Brush was sent for review. Post contains affiliate links, like everywhere else on the internet.

Do you always overpack? Bring extras and options that you don't need? It Cosmetics just launched one way to pare down your suitcase! Check out this  Superhero™ 4-in-1 Eye-Transforming Super Shadow and Liner Brush. A nifty sliding "neck" on the brush helps you switch between an all-over shadow brush, a crease brush and a smudging brush with one quick click. Plus, there is a liner/brow brush on the other end. Could this eliminate the need to travel with so many brushes? Maybe.



Let's take a look.

Pros:

• One brush replaces four brushes    
• Fits anywhere, easily 
• Great to keep in your makeup bag or at work for touchups

Cons:

• You have to clean the brush in-between color changes, which can be ultimately annoying, even with a great brush spray cleaner like this one.  
• The brush doesn't really change that much; what changes is the flexibility of the bristles
• Only helps with shadow, not blush or foundation. That would take some kind of magic to combine all of them...

Question of the Week: If beauty products were like Thanksgiving dinner, what’s your gravy? (The product you use with/over EVERYTHING.)

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving Week! I hope it means a short work week, amazing and calorie-free desserts and the sense to keep your mouth shut in front of your mother in law. (Maybe I'm talking about me here...) While I'm most grateful for the best husband, a warm and cozy home and truly wonderful friends, I'd be remiss not to mention the beauty product I'm currently very grateful for. It's the one product I wear every day, no matter what. It goes with everything, which makes it the big dinner equivalent of gravy. My favorite comes in the form of the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder SPF50+. I don't know why more people aren't raving about this. I have never found a pressed powder that delivers such a perfected looking finish. It's almost too perfect. You can wear it lightly on top of your makeup or by itself for a natural, radiant no-makeup-glow. A little goes a long way, so start with a stippling or very fluffy brush so you don't overdo it. I can not be without it. If you grab it right meow from ItCosmetics.com, you can save 25% with code ITFRIEND17.


If you are looking for a sweet deal on skincare that delivers results, use code FALL50 at Your Best Face Skincare. If you are like me and shave your face, you've got to try the Shave Cream for the smoothest skin ever.

  we heart this - There's a Beauty Advent Calendar this holiday season that's $350 in BIG name, full-size products and you can get it for just $88 with free shipping. Go forth and purchase!

Beautygeeks - is talking about fear-mongering marketing, betrayal and a natural-beauty backlash with forbes.com!

Beauty Junkies Unite - Love sneak peeks? So does Amber! Here's a sneak peek of an awesome eyeshadow palette from Urban Decay, Distortion!

Blushing Noir - Love Urban Decay? Love to enter huge giveaways that are open internationally? Then you NEED to check out this massive Urban Decay Giveaway and enter ASAP!

  Clumps of Mascara - Urban Decay Heavy Metals collection has been rockin’ my world. So much so that I did a video all about it.

EauMG - Are you familiar with Houbigant Quelques Fleurs? It’s a little OG floral perfume from the 1910’s. Well, Houbigant has launched an updated classic that I’m smitten with Quelques Fleurs Jardin Secret.

fanserviced-b - I shared my personal holiday wishlist on the blog this week, featuring some info on new at-cost candles and how to score a coveted beauty advent calendar for half price.

Gouldylox - Frizzy hair that soaks up product like a lost wanderer in the desert? THIS may be your issue and I've got the products to fix it.

My Beauty Bunny - has a list of cruelty free beauty brands at Sephora. Bookmark this handy list for holiday shopping!

Phyrra - I'm excited to be sharing my first impressions, swatches, comparison to the Kat Von D Alchemist palette, and 3 eyeshadow looks with the new Urban Decay Distortion Palette!

Prime Beauty - If you're on the fence about the new Urban Decay Heavy Metals Palette, read Prime Beauty's review and check out the swatches!

Realizing Beauty - Can an at home beauty device take on gravity and product visible tightening and wrinkle reducing results? Christa is taking us on a 10 week journey with the Silk'n Titan to find out. Plus there is a chance to enter to win one for yourself!

(Wondering what the Lipstick League is? Find out here.)

we heart this is Currently Craving: The Pat Mcgrath Labs Mothership II Eyeshadow Palette in Sublime. And she asks the Makeup Gods to please relay this information to her husband in time for Xmas...

It's time to stock up and save on your favorite It Cosmetics products! While they left out a few of my personal favorites, there is no denying that It picked their most popular products to include in this TSV. Here's what is included:


It's CC+ Cream is the gold standard of CC Creams, and possibly, the last one standing, for a very good reason. This foundation covers everything quickly, perfectly and gives you a flawless canvas that won't crease, crack or oxidize. You'll get the original version of the base, not the illuminating version.


Bye Bye Pores Illuminating Finishing Powder will set your look and give you a little bit of a glow. Oh yeah, your pores will be minimized and your face, flawless. Dust this lightly over your finished face and use it to set your concealer. Gorgeous!


Superstar Mascara gives great lashes- thanks in part to the elastic stretch-like performance of the polymers. The formula is rich and a little goes a long way. I prefer to comb out my lashes in-between coats of Superstar. If you have really thin or sparse lashes, this will give you some oomph, just be careful not to overdo it. If you like Better Than Sex or Perversion, you'll love this.


You can never have too many brow pencils, especially when we're talking about It's Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil. This is as holy grail as it gets for thousands of women. The universal taupe shade works for everyone. I keep one in my purse, in my office drawer and on my vanity at all times!


Talk about addictive! The Je Ne Sais Quoi Hydrating Color Awakening Lip Treatment is a must-have for winter lips. Plus, you'll get a sweet flush of color.


Of course, no It Cosmetics TSV would be complete without a fabulous new brush. This TSV includes the new Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Foundation Globe Brush, designed to give you a perfected, airbrushed finish. Good globe brushes are hard to find!

Of course, I wish they had included the Confidence Cream, which has been my go-to daytime moisturizer for over a year, along with the Confidence In An Eye Cream. But that's just because it's time for me to stock up on both!

Grab your shade and get one for a friend - this kit will make a fantastic gift!

As the holidays approach, the offerings are insane. Matte lips are not your only option, Huda Beauty is killing it, Fenty isn't for everyone and yes Virginia, you do need a hairdryer with an unlimited number of speeds and heat settings. Ready? Let's dive into what's good this November.

that liner tho...

10. Fenty Beauty: I haven't seen a launch that connected with so many feelings in forever. I love the idea of a softer, metallic look without all of the face shaping and liners. Alien Bae is my new BFF when it comes to liner that slays. Something about that blue black color makes my blue eyes look so intense. The foundation (don't hate the messenger) oxidized like a orange on my face. It didn't matter what primer I used, it went orange. I loved the liner Alien Bae and the lipstick, Supernova.


9. While only news to me, the Clarisonic Foundation Brush Head is the greatest invention and you need it. Flawless foundation is yours in less than the time it takes to wash part of your face. Seriously - grab it now.


8. The Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Palette is beautiful; think lush tones, shimmering shades and glorious glitters. The texture is creamy and the only shade I've had issues with is the mega-chunky russet glitter, Cosmo.


7. I'm so happy about the new Too Faced Melted Latex Lips that skip the matte look. Who are these li'l darlings that can wear matte everything without looking like a wrinkly raisin? I'm not one of them, so the High Shine Latex Lips are long wearing, a little sticky, and perfect for me. Personally, I love  Peekaboo, a light pink that doesn't make your teeth look yellow, which is my main problem with those ultra-light pink shades.


6. I've been showing off my shadow a lot more since I invested in these brushes that allow me to look like I'm a way better artist than I actually am. Try this brush from Sephora and tell me your shadow doesn't look 40% better. I dare you. Even if you think you can't apply shadow, this brush fixes everything. Grab the Pro Drawing Blending Brush and show me your improved pics!


5. I'm not really a gloss snob, but this gloss from Glamour Dolls continues to be one of my favorite lippies to take anywhere. This shade, Mood Ring, is like a Kylie nude or a rosewood shade (if you were alive in the 80's and bought lipstick, you know all about the color rosewood). It's beautiful, it feels super luxe and costs less than your pumpkin spice frappe.


4. It Cosmetics CC+ Cream is really awesome athleisure wear for your face. It looks like you tried way harder than you did, holds up in you exercise moderately and is as comfortable as wearing pajamas. Not sure if the coverage can really be that good? Check out my before and after!


3. ZO Medical and I have a storied past. I tried their Brightenex, a very strong topical that evens out skintone and my skin freaked the frack out. You can read about it here. My derm suggested I try one of their newer products, Melamix, to help fade dark spots that crept up when I was ignoring my own SPF rules. This seems to be working quickly, without the irritation. You'll need to see your derm, though; this product requires a prescription.


2. Too Faced Just Peachy Velvet Matte Eyeshadow Palette. The colors are just too pretty to pass up. Think you don't need a bright peach matte crease? Honestly, you're just wrong. Wait until you see how it makes your eyes pop.



1. The 8thSense Hairdryer by Elchim is the dryer that will make your stylist jealous. Forget that Dyson, it's not as quiet as you think it's going to be. The 8thSense has an unlimited number of heat and air settings, which mean you can take your styling in new directions with the same tool. It's gentle, it's tough, it doesn't weigh much, it's very quiet and it is glorious.

All of these make lovely gifts, too. Just sayin'.

This month is breast cancer awareness month and if you've managed to avoid falling for everything pink until now, congratulations! The pinking of items this time of year normally drives me nuts. I never endorse charity projects that don't give back earnestly, so you know this brush must be special for a reason beyond being a super girly GLITTERING PINK.

How so? For each brush sold,  It Cosmetics will donate one Live Beauty Fully Brush to women who are currently undergoing cancer treatments, in the hopes that the gentle touch of a really nice brush will help them feel beautiful and give them confidence. 

Not sure how makeup can help others going through cancer treatments? Check out my friend and makeup artist Owen O'Donnell and a program he started a local Baltimore Hospital.

Pick up one brush for yourself and know that each time you smile when applying your foundation, another woman is smiling back at you. #PassItOn

It Cosmetics Live Beauty Fully Love Is the Foundation Brush //  $30.00, Ulta

I really loved everything about those glass bottles when I was younger.

Question of the Week: What’s your favorite CLASSIC skincare brand and your favorite NEW skincare brand?

Here's everything you need to know about me and my love of skincare. Somehow I skipped the Clinique phase in high school. I think I skipped skincare in general through most of high school, too. It wasn't a thing like it is now. (Impossible to believe, right?) But my dad did help me make something we called a zit sucker that would remove anything from a pore. I tell you this only to show how serious I was skincare, even though I didn't yet know it. Later,  I studied up on ingredients as a way to learn what might be effective and what wasn't, because I was poor and didn't want to get suckered. So I read a lot and I asked a lot of questions when I could. And I got serious about preventative skin care. I started blogging and gained access to loads of professionals and got to try a ton of stuff, across all price ranges. So knowing what I know now, here are a few of my favorites. Most of them relate to dull, dry skin with aging concerns.


Olay : Just wear the SPF every day and wait until your 30. Or any SPF. Just make sure it's a broad spectrum, please.

Neutrogena: They have great retinols if you are worried you might start to think about seeing fine lines or age spots.

Mario Badescu: This is my go-to line for fading age spots, once they legit show up. The Vitamin C Serum is amazing.

Pixi Beauty: Their Glow Peel Go pads are amazing at keeping the skin bright.

