HAUL x REVIEW | Sephora Hong Kong

Yes, I know I just posted my Sephora VIB haul a little over a month ago, but procrastination got the best of me and I never got around to posting this haul I made during Black Friday last November. Almost a year ago, I announced that Sephora was making its way over to the 852 via their online store, and it took me eight months to finally make my first order. They were offering a 20 percent off Black Friday discount, and you know I just couldn't resist.

Shipping took a total of four days, and all my items came securely packaged in bubble wrap. As soon as this came through my door, all Riley wanted to do was tear into my package and chew up all my lovely products. Not happening! So instead I made her sit quietly and pose for the camera - she does not look amused. You guys would be proud to know that I kept my haul to a minimum this time around - zero makeup!

Let's start with the most eye-catching item of the haul - the bright, Barney-purple Practk Palmat Brush Cleaner. I finally decided my half-assed attempt at cleaning my brushes by rubbing them between my fingers and on my palm just wasn't cutting it, and came across this handy product on the website for $10USD. When the Sigma Beauty brush cleaning gloves first launched a few years back, I thought they were just way too expensive for what they were (it's currently priced at $39USD), so color me surprised when I found out after my order that Practk is actually a new sister brand of Sigma Beauty that creates inexpensive and innovative beauty tools! The Palmat is much smaller and more portable than the Sigma variations, and fits right in the palm of my hand (and is adjustable to fit any hand size). There are grooves and indentations - a wash and refine section - on both sides that are designed specifically for larger face brushes and smaller eye brushes that really do wonders at getting in there and thoroughly cleaning all the foundation and eyeshadow out of my brushes. I've used it a handful of times so far and have been really enjoying the results. Ten bucks well spent!

Practk Palmat Brush Cleaner

Instead of splurging on makeup products this time - and believe me, I had to exercise great restraint - I opted for some much needed beauty tools that were currently lacking in my collection - eye brushes! I am not someone that wears (or experiments with) fun, creative eye makeup - a soft brown shade like MAC Wedge in the crease and I'm good to go - but nonetheless, quality eye brushes are a must. I've heard rave reviews about Zoeva, especially regarding their brushes, but never had the opportunity to get my hands on them until now! After perusing dozens of online reviews and pictures, I narrowed down my choices to just three eye brushes - the 221 Luxe Soft Crease, 224 Luxe Defined Crease, and 228 Luxe Crease. They might all look eerily similar, but trust me, they're not!

MAC 217 | Zoeva 221 Luxe Soft Crease | Zoeva 224 Luxe Defined Crease | Zoeva 228 Luxe Crease

My favorite, or rather most-used, of the three would have to be the 221 Luxe Soft Crease - it's the perfect size for my eyelids and my go-to for a sheer wash of color, and helps blend out all my shadows to perfection. It is comparable to my trusty MAC 217 in terms of shape, application and functionality, except that the 217 is pinched at the ferrule. The 228 Luxe Crease is a more tapered version of the 221, and I use it to deposit a darker shade on the outer corners for that smokey effect. I reach for the 224 Luxe Defined Crease the least, as I find that the more feathery and splayed out characteristic of the brush hairs make it best suited for detailed work in the crease that I just don't often do. However, the bristles are cut flat at the top and are all of the same length, which makes it a unique brush in my collection. Each brush was $82HKD (just over $10USD), and so far I am loving them all and genuinely impressed with the quality.

Zoeva 109 Face Paint Brush

Lastly, to feed my ongoing obsession with contouring, here's the one brush that inspired this entire haul in the first place - the Zoeva 109 Face Paint Brush. Chiseled cheekbones, here I come! Last year, I got my hands on the NARS Tahiti Bronzer - a set that included the famous Laguna bronzer and a mini-size of their highly coveted Ita Kabuki brush. I lusted after the Ita brush for years, but decided to splurge $59USD for the Tahita Bronzer set with bronzer and brush instead of just the full-sized brush with the longer handle at $55USD. A much better deal in my opinion! With the Zoeva 109 brush priced at $157HKD (about $20USD), I just had to see for myself if the two brushes were comparable, or better yet, if they were similar enough to be dupes.

NARS Ita Brush | Zoeva 109 Face Paint Brush

Both brushes have the same flat, square-shaped bristles - the Zoeva 109 is denser and more firmly packed compared to the NARS Ita brush, which has longer and more loosely packed bristles. While the 109 is much softer in texture, the Ita brush, which shocked me as quite scratchy and itchy on the face upon initial use, has become smoother and more gentle over time. There was some light shedding for both brushes in the beginning - just a few strands here and there - but they have managed to keep their shape after washing.

After a few months of testing, I have to say that I just can't pick a favorite - I love them both! Cop-out answer, I know. The softer texture of the 109 makes it very pleasant to use on the face, and the shorter, stiffer bristles make for a more precise, controlled blending, and everything looks more diffused and natural. Plus, the rose gold detailing is just icing on the cake. On the other hand, the Ita brush allows for me to really carve out my cheekbones and jawline, and offers a much more intense, defined and fierce contour that the 109 just can't achieve. Perhaps if I had the original Ita brush with the more manageable longer handle, it would've edged out the competition. So while I don't believe these two contouring brushes are exact dupes, they do both perform similarly and are both good investments to make for your brush collection, especially if you're a contour-fanatic like myself. For supermodel bone structure (and in my case, traveling purposes), my choice would, hands down, be the NARS Ita brush. For an everyday, natural born-this-way contour, the Zoeva 109 takes the cake. 

Thanks for reading! I'm done with hauling for a while - get ready for more beauty reviews coming your way!