Back to Basics - My Top Pick Of The Best Brushes to enable you to create your daytime make up looks.

My Top Make Up Brushes For Your Basic Day to Day Make Up

Back 2 Basic’s Ladies – My pick of the top Brushes are all listed below to enable you to create your basic daytime make up looks.

1)                  Foundation Brush - A good foundation brush is a must for creating flawless skin all day long. Try Real Techniques Stippling Brush RRP £11.99. You can apply foundation with this, along with powder and cream blushers. To get a brush that you can use for different products is a very good investment. Another amazing brush similar to this is Sigma Kabuki Flat Headed Brush F80, this you can buy from Amazon RRP £20.00, it does state this is only used for the chin, forehead and cheeks but I use it all over my face and it works perfectly.

2)                  Powder Brush – This brush is used for setting your foundation, if you have oily skin it is best to powder all over the face with a light dusting but if your skin is normal/combination just powder your forehead, chin and nose, leave your cheeks to glow. But if you prefer a more Matte look then dust all over. I use a smaller brush for the sides of my nose and just under my nose, I will let you know which one this is soon. For powder setting try Eco Tools Powder Brush RRP £9.99 or Real Techniques Powder Brush RRP £12.99

3)                  Eye Shadow Brush – A must for your daytime eye shadow application. Try Real Techniques Shading Brush, RRP 7.99. Little tip for you, when applying your eye shadow do not apply like a car wind screen wiper i.e. wiping the product side to side, but instead gently pat on the eye shadow with the flat side of the brush. 

4)                   Eye Shadow Blending Brush – A very important brush to have in your make up bag I cannot do without mine now, they are a little gem. Even if your are not wearing much eye shadow, say for instance you are wearing a lightish shade for the daytime and would like to add a darker colour into the socket line, this brush is amazing for blending the colours together, this will make any harsh lines disappear and create an even look. Try Sigma Beauty Tapered Blending Brush E40, (I have this one and it is very good) RRP £14.25 from Amazon. Little tip for you all, when using your blending brush move in circular motions very lightly, so you are creating a feathery tickling effect on the eye. As I mentioned above I use a smaller brush for setting powder around my nose well this is the one :-)

5)                  Brow Brush to Groom & Shape – Your brows I think personally are the most important feature on your face as they frame your face and draw attention to your eyes so grooming and shaping them is very important. Try Sigma Small Angle Brush E65 RRP £11.99 from Amazon for filling in your brows with a brow kit, and I recommend MAC 204 Brush RRP £8.00 for shaping your brows, this is advertised as a lash brush but I use it on my brows and I love it. Or try Real Techniques Lash & Brow Brush RRP £6.99, this one is great for grooming brows and separating your lashes once you have applied your mascara. 

6)                  Blusher Brush - Remember to add that pop of colour to your cheeks, I recommend The Body Shops Blusher Brush RRP 12.00, start on the apples of you cheeks in circular movements and brush upwards towards your hairline. This brush will also contour and blend in your product very well. Only designed for powder products.

7)                  Liner Brush – A great little tool for making sure your liner is applied precisely and even when using a gel, cake or liquid based product. Try Sigma Liner Brush E05 RRP £13.99 or Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush RRP £5.99, I recommend these as they have really pointy nibs and a tapered end which I think personally work the best for getting that precise line. 

8)                  Concealer Brush & Lipstick Brush – Not everyone uses a brush to conceal, but for blemishes I think they work the best as if you use your fingers you end up leaving the product around the blemish as well as on the blemish. So using a brush allows you to precisely add the product directly on top of the blemish. You can dab your finger on afterwards to blend in or use a brush, again you can use a blending brush for this (I do). Try Elf Concealer Brush RRP £1.50 or Body Shop Concealer and Lip Brush (kill two birds with one stone) RRP £ 9.00. I do use my finger to apply concealer into the corners of my eyes as with the warmth in your fingers it blends the product into the skin better. Always good to diminish those dark circles :-)

All Real Techniques can be purchased from Boots online or in store. Sigma brushes can be purchased on Amazon or on Sigma’s official website http://www.sigmabeauty.com

You can have all the amazing products but with the right tools you will find the application is much better and you get much better results. I have found over the last two years that this is very very true. My favourite brushes I have are my Sigma ones. If you would like to try a full collection of Sigma brushes head over to their website were you will find a full range of kits available. You can also purchase the full kits on Amazon. The kits do seem a bit pricey but don’t let that put you off as these brushes will last you a good 15-20 years if not more. But you must look after them, wash them with baby shampoo at least twice a week.

