Mom is in town, so I’ll try to get things updated as quickly as I can, but if I’m a little late on stuff, I’m sorry!!! Day two of the Black Friday Week has been revealed for Sigma Beauty!!!
SIGMA BEAUTY BLACK FRIDAY (AND CYBER MONDAY) DAY 2:
UPDATE: IF YOU ALREADY READ THIS POST, I HAD INCORRECT INFORMATION REGARDING THIS YEAR’S SALE. PLEASE READ AGAIN FOR THE CORRECT SALE INFORMATION!!!!
Sigma Beauty is one of my absolute favorite brush companies for several reasons. First, their brushes are top notch — excellent quality, pretty reasonably priced, and they boast a 2-year warranty. On top of that, they’re 100% vegan and cruelty-free because they’ve developed their own synthetic brush hairs that feel even better than the real thing.
Black Friday is always a lot of fun with this company because they offer a variety of different sales over the space of several days. Decide which is best suited to your needs and shop away!
SIGMA BEAUTY BLACK FRIDAY (AND CYBER MONDAY) DAY 1*:
If you watch my YouTube channel, then you’ll have already seen some quick reviews about my May 2015 Favorites, but I’ll be going more in depth with the products and my thoughts in this post. If you haven’t seen my YouTube video yet, head on over and check it out and if you like it, subscribe and give me a thumbs up!
I kind of went crazy and bought hundreds of dollars worth of makeup last month, so it was a little difficult to narrow it down to a handful of items so I wasn’t inundating you with the longest favorites post ever in the history of time. I will say I was EXTREMELY happy with almost all the products I purchased, which is always a great feeling, but these items really stuck out for me.
dermalogica gentle cream exfoliant ($41)
I know I mentioned this in my April favorites post last month, but having used it now even longer (and the key to knowing whether skincare is any good is by putting in the time), I can really back up my original review with a HUGE thumbs up. This exfoliant, despite its awful scent, is the real deal when it comes to great skincare. I use it once a week and love the results whenever I do. I’ve been having some major skin issues/breakouts lately (why!?) but in spite of that, I can see how well this works and how lovely it makes my skin (under the circumstances).
Photo courtesy dermalogica.com
hey honey Good Morning honey silk facial serum ($41)
I have never ever loved a skincare product MORE than this one. Even though I’ve suffered adult onset acne for the past twelve years, I haven’t been very fastidious about skincare outside of acne treatment. I think most of that was because I was worried that piling too many products on my skin would make it worse, and I didn’t know all the different types of skincare that were available, and I mistakenly thought that my Asian genetics meant I wouldn’t ever age, and I wouldn’t ever have to use preventative skincare.
I wish I could sit 25 year old Mary down and give her a stern talking to.
This serum is an extremely nourishing treatment made with honey. It not only replenishes and protects your skin under your makeup but also has ingredients that moisturize, smooth, and improve your skin tone. Even though I have years of acne scarring, the rest of my skin has become so nourished and luminous that I find myself actually liking my skin. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to say that! A very little goes a long way (one pump every morning), and it smells really amazing. I’m addicted!
Photo courtesy heyhoney.com
Morphe Brushes Flawless Collection ($3.99-$12.99)
I’ll be totally honest, my first impression of these brushes, when I opened the package, was that of major disappointment. They didn’t feel as soft as I was expecting, and I wondered if they would actually perform as well as everyone says. I purchased M500, M501, M504, M509, and M510, the first three for myself and the last two for my client kit.
I’m eating my words at this point. These brushes are really incredible. The blend I get whenever I use them (which is on the daily) is the type of blend I used to only get by running my pictures through skin softening apps or airbrushing them. Their unique, tapered point makes for a, well, flawless finish. There aren’t any rules to how you can use the brushes, so you will notice other MUAs using certain styles in completely different ways than me, but I use the M500 for blush, M501 for my contour, M504 for highlight, and then the M509 for client contour and the M510 for client eyeshadow blending. I want to own the entire collection and use them almost exclusively in my client kit. I’m EXTREMELY happy with them! Plus they’re quite reasonably priced — when the most expensive brush in a line is less than $15, then you’ve run into one heck of a deal. There are 17 brushes in the entire line, black and white, of all differing sizes and densities.
