Today’s Test Drives is a big one as I’m reviewing quite a few things in one post. I’m doing a mix of hair and makeup with this one. While I always cover makeup, I don’t usually cover hair products. In today’s review, we’re covering Sutra Beauty, Coastal Scents, Milk Makeup, Mineral Air and Formawell Beauty. So, I was definitely psyched to check out these hair tools. As usual, I’ll share what items were gifted versus purchased. We’ll start with makeup and work our way to hair.

Mineral Air Complexion & Blush Kit (gifted)

Airbrushed makeup isn’t necessarily new but this version is pretty innovative in that it runs on battery or USB charge which makes it travel friendly. That makes it different from some of the other airbrush makeup brands as you don’t need to be plugged into a power source. To use, add up to 10 drops of your preferred foundation shade (or mix of shades) into the reservoir. Simply press down the power button and wave the applicator across your face while leaving a three to four inch distance. The foundation promises to prime, conceal and hydrate.

What I like:

Airbrush makeup can seem like an intimidating tool because there’s often a steep learning curve to master the technique. But considering how straightforward this product was to use (as compared to other airbrushed products I’ve received), it was really user friendly. Also, Mineral Air promises to give you “your skin but better”, and they definitely deliver on that promise. I’m now five or so hours into wearing this makeup and I don’t feel like I have any foundation on at all. Additionally, I like that you can achieve a custom foundation by mixing the available shades. I used 7 drops of Deep and 3 of Mocha to achieve a hue closest to my own.

What could be better:

While this product was easy to use, at first I wasn’t even sure if anything was coming out of the reservoir. So, ultimately, I ended up applying the product twice (or using two rounds of 10 drops). Additionally, even though the foundation looked great under natural or warm lights, under my ring light it gave me an ashen cast.      

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Radiant (purchased)

Coastal Scents is a great place to stock up on shadows and blushes at ridiculously budget friendly prices. Back around Black Friday, I stocked up on a ton of items during their BF/CM sale, including buying a bunch of blushes.

What I like:

As someone who lives for a more orange hued blush, I loved that this offered intense color payoff with minimal use of product. I was able to achieve the same level of rosy cheeks that I can get from NYX Cosmetics’ Ombre “Feel the Heat” (discontinued) or Kevyn Aucoin’s Neo-Blush in Sunset.

What Could Be Better:

While it’s not a deal breaker, I do wish this wasn’t a matte shade and offered a tiny bit of shimmer. Without shimmer, blush can appear flat.

Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Supernova (gifted)

Depending on who you talk to, Milk is either the most amazing makeup brand or just “meh”. Their Holographic Stick promises to give you a bit of subtle shimmer and in a soft purple hue that you can build into an intense opaque effect if you really want to.

What I like:

This is actually a great cream dupe version for my favorite Kevyn Aucoin Neo-Limelight Ibiza highlight. It’s frostier than Ibiza, but if you know how to apply sparingly, (and pair with a warm bronzer/highlight), you can still achieve the same effect. Also, it really does apply sheer, so you can wear as little or as much as you want without the risk of overdoing it on the first swipe.

What could be better:

Even though the stick form is meant to be an “easy” way to apply, it’s not if you intend to wear more makeup than this stick or apply it after other makeup steps. I found the best method was to do like I did with Buxom’s Divine Goddess palette and use a damp blending sponge to apply to my cheekbones and bridge of my nose.

Sutra Beauty Vapor Infused Flatiron (gifted)

I’ve been holding onto this (and the next) flatiron for a while waiting for the perfect opportunity to test it. Since I opted to switch up my hairstyle to a protective style until Spring decides to return, now was as good a time as any. Sutra’s Vapor Infused Flatiron basically gives you the option to seamlessly treat your hair to a mist of keratin and argan oil (a solution which comes with the flatiron) while straightening your hair. To use, you fill the reservoir with the vapor oil, tap the vapor button on the side of the iron to turn on this setting and then get to work flatironing your hair.

What I like:

I’m not ashamed to admit, I was a tad skeptical when I first received this flatiron. I like the idea of using natural oils to nurture my hair and I was curious if this flatiron could really present a noticeable difference. So, the hair I’m wearing today is actually a body wave texture. And over the weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to set it on bantus, which ended up leaving me with 1980s era big country music diva hair (and that was not my goal). So, today after I washed out the big hair, I decided to see how this hair would handle a blow dry, straightening and style. The best way I can describe the vapor infusion is if you wanted to do a hot oil treatment without going through the messy process of an oily wash. So, this flatiron will definitely give you that sleek finish.

What could be better:

While there’s a lot to like about this flatiron, there is a small bit of a learning curve. The vapor oil reservoir has to be in a downward facing position to work properly if you turn on the vapor setting. Also, that reservoir makes this flatiron a little cumbersome if you’re trying to make it a multipurpose styling tool. I’m sure some people could probably use this tool to create flips and curls, but that reservoir might make it difficult to do for the average Joe or Jane.

Additionally, it’s really dangerous that this flatiron defaults at 450F the minute you turn it on. While most flatirons will start around 295 or 350, this one goes for the highest setting. So, as soon as you turn this on adjust the temperature to avoid heat damage.

Formawell Beauty x Kendall Jenner 1″ Iron (gifted)

A flatiron should be in every woman’s beauty tool kit because if you buy the right size, it can be the only tool you need to pack in your travel kit. If you’re looking for a lux flatiron that will amp up the Instagram worthiness of your vanity, then this is it thanks to its sleek white packaging and rose gold accents.

What I like:

To be really honest, this is a standard flatiron that looks sexy. This is a great standard flatiron that can help you create curls without having to lug around multiple tools. Also, while you absolutely should not go up to 450F unless you’re doing a Brazilian straightening or Silk Press treatment, this can reach those temperatures with ease. While Sutra’s flatiron helped to give me sleek hair, Formawell was super easy to use to create the loose curls.

What could be better:

Personally, the one thing that is a bit of a wonk factor for me is that there’s only one button to manage everything. Rather than creating separate temperature control buttons, you have to keep pushing the power button to set the temperature.

My Verdict:

So who won and who lost? Sutra Beauty, Formawell, and Coastal Scents were hands down my favorites. While Sutra’s Vapor Infusion Flatiron can’t pull double duty, the sleek oil infusion is a winner. Likewise, I’ll probably be taking Formawell’s flatiron with me to San Francisco next week. I wish Coastal Scents’ Forever Blush had a shimmer to it, but even as a matte, it rocks.

Mineral Air has an intriguing product offering with a very straightforward and travel friendly airbrush. Personally, I think the color range is still a little limited. So, while it’s not a “fail”, it’s a “I’ll keep my eye out to see if they increase their shade range.” Likewise, Milk Makeup’s Holographic Stick isn’t a fail, but I’m not a fan of stick highlighters. So, I’ll keep it as a backup for my Kevyn Aucoin Ibiza.

Check out more of my Test Drives here.

Full Makeup Details:

Primer: E.L.F. Cosmetics Antioxidant Booster Drops
Foundation: Mineral Air Foundation in Deep + Mocha
Brows: NYX Cosmetics Love Contours All Palette Dark Eyeshadow Pan
Eye Liner: Wet n Wild Pro Line Felt Tip Liner
Lashes: Kawaii Girl Cosmetics Ebisu
Concealer: Kevyn Aucoin Etherealist Super Natural Concealer in #08
Setting Powder: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Deep
Blush: Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Radiant
Highlight/Bronzer: Buxom Cosmetics Divine Goddess Illuminating Highlight Palette in Athena & Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Supernova
Lips: Sara Happ The Ruby Slip Gloss

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