Hi there Beauties,
I hope you all had an amazing Christmas
Day and received some new beauty products to have a play with.
I personally received a great gift on Christmas Eve hence this review, so continue to read below as I let you know my first impressions on the new additions to the xoBeauty range.
I personally received a great gift on Christmas Eve hence this review, so continue to read below as I let you know my first impressions on the new additions to the xoBeauty range.
Let me start by saying if you are
unaware of Shannon Harris or Shaaanxo as most of you know her, you need to
subscribe immediately! I have posted links below to her facebook & youtube accounts
Shannon an inspiring well known
Youtube Beauty Guru originally from Palmerston North. ( New Zealand) She has designed a range of brushes & Eyelashes that not only catch your eye from its sleek packaging
but has you eager to re-apply your makeup 100 times a day just to use these
amazing creations.
I was lucky enough to have been sent
brushes from Shannon along with products from her BRAND NEW eyelash range.I'm officially hooked.
These products are now my personal go to, which is a huge call for me, considering the 7 years I have been an avid MAC devotee and that i Own at least 2 of each brush that is available within their line. I find myself pushing those brushes to the back of my cupboard and pulling forward my new xoBeauty brushes.
These products are now my personal go to, which is a huge call for me, considering the 7 years I have been an avid MAC devotee and that i Own at least 2 of each brush that is available within their line. I find myself pushing those brushes to the back of my cupboard and pulling forward my new xoBeauty brushes.
The brushes themselves are super
affordable which is great, as cosmetic prices in New Zealand & Australia in general can be far too expensive.Sometimes it's hard to find a brand that doesn't sting you $90 for one brush. I understand our Import & tax requirements but REALLY?!
So let’s get into my first
impressions breakdown of these beauties.
My instant reaction was to reach for the xoBeauty tapered crease brush and the Eyeshadow Blender which is slightly larger in size.This is because they look and feel identical to my much beloved MAC 217 brush. This style of blending brush is my absolute favourite, I Currently own 12 MAC 217's , excessive i know but i figured nothing would ever come close so i stocked up when i was in the states.
Well i was wrong..these xoBeauty brushes have taken me by surprise and work amazingly similar.
My instant reaction was to reach for the xoBeauty tapered crease brush and the Eyeshadow Blender which is slightly larger in size.This is because they look and feel identical to my much beloved MAC 217 brush. This style of blending brush is my absolute favourite, I Currently own 12 MAC 217's , excessive i know but i figured nothing would ever come close so i stocked up when i was in the states.
Well i was wrong..these xoBeauty brushes have taken me by surprise and work amazingly similar.
The dense synthetic bristles when worked in circular motions give
great smooth diffused blending of any harsh lines.
I used the xoBeauty Eyeshadow blender brush to apply my first powder base colour all over my lid.
This particular brush dispersed an even amount of product in the area I was wanting, leaving me to only have to go back in with a little more product near the inner corner of my eye .Overall these brushes are my new favorites and a MUST BUY!! With a low range price tag of $18 NZ each you best buy 2 !!
I used the xoBeauty Eyeshadow blender brush to apply my first powder base colour all over my lid.
This particular brush dispersed an even amount of product in the area I was wanting, leaving me to only have to go back in with a little more product near the inner corner of my eye .Overall these brushes are my new favorites and a MUST BUY!! With a low range price tag of $18 NZ each you best buy 2 !!
Now seeing as I am an addict for all fluffy brushes I thought I better not forget about the xoBeauty Tapered blending brush $18 NZD and Flat top eyeshadow brush $16NZD.
These two are a great combination when worked together.
I find the tapered blending brush to be a great DUPE for my MAC 224 Brush which has been another long-time favorite for when I want a completely blended look using an array of colours.
I find this brush to be the only one that
keeps the product in place whilst blurring the edges to soften into a seductive
Smokey eye and you guessed it I’m super happy to now have another option to
grab for.
Although the xoBeauty tapered blending brush is slightly more dense and smaller in brush width compared to my 224 I find this a good thing, as I can happily apply my crease colour and not have to go back in and blend.It really is a win win situation with this beaut!
Although the xoBeauty tapered blending brush is slightly more dense and smaller in brush width compared to my 224 I find this a good thing, as I can happily apply my crease colour and not have to go back in and blend.It really is a win win situation with this beaut!
Now the flat top eyeshadow brush I have
never owned one alike so I was intrigued to give this a try. I used this first
of all to apply my MAC paint pot and Benefit cream base colour shadows. I
personally felt like this brush needed to be tested some more and as I love to
push my own limits so I got creative and have decided I now absolutely love this
brush for contouring around my temple.
Although a strange use this brush
gives precise application but is fluffy enough to diffuse any product applied, which in my books is perfect as I love contouring around my temple, nose and
forehead.
I also used this to apply concealer under my eyes and to apply powder around my nose as I find product placement around the nose is important as those areas tend to wear off a lot faster than the rest of the face.
I also used this to apply concealer under my eyes and to apply powder around my nose as I find product placement around the nose is important as those areas tend to wear off a lot faster than the rest of the face.
