Do you ever wet your brush heads when you apply powder eyeshadows? It’s one of my favorite color-intensifying tricks, and I’ll usually use MAC Fix+ or Charged Water. They crank up the color intensity and, if it’s a shimmery product, the shine as well.
Thing is, after taking a wet brush to a pan a few times, the pans can get crusted over, and the shadow itself can harden like clay.
To get around this, or at least to minimize it, when I use a wet brush, I work the same part of the pan every time. So, instead of swiping the brush across the whole surface, I swipe the same, small spot. It still hardens…but just in that one little area.
If you have an eyeshadow pan that you’ve been using with a wet brush, and it’s already hard like concrete, here’s something to try: gently scrape away the top layer using the edge of a spoon, with “gently” being the key word here.
Too much pressure, and you could shatter the pan into a zillion pieces…which would not be good.
Welcome to another fun-filled installment of Share a Tip Tuesday! 🙂 You were awesome in last week’s edition and left a ton of great makeup, beauty and brush tips in the comments. Here are some of the ones I’m eager to try…
The best eyeliner that I’ve found that stays put on my waterline and anywhere else is actually drugstore–Physician’s Formula! The ones that come in a set of three are my favorites. So easy to use and so dependable.
–LILIANEHere is a tip Lisa Eldridge taught me (bless her for recommending so many amazing products, too) — using eye liner brush for concealing small blemishes. It works wonders actually!
–MARINAhave to say that my favourite brush is a tie between Lunasol Cheek Brush and RMK Cheek Brush S, as I’m only learning up proper eye makeup so can’t really comment on eye brushes (Am still on the lookout for good eye brushes). Anyway, both the Lunasol and RMK brushes are incredibly high quality and fluffy and soft, and work very well for loose powder or pressed powder application- foundation, compact, blush, bronzer, highlighter… anything face-related, really! Who says they should only be cheek brushes?
–STEPHANIE/YUKAESHIMy favorite favorite favorite multitasking brush is the smudger brush from Medusas Makeup. It retails for about $10 but it packs a punch! I use this baby to wing my shadow out, smudge liner for a smoky look, apply cream eyeliner, put eyeshadow along my lower lash line. This is possibly one of the best brushes that I own and I constantly find myself going back to it.
— SARAIt doesn’t matter what brand you have, having at least two good fluffy blending brush is a must. I have two because when I can use one for blending out my eyes, then another for putting subtle highlights on my face, blending out concealer, wiping out my lips, or contouring out small areas.
–KATE & ZENA
Thanks for adding to our arsenal of knowledge. 🙂
Now, today let’s talk about eyeshadow…
Like, what are your favorites (the shadows you keep buying over and over again)? And what about eyeshadow brushes — which are your must-haves? While we’re at it, can you recommend any bodacious bargain shadows?
Knowledge is power, so let’s pool our resources, okay? Leave your current top tips/tricks/techniques/awesome drugstore finds here in the comments, or tweet ’em to me on Twitter @karenmbb using the hashtag #shareatiptuesday.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I love Wet N Wild shadows and the little Sally Girl ones from Sally Beauty. they’re both super cheap but still good quality, so they’re a great way to test out a color that you may or may not like before dropping the big bucks on a high end brand.
Hi Ester,
I haven’t tried the Sally Girl shadows…good to know that they’re high quality for the price. 🙂 Are there any specific colors from the line that you use and love?
my absolute favorite is lilac. it’s a light purple, and it was my first try with purples, which I now wear all the time!
Sounds like something I’d like. I’m always looking for easy-to-wear purples. I bet it’s pretty with bronzes and golds!
it’s great with Maybelline golden halo and with pretty much all of the Naked 2 🙂
Until I quit buying MAC, I’d repurchased Vapour a few times. For eyeshadow brushes, my must haves are the Too Faced brushes, Real Techniques brushes and the ecoTools brushes.
Most indie shadows are a bargain, usually under $7 in price. Fyrinnae just released a new collection
Hi Phyrra,
I plan to try the Too Faced brushes this week! I’m glad to hear that you like them. Is there a specific brush from the line that you can’t live without?
The highlighter brush from the ecotools line is great. I have 3 or 4 of them now and I use them every day.
I love the MAC 239, Sigma E25, and my Sonika Kashuk bent eyeliner brush — can’t live without ’em! As far as shadows, I think I take my Naked (or Naked 2!) palette every time I travel somewhere — can cover anything from day to night! As far as cost friendly shadows I love WnW’s Comfort Zone Palette and Maybelline’s color tattoos. 🙂
Hi Melissa,
I can’t live without that Sonia Brush, either. I keep meaning to get a second one, but every time I go to Target it’s always sold out.
Thanks for the WNW recommendation. 🙂
The WnW palette is amazing but if you haveoily eyelids use a primer first. 🙂
Good to know, Ana! Thank you.
I love Lancome’s Kitten Heel eyeshadow! I also just bought a LORAC palette on HauteLook a couple weeks ago, and the quality was great, I’ll have to buy more LORAC shadows!
I mostly use synthetic brushes because animal fur ones make my skin itch. I love the CVS Essence of Beauty crease brushes (I own a couple sets). My favorite blending brush is an ELF brush I got on clearance at Target, and it’s covered in purple plastic gems, lol.
Honestly, I love love love all of MAC’s Matte2 and Inglot’s Matte eyeshadows. I am a matte freak.