Photo courtesy instagram.com/morphebrushes
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($6)
If you’ve been following my blog or Instagram account, you know how in love I am with my Beauty Blender original. It changed the way I applied foundation and concealer and always delivers a flawless but full coverage finish. I balked at the price at first because I couldn’t fathom a sponge being worth $20, but I’m on my second sponge now, so that’s that. I’ve tried a few dupes and watched/read reviews of others, and I wasn’t find anything that came even close. (The Target dupe was super hard, even when wet, didn’t have any bounce, and smelled like rubber tires.) I’ve seen the Real Techniques sponge being used in a lot of YouTube tutorial videos by some pretty big name MUAs, however, and thought I might as well give it a try. At only $6 (or $10.99 for a two-pack at Ulta), I figured I wouldn’t be out too much money if it was awful.
Shape, size, and color aside, this is the Beauty Blender. Seriously. I’ve read reviews by people insisting that the Beauty Blender is just a little softer, a little squeezier, a little bouncier, but I’ve used both interchangeably and have found no difference in any area, especially when it comes to the finish of my makeup. And I actually prefer the shape and size of the Real Techniques version — it’s bigger and has a nice flat edge that is PERFECT for the under eye area, forehead, and chin. I plan on stocking up and having them in my storage at all times, both personal and client kits. Seriously awesome. I’ll keep you posted as to whether it lasts as long as the original Beauty Blender (around a year), but so far it seems to be a little more durable, too.
Photo copyright realtechniques.com
Pixi by Petra Flawless Beauty Primer ($22)
Since I JUST wrote about this primer and why I love it, I’ll just send you over to that post.
L.A. Girl Cosmetics HD Pro Conceal yellow corrector ($2.99-$5)
After purchasing the Wet n Wild Coverall color correcting wheel and being pretty disappointed with the results (really thick, cakey product, not much coverage, although the green isn’t too bad on acne), I was skeptical as to whether another drugstore corrector could be decent. It can! The L.A. Girl Cosmetics Pro Conceal comes in SEVERAL shades you can use for highlight/contour, and then three correcting shades. It’s a lightweight, full coverage formula, and I have noticed a decrease in visible dark circles under my makeup. I apply it after primer and before my foundation, just on those undereye circles, and I look a lot less tired and my eyes look brighter. Does it cover them 100%? No. I believe the formulation would need to be thicker for that to be the case, but then you’d also run into mega cakiness, so it’s kind of a catch-22. I feel that, for just a few bucks, it works effectively enough without leaving a cakey mess on my face, and I plan on keeping it in my collection because you hit your 30s and then dark circles are a way of life.
Photo courtesy ebay.com
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment ($6.99-$8.99)
If Desi Perkins likes it, then I want to like it. That’s not entirely true, but it’s mostly true, and when she started using it in her tutorials and raving about it, I wanted to get my grubby little mitts on it to see what the hype was. I use NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer on a regular basis and had been using it for my highlight, but the problem I was running into was a real texture change/deterioration as the day wore on because my skin is so oily. Even when I skipped foundation in those areas and only used the concealer, it was still getting a little nasty (especially on my chin and nose). This doesn’t mean I won’t keep buying it — I love that concealer for blemishes — but I needed something a little less thick and manageable. The upside to the Maybelline is its formulation — just thin enough to be EXTREMELY blendable but still thick enough to provide decent coverage. I do still feel like I need to use my yellow corrector underneath, but this just adds an additional brightness. I also use it on my forehead, down my nose, and on my chin. I mentioned in my video about my disappointment over the shade options, particular for those who are any fairer skinned than me, but in looking on the Maybelline website, I notice there’s a Brightening shade, which appears to be much lighter than the one I’m currently using (Fair). I need to try that one out asap, and I imagine it will take care of all the issues I currently have with the product.
