Building your Makeup Kit (Tools) – Tips for Makeup Newbies

Written on Monday, November 1st, 2010

When your just starting out with makeup, it can be a bit daunting trying to decide what you do and don’t need due to the saturation of products that are available on the market. To get that flawless finish the right tools aka makeup brushes are essential but what brushes do you really need? My suggestion, purchase brushes that will allow you to use them for a variety of things.

The brushes that you choose don’t have to be expensive but they do need to work for your eye shape and size (I’ll cover this in a separate post) and the style of makeup application that you are trying to achieve. Pictured below are some the different kinds of brushes that are available; I’ve listed them in categories that I feel are most appropriate. You may notice that some of the brushes are listed in multiple categories.

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Sigma Makeup Brushes Review

Written on Saturday, June 20th, 2009

I first heard of Sigma Makeup Brushes while watching a video on YouTube by Enkore Makeup. From the looks of it, Sigma Makeup is selling MAC comparable brushes at a more economical price. Intrigued, I decided to give them a try. I purchased the SS109, SS224 and SS219 brushes. I’ve been using them for about a month or so now and am happy to report that these brushes a pretty good. The only true dupe for me is the SS109($14USD) as I find that it applies both my powder blushes and liquid foundations the same as my MAC 109. The SS224($9USD), for me at least, is more like the 217. I find that this brush is a bit stiffer and smaller then the 224. I love the way that it apply my contour colour but I don’t find that it’s the best choice for blending out harsh lines. The SS219 ($9USD) is similar to the 219 from MAC but the bristles are not as tapered.

Overall, these brushes are good and I would recommend them if you are on a tight budget and can’t afford the hefty price tag of MAC brushes.

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Express Beauty Tips: Cleaning Cream-based Products from your Brushes.

Written on Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

I’m a big advocate of working with clean brushes but sometimes the products that we use are a little hard to get out. Before I wash my brushes that I have used with an emollient-based product (liquid/cream foundations, cream blushes etc), I take a paper towel and dampen it with some olive oil. I then take the brush and gently swipe it back and forth across the towel. The olive oil helps to break down the foundation, lipsticks that are in your brush. Once I am satisfied that I have removed most of the product from my brush, I wash it in warm water and a mild soap like Dove or Ivory. I rinse it out and then spray a light spritz of 99% rubbing alcohol to sanitize it.

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When Precision is the Thing.

Written on Monday, April 13th, 2009

I’ve recently made the switch over to gel liners from the traditional pencil liners. The brush pictured to the left is a great option for those of you who have never used a script brush before to apply your liner. I have to admit that using a script brush can be tricky and this is the type of brush that I learned on. Because of the bend in the brush, I find that it makes it easier to see what it is that your doing resulting in a nice thin straight line. Once you feel that you have mastered this brush, switch on over to M.A.C.’s 210 liner brush.

Picture courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics.com
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Inexpensive Makeup Brushes

Written on Thursday, February 26th, 2009


You don’t need to spend lots of money to have good makeup brushes. I use a mix of different brushes from M.A.C. to Lise Watier to Posh makeup brushes. Also good are the Crown Brushes. Your best deal will be to purchase them in a set. The one down side is that as inexpensive as these brushes are; it’s the custom charges that you incur.
When purchasing brushes, you are going to want to feel them, so if there are testers out, try running them on the back of your hand to get a feel for the bristles. If it feels scratchy, don’t buy it; the bristles should feel soft and smooth.

Where to purchase:
Lise Watier ~ Shoppers Drug Mart & Sears
Posh Brushes ~ At select Pharma Plus/ Rexall Drug Stores

Note: There is a minimum purchase of $25USD from Crown Brushes

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