I hope this has helped you select some good tools for you make up bag. Any questions please let me know and I will be happy to help

Sarah x

Foundation Textures and Techniques

Foundation Textures and Tips

Hi Ladies,

I thought for my next blog I would hand out some tips of foundation techniques, from past experience working on Make Up Counters and visiting clients on a freelance basis the one thing that I got asked a lot was how to select the right foundation and how to apply. So I thought I would do a blog on giving out a few handy tips to you all.

It is important not to get stuck using the same makeup all year round as with the seasons changing so does your skin and it can be either dry or oily. A lot of ladies when selecting the colour of foundation, match it to the top of the hands or wrist, this is not correct. Please make sure the make up artist on the counters or yourself match the colour to the neck area. In summer the face can be a different colour to the neck as the sun has caught the face and not the neck. So it is best to match to the neck area and after you have applied your entire make up add bronzer to even out the skin.

The main point of a foundation is to even out the skin tone and colour of your skin. It can be a tricky business picking the right shade for your skin and also knowing what type of foundation is best suited to you, below is a list of all the different foundations you can purchase and next to each one I have written a short explanation of what they do.

Full Coverage – This one I am a huge fan off I love a full coverage but not so it is thick and you can see it on the skin, which is why I opt for Lancôme Teint Miracle (see my previous blog in more detail for this), A full coverage foundation will effectively cover blemishes, redness, scars and discoloration. A good full coverage foundation is Lancôme Teint Miracle RRP £29.00. With this foundation you can opt for a medium coverage or full, as it is build able. I know it is a little pricey but it lasts me for 5-6 months and is a fantastic product. And that is with me using it as a full coverage. Bare minerals are also fantastic for a full coverage look.

Oil Free – Fantastic for you ladies who are prone to oily skin. Oil free foundations will help keep shine away, this is done by the foundation creating a matte and textured finish to the skin. An oil free foundation will not contain any mineral oils or lanolin, these are the ingredients that cause clogged pores and can also cause sensitivity. A good oil free foundation is No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation RRP £13.50 this foundation balances oil production and minimises blemishes.

Sheer Coverage – A sheer coverage foundation will not provide you with a lot of cover, your skin will look more natural. This type of foundation will still even out your skin but will allow freckles and beauty marks to still show. The result of this foundation will be the effect of a make up free face. A good sheer coverage foundation is MAC Face and Body Foundation RRP 23.00

Moisturising – Great for dry to normal skin, as this provides extra hydration and also works well on mature skin. Again another good one for this is Lancôme Teint Miracle.

Illuminating – This type of foundation will give the skin a nice healthy glow and luminous finish. A good illuminating foundation is Bobbi Brown’ Award Winning Luminous Moisturizing Foundation RRP £30.00 this is fantastic for boosting the skin and firming the skin, this foundation also helps reverse the visible signs of aging and leaves the skin with a healthy glow – perfect.

Cream to Powder – These foundations normally comes in a compact, and once applied dry to a powder finish. These give a medium finish so great for providing more coverage, but not as much as a full coverage foundation. A good product for this is Benefit Play Sticks, RRP £23 - £26.00. A silky consistency, which provides a natural looking coverage.

Mousse – A mousse foundation will provide a matte or natural glow to the skin, the texture is very light and will feel really light on the skin. Maybelline do a good range of mousse foundations and No7 also do a fantastic mousse (Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation), which is also great for oily skin this retails at £12.50

Tinted Moisturiser – A tinted moisturiser is great for a little coverage just enough to give the skin a little pick me up and a nice glow.  Tinted moisturisers are great to take on holiday instead of using a foundation. These also sink very easily into the skin. Benefit do a great tinted moisturiser called you rebel RRP £23.50 this also adds moisture to the skin.

