Sedona Lace's Brush Set vs. Sigma's Brush Set

Hey guys! I was recently sent a set of brushes to review from Sedona Lace Cosmetics. Upon receiving them I noticed immediately how similar they were to the set from Sigma. And since Sigma is fairly well known I thought I would do a comparison between the two. As you'll see not every brush is identical but the quality is the same. So if you are looking for good brushes for a bit less than Sigma check out Sedona Lace here. For the 12 brush set (without the brush roll) Sigma charges $69.00. Sedona Lace charges $49.95 for their 12 piece set which includes a brush roll.

In the pictures below the Sigma brush is on the left and the Sedona Lace brush is on the right. You can also click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Powder Brush

As you can see from the picture these two brushes are nearly identical. Bristle length and density is very similar. The shape may appear different but I attribute that to the Sedona Lace brush being fresh from the brush roll. Both brushes when washed did bleed and shed a bit which is fairly normal and expected. I really like these for applying a setting powder over foundation.

Duo Fibre Brush

Again these two look fairly similar. The only differences I can pick up would be that the Sigma brush is slightly denser than the Sedona Lace one and that the Sigma has a slightly larger ferrel. I also experienced bleeding when I washed both of these brushes, but the Sedona Lace bled a little less. This is my go to brush for applying liquid foundation.

Angled Contour Brush

I would have to say these two are nearly identical. The only thing was that the Sedona Lace brush was VERY slighty less dense, and by VERY I mean VERY. I use this brush to apply blush and contour powders.

Foundation Brush

These two brushes are identical. I like using these style brushes to apply moisturizer especially if I am working on someone else's face.

Concealer Brush

Again no words, these are identical. I do like these brushes for appyling concealer to the face, but nothing works like your ring finger for applying it to you undereye area.

Pencil Brush

These two are definitely different. As you can see the Sigma's ferrel is slightly wider. The Sedona Lace brush is more tapered which makes it easier to work with. I mainly use these brushes for defining my crease and blending in small areas.

Tapered Blending Brush

And here we have the two brushes that are the most different. This Sigma brush is quite popular but I never reach for it. I tend to prefer looser, softer brushes for blending out color. Which is why I like the Sedona Lace brush. It's fluffier and works very well at softening lines.

Eye Shader Brush

This is one of my favorite brushes to use for packing on color and I can't see the difference between the Sigma and the Sedona Lace. Again to me these look identical.

Large Shader Brush
This is another brush where the similarities are evident. The Sedona Lace brush is wider and the brush hairs are longer. But in all honesty they work the same. I like these brushes for applying a wash of color to the lid.

Medium Angled Shader Brush

These two are different as well. As you can see the Sedona Lace brush hairs are longer. I actually prefer the Sigma brush because I primarily use it for crease work and I think the Sigma does a better job at applying the color.

Small Angle Brush

These two are super similiar. I am not a fan of this brush for eyeliner, which is what it is intended for. I think it's lines are too thick for my personal taste. But it does make an excellent brush for more artistic stuff, linework, detail etc.

Eyeliner Brush

Again I am not a fan of this brush for eyeliner. I do however LOVE it for lips. I use it all the time when I'm going for a precise lip application. And as you can tell from the picture these two brushes are identical, well minus the Sigma one is a tad stained from lip products (namely the OCC Lip Tars).

Quick Run Down Of Hair Dye and Products

Let's face it, red hair is a PAIN to keep from fading, but I think it's a lovely color and worth the effort. It's taken me a bit of time to get the color I've wanted (we're talking months here) but that may be due to the residual black dye that was clinging to my hair for it's life. Seriously... if you are thinking about going jet black make sure to do your research and find a dye that will come out of your hair. But we're not going to delve into the pain of lifting out black dye... Instead let's paint our roses red... umm I mean hair red.

All products can be found at Sally's Beauty Supply. Everything I've listed is also available online if you don't have a Sally's near you. Be sure to check out their Beauty Club too cause it's a nice little discount that comes in handy.

Ion Color Brilliance Creme

Permanent Hair Color
Medium Intense Red Blonde

305163
2.05 oz

$4.99

(This is also available in a liquid)

Ion Sensitive Scalp 9% Developer in 30

8 oz.

$2.99

Colorful Protein Color Filler

#10 Red Red

Intensifies color and can be used to refresh color

2.5 oz.

$5.29

Processing Caps
3 count

$0.89
Mixing Bowl

$2.39

Tint Brush

$0.79

Miracle 7 for Heavenly Hair

Leave in mist (conditioner)

5 oz.

$12.99

Batiste Dry Shampoo Original

Refreshes hair between washes

5.3 oz.

$7.49

Interpreting McQueen with Makeup

Quick little post for this one: Alexander McQueen Inspired Mask

Not much can be said for the genius of McQueen, the words haven't been invented... yet. So I decided to pull inspiration from one of his pieces for this mask. I didn't use a ton of products so it's really inexpensive if you fancy a go at it. Hope you enjoy!

Products:

Mehron Basic Paradise Palette (I used the bright yellow and the black)

Ben Nye Eyeshadow in Sun Yellow

Hard Candy Walk the Line Eyeliner in Asphalt

MAC Eye Kohl in Feline

L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Halloween False Lashes: Spyder Woman

Avon Lipliner in Wild Berry

American Beauty Lipstick in Berry Blend

Revlon Lipgloss in Rock Royalty

Seadragon Inspired Eyes

I am LOVING greens, blues and golds lately! I think it's an exciting combo for the spring and summer seasons. And well since it's springummer right now I did this quick look using the 120 palette. It's such a great little palette since everything you need is all in one place, which is great for people like me who need that extra sleep in the morning and don't want to drag out all of their make-up for one look. So I present to thee: Seadragon Eyes! The first picture below is a diagram of color placement. The second is a chart of the colors used. The numbers correlate. I thought this would be a quick and easy way to see what I used.