Photo courtesy maybelline.com
Milani Cosmetics Baked Blush in Bellissimo Bronze ($8.49)
When I first went to the Milani Cosmetics website to purchase a baked blush, I was planning on buying Luminoso because Nikkie Tutorials uses it, and as we’ve already established several times, I want to be more like her. It was sadly out of stock, so I’ll need to try again later, so I looked through all the shade options and decided on Bellissimo Bronze because I’ve been wanting a shimmery bronzer for summer. Of the six contour palettes I own, all of the bronzers are matte, which is preferable for contour, but I wanted something that would give me a warmth and a glow. Bellissimo Bronze is SO pretty. It’s a very shimmery product without being too shimmery or glittery, and the color payoff is incredible. It blends really beautifully, and I love to apply it over my contour on my cheeks and temples to look like I’ve just come back from a great vacation somewhere exotic. It is, however, rather warm, so if you’re a cool toned individual or any lighter than me, you’ll want to avoid it because it could make you look really orangey. I really love the formulation of these baked blushes, and I want to build my collection with more of them. Even if you don’t purchase the bronze shade, you’d end up really happy with another shade.
Photo courtesy kmart.com
City Color Cosmetics Be Matte Blush ($5)
City Color Cosmetics has become my new brand obsession. I want to try pretty much all their products (though I really shy away from purchasing items like foundation online because the color matching is impossible to do and you could end up with something really off). They’re a cruelty-free company, and their pricing is just ridiculous for the quality you’re getting. These Be Matte Blushes are super velvety soft, with great pigmentation and near perfect blendability, and I am only four away from owning the entire collection. Some of the shades aren’t even right for my skintone. I don’t even care. I want them all. I honestly have NOTHING negative to say about them at all — if you want shimmer, you can top them with something more shimmery (I like to layer NARS blush in Reckless over the City Color Cosmetics Dragonfruit), but the matte option is really lovely. These are, hands down, the best blushes I’ve ever used, and that includes high-end prestige brands. You have to check these babies out.
Photo courtesy citycolorcosmetics.blogspot.com
City Color Cosmetics Contour & Define ($11.99)
I mentioned this palette in my City Color Cosmetics Haul video along with the Be Matte Blushes, and my first impression was pretty favorable. Since then, I’ve used it nearly every day (though I’ve put it aside for a few days because I recently purchased the LORAC Contour palette (to be released June 14th — yeah, I got it early). I can really see myself using a bit from each palette for the perfect definition and glow, however. One of the least expensive contour palettes out there, the City Color one packs a real punch. It does have the fewest number of color options, with one contour, one bronzer, one blush, and one highlight, but the pans are quite sizable, and that makes it a perfect choice for those interested in doing a little highlight and contour on a regular basis without being overwhelmed with too many shade options. This palette does run a little warm, as is the case with MANY contour palettes, so if you need a cool-toned contour, you’ll unfortunately need to skip this one (I really hope they release a cool-toned option because that would be amazing). The texture/formulation is almost identical to their Be Matte Blushes, velvety smooth and very blendable. The bronzer appears to be pretty light, but don’t let it fool you — you’ll get a gorgeous, natural warmth when you use it (I use it along my temples and jawline, leaving the contour powder to chisel out my cheeks). The blush is a lovely neutral color (very similar to their Be Matte shade Papaya, but not identical), but the real MVP of this palette is the highlight. I would, without question, pay $12 for it alone. It’s a cross between a satin and matte finish, and the natural glow you get from it is stunning. This isn’t going to be like BECCA Cosmetics Opal or Moonstone or TheBalm’s Mary Lou-Manizer, super shimmery and a statement highlight, but it’s not going to be lost on your skin either. It’s become my go-to highlight, even for my cheekbones, and it looks like I’m glowing from within rather than packing on product to achieve that appearance. I’m pretty certain I’ll hit pan on that first.
Photo courtesy citycolorcosmetics.com
Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Crayon in Blacquer ($25)
APOLOGIES for mentioning in my video that I thought this retailed for $17 at Sephora because it is, in fact, $25, making it a little more expensive than the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Pencil. Because of the incredible quality of this pencil, however, and its perfect formulation, longevity, creaminess, pigmentation, etc., I still feel that’s a reasonable price (especially considering I only use it to tightline, so it will last me forever).
