Design and Aesthetics
I think one of the selling points of this Special Kit which accounts for its rather steep price is the sheer quality of its aesthetics. Never have I seen packaging as princess-y and intricate as this. These pieces, despite being functional makeup tools seem to deserve their own special place in anybody's makeup mantle. It's almost a shame to have to use these sometimes, and I'm sure most would probably prefer just leaving these as decorative accents to an everyday vanity desk.
Even the box has a quaint unique quality to it, and has a magnetic latch, perfect for keeping knick-knacks in if you can't find it in you to throw it away.
The one little qualm I have about this set is just how sickeningly pink it is, haha. That's not entirely a bad thing for people who love pink, but I think I've mentioned quite a bit that I'm not the biggest fan of pink. The pastel pink of this set is pleasant to look at despite my aversion for pink. I just wished it matched the rest of my room's interior better ahaha.
Aesthetics aside, I'm sure you're all quite curious as to how each piece of the set actually works. For this next part of this review or walkthrough, I think I'll skip the mirror, because you know, it's a mirror.
Haha. Scroll down for a review on the brush, blush and lipstick ;)
Etoinette Rose Brush
Okay, so this brush is ridiculously fancy. I don't entirely see the practicality of designing brush bristles into the shape of a flower, powder or foundation-finish-wise, and it really just makes it all the more painful to use the brush in the first place ahaha.
I mean, look at it. It's just so ornate and cute. It's like a really gay kabuki brush fashioned in Europe ahahaha. Again, I'm not fond of the pink but meh.
Where density of the bristles and softness is concerned, this brush is decent, but it isn't amazing. It's sufficiently dense that squeezing it and rubbing your finger against it puts up a little resistance as seen in the picture below.
The bristles are still a bit on the rough side IMHO. I think it's how they're cut and arranged into a flower shape. I'm just not used to it, so It's really weird running this brush against my skin. For powder blush, however, this is sufficient.
I just can't see myself using this brush for powder foundation because of the awkward feeling it leaves on my skin, and the uneven finish it tends to give because of the pattern. Plus, the bristles stain x_x And this brush also sheds.
I actually regret using this brush because otherwise, it would've been such a cute decorative piece. x_x Owell.
Tools aside, let's get on to the actual makeup!
Okay, so I got a little too creative with this review ahaha. Forgive me.
Let's start off with the
Etoinette Heart Blusher in PK001 Pink Petal Kiss
I think this is my favorite piece in the kit, because not only is it ornate and pleasing to look at, the concept behind is also quite cute. Similar to pearl blushers by Physician's Formula, Etude takes it a step further by shaping each individual blush brick into a heart and then encasing it into this pink cup of princess-y goodness.
When you first get your kit, each heart is carefully packaged in this plastic container. It's pretty powdery and full of fallout and each heart is particularly delicate, so you have to be very careful so as not to break a heart. (Just like in real life! Lol)
The hearts themselves come in three shades of pink, from left to right in the picture below: a shimmery fuchsia pink, a pearly baby pink and a pale pink-white. You could probably use an individual heart like chalk but I don't want to chance breaking one ahaha.
I'm sure there's a way of pulling off each shade individually and I'm particularly interested in using the lightest shade as a highlighter because it's has a very iridescent color to it. You can't really tell from the picture below but the pearl color is my favorite :) They all have very subtle shimmery finishes to them however, so if you're not a fan of shimmer and glimmer, this probably isn't your type of blush.
Mixed together the blush has a multi-dimensional feel to it and shows off different depths of pink from different angles, but again, it's a very subtle blush that can be layered on as heavily as needed.
For that purpose, the puff that comes with it is quite useful. It's good at packing on the blush, but not very useful for actually getting the color from the blush bricks onto the puff itself. I find myself having second thoughts about patting the puff onto the hearts themselves for fear of breaking them.
It's a lot easier to use a soft fluffy brush or a kabuki brush (like the one that comes with this kit) for that purpose.
So how does it look when applied?
Okay, so I'll be really really honest. This blush looks AMAZING on camera. It really does. There's this nice glowy feel to it, and the pink shows up wonderfully against my skin. But IRL, I'm really not a huge fan of overtly pink blushes. I always want my blushes to have a hint of orange, red or plum in them and something that's just plain pink just sits really oddly on my natural skin tone. Plus the shimmer is definitely not something you'd like dealing with on a normal day.
I can see myself wearing this blush for a gala occasion (on the level of a ball/prom but not for a formal dinner or function) for that additional oomph and pop, but definitely not for a normal day out.
How about the lipstick though?
Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips in PPK02 Dewy Petal Kiss
Like the blush, the Crystal Shine Lips is really pretty look at from its aesthetics alone. It's one of those lipsticks you can imagine Princess Aurora using or packing in her purse haha. The gold detailing on its cover and around its rim is also really eye catching, and even the bullet is designed with the signature Etoinette 'E'.
It's also really moisturizing without being too thick. I've said before that I'm not fond of pinks on my skin, and I prefer them much less on my lips considering how naturally dark my lips are, but I actually quite like this pink. It gives my lips a healthy glow and sheen with a similar finish to a the My Jelly Lips Talk with more color pay off. It has sheer color coverage but it can definitely be built up for more color. I'm not entirely sure you can bump this up to be completely opaque however, so if you want to hide your original lip color completely you may want to consider a lip concealer :)
So unlike the blush which I wouldn't sport on a daily basis, I definitely think this lipstick is a keeper :) It's a bit shame to bite into the bullet with everyday use though -- but at least when you finish the lip color you can always keep it as a decorative piece.
All in all, the blush and lipstick that come with this kit are supposedly complements of each other, but doubt I would use the blush and the lip together. I think for the brightness that the blush gives, I would use a nude-er lipstick or for the lipstick, I'd use a more muted cheek color. So either one or the other, probably not both.
In pictures, however, this duo works amazingly well haha.
Wow, looking at the above picture is like a trip down memory lane haha. I've lost so much weight since then D: This picture was taken late August so you can pretty much tell how long this review has been sitting on my blog pending list X_x I'm sorry for the delay!
So what do you think? Is the Special Kit worth the extra price? :P
Expect more backed up posts and some new ones quite soon!
Ada, signing out!
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