Product Breakdown:

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

120 Eyeshadow Palette

Rimmel Eye Kohl in White

L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Avon Lipliner in Wild Berry

Rimmel's Lasting Finish Lipstick in En Vogue

The 120 palette came from Sedona Lace and can be found here.

Rocker Eyes with Raving Beauty Cosmetics

Up on the agenda today we have ROCKER eyes! I absolutely love dark intense smoky eyes... oh those lucky rockers. And you can't have rocker eyes without eyeliner... it's a rock essential. I also think of metallics, so I have incorporated them all into this look. So let's get down to the product breakdown...

MAC Kohl Power Eyeliner in Feline- I used this as a base because of it's insane pigmentation. It's the best black eyeliner I have. The downfall is that is smears like a motherfrencher. It is limited edition but in reality any soft black eyeliner would work. Check out my last post to grab some tips on using eyeliners.

Raving Beauty Loose Mineral Eyeshadows

Exotic Bloom- A medium pink with a pink/purple duochrome. This is a great dupe of MAC's pink pearl pigment. Other colors that are comparable: Ben Nye's Cosmic Violet, MAC's Stars and Rockets and Urban Decay's Fishnet.

Haitian Flower- A true hot pink with a hint of shimmer. This is comparable to MAC's Post Haste eyeshadow except for the finish. Post Haste is a matte and Haitian Flower is a shimmer.

Carbon- A matte black. This shadow is super pigmented and works great wet as an eyeliner.

Silver- A gorgeous silver! This shadow is super sparkly and works really well as an inner corner highlight.

Find Raving Beauty here

Wet N' Wild Color Icon Palette in Lust

I used the cream color in the palette as a highlight. This is a wonderful little palette and there are many dupes for MAC eyeshadows in it. You can find these at most drugstores.

Rimmel's Lipcolor in Airy Fairy

A lot of you have heard of Rimmel's Airy Fairy, if not I highly recommend it. It is a gorgeous pink gold color and it doesn't dry out lips. It also lasts fairly long and it's quickly become my favorite go-to lipstick. It can be found at most drugstores that carry Rimmel.

Stila's Lipglaze in Kitten

This is also a pink gold color. It is easily dupeable but I like the formulation of Stila's lipglazes. They aren't sticky or thick. Kitten is available in Sephora and Ulta.

How to Prevent Eyeliner Smudges/Runs/Smears

So yeah I don't think Captain Jack Sparrow worries about his eyeliner, but in all honesty I think he is the only one that can rock the raccoon eyes. With that said, ladies and gentlemen I give to you my first ever post on my brand new blog. And what is the topic at hand you may ask... Well my fellow make-up connoiseurs I present to you how to prevent eyeliner smudges. We have all witnessed the terror that smudged and smeared eyeliner can bring; the stares, the did you get enough sleeps, the honey grunge went out years ago comments. But the question at hand is HOW DO WE PREVENT these ghastly smears? As a fellow eyeliner lover I am here to share with you some of my favorite tips.

First let's begin with upper lid liner.

I find liquid eyeliner is the way to go on the upper lid. Not only is it simple to apply but you don't have to worry about sharpening a pencil or washing a brush. Also liquid liner offers the cleanest lines especially if you are going for that illusive cat eye wing. But liquid liner can smear. So how do we stop that? The solution is to find a good sealant. I highly recommend Kryolan's Cel Sealer. This product is designed for the stage which means it has amazing staying power. At first glance it looks like a bottle of eyedrops, but this little sucker packs a lot of bang for the buck. I purchased mine six months ago and have barely put a dent in it. To apply it you simply place a drop on your hand, pick up a small bit on an angled brush and sweep it over your liner. It only takes a few seconds to dry and after that you are ready for an all day eyeliner fest. It won't smudge or smear. And for you fans of gel liners and pencil liners, fret not, because it works just the same with them. Another added benefit of this product is it's ability to mix with loose shadows to make your own eyeliner. To achieve this you simply mix a few drops of the Cel Sealer with your favorite loose shadow and apply it just like a liquid liner. The best thing is this product is affordable compared to it's counterpart Benefit's She-Laq. She-Laq costs $30, Krylon Cel Sealer can be found for around $10. The best place to find it I have found is eBay. I ordered mine from FunHouseTheatrical (click on the name to find the shop). Some theatrical makeup suppliers also keep it in stock as well. I definitely think it's a must have for those of us who struggle with racoon eyes.

Now on to the lower lid...

The lower lid is a bit of a different beast. Where I prefer liquid liner on the top lid, I definitely use gel liners, pencils and eyeshadows on the lower lid. In my opinion liquid liner is way too harsh for everyday wear. I like to use soft pencil liners which are notorious for smudging. To combat that I simply pat a similar shade of eyeshadow over the liner. You can also skip the liner and just use eyeshadow for lower liner. Eyeshadow, as powder, and can hold up really well under the eyes.

Now it's time for the waterline....

Oh joy of joys! The waterline, which is the inner rim of the eye, is quite a pain to line. However lining it can intensify your eyes like nothing else! I really like using waterproof, smudge-proof liners like the Styli-Style Line and Seal liners. These liners are available in many drugstores like CVS and offer a wide variety of colors. They hold up better for me than the Urban Decay 24/7 liners and are a fraction of the cost. I do also like to pat similar eyeshadows over the liner as well. Any little extra I can do to make it last I will do. I have yet to find a guaranteed solution but these tips have definitely helped. So get to lining those beautiful eyes!