I feel pretty strongly that pencil liner is only good for tightlining and nothing else because you can never get a precise enough point to actually wing it, so that’s how I use this one. This is honestly the best pencil liner I’ve EVER used. Where every other pencil liner I’ve tried (waterproof and smudgeproof, based on their claims) has worn off in the waterline (and I get it, I do — the waterline is named as such because it’s kind of wet), the Marc Jacobs Highliner stays put for several hours. It will wear off a tiny bit, especially if I’ve been crying or have experienced allergy-based watery eyes, but it can run circles around all the eyeliner pencils. It’s self-sharpening, so you don’t end up wasting a lot of product sharpening it all the time, and the packaging is beautiful and sleek. It comes in 25 beautiful, pigmented shades, so there’s something for everyone. I honestly love this so much, and for a limited time, if you enter the code JUNE when shopping on the Marc Jacobs Beauty website, you’ll receive two mini Highliner pencils free with any purchase $50+. Which means you could buy two Highliner pencils and receive two minis (which are quite sizable) for a total of $50. Pretty solid bargain if you ask me.
Photo courtesy marcjacobsbeauty.com
PHEW this was the longest post ever, but hopefully you enjoyed it and found it helpful! Tell me about your May favorites — anything I need to try out this month???
First off, I have not been asked by the company to review their products nor endorse them in any way. I just love these brushes so much that I WANT to share them with the world!
I was blessed enough to win a giveaway hosted by Mikasa and @kimjluv on Instagram of their Beauty Classic Essential Kit, which came with 10 brushes and a very nice container to hold and organize the brushes.
I love when brush sets come in containers — they’re more useful than brush bags and can help keep brushes free of dust and bacteria. It also makes transportation a breeze, and you don’t have to worry about getting makeup fallout on your other beauty products or (eek) your clothes when packing them. Their case is black, snaps shut, and has their name printed in silver on the lid, and it’s very elegant (you know, for a brush container).
The ten brushes included in the set are as follows (all images and descriptions from the Mikasa Beauty website):
This brush is really fluffy and soft. I don’t wear a lot of powder on my face — I like a dewier finish usually, and I don’t think I need it except on my nose, but I really like this brush a LOT.
This is the best blush brush I’ve ever owned. No, seriously, I am in actual love with it. (Just fyi, I have several blush brushes from Shany Cosmetics, Royal & Langnickel, Crown Brush, Morphe Brushes, and Charlotte Ronson, so my opinion is founded on a lot of testing.) At first glance, it seems like it might be too big and distribute too much blush, but that is not the case at all. It is extremely soft and fluffy, and I get the perfect dusting of blush on my cheek every time.
Holy soft finishing brush. Seriously, I think this is the SOFTEST brush I’ve ever owned. So far I’ve only used it with finishing powder, but I’m very interested in trying it with liquid foundation to see how it performs.
I really love my Rimmel Stay Matte foundation, but I’ve found that, when applied with my RC Cosmetics Kabuki Foundation brush, it can still be a little cakey. [Just as an aside, I otherwise love that brush — it leaves a flawless finish with all my other foundations, and I use it very regularly.] I applied it using this foundation brush the other day, and I had the MOST flawless finish I’ve had with any other foundation brush. The only downside for me is that the ends of the bristles are pretty spiky and therefore are kind of uncomfortable, but I figured out a way to combat that, which is to use larger, broader strokes rather than short, quick ones.
This brush is a little less firm than advertised — it actually has pretty soft bristles (they don’t spread by any means, and they deliver a very precise line, but they’re softer than many angled brushes I’ve owned in the past). I typically use another detail angled liner for my brows, but when I want a more natural brow, I definitely opt for this brush. It distributes product evenly and doesn’t leave it packed on or clumpy.
This eyeliner brush is perfect. I usually use liquid liner or the Eyeko Skinny Mini liner pen, so I don’t use brushes in creme products too often, but when I do, this brush actually delivers a very fine, detailed line. It’s the worst when you have an eyeliner brush that leaves you with a big, fatty winged line a la Amy Winehouse amiright. I wish all eyeliner brushes were as precise as this one!
I use this brush every day to apply a wash of neutral color across my lid for good blending and transition. It’s the perfect size — not so large that you feel like you’re covering part of your forehead as well, but not so small that you have to keep applying shadow everywhere to get full coverage. The tapered end makes for great blending in the crease as well.
