Everyday Minerals Brush Haul & Reviews

Hey guys ~

          This week I wanted to write some reviews on my Everyday Minerals brushes for you guys. Let me start out by telling you a bit about their company.

Everyday Minerals: 

• Is an all-natural makeup and skincare company.
• Their products are all handmade in Austin, TX.
• They offer a variety of sample kits, including one offer that gives you seven samples for one penny (ideal when trying to find a foundation match).
• Extremely cost effective.
• They are always putting out new value kits and specials.
• 100% cruelty-free company. None of their products are tested on animals, and their makeup brushes are made with synthetic bristles, not fur. 

Here are the brushes I'll be reviewing today:

Flat Top Brush - Long Handled Kabuki Brush - Yachiyo Artisan Brush

Angled Shading Eye Brush - Eye Kabuki Junior Brush - Angled Blush Brush

Eco Botan Artisan Kabuki Brush 

          From Everyday Minerals Website: "Our brushes are 100% vegan and cruelty free! Each brush handle is made from 100% renewable bamboo and our synthetic brush bristles are dense and plush, making them perfect for mineral application."

         I've had these brushes for a few months now, so this definitely isn't a first impression review, and I've tried to be as thorough as possible. That being said, I'm still new at writing reviews, so let me know if there's anything you would like me to include! :)

~ Flat Top Brush ~

       

               

          This is probably one of my favorite brushes I received with this order. I bought it primarily because it looked similar Sigmas F80 Flat Kabuki ($28). Although I don't have the F80 brush to do a full comparison, the Everyday Minerals Flat Top Brush only costs $14, and I've been very happy with it so far. I know almost every brush review for Everyday minerals says this but... IT'S SO SOFT.

Seriously, all of these brushes feel amazing. I did experience some minor shedding when I first took the brush out of the packaging, but the shedding stopped after a few uses. The bristles are really dense and the handle fits really nicely in my hand. Although all of Everyday Minerals brushes are intended to be used with mineral or powdered makeup, it also gives a good application with liquid foundations as well.

         All in all, I really enjoy this brush, and would definitely recommend it!

~ Yachiyo Artisan Brush ~

          The Yachiyo Artisan Brush, although now discontinued, is just too-stinkin-cute. It was $14, super soft, and seems to be a very versatile brush. I've been switching back and forth between using it for my contouring, highlighting, and applying my blush, and I can honestly say I love it for all three! I find that it does a great job when you want to get a light application from products that have almost too much pigmentation *cough-Tarte'sAmazonianClayBlushes-cough* Definitely one of my favorite brushes purchased.

~ Long Handled Kabuki Brush ~

              

          Once again, the Long Handled Kabuki Brush ($14) is ridiculously soft, dense, and applies wonderfully. Although when it comes to applying foundation, I do prefer the Flat Top Brush. This brush grabs onto pigment very well, so I primarily use this to apply blushes that don't have very much color pay-off. I also experienced a bit of minor shedding when opening this brush, but ,once again, it stopped shedding after a few uses.

         Although this is a really nice brush, I feel that I could've gone without ordering this particular brush. Out of the brushes I purchased, I favor the Flat Top for my foundation, and the Yachiyo Artisan for my blush, so I just don't find myself reaching for it as often. That being said, it is still a very nice brush, and does just as advertised, so no regrets on purchasing it. 

 ~ Angled Shading Eye Brush ~

             

         The Angled Shading Eye Brush ($10) is  just as soft as the other brushes, and I've been primarily using it  to highlight my inner eye and the arch of my eyebrow. I'm still fiddling around with different ways to use it with my eyeshadow, but I find that it is just a bit too big for my eyes.

~ Eye Kabuki Junior Brush ~

             

              I've seen from several reviews that both the Eye Kabuki ($8.99) and the Eye Kabuki Junior ($7.99) brushes are great for concealing and, I must say, I completely agree! I've been using it to apply both my color correcting concealers and my normal concealer, and I'm really happy with the results. When I first saw this brush, I thought of it as just another crease-type brush. Now that I have it, it's seems like it's a tad thicker than my other crease brushes. I'm looking forward to trying the regular Eye Kabuki brush as well, which is said to be great at concealing under-eye circles.

~ Angled Blush Brush ~

 

          I feel the same way towards Angled Blush Brush ($12.99) as I do the Long Handled Kabuki. While it does apply blush really well, it's so dense that I only use if for my blushes that aren't as pigmented. I also tried using it for my contour, but found it to be a bit too big for my features. I will say that I do find myself reaching for this more frequently than the Long Handled Kabuki, but it's still a brush that I can find myself going without.

                        ~ Eco Botan Artisan Kabuki Brush ~

 This brush. 

          This brush feels like rubbing an adorable little hamster all over your face, and I think that that's probably one of the best ways that you could start your day. It turns out that the Eco Botan Kabuki is now being sold for a limited time, so the price has jumped to $22.99. Although I do love this brush, I'll admit that I probably wouldn't have purchased it with the current price tag. If anything were to happen to my current brush though, I would definitely consider purchasing a replacement. 

          

          It felt rather redundant to order two Kabukis in the same order, but there are actually some pretty big differences between the Long Handled Kabuki and the Eco Botan Kabuki. 

