Sunday, September 14, 2014

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

When it comes to makeup, no matter how expensive or affordable it is, you have to have the right tools. A good brush is all the difference between seamless coverage or uneven color. Keeping that in mind, it would be plain good advice to take care of those tools. You can go out and buy a fabulous $40 foundation brush, but if you don't properly take care of it, what's the point?



Brush maintenance is not at all hard to incorporate into your daily life. While you're doing your makeup, give each brush a spritz of alcohol (or a spray brush cleaner) and wipe on a clean paper towel after each use. This prevents any extra bacteria from chilling in your brush, waiting to jump onto your face. It also helps get rid of color residue so that you can use the same brush for a different shade of blush or shadow, or whatever. If you apply makeup daily, I suggest you fully wash your brushes at least once a week. Of course, that changes depending on if you're doing different colors, different faces, or you go wild and apply makeup twice a day. For me, I wear makeup maybe two or three times a week. So I'm fine with washing at least once every two weeks. As always, your mileage may vary. If you look at your brush and see more color from product than bristles, you definitely should get to washing. There is also such a thing as being overzealous when it comes to washing your brushes. Fully washing your brush every day can lead to bristles shedding and becoming coarse. Getting into a good habit of washing your brushes regularly not only keeps things clean, but it also prolongs the life of your brushes. I still have some eye shadow brushes from when I was a junior in high school.

So now that I've given you a primer on brush care, let's get right on to how I clean my brushes.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Adventures in Couponing: Ulta

Today was a day like any other. Hang out with Brad, get something to eat, find portals to hack (Ingress), etc. Then we decided to stop by a Best Buy and Ulta, just for shits and giggles. I was about ready to leave until I saw that a lot of the tools and accessories were Buy One Get One 50% off. Remembering I had a $3.50 Off coupon, I decided to grab a few things.
Ah, the infamously bright and noisy Ulta bag.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

How to Create a Long-Lasting Lip

If you're anything like me, you hate it when you apply a stunning lip color only to worry about it for the next few hours. The hair flicking, awkward eating, and constant mirror checks. It's enough to just swear off wearing lip colors altogether. But before you go to such drastic measures, read my tips on how to prolong your lipstick without destroying your lips.


Get this right and you can reward yourself with a couple gin and tonics. No worries about your lips. I already tested this.


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade Review and Routine

Brows. They take up the least amount of room on your face but are the most crucial in a final look. I don't always fill them in when I just want to run errands. But when I do make an effort to dress up my eyes or lips, I make a point of perfecting my brows. I know it isn't the same for everyone, but when I forget to do my brows when I'm rocking a smokey eye or bold lip, the upper part of my face just seems incomplete and ill-composed. I find that a well-executed brow tones a look down and keeps it all "together".


Thursday, September 4, 2014

Review: NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams (Lip Swatches!)

I don't know what took me so long to get these NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams (SMLC). I even remember suggesting these to one of my friends when the SMLCs were first getting hyped in the ~blogosphere~ (geez, how that word makes me cringe). But when I stopped by an Ulta a couple weeks ago with my boyfriend, I knew I should just go for it ($3.50 off and 2x points holla). I made sure to pick the two shades I thought would test how A) true to color and B) opaque the product is on my highly pigmented lips. So I went for a "nude" shade and a deep shade.

NYX SMLC in Copenhagen (L) and Stockholm (R), $5.99.
Excuse my out-of-control nails.