BB Cream –Another product which I am a huge fan of, BB Creams provide more coverage than a tinted moisturiser but not as much as a foundation. They are lightweight and feel like silk on the skin. They cover blemishes, even out the skin and hide and uneven skin i.e. redness. A great one I have used on myself is Boots No7 BB Cream this is the only one on the market that caters to all three skin types. RRP 12.95.

Powder Based – This provides a non-reflective finish to the skin. A powder base can also be used on top of a liquid foundation to set it.  A good powder based foundation is Max Factor Crème Puff RRP 5.99.

So hopefully make up lovers with all the different foundations I have listed, this will make it a little easier for you to pick a foundation which is suited to you, your skin and what coverage you would like.

Below are a few of my tips on the application of foundation:

Before applying any foundation please make sure you cleanse, tone and moisturise. Please wait for your moisturiser to sink in until you apply your primer.

Apply primer, and again please wait a few minutes for this to work into the skin

Make sure you are applying your foundation in natural light

Apply small dots around your face, i.e. on the forehead, chin, cheeks and nose.

Apply your foundation in downward strokes to minimise pores, sweep over the ears and under the jaw line, none of us want that awful line do we J

Once the foundation is properly blended, if you require any more coverage add concealer instead of more foundation.

It is important to add a powder on top to set the foundation this also minimises shine.

A few ways to limit shine is to apply foundation with a brush or sponge instead of fingers and also use an oil free primer.

I really hope this helps with your foundation application and in selecting the correct foundation.

Any questions please feel free to message me

Sarah x

Amazing Sigma Make Up Brushes

WOW I saw these brushes and had to share them, I am in love. They are amazing. Nice and girly colours and great quality brushes by Sigma.

All made form synthetic. There are 12 brushes in this fabulous kit. The Brush Holder splits into two so you can be very organised on a job by having your dirty brushes in one pot and your clean brushes in another. Result :-)

You can purchase at http://www.sigmabeauty.com/default.asp

Brushes Included:

E05 - Eye Liner: Create smooth and even lines. Use with gel or liquid liners.

E30 - Pencil: Soften and smoke out lines. Soften pencil liners along the top and bottom lash lines, add shadow to line the eyes, or use to highlight inner corner of eyes.

E40 - Tapered Blending: Soft blended crease. Using just the tips to apply color, sweep back and forth through the crease for a diffused and blended finish.

E55 - Eye Shading: Even application of color. Place color across the whole lid for an even and strong application of product.

E60 - Large Shader: Uniformly cover the whole lid with product. Apply cream shadow base or cream shadow for quick and even coverage.

E65 - Small Angle: Create precise lining. Moves fluidly and easily across the upper and lower lash lines. Use with gel, cream or powder liners.

E70 - Medium Angled Shading: Soft application of color. Use for brow highlighting or to blend the crease.

F30 - Large Powder: Even powder application. Uniform blending of powder products onto the face and body.

F40 - Large Angled Contour: Subtle cheek application. Use the angle to softly contour the cheekbone. Can also be used to apply blush.

F50 - Duo Fibre: Creates an airbrush effect onto the skin. Can be used with powder, liquid or cream products.

F60 - Foundation: Smooth foundation application. Apply liquid or cream products such as foundation and primer.

F70 - Concealer: Conceal small areas. Conceal the hardest to reach areas such as around the nose and eyes.

Sparkly Clean Make Up Brushes

Are we all cleaning our Make Up Brushes on a regular basis????

This is a very bad make up sin ladies ;-). To keep your brushes in tip top shape and clean use a baby shampoo to clean them every 2-3 days. Just pop a small amount onto the middle of your hand and wipe the dirty brush through it until you see the make up come out then swirl it round under the warm water until the water from the brush runs clear. Leave them to dry overnight.

I normally wash mine every few days and my professional brushes after every job so they are nice and clean ready for the next client.

If you do not wash your make up brushes regularly they gather bacteria and dead skin cells. When you are constantly using them every day you are brushing these dead skin cells and bacteria onto your clean skin. Which I am sure once you have read this will have you all saying ughhhhh. But that is the truth so make sure you keep them sparkly clean.

Sarah x