Let’s get down to brass tacks here, ladies. When it comes to tools, some jobs are just plain easier with the right ones. Seriously, imagine a painter without her favorite brush or a photographer without her favorite lens. Things are no different in the worlds of makeup and beauty. We have HUNDREDS of tools to choose from. I mean, what would I do without the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler or MAC 217 Blending Brush? Sure, I’d survive, but come on! Life is hard enough as it is. 🙂
So tell me — what’s your top tool for better beauty? Vote for yours in the comments like this, using the word VOTE before your answer:
Oh, this is easy! For me it’s gotta be the T3 Hairdryer. I swear that thing is made from pure love and magic.
VOTE: Bespoke Labs T3 Featherweight Dryer
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
VOTE: shu uemura eyelash curler. hands down..even if i leave the house without makeup (rarely), my stick-straight eyelashes are curled.
Sounds crazy, but my MARK Blush+Bronzer Brush. I use it for applying liquid foundation and it goes on like a dream! It is far superior to ANY foundation brush.
Not crazy to me. I use Philosophy Supernatural Airbrush for liquid and cream foundations and it’s superb. The best I have. Seems to me that this Mark and the Philosophy one are very similar. The Philosophy brush is $25! I wish Avon sold this Mark blush+bronzer here in Brazil . But they don’t. :/ So…
VOTE: Philosophy Supernatural Airbrush
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My number-one beauty must-have would have to be MAC’s 266 brush. It’s the only eyeliner brush, out of a ton I have tried, that works for all looks (winged and simple) and keeps it’s structure after numerous washing and use. I love it with Mac’s Cross Cultural.
Also, if I could choose another I would have to go with Fresh’s Sugar Lip Balm. It’s pricey, but it’s taste and moistuirzing-ness is amazing. I almost peed myself when the new Rose version came out! I always have a matte copperty tube of it in my purse.
VOTE: T3 Flat Iron. I have very straight hair as it is, but once I discovered flat ironing and how smooth my hair is afterwards, I can never go back. The T3 is hands down the best flat iron I have ever used.
.-= Kelly’s last blog post… Lancome Pop Petrol Le Vernis Swatches and Review =-.
I agree. I have stick straight hair too but my T3 makes it looks shinier and straighter.
.-= ni’s last blog post… Look of the Week =-.
Vote: Corioliss Classic Pro Flat Iron. It makes my hair very smooth and makes my already straight hair stay straight, even when it gets a bit of moisture in it. I don’t have to blow dry before hand very often when I use this straightener, I just hair dry and run this through my hair and I get board straight hair.
.-= amy’s last blog post… Medusa’s Makeup Volume For Electric Lashes Mascara Smells a Bit Like Fruit Candy =-.
My pink Solia flat iron. 🙂
VOTE: Remington T-Studio Collection hot rollers.
I love this more than my hair dryer, it gives me awesome Giselle waves with blinding shine after throwing on 6 rollers on slept-on-wet-frizzy hair in the morning, and keeping them on as I do my makeup. Love love love.
Vote: Sonia Kashuk Travel Lash Curler. love it even more than shu’s, and it never leaves my bag (except when it’s sitting on my vanity)
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Vote: My GHD flat iron. I would cry like a baby and buy a replacement asap if mine broke!
off to a party!
I think I’d have to vote for my dozens of plastic, disposable spoolies. I collect them from Sephora (they have the best ones at their little “testing” centers) and I have a few from MAC’s Dazzlelash promotion (they’re clear and a little more narrow—perfect for slipping between my lashes and lids to clear out gunks at the ends of my lashes). I wash them as often as I wash my brushes, so I don’t toss them out. They’re really handy, too: I use them to comb out my brows, de-clump my lashes (best trick is to spin the bristles from base of lashes to the tips) and pick up shadow/mascara fallout/flecks or brush hairs from my face (the bristles can gently and swiftly sweep up the flecks without disturbing anything!).
VOTE: MAC 239
My go-to eyeshadow brush!
Vote: Chi flat iron. My hair would be a frizzy mess without it.
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VOTE: NARS Smudge Brush. This brush has saved many an eyeliner disaster. Sometimes I draw on pencil liner too hardcore, and if I’m in a hurry and don’t have time to fix it, I just use my NARS Smudge Brush to rock an accidentally on purpose smoky eyeliner look.
Tweezerman tweezers. Don’t want caveman brows!
I second this… and not just because we have the same name.
Hmmm, this is such a tough one! I’m going to have to VOTE: Koji Morning & Night Soft Curve Shallow Type eyelash curler. My lids are really flat and small so the Shu, Shiseido, BE & Tarte were all too curved/rounded for me and would get barely halfway ish up my lashes and then pinch me something awful. So happy I found the Koji one!
.-= Catherine’s last blog post… NOTW: Paul & Joe #27 =-.
Vote Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. I love this stuff, I have naturally wavy hair (which I almost always straiten) but I use this stuff every time I wash it, it eliminates frizz, makes my hair super shiny and smooth AND makes my hair dry faster. I think without it my hair would live in a pony tail forever.