This little brush is kind of a fatty kid, and I love that. A lot of small shadow brushes that are perfect for smoking out the lower lashline are really thin and consequently require a lot more work. This brush distributes product evenly and blends super well.
Since I don’t really wear concealer ever (and when I do, I either use my NYX concealer brush because of its size or my fingers), I’ve actually been using this as an eye brush. Remember all the struggles I had with the ColourPop Super Shock pressed pigment? Those troubles are no more! I get this baby damp and get the most flawless, smooth application possible. If you love ColourPop pigments, this brush is a MUST-HAVE. Seriously. It’s also extremely soft, like the other brushes in the set!
If someone told me I could only keep one brush from this entire kit, I’d hold onto this one. This is the best blending brush I’ve ever used (and, again, I’ve got a lot to compare it to — RC Cosmetics, Tiffany Leigh Cosmetics, Mirabella Beauty, Charlotte Ronson, Crown Brush, and Royal & Langnickel to name a few). I don’t know what it is that makes it so amazing — it’s a little shorter than other blending brushes I own and the bristles seem to be packed a little more densely — but my eyeshadow has gone to the next level while using it. I’ve had several pictures on Instagram hit the 100+ likes mark, and I swear it’s because of this brush. I really can’t say enough good things about it!
*****
As of now, you can only purchase this full set on their website, but they have assured me they will be launching more products soon! However, I REALLY think this is a must-have kit for everyone — not just makeup artists. There aren’t a bunch of weird brushes you’ll never use in personal use, and it’s reasonably priced ($89.95 right now on their website, which puts each brush at about $9 apiece, and that’s what you would be paying at Ulta for lower quality brushes). The handles are ergonomic and comfortable, and they wash really, really well (I use my RC Cosmetics brush cleaning glove to clean all my brushes). I am extremely excited to see this company grow and launch more products, and I will definitely be a regular customer of theirs!!!
Hi everyone! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a wonderful Black Friday (if you celebrated it by shopping shopping shopping like I did .. expect a major makeup haul post in the coming weeks)! I have a cold, which is lame, but I’d rather have a cold now than in a couple weeks when I go to Disneyland. (!!!!!!!!)
So. I hoard makeup brushes. This is a thing that I do, and I’m not even going to pretend like I don’t. I have six powder brushes in my client kit and four in my personal kit alone. But in my defense a large reason for this is that I’ve been searching for what the best brush brands are, especially for my money.
Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2014
A few brands that have been hit and miss:
Royal & Langnickel — great face brushes in the MODA set, not great in the Essentials line, mediocre eye/brow brushes.
Crown Brush — wow these are like night and day depending on the set you purchase, so the one I got through HauteLook is a miss for me — the natural bristled brushes (of the contouring variety) aren’t very soft, and they don’t clean well, meaning once I’ve cleaned them with my brush shampoo and brush glove, they look like they’ve been through war, BUT the 7 pc. HD set with mixing plate and spatula is great — the brushes are very soft and blend well (although there was one fatality while I was cleaning them, and the blush brush that I’ve cleaned perhaps twice, fell apart … the bristles just came right out of the shaft, which is pretty lame after two cleanings.) On the other hand, I like the eyeshadow brushes pretty well, and the facial powder brushes are fine.
Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2014
Shany Cosmetics — I’m not sure why these are so high rated on Amazon because they’re TERRIBLE — you absolutely get what you pay for.
NYX Cosmetics — I’ve only used the dual fiber stippling brush, concealer brush, and the primer eye, so strictly synthetics, but they’re really well-made, durable, and easy to clean, so I’m a fan.
RC Cosmetics — I won a set in an Instagram giveaway, and they’re probably some of the best brushes I have. They’re all synthetic, but the face brushes are EXTREMELY soft and don’t shed, and the kabuki foundation brush is amazing. I love the eye brushes as well, and the lip brush comes with a lid, which is nice. The only downside? The kabuki shaft came disconnected from the handle while cleaning it, but I really think that must have been a defect because I haven’t had issue with any of the other brushes. This isn’t enough to make me not order from them again.
