Review: Limited edition Ariel and Snow White Brush sets from e.f.l

Hello everyone!  I'm back with a review of a line of limited edition Disney Princess brush sets from Walgreens!

 

Sorry for the filters... they're from my Instagram account and I pretty much ripped into the items right after taking pictures of my little haul.

As you can see from the photo, I also bought the nail and lip set from the Ariel collection.  I haven't tried the nail polishes yet (honestly, I'm not expecting much for that price) but I'll write another post once I have tried it out... I'm waiting for some items to come in to do a mermaid manicure, you see!  Then there's the lip set... that thing is a complete and utter waste of money.  The lipstain is like a dried up marker and feels like you're putting a razor blade to your lips!  The gloss isn't that great either but what can you expect from a brand like e.l.f that sells products for $3 and under?

The Snow White makeup brushes are pretty cute.  I was in dire need of some firmer makeup brushes because as cute as my pink and white ones are, they're too soft to pick up much product.  The Snow White brushes are average quality, not bad for $10 however, two of the brushes totally suck!!!  The all over face and blush/contour brushes positively ghastly.  They're very scratchy...  They probably won't last more than 3 washes.  The travel set that it comes in is pretty cute but I can't see it lasting long.  It's a nice collector's item if nothing else.

The Ariel crystal makeup brush set is really cute.  The quality of the brushes is better than the Snow White one since none of the brushes are scratchy.  I'm happy that it came with an eyeliner brush because I keep losing mine!  A sparkly blue one should be easy to keep up with.  The packaging is cute, as is the Snow White one.  It's not a very practical set for daily makeup application, I'll say that much.  As intended, this is a travel size makeup brush set--perfect for applying makeup while you're out and about or on vacation and don't want to bring the entire bathroom sink with you.  The snap closure is more secure than the velcro one with the Snow White set.

Are they the greatest makeup brushes ever?  Not really.  I much prefer the e.l.f studio makeup brushes, which is what I really think they should have used for this limited edition collection instead of using their basic ones.  Chances are I'll pick up more studio brushes down the line unless my cosmetology school includes some amazing brushes in my student kit once its time for me to start.

All in all, they're great collectors items if you're a Disney fan and they make a great gift.  I'll definitely be using my brushes when I'm traveling for shows, on vacation, or need to touch my face up on the go.

Since I'm weird as hell, I bought an extra set of the Ariel brushes just in case mine die from overuse or a shark attack.

Sephora: Disney Jasmine collection review (The Palace Jewel compact mirror)

Continuing my review of Sephora's latest Disney princess inspired line, I come to the compact mirror called, "The Palace Jewel."

(The Palace Jewel compact mirror and its packaging)

It's a very beautiful compact!  It has a very old world Arabian feel to it which I love.  This mirror is pretty heavy but I see that as a good thing.  It has beautiful golden designs throughout the front and two lamps in the center.  The palace is behind the golden designs and although it's hard to see, there's something written in Persian around it.  Inside the mirror, it says "Shut your eyes and take a chance."  Top mirror is normal while the bottom is a magnifying one (good for plucking eyebrows).  The compact itself has a very sturdy design and I really like how it has a button to push instead of having to push two platforms apart like some cheaper mirrors.

I ended up buying two of them: one for my purse and one for collecting purposes.  I tried to order it through the Sephora website earlier in the month but they were sold out (THANK YOU, RESELLERS).  Thankfully, Sephora had them for sale at their physical stores a few weeks later.  So if you're trying to buy it through the online store and the "sold out" red text is making you sad, I suggest you head to a Sephora store as soon as possible.  These sell out quite quick!!  Go to a Sephora store near you now to get yours!  You won't be disappointed!

As for carrying this compact in your purse, I highly recommend buying a silk pouch and keeping it inside of that.  This way your compact will remain beautiful and won't get scratches!  That's what I'm doing for mine.  It really does look and feel like a compact fitted for a princess.  This thing's a keeper!

Sephora: Disney Jasmine collection review (perfume)

It's spring so it's time for a new limited edition Disney princess inspired line by Sephora!  Sephora and Disney are working together to make cosmetic lines inspired by the Disney princesses and what's in right now is Princess Jasmine.  Last fall, it was Cinderella so I wonder how many of these are there going to be?  (I hope they do my most favorite character, Megara but they probably won't *sniff*)  The line includes a perfumed body shimmer, eyeliner set, perfume oil rollerball, eyeshadow pallet, mini eyeshadow pallet, compact mirror, and perfume.

I bought the perfume online through the Sephora website on a blind jump.  The notes sounded nice and Jasmine is one of my favorite characters so I went, "Why not?" and bought it.

(The bottle)

(Front of the box)

(Side of the box)

The fragrance is named "A Whole New World."  The perfume bottle itself is pretty small.  It only comes in one size which is 1.7oz and costs $58.  Pretty pricey... this is the amount of money I pay for a designer fragrance in a larger size.  That struck me as kinda odd but meh.  The perfumes notes are: Carnation, Orange Blossom, Mandarin, Gardenia, Mimosa, Musky Accord, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber, Benzoin.

I thought this would have a fresher scent since it's almost nothing but flowers.  It's better for special evening occasions rather than daytime wear.  My opinion?  I do not like it!  This is the first time I've ever bought a perfume this expensive on a blind buy and regret it.  The smell is kinda strong, not something I imagined Princess Jasmine to smell like.  The "spicy" and wood notes just plain stink.  It's not an overpowering stink, but it still stinks.  It really doesn't smell that exotic to me... nothing I'd imagine an Arabian princess to smell like.  Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible scent but I just don't feel like a princess while wearing it.  Thankfully, Sephora gave me free shipping on this purchase and it was free to ship it back.  It was returned.

Final rating: 3/5, average