Cleansed

I was recently given a sample amidst a beauty crisis. It changed my entire makeup routine and I have to share.

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a once in a lifetime special on Maybelline mascara and literally bought a basketful. As a makeup artist one can never have enough in stock. One of the many I bought was the Falsies Volum Express Waterproof and it is truly fantastic as far as staying power goes. 

One problem. That problem we all face when pondering which mascara to use for a day at the lake. Is it worth using the waterproof for one day of fabulous how-does-she-look-so-good-after-being-thrown-off-the-yacht eyes? Is it worth it for a week's worth of pulling out clumped together spider lashes in true Type A frustration. For me it just wasn't. So I've had the one I kept as a personal trial tube in the least-used makeup drawer and let bygones be bygones. 

Enter the sneaky sample. Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye makeup remover. 

I'm always really skeptical of spending on higher end commercial products that do the same thing many other (often natural or budget ) products can do, but I have to say this one really is worth the money. Well played, Lancôme. 

I decided to put it to the ultimate test against the die-hard mascara and it worked instantly! It leaves an oily residue afterwards but it's easily washed off. At any rate I much prefer that to the dryness I get from so many of the other cleansers and astringents in my armory. 

I'm now using waterproof mascara everyday fear free, which is fantastic in the Texas humidity I'm currently enjoying.

Another plus is that waterproof mascara holds a curled lash better than the regular sort, so big eyes are now an all day feature.

Have you tried a remover or natural product that works better than any other? Let me know! 

The Professional Look

The common eyeshadow palette. Some of the colours may seem pointless if you don't know what they are used for. Medium shades can be fantastic blending tools. This is a wonderful illustration on how to use the various shades found in most pharmacy brand eyeshadows.

1. The Highlighter : lashes to lid

2. The Medium-Dark : blend over the outer half of lid, lashes to crease.

3. Dark : apply in a C/V-shape on outside of the eyelid, keeping to natural crease lines and blending harsh lines.

4. Light-Medium: blend into the entire crease.

Finish off with liner and mascara! Intensify by using a darker dark and a lighter highlighter.

xoxo B xoxo

Eyeliner. It gets us all.

Brush Basics

Make-up Brush Basics

Make-up Artists will always give you this advice : Invest in a set of quality brushes.

I agree, its great advice, and you agree, that all sounds very exciting. So you take a casual walk around the closest MAC store, see the prices, hear the jargon, freak out and leave the decisions for another day. The truth is before anyone gets caught up in the industry, there's hardly anyone that can give a clue as to what goes with which and how it should -or shouldn't- be used. It can be very overwhelming, and lets be honest, its not cheap. The good news is that if you know your basic application needs, and buy a really good quality set to meet them, you probably won't have to replace your set for a good few years.

Here are some basics I feel are worth investing in for the everyday woman.

Foundation 

Stippling Brush / Duo Fibre

MAC Stippling / Duo-Fibre brushes

These brushes are fantastic for foundation application and give a flawless airbrushed look. Don't be fooled by brushes that simply have two different colour bristles. The duo fibre brush is made from two very different kinds of fibres- natural (dark colour bristles) and synthetic (white).

 I use them for mineral as well as liquid foundation. Use this brush with small quantities of product and apply in short stippling (dotting) and light circular motions.

The classic foundation brush

This can be used for liquid or cream foundation

 These come in various shapes and sizes, including a square tipped shape as well as miniature versions for small areas and concealer. Start in the middle of your face and work the foundation outwards. Short criss-cross motions will help prevent streaks

Mac Foundation Brush

Mac Concealer Brush

Powder

If you use a cream or liquid foundation that doesn't set (transfers) use some translucent powder and apply with a powder brush like this one, or a powder puff. 

Blusher

 Apply a small amount to the apples of your cheeks with the blusher brush. This part is easy to see when you smile.

Eyebrows/ Eyeliner

 Use the small angled brush for filling in eyebrows or for applying eyeliner. I personally always use powder instead of pencil as it gives a more natural finish, and find this brush indispensable.

 The Fluff Brush is wonderful applying shadow to the lid area.

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I love the Blending Brush. This is my absolute favourite and its used for blending the eyeshadow and softening lines. Soft blended eyeshadow is the best way to make your makeup look professional.

Variations of all these brushes are made by most professional cosmetic houses in varying degrees of quality and cost. I would say these are the most important to a personal kit and definitely worth spending on. You can add other tools and brushes as you go along. 

Find more information on these Mac brushes http://www.maccosmetics.com 

Essence is a super brand and very affordable. You can get it at Clicks or Dischem here in South Africa. Perhaps try out some of their brushes for your starter kit?

http://www.essence.eu/za/products/eyes/little-helpers.html 

http://www.essence.eu/za/products/face/powder-brushes-sponge.html

xoxo B xoxo

Complimenting Your Eyes

What are the best shades to bring out the colour of your eyes? Colours on the opposite side of the colour are complimentary. Have a look at the colour wheel if you aren't familiar with what fits where.

Blue eyes should try green, orange and brown. Brown eyes suit pink, blue, purple and blue-green. For green eyes go with terracotta, mauve and dusty pink. One can use different shades together, and for an easy to blend look, try choosing analogous colours. These are shades next to each other on the colour wheel.

These are a guideline, of course, and there will be some variation depending on your skin tone too, but why not give these a try!?

xoxo B xoxo