To be fair, the only brand I wouldn’t purchase again are the Shany Cosmetics, and I think I’ll be more discerning when it comes to the other lines. I tend to purchase sets because I get more bang for my buck, plus I need a lot of brushes because I could have up to 5-10 clients in a day, and it’s so much easier to have loads of brushes than have to disinfect in between every. single. client.
Anyways, I’d read a lot on Instagram about Morphe Brushes from a ton of MUAs, and this month they were having a 10% discount with @naye0na, which also included a portion of proceeds going to @chewslifeanimalrescue. As a rescue pet parent, I couldn’t pass this one up!
Pros
They have several lines that can work well with any budget
They sell literally every brush type you could ever want
They sell individual brushes and sets
Cons
$7.99 flat shipping rate, no matter how much you order
Pretty slow processing time
One of my brushes was a little smooshed by the time it got to me
I only ordered three brushes because, you know, I’ve been buying cosmetics like they’re all going out of style, plus I didn’t want to get stuck with a full 15-piece set of brushes I hated *coughs* Shany. The three I purchased were: MB32 (detail angled liner), MB33 (jumbo fan), and MB8 (small buffer).
Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2014
I decided on their MB Black line because it was reasonably priced but still clearly good quality. I wanted to order all the Gunmetal line brushes, but to do so would have put me a little under the table. Someday, however. Someday.
The detail angled liner was exactly what I needed to make my brows look better than they’ve been looking. It’s such a thin, hard-bristled brush, and the bristles don’t separate (although that tends to happen the more use the brush gets and thusly the more cleaning, so I’ll update you in the future with how it’s going). And, I’ll admit, my brows have never looked better.
Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2014
Moi? Ombre brow? Say it isn’t so. But really, they look great because of the brush (I use Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Dark Brown, though I recently ordered Ebony as I’ve been dyeing my hair black).
The jumbo fan is truly jumbo, but it has tapered bristles so you aren’t covering your entire face in highlight. It + the Urban Decay Naked Flushed palette = match made in heaven, although you have to be careful to not get bronzer and/or blush on it as well (the palette powders aren’t separated by anything). I can give myself a healthy glow or a beautiful shimmer very easily with this brush that’s extremely soft and thus far hasn’t shed one single bristle.
Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2014
I’m actually embarrassed for my former highlighting fan. It’s so pitiful.
The small buffer is the brush I’ve been needing for months to get a great contour using bronzer. I typically use e.l.f. cosmetics Contouring Cream with a contour brush and stippling brush to blend it out, but I’ll probably be using more bronzer in the future now that I’ve got this great brush. The bristles are really packed, but still very soft, and the tapered, round top makes for a really perfect shape.
Final verdict: these may be the best brushes I’ve ever owned, and despite the $7.99 flat shipping rate, I’ll order them again. I still have yet to see how they hold up through multiple uses and cleanings, but so far I’m really impressed and pleased with my purchase!
Image courtesy of beautyblender.net
Okay, we need to have a serious discussion about the Beauty Blender, right here, right now.
I get it, the idea of spending $20 on a sponge sounds/feels stupendously bad because it’s a sponge of which you will dispose in a matter of months, and maybe we should just stick with foundation or stippling brushes, right?
The answer is yes. Deciding to continue with your brush regimen is perfectly acceptable, and being a cheapskate myself, it’s also sound reasoning. But I also have to let you in on a secret: you’re super wrong. Like, really a lot wrong.
I was a skeptic, of course, because I didn’t understand how the Beauty Blender could possibly be better than any other foundation applying tool, and after all I’d just barely found the wonderment that is the stippling brush, so it didn’t seem as though I could possibly switch up my routine and be happier.
This is ultimately, I think, a story about how I discovered I was doing my face all wrong and the journey I took to amend that
As we know, I’ve got a bit of a blemish problem, so I set off to YouTube to see if I could find a tutorial on achieving facial flawlessness sans PhotoShop or pancake makeup. And, as we learned, I absolutely found a great method for fooling people into thinking I: 1. don’t wear very much makeup at all and 2. have great skin. In order to do that, I had to watch several tutorials, including those about the Beauty Blender because all the MUAs were using it and I was just so curious.
