Review: Sigma Brush Travel Kit + MAC Comparisons (Pic heavy!)

Sigma brushes have been on my wishlist for a couple of years now, so I was delighted to receive their Travel Kit to review (and give one away to one lucky reader - check back tomorrow to enter the giveaway!).

As you can see it all comes packaged beautifully in organza bags and the brushes are very well protected in their little plastic guards.

The brush roll is fantastic - durable with a magnetic clasp which keeps it shut.  There's also a little zip pocket into which you could fit a small palette.

What Sigma says is in Italics...

Concealer - F70 - The rounded, tampered, flat shape makes this brush ideal to conceal the under eye area. It is also recommended for a precise application in small areas. Synthetic bristles.

This has become my favourite concealer brush as the bristles are just the right density to blend in the product, without aggravating delicate under eye skin or rubbing away the product.  It also happens to be the perfect shape and size.

Tapered Blending - E40 - Rounded and tapered top. Specially designed to apply and blend color on the crease. Natural bristles.

This is Sigma's answer to the MAC 224, however I wouldn't call it an exact dupe as it's much fluffier with longer bristles.  I don't have a huge amount of eye lid 'space' so it's not ideal for me, but I have found a use for it to buff out  under eye concealer.  It's also pretty good for placing highlighter on top of your cheek bones and on your brown bone.

Sigma left, MAC right

MAC left, Sigma right 

Eye Shading - E55 - Soft and dense with a rounded finish. Can be used to apply pressed or loose eye shadows and pigments. Ideal to build intense color on the eyelid. Natural bristles.

This is probably my least favourite brush in the kit as it's a bit too chunky and dense to achieve precise eye shadow application with - I would only use it to add a highlight to my brow bone.  However it's very well made and the bristles are soft.

Pencil - E30 - Precise application of color on the crease, outer corner, and upper and lower lash line. Also ideal to smudge out pencil liner. Natural bristles.

This brush is very comparable to the MAC 217 pencil brush - it does taper more at the tip - but I get pretty much the same effect from it.  It's a perfect size for applying an inner eye corner highlight.

below: Sigma left, MAC right

Large Powder - F30 - Very dense with a rounded top. Ideal to apply powder products on face and body. Natural bristles.

I adore this wonderfully soft face brush with bristles of perfect density - I use it to apply finishing powder, bronzer and to blend out over zealous blusher!

Foundation - F60 - Can be used to apply liquid or cream foundation. It is also recommended to apply moisturizers and conceal large areas. Synthetic bristles.

While I can't fault the quality of this foundation brush, I do find it a bit dinky and thin - I prefer something along the lines of Gosh's chunky foundation brush which helps to buff it in much better.

Large Angled Contour - F40 - The angled shape makes this brush ideal to apply blush or contour shades. Natural bristles.

This was the brush I was most excited about trying as I was tempted to even order this one separately as it looks suspiciously like my beloved MAC 168, the brush of my dreams!

Sadly, it didn't completely live up to my expectations as it is a bit bushy and doesn't give me a precise application of cheek contour powder, but it does well to buff it out.

MAC left, Sigma right 

MAC left Sigma right

Sigma Makeup offers a free travel size F50 brush with this kit -  this is a fantastic duo fibre brush - I don't have the MAC one so I can't compare, but I do have the Inglot one, and the Sigma one although smaller, has better quality, softer bristles.  Perfect for air-brushed-looking foundation or cream blush.

So while I wouldn't say that Sigma brushes are replacements for a lot of cult MAC brushes, in terms of their shape, size and function, I would say they are comparable to MAC in quality.  Therefore they're a great option for make up beginners or MUAs looking to expand their kit.  $49 dollars works out to about £32 (but you have to also factor in the shipping to whichever part of the world you reside), which for 8 great brushes is a very good deal.  I wish I'd come across Sigma before purchasing all sorts of other 'budget' brushes which have turned out to be a waste of money.  

You can win your very own Sigma Travel Brush Kit in my next weekly giveaway which launches tomorrow, so check back then for details on how to enter!

*PR samples provided for review

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New Bags!

My Stila and Calvin Klein eyeshadow palettes giveaway ends tomorrow - enter here!

Okay so there not 'bag' bags, but I still get immensely excited by new make up and toiletry bags...do you? no? So I'm a freak...

First up, new toiletry bag from Cath Kidston.  I've been eyeing this up for a while, and massive though it is I fill it right to the brim for trips! Twas £18, but it's very well made of sturdy oil cloth.  

This is my all time favourite Cath Kidston pattern.

Check out my second favourite on the saddle bag I picked up in the CK sale over at my personal blog, Portobello Pearls.

And now for a little Primark Cath Kidston knock-off.  This £2.50 steal has turned out to be my ideal handbag make up bag which I carry with me everyday.  It's lightweight and opens right down the edges so it's really easy to find everything.

