SPEND VS. SAVE: SAVVY HAIRBRUSHES

For this edition of Spend Vs. Save, let’s look at SAVVY HAIRBRUSHES

 I have two hairbrushes in my collection:

 ANNA SUI TRAVEL FOLDABLE HAIRBRUSH- 30SGD

ETUDE HOUSE ROMANTIC BRUSH- 178PHP

L- R: Etude House, Anna Sui

So for the beauty tools savvy, embellished eye candies like these are too hard to pass up. It is a perfect accessory and accent to a vanity table and a lovely thing to tote in your bag which will totally remind you of everything beautiful and sassy.

 So the priciest hairbrush I have ever owned is Anna Sui’s travel brush at 30SGD (approx. 1020php). Let’s first review this one.

L- R: Etude House, Anna Sui

Anna Sui has been known for its lovely Victorian and rose detailed accessories which appealed to women of all ages. This travel hairbrush is an additional gift of my mom when she got back from her Singapore trip.

 According to the SA, the bristles of Anna Sui’s brush bristles are infused with silicone that will help in keeping hair healthy and shiny. I don’t know how that works (or if it works) though. Though plastic- made, it is sturdy and is definitely made of the expensive kind of plastic. The bristles are quite sturdy as well.  

Let’s now review Etude House’s romantic beauty brush. It is part of their Romantic collection, which may have been inspired by Anna Sui. And the Romantic Accessories can also pass off as Anna Sui accessories! It is in the same design. Rose and lovely Victorian details.

Etude House’s brush is made of good plastic, but as compared to Anna Sui, Anna Sui feels more tough and sturdy than Etude House, though the latter has some good quality if you’ll think about it. It’s cheap, yet it looks pretty decent.  

 OOPS! Sorry for the dirty brushes. :p

Here’s a comparison picture of the bristles. As you can see, Etude House’s bristles are no different than the common hair brush bristles you’ll find in the market. Anna Sui’s bristles can be compared to the high- end hair brushes (Acca Kappa in particular).

 But in terms of quality, both deliver what they should deliver. The bristles are rounded enough so as to not scratch the scalp too much.

 Apart from being expensive, Anna Sui is unavailable in the Philippines. And if you’re just lemming for an Anna Sui inspired product, Etude House is the answer.

 SO FOR THIS SPEND VS. SAVE EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU:

SAVE  

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: ETUDE HOUSE KISSFUL TINT CHOU LIP TINT (4)

Here’s an initial review on ETUDE HOUSE KISS TIN CHOU (4)

 PRICE: 298PHP

PLACE BOUGHT: ETUDE HOUSE, SM MEGAMALL, MANDALUYONG CITY

OTHER LOCATIONS: NONE; DIRECT SELLERS

THE VERDICT:

 Kissful tint chou is a tint specifically designed for the lips for a just bitten pout all day. It is available in 4 colors: red, peach, light pink and coral. I got 4, which is the coral shade. It is a lovely fusion of pink- peach color. I got this because it definitely is a lovely MLBB shade.  

So here’s KTC on my lips. Consistency is like lipgloss. It’s a bit oily and it smells like bubblegum. What I don’t like about this is, it dries ever so slowly that’s why it gets wiped off easily when I’m about to use my lips.

Now, why do I look like a Korean gal here?

Here’s moi wearing the tint. It looks just like a lipgloss but once it settles, it gives my lips a healthy pink hue. However, the coral shade ultimately disappeared, which is a bit disappointing. But at least, the pink hue it gave my lips is quite nice and it looks uber natural. 

I find that the staying power is not good. I have to re- apply it at least thrice throughout the day. 

Will I buy this again. Prolly not. I don’t like the lipgloss feel of it. But it’s a must- try because KTC has a lovely range of colors.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: ETUDE HOUSE PROOF10 SMOKY EYES WATERPROOF MASCARA (BLACK)

Here’s my initial review on ETUDE HOUSE PROOF10 SMOKY EYES VOLUMIZING MASCARA (BLACK)

 PRICE: 548PHP

PLACE BOUGHT: ETUDE HOUSE, SM MEGAMALL, MANDALUYONG CITY

OTHER LOCATIONS: NONE; ONLINE; MULTIPLY DIRECT SELLERS  

THE VERDICT:

Mascara is a vital part in my everyday make- up because I’ve always wanted to have lush and thick lashes. I was gunning for the set that conditions and promotes lash growth in Etude House. But it’s around 1k. It’s pretty expensive. I’ll prolly purchase it next time.

So I got myself this mascara which is part of the Smoky Eyes collection.  

Okay. Here’s the mascara wand. Nothing special about the shape. But I like that it does its job in distributing the product evenly on my lashes. And check out that the wand is bent, which is convenient in helping me precisely apply the mascara on my lashes. 

My eyes without the lashes. Relatively long but sparse. BOO! :p

Here’s my left eye with the mascara. I’m pretty impressed because it’s almost at par with the effect of my Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara (yet to be reviewed), but only at a fraction of Max Factor’s cost.

One con is, you have to get used to applying this one because it has the tendency to clump if you don’t spread it evenly on your lashes. This is my first time to use this, and now I know how to make this work. One dip of the wand in the tube per lash application will help you achieving a clump free look.

This baby is also waterproof. It lasts the whole day without smudging. But this is the waterproof- washable type. It stays the whole day and it rinses off easily with soap and water. Now that’s a very good mascara characteristic!