The first step I took was to buy myself a cheap imitation to see if I could even get behind the idea of using an egg shaped sponge to apply my foundation and concealer, so I purchased one from Target for about $2. First off, I love Target, but do not even bother spending your $2 on what smells like a rubber tire and feels like a pet toy. It blended fine, and I was pretty happy with the application, but it was so stiff, I could barely squeeze it at all, and there was, of course, the rubber tire smell, which was not pleasant on and around my nose. I used it for a little while and realized that even the crummy $2 version was better than all the makeup brushes I’d used in the past, so I decided to bite the bullet.
I bought the real deal at Sephora.
Heart palpitations happened, if you’re curious, because for that amount I could get 20 pairs of lashes through e.l.f. or 6 tubes of lipstick through NYX or a few mascaras from the drugstore. And scoff if you want, but there are some inexpensive brands that are absolutely 100% as good as the high end brands, without the expense and the animal testing.
It took me a couple days to crack it open and start using it because I was considering taking it back and buying a couple of eyeliners for my kit, but I got over that, read the small little manual that came with it, and got to work. The steps are simple: wet it, squeeze it out, towel dry it, apply your foundation, and blend it in, bouncing the Blender on your skin. Here’s where this is not your typical sponge: most sponges are known for their propensity to absorb everything, especially foundation, but the Beauty Blender is extremely different. Sure, you’ll end up with product in the sponge because it’s not completely non-porous, but the majority will end up on your skin, so you won’t use any more than you might with your fingers or a brush. By wetting it, you’ll get a smoother finish of your makeup — it won’t look like you used a sponge, for starters (remember the artwork you made as a kid using shaped sponges in tempera paint? Well, this isn’t like that.) — and you will, of course, avoid the streaks brushes can leave behind.
And then, because it’s really fabulous and magical, you can use it with your concealer and highlighter and basically any other cream product you want to use on your face. The egg shape is beneficial – the larger round end is great for larger areas of your face like the forehead and cheeks, and the pointed end is great for along your nose and under your eyes.
I haven’t actually attempted to clean it yet, but apparently it’s pretty easy and you don’t have to buy the ridiculously expensive sponge cleaner the company tries to shill out. I will report on my findings later. 🙂
And, as an added bonus, it can apparently last up to a year (at least one MUA I watched on YouTube said she’d had hers for a year and needed a new one). I’m not quite sure at what point you will know you need a new one, but again, I will report on my findings when I get to that point.
Suffice it to say, I believe it’s a fantastic $20 you can spend. If you really really don’t want to spend that much, no matter how great it is, the best dupe reviewed on YouTube was by the brand N.Y.C. (New York Color), which is pointed on both ends (so that’s kind of weird) but only retails for about $5 and has a very similar consistency, meaning you can squeeze it and it’s lighter weight. From what I understand, you should avoid the Ulta brand at all costs, and as I mentioned earlier, the Target one, too (that includes the Sonia Kashuk version that’s about $5 as well).
But really just get the name brand. Treat yourself, ask for a gift card for your birthday or Christmas or … C0lumbus Day.
Take it from me, a person who used the little sponge applicators that came in makeup palettes for years, brushes can seem like a sort of scary thing. First, there are a billion of them, and everyone claims theirs are best, and if you’re honestly buying the best, then you’re laying down hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for them. And then you have to store them properly and clean them on a regular basis and the whole thing makes you want to throw your hands into the air and go back to the sponge applicators that come in makeup palettes.
Yes, I Instagram my makeup brushes.
But don’t. They’re not as scary as they seem.
While I am admittedly not a makeup expert, I have toyed around with makeup brushes as of late and have determined the brushes you “have to have” aren’t as many as the real experts would like you to think. Although you can certainly spring for the 24-brush sets and use them — I’m not discouraging you from doing so — if you feel less inclined to do that, here are the brushes I find really essential.
Face:
Foundation brush — not only will you get maximum coverage, it goes on really smoothly, without any weird blotchy marks. These are most similar to actual paintbrushes.
Image courtesy of thebodyshop-usa.com
Large powder brush — even if you’re using pressed powder, still invest in one of these. It’s kind of a no brainer with loose powder, but try to avoid using the odd little pads that come with pressed. You’ll get a lighter dusting that still provides good coverage. The bristles on these brushes are very soft.