Brushes – I cannot do without my 217 and 226 brushes from MAC, all my Sonia Kashuk eyeshadow brushes and the Sephora rounded blending brush. 🙂
Chanel Eye Shadow Brush rocks my lids… it’s super easy for shadow applying dummies like me!
Color: I keep buying Purple. Lavender, dark royal purple, the in between… just purple. Tons of it. 🙂
I just tried Rimmel London’s Glam Eyes HD eyeshadow palette – the one that looks like the Union Jack – in English Rose. I haven’t tried any other Glam Eyes color combos and I’ve never tried any of Rimmel’s eyeshadow quads or singles so I can’t speak for their eye shadows in general, but the Glam Eyes HD is like BUTTER! I mean, it’s got a texture like Shu’s ME-silver – fantastic. The color payoff is great and the staying power is all day with a good primer, with no “muddying” of the colors. Definitely worth a try.
I just can’t find better shadows than Chanel. Love them forever! Nothing else blends as well, looks as great, or feel as luxurious!
I love Urban Decay eyeshadows and I they are my favorite, I always keep coming to them because the quality is unbeatable!
YES! UD, in my opinion, makes the absolute BEST eyeshadows of all-time. They are buttery and long-lasting. I tiny swipe of the brush across the pan yields AMAZING coverage so you end up very little shadow making them last so long! They are BOMBASTIC!
Jeez, sorry for all of the type-o’s! Oy.
My fav shadow is Maybelline Color Tattoo. I only have one (Tough as taupe) but I WILL have these jewel toned LE colors: “Fuchsia Fever” (deep fuchsia), “Ready, Set, Green” (medium jade green), “Blue on By” (bright royal blue), and “Test my Teal” (darkened blue-green). I swear they look like the powder shadows MAC did with Eve. I mean a cream version of Bang on Blue? Gimme!
absolute favorite eyeshadow : wet n wild 8 pan palette in comfort zone. no matter what the occasion is, these dont disappoint. can go from day to night. can be subtle or bold, wether you have a zillion fancy brushes to apply or just use their applicator – it turns out beautifully! 🙂
For drugstore shadows, I always go to Wet n Wild, Physicians Formula, or Milani. Milani has really stepped it up with their quality and the shadows are so amazing!
LOOK, it’s my comment!!!!!!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! *is happy*
Sonia Kashuk is my go-to brand for makeup brushes–but she has really good eyeshadow brushes especially. Sure there are some duds (do NOT try the Shaped Blending Brush–the thing makes me tear up every time I use it because of it’s scratchy bristles!), but there are a LOT of winners, too! I love the Bent Eyeliner Brush, the Crease Shadow Brush (really good blending brush, especially for those with smaller lid space), and Smudge Brush (LOVE this one).
Sometimes I’ll take loose powder eyeshadow (or chunks of one I have broken) and blend it into a dot of lotion. SHAZAM instant creme eyeshadow! You can also say it’s strangely colored BB cream. I recommend using mild and unscented lotion (like Aveeno, Cetaphil, and Nivea).
E.L.F. came out with an awesome eyeshadow palette called Little Black Beauty Book. It comes in ‘cool’ and ‘warm’ editions. The warm edition suited my skin tone better. The color payoff isn’t intense, which makes the set perfect for work and my day look.
If you want to get a big eyeshadow palette on the cheap, try the 88 Original Palette by Coastal Scents. The shadows do require primer, but it’s like having a new crayon box every day. CS also released other colors with the same 88 eyeshadow count. http://www.amazon.com/Coastal-Scents-88-Original-Palette/dp/B002QANC2A/
I always find myself impressed with my MAC shadows. When they are getting old and look really crusty or messy they always perform so well. I worry usually thinking “oh no they might not work as well when they look so bad” but they never fail to apply just as nicely on the eye even though in the pan they may look bad.
Urban decay, too faced and Inglot are my FAVES!! The way I ensure my eyeshadows stay nice is by loading my brush and spritzing it instead of putting a wet brush directly into the product. I am really OCC when it comes to my eyeshadow and if/when I hit pan I repress 😉
Not OCC lol ADD
I love trying out different companies and products, so for me to repurchase is a big deal! That being said, I’m on my third Too Faced Label Whore… Love colors like that! I also love Wet n Wild’s Nutty eyeshadow (my fave bargain shadow. The formula on it is perfect, great payoff and blends like a dream.
Karen, I am loving these Share A Tip Tuesday posts! I think they are kind of awesome and I am actually learning a lot of great tricks!
That being said, I’ve gotta go with everyone else. Those Urban Decay shadows are the bomb. The only downside is that every time I try a different shadow, I’m always a little disappointed because it never lives up to good ol’ UD. Oh well, I think I’m a little spoiled…:P.
By the way, I practically squealed when I saw my comment up there as the first one! Thanks so much for taking the time to read it!
Hi Liliane,
So glad to hear that you’re enjoying these posts. I like them too — I learn so much from you guys. 🙂
My favorite eye shadows are: Rouge Bunny Rouge (expensive but worth it), Benefit Creasless Cream eye shadows and Inglot eye shadows. I also love Too Faced and the Balm palettes. As for brushes – definitely MAC 217 and no7 Smudging brush.
I love indie brand eyeshadows like Lucky107, TThe Chequered Lily Apothecary, Venomous Cosmetics, My Pretty Zombie. I haven’t repurchased individual eyeshadow colours, preferring to try different colours all the time but I do repurchase or plan to from brands like the above. The best eyeshadow brush I’ve used is Sephora’s Double-Ended Every Day Eye Brush. It was worth every penny.