Affordable Japanese makeup brush - Mizuho PM11 eyebrow brush review

I'm finally getting around to posting a review of my favorite eyebrow brush - the Mizuho #11. I bought this on a whim from CD Japan about a year ago because I was curious about the brand and needed a brow brush. The PM-11 is very affordable (1500 yen, ~$13 USD before taxes & shipping)  and has a pink handle.

About Mizuho (瑞穂) Brushes

Compared to other Japanese artisanal makeup brush brands like Hakuhodo, Koyudo and Chikuhodo, Mizuho is not as well known in the United States. Mizuho brushes are handmade in the Kumano area of Japan. Like many other traditional Japanese brush making companies, Mizuho does sell private label. If you are curious about Japanese brushes, I have reviewed quite a few others on my blog.

The PM series is relatively affordable compared to some of their other lines and features cherry blossom pink handles. They do make other lines with different themes if pink handles don't appeal to you, but I personally think the pink handles are cute.

Fresh Sugar Cream Lip Treatment in Blush & Buff review and swatches

I love Fresh so I was so excited to see the new sugar cream lip treatments pop up in my local Sephora! I got samples of Blush and Buff to try.

I chose Blush because I can't resist mid tone mauve pinks (similar in tone/concept to Buxom Dolly or Bite Currant) and the Sephora SA talked me into a sample of Buff because she said it was the sheer balmy one. I have no idea why they are selling Buff as a sheer balm - it is a strongly pigmented coppery nude.

As you can see, the texture of the Fresh sugar cream lip treatment is thick and goopy. Both of these shades contain shimmer. The texture of the product seems inappropriate for the packaging they chose - these are so thick and pigmented that they should be in liquid lipstick style tube and wand applicators instead of a squeeze lip balm type tube. They are much too pigmented to apply with your fingers or without a mirror.

Swatches
 

Elf Studio Tone Correcting Powder in Cool review & swatches // comparison to Essence All About Matt

I recently ran out of my beloved Essence All About Matt powder, so I decided to play around and try something else this time around. I have heard great things on YouTube about the elf Studio Tone Correcting Powder in Cool, so I gave it a try. I paid $3.99 on the Target website.

Here's the long and the short of it: it is absolutely inferior to my favorite Essence All About Matt. It is also not the worst powder I have ever tried. 

I always keep a touch up powder compact in my commuting tote bag because I get shiny throughout the day. I'm always looking for powders that are pressed in a compact, don't look cakey on the skin, and keep my shine at bay for a few hours at a minimum. Unfortunately, the elf tone correcting powder broke immediately and doesn't keep my skin matte for more than 30 minutes. I'm not particularly rough on my travel bag (I have never broken an Essence All About Matt or L'Oreal True Blend traveling) and I don't have oily skin. The elf studio tone correcting powder didn't cake up on top of foundation, but it also didn't seamlessly melt into the skin the way hd silica powders do.