Makeup Tools

You May Need a Hand with the Sonia Kashuk Dripping in Diamonds Travel Brush Set

December 17th, 2010 by Karen 14 Comments

The seven long-handled makeup brushes tucked within the lovely limited edition Sonia Kashuk Dripping In Diamonds Travel Brush Set ($24.99) may not get a lot of use this holiday season…

…because opening the stylin’ silver clutch is like trying to crack a safe!

I swear, Rubik himself would have struggled to figure it out. The latch, which is set flush against the side, looks the same from the top/bottom. It takes a good deal of force to pry open. Poor El Hub looked like a gorilla with a Gameboy when I asked him to give it a try, and after pawing, growling and clawing at it for about a minute, he finally figured it out (still lovin’ ya, babe!). 🙂

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The $13 Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set Is Perfect for Party Mode

December 16th, 2010 by Karen 20 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set

Where my party girls at? If you’re booked with back-to-back holiday fetes this year, freshen up your look between bashes with the Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set ($13).

The sparkly silver clutch contains four mini versions of classic Sonia brushes — a powder blush/brush, a blending brush, a small eyeshadow brush and a wee little brush for concealer.

Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set brushes and purse open

Sonia Kashuk Shimmer and Shine Purse Brush Set purse
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My Favorite Travel Makeup Bag May Come as a Surprise

November 28th, 2010 by Karen 17 Comments

Written by Audrey

Freelance makeup artist Audrey of Makeup by Audrey takes her makeup with her on the road with help from the subjects of today’s guest post.

Here's the bag open

It’s the holidays, and for a lot of us that means hitting the airways or the road. I’ve been using the same makeup travel bag for a few years now, and I love it! Check it out (and I made sure to leave it nice and dirty to preserve the authenticity of its long lifespan of usage).

My favorite part of the bag: the built in brush holder. No need to carry a separate brush roll. It even has a protective flap to keep any makeup dust away from your products, and the brush slots come in different sizes to accommodate both face and eye brushes.

I like the way the whole thing is laid out. The three mesh pockets (two of them are zippered to keep the contents nice and secure) are set in just the right locations.

The entire bag also rolls up nicely and stays wrapped with an elastic band, so you can really stuff it with products.

I’m still amazed by how well this bag has held up over the years (knock on wood!)

Brushroll

You might be surprised by to find out that this amazing makeup bag comes to us from Mary Kay, and more amazing still is that it’s not actually sold on its own but rather as an accessory to their brush set.
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Which Brush Do You Use to Line Your Lashes?

November 17th, 2010 by Karen 72 Comments

Last week reader JJ was looking for a specific kind of brush recommendation…

Wondering what brushes you used to apply your eye makeup… especially for the shadow below your lower lashline. I can never manage to create the thin shadowing you’re sporting here.

-JJ

Seriously, JJ, it took me a forever and a day to find (and a recommendation from a friendly MAC makeup artist), but the MAC 214 Short Shader Brush was the answer to my prayers. It makes drawing hella tight, thin lower lash lines as easy as 1-2-3.

The fibers are made from goat hair, and it’s a little expensive for a brush ($24.50). Actually, it’s quite expensive for a brush; MAC raised the price after I made the video up at the top.

Yes, it’s expensive, but if you like to push pigments right up against the roots of your lashes (and/or if you feel you’re a little clumsy with brushes), the 214 is worthy of a serious brush crush. The short, rounded bristles are a perfect combination of absorbent, in how they pick up a lot of product, and precise.
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Don’t Sweep These New NYX Makeup Brushes Under the Rug

November 5th, 2010 by Karen 26 Comments

NYX Brushes

OOH! I like NYX brushes, and they just added 11 new ones to their already extensive 24-piece makeup brush line (for a total of 35!).

Some use bristles made from pony hair and others bristles made from synthetic fibers, and all are reasonably priced from $4 – $15 each.

I used four of the new eye brushes and one of the brushes for face to do my makeup yesterday, and I came away with a good impression. I’d say these are on par with Sonia Kashuk brushes, and you know that’s saying a lot.

All of the brush heads feel soft in all the right ways, meaning neither too soft nor too rigid, and I like how the mid-length, lightweight handles fit my smallish hands (and most makeup bags).

I think NYX also deserves extra credit for printing the numbers and names on the side of each brush. It’s a small thing but surprisingly helpful sometimes.

I plan to use the B30 Shadow/Point and B31 Shadow/Smokie-Small brushes often. The brush heads are tiny, making them great for intricate detail work on the lids, and/or if you have a small crease.

Nyx brush review product photos 2
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The Beauty of Disneyland’s Fortuosity Shop

August 20th, 2010 by Karen 15 Comments

Anaheim’s Disneyland theme park is beautiful in more ways than one. Sure, it’s a colorful feast for the eyes, but it’s also quite literally beauty-full, bursting with Disney-themed jewelry, clothing, makeup and art.

The upcoming MAC Venomous Villains collection is the latest in a long line of historic Disney beauty collaborations, many of which are available for purchase in the park.

Girlfriend, they don’t call it The Magic Kingdom for nothin’.

If you find yourself strolling down Main Street, take a minute to check out the Fortuosity Shop (next to Carnation Cafe). It’s like a playground for beauty addicts, with a slew of Disney-related products and accessories ranging from nail polishes to jewelry to designer bags.

beauty of disney main street
Disneyland’s Main Street
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A Cheap and Easy Way to Store Your Lipsticks and Gloss

June 8th, 2010 by Karen 64 Comments

Makeup organization ideas

Back before BIC lighters and matches, primitive men went on quests for fire! And today, not unlike ancient man, I embarked upon my own special quest, but this one was for neatness and better makeup organization.

It took weeks of preparation! — okay, maybe not weeks. 🙂 The idea stemmed from a comment left by MBB reader Marisa (thanks, girl!) and the eyeliners and cream shadows I dealt with a couple of weeks ago.

Before that, I’d resigned to let my lip products live lives of disarray, tossing them all into a clear plastic box.

But that just wasn’t working.

Makeup organization ideas

I was stressing out every time I had to pull it out to find something, like yesterday, when I spent an obnoxious amount of time looking for my tube of Lychee Luxe (I knew it was in there!).

There had to be a better way.

A better way

See, this is why I love craft stores: cheap and easy storage solutions. For this project I needed scissors, Scotch tape, one big box and a bunch of smaller empty boxes from lipsticks and gloss.

Step 1

Find the big box. It should be deeper/taller than your longest lip product when you stand it up inside the box. I picked this pink one because not only does it fit my longest gloss, but it also has a lid, which makes it stackable.

Makeup organization ideas

Step 2

Flatten one of your empty lipstick/lipgloss boxes, and cut it through the middle to split it in half.

Makeup organization ideas
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Makeup Organization Ideas: MAC Paint Pots, Pigments or Fluidlines

May 27th, 2010 by Karen 36 Comments

Another makeup organizational treasure from the craft store, babes!

I found this clear ArtBin box with 18 compartments at Joanne for about $7. Each cubby is big enough to fit a MAC Paint Pot, Pigment or Fluidline (Benefit Creaseless Creams and Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams also fit nicely, too).

I used to keep ’em jumbled up in a single drawer, but it took forever to find the color I wanted, and whenever I’d move one pot, all the others would move too. With the pots separated like this, I can always find exactly what I need quickly.

Added bonus: the containers are see-through, stackable and portable, too.

I know there’s a lot of cream shadows in one space in these pics, and most women probably don’t hoard as much as I do, LOL! Things just start to add up after one avidly collects for a few years…