You all probably already know that makeup brushes are capable of breeding massive, disgusting amounts of bacteria. Cleaning your brushes regularly is essential if you want to avoid problems like acne and eye infections.
Cleaning makeup brushes is very simple. Here are some tips that you may or may not already know.
- Deep clean your brushes at least once a month
- To deep clean your brushes, simply place your brush cleansing solution into a wide, shallow dish, and swirl your brush into the solution to clean it. Then, under running water, swirl your brush into the palm of your hand to remove the dirt, makeup, and cleansing solution. Repeat until the water in your palm runs clear.
- Be careful to stay away from the ferrule of the brush (the metal part holding the hair), because wetting the ferrule can loosen the hairs and cause a lot of fall out.
- Spot clean your brushes each time you use them. To spot clean, spritz some brush cleanser directly onto the brush hairs, then swirl the brush onto a clean towel (or wipe) to clean.
- Once cleaned, brush hairs should be squeezed gently with a clean, dry towel. Then, place the brushes, laying them flat, onto the towel, preferably with the hairs sticking out over the edge of the counter, so that they dry all over. Doing this prevents excess moisture from seeping into the ferrule and allowing mould to grow.
Here are some products that I use to clean my makeup brushes, and that I have been absolutely loving.
Daiso Sponge Detergent
This is the product that the entire beauty blogosphere has been buzzing about for a while now. I purchased mine in Malaysia, and have been using it non-stop ever since. This deep cleans makeup brushes beautifully and effectively, and keeps the bristles nice and soft. Deep cleaning should be done once a month, at the very least, to get rid of bacteria lingering deep within the bristles of your brushes.
I also like to mix a few products in with this - pure mineral water, a teeny, tiny bit of alcohol, and a cheapie hair conditioner, to spritz onto my brushes before I spot clean them right after they are used. It works beautifully, and I have the added benefit of nice-smelling brushes ;p
I also like to mix a few products in with this - pure mineral water, a teeny, tiny bit of alcohol, and a cheapie hair conditioner, to spritz onto my brushes before I spot clean them right after they are used. It works beautifully, and I have the added benefit of nice-smelling brushes ;p
Dove Beauty Bar
Another product that I love to use for deep cleaning is the Dove Beauty Bar. I learned this method from the gorgeous Kimmi at ThePlasticDiaries, and this is the method I use when I go on extended trips (usually to visit home), or when I can't be bothered with the Daiso detergent. I was lucky enough to get a couple of sample-sized bars in goodie bags, and I am loving how convenient they are!
All you have to do is swirl the brush under running water onto the soap bar, and your brushes are thoroughly cleansed and remain nice and soft. Another plus point? These beauty bars are SO affordable!
Makeup Removing Wipes
These products are my absolute favourite for spot-cleaning brushes. I spot-clean my brushes every time I use them, and makeup removing wipes are so convenient to have whilst I am applying my makeup. I clean my brushes, my hands, and remove any makeup mistakes with these wipes.
As mentioned earlier, I have a simple spray formula that I mix up using the Daiso detergent, which I spritz onto my brushes, then swirl into these wipes to cleanse and dry them slightly, and then I place them lying down with the bristles sticking out over the edge of my makeup drawers to dry.
My current favourite makeup removing wipes? The Dove Beauty Cleansing Wipes. These are very gentle but effective, and don't contain alcohol (since my spray already contains alcohol, I don't want to overload my brushes with alcohol unnecessarily).
I hope this post was helpful! x
In
Dior,
Health and Beauty
Makeup Face-Off: Dior Full Coverage Fluid Foundation Brush vs. Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush
All of you are probably already familiar with the Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush. Everyone has been raving on and on about this brush, because it is supposed to buff your liquid foundation into your skin just the right way and give you perfect, flawless coverage. I ordered this foundation brush from Tina (who has a shopping service that ships cosmetics and such from Taiwan. You can contact her via email) after hearing and reading about it so much, and tested it out for a couple of weeks to see if it really does do what everyone says it does.
Then came the launch of the Dior Full Coverage Foundation Brush, to complement the famous Diorskin Nude foundation (review here). It bears a striking similarity to the Shiseido brush, and, of course, everyone wanted to know if it could perform as well as the Shiseido.
Here are my thoughts!
Packaging
When it comes to boxes and cases, you already know where I stand. For those of you who enjoy keeping the boxes and paper bags, the Shiseido brush comes in a clear plastic box with information printed on it, plus an instruction booklet. The Dior brush is packaged far more luxuriously, with the signature silver Dior box, a velvet brush pouch, and a printed booklet with instructions on how to use the brush.