VOTE: Clarisonic skincare brush I regularly get compliments on my 66-year old complexion since I started using this with Purity Made Simple.
I got to try this combo for free last weekend when Sephora was doing free mini facials.. it made my skin feel AWESOME.
If the Clarisonic wasn’t so expensive I would definitely buy it!
How did I live without this to apply my foundation!
Vote: Beauty Blender
Vote: MAC 239. I use this every single day, and without it, I can’t even imagine!!
VOTE: Mac 263 angled brush. I use this every day to fix my brows.
Close second: Shu mini eyelash curler. I had been a Shiseido curler devotee until the mini edition was released. I like being able to emphasize different areas of my skimpy, straight lashes.
VOTE: My 3 MAC eyeshadow brushes! The 239, 217 and 219! I couldn’t choose between these because I honestly use them everyday! I think that without these wonderful tools I would be wasting my eyeshadow, because these babies take my skills up to the next level!
Those are my everyday brushes, too! Have you tried the 214 yet? I can’t live without it…
No I haven’t! But I am always on the lookout for more tools, so I will put that brush on the top of my list! 🙂
VOTE: Right now, I have to say my Clarisonic. I am still in the initial testing stages, but so far I am starting to like it a lot. Tweezerman tweezers are a close second.
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Oh cool! What cleanser are you using with it?
Just one, then my MAC 239 brush. I can highlight, blend, apply, etc. It does it all when in a pinch 🙂
The 239 is right up there for me, too. It’s even good for detail work!
Its got to be Shu all the way!!!
I heart the Shu too. No other curler compares!
Vote: my T3 Bespoke Labs Evolution Hairdryer! I used to spend 30 minutes drying my hair, now it takes 15 and it looks so smooth I don’t even need to flat iron it!
Isn’t that blowdryer magic? I can’t live without it!
Vote: mac 226 brush. Somedays I complete an entire look with just that.
VOTE: GHD hair Straightners. MY BF bought them for me for my birthday a couple of years ago and my hair would be a disastrous mess without them!
VOTE: tweezerman tweezers! looking back at pictures when I was younger before I knew to pluck = just scary!
Vote: My tweezerman metal tooth eyelash comb. This thing is a miracle worker! It separates every single lash and declumps even the ittiest bittiest bit of mascara.
Vote: Stippling brushes (MAC 187 and 188) ..makes my makeup flawless and natural and so fun to use them 🙂
Honestly, my favourite is my eyeshadow blending brush, and just quietly, it’s by E.L.F!
Vote: ELF eyeshadow blending brush.
For me it’s MAC’s 217!!!! Best all purpose eyeshadow brush!
.-= Noire Tropical Beauty’s last blog post… So you want to wear makeup…….The Basics =-.
VOTE: Good old Q-tips! They’re cheap and last for ages and they’re good for all kinds of stuff: smudging harsh kohl lines, removing stray nail polish, even dabbing on concealer in a pinch! It’s beauty on a budget in the extreme but I still can’t help but looooove teh Q-tips!
The MAC 189 Face Brush. I use it with Armani Fluid Sheers to contour my face. I use the fluid sheer in Golden Bronze to contour my face, and then I go over my cheekbones with Rouge fluid sheer. So pretty 🙂
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT146&PRODUCT_ID=3624
http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com/_us/_en/makeup/face/foundation-primer/fluid-sheer.htm
VOTE: Sonicare toothbrush. : [=]
My vote goes to Sephora Brand Professionnel Platinum Air Brush #55. Makes my Studio Fix go on so smoothly!
Vote: my Panasonic Epilator. I know, I know TMI, but I swear I can’t live without it!!
VOTE: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. Nothing curls my eyelashes like this baby!
If I could have only one eye brush, it would be MAC 217!
I love, love, love my MAC 187 foundation brush. I survived on a 109 dupe for about a year and had countless of problems with it (i.e. foundation was too thick, I could never achieve the “sheer” look). I recently started using MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation and my MUA recommended the 187, though she taught me how to use it differently (blend and buff), fortunately, after watching an enormous amount of YouTube videos, I figured out how to use it correctly to achieve a pixelized look. 🙂 Just thinking about this brush makes me happy.
I have cuticles that grow like weeds, so I like my cuticle pusher and cuticle nipper.
VOTE: Tweezerman Cuticle Pusher and Tweezerman Cuticle Nippers
My tweezerman Tweezer for sure! Gets even the tiniest little broken off hair out nice and smoothly.
VOTE: Tweezerman Tweezers
.-= Sarah’s last blog post… 2010 SAG Award Winners =-.
My Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler 🙂
omg karen ive been wanting to try that t3 dryer for soooo long now especially after reading your review on it and now you rank it your no. 1 im just freaking DIEING over here!
VOTE: i guess my CHI flat iron. makes my frizzy puff ball smooth and silky…..though i havent compared it to any other brands besides cheapos. i tried a friends babybliss a few years ago and i remember liking it a lot…also intrigued by the t3 flat iron since the blow dryer is getting so many raves