 It's actually the second one I had to buy - the first one got a horrid big blue stain on it when my contact lens peroxide escaped from the case and lifted the blue off a mascara tube.  Having only had it one day I was not a happy bunny, so I picked up another the other day - to teach myself a lesson not to be so careless...I know it's only £2.50 but I hate wasting money (says the girl with a make up addiction).

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Review: BED HEAD TIGI Brunette Goddess Shampoo & Conditioner

Okay okay! I'm clearly not a brunette, but that didn't stop me from picking up these last summer in T J Hughes (come to London!) oop norf.  I used these before when I stayed at a friend's house and was so enamoured of the aroma I resolved to give these a try.  As you can see, the shampoo was only £6.00 and the conditioner was about the same. 

The best thing about using this duo is the gorgeous scent it leaves behind which lasts all day.  It's extremely sweet and smells edible, so if you like fresh, zingy shampoos this may be a bit sickly for you.  It's smells like a cookie mixture of vanilla, almond and caramel.

...and that's really the only thing that justifies the slightly more premium price than your regular Elvives and Pantenes.  I have extremely oily hair, so I avoided using it if I felt my hair needed a really good wash - that's probably why these hung around in my shower for so long! The nozzle of the shampoo is particularly annoying and I found I had to do about 10-12 pumps (I know! What a work out!) to dispense the amount needed for my hair.  I would actually consider repurchasing the conditioner as it did a nice job of making my hair soft and beautifully scented.

Not having brown hair (red instead) I can't really comment on what it does for the colour (the sunflower extract purports to protect against fading and UV rays), but it does add some shine.  

I would say if you have dry, wiry hair this will probably be right up your street as it is very nourishing (it contains soy and wheat proteins), but as mine is oily and relatively soft, my mop just fell flat when all I want is lots of volume!

***Enter my Calvin Klein & Stila eyeshadow palettes giveaway HERE***

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Liz Earle Gems My Skin is Loving Right Now

My first encounter with Liz Earle was their wildly popular Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (sadly I've just finished it again!) and I was so glad to find that the product lived up to the hype, especially since Liz Earle are quite possibly the nicest company I've 'worked with' as a beauty blogger. You'll know what I mean if you've worked with them before. You can really tell they respect the blogging phenomenon and aren't shy to work with us - probably because their products have nothing to hide. Plus they're the kind of cult items you would normally find out about by word of mouth, so blogger reviews are probably a good fit for the brand. No doubt it's all great publicity for them, but still, they're just so nice about it all.  They really take the time to personally engage - maybe it's down the chilled out, friendly pace of the Isle of Wight...

Following my Cleanse & Polish review (I was also kindly given a second set to giveaway to a reader) they offered to send me another couple of bits to try, and my skin is in heaven.  Yes, it was great being able to try these 'comp' but I'm definitely repurchasing both when they run out.

Skin Repair Moisturiser for Normal/Combination skin

With my oily/combination skin I don't really get too excited about moisturisers, but I fell in love with the Skin Repair moisturiser at first try.  I really like the fact that it is hygienically sealed and packaging is the classic greyish mint green which compliments my bathroom nicely.  

The cream is very dense and solid to the touch, but it seems to 'melt' on touch and you come away with a very thin layer so your skin doesn't get overdosed.  You can of course build it up if you have very dry skin.  I tend to use it mainly at night and really look forward to smoothing it on when my skin feels 'tight' after a particularly rigorous cleanse.  

The scent is very calming and reminds me of a now discontinued Ultima II cream my mum used to use when I was a kid.  The naturally active ingredients contained within are Borage and Avocado oil, Echinacea, Beta Carotene and Vitamin E.  It's very soothing and I have noticed an improvement in my skin's texture- it just feels plumper and refreshed in the morning.

You could use this moisturiser for day, but as it doesn't contain SPF I tend not to. 

It's £17.60 for 50mls online here.  I've been using mine for well over a month and have barely made a dent in it.

 

Instant Boost Skin Tonic

I do love my astringent toners (it's horrific what still comes off your skin after cleansing - even with soap!) so I didn't expect much from this gentle toner. I was proved wrong however, as it effectively removes the last dregs of make up without leaving my skin dry and tingly, but refreshed and happy!

The gorgeous ingredients include Aloe Vera, Calendula, Rose-Scented Geranium, Cucumber and Vitamin E. It smells divine and is so luxurious to use. The twist-up dispenser is also very functional as it prevents you from using more than you need to and you can almost open it one-handed.If you're a bit sceptical about toners but are interested in trying one, I highly recommend this Instant Boost Skin Tonic.

It's £11.75 for 200mls online here.

So, cleansing with the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, toning with the Instant Boost Skin Tonic and moisturising with the Skin Repair Moisturiser has left my skin very happy and well behaved of late.

*PR samples provided for review

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