Makeup Tools

How Do You Apply Powder When You’re Out and About?

August 10th, 2009 by Karen 29 Comments

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Photo by MR+G

Reach for those thinking caps, ladies, because Alice needs our help! 🙂

Hi Karen,

At home I apply MAC Blot [MAC Blot Pressed Powder] with the 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush, but I was wondering if there’s a way to bring the brush along without having to buy a brush roll. Is it okay to use the powder puff that comes with the compact? I’ve heard that’s very unsanitary.

Thank you!

Hi Alice,

To borrow a line from Mariah (love ya, Mimi!), I can’t live, if living is without my MAC Blot Pressed Powder. 🙂

My compact is like a Hollywood starlet’s dog — It goes everywhere with me.

When I head out of the house, though, I’ll use it with a retractable drugstore brush like the EcoTools Recycled Retractable Kabuki Brush ($10).

It’s light, portable and delivers a natural veil of powder on the skin (perfect for touch-ups).

And it’s way cheaper than a $45 MAC Brush Roll, which means not having to stress as much about potentially losing it.

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And I think powder puffs are fine if you’re conscientious about regularly cleaning them. I’ll thoroughly hand wash mine every few days with shampoo to remove any built up oil or powder, and then I’ll let it air dry on a clean surface.

Keep in mind that applying powder with a puff can result in heavier coverage, so be mindful of that when you’re doing touch-ups between classes. 🙂

Ladies, what do you use to apply powder when you’re out and about?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I can’t believe it, but I spaced out and forgot about last night’s premier of America’s Best Dance Crew Season 4!
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What’s Your Biggest Mascara Gripe?

July 5th, 2009 by Karen 37 Comments

What's your biggest mascara gripe?

I’ll tell you what bothers me: mascaras that won’t hold a curl. That, and ones that smudge. Grrr…

I know it’s a crowd pleaser, but Maybelline Great Lash smudges on me like crazy, unlike my current favorite, Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara, $22.

How to apply mascara

Start by curling your lashes with your trusty eyelash curler. NOTE: If you curl your lashes after you’ve already applied your mascara, you run the risk of ripping some of them out! I’m guilty of having done it before… but it’s a big no-no that probably isn’t worth the risk.
With your mascara wand in hand, remove any excess product from the wand by brushing it lightly against a clean tissue.
Now, apply your first one or two coats.
For better definition and more length, use a lash comb, getting in there *before your mascara dries*.
For super-deluxe-crazy-dramatic length, apply one or two additional coats of mascara, but only to the tips of your lashes. Then, reach for your eyelash comb again, and run it through once more.
Clean up any mess with Q-Tips or a tissue. 🙂

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. For more fun with lashes, check out 11 Luscious Lash Tips.

How Often Do You Clean Your Makeup Brushes?

June 9th, 2009 by Karen 55 Comments

MAC makeup brushes

When I’m not pressed for time, I’ll wipe down the brush heads with a Wet Ones Wipe after each use.

Then, about every other weekend, I’ll clean them more thoroughly with shampoo (I’ve gotten good results with Aussie’s Opposites Attract Protect + Soften; it breaks up dried and caked product fast).

I haven’t cleaned my brushes with shampoo in a couple weeks, though, relying instead on those quickie cleanups with Wet Ones Wipes, but my brush heads are getting pretty gunky (gross!)…

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How to Make Your Loose Powder Last

June 4th, 2009 by Karen 41 Comments

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No matter how hard I try, I’m awful when it comes to controlling how much product I use with my loose powder jars.

It’s not like I’m devoid of muscle control, or like I’m shakin’ the jars like a Polaroid picture.

I don’t know, but every time I gently shake a jar to load the sifter tray, mayhem ensues; powder gets everywhere, and I’m sent down the same product-wastin’ path…

The wastefulness starts with the excess of powder in the tray. It’s why my brush gets overloaded with powder, which I end up blowing off or tapping away when I go to dilute the brush before application.

A lot product gets wasted in the process, and that makes me kind of cranky. 🙁

Makeup McGyver!

I finally found a way to doctor those jars of loose powder to cut back on waste.

It’s a cheap and easy trick that takes less than three minutes to do, and it makes it easier to control the amount of powder that feeds through those built-in sifters, consequently reducing the amount of product that gets lost to the wind.

