The Importance of Make Up Brushes

November 25, 2010 by  
Filed under Featured, Make Up For Begginers

In a perfect world, we’d all be able to afford a make up artist to come to our home and make us look flawless every day – but unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world. Learning to apply your own make up to give you the best face possible is a big part of growing up, and everyone loves insider tips and tricks on how to get the perfect look.

There are many things that can make the difference in make up application – the quality of products, matching your skin tone and complexion to the shades you use, enhancing your best assets – but few things are as important as the tools you work with. Using the correct make up brushes for the correct products can be the finishing touch you need when it comes to creating a flawless finish; after all, the products you buy can only be as good as the tools you apply them with.

Most make up products and cosmetics come with their own applicators, such as small pads in eyeshadows or sponge materials with face powder. However, these applicators are less than ideal for applying make up due to their small size (they are usually sized so they fit within the palette) and poor quality creation.

Investing in a separate set of make up brushes will make a huge difference to the overall appearance of make up you wear. You can find full sets of face and eye brushes for as little as $10, or up to $50 for a deluxe kit. Give them a go, and see the difference they make for yourself.

Why Not Give Budget Make Up Brands A Try?

November 25, 2010 by  
Filed under Make Up Tips

Make up can be expensive; that’s an unfortunate fact. The most premium brands, offering products that promise to work near miracles in return for your hard earned cash, can be eye wateringly expensive – the kind of money you’d usually spend on rent. Thankfully, many budget brands of make up also exist, particularly those that are sold in grocery stores and supermarkets.

Unfortunately, the budget make up brands rarely get a decent write up from the premium obsessed beauty media. While you do get what you pay for, and the quality of budget make up may not be the quality of premium and designer brands, that doesn’t necessarily mean the brands are terrible either. By and large, the main difference in what the product claims to do.

For example, a premium mascara may be marketed with claims that not only does it apply colour to your lashes, but it also helps to extend and lengthen each individual lash. Whether it does or not depends on the product, but that’s the claim. However, budget make up brands will mostly be advertised on the strength of the colour they provide, rather than outlandish claims of lengthening, curling or even nourishing. That means you can steal buy mascara for an affordable price, that will still look good on if all you wish to do is darken your lashes.

Don’t dismiss budget beauty brands and make up. While some may not be for you, there are plenty of decent brands out there that don’t cost the earth, and genuinely do compete on efficiency with their premium cousins.

All About Mineral Make Up

November 25, 2010 by  
Filed under Make Up Tips

Make up is, like most fashion and beauty products, a constantly changing world where new trends come in every few months. One of the biggest hits of recent years, and darling of beauty editors and make up artists the world over, is mineral make up.

Mineral make up is exactly what it says on the tin; make up that is produced from minerals, thus making it more ‘natural’. The benefits of such make up are said to be wide ranging, including (but not limited to) better coverage, better colour of the product and a longer staying power. The first mineral products to hit the market were foundations or other face coverage products, though this has since extended in to eyeshadows, blushers and beyond.

Perhaps the biggest claim of mineral make up is that it is good for your skin. Where traditional make up can sometimes cause break outs and skin dryness, mineral make up is said to not just be devoid of those unfortunate characteristics, but it can also help make your skin better. Benefits of such a claim vary depending on the person and their skin type, but most users report positive (if not miraculous) experiences.

The one down side to mineral make up is the price. Like anything new and innovative, it is more expensive than make up made from traditional composites. For that reason, if you’re on a budget but want to give make up a try, sample a foundation first, as this is undoubtedly the most beneficial product in any make up line.

Three Essential Make Up Tips: Blusher

November 25, 2010 by  
Filed under Make Up Tips

Blusher is the make up product that allows you to recreate a healthy, natural glow all-year round, and is the perfect finishing touch to any well made up face. Here, we give three helpful hints that will allow you to create a perfectly well done face using blusher:

Tip One: Smile and Apply

Knowing where to apply blusher on the face is an essential, and incorrectly applied blusher is one of the most common mistakes. This is all the more surprising when one considers that getting it right is so very easy. To apply blusher correctly, smile as hard as you can so your cheeks inflate over your skin. You should apply blusher on these extended ‘apples’ of your cheeks, and literally nowhere else. Apply in a circular motion using a large round brush, and when you relax your face from its extreme smile, the blusher will be perfectly placed.

Tip Two: Be Subtle

One of the worst make up sins is when women use too much blusher, giving themselves the impression of being constantly flushed. When applying blusher, it’s important to use the product sparingly; a light dusting of powder, applied as directed in Tip One, is all you need to create a natural, rosy glow.

Tip Three: Colour Match

A bright red blusher is flattering on absolutely no one, so try and choose a more subtle shade with pink overtones. When buying blusher, keep in mind the colour of your skin; as a general rule, the darker your skin is, the darker your blusher can be. If you are very pale, a simple light pink is all you – anything more will look overdone.