Monday, October 8, 2012

Let's talk about Sponges, Brushes and Fingers.



Let’s talk about makeup tools.

You can spend all the money you want on fancy makeup. Lots of money on YSL, Chanel, Dior etc. But if you got your brushes from Wal-Mart or the dollar store, you are going to notice that your expensive makeup still looks icky on your face.

You must have a good “foundation” for that makeup. And by foundation, I mean application process. There are different methods and some people like certain ones, while others are adamant about their method of choice.

Brushes: Spending $20 plus dollars on one brush might seem absurd. I know that when you are standing there and all you have is one tiny little brush in your hand, you think “why would I get this when I can go to Wal-Mart and get a whole set for $20” But let me tell you this….THE HIGHER QUALITY THE BRUSH THE BETTER APPLICATION YOU WILL HAVE. I have had numerous people comment that my brushes are so soft and when they look in the mirror after I finish with their face, they are amazed at what the brushes did for their eyes/face/lips.  You can reuse them, you MUST clean them. I know so many of you out there do not clean your brushes. Imagine this: you dip your brush in your eye shadow/foundation, apply it to your face and then walk away. The next day you do the same. But you re-dip it in the makeup, depositing whatever bacteria happened to be growing on that brush overnight. Over and over you do that, until you realize you are starting to break out. You apply acne cream, but continue using those dirty brushes. Many of you don't realize that it's essential to clean your brushes at a minimum 1x per week.  Many think just professional makeup artists need to clean their brushes so they don’t transmit between clients. But you should pretend you are just like me and clean your brushes every time. There are many brush cleaners out there, or you could just use warm water and a bit of dish soap. Just PLEASE, starting now; can you please clean those brushes? You spent good money on them; take care of that investment which will in turn take care of that beautiful skin on your face!

These are some brushes that are great quality, and receive my recommendation.
Sedona Lace Brushes

Crown Brushes

Sigma Brushes

Sponges: They are inexpensive, can be used wet or dry, come in a variety of textures and shapes, and can get hard to reach areas like around the nose. They are great for blending foundation into the hairline. However, they harvest bacteria after their first use, they absorb up to 50% of your product, making you have to go out and spend more money to buy the product since half of it is ending up on your sponge. All of this I am speaking of is referring to the sponges you can buy at target, wal-mart, cvs, etc.



 But let’s talk about the Beauty Blender. It’s expensive, starting around $20 or more. It’s fairly small too, you expect more for $20. So already when you buy it, you are kind of resenting it. “Darn you for being so expensive but so small!”

But then you use it. The sponge is so gentle and the application is so beautiful. You just stipple the product onto the skin (stipple means just repeatedly pat over and over). You use the smaller end for blending concealer and then the bigger end for foundation application. It’s so flawless. I like to use it a bit damp, but you can also use it dry. As with any quality product, you need to wash it after every use. After you wash it out thoroughly, just set it in a well ventilated area for it to dry. It just needs overnight and you will be good to go. I highly recommend this product. And it took me FOREVER to get around to buying it, because of the price. But I can’t speak enough on how awesome it is. I used it on both of my ladies this weekend who I did makeup on. Flawless, absolutely breathtakingly flawless. Go to www.beautyblender.com to purchase online, or ULTA, any pro makeup store like Naime’s (Sherman Oaks) or Nigel’s (North Hollywood). I believe both of those makeup stores ship anywhere in the country if you go to their websites.



Fingers:  Many people love to use fingers to apply makeup. The natural heat from our fingers warm up the foundation and provide a nice and even coverage. However, there is a reason your mom told you not to touch your face as a teenager. Our fingers are oily and have bacteria on them. So buy putting them in your makeup and on your face, they become a transportation for bacteria to breed and cause acne. If you do prefer using your fingers as a way to apply your makeup, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before and after application.

What’s my favorite? I like a combination. I’ve been using my Beauty Blender for foundation and concealer blending. I use a brush for my eyeshadows, eyebrows, blushes, bronzer etc. If I use my fingers, it’s my ring fingers to pat out/blend my concealer is around my eyes. I’m like a mutt, a Heinz 57 mix of all the tools.

What do you use? Are you inspired to try something different?

Here are some links to the products I've mentioned: 

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XOXO,

Amelia St. John

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