Image courtesy of marykay.com
Blush brush — blush brushes that come with blush are really oddly shaped and can often lead to stripes or streaks of blush. Blush brushes are more taut than powder brushes, giving you more control over the area (you don’t want your entire cheeks to be rosy, from the bottom of your lower eyelid to the top of your jaw, after all).
Image courtesy of beautylish.com
Eyes/Brows:
Liner brush — this is really only necessary if you use shadow or cream liner. If you’re using a pencil, then you can easily get away without using one of these. However, they offer excellent control for lower lid eyeliner, due to their very compact, flat tips.
Image courtesy of talking pretty.com
Highlighter brush — due to their angled design, you can get an excellent swipe of highlighter under your brows.
Image courtesy of sephora.com
Crease brush — these are medium-sized eye makeup brushes that you’ll use even if you don’t have a crease (such as myself, with a monolid). The bristles are much softer than a liner brush but still provide good control. **I might also recommend that you purchase one crease brush for darker shadows and one for lighter.**
Image courtesy of topshop.com
Blending brush — let a blending brush be your best friend. When you first apply what may be up to four different colors of eyeshadow, you might look in the mirror with horror at how amateur it looks. Using these brushes allows your makeup to smoothly and softly blend together without removing too much color. The bristles are very fluffy and soft, and I’d say this is probably one of the largest eye makeup brushes you’ll use.
Image courtesy of instyle.com
Eyebrow brush — this is a necessity. You can brush your brows to help groom them and ensure they’re all going in the same direction, and generally speaking there’s a comb on the other side that can double as an eyelash separator post-mascara application.
Image courtesy of glamcheck.com
Lips:
I’m going to practice a little “Do what I say, not what I do” right now when I say you should buy a lip brush. I don’t actually have one right now and have been awkwardly using a Q-tip to dig out the remains of my lipstick that’s nearly out, and it’s awful. The lip brush is high on my to-buy list, however. Not only will this give you very precise color on your lip shape (especially if you have thinner lips), you can also use ALL the color left in the tube rather than having to toss it when you can’t easily apply it to your lips.
Image courtesy of clinique.com
Total costs:
I purchased a makeup brush set from Costco around Christmastime a couple years ago, and they only cost me about $20 and have proven to be quite good quality. You may scoff if you like, but I’d rather spend $20 an entire set than $50 on one because it’s all natural hair (as an aside, there’s something mildly creepy to me when it comes to using natural boar’s hair anything). I also purchased an additional eyebrow brush for a few dollars at Rite Aid the other day that works very well. Really, the sky’s the limit when it comes to makeup brushes — you can spend as little or as much as you’d like. The only brand I’ve been disappointed with has been e.l.f., which I know is disappointing since they’re often only $1-$3 apiece at Target, but they fall apart quickly and you end up with makeup bristles all over your face.
Time to clean up!
When it comes to cleaning your brushes, I’ve heard several different opinions. A makeup artist once told me no more than once a month so as to not wear out the bristles or have them fall apart, but I’ve also read articles in beauty magazines that insist upon once a week. Every day is absolutely unnecessary, and you’ll find yourself replacing your brushes on an all-too regular basis. I’ll leave it up to you how often you clean them.
There are several routes you can take. Some people use makeup brush cleaner, some use a mixture of water and vinegar, and some use good old soap (I’m one of the latter, and that makes most people cringe, but my brushes have lasted me awhile and that hasn’t been bad on my skin, so till something goes wrong I’ll probably continue doing so). Whatever you do, try to avoid cleaning them all the way up to the handle because the water can leach into it and kill the glue. I have had brushes in which the bristles all came out at one time from the handle, so I hold firmly to that. You’ll also want to set them to dry so the bristles are facing more downward (on the edge of a sink on a towel works best for me — the towel keeps them from slipping, and the sink bowl can catch any excess water I somehow missed in shaking the brushes out). I’ve included links below that I’ve found are excellent makeup brush cleaning tutorials.
From The Beauty Department: http://pinterest.com/pin/220324606741427350/
From Mixed Method: http://pinterest.com/pin/220324606740714389/
My Trip Down the Beauty Aisle 