Left: Long Handled Kabuki                                         Right: Eco Botan Artisan Kabuki

           As you can see from the picture, the Eco Botan Kabuki has got some definite volume going on. It doesn't seem to be as dense as the Long Handled Kabuki, so I prefer to use it when applying my setting powder. The softness and size of the Eco Botan are just perfect.

How about an Overview:
          
           Overall, I'm really happy with these brushes! Each brush is insanely soft, applies well, and has a high quality feel. Each brush did shed for the first few uses, but stopped soon after. They've held up very well over these past few months, and I'd definitely recommend Everyday Minerals brushes to anyone who is interested in purchasing some makeup brushes that are both environmentally friendly and cruelty free! :)

           Hope you guys have found these reviews helpful! Feel free to post any of your experiences with Everyday Mineral products in the comments section. I look forward to reading them!

My First Float

          

Awesome Adventure TIme gif made by generichuman.

          Two days ago, I experienced Sensory Deprivation Therapy (Isolation Therapy, or R.E.S.T.) for the first time. Originally, I decided that I would be posting my thoughts on each float almost directly after I returned home from the sessions, but that was before I was told by the owner of the float spa that the effects of floating actually last for several days after the experience. Needless to say, he was right.

          When I first stepped into the float room, I found myself to be a bit nervous. I had been told not to hold many expectations, considering the experience is different for each and every person. I had heard stories of people having life altering experiences during their first float, such as people having out of body experiences or even being "reborn". Yet, I had also heard stories of people "not getting much out of it" besides a stiffness in their neck from not trusting the water to support them.

          After I closed the door to the float room, I sat in the center of the water, did some light stretches, and attempted to clear my mind. The water felt perfect, in both temperature and density. Just a few minutes into the float, I realized that I could no longer distinguish between what parts of my body were submerged in the water and which were out in the air. Soon after that, my body almost completely vanished. Any time my body would "reappear" it would feel as if I was caught in a gentle current, just drifting along.

          Around five minutes into the float, I noticed that the soft music and light that were present when I entered the room started to fade. When both were gone, all I was left with were the sounds of my body which still felt as if it was no longer there. It was a very unique feeling. My heart beat, my breathing, even the sound of the blood flowing behind my eardrums, they were all amplified for a brief moment, but would soon fade out of focus just as everything els had.

        While first falling into that trance like state, me body started twitching. Each time I would twitch during my float, I felt the need to readjust myself afterwords, and thus ended up bumping in to the sides of the float room and breaking free from my altered state every now and then. Now that I look back at it, I think the only reason I felt compelled to readjust myself so frequently is because I was still nervous of these new surroundings. I was told by the owner of the float spa after my session that the twitching was caused by my brain waves switching back and forth between Alpha waves (relaxed, yet reflective) and Theta waves (a mediative state). Apparently, it's not uncommon to experience twitching during your first float, and the twitching stops once your body gets used to fully entering the Theta state.

        The rest of my float continued in a cycle of vanishing, twitching, and then reappearing for the duration of my hour session, until I was gently brought back into reality by the soft music and light that had left me earlier.

         Getting out of the tank, my body felt heavy and a bit awkward to operate. Was this really what gravity felt like? I spent some time in the shower afterwards composing myself both mentally and physically. Although my body felt heavy, there was a weight that had been lifted off my shoulders, and my mind felt free. My senses felt heightened. Every color looked a little more vivid, every sound a little more defined, even my clothes felt different on my skin. Yet, with all of my senses on high alert, I felt ultimately calm. While driving home, I was well-aware of my surroundings, yet so relaxed that I thought next to nothing about getting caught in 5 o'clock traffic only minutes after leaving the spa.

         I left my radio off for the entirety of my drive home. I didn't want music, the weather, or the news. I was content with silence. It felt so peaceful. This contentedness continued even when I returned home. When I walked through my front door, I just sat down all of my belongings, gave my dog a good belly rub, and took him out on the patio with me to watch some rain clouds roll in over the sunset. It was beautiful.

Once again, thank you generichuman.

         I slept deeper than I had in months that night, and this subtle feeling of euphoria has followed me around for the past few days. My mind is clearer, I can process things faster, and all of my joints are popping less. But out of all those things, what I am most amazed to realize, is the fact that I haven't been on Reddit for at least two days. Yes, Reddit. I haven't been on any social media site for that matter.

          You see, I've had a bit of a problem with constantly feeling the need to be on the internet since I graduated college a few weeks ago. In college, my laptop and my phone were necessities for my projects, but after I graduated it quickly turned into me getting on my devices any time there was even a lull in the conversation. It was rude, it was inconsiderate, it was muscle-memory by that point, and I hated it.

          Thankfully, my first float session somehow made me stop. Believe me, I don't know how it did, and I certainly wasn't expecting it to have this effect, but I'm thankful that it did.

          So, there you have it. My first float wasn't a complete rebirth, but I have felt absolutely amazing since I've stepped out of that float room. It's an experience I recommend that everyone try at least once, who knows what you might get out of it!

Thank you for reading, and happy floats. ~

Welcome to The Ginger Jaup

~ Hello ~

Welcome to The Ginger Jaup! 

This blog will soon be filled with a number posts from my varying interests, including:

Beauty Products ~ Photography ~ Sensory Deprivation Therapy 

Music ~ Anime ~ Books ~ Traveling & much more.

This list will likely be growing and changing over time, as I am still young (recently graduated from college), and there are many experiences in life that are still new to me.