Makeup brush recommendations, in a quickly thrown together format.

Brush companies mentioned:
www.sigmabeauty.com
www.eyeslipsface.com
www.realtechniques.com
and not shown but I like is www.crownbrush.us


When starting in makeup I suggest 5 basic brushes to get you going on this awesome vanity filled adventure!

First off is your Eyeliner Brush. Now most people stick with pencils but nothing can top a bit of drama with a flat definer brush pushing a bit of a dark color into the lash line.  It's a look that can still be wearable by day but with that pop of "Wow, you look great today!" ishness. I also like to use flat definer brushes to smudge out liner that is too harsh for a more demure effect!

Second is your powder application brush for eyes.Some brushes that I suggest are the flat shader from Sigma, the Up & Up Smudge brush from Target or any other brush that has a flat stiff brush that can pack color on. Dense bristles will pick up more of the product and patting it will lay that color on exactly where you want it to go.

Third, you need a blending brush. Never forget blending unless you are going for a cut crease, and if you are doing that... you don't need this Brush Primer (psst and email me because I never get it right!). Select a brush with fluffier bristles to impart a more diffused look with your shadows. I use a pointed blending brush for my deep set eyes, but most people can get away with a wider and thicker dome shaped head. If the head is a bit flatter but still fluffy, you can apply shadow and it will look a lot more diffused that if you would have used an application brush.

Four...th..uh ly?, You need a blush brush. I recommend a fluffy blush brush with a dome for people who are doing their makeup and aren't too experienced with them. It leaves a diffused finish and is great for the apples of your cheeks. Real Techniques makes an amazing couple of blush brushes and the price point is great. Sigma is pretty fantastic, too, if you prefer natural bristles but that's a personal choice.

and Fif...fth..screw it, and number 5, I recommend a big fluffity powder brush and powder puff for application of a setting powder. You apply the setting powder with a puff and then dust off the excess. I really love the Sigma line and the Real Techniques lines, again for those.

Cleanup, currently is Isopropol Alcohol 91% and a mesh puff to knock off the color, and then a conditioning spray for my natural brushes. I get mine from The Honest Company. When I wash them with shampoo, I use The Honest Company Shampoo and Body Wash. It's cleansing without being overly drying. The alcohol already dries them out enough!

There are more advanced brushes, if you want to know more about those, but I don't want to overwhelm anyone! Basically if you get 5 brushes, you will be golden, and can only go more expert from there.

If you are getting brushes, CONGRATULATIONS! I am so proud of you! This is a huge step! Great job! And thanks for sticking with me!


<3

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Mock Vanity: AKA where all my makeup lives!

I keep reading where people are applying makeup in their bathrooms, toting their makeup around in a case.

A vanity doesn't have to be a big deal. It can even double as a writing desk or even taken down, but a place to sit elegantly, a place to rest your elbow while using it as a fulcrum while doing your eyeliner, a well lit area (all you need is a single full spectrum bulb, and a place that you can be calm and relax.

I think it's a right of passage for every teenager to get their own little space to do their beauty routine, that isn't the same place they defecate. My vanity before this was a desk we picked up from the side of the road because some college students were moving and left it on the curb. It's been repurposed into a work table for an indoor metal shop.

The reason the bathroom is bad is because the humidity and bacteria can actually ruin your makeup and cause your mascara and other 'moist' products go bad before their time. It's better to do it near a window or with a full spectrum bulb. You can get a vanity set up for free from stuff around the house. :)

It really doesn't have to be fancy. It just needs to be YOURS. Here is mine. It was made by getting a bookshelf and not using it for books. This one used to have a hinged door on it but apparently it wasn't very strong, because it fell off.

There is a place for everything I need and it's in modular form so I just pull out the basket I need and put it on the top of the vanity when I use it. It makes it easier to put things away.

I made the dirty brush holder out of rice, a plastic cup and food coloring. It works great. When it gets full, I wash them. and it makes it so brushes don't roll off and get caught under foot. I accidentally ran over a few of my Real Technique brushes and ruined them. Total facepalm.

My mock vanity, filming and makeup storage area

And I didn't mark it on the picture but my cell phone tripod is up there,(by the foundations, near the mirrors) so I can see myself while doing reviews. It's all coming together pretty nicely. My husband also set up a brown backdrop from the ceiling at my request to cordon it off a bit more for me so I can get into doing my makeup more without being distracting to either of us. His office is also in the bedroom so it gets triple duty now.


Has this sparked an idea for you? Let me know in the comments below! I'll be doing a video of it some time, so it's a bit more interactive.

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DIY: Brush Cleaning

One of the things I see a LOT is people not washing their brushes. Unclean applicators and brushes are one of the biggest culprits for promoting acne. The bacterium Propionibacterium acnes (aka P. acnes) and Staphylococcus aureus (Staph A) are the resilient bacteria that cause acne and whiteheads and often times what we are trying to cover it up with is what is aggravating it!  That's why it's important to clean our pillowcases and phone often, but I digress. Cleaning our applicators helps reduce one of the ways that acne persists.

And washing your brushes isn't all that complicated.


First you need to see if your brushes are natural or synthetic. Natural brushes are made with animal hair/fur and should be treated as such. You want to shampoo them and condition them. Properly cared for brushes will last a very long time, and will continue to perform well. If you aren't sure if your brushes are natural or synthetic, treat them as natural brushes.

Synthetic brushes can take things like antibacterial soap. Natural brushes get stripped too much, and need to be reconditioned. I prefer to wash my natural brushes and synthetic brushes in Garnier Fructis 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner and then spray them afterwards with a conditioning spot cleanser and reshape the bristles.

Weekly:
Rinse your brush heads in warm water, taking care not to get water down the 'ferrule' (metal part) because you don't want to weaken the glue that is holding the brush head on. Putting a bit of your liquid cleanser in your hand *a tiny amount* you'll want to swirl them gently in your hand and rinse them until the water runs clear. Place your brushes on a towel and 'roll' them trying to get as much water as possible from them. Let dry either upside down or on a ledge, so that water doesn't run back in to the ferrule causing damage. After they are dry, spray them gently with the conditioning cleanser and reshaping and smoothing the bristles, bringing them back to original form. You can use brush guards for this or you can use your hands. Either way works well.

Daily:
I spray them with this conditioning cleanser and wipe clean with either a microfiber or paper towel until no more product comes off of the brush.

*adding a few drops of Tea Tree Oil is optional but very helpful in the cases of persistent acne.

If you want to make up your own conditioning cleanser, I made up a little instructional card to print out and cut out to keep with your bottle so you don't forget what it is!

Conditioning Cleanser printable cards

Hope this helps!

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