Will I buy this again? Yes! I love that it’s cheap but effective. Totally recommended!

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: ETUDE HOUSE EYESHADOW (GR601)

Here's an initial review on ETUDE HOUSE EYESHADOW IN GR601

PRICE: 148PHP

PLACE BOUGHT: ETUDE HOUSE, SM MEGAMALL, MANDALUYONG CITY

OTHER LOCATIONS: NONE; ONLINE SELLERS; DIRECT SELLERS.

THE VERDICT:

Okay, for my growing eyeshadow collection, I needed an Aquamarined colored eyeshadow. So before I go to MAC and buy myself Steamy, I chanced upon this eyeshadow in Etude House boutique.

Here's the eyeshadow, untouched. Their packaging and design does remind me of Anna Sui, which is one of my loved products when it comes to design and packaging. I love Anna Sui's design to bits! :)

GR601 is a mint green eyeshadow with silver glitters. It glides on easily and texture is silky smooth. It doesn't fall off on my cheeks when it is being applied and it does give good color pay- off.

Here is GR601 on my eyes. Pardon the messy application. I just washed it messily over the lids so you guys can have an idea of what it'll look like on my eyes. :)

I think that this is a dupe for MAC's Steamy. Took a look at a swatch of it online. The only difference is, Steamy is more frosted, while GR601 is more on the glittery side.

If you're not partial to glitters, then you might have a problem liking this one because it does have a generous amount of glitter in it!

I've read in a blog that this is a dupe or somewhat similar to MAC's Electric Eel eyeshadow. Well, I beg to differ. Here's EH GR601 and Electric Eel side by side. Both are completely different.

Will I buy another again? Hmmm. I'd have to visit Etude House again. Sad to say, there aren't much colors. But then again, I'd have to check. :)

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: ETUDE HOUSE GREEN TEA NOSE PACK+ A SICK POST

Here’s an initial review on ETUDE HOUSE GREEN TEA NOSE PACK

 PRICE: 38PHP

PLACE BOUGHT: ETUDE HOUSE, SM MEGAMALL, MANDALUYONG CITY

OTHER LOCATIONS: NONE; DIRECT SELLERS; ONLINE

 THE VERDICT:

Nose strips are pretty much part of my skincare routine. I have oily skin so I have a lot of oil deposits on my facial skin. Once every week, I use this treatment during the night to get rid of deep- seated oil, whiteheads and blackheads.

 So I got this Green Tea nose pack and decided to give it a try. It’s kinda’ expensive for a nose strip because I’ve always been a loyal user of Bench’s Clear Pore Strip which is priced at 15php only. But to give it the benefit of the doubt, I gave Etude House a try and see if there’s something special.  

Okay. So I like the print of the packaging. I find it cute ‘cos I like dolls. :) 

And here’s the strip. It’s green. Hmmm… prolly ‘cos it has green tea?  

Okay so here it is on my nose. It has a nice acidic green tea scent.  

So while waiting, I applied Eskinol Dermclear- C Pimple fighting gel on that nasty pimple. After 3 minutes, here’s what the juicy pimple looked like. It’s swelling and will start to dry overnight. I LOVE ESKINOL! My HG pimple gel. Sorry, told you that this is a sick post.  

AFTER 15 MINUTES 

UGH! I am soooo disappointed! Look at how much deep- seated oil was removed! Only around 2 or three! I’ve searched the surface and there was almost no white or blackheads removed! Gaahhh… I’m so irritated.

 And look at my nose. It looks rough and it feels rough! It wasn’t cleaned at all! Eeew… And it left that nasty green residue which needed a good rubbing of soap and water to remove.

I am definitely not repurchasing! This is a total waste of money. It could’ve afforded me two Bench clear pore strips plus a change of 8 bucks! 

And to end this sick post… 

Think he’s cute? Do not be fooled. You know why he’s hiding behind the bed?  

Look what he did to my cute Etude House paperbag? Sick, eh?  

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: ETUDE HOUSE PETITE DARLING LIPSTICK IN BR302

Here's an initial review on ETUDE HOUSE PETITE DARLING LIPSTICK (BR302)

PRICE: 278PHP

PLACE BOUGHT: ETUDE HOUSE STORE, SM MEGAMALL, MANDALUYONG CITY

OTHER LOCATIONS: NONE; ONLINE; DIRECT SELLERS

THE VERDICT:

I decided to give this lippie a try primarily because of its cute packaging. I'm such a sucker for cute packaging! Also, it's the only color that appealed to me from the line. I'll have to check the line again because I was kinda' in a hurry when I dropped by Etude House yesterday. :)

Product is actually long in the tube. Love the diamond slanted tip design and the line design at the middle of the lipstick. :)

It has a satin finish. I love the color! It's a peach- based brown lipstick. A perfect nude lippie that doesn't wash me out. :)

Consistency is smooth and velvety. It has a jellybean smell that is not overpowering. Also, it didn't dry my lips at all! Perfect! However, it gets wiped out if you use your lips more often but stays put completely fine if you're not. Also, I noticed that if you rub your lips often, the color gets wiped off too so try to avoid that as much as possible.

I'm looking forward to getting one more color since the other colors have glitters. Also, I would like to get one color from the VIP Lipstick line! :)