Product
Firstly, the similarities. Both brushes are beautifully made, and I haven't noticed any fall out from the bristles at all (both have been deep-cleaned twice and spot cleaned 2-3 times). They are both angled and small, so they can really get into the smaller areas on the face like around the nose and eyes.
An obvious difference is the length of their handles. The Shiseido one is a short plastic, which I hear is good for people who like to get right up close to the mirror when they do their makeup. I personally prefer the longer Dior brush (with a wooden, matte finish handle), because I like being able to hold the brush at different places on the handle depending on the area of my face to which I am applying my foundation.
The bristles on the Dior brush are unique in that they have never been cut, so as to preserve the overall softness of the brush. This earns brownie points with me as well because I love my brushes soft and smooth on my face.
Here's an important point for you:
The Shiseido brush is more densely packed than the Dior brush. This means two things:
- It is slightly more difficult to buff your foundation into your skin with the Shiseido brush. The sheer amount of bristles on this brush creates a heck of a lot of friction, so that buffing foundation into my skin actually gets quite annoying. I can't complain about the finish though - it is flawless!
- If you're the type who wants the fullest coverage you can get out of your foundation, without it looking cakey, the density of the Shiseido brush can do just that for you.
Performance
Let me preface this by saying that if you want flawless coverage, both these foundation brushes are more than up to the task, trust me. But, if like me, you are a particularly discerning, practically pedantic beauty-lover who needs the best of the best according to your needs, then by all means, read on.
Here are pictures of me wearing the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, applied with these brushes (please excuse my dry lips!):
Applied with the Dior Full Coverage Fluid Foundation Brush
Applied with the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush
I'm not sure if you can tell in the pictures - the Shiseido brush offers more coverage, but the Dior foundation brush helps the foundation look more luminous.
If you are someone who needs that extra coverage, then the Shiseido one would work best. However if you're looking for full coverage plus luminosity, then Dior makes the perfect brush for you.
The decision to buy either foundation brush should also be made based on the kind of foundation you own. If you use an already very matte, full coverage foundation that can look cakey or thick, then you might want to try using it with the Dior brush instead of caking it on even more with the Shiseido.
I like a more luminous finish to my skin, so I will be using the Dior brush, though when I am wearing more sheer foundations (like my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation), I will probably use the Shiseido.
At the end of the day, it bores down to personal preference. Both brushes are fantastic and do a wonderful job at buffing foundation into your face so it doesn't sit weirdly on the skin or look too thick.
The Shiseido brush retails for approximately AUD50, whilst the Dior retails for AUD75.
In
Anastasia Beverly Hills,
Eyebrows
Makeup Face-off: Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit vs. SAX Perfect Brow Shaping Kit
Hi everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been updating much! We've had a string of visitors here at the apartment - first my parents and then the lovely Jen from MyFunnyValentine.
So today I am finally forcing myself to sit down and blog, and share with you my thoughts on both these amazing brow products - the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit in Brunette, and the SAX Perfect Brow Shaping Kit.
Packaging
Both products come in hard cardboard-like packaging. The Anastasia kit feels a little more luxe because of the croc-skin embossing, but both hold up well during travel.
Product
Both products come with two brow powders, a brow wax, and a highlight colour for your brow bone. They also come with a brush and stencils.
They also both include instructions showing you how to fill in your brows.
Anastasia comes with a better brow brush (one of my HG brow brushes) and more stencils. Their brow powders lean on the ashy side, so they match cool-toned hair like mine very well.
SAX comes with a tweezer, which is perfect when you're on-the-go. Their brush is dual-ended, but performance-wise I prefer the Anastasia brush. They have pretty good stencils as well, and their brow powders are much larger than the Anastasia brow powders. These brow powders lean on the warm side, so they match auburn hair and dyed Asian hair (which almost always has a reddish/orangey warmth to it), and any warm brown hair type.
Performance
The powders from both brands last very long and give you a nice, finished look. I don't see a difference in terms of the quality of both the powders from these brands, so I think it boils down to whether you have warm or cool-toned hair, or if you're aiming for travel-friendliness (in which case I would recommend the SAX kit).
If you plan on using the SAX eyebrow brush, then your look will be a lot more natural, whereas the Anastasia brush provides an extremely done, polished finish. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to the Anastasia brow brush, fret not! I have an extremely similar brow brush to share with you, and it retails for only $4.99 (excluding postage). Look out for a post on this soon!
Availability
This really depends on where you are. If you're in Malaysia, you're likely to have a lot of friends in Australia who could easily pick up a SAX Perfect Brow Shaping Kit for you and post it to you.
If you're in the US or the UK, Anastasia products are readily available.
If you're in Australia, SAX is available at most pharmacies.
