numbering them would be pointless because they all have different uses. Also all of these are tried and true products for me, not new faves. I've had time to judge my skins reaction properly  Alright let's see 'em!

1.) Lush Ocean Salt Scrub. This is hands down my favorite hard core exfoliant! This scrub has sea salt (duh) to get rid of dead skin and dirt while avocado, lime, and seaweed soften and clear your skin. I generally have some results after just one use. This is a great weekly scrub and fantastic right before a purifying mask. Big big fan! $21.95 USD for 4.2 oz at Lush.

2.) Yesto Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer. This was a toss up between this product and Lush Vanishing Cream my other favorite. (I chose this one because they work the same on me and this one is less expensive!) This moisturizer is made to keep sebum in check to help oily skin stay healthy instead of greasy. This moisturizer is high in skin boosting antioxidants like tomatoes, and red tea which is great. My skin much smoother and healthier when I use this, but there are a couple other nice things about this product that are more cosmetic. First, it has a pump! Pumps are always the preferred, because they stay sanitary. This is key when you have acne prone skin! Also the yes to tomatoes line has the most amazing scent (expect for the scrub) it smells a little like vanilla spice cake to me. I love it! $14.99 USD Yes to Carrots.

3.) Boots Expert Anti-Blemish Cleansing Foam. I've been using this cleanser for awhile, and I really like it. It's very gentle and fragrance free but takes my makeup off and helps prevent acne with the help of willow bark extract. This one I would definitely recommend for people with sensitive skin. This also works great with my clarisonic, which I'll be mentioning in a little bit. $5.69 USD from Boots

4.) Best Face Forward Daily Foaming Cleanser by Formula 10.0.6. Okay so this cleanser is not for sensitive skin. In fact I need to moisturize after using this stuff. However it is a very effective acne cleanser, for a low cost. The passionfruit green tea scent is really nice too! From Formula 10.0.6 buy for $5.99 USD from walgreens.

5.) The Clarisonic Mia. So this is a tool rather than a product, but I needed to include this on the list! This product has definitely improved my skin, and makes my breakouts heal faster. However my favorite part is that it takes ALL my makeup off. I can put my makeup on at six in the morning, and when I take my makeup off at eleven at night and the brush will be orange with product. It's amazing, but I'm not going to oversell this product. Its a great tool, but it's not life changing super product like a lot of people say it is. So if you're broke, this might not be worth it for you. $125 USD from Clarisonic. 

6.) Lush Fresh Face Masks. I couldn't choose just one! I love lush's fresh face masks, and the good news is that they have one to suit every skin type. My favorite is Cupcake, it controls oil and smells AMAZING. Like chocolate, vanilla, and mint. But I also really like Cosmetic Warrior which is fantastic for controlling acne. There are several others I like too. $6.95 at Lush stores (N/A online)

7.) Lush Dark Angels Scrub. This charcoal scrub is straight up addictive! Dark angels is a much gentler scrub. I use it 2-3 times a week, and I used to use it daily. It makes your skin super soft and the smell becomes an addiction. $12.95 USD for 3.5 oz at Lush.

8.) Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. Okay fellow acne sufferers, this is the hands down the best spot treatment I've ever used. It's a calamine based over night treatment, you dip a clean cotton swab into the pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle, and dad it over your zit. You go to sleep and it reduces or removes the zit. It is the best, no joke. The bottle is small, but it'll last you years. $17.00 USD for 1 oz from Mario Badescu. (P.S if you're at Ulta or at the counter get it in the plastic bottle, trust me.)

9.) Mario Badescu Silver Powder. This powder mask is great for blackheads, and excess oil. Its a little tricky to apply, and leaves a white cast so its definitely a night time mask. This also will last you forever. I've had the same tub for two years and am only half way through it. $12.00 USD for 1 oz from Mario Badescu. 

10.) Finally, I know some of you guys don't have the patience for a whole face routine. While I definitely encourage you to slowly build up a regime, I have the perfect product for you. Formula 10.0.6 Keep Me Clean Wipes. They remove makeup and help fight acne. $5.99 USD at Walgreens.

I hope you liked the post! What are your skincare favorites? Let me know in the comments!