Some other great eyeshadow brushes I received
were the eye definer brush $10NZD and perfect for getting products right to the
lash line. I Personally like to use it for setting my eyeliner with a matte eyeshadow
in my waterline to stop any movement. This brush can also double for use in the
brow or when using eyeliner products such as cream or gel. This is a great
brush to have in you kit if you’re an artist and also to have at home for
precision when it comes to product placement.
The next trio i played with were the short eyeshadow ,large eyeshadow and synthetic eyeshadow brushes. The range in price from $14-$16NZD.
I would recommend these for those wanting something basic to start out with ,as they provide both great product lay off /placement whether your wanting precision or an all over coverage for your eyeshadow look.
For those of you who prefer to buy sets instead of individual brushes xoBeauty have a wide variety and there is a great 12 piece brush set for $100 which is perfect for those wanting an array of brushes that can do the trick for an affordable price.
I would recommend these for those wanting something basic to start out with ,as they provide both great product lay off /placement whether your wanting precision or an all over coverage for your eyeshadow look.
For those of you who prefer to buy sets instead of individual brushes xoBeauty have a wide variety and there is a great 12 piece brush set for $100 which is perfect for those wanting an array of brushes that can do the trick for an affordable price.
Now it’s time to talk face value and I
was lucky enough to be sent some great face brushes. My absolute favourite out
of the brushes i was sent would be the xoBeauty Tapered top face brush. This brush being a
steal at only $26NZD is perfect to get into every nook and cranny whilst
providing a flawless coverage for all products eg; cream powder and liquid foundations
I used my xoBeauty Tapered foundation brush when I trialed Rimmel's match perfection for the first time.
I found the product glides on evenly with hardly
any foundation remaining in the bristles. I feel like I could get a lot more product
from my bottle having this as my foundation brush daily woohoo!
Next up is the xoBeauty Paddle foundation brush which is also very comparable to MAC’s 190 foundation brush and for at least quarter of the price at $18NZD this is a great basic to start you off.
Next up is the xoBeauty Paddle foundation brush which is also very comparable to MAC’s 190 foundation brush and for at least quarter of the price at $18NZD this is a great basic to start you off.
Paddle foundation brushes are great
for those of you who are new to the brush scene.
This brush will distribute your product evenly whilst giving you the option to sheer your foundation out or build it up for a fuller look. With the xoBeauty paddle foundation brush being synthetic makes it super easy when it comes to cleaning, so a little MAC Brush cleaner(or something similar) or your personal Shampoo and conditioner will keep this little baby in tip top shape ready for it’s next use.
This brush will distribute your product evenly whilst giving you the option to sheer your foundation out or build it up for a fuller look. With the xoBeauty paddle foundation brush being synthetic makes it super easy when it comes to cleaning, so a little MAC Brush cleaner(or something similar) or your personal Shampoo and conditioner will keep this little baby in tip top shape ready for it’s next use.
I Know shannon mentioned once how she loves using these paddle
brushes to apply face masks, im also a big fan! It will disperse the product evenly leaving you
with a great finish result. Pair this with the xoBeauty concealer brush from
the 12 piece set and you have a match made in heaven.
While on the topic of foundation
brushes I’d like to introduce you all to the precise blush brush because I
love using this to apply my liquid foundations also.! This is a great DUPE to
my MAC 159 brush and being larger in size I find it serves a more beneficial
purpose, being a great grab for product when needing a great even result in a
rush.
The duo fibre bristles provide a super soft
approach and give a great product pay off when using both liquid and powder
products. This is my new go to blush brush especially when applying a more
mineral based loose product. I find it gives a naturally smooth flawless finish
which I prefer when needing a subtle look for day to day wear.
Now when it comes to contouring my cheekbone area I love definition but I like it to look natural which means I personally prefer a dense brush to place the product and then something a little more tapered to blend the product through.
I actually used the xoBeauty large eyeshadow brush $16NZD to apply my contouring products which gave great sharp definition and placement. I then went in with my xoBeauty small tapered face brush $18NZD to blend out any harshness and oh man is this brush amazing! It is a great Dupe for my real techniques contour brush which came in the core collection set I purchased.
xoBeauty Small Tapered Face Brush & my favourite contouring product
NARS orgasm/Laguna Duo
I highly recommend purchasing these two brushes mentioned above. I often see comments on how people stare clear of contouring for the fear of it going wrong.
Even for beginners there is no way you could ever get contouring wrong whilst using these brushes, they allow for gradual product build up and if you feel you’ve created too much definition just go in with the xoBeauty small tapered face brush and simply blend it out.
Overall these brushes have lived up
to my high expectations and for the affordable pricing you can never go wrong.
There is such a huge range of choice from beginners right through to those a little
more advanced and the great thing being you can purchase them all from the one
website www.xobeautyshop.com.
Here's my look I Created using xoBeauty Brushes,
So my advice to you start off with a
couple of brushes you can see being beneficial to your lifestyle and ability,
then as you gain more confidence build your collection to those
more technical brushes. I promise you these brushes will not let you down and
remember this is coming from someone who has spent thousands of dollars over
the years on expensive haired brushes such as MAC.
I would love
to hear your feedback and experience with these products.
Please subscribe to Shannon on her youtube channels
Happy Reading,
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