At other parts of the world, you're more likely to find an online store that ships Anastasia products internationally.
Price
The SAX Perfect Brow shaping Kit beats the Anastasia Beauty Express Kit flat here. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit retails for a cool USD 39.50, and the SAX Perfect Brow Shaping Kit retails for AUD 14.95.
These products were provided for review and consideration in accordance with this site's Disclosure Policy.
So today I am finally forcing myself to sit down and blog, and share with you my thoughts on both these amazing brow products - the Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit in Brunette, and the SAX Perfect Brow Shaping Kit.
Packaging
Both products come in hard cardboard-like packaging. The Anastasia kit feels a little more luxe because of the croc-skin embossing, but both hold up well during travel.
Product
Both products come with two brow powders, a brow wax, and a highlight colour for your brow bone. They also come with a brush and stencils.
They also both include instructions showing you how to fill in your brows.
Anastasia comes with a better brow brush (one of my HG brow brushes) and more stencils. Their brow powders lean on the ashy side, so they match cool-toned hair like mine very well.
SAX comes with a tweezer, which is perfect when you're on-the-go. Their brush is dual-ended, but performance-wise I prefer the Anastasia brush. They have pretty good stencils as well, and their brow powders are much larger than the Anastasia brow powders. These brow powders lean on the warm side, so they match auburn hair and dyed Asian hair (which almost always has a reddish/orangey warmth to it), and any warm brown hair type.
Performance
The powders from both brands last very long and give you a nice, finished look. I don't see a difference in terms of the quality of both the powders from these brands, so I think it boils down to whether you have warm or cool-toned hair, or if you're aiming for travel-friendliness (in which case I would recommend the SAX kit).
If you plan on using the SAX eyebrow brush, then your look will be a lot more natural, whereas the Anastasia brush provides an extremely done, polished finish. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to the Anastasia brow brush, fret not! I have an extremely similar brow brush to share with you, and it retails for only $4.99 (excluding postage). Look out for a post on this soon!
Availability
This really depends on where you are. If you're in Malaysia, you're likely to have a lot of friends in Australia who could easily pick up a SAX Perfect Brow Shaping Kit for you and post it to you.
If you're in the US or the UK, Anastasia products are readily available.
If you're in Australia, SAX is available at most pharmacies.
At other parts of the world, you're more likely to find an online store that ships Anastasia products internationally.
Price
The SAX Perfect Brow shaping Kit beats the Anastasia Beauty Express Kit flat here. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Kit retails for a cool USD 39.50, and the SAX Perfect Brow Shaping Kit retails for AUD 14.95.
These products were provided for review and consideration in accordance with this site's Disclosure Policy.
Happy Thursday, guys! A reader requested this post about my favourite cream and liquid products and how to apply them, and I thought I'd share it with you guys today!
Here are some of my favourite cream/liquid products:
Here are some of my favourite cream/liquid products:
- Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate in Intensity One - the most amazing contour and highlight duo
- Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Emerville - long-lasting, glittery cream eyeshadow that's subtle enough for work
- Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - a great concealer that lasts long and provides very good coverage
- Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #4 - a sheer, luminous, semi-matte foundation
- Illamasqua Cream Blush in Seduce - a deep berry pink blush that blends very well with both concealer and highlighter
- Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub - a lightweight, pink blush
- Chanel Pro Lumiere Foundation - a high-coverage foundation that provides a semi-matte finish
- Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Strut - the perfect cream eyeshadow for creating a smoky eye with intense colour
- Clinique Lid Smoothie in Cashew Later - a gorgeous beige eyeshadow with a silky-sheen finish, perfect for creating a daytime look
- Rimmel Colour Mousse Cream Eyeshadow in Chill Out - another gorgeous eyeshadow with a slightly metallic finish
Where application of cream/liquid products is concerned, I like to use synthetic brushes with densely packed bristles. I feel like the densely packed bristles afford me more control, and disperse the product more evenly compared to loosely packed bristles.
- Real Techniques Buffing Brush - the best brush I own for applying foundation. I hate when foundation just sits on top of my skin, and this helps buff it nicely into my skin.
- Royal & Langnickel S.I.L.K. Line of brushes - this brand makes such amazing brushes! I love this for applying cream eyeshadow to my lower lashline - it helps my powder eyeshadow stick to my bottom lashline and last longer
- Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush - this, I use on powder products for my crease. But I also use it for contouring with products like the Tom Ford contour cream. AMAZEballs.
- Sigma Stippling brush - this is a brush with loosely packed bristles. I don't normally use this, but when I want a very light, thin layer of product, usually on my cheekbones or cheeks, I use this.