What you’ll need

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A jar of loose powder (the kind that comes with a sifter)
Scotch Tape
Q-Tips

Step by step, oh baby…

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First, create a clean surface for the tape by removing the powder from the holes in the sifter area with a Q-tip.

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Next, grab a small piece of tape from the dispenser; place it on top of a few of the holes in the sifter.
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Powder Application: Brush or Puff?

June 2nd, 2009 by Karen 28 Comments

Whether to use a brush or a puff to apply powder depends on the kind of coverage you’d like (click here to see the video).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Sonia Kashuk’s $13 Coral Reef Highlighter Brush

April 29th, 2009 by Karen 38 Comments

sonia kashuk coral reef highlighter brush

Sonia Kashuk is frickin’ *bringing* it in the brush department this spring. Just like the travel brushes in her Hidden Treasures Brush Set ($20), her limited edition Coral Reef Highlighter Brush ($13) performs like a champ and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

When I want a veil of sheer, shimmery powder or bronzer, Coral Reef handles the job perfectly.

The domed brush head resembles the head on a kabuki brush. It’s a little different than a regular kabuki, though, because the bristles (sooo soft!) are less densely packed, and the brush head feels fluffier.

It lays down sheer layers of color evenly on my skin. I’ve used the brush to apply highlighting powder, bronzer and blush, and it works well with all three types of products. This doll’s a multi-tasking monster.
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Sonia Kashuk Hidden Treasures Brush Set: Carry On

April 27th, 2009 by Karen 21 Comments

Sonia Kashuk Hidden Treasure Brush Set and Bag

For the life of me, I can’t travel light.

I like to be prepared, which is my excuse for overpacking. 🙁

The last time I went somewhere on a plane, I thought I’d been good ahead of time and packed what I thought was the bare minimum of makeup and beauty, only to be told at the airport that I’d have to check my bag (and pay the $15 check-in fee) because of weight.

And I thought I’d been so good… Go figure.

Next month, come hell or high water, I’m determined to pack lighter than usual, and it boils down to limiting the makeup and beauty products I bring.

Having to leave things behind feels like cruel and unusual punishment, but I think I can do it with the help of Sonia Kashuk’s Hidden Treasure Brush Set ($20).

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Fits in the palm of yo’ hand!

New for spring, the Hidden Treasures Brush set comes with six essential makeup brushes with sassy faux silver handles and a cutie-pie orange and white coral print bag.

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The whole clan of Hidden Treasure makeup brushes

These brushes feel much softer against my skin than other travel brushes I’ve tried from MAC and Smashbox, and the long handles fit better in my hand.

Included in the set…
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12 More Makeup Storage Ideas

April 22nd, 2009 by Karen 16 Comments

12 Makeup Storage Ideas

Imagine actually being able to USE the top of your dresser again for something OTHER than storing piles of random makeup.

Picture a bathroom no longer buried under bottles of moisturizer, yes!

If you’re approaching critical makeup mass — if you can no longer put off the inevitable — then I hope this morning’s 12 More Makeup Storage Ideas can help.

If you liked this post, check out last week’s 21 Ways to Store Your Makeup and 21 MORE Ways to Store Your Makeup.

Heard of Japonesque before? This often-overlooked company has been making cases to help pros store their cosmetics for years.

Cutie Makeup Bag: Like good men, good makeup bags are hard to find, so when you DO find a good one, hold on tight!

Makeup Storage Using Everyday Items: Organizing your growing makeup collection may not be as tough as you thought. You may already have everything you need sitting around the house. Silverware organizer, anyone?

Don’t Refuse to Reuse: Here’s an eco-friendly guide that suggests giving used household items new jobs as makeup storage accessories.

24 Lipstick Acrylic Organizer: While slightly mind blowing, this incredibly useful contraption can hold a whopping 24 tubes of lipstick!

Chill Out about Storing Your Makeup: It may be the last place you’d expect to find your makeup, but chew on this: refrigerating cosmetics will extend their shelf life once they’ve been opened.

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Makeup Tools

How to apply mascara

What's your biggest mascara gripe?

How often do you clean your makeup brushes?

Makeup McGyver!

What you’ll need

Step by step, oh baby…