Your Best Face: This indie line has been killing its way into the mainstream for years. Each innovation truly works and is worth every single penny. Which is awesome, cause it's not the cheapest. The eye cream? Wait for the sale and stock UP. (And grab the scrub, shaving balm for your face (!!) and the brightening concentrate.)

It Cosmetics: I know I sound basic, but here's 100%. I work with It Cosmetics often; and I know I'm fortunate to have that opportunity. When I take a break from It, usually to try something from another line, I'm never as happy with my skin as I have been with It Cosmetics. When I stopped using their pot concealer, which is infused with their skincare, my eyes go back to looking tired and less refreshed. I know it's not as flashy, but my skin reacts so perfectly to their formulations.

Jan Marini Skincare: This line never disappoints. Ever. If you've got a concern or a need, Jan has an answer. Need something to speed the decay of peeling skin? She's got that. (I'm not kidding.)

What is your favorite line right now? And if you're wondering what you've missed this week in the world of beauty, check this out!

Gouldylox - Necessity will make you do strange things. This week, I tried to find a fast, easy way to clean makeup brushes with this really popular face cleaning gadget. Did it work or fail hard? You know you wanna know...

My Beauty Bunny - is sharing her thoughts on a $135 hand cream. Do you need it? It depends, click to find out!

Phyrra - Do you love capsule wardrobes? How about capsule makeup? I kick off my capsule makeup series with my Goth Capsule Makeup Collection!

we heart this - Check out five fall beauty must haves, starting at just $6.99! (But there's a $36 mini lipstick in there too, so don't get too excited...)

Blushing Noir - The NARS x MAN RAY Holiday 2017 Makeup Collection is one for the books! Brooke is sharing a ton of the products over on her blog but the one you need the most is definitely the NARS Double Take Overexposed Glow Highlighter.

EauMG - I’ve tried a luxurious frankincense and myrrh fragrance that is a perfect transitional fragrance that will take you from colorful autumn foliage to snowy winter days.

(Wondering what the Lipstick League is? Find out here.)

I haven't cleaned my brushes in way too long and it was time. Let's not ask questions like how long, ok? I  also have a lot of brushes, so this task struck me as extremely daunting.

LOVE Brush Bath!

I grabbed Brush Bath, a spray on brush cleaner that dissolves caked-in foundation like magic. However, you still need to agitate the brushes to remove the debris. So I used my fingers and it was taking forever to remove all of the foundation and gunk.



And then I remembered back to three or four years ago, when the Beautysphere decided that the best way to clean our faces was not with a washcloth, or even a spinning sonic brush. The new way so many doubled down on came from FOREO and their odd little nubby-textured, vibrating blop of silicone affectionately called a Luna. Now for me, this weird "miracle tool" did nothing. It didn't clean my face any better than a washcloth and I might say it did a worse job. It doesn't vibrate enough to be handy in an off-label use (admit it. you've wondered).

BUT COULD I HARNESS THE SONIC-POWERED, VIBRATING NUBBINS TO SPEED CLEAN MY MAKEUP BRUSHES?

It's got to do something, right? Sonic vibrations and that nubby silicone? This seems like it should be well within the FOREO wheelhouse to double as a kick-ass, brush-cleaning speed demon. So I rinsed my brush, I sprayed Brush Bath deep into its crevices and cranked the sonic action up to full speed. I held the brush and the FOREO Luna under a little water and waited for the foundation to wash out, lickety-split.

Nothing happened. 


I did the same thing with a washcloth and guess what? Once again, I got better results using a washcloth to clean my brushes than with the sonic-powered FOREO Luna 2.

What a fail... it would have been genius had it worked. But nope. Once again, the $199 FOREO is outpowered by a $3 washcloth from Kmart.

How do you clean your brushes? Brush Bath is like magic, so check it out next time you need to seriously clean your stash. Just skip the fancy tricks and use some elbow grease.

Brush Bath is available from It Cosmetics and retails for less than $20.