- Sigma blending brush - this is a brilliant brush to use to blend out concealer underneath the eyes. I am a huge fan of blending out concealer with a fluffy brush - it buffs in the concealer well so that there's no 'cakey-ness' underneath the eye.
- Real Techniques Contour Brush - the best brush I own for face contouring. It affords me great control over where exactly the product goes, and allows me to spread the product well and evenly.
- Real Techniques Stippling Brush - this is very different from the Sigma stippling brush, because it is much more dense and stiff. I love this brush for foundation and applying highlighting cream.
I've always been pretty fascinated with EcoTools brushes. I purchased a set online a few years ago without knowing what EcoTools was, and was very impressed with the results I got from using them.
I received this brush set from the EcoTools PR and, as expected, they performed brilliantly. In the brush set is a blush brush, eye shading brush, angled eyeliner brush, concealer brush, and a lash & brow groomer.
As a little background, EcoTools, as the name suggests, is an eco-friendly company. The brand takes pride in manufacturing environmentally friendly products, including cosmetic accessories, and bath products.
The brushes are highly durable, easy to wash, and last forever. The bristles are also mind-blowingly soft - something that surprises me every single time I pick up a brush. I love the blush brush, angled eyeliner brush, and lash & brow groomer. They all perform very well, and not a single hair has shred from these brushes so far.
I haven't quite gotten on board with the brushes which need to pack on product - I find that they don't pack enough product, whether I am using them for concealing or for applying eyeshadow to the lid.
All in all, this is a great, affordable brush set. It performs just as well as a lot of other high-end brushes on the market, and at a fraction of the price. No prizes for guessing which brushes I'd choose :)
This product was provided for review and consideration in accordance with this site's Disclosure Policy.
Hi everyone! I haven't done a 'Makeup Basics' post in a while, so I thought I'd do one today. This post is for those of you who are on a budget, and who just want the bare minimum of brushes to do your makeup with.
According to my makeup style and in my opinion, these are the most basic brushes you will need in order to do your makeup:
Foundation Brush
A foundation brush is one of the most basic brushes you'll need. According to your makeup style, you could even omit the foundation brush. For example, if you have good skin and don't need too much coverage, or if you like the sheer, natural foundation look, then you can apply your foundation with your hands, or a makeup sponge. The same goes if you have good enough skin to only use a tinted moisturizer. Foundation brushes are only for people who need more coverage and want a thicker layer of foundation on your skin.
There are also different kinds of foundation brushes to consider - there is the typical foundation brush, as shown above. Then there is also the kabuki brush, and the stippling brush. Personally, I like to use the stippling brush to apply my foundation. However, if you want something that will save you on those bad skin days, skip the stippling brush and get a normal foundation brush. On those better days, you can apply your foundation with your hands.
Buffing Brush
I like the buffing brush because this brush is very much a multi-tasker. I can use it to buff in my foundation, I use it for mineral powder foundation, and I also use it for blush and contouring. This packs the pigments on pretty densely, though, so especially with blush, remember to tap the brush onto the back of your hand to take off some of the product before applying it to your face.
This Real Techniques brush is a great buffing brush, because it has synthetic bristles, and can therefore be used on products of different textures, from creams to powders.
Blending Brush
It is all about the multi-tasking with the brushes in this post, and this blending brush is no different! This is a Sigma E40 brush, the equivalent of the #224 MAC blending brush, and it is great for contouring, blending of the eyeshadow, and buffing concealer onto your skin.
I use it to contour the bridge of my nose (when I can be bothered), to brush bronzer into my crease to pull together an eyeshadow look and give my eyes some dimension, and to buff concealer onto my skin. It works especially well with concealer on the under eye area. LOVE this brush!
Eyeliner Brush
Eyeliner brushes are only necessary if you use cake, gel or cream eyeliner. What eyeliner brush you use is completely up to you. There are fine eyeliner brushes like the Louise Young LY24, the Sigma E10 or the MAC #210. There are also angled eyeliner brushes like the Sigma E65.
The one I am using is from Skin Food, and has served me well for a good 6 years and counting. I love this brush because it is really easy to control, so I never get a crooked line, and it gives me a thick line a lot quicker than fine liners can give me, which I love because fine lines don't show on my eyes.
Blending Brush 2
This is my all-time favourite blending brush. It is the Sigma E25, which is the equivalent of the MAC #217 brush. This brush is brilliant for blending eyeshadows. It blends all eyeshadows into a nice soft wash, getting rid of harsh lines and blending colours seamlessly together. This is the brush to have for creating all kinds of different eye looks. I cannot recommend this enough!
And that sums up the basic brushes you would need if you are on a budget! This is by no means an exclusive list - you should add or take away brushes according to your needs. I hope this helps :)
