Aveda Makeup Review

Hi Bellas,

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  I spent my weekend working on wedding gig for an Indian Bride.  It turned out amazing.  I can't wait to show you pictures.

Meanwhile, I'm back with another review.  Today I'll be featuring a brand you've most likely heard of - Aveda.  Personally, I knew this brand to be more into hair care products.  I pass by it in the mall all the time and do see that they offer makeovers, but have never stopped to try.

I received a package from them in the mail and was interested to see that they indeed do have their own line of cosmetics.

To see my review, click here!
I was really interested to see how these products perform.  When I think of the brand, I think of serenity, natural products that are good for you.  The makeup seems to be packaged in a similar way.  The design is pretty earthy and most of the shades I received are in the neutral family.

Let's go ahead and break them down:

Flax Sticks Special Effects Brush Set $55
First off, I received a brush set to try.  Opening them up, I notice they are all synthetic bristles and come with a really interesting natural looking handle.  Apparently they are made of Flax Fiber and Reclycled Resin.  They are reminiscent of Eco Tools brushes but more up-scale.  The handles are smaller which help to fit them into makeup bags.  The brush heads are 100% synthetic and are specially designed to have shorter, more fine bristles for less powder fall-out.
Eye smudger brush - At first glance, I thought this was a lip brush.  However, it's definitely dense and small enough to use to smudge liner and shadow.  I actually used to even do a cut the crease look.  I'll still swap it out for lips too.
Large shader brush - This is a nice large brush for a quick application of creme products.  I like using it for my creamy eyeshadow bases.  It's dense enough to move the product around and blend out the edges without difficulty.
Blender brush - I like the idea of having a synethic blender brush but I did notice that I had a little bit of difficulty blending with this brush.  The shape is pretty narrow so it's better for application of color rather than blending.  I tried using it for buffing in concealer but it didn't work as well as some of my other brushes.

Eyeshadow Trio in Golden Jasper $22
At first, I was a little confused by this trio.  It comes in a tin pan without a case.  It's not magnetic and doesn't stick inside my MAC palette but I think you could add a magnet to it.  Do they come with cases?  Was it sent to me like this because it's a sample?  I wasn't sure but I can still give a review of the product itself.
First off, the colors are great.  I always love a good neutral palette.  The Jasper Trio has three must have shades - a vanilla all over lid or brow color, a warm sienna brown as a crease transition color, and a darker warm toned brown for the outer v.  I really like how they're all warm toned so that they don't apply ashy on the skin.  Better yet, the product is paraben free, ophthalmologist tested, and packaged in a 100% recycled clamshell and paper sleeve- way to go green!
***Note: I later discovered that you can purchase compacts for these pans separate.
When I first swatched them with my fingers, I was disappointed to see that they applied sheer.  However, I still had to move on to give it a thorough review.  I applied it on top of my regular eyeshadow base with brushes and whoa, what a difference!  They applied a lot more pigmented that way.  I even tried it with a more sheer eyeshadow base and it still applied nicely.  I think these shadows are great for women who want an everyday basic look...great for neutral lovers and mature skin.  The shadows are pretty much matte with very little sheen...that's actually how I like them.  They blend really easy and look great on the eye.  I would say they're about medium pigmentation...this is actually a good thing for makeup beginners or those looking for a quick makeup application without worrying about depositing too much color or experiencing fall-out.

Eyeshadow Transformer
First off, I like the packaging.  It has a lid on a hinge so you don't lose the cap.  I wish more of my products were like that.  It gets crazy during gigs sometimes to find lids amongst the mess.  The product itself is supposed to transform any powers into creamy shadows or liners.  It didn't work too well with my eyeshadow trio, but it worked nicely with some other shadows I have.  I think it works better with more pigmented shadows and shimmer shadows.  This set also comes with it's own brush which I think is a nice edition.
Bronzing Kit in Amazonia - $55
This bronzer was packaged really nicely.  It came with a kabuki brush and a pretty cloth carry sac and a sponge.  First off, I definitely wouldn't use the sponge with a bronzer...so I tossed that.  Next, this bronzer was again only available in the pan form so yah, same issue.  The kabuki brush is amazing. Alone it retails for $37.50. The red and orange synethic bristles are gorgeous and beautifully cut and feels great on the skin.  I did notice a little bit of bleeding when I cleaned the brush though.  Typically, I wouldn't use a Kabuki with a bronzer but it actually works well with this one.  The bronzer is split with a more neutral brown shade and then a more reddish shade.

I use the kabuki to buff the lighter shade all over my face for a glowy look and then I swirl the brush in  both and do a contouring sweep.  I like how the bronzer is more subtle and wearable...again great for everyday makeup and neutral lovers.
Here's a shot of me wearing the makeup.  I had it on during a long trek to the Outlets on a Hot Summer Day.  I think it photographs really well...very smooth and polished looking.  I wore the eyeshadows and the bronzer.  I like how the shadows look super soft and pretty.  The bronzer also gives my skin a nice glow without looking too red or dark like a lot of bronzers I've tried.  The makeup held up to the heat and lasted all day.

You can find these products at your local Aveda store or salon or at www.aveda.com.

FTC Disclosure:  Products were sent for review.  I am not affiliated with this company and not paid to write this review.  These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Atlanta Makeup Artist

Note:  Do you all notice a difference with my pictures?  I used my same digital camera but I'm using my TableTop Studio Box Set to take the pictures.  I think the pics look so much better!  I'm constantly trying to improve this blog and I always hated how my pictures used to look.